The Gospels
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The Gospels
Dr. Martin Luther's
Complete Writings,
published by
Dr. Joh. Georg Walch.
Seventh volume.
New Testament Interpretation.
New revised stereotype edition.
St. Louis, Mo.
CONCORDIA. PUBLISHING house.
Dr. Martin Luther's
New Testament Interpretation.
Interpretations
about the
Evangelists Matthew, Luke and John,
to the sixth chapter of John (incl.).
Published anew on behalf of the Ministry of the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod
of Missouri, Ohio and other States.
St. Louis, Mo.
CONCORDIA. PUBLISHING house.
Foreword.
In this volume we hand over to the Christian reader Luther's delicious interpretations of a part of the New Testament, namely of the Evangelists Matthew, Lucas and John up to the sixth chapter of John inclusive.
The writings originally written in Latin, as, Luther's notes on the first eighteen chapters of the Evangelist Matthew and Luther's disputation on Luc. 7, 47. are newly translated by us, the other writings to the best of our ability, accurately revised, incorrect timing corrected, deficient supplemented, missing added. Newly included in this volume are Luther's sermons on the eighteenth to twenty-fourth chapters of Matthew and on the third and fourth chapters of John, which were printed from the Wolfenbüttel manuscript in the Erlangen edition. In these sermons, too, we have improved the text here and there and corrected and supplemented the time determinations. How necessary the latter was, can be seen from the fact that Lic. theol. G. Buchwald in the preface to his published "Eleven previously unprinted sermons by D. Martin Luther
held in the time of Trinity 1539, Werdau. Verlag von Kurt Anz. 1890.": "That the editor chose just the following sermons from the abundant material, happened . . . because just in the second half of the year 1539 there is a considerable gap in Luther's sermon activity known to us so far". 2c. On the other hand, it can be seen from the "Chronological Overview" given by us after the table of contents of this volume, that more than thirty sermons are contained in this volume, which belong to the indicated time period. - Furthermore, we have included four sermons on texts from the Evangelist Lucas in this volume, which are taken from the aforementioned small collection of Buchwald. The rest of these sermons will be printed at the appropriate place in the following volumes.
In the Wolfenbüttel manuscript, as noted in the Erlangen edition, vol. 44, p. 275, there is a gap. There the Silk Sermons are missing, which Luther preached on Matth. 21, 23-27. and Cap. 21, 28-32. These sermons are found in Buchwald's "Ungedruckte Predig-.
VI Voreword .
Martin Luther, Vol. III, First Half". We have translated them and inserted them in the relevant place.
Furthermore, we have included in this volume those of the sermons that Luther delivered at the Coburg fortress in 1530 that have not yet been included in any collection of Luther's works. These are taken from: "Ungedruckte Predigten D. Martin Luthers im Jahre 1530 auf der Coburg gehalten. Together with the last Wittenberg sermons before his departure and the first after his return. From Andreas Poach's handwritten collection of Luther's sermons in the Zwickau Rathsschulbibliothek edited for the first time by Dr. Georg Buchwald, Gymnasialoberlehrer in Zwickau. Zwickau. Published by Gebrüder Thost (R. Bräuninger). According to the order followed by Walch, we should have distributed these sermons according to the order of the chapters among the interpretations of the Gospels. But because they form, as Buchwald says, "in a sense a complete whole in their reference to the Diet of Augsburg," we did not want to tear them apart, but have included them in an appendix to this volume. The first two sermons were preached in Wittenberg, before Luther's departure for Coburg, the last after his return]. These three sermons, delivered in Wittenberg, are written down in Latin, with a few German fragments interspersed. The text
is incomplete, often very spoiled, the punctuation extremely poor. For this reason, they are quite unenjoyable in the form in which they are presented to us in Buchwald's small collection. For this reason, we have not only translated them, but also provided them, as far as we could, with the unavoidable improvements. Sermons of such poor quality (such are also the twenty-one sermons of Güttel. Luther would not have tolerated them in a collection of his writings, but we have included them so that the reader can form his own opinion. The ten sermons delivered in Coburg were originally written in German and are of incomparably better quality. Eight of these sermons are already in our edition (mostly after Krafft's good review), as can be seen from the index of this volume; only two of them have not been known before. However, one sermon, the seventh in Buchwald's collection, is very mutilated in the previous editions, which is why we also include it in this volume according to the Zwickau manuscript. Of the remaining sermons, we give, just as Buchwald, only a few different readings and corrections in the time determination.
Because this volume has become considerably stronger due to the newly included writings, we have been forced to
** **Preface. VII
The first part of the text of the seventh and eighth chapters of St. John's is to be assigned to the following volume. It only needs to be noted that the text: "Kurzer Begriff und Ordnung aller vorgeschriebenen Bitten" (Walch, old edition, vol. VII, 1174. Erlanger, vol. 45, p. 204), which is not found in our table of contents, has not been omitted, but rather united with the preceding text, because it forms a part of it. There is no need for a further introduction to this volume, because everything necessary has been said in the first note for each individual text.
The editing of these interpretations of Luther's New Testament is a real pleasure and heartwarming for us.
Essence. If we preachers want to be and remain truly Lutheran and maintain and promote those who are commanded to us in right doctrine and godly living, this can be done in no better way than by us preachers ourselves diligently studying Luther's writings so that we are able to preach the Word of God to the people in Luther's way, but also by encouraging Christians not to neglect to read Luther's writings in addition to the Holy Scriptures. If this happens, it will not go without rich fruit. For this, God grant His grace and blessing, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
St. Louis, on Reformation Day, 1891.
A. F. Hoppe.
Content
of the
The seventh part of Luther's complete writings.
Doctor Martin Luther's Interpretation of the Vein Testament.
I. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. Columne
A. Notes by D. M. Luther on some chapters (Cap. 1-18, V. 7.) of the Evangelist Matthew.
1538 1
B. The Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Chapters of St. Matthew, Preached and Interpreted by D. M. Luther (Nov. 9, 1530 to March or April 1532). 1532 346
C. Two sermons on the third chapter of St. Matthew the Evangelist, preached at the baptism of Prince Bernhard of Anhalt, on the 1st and 2nd of December.
April 2 1540 678
D. Agricola's adaptation of Luther's interpretation and interpretation of the Holy Lord's Prayer. Matth.
6, 9-13. beginning 1518 712
E. Luther's interpretation in German of the Lord's Prayer for the simple-minded laity. April 5, 1519 752
Luther's brief interpretation of the Holy Father-
Ours, in front of it and behind it. Beginning 1520 822
F. Luther's sermon on Matth. 11, 25-30. Den
February 24 1527 824
H. Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 23. 1537 (?) 842
I. Luther's Sermon on Matth. 25, 1-13. 1537 (?) 846
K. Luther's Sermons on Matth. Cap. 18 to
Cap. 24. 1537-1540 852
II. interpretations about the evangelist Lucas.
A. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat, Luc. 1, 46
to 55. 2. half Aug. 1521 1372
B. Luther's Sermon on Luc. 2, 21. about circumcision rc. 1. Jan. 1524 1446
C. Luther's Sermon on Luc. 2, 35. 1537 (?) ... 1452
D. Luther's Disputation on Luc. 7, 47. 1535 1456
E. Luther's Sermon on Luc. 9, 51-56. From the
Zeal of the apostles against the Samaritans. 1537 (?) 1460
F. Luther's Sermon on Luc. 12, 35, Let Your
Loins to be girded. 1537 (?) 1464
G. Luther's sermon on Luc. 19, 41-48. Of the destruction of Jerusalem. Aug. 13, 1531 1470
H. Luther's sermon on Luc. 21, 25-33. About the future of Christ and the signs of the last day. December 8, 1532 1478
I. Four Sermons by Luther on the First Chapter
Lucä held 1539:
- about Luc. 1, 5-17. on the day before John, June 23, 1539 1502 > > 2. about Luc. 1, 68-79. on the feast of John,
June 24 1539 1510
- about Luc. 1, 39-45. on the day before the Visitation, July 1, > 1539 1518 > > 4. about Luc. 1, 46-55. on the day of the Visitation, July 2, 1539 > 1528 > > III. interpretations on the evangelist John. Columne
A. Luther's Interpretation of the First Four Chapters
John, July 7, 1537 to September 11, 1540 1538
B. Another interpretation about Joh. 1, 1-14.,
27 Dec. 1541 (?) 1542 (?) 2148
C. Luther's Sermon on Joh. 1, 16. 1537 (?) 2166 D. Luther's sermon about Joh. 1, 29. About the lamb
GOOD. 1537 (?) 2170
E. Luther's short explanation of the words Joh. 1, 29. to 34. 1524 2174
F. Luther's sermon on Joh. 5, 39. 40. 43. Aug. 5.
1545 2176
G. Luther's Interpretation of the 6th, 7th and 8th Chapters
St. John. Nov. 5, 1530 to March 9, 1532 2192 This volume contains only the interpretation of the sixth chapter of St. John; the continuation follows in the next volume.
Appendix.
Luther's sermons, delivered at Coburg in 1530, etc.
- sermon on Luc. 11, 14. ff., delivered March 20.
1530 atWittenberg 2416
- sermon on Joh. 8, 46. ff., held April 3.
1530 atWittenberg 2424
3rd Sermon on the Passion and the Cross, held April 16.
1530 atCoburg . Vol. 12, 1328 2428
- sermon on Marc. 16, 1-8., held April 17.
1530 at Coburg. Vol. 12, 1580 2428
- sermon on Marc. 16, 1-8., delivered April 17.
1530 at Coburg. Vol. 12. 1592 2430
- sermon on Luc. 24, 13. ff., delivered April 18, 1530 at Coburg. Vol. 12, 1600 2430
The same sermon in a different, worse relation. Vol. 12, 1570.
- sermon on Joh. 21, 1. ff., held April 20, 1530 at Coburg 2430
The same sermon in a different, worse relation. Vol. 12, 1574.
- sermon on Joh. 20, 11. ff., held on April 21, 1530 at Coburg. Vol. 12, 1370 2440
- sermon on Luc. 10, 23. ff., preached after
Sept. 11, 1530 at Coburg. Vol. 12, 1612 2440
- sermon on Matth. 9, 9.ff., held on September 21, 1530 at Coburg 2440
- sermon on Matth. 18, 1-12., held on
Sept. 29, 1530 at Coburg. Vol. 10, 1020 2448
- sermon on Luc. 7, 11. ff., delivered on Oct. 2.
1530 to Coburg 2448
- sermon on Matth. 22, 34. ff., held on
Oct. 16, 1530 at Wittenberg 2456
Chronological overview
via
Luther's sermons, which he preached from November 5, 1530, to May 9, 1532, on the 6th, 7th, and 8th chapters of John.
**Sermons** **via** **the **Capitel.** Columne
sixth**
- sermon .. 2192
about Joh.
6, 26.
Saturday,
November 5,
1530
, 2. """ 6, 27. " 12. " " .. 2201
""" 6, 28. 29. " 19. " " .. 2209""" 6, 30-32. " 26. " " .. 2220""" 6, 32-35. " December 3 " .. 2231""" 6, 36. 37. " 10. " " ......... .. 2238"" 6, 87. " 17. " " ... 22436, 37-39. " January 14, .. 2252 1531""" 6, 39. 40. " 21. " " .. 2266""" 6, 41-44. 28. " " .. 2277" 6, 45. 46. " February 4 " . .. 2292""" 6, 47. " 11. " " .. 2302""" 6, 48-51. " 18. " " .. 2313""" 6, 51. " 25. " " .. 2323""" 6, 52-54. " March 4 " .. 2332""" 6, 53. 54. April 1 " - 2340""" 6, 55-58. " 15. " " .. 2353""" 6, 59-63. " 22. " " .. 2366""" 6, 63. " 29. " " .. 2379""" 6, 64. 65. " May 6 " .. 2391""" 6, 66-71. " 13. " " .. 2401
Although we had to assign the 7th and 8th chapters of John to the eighth volume, because otherwise this volume would have become too strong, we continue our chronological overview of these chapters here.
Sermons on the seventh chapter.
Old edition:
+---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 1 | Se | | | | Vol. 7, 2212 | | | rm | | | | | | . | on | | | | | | | on | | | | | | | Jo | | | | | | | h. | | | | | | | 7, | | | | | | | 1- | | | | | | | 8. | | | | | | | S | | | | | | | at | | | | | | | ur | | | | | | | da | | | | | | | y, | | | | | | | M | | | | | | | ay | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | 0, | | | | | | | 15 | | | | | | | 31 | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 2 | ,/ | | | 7, 9-16. " June 3" | Vol. 7, 2233 | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 3 | ,, | , | , | 7, 16-18. " July 1" | ....Fol. 7, | | | | , | , | | 2246 | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 4 | | , | | 7, 18-24. " 8. "" | Vol. 7, 2261 | | | | , | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 5 | | | . | 7, 25-29. " 15. "" | ..vol. 7, | | | | | . | | 2274 | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 6 | | , | | 7, 30. 31. " 22. "" | Vol. 7, 2291 | | | | , | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 7 | | , | | 7, 32-36. " 29. "" | Vol. 7, 2302 | | | | , | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 8 | | | | 7,. 37-39. " -August " | ..Vol. 7, | | | | | | | 2314 | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 9 | | | | 7, 39-44. " 26 ."" | Vol. 7, 2329 | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 1 | ,, | | , | 7, 45-49. " September 2 " | Vol. 7, 2349 | | 0 | | | , | | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 1 | | | | 7, 50-53. " 9 ."" | Vol., 7. | | 1 | | | | | 2364 | | | | | | Sermons on the eighth chapter. | | | . | | | | | Old edition: | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 1 | | | | | ....' Vol. | | | | | | | 7, 2384 | | . | | | | | | | s | | | | | | | e | | | | | | | r | | | | | | | m | | | | | | | o | | | | | | | n | | | | | | | o | | | | | | | n | | | | | | | J | | | | | | | o | | | | | | | h | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | 8 | | | | | | | , | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | - | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | S | | | | | | | a | | | | | | | t | | | | | | | u | | | | | | | r | | | | | | | d | | | | | | | a | | | | | | | y | | | | | | | , | | | | | | | S | | | | | | | e | | | | | | | p | | | | | | | t | | | | | | | e | | | | | | | m | | | | | | | b | | | | | | | e | | | | | | | r | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | , | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 2 | | | | 8, 12. " 30. . "" | Vol. 7, 2400 | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 3 | | | | 8, 12-15. " October 7 " | Vol. 7, 2411 | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 4 | ,, | , | | 8, 16-18. " 14 ."" | Vol. 7, 2428 | | | | , | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 5 | | | | 8, 19. " 21 ."" | Vol. 7, 2439 | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 6 | ,, | . | | 8, 20-23. . " 28 ."" | Vol. 7, 2451 | | | | | | | | | . | | " | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 7 | | | | 8, 24-27. " November 4 " | Vol. 7, 2467 | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 8 | " | , | | 8, 28. " 11. or. 18 ."" | Vol. 7, 2482 | | | " | , | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 9 | | | | 8, 28. " 25 ."" | Vol. 7, 2496 | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 1 | ,, | | | 8, 29-33. " December 2 " | Vol. 7, 2511 | | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 1 | | . | | 8, 34-38. " 9 ."" | Vol. 7, 2519 | | 1 | | . | | | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 1 | | , | | 8, 34-38. " February 10, 1532 | Vol. 7, 2533 | | 2 | | , | | | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+ | 1 | | , | , | 8, 36-41. " March 9 " | Vol. 7, 2547 | | 3 | | , | , | | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | +---+----+---+---+---------------------------------------+--------------+
In the second manuscript of this volume, Luther's sermons on the 5th, 6th and 7th chapters of St. Matthew, there are unfortunately no sections indicated where the sermons begin or end, nor is there any specific time determination for these sermons given at the same time as the interpretation of the 6th, 7th and 8th chapters of the Evangelist John. In the Erlangen edition, none of the many incorrect time determinations in the sermons on the 6th, 7th and 8th chapters of John are corrected.
Chronological overview
via
Luther's
sermons,
which he
preached from
the beginning
of July 1537
until
September 19,
1540, on
Matthäi
18, 1. to
Matth. 24,
34. and on
the Gospel of
John Cap.
1-4, 10.
- sermon Beginning July 1537 Columne . about Matth. 852 18, 1.
,, ,, ,, 18, 2-5. Between the beginning of July . 866 and Oct. 31, 1537,, ,, ,, 18, 6. . 880 7.,, ,, ,, 18, 8. . 892 9.,, ,, ,, 18, . 905 10-14.,, ,, ,, 18, . 918 15-18.,, ,, ,, 18, 18. . 930,, ,, ,, 18, 19. . 943 20.,, ,, 18, 21. . 953 22.,, ,, ,, 19, 1-9. . 961,, ,, ,, 19, . 973 10-12.
. 12. ,, ,, ,, 19, . 982 13-15.
,, ,, ,, 19, . 996 16-22.,, ,, ,, 19, . 1012 23-26.,, ,, ,, 19, 29. Wednesday, November 7 1537..... . 1024,, ,, ,, 20, 20 " 28 ."" . 1032 -23.,, ,, 20, " December 5 " . 1037 24-28.,, ,, 20, " 12 . 1042 1-16.,, 21, " January 23, 1538 . 1047 10-12.,, 21, 13. " 30 . 1062,, 21, " February 13 " . 1074 14-16.,, ,, 21, " March 20 " . 1086 23-27.21, Between March 27 and Sept. 25, . 1090 28-32. 1538.,, ,, 21, . 1094 33-41.21, 42. . 1103 43.,, 21, 1112 44-46.,, L, 22, , 1120 23-33.L/ 23, 1-5. . 1127,, ,, 23, 5-7. 1137,, 23, 1144 8-12.,, 23, 13. 115223, 14. 1159,, ,, 23, 15. Wednesday, September 25, 1538 1165,, 23, " June 18, 1539 1172 13-15.,, ,, 23, Between June and September 1539 1179 16-22.,, ,, 23, 23. 1186,, 23, 25. 1192,, 23, 27. 1201,, 23, 29. 1209 f.23, Sunday, September 7, 1539 1218 13-33.,, 23, 34. ,, 21 .,,,, 1228,, .. 23, " 28. " 1238 34-36.23, 37. " October 5 " 1249,, 23, " 12. " 1259 37-39.,, ,, ,, 24, 1-3, " 19 ."" 1270,, 24, 4-7. " 26. " 1279,, 24, " November 2 " 1289 8-14.,, 24, 9, 1297 15-23.,, 24, 24. " 23 ."" 1306,, 24, 25. " 30. "" : 1316,, ,, 24, 26. " December 7 " 132524, 26. ,, 14 1335,, ,, 24, 27. " 21 ."" 1344 28.,, ,, 24, " May 2, 1540 1?52 29-31.,, 24, 32. Without date 1540 1360 f.24, 34. Sunday, September 19, 1540 1368
XIIChronological survey of Luther's sermons, John I, I-4, 10.
Columne
+---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 1 | | | | | 1, 1-3. | July 7, 1537 | | 1538 | | | | | | | Saturday, | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | s | | | | | | | | | | e | | | | | | | | | | r | | | | | | | | | | m | | | | | | | | | | o | | | | | | | | | | n | | | | | | | | | | o | | | | | | | | | | n | | | | | | | | | | J | | | | | | | | | | o | | | | | | | | | | h | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 2 | | | | | 1, 3-6. | 14. " | | ... | | | | | | | | | | ... | | . | | | | | | | | 1561 | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 3 | | | | | 1, 6. 7. | August 4 " | | 1574 | | | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 4 | | | | | 1, 8-10. | 11. " | | 1596 | | | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 5 | | | | | 1, 10-12. | 18. " | | 1614 | | | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 6 | | | | 1 | 25 ."" | .......... | 1630 | | | | | | | , | | | | | | . | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 7 | | | | 1 | September 1 | | 1648 | | | | | | | , | " | | | | | . | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 8 | | | | 1 | | | 1665 | | | | | | | , | | | | | | . | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 9 | | | | 1 | | | 1674 | | | | | | | , | | | | | | . | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | " | | | | | | | | | | ( | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | ? | | | | | | | | | | ) | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | " | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | " | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 1 | | | | 1 | October 6 " | | 1691 | | | 0 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | 7 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 1 | | | | 1 | 20 | | 1702 | | | 1 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | 8 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 1 | | | | 1 | November 3 " | | 1712 | | | 2 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | . | | | | 9 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 1 | | | | 1 | 24 ."" | | 1726 | | | 3 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | . | | | | 0 | | | | | | | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 1 | | | | 1 | December 1 " | | 1739 | | | 4 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | . | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | " | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 1 | | | | 1 | 8 ."" | | 1748 | | | 5 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 1 | | , | | 1 | January 19, | | 1764 | | | 6 | | , | | , | 1538 | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | . | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 1 | ,, | | , | 2 | February 9 " | | 1780 | | | 7 | | | , | , | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 1 | | | | 2 | 23. " | . | 1792 | | | 8 | | | | , | | ............ | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | 7 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 1 | ,, | , | , | 2 | March 2" | | 1803 | | | 9 | | , | , | , | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | 8 | | | | | | | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 2 | | , | | 2 | 16. "" | | 1819 | | | 0 | | , | | , | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | . | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 2 | | , | | 2 | 23. " | | 1833 | | | 1 | | , | | , | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | . | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 2 | | , | | 3 | 30. " | | 1848 | | | 2 | | , | | , | | ............ | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 2 | | , | , | 3 | April 6" | | 1863 | | | 3 | | , | , | , | | | | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | . | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | 8 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 2 | | | | 3 | May 4" | . | 1876 | | | 4 | | | | , | | ............ | | | | | | | | 8 | | | | | | . | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 2 | | | | 3 | 18. " | | 1881 | | | 5 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | | . | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 2 | | , | | 3 | 13. " | | 1893 | | | 6 | | , | | , | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | S | | | | | | | | | | u | | | | | | | | | | n | | | | | | | | | | d | | | | | | | | | | a | | | | | | | | | | y | | | | | | | | | | , | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 2 | | | | 3 | 26. " | | 1903 | | | 7 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 2 | | , | | 3 | , June 1 | | 1914 | | | 8 | | , | | , | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | S | | | | | | | | | | a | | | | | | | | | | t | | | | | | | | | | u | | | | | | | | | | r | | | | | | | | | | d | | | | | | | | | | a | | | | | | | | | | y | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 2 | | | , | 3 | | | 1931 | | | 9 | | | , | , | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | n | | | | | | | | | | o | | | | | | | | | | d | | | | | | | | | | a | | | | | | | | | | t | | | | | | | | | | e | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | " | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | " | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 3 | | , | , | 3 | 19. ,, | | 1940 | | | 0 | | , | , | , | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | W | | | | | | | | | | e | | | | | | | | | | d | | | | | | | | | | n | | | | | | | | | | e | | | | | | | | | | s | | | | | | | | | | d | | | | | | | | | | a | | | | | | | | | | y | | | | | | | | | | , | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 3 | | | | 3 | , 29. " | | 1951 | | | 1 | | | | , | | ............ | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | S | | | | | | | | | | a | | | | | | | | | | t | | | | | | | | | | u | | | | | | | | | | r | | | | | | | | | | d | | | | | | | | | | a | | | | | | | | | | y | | | | | | | | | | , | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 3 | | | | 3 | September 7 | | 1961 | | | 2 | | | | , | " | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | 7 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 8 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 3 | ,, | | | 3 | 14. " | | 1976 | | | 3 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | 9 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 3 | | | | 3 | 21 ."" | ....... .... | 1987 | | | 4 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | . | | | | 9 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 3 | | | , | 3 | 28. " | | 1999 | | | 5 | | | , | , | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | . | | | | 0 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 3 | | | | 3 | October 19 " | | 2009 | | | 6 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | . | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 3 | | | | 3 | December 21 | | 2016 | | | 7 | | | | , | " | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | . | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | f | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 3 | | | | 3 | June 21, 1539 | ........... | 2020 | | | 8 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | . | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | " | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 3 | | , | , | 3 | 28. " | | 2028 | | | 9 | | , | , | , | | ............ | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | . | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 7 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 4 | | | | 3 | July 5" | | 2037 | | | 0 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | . | | | | 8 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | " | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 4 | | | | 3 | 12. ,, | | 2044 | | | 1 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | . | | | | 9 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 4 | ,, | | | 3 | 26. " | - | 2050 | | | 2 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | . | | | | 9 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | 0 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 4 | | | | 3 | August 9 " | | 2058 | | | 3 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | . | | | | 0 | | | | | | | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 4 | | | | 3 | 16 ."" | | 2068 | | | 4 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | . | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 4 | | , | | 3 | 23. " | | 2074 | | | 5 | | , | | , | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | . | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | " | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 4 | | | | 3 | 30. " | | 2084 | | | 6 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | . | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 4 | | , | | 3 | September 6 | | 2092 | | | 7 | | , | " | , | " | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | . | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 4 | | | | 3 | 13 | | 2099 | | | 8 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | . | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | " | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 4 | | , | | 3 | | | 2107 | | | 9 | | , | | , | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | . | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | n | | | | | | | | | | o | | | | | | | | | | t | | | | | | | | | | i | | | | | | | | | | m | | | | | | | | | | e | | | | | | | | | | g | | | | | | | | | | i | | | | | | | | | | v | | | | | | | | | | e | | | | | | | | | | n | | | | | | | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | p | | | | | | | | | | r | | | | | | | | | | o | | | | | | | | | | b | | | | | | | | | | a | | | | | | | | | | b | | | | | | | | | | l | | | | | | | | | | y | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 5 | | , | | 4 | March 6, 1540 | | 2116 | | | 0 | | , | " | , | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | S | | | | | | | | | | a | | | | | | | | | | t | | | | | | | | | | u | | | | | | | | | | r | | | | | | | | | | d | | | | | | | | | | a | | | | | | | | | | y | | | | | | | | | | , | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 5 | | | | 4 | 13. " | | 2123 | | | 1 | | | | , | | | | | | | | | | 2 | August 28 " | | | | | . | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 5 | | , | . | 4 | | .......... | 2131 | | | 2 | | , | . | , | | | | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | . | | | | - | | | | | | | | | | 8 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+ | 5 | | , | , | 4 | September 11 | | 2138 | | | 3 | | , | , | , | " | | | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | | . | | | | . | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 0 | | | | | | | | | | . | | | | | +---+---------+---+---+---+---------------+-----------------+------+------+
Proof of the location of Güttel's sermons in our edition. , XIll
Proof,
where the 21 sermons of Luther from 1537 (?), which v, Caspar Güttel bequeathed to the St. Audreaskirche in Eisleben, can be found in our St. Louis edition.
- about Christ's seven words on the cross vol. 12, 1512
- of the signs that followed Christ's death 2cBd . 12, 1528
- about Marc. 16, 14. ff. On the joyful resurrection of Christ vol. 12, 1534.
- about 1 John 4, 1. about the testing of spirits vol. 12, 1536
- about Matth. 21, 23Bd . 7, 842
- about Luc. 12, 35. let your loins be girdedBd. 7, 1464
- about Matth. 25, 1-13. about the ten virgins vol. 7, 846.
- about 1 Cor. 3, 4. f. Of the Sects...Vol. 12, 1542
- on John 6, 29. (Old ed., Vol. 7, 2561.) Vol. 8.
10 On Rom. 5, 1. ff. On the fruits of faith, vol. 12, 1546.
11 On Hebr. 8, 3. ff. Of the High". Priest Christo Vol. 12, 1550
12.Ueber Rom. 5, 10......Bd. 12, 1554
- about Rom. 8, 31. is God for us 2c.... Vol. 12, 1558
14 On Matth. 8, 28-34 On the possessed Vol. 12, 1562
- about Luc. 9, 51-56. about the zeal of the apostles against the Samaritans . vol. 7, 1460.
- about Joh. 1, 29. about the lamb of God...vol. 7, 2170
- about Joh. 1, 16Bd. 7, 2166
- about Luc. 2, 35Vol. 7, 1452
- about Matth. 4, 18-22. about the profession of Peter, Andreä 2cBd . 12, 1566.
20a. On Easter Monday, after midday (April 18, 1530) Vol. 12, 1570.
20b. The same sermon in another redaction vol. 12, 1600.
21a. Ueber Joh. 21. Quarta Paschae (20. April 1530) Vol. 12, 1574
21b. The same sermon in a better redaction vol . 7, 2430.
The Gospel of Matthew ** D. Martin Luther's**
New Testament Interpretation.
I. Interpretations about the evangelist Matthew.
A. Notes by D. Martin Luther on some chapters of the Evangelist Matthew, *)
which were written down by the author not for print, but for the private use of a certain friend.
Anno 1538.
Translated from Latin.
D. Martin Luther to the Godly Reader.
I thought that these notes had been lost for a long time, and I did not know that this writing had been given the name "Notes" until it was brought to me by the brothers who had preserved it and prepared it for printing. For it happened by chance that I told a certain friend, who at that time was writing about the evangelist
I had no time otherwise to put some thoughts on paper, but I was not at all sure that such ideas should be kept for printing. For there are plenty of books available, both by old and new writers, so that I would not dislike it if my books were to perish.
*These "notes" on Matthew, Cap. 8 to 18, V. 7, Luther wrote down over tables for his friend and table companion D. Hieronymus Wetter, who suffered from great anxiety and lack of self-confidence (cf. Tischreden/ Cap. 22, H 58. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 657), because he could not otherwise find the time. Without Luther's knowledge and will, they were handed over to the printer, and only then was Luther asked to enrich the first chapters with some notes. Luther obliged his friends and at the end of the year 1538 (on January 11, 1539, Luther sent a copy to Amsdorf. Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 1464), the thus enlarged manuscript appeared under the title: Annotationes D. Mart. Luth. in aliquot capita Matthaei, ab autore, non ut ederentur, sed in amici cujusdam privatum usum, scriptae. 1538. Then it was included in the Latin Wittenberg edition (1554), Dorn. V, col. 1, and in the Jena one (1570), Dorn. IV, col. 290b. In German translation it is found in the Leipzig edition, vol. IX, p. 1. We have retranslated according to the Wittenbevaßr edition, comparing it with the Jena edition. For the 18th chapter, we had to rely solely on the Jena edition, because the Wittenberg edition does not contain it.
2Luther's Preface to the Notes on Matthew. W. vii, 2-s. 3
went. Since I was forcibly dragged into the public by my adversaries, I had nothing else in mind than that I would lead the students through my ministry to the sources themselves, namely to the Holy Scriptures. I believe that I have fulfilled this task, by God's grace, not entirely without blessing. And now the Bible itself is available, both in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, as well as in our German, and in fact, the greater part of it is explained in such a way that everyone (if he is only godly and diligent) can feast on the Holy Scriptures himself (saginare) even without my books.
Therefore, I publish these notes, not because I wanted or desired it, but I suffer it and yield to the will of the brethren; this is also evident from the matter itself, because it is not a complete interpretation of the whole of Matthew. I would have provided such an interpretation if I had wanted to publish "Notes on the Evangelist Matthew" (for this is what the already printed title boasts) in print. But just as I came across the one who lectured on Matthew at about the eighth chapter, I also stopped with him again when he had reached the eighteenth chapter. Thus it comes that only ten chapters are printed as "notes", although the title boasts as if they were notes on the entire Gospel.
Therefore, the kind reader may interpret this synecdoche 1) or hyperbole of the title for the best and forgive the brothers; of me he may think what he likes. For I further consider it superfluous, nor do I consider myself capable of going into more detail about the holy scriptures.
- Synecdoche is a figurative speech in which the whole stands for the part, or the part for the whole.
Now that it no longer lies under the bushel of the papacy, but has been drawn out and placed on the lampstand, it shines brighter than the sun to all who enter the house of Christ. And if we consider it rightly, there are already many more books than readers, and even almost more people who write than who learn, so that there is danger - not to mention that there is no end to the making of books (as Solomon complains Ecclesiastes 12:12) - that in a short time the large number of books, which are not the best, will suppress the small number of the best, and finally also the Bible will again be darkened and brought under a bushel in a worse way than before.
So, we see, it happened after the time of the apostles, who had brought the Bible to light. But those who came after them were immensely fond of books, and at last brought it about that the Church, instead of the Bible, was forced to teach and learn the Teachers, the Fathers, the Conciliar, and at last also the Decretals, the Sophists, and innumerable human infelicities, until the word of Jeremiah Cap. 2:32 was fulfilled: "My people forget me for ever." This is the cause that I do not wish my books to remain longer than this time they have served. God will send His workers to other times, as He has always done.
Therefore, each one of us should see to it that we write, read, teach, and learn in such a way that we do not leave the Bible lying around and load new fathers, teachers, conciliarities, decrees, articles, decreeals, and the filth of human statutes and opinions upon us. Not foreign, but our own harm should make us cautious. May the Lord guide and keep us in the purity and unity of faith and His Word. Amen.
4 Notes on Matth. 1, 1. ff. W. vn, 5-9. 5
The first chapter.
V. 1. ff. This is the book of the birth of Jesus Christ, who is the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac 2c.
I have been asked to add a few words to the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, so that the book, which is now already printed, would not immediately come out so mutilated at first sight. And since the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters, as it is believed, have been treated by me extensively enough (and, according to my judgment, more extensively than I was willing to), only these first four chapters would require a little arrangement. But neither my time nor my will allows me to grant this even to the brothers; however, in order to do something, I have only wanted to add this one thing to the beginning of the first chapter.
- to the first. The genealogical registers themselves have been prepared by others with sufficient care, and in addition to Philo and the ancients, one has Philipp Melanchthon and Johann Brenz in their tables. From these one can take if one has to teach the people something about this matter. For a completely accurate account of all genealogies St. Paul even forbade, let alone would have wanted to teach, since he calls them questions "which have no end" 1 Tim. 1, 4. and "useless" Tit. 3, 9..
It was enough for the evangelists to show in a rough and comprehensible way that Christ came from Abraham and David. For they look more to the promises of God than to an extremely precise calculation of the individual members. But Christ was promised, not to Nahor or Haran, the brothers of Abraham, but to Abraham alone. Furthermore, he was not promised to the priestly tribe or to any other, but only to David and the royal tribe, so that the Holy Spirit might teach that the Levitical priesthood
would not last beyond Christ, who was to be a priest from another tribe, namely David, as the epistle to the Hebrews gloriously explains.
4 Therefore it is enough to know from this genealogy that Christ came from the tribe of David, the son of Abraham. If this is established, then the endless argument about the descent of the sexes and all lineages is in vain. For if this is taken as a basis, that Christ, the King and Priest, comes from the tribe of Judah, then the Levitical priesthood is fundamentally overthrown, and everything that the Jews boast about their Levitical priesthood is false, as if it were eternal, because Christ, the King and Priest, even if he should still come (as they falsely assume), would nevertheless abolish their Levitical priesthood 1) and take its place, because it is written Ps. 110, 4.: "You are a priest forever."
Therefore Matthew wanted to teach the Jews immediately in the beginning that their worship and priesthood and kingdom had ceased, by introducing immediately that this man, Jesus of Nazareth (who had come without doubt, since they not only knew it, but also crucified him), was the Christian, namely the son of David, the son of Abraham. Certainly the Jews could not deny that Jesus was this man from the tribe of David, the son of Abraham. Because Matthew presupposes this, also from their own genealogical registers, quite certainly. But he insists that this Jesus is the Christ they expected as the promised one.
- Therefore, even though the evangelists did not make gender registers, they would have been
- Instead of toleret in the Wittenberg is to be read with the Jena tolleret.
Notes on Matth. 1, 1. ff. W. vn, s-is. 7
But that was certain with the Jews that Jesus was from the tribe of David, the son of Abraham. But they wanted to observe the custom of the people as well as possible, so that it would not seem as if they disregarded the genealogical registers or considered them completely wrong and thus despised the reputation of the books of the holy scriptures, the Kings and Mosis, in which, as one can see, such genealogical registers are described with diligence.
Therefore he only mentions these two fathers, Abraham and David, since only to these two the promise of Christ happened to this people Gen. 22:18, 2 Sam. 7:12. For the fact that the same Christ is promised to Adam through the seed of a woman, this promise is outside of this people and the seed of Abraham, and therefore would not have moved this people. Therefore Matthew insists on the promises of Abraham and David, because he directs his attention only to this people, so that he would like to bring them as heirs of the promise Gal. 3, 29. in a sweet way to accept the Christ promised to them Rom. 9, 4. and to believe that this was the Jesus, whom they had crucified.
But Lucas, who goes further and wants to make Christ common to all nations, as it were, leads his lineage up to Adam, to whom the first promise of Christ was made to all nations, not only to the seed of Abraham. As Matthew wants to prove that Christ came for the Jews according to the promise made to Abraham and David, so Lucas wants to show that the same Christ does not belong to the Jews alone (as they, blinded by hatred and envy, think), but also to Adam himself and his seed, that is, to all peoples in the whole world, which all the prophets proclaim afterwards, and also the promise itself, made to Abraham, explains sufficiently, as it says Gen. 22, 18., "By thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." What is excluded here? All nations are included. This alone is excluded, that not Abraham shall be blessed through the seed of all nations, but, on the contrary, all nations through the seed of Abraham. "Is not God also of the Gentiles
GOd? Or is he alone the GOt of the Jews?" Rom. 3, 29.
(9) What need is there of many words? Matthew himself shows sufficiently that he did not want to enumerate the generations with Jewish strictness and thus cause doubts. For almost in Jewish manner (quasi Judaeus) he makes three times fourteen members of fathers, kings and princes, but with premeditation and knowingly omits three members in the second division, as if he wanted to say: The genealogical registers are not to be despised, but therein lies the main thing, that Christ is promised through the families of Abraham and David. On the other hand, Lucas deliberately uses other names for the kings and princes, 1) as if he wanted to indicate that Christ does not belong to this people and single family (nominis proprii), but to the whole human family. But this is hiebon enough, since it edifies little and always gives rise to new disputes.
10 Secondly. In this genealogical register, it should be noted that St. Jerome indicates that it is full of teaching and instruction, namely, that Christ wanted to be born through sinners, because he had come to make sinners blessed. For he himself makes this German proverb come true in his genealogy: He that hath not whoredoms and knaves in his generation 2c., for there are introduced into the same the patriarch Judah, a fornicator, and his sons begotten in fornication, Perez and Zerah; likewise the adulteress Bathsheba and the exceedingly wicked king Joram, yet in such a manner that it may be known that they thereafter repented and did not persist in their sins. For though Solomon sprang from Bathsheba, who was once an adulteress, yet when she bore Solomon she was not an adulteress. For the son who was conceived in adultery had died, and she was now married to the king. Therefore, those who call Solomon Manser, that is, a bastard, write in an ungodly and inconsistent way. For
- Instead of eaptat reAkus etc. nominatik in the Wittenberg we have adopted oaptat in re^idus etc. noinina with the Jena. "
8 Notes on Matth. 1, 1. ff. Cap. 2, 1. ff. W. vn, is-17. 9
He was not begotten while Uriah was still alive, but after the king had married her. However, so that God would still show that he hated adultery, he did not have the line of his family led by Solomon, but by his brother Nathan.
(11) It is a comfort that Christ is not ashamed to have sinners among his fathers and forefathers, and yet has no pleasure in persistent sinners. It does not condemn that one has sinned, but if one does not repent, that condemns.
The second chapter.
V. 1. ff. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in the land of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, the wise men came from the east to Jerusalem, saying: Where is the newborn King of the Jews? 2c.
- to the first. The whole second chapter is divided into two main parts, the revelation and the persecution of Christ, because St. Matthew deals with these two things. The revelation was necessary because one has no desire for something unknown, and a gift of which one does not know is of no use. It would have been of no use that Christ was born if he had remained hidden. This, then, is the cause of this feast the appearance of Christ, that we may be grateful and mindful of this gift or benefit and its revelation.
Here, whoever feels like it, can prove his oratory by praising this gift of revelation according to its necessity, according to its benefit, according to its sweetness, according to its effect, according to its fruits; and vice versa, by showing how deplorable darkness would be there, if it had not been revealed 1) and he can elaborate this, by the danger, by the sorrow and by the opposite effects and fruits 2c. This one would already be a whole and rich sermon, which could serve for thanksgiving, for admonition and for the movement of the mind to joy and trust.
- secondly. The revelation itself is divided into its parts: The first is the
- Instead of the Wittenberg edition is
revelatum with the Jena to read.
Star; the second the confession of the wise men; the third the testimony of the priests; the fourth the confessed fright of the godless Herod. By all these things it is preached and revealed that Christ is born; namely, by a dumb creature, the star, by the foreign Gentiles, by his own people, by the enemy and persecutor, so that he can have no excuse who does not know that Christ is born. V. 5. f.: "For thus it is written by the prophet: And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art by no means the least of the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come to me a HEART over my people Israel."
Thirdly. Through these revelations, Micah's prophecy of Christ to be born is confirmed and proven, and the prophecy of a future thing has become the story of an event that has actually occurred.
(5) Here, then, is the main teaching of this Gospel, that is, full of Christ, who is described by Micah, who he should be according to his person and what he should be like according to his office. The person is from the tribe of Judah, from the city of Bethlehem, a true son of David and a true man; in front of the Father for eternity the true Son of God, true God, as is clearer from Micah Cap. 5, 1.
- his office is that he is the duke of the people of God, but a duke in a different way, 2) not like David and other mortals and their successors. This one is
- Instead of äiKerentur in the Wittenberg is to be read with the Jena äitksrentsr.
10 Notes on Matth. 2, 1. ff. Cap. 3, 1. ff. W. VII, 17-21. 11
the one duke and immortal, without a successor, because 1) he is an eternal person, as Micah says, "Which issue has been from the beginning and from everlasting."
7 V. 5: "He who is a Lord over my people Israel", that is to say, to save, to defend, to rule against sin, death and the devil. For it is certain that Micah is speaking of the promised Messiah, which is the
- et before Huia in the Wittenberger is too much.
Priests themselves confess against Herod. So this true and only duke is the savior of the world. - Here one can extend the sermon by the contrast, how Moses, the worldly wise men, the right men, the kings, the wise men of this world are nothing against this duke, because they cannot be compared with him neither in person nor in office. Those cannot even save themselves and serve only temporally, but this one for eternity 2c.
The third chapter.
V. 1. ff. At that time John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of the land of Judaea, saying, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And he is he of whom the prophet Esaias spake, saying: There is a 'voice of one preaching in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD 2c.
This chapter is a description of the New Testament as it began. For this is where Christ's kingdom actually begins, and he enters his ministry. Therefore, both Marcus and John begin the New Testament right here. Here everything begins to become new. Here the prophecies begin to be fulfilled; because everything must start and become different, since Christ makes the beginning. So also everything past must end, namely the law, Moses, the bodily kingdom in the people of God. For this is the unanimous speech of all prophets 2c.
- But that the people of Israel might have no excuse for not receiving this new king, a new prophet is sent before him, a new ceremony, a new sermon, that by these new things 2) the people might be moved to receive him, for by nature we are all
- Instead of novus in the Wittenberg is to be read with the Jena novis.
inclined to be moved by something new.
- first. The new prophet is John, who was held in the highest esteem by the people and whom no one dared to oppose; therefore, he had to be believed.
- secondly. The new ceremony was baptism for repentance and remission of sins. Whereas before with Moses there were various baptisms which were performed on things, on bodies, on the flesh, but not for repentance nor for the remission of sins, but only for a bodily cleansing, namely of the clothes, the skin, the pots, the vessels 2c., so here also the reputation of John, such a great prophet, had to be believed.
Thirdly. The new sermon; by it they were to be moved above all things, because he clearly taught that the true Christ was there, as he says, Joh. 3, 28.: "I am not Christ, but sent before him." Likewise John 1:26, 27, "He is come into the midst of you, that I am not worthy to loose his shoe laces. This is he." Now they knew and understood very well the speech that "to be sent before Christ", before his face, would be something far different than to be sent a long time before (ante tempora), as the other prophets were sent because of the future Christ, but this John alone because of the Christ who had come in the midst of them.
12 Notes on Matth. 3, 13-17. Cap. 4, 1-7. W.vn, 21-23. 13
At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. But John refused him, saying: I have need that I should be baptized of thee, and thou comest unto me? And Jesus answered and said unto him, Let it be so now: so it behoveth us to fulfill all righteousness. And he suffered him to do it. And when JEsus was baptized, he went up straightway out of the water. And behold, heaven was opened upon him. And John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And behold, a voice from heaven
said: This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.
But of all things they should be most moved by the baptism of Christ itself, in which, according to the testimony of John, such a great man, the whole Godhead appeared, the heavens opened, the voice of the Father sounded, and the form of the dove was seen. So much of the short epitome of this chapter; after that one must emphasize the words or sayings in particular and will thus have an innumerable amount of sermons.
The fourth chapter.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, that he might be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he hungered.
After the baptism of Christ, in which he was called and had received the public testimony through the word of the Father that he should be the teacher, he is now sent out to carry out the ministry which he had taken upon himself. But first he is tried and tested, as if he first had to be instructed (as an example to us), so that he would not go into such a great matter as a newcomer and untried (as Paul writes 1 Tim. 3, 6. 10.) and would not be stable in his faith in God afterwards; as newcomers are used to be bold and to presume great things, but soon fall and leave their office. But he is tried and proven in three ways:
V. 3. 4. And the tempter came unto him, and said, If thou be the Son of God, let these stones be made bread. And he answered and said, It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
- first, whether he can suffer hunger or poverty for God's sake, or whether he rather values bread or the Word more highly and
because it is necessary for a Christian, especially a teacher, to suffer the danger of poverty and the loss of his property.
3 Here Christ overcomes and teaches us to overcome, because GOD is preferable to food. For he is not a GOD of the belly, but a GOD of life, as he proves from Moses, "that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that passes through the mouth of GOD." Therefore, man has life, not only the bodily life from bread, but also this life and the life to come in the word or in GOtte. This is the temptation to avarice and care for this life, that one should disregard God's word.
V.5-7. Then the devil brought him with him into the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple. And said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, let thee down: for it is written: He shall command his angels concerning thee, and they shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Then said JEsus unto him, Again, it is also written: Thou shalt not tempt thy Lord God.
- the second is a spiritual temptation, that one should tempt God; this is very high.
14Notes on Matth. 4, 5-17. W. vn, 23-2". 15
and the common man cannot understand them, so I touch on them here only briefly. Here one can speak of the gross temptation of God, namely, that one should not do anything that God has neither commanded nor given the ability to do, and yet pretend that all things are possible to him who believes.
(5) For as in the first temptation he challenged the faith with distrust through lack of bread and other necessities, so here he challenges the faith through presumption in such things as one does not have and which God has not commanded; as when you would have your food and not work for your living, but in faith expect an income (fruges); when in faith you would expect a house without work, and so also in all other things. Just as the monks wanted to live chastely, believing that God would give it to them, and despising the married state. If one (without being commanded by God) were to wage war in faith, without forces, without an army, and wanted to gain victory.
V. 8-10. Again the devil took him up into a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then said JEsus unto him, Remove thyself from me, Satan: for it is written: Thou shalt worship God, one Lord, and serve him only.
The third temptation is the temptation of vain honor and worldly power; if someone could gain wealth and power, whether he would rather let go of honor and rule than the word. For here nature seeks honor, praise, and great name no less than in the first temptation it is anxiously concerned about the belly.
(7) This is a great temptation, as is clearly evident in the case of the pope, bishops, princes, kings, people who boast of the spirit (spirituosis), enthusiasts, and all who seek honor and power before the world and abhor the shame of the cross, and want to enter into the glory of heaven with the glory of the world.
V.11. Then the devil left him, and behold, the angels came to him and ministered to him.
- after these temptations are overcome, the consolation follows that the angels assist and serve these fighters, making them understand that they assist us in such battles and rejoice in our victory.
V. 12-16. When Jesus heard that John had been delivered up, he went into the Galilean country, and left the city of Nazareth, and came and dwelt at Capernaum, which is by the sea, on the borders of Zabulon and Naphtalim, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet Esaias, saying: The land of Zabulon, and the land of Naphtalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, and Gentile Galilee, the people that sat in darkness, hath seen a great light; and they that sat in the place and shadow of death, unto them hath a light dawned.
(9) Then he began his ministry. For here Christ first chose a certain place to begin his preaching, Capernaum in Galilee. From there his preaching went to all other parts of the people of Israel.
(10) For this reason, Matthew embellishes this beginning of the sermon in such a way with many words, and draws on the prophet Isaiah to make known the place of the beginning, where Christ began the gospel, as Peter also says in the Acts of the Apostles (Cap. 10:37): "For the sermon began in Galilee.): "For the preaching began in Galilee", so that none of the Jews could claim that he did not know about the preaching of Christ, since it had such a well-known (claro) beginning in a place that had been made known by God and was filled with miraculous works.
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
- Then follows the sermon itself, what and how it was. And it is the short epitome of the gospel, namely: "Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand-".
16 Notes on Matth. 4, 17-25. Cap. 5, 1-10. W.vii, 26-31. 17
come." The first part of the sermon is that it punishes all men for sin. This is truly a great sermon, which John the Baptist also preached. The other part is that salvation, life, forgiveness of sins is now here; the Scriptures are fulfilled, Christ has come. This is actually the voice of the Gospel, namely, that Christ has already come and is present, and fulfills what was promised, namely, redemption from death and eternal life to those who believe. Therefore Marcus speaks of it in these words Marc. 1, 15.: "Repent and believe in the gospel."
V.18-22. As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, whose name was Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting their nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Soon they left their nets and followed him. And as he passed away from thence, he saw two other brethren, Jacob the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called unto them. Soon they left the ship and their father, and followed him.
Finally, he chooses the apostles as disciples and successors in the service of the kingdom in this life, and now it is necessary that Christ be spread and his kingdom be established.
V. 23-25 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went out into all the country of Syria. And they brought to him all kinds of sick people, afflicted with all kinds of pestilences and torments, the possessed, the moonstruck and the gout-ridden; and he healed them all. And there followed him many people from Galilee, from the ten cities, from Jerusalem, from the land of Judah, and from beyond Jordan.
In the end, he summarizes, as it were, in a summa and in a short sentence, what Christ wanted to do when he came into the world, namely, to teach men and set them free, not to rule over them, so that his kingdom might be distinguished from the kingdom of the world, in which it does not happen that men are taught or set free from the power of the devil. And he says that many followed him and heard him, because God's word does not remain without fruit and does not come back to him empty.
The fifth chapter.
V.1-10. And when Jesus saw the people, he went up into a mountain, and sat down; and his disciples came unto him. And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are they which are poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven 2c.
The first is that Matthew in this chapter, as a short summary, wanted to summarize almost everything that Christ taught, just as he summarized everything he did at the end of the previous chapter. Just as in the following chapters he describes his miracles in detail and tells about some special works he has done, so he also summarizes here at first
18 Notes on Matth. 5, 1-47. W. vii, 31-34. 19
He summarizes the main features (generalia) of his doctrine in a Summa, but later he also teaches many individual things in other chapters. I say this for the sake of it, because it seems that here in the short summary he speaks too little and too darkly of the faith and the ministry of Christ, but only teaches things of the law (legalia). And this is true, because in these three chapters he especially insists on the right knowledge of the law, against the glosses of the Pharisees.
- and this piece is also necessary to teach. First, against false teachers, who make no right use of the law, and teach only works, without the heart being involved 2c. Secondly, that the true meaning of the law may be revealed to the godly, namely, that everything must be done from the heart. But here it is found that everything is impossible.
For this reason, as Matthew tells us, Christ stops there and is content to teach only that good works must be done from the heart. At this point he dwells on this passage and does not go on to speak of faith and how grace is necessary, for he does this in another place. For here it is enough for him that he has taught what and how works must be done, but from where and by what power this happens, he does not teach that here.
4 Therefore, these three chapters must be interpreted only in terms of works and against the false doctrine of the hypocrites, and in another place must be spoken of faith or the root of good works, because not everything can be said at once in one place.
(5) So he begins about the true works in contrast to the false ones in such a way: "Blessed are the spiritually poor", as if he wanted to say: The works are taught by the Pharisees, but only in appearance; but one must do the works in spirit and in truth, that is, with a humble, meek, bruised, grace-hungry, peaceable, pure, merciful heart 2c. Without these truly good movements of the mind, the works are nothing, however great appearance they may have.
Where these truly good emotions come from, he does not teach here, but at
derswo. Therefore, we will not speak of this question in this place, but here we will only deal with what one should do and how one should do good works, especially against the hypocrites and the arrogant. In another place, for the godly and the good, it is said where one should get it from and how the good works should be done. The rest is found in the interpretation. 1)
About the revenge. 2)
V. 38-47 You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, resist not evil: but if any man give thee a stroke out of thy right cheek, let him have the other also. And if any man will be right with thee, and take thy skirt, let him have thy coat also. If anyone asks you to go a mile, go with him two miles. Give to him that asketh thee, and turn not away from him that maketh thee morrow. Ye have heard that it is said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. For he sendeth forth his sun upon the evil and upon the good, and sendeth rain upon the just and upon the unjust. For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if ye do but love your brethren, what special thing do ye? Do not the tax collectors do the same? 2c.
(7) This is my opinion that Christ is speaking of vengeance in this passage, as my "interpretation" also contains. First, against the false opinion of the Pharisees, who held that private hatred and revenge, or anger, were permissible, as well as the death blow, if it only did not happen with the hand or obvious deed. Secondly, at the same time
- Here Luther refers to his "Interpretation of the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Chapters of Matthew," which is included in this volume immediately after these "Notes.
- This and the following headings are found only in the Wittenberg edition.
20 Notes on Matth. 5, 38-47. Cap. 6, 1-4. W. vn, 34-37. 21
against the opinion of the godly, who hoped that through the gospel a new worldly rule would be established against the existing one (receptam). Against this he cites the worldly law: "Tooth for tooth" 2c. Yes, he says, if you are brought to court, suffer everything; that is, if there should be a hostile authority that would deny you your skirt by public judgment, suffer it and do not resist it, either privately or publicly, or by a new and rebellious authority.
(8) In this way he will not only teach that one should suffer injustice from private persons, but also violence and injustice from the authorities. For all injustice, which is done in the public court, we suffer from the authorities. I think that this is to be understood in such a way that he wants to teach us patience, which we should show both against private persons and against people in the office of the authorities, especially in persecution.
(9) It does not follow that we should not call upon the authorities for help, who do not persecute. They are not to be regarded as enemies, but live in peace with us. For Christ does not say: Do not let yourselves be protected or: Do not call for protection; but: Do not demand tooth for tooth,
neither privately, nor publicly avenge yourselves by raising up another authority through sedition. For I have not come to set up a new authority, but to teach you that you should suffer any injustice done to you by private persons and publicly, and not resist these two evils by private revenge.
(10) I would indeed that this expression, that it is lawful to complain in court, were utterly abolished; for it is as if it were lawful to litigate. And Christ is not speaking here of those who complain in court or invoke the protection of the judge, but of those who suffer, who are challenged, afflicted, and condemned in court. These do not complain before the court, nor do they conduct lawsuits, but they suffer. These suffering persons are instructed by Christ to have patience; but he does not give the weapons of litigation into the hands of the persons who act. This expression has an evil sound; therefore dismiss it and put in its place the questions: whether it is permitted? 2c. 1)
- Luther gives the answer to this question quite extensively in the next writing, the "Interpretation of the 5th, 6th, and 7th Chapters of Matthew," §§ 244-261.
The sixth chapter.
V. 1. Take heed to your alms, that ye give them not before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward with your Father which is in heaven.
The previous chapter shows how Christ corrected the teaching of the Pharisees and interpreted the Scriptures correctly; in this chapter he corrects the life of the Pharisees in good works and explains what true good works are. And these he divides into four parts.
V. 2-4 When you give alms, do not let the hypocrites trumpet before you.
in the schools and in the streets] that they may be praised of the people. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward there. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine alms may be hid: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
2 First, he teaches how to give alms properly, against the Pharisees, who sought not God's glory in this work, but their own.
22 Notes on Matth. 6, 5-8. W. vn, 37-40. 23
V. 5. 6. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites, which love to stand and pray in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward there. But when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and shut thy door, and pray unto thy Father in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
- secondly, he teaches about true prayer, against these same Pharisees, who again had honor and avarice in mind in this work.
V. 7, 8: And when you pray, do not babble much, as the Gentiles do. For they think they will be heard if they speak much. Therefore do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 1)
(4) He reproves two faults in particular in those who pray. The first concerns those who think it is prayer when they say many words in prayer (as if God were a child who first had to be taught and instructed in our matters, as if he did not know what was going on).
This error has many appearances. Under the papacy, some have invoked many saints; others have addressed special prayers to each saint. Thus, the preachers of masses have said many masses, and many prayers have been offered to many saints in one mass. Others have done the same with certain, many and various prayers, such as rosaries, psalters, crown prayers of Mary, and with a certain number of Pater noster, Ave Maria, psalms; so that not only the priests, monks and nuns have almost prayed themselves to death with the many and various prayers in the churches, but also the laity, by their un-
- From here on, the order of the sections in this chapter is somewhat different in the Wittenberg and Jena editions, namely, the "Errors in those who pray" are placed at the very end in the Wittenberg edition. Because this disturbs the succession of the text of Scripture, we have adopted the order of the Jena edition (as did Walch's old edition).
The people have been burdened in an unbearable way by the finite prayers. All these were and are useless washers, who only pray in such a way that they make a lot of words and have a pagan idea of prayer.
The other error is in those who want to remind God through prayer as if He does not know our things, when He knows what we need before we pray.
(7) This mistake is also widespread, especially among those (among whom there are also pious people) who think that they will not be heard because what they ask is not done immediately. Therefore, they insist on it as if God does not know, while they should know that He knows and wants to do it before they pray, but does not let Himself be dictated the time, the way, and the place.
For this reason, it is necessary to emphasize here what is most important to know about prayer, namely, that it is certain that we have been heard; God also knows it and wants to do it before we pray, but we do not have to tell Him the time, the way, the person, or the place. For this is what Christ wants when he says: "Your Father knows what you need before you ask. As if he wanted to say: Do not teach him when you pray, but be sure that he knows. But this is what he does: "Wait, trust, be assured of his grace; he hears you according to his will; according to his time, not yours; according to his way, not yours. All these things submit to his will; do not measure them according to your inclination. See the history of Judith, and of all the saints who have been heard, having prescribed no time, no manner, no place, 2c. according to their own will.
9 Thus we pray, not to teach God, but rather that we ourselves may be moved by our ills to feel what we lack and what we should ask. For prayer teaches me myself what I need, and moves me myself to pray and cry out. And so God takes the opportunity to have mercy on the one who cries out to Him, but He cannot have mercy on him as long as he does not feel his own affliction and does not cry out.
24 Notes on Matth. 6, 7-25. Cap. 8, 1-22. W. vn, 40-44. 25
(10) He does not speak of the third error in prayer here, but in the 23rd chapter of Matthew, where it is reported in v. 14 that the Pharisees prayed for the sake of gain, even for the sake of honor and avarice. This error surpasses even the error of the Gentiles, who sin by making many words. The latter even make idolatry out of prayer by praying for the sake of honor and money; the pagans still prayed for the sake of their welfare. Among those who are afflicted with this vice, the papists are at the top; but above all, the Minorites, the insolent hypocrites, have the imperial rank in this, who all perform their prayers and actions for the sake of favor with others and for the sake of their belly.
V. 16. When you fast, do not look sour, as the hypocrites do; for they disguise their faces, that they may appear before men with their fasting. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward there.
(11) Thirdly, he teaches about fasting, in which they also sought honor. So they did all their works idolatrously, for their own honor; not that they might serve God or be useful to men, but that they themselves might be honored by men.
V. 19-25: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust devour, and where thieves dig up and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves neither dig nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The eye is the light of the body. If the eye is simple, your whole body will be light. But if thine eye be dim, thy whole body shall be dark. But if the light that is in you is darkness, how great will the darkness itself be? No one can serve two masters: either he will hate one and love the other; or he will cling to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; neither for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not life more than food? and the body more than clothing? 2c.
(12) Fourth, he chides avarice with many words, because of which, as well as for the sake of honor, they did everything, and teaches that one should not accumulate treasures, should not serve two masters, but rely on God, who gives us everything superfluously. "If riches come to you, do not set your heart on them," Ps. 62:11, but if they do not come to us, we should not be grieved or stingy. 1)
- Luther has not annotated the seventh chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew here, because it is very richly interpreted in the next scripture.
The eighth chapter.
V.1-22. And when he was come down from the mount, much people followed him. And, behold, a leper came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst cleanse me. And JEsus put forth his hand, and touched him, and said: I will do, be cleansed. And immediately he was clean from his sins. And JEsus said unto him, See thou tell no man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses commanded.
for a testimony concerning them. And when JEsus was come into Capernaum, a certain centurion came unto him, and besought him, saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home, sick of the palsy, and in great affliction. Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him. And the centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man, and subject to the authorities,
26 Notes on Matth. 8, 1-22. W. vn, 44-47. 27
And I have warriors under me: neither shall I say to one, Go, and he shall go; and to another, Come, and he shall come: Come hither, and he cometh. And to my servant, Do this, and he will do it. When Jesus heard this, he marveled, and said to them that followed him, Verily I say unto you, I have not found such faith in Israel. But I say unto you, That many shall come from the east, and from the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way, and it shall be done unto thee according to thy faith. And his servant was healed at that very hour. And JEsus came into Peter's house, and saw that his wife lay sick of a fever. Then he took hold of her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose, and ministered unto them. And in the evening they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with words, and healed all that were diseased: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, He hath taken upon him our infirmities, and our sickness hath he borne. And when JEsus saw many people about him, he commanded to pass over beyond the sea. And there came unto him a scribe, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and the fowls of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me that I go and bury my father first. But JEsus said unto him, Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.
After Christ had presented His teaching on the mountain, He again did works and miracles that confirmed His teaching, as testimonies that He was not a teacher in words alone, without works, because the kingdom of God does not stand in words, but in power 1 Cor. 4:20.
- and this is the first lesson we are to draw from this chapter, namely, the example of Christ that it is necessary for all Christians, but especially for the teachers, that they should
are not Christians in word, but in deed, and adorn the word with proper works. This is seldom found nowadays and at any time, since many speak of the gospel in such a way as if they were angels; but if you look at the works, they are nothing but devils.
3 Although the evangelist says in general that Christ did many miracles, that is, he "cast out spirits and healed all kinds of sick people" v. 16, he does not list everything that he did at that time and in that place. He lists only five in particular, namely of the leper, of the centurion's servant, of the fever of Peter's sister-in-law, of the danger of the shipwreck and of the possessed. And between them two answers of Christ are written, how he answered a stingy scribe and a superstitious disciple to their carnal questions, which will be talked about below.
The first miracle of the leper is not only a testimony of doctrine, but also an example of faith and love, by which Christ offers his willing goodness, which is open to all, to inspire faith. The leper shows an exceedingly beautiful faith, because he does not doubt the power and goodness of Christ, but is certain in faith. He only accepts the will of Christ: "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst cleanse me"; that is, where otherwise what we ask is for the advancement of his glory and kingdom, and for our blessedness, because we often ask for such things which would not be useful to us if they were given to us ; as Paul Rom. 8, 26. says: "We know not how to pray." But He Himself alone knows what is for His glory and for our blessedness. Therefore, everything must be submitted to God's will, and we should not doubt that He will do everything we ask when He sees that it is useful and wants to do it. He wants everything that is useful.
(5) And here we have the opportunity to talk about prayer, how faith in it can be sure of being answered, and yet still
28 Notes on Matth. 8, 1-22. W. vn. 47-so. 29
The conscience must also surrender completely to God for the execution, when, where, how, and through whom God wills it to be done. The conscience should be certain of divine grace, but also submit to God as to the counsel and the hour, which must be determined by God alone, for His glory and for our good, just as here the leper, in that he does not prescribe an hour, a place, a manner, or a way for his cleansing, but submits to the will of the Lord. Immediately, at the very hour, in the very way, at the very place where he did not think of it, the longed-for cleansing was granted to him. By this he shows how pleasant such a faith is to him, which is sure of his grace, but which is also humble against his counsel and will, through patience. That faith likes to be patient can be seen in all patriarchs, prophets and saints, who did not doubt that God would be merciful to them, and yet waited with patience for His counsel and will, as this can be further explained with the examples of Adam, Abraham, and many others, and then also confirmed with their sayings, as when it says Ps. 27, 14: "Wait for the Lord, be confident and undaunted, and wait for the Lord"; Habak. 2:3: "If the prophecy be consumed, wait for it; it will surely come and not be forgiven," of which the Psalter and the Prophets are full. For this is God's way of delaying the effect of our prayer, so that He can do more abundantly than we ask or understand (as Paul testifies, Eph. 3, 20.).
(6) After this, the example of love may be treated, and it may be said, first of all, that Christ does good by grace and in vain, and seeks neither riches nor honor, but is only obedient to his Father, and benefits men. And because it seemed as if he would offend others with his beneficence (as against the priests and against Moses), he also practices love in this and does not rob anyone of his right (as he could have done rightly), but out of exuberant love he commands to honor the priests by offering the gift according to the law, as Moses commanded 3 Mos. 14, 2., so that the enthusiasts would not undertake to say: one should do good when it is not necessary to do so.
even to the detriment, harm and annoyance of others, although Christ teaches here that works of love must be done without harm and annoyance to others, as much as is possible. This teaching also extends far and includes much, but cannot be interpreted now, because it is greater than the matter and the place now permit.
7 Here we can punish the impudent lie of the papists, who have invented from this passage that all sins should be told in auricular confession (which is impossible), although confession in and of itself, if it is used correctly, is to be approved.
The other miracle, of the centurion's sick servant, is also a testimony of doctrine like the first and all the others.
9 It is also an example of a very excellent faith, as Christ Himself exalts this faith above all faith in Israel. First, because the centurion does not doubt that Christ can and will do it. Second, because out of humility he considers himself unworthy to make his request himself, but sends others, namely his friends, to Christ. Third, after Christ has promised him that he will do it, he considers himself unworthy that Christ should come to him and do it presently, but he only desires that Christ absent "only speak a word," and believes that through his word that which he asks will be done. And this he believes so certainly that he also teaches this belief by his own example, saying: "I am only a man, subject to the authorities, and with one word in my hanse to do what I want: I say: Do this, go, come, and so it happens, even if I am absent, how much more will you be able to do everything with one word, even in your absence.
(10) So he not only believes, but he also preaches and teaches the way of faith. Oh that we could believe in the absent Christ in this way, even though we have his present word in abundance. Therefore, this faith of the centurion is rightly praised, because it is confident and perfect in all qualities of faith. He thinks all good things of Christ, without wavering.
30Notes on Matth. 8, 1-22. W. vn, so-53. 31.
Then he wishes to hear only his word, for which he waits with joy and confidence, as for the highest treasure of life and bliss for his servant, without any doubt.
11 And this faith is all the more pleasing because it is demonstrated by a Gentile who has had no promises and who considers himself unworthy of the glory of God's people.
(12) In this way, true faith actually causes one to despise oneself and to consider oneself unworthy before others. Therefore, it serves us as an example of the highest consolation that the more we consider ourselves unworthy and think that the promises of God do not concern us, the more we should desire them, 1) and be certain that this desire is most pleasing to God, who wants and desires that one should have a fervent desire for His grace. And this is exactly what faith does, which considers grace to be delicious, and therefore hungers and longs for it fiercely, and thus obtains it.
(13) For those who are weary, as well as those who are secure, do not care about it, therefore they do not believe, but despise it. And this is the cause that Christ here passes judgment on the sated children of the kingdom, proclaiming beforehand that they shall be cast down because of their surfeit and unbelief, not considering that they are Abraham's seed, and that the Gentiles shall be received because of their faith and sighing, not considering that they are not Abraham's seed and are strangers to the promises of God. Because God has the air of filling the hungry and leaving the full empty Luc. 1, 53, without distinction of persons.
The third miracle is the healing of the fever. Here nothing is said about the faith of Peter's sister-in-law, but Lucas 4, 38. reports that others prayed for her. And so she was healed by faith and by the prayer of others, just as the centurion's servant was healed above by faith and by the prayer of his master. So that we see how much the
- In the Wittenberg and in the Jena: 6n, instead read dsbsarnus.
Prayer and the faith of others can do for others, and how pleasing to God is the service of love when one asks and pleads for others, so that even if the persons and for themselves should be unworthy or have too little faith, God nevertheless accepts the faith and prayer of others for them. And this is also a comprehensive lesson, namely, how much the prayer of the godly is able to do for our brothers, then, but also against our enemies. For each of these two pieces has promises, 2) examples and commandments, namely, that we should pray for one another, likewise, accuse our enemies before God; as this also very many Psalms full of both pieces testify.
(15) Before the two following miracles, Matthew adds, first of all, a general preface, that on the same evening Jesus had healed many others, namely, those who were possessed and afflicted with all kinds of diseases, so that he could cite the saying of Isaiah 53:4, who prophesied about the future of Christ, in order to show the Jews that this was the promised Christ, and that they should not wait for any other; for he himself had proved and fulfilled by his work what Isaiah had prophesied. For Matthew likes to introduce the prophets (wherever he can), and is everywhere careful to show that this Jesus was prophesied by the prophets, so that he admonished the Jews to believe in him.
(16) Now it seems that Matthew does not refer to the saying of Isaiah in its true sense, speaking of the suffering of Christ, and not of the healing or recovery of the sick. But to this we must reply that Matthew refers to Isaiah as speaking of the whole of Christ and all his parts, that is, not only of the three-day suffering of Christ, but of the whole life of Christ. The whole life of Christ consisted in taking upon Himself our misery and bearing it, because for our sake He was born, circumcised, walked around, ate, drank, and slept; and as Paul says in Phil. 2:7, "He was made like another man.
- Instead of pi-oiQi88ioni8 in the Wittenberg is to be read with the Jena prouai88ion68.
[32 Notes on Matth. 8, 1-22. W. vn, s-ss. 33
Man, and invented as a man in gifts"; and this for our sake.
17 Therefore, if anyone were to cite the saying of Isaiah in reference to any part of the life of Christ, he would properly put it on, because he suffered thirst for our sake, that we might not suffer thirst; and so he bore our thirst; for our sorrow he was sorrowful; so he bore our sorrow, that we might be glad. So also here he bears compassion for the possessed and the sick, and bears their misery in his heart, in order to redeem them, because he has done, lived, spoken, borne everything for our sake.
(18) And as he hath borne the bodily diseases of men out of compassion, that he might put them away bodily: so hath he bodily borne our sins in his passion, that he might put them away spiritually: so that this is the summa, Christ is ours: all our diseases, whether they be bodily or spiritual, he hath borne and put away, in what manner soever it be done. Therefore Matthew rightly took the passage in Isaiah as a general one about the whole of Christ, and interpreted it to mean that he carried the sick and made them well, because Christ is a general and complete Savior of body and soul. And this general understanding in Isaiah is very good, and well to be observed in other similar doctrines.
(19) Matthew adds two answers of Christ, but Lucas Cap. 9, 57. ff. gives three, against the false disciples of the gospel, who seek their honor and benefit from the gospel under the appearance of faith. The first, a scribe, asks very devoutly, as if Christ did not understand what he was seeking. For he says, "I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest." These are words of a perfect man, and yet they are used by the hypocrite in the greatest falsehood, because his heart is not so constituted. For this reason Christ reproves him, as an example to us all, that we may learn not to believe the words of hypocrites, which sound like the sanctity of angels, as is seen here. For such shameful
The church is greatly harmed by those who pretend to be eager to follow your gospel, boasting of miracles and pretending to be like the papists, the various sects, and the Anabaptists of our time 2c. These all say with their mouths, "Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest"; I am sincere, and not like those who hate thee, or hold thee in contempt; "I will follow." O, I will do it; it shall not be words, no, thou shalt see it. For I will have thee, as a faithful disciple, for a master. Further they say, I will follow thee not only to One Work, but everywhere, I will except nothing. These are the right wicked with their high words, and want to do more than God may desire 2c. Just as today many laymen and noblemen are full of such hypocritical words; according to the saying: Good words, and nothing behind them. And as Solomon says in Proverbs Cap. 14, 23: "Where words are used, there is lack" 2c.
But Christ very shrewdly reproves his hypocrisy, saying v. 20., "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." As if to say, O thou dear brother, how sweet words thou speakest, and how great things thou promiseest, seeing thou art a mischievous man inwardly and in skin; thou wilt deceive me with words, but thou art greatly mistaken. You call me your master; you promise to be my disciple; you want to follow me in the most perfect way, but in such a way that you may find honor, dominion, goods, and what is yours with me. But I tell you, you will not only find no dominion with me, but also not even a house, not a foxhole, nor a bird's nest; and what is more, not even a place where I can lay the head of this your master. The cross shall be thy kingdom, and the utter contempt of the world thy palace. But these things you will not ask, I know it. For he who is willing to confess the gospel cannot be anxious for such things, or seek after that which thou seekest, but must be willing that, if he
34Notes on Matth. 8, 1-22. W. vn, [s-ss. 35
even if he has neither 1) a pit nor a nest, yet he willingly endures such things. 2) For the kingdom of the gospel is not a kingdom of the world.
21 In sum, Christ declares by this answer that his kingdom is not a kingdom of the world, and that a Christian, when the cause requires it, must also become poorer than a fox or a bird is, that he has neither a certain nest for his dwelling, nor a pit for his refuge, but for the sake of the gospel gladly endures all hours of danger. And so do all true Christians: they use their goods, they have nests and pits; but when necessity requires them to leave them for the sake of Christ, they do so, and also gladly leave the place where they could lay their head as on their own property. And they like to be guests in the world, and say with your prophets: "I am a guest on earth" Ps. 119, 19, and again: "I am your pilgrim, like all my fathers" Ps. 39, 13.
22 In this answer, Christ paints the picture of a Christian man who should not seek what belongs to this world, as if his kingdom consisted in it, but should only make use of the present as a guest who will soon leave again, and should be willing to leave all this for his sake. But this is not what this hypocrite wanted with his splendid words, nor do those nowadays who want to seem more evangelical than Christ himself, the hateful people who say: Lord, Lord, Master, Master, I will follow you, I will follow you wherever you want, although they are exceedingly stingy, full of all lusts, very ambitious, and seek with all their heart the world and what belongs to the world.
(23) Therefore these words of Christ must be well considered: "The foxes have pits, and the birds of the air have nests. If the foxes and birds have pits and nests, they have but one place, yet a certain one; but they have not yet food, drink, and other things. But a Christian should not rely on a certain place either,
- Instead of "6 in the Wittenberger is to be read with the Jena nee.
- In Latin: paraturn esse oportet, ut>tarnen paratus sit kerre.
much less on other goods, but he should put his hope in the future kingdom, and need this world as if he did not need it.
Now follows the other answer, to a true disciple who is not a hypocrite, but asks sincerely. This one is a very good man, an image for all people in the world, as a perfect pattern, because he honors his parents and cares for them. For what greater piety can there be in the world than to honor one's parents and show one's gratitude to them? since natural reason also extols this virtue, next to the service of God, as the highest, as Aristotle testifies: "To the gods, to the parents, to the teachers, one cannot give due recompense.
(25) And yet Christ here rejects this filial piety or the natural love of children towards their parents in a matter concerning the Gospel, and wants it to give way to the Gospel. Not as if he did not want the parents to be honored, which is commanded in the fourth commandment, but he does not want the parents to be preferred to God and his word, so that the hypocrites would not invent an opportunity to do something against the word under the pretext of the fourth commandment. Just as they cry out today: the church, the church! the fathers, the fathers! Likewise: One must obey the prince, one must serve one's neighbor. These works are all very good and right, and one protects the command of God from 2c. but they do not see that the fourth commandment should only resound in the other table, but not dispute against the first table, as Peter says Apost. 5, 29. "One must obey God more than men." He does not say, One must not obey men. Nor is the question about this; but since one is to obey both, the question is: whether one must obey God more than men? Here the answer is: that one must obey God more than men, because men are under God, but God is not under men. And God created man, but man did not create God. So also the father, the prince, the brother is under GOtt, but GOtt is not under them; and he created them, but they have
36Notes on Matth. 8, 23-27. W. vn, s8-si. 37
not made him. Therefore, they must obey him, but God does not have to obey them.
26 Christ wants this in this place, when he says v. 22: "Let the dead bury their dead", that is, in my kingdom it is about something else than the fourth commandment, because it is a kingdom of life. But it is especially to be noted that he summarizes and devours the whole kingdom of the world, and even the fourth commandment, or the other tablet, with one word, saying: it is a kingdom of the dead, because all die, yes, are dead before God; only Christ's kingdom is a kingdom of life before him. Therefore (he says) you are not to be inferior to the kingdom of the dead, but on the contrary, you are to take much more care that you are a servant in the kingdom of the living than in the kingdom of the dead. Although I do not condemn the kingdom of the dead at this time, but only do not want it to be preferred to the kingdom of the living.
The danger from the sea.
V. 23-27. And he entered into the ship, and his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, so that even the little ship was covered with waves, and he slept. And the disciples came to him and woke him up, saying: Lord, help us, we are perishing. Then said he unto them: Ye of little faith, why are ye so fearful? and stood up, and troubled the wind and the sea, and there was silence. But the people were astonished and said: What manner of man is this, that the wind and the sea obey him?
27 Another miracle follows, about the danger on the sea. This also belongs to the affirmation of the doctrine, like everything else. But this is something special, that Christ reigns also on the water, and that we are saved by the word and by faith also in all dangers of the sea and the rivers, so that we know that Christ cannot only cleanse the leprosy on the land, heal the gout, drive out the fever, but can also save in the air, in winds, in waters, in rivers, so that he may be able to save us.
a perfect and universal Savior be in heaven, on earth and on the sea. And as it is said in the Psalm Ps. 135, 6., "All that He wills, He does, in heaven, on earth, in the sea, and in all deeps."
28 Therefore this is our comfort, that in Christ, through faith, we are lords and conquerors over all the power of Satan, with which he rages on the waters. For the wind and the sea give way to those who believe, as he says here, "O you of little faith, why are you so fearful?" As if to say, If ye were strong in faith, these winds and the sea with all devils would not hurt you; that is, if ye believed, ye would live even in death, and even death would be profitable unto you for life; as he saith John 11:25, "He that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live;" he shall be safe even in peril; he shall have a ground or land even in the waters; he shall have a support and ground even in winds. If you do not have this in such a way, it is a sign that you do not believe, but are fearful, and have lost the word of God's power.
29 The other consolation is that though he punishes the fearful and of little faith, and reproves their fear, yet he bears them patiently and forgives them; he does not therefore drive them from himself, yea, he does what they will and ask, however weak they are in the faith.
30 Also this is to be diligently noted, that here the inexpressible groaning is described, of which Rom. 8, 26. is thought, since they already cry out despondingly: "Lord, help us, we perish." This is the groaning (as it is here pronounced), "We perish." For thus they felt that they were already perishing. And this groaning of a soul that is already perishing, and that is already desponding, is precisely the weakness of faith. But as weak as this groaning is in us, so strong is it in the ears of God, namely like a strong cry. Moses uttered such a groan, Ex. 14, 15, when the Lord said to him: "Why are you crying out to me? As if he wanted to say: "Why do you despair? Why do you think you will perish because you see the sea, the mountains, Pharaoh and total death 2c. before your eyes? It will not happen like this, as you
38Notes on Matth. 8, 23-34. W. VII. SI-"L. 39
but in your weakness my power will be mighty, and you will be saved. Only strike the sea with the rod, and you will see salvation?c. Therefore Paul calls this groaning a calling, saying, Gal. 4:6, "By which we cry: Abba, dear Father!" It does not seem to us as if we were crying out, but only as if we were sighing, even barely making a sound, but God judges it not to be sighing but crying out, as it truly is.
(31) Therefore, all this miracle can be used to comfort the weak in faith and those who say, "We are perishing! For as he healed the diseases of the body in the foregoing, so here he heals the diseases of the mind, which are. Terror, pusillanimity, unbelief, restlessness, consciousness of guilt, so that he may show that he can and will be a savior and physician even in such diseases, if we call upon him, yes, if we only sigh and cry out in our hearts that the weakness of faith may be as great as it always wants to be, so that no one may be excluded from his help, even if he is afflicted by the devil or some other evil.
For this reason, such a story is described here, how the disciples fall into the highest timidity. They go out to sea, they sail, a great storm arises; he himself, the Lord, sleeps. At last the waves cover the little ship, and they are in danger of death at any moment. In this extreme distress there is still a spark of faith that does not feel itself because it says, "We perish"; for if it felt itself, it would not say, "We perish." But he feels nothing but corruption, and does not know that he himself still lives and burns; for if he did not live nor burn, he would not even have a sensation. But behold, Christ does not reject this spark, this smoldering wick he does not extinguish, and this crushed reed he does not break Isa. 42, 3., but makes the spark so great,
- Instead of exMo in the Wittenberg is to be read with the Jena auxiUo.
that it becomes a conflagration by which the wind and the sea are quenched.
He does the same to all of us when we are in fear and anxiety. If we only sigh, long for his help (suspire mus), and at least say with some movement of the heart: Lord Jesus Christ, help, or it is done for my blessedness, then we will soon feel relief. For by such sighs Christ is moved to threaten the winds and the sea. And so there will be a great calm, that is, joy and peace, and then praise and thanksgiving.
This gospel could be applied to the church, to the world government, to the household, if one considers the dangers to be so great that salvation seems to be impossible, just as one thinks today that the church will perish because of so many enemies; the kingdom will perish because of so many wars and uprisings; the household will perish because of poverty and other evils. But a single and weak sigh will preserve and strengthen everything, because it cries out powerfully in the ears of God. Therefore, against all this, let us pray, cry out and groan. And Christ will provide a great silence, so that people will have to marvel at it. Amen.
Of the two possessed.
V. 28-34 And he came beyond the sea into the region of the Gergesenes. And there met him two possessed with devils, which came out of the sepulchers of the dead, and were very fierce, so that no man could go by the way. And behold, they cried out, saying: Ah, thou Son of God, what have we to do with thee? Are you coming to torment us before it is time? And there was a great herd of swine by the pasture far from them. Then the devils asked him and said: If thou wilt cast us out, let us go into the herd of swine." And he said, Go your way. So they went out and entered the herd of swine. And, behold, the whole herd of swine rushed with a tempest into the sea, and were drowned in the water. And the shepherds fled, and went into the city, and told all these things, and how it had befallen the possessed. And behold, the whole
40 Notes on Matth. 8, 28-34. W. vii. 63-ss. 41
City out to meet JEsu. And when they saw him, they besought him to depart from their border.
The last miracle of this chapter, apart from the fact that it, like the previous one, confirms the doctrine, shows us Christ, that he is Lord even over the power of the devils, and that in him, through faith, victory over the whole and supreme power of the devil is offered to us. But the evangelist portrays this in such a way that he introduces that there were two possessed people who were very fierce, in such a way that such things were never heard of possessed people: that all people fled from them and were afraid of them, and, as the other evangelists Marcus, Cap. 5, 3. 4., no one could bind them, not even with fetters and celts, that is, he depicts in them the greatest anger, rage, and cruelty of the devil against the human race. And behold, nevertheless, these are tormented by the mere sight of Christ, and are afraid, the very same ones who were so terrifying and terrible. And they are so tormented that they also cry out, whimper and plead, yet with despair they say, "If thou wilt cast us out, grant us" 2c.
This instructs us that we are safe in Christ against all the fury of Satan, because he himself must tremble before Christ as soon as he sees him; whose victory is ours through faith, as Matthew, Cap. 10, 1, says: "He gave them power over the unclean spirits, so that they cast them out, and healed all kinds of sickness. And Marc. 16, 17: "Nothing will harm them." And this comfort is confirmed by this very story, that the devils are so weak before Christ that they cannot harm a single sow unless they have first asked for permission and received it. For before they received this permission, the sows were safe from all the ravages of the devils, as if there were no devils at all.
Therefore, one can reasonably ask: why God grants the devils such a great power that they can possess and plague the most noble creature, man, in such a terrible and exceedingly cruel way, since they can neither possess a sow, nor a
How can you plague or disturb a fly? The answer is: God hates unbelief and loves faith very much. That is why he gives the devil such great power over man, so that unbelieving and godless and hardened people may be struck down and learn to fear and believe, and call upon God. For if he "did not do this, man would not think that he needed God, but he would imagine that he was blissful, and would say: Peace, peace, there is no danger! Therefore he shows them how insurmountable the devil is (when he withdraws his hand and grace), so that he may frighten and humble them, but deliver and save the humble. Just as a father shows his unruly son the executioner or some other terrible thing, so that after he has been frightened and humiliated, his son may be the more comfortable if he has good faith in his father and looks at him. Again, when the son is set at liberty and in grace with the father, he shows him how weak and impotent is the raging and raging of this so terrifying enemy. Behold," he says, "he who wanted to eat you is so nothing that he cannot take away a piglet or a pig's bristle. Therefore learn, my dear son, to fear me, to trust me, to love me; and no evil shall befall thee from this Satan. But if you despise me, if you do not believe me, if you hate me, look at these two possessed ones and see what he can do (when I am angry). When I am present, he can do nothing; but when I am absent, he can do everything. Therefore fear me, and call upon me, and thou shalt not be hurt. So much for the short epitome of the Gospel.
Now? there are still some questions left. First, why the devils say: "Jesus, the Son of God"? Whether they knew that he was God?
39 Secondly: Why they say, "What have we to do with you?"
40 Thirdly: Why they say, "Are you coming to torment us before it is time?"
- fourth: Why ask them that he may allow them to go into the swine?
42 Notes on Matth. 8, 28-34. W. vn, 66-69. 4Z
42 Fifthly: Why did they ask him not to let them go into the deep? as Lucas, Cap. 8, 31, reports.
- sixth, why Christ allowed them foreign swine?
44 The seventh: Why did Jesus not allow the man from whom the devils had gone out to be with him, when he asked him to be with him? Luc. 8, 38.
45 Eighth: Why did the people of Gergesen ask Christ to leave their border?
- To the first question, this is the answer: The devils are lying spirits, therefore they must not be believed. They call him Son of God, trying to see if they could make him proud through vain glory. As if they wanted to say: O JEsu, how great you are! because even we devils give way to you. For the devil very often tempts great people by self-love, in order to overthrow them by arrogance, when he otherwise cannot come to their aid.
Secondly: As he is a spirit that speaks ambiguously, so he can also call Jesus a son of God in such a way, as the Scripture calls every holy man a son of God, before whom he must fear because of his faith. Accordingly, Satan does not speak anything certain. He tries and fears at the same time, as people who are in doubt are wont to do 2c.
(48) To the second question, "What have we to do with thee? [Here, as a frenzied man, he even accuses Christ, as if Christ were attacking the devil's kingdom, as if he wanted to say: These people who serve sin are ours; you do not wrest this power from us by any right, however holy you may be. For the righteous belong to God, but the sinners belong to us. And in this legal transaction, the devil has undoubtedly used many words, and defended his kingdom over the wicked 2c.
- With regard to the third it is to be said: "You have come before the time," that is, you do not leave enough room for divine justice. For though thou art the Holy One, and art sent to save souls, yet the sins of men are too great to be redeemed so quickly.
And so these three questions hold a threefold accusation. The first is: whether Christ is a person who has a calling to do this? The second: if he is a called person, whether this work is in his calling? The third: if this work is his, is it fitting that he should do it at this time? Each of these charges would have caused great controversy if Christ had wanted to listen to them. But he passes over all this and cuts the argument short. He does not enter into an exchange of words with Satan, but proceeds to the work. This is what we too must do after we have been called 2c. Here Satan is overcome, and since he realizes that neither his temptations, nor questions, nor disputations are of any avail, he loses heart and gives in, and asks that he may go into the swine.
50 And so it can be said about the fourth: that Satan, as a conquered one, being completely upset by the divine will, does not know what he should ask for, except for the sows, which he saw by chance, which were suitable guests for him. For by divine power the devil himself is forced to say what kind of place he deserves, namely not the body of a man, but of a sow; for this animal is the most earthly of all, and is good for nothing but fattening, so that even the heathen said: this animal lives only to be salted (pro sale). For it profits man neither by song, like the birds, nor by work, nor by any service, like a horse, a cow, chickens, etc.; it eats only what it finds among men (in the law of Moses it is especially forbidden), 1) as with us are the gnats and lice, which only eat, and are otherwise of no use. With this, Christ indicates that the devil dwells only in sour people, who are lazy bellies and are of no use to anyone. This can be further explained according to the different kinds of people, because in all classes everything is full of swine, for whom the belly is their god.
- The Latin text is not quite in order here: prnsssrtirn in Älosi (udi prollidituru ost). This sentence will have to be entirely enclosed in the brackets, and udi is to be erased.
44Notes on Matth. 8, 28-34. W. vn, 69-73. 45
- fifth. "The depths" Luc. 8, 31, that is, the devils shun the waters and the deserts, because there is nothing there that they can handle as they wish. But their desire is to harm the human race. Yes, they want to be among the housemates and choose the sows because they are domestic animals. Therefore the forests and waters are full of devils, mermaids and other monsters. And this is to be noted in particular, that the devils have plagued man, but not killed him; but the swine kill him and drown him in the water. With this the Holy Spirit shows that the devil can afflict men who belong to Christ, but he cannot destroy them. But he kills the swine who surrender to him, and gives them such a reward as the executioner gives to his servant.
- The sixth question is: Why did Christ let them go into other people's swine? To this is answered: Christ is a lord over everything, and has nothing that does not belong to him, yes, even the swine were his. If Christns was lord over the possessed man and over the devil who possessed him, both of which were not under him according to the law of the temporal and domestic regiment, how much more were the swine his, although they belonged to others according to the temporal law. But he that is lord over the secular law is also lord over all that is subject to the secular law; according to the saying, He that is lord over a superior is also lord over the inferior. If a king is lord over a prince, he is also lord over his 1) subjects. Perhaps Christ could also have been moved by the law of Moses, which forbade the Jews the sows, and he may have punished them therefore as despisers of the law, just as a prince is well pleased when a wanderer kills a highwayman who attacks him, 2c.
- the seventh is asked: why Jesus did not want to allow the man, from whom the devils had gone out, to be with him 2c. Luc. 8, 38. For this he can have many causes
- Although in Latin xrinc-ipis is written before, prineipniD follows here.
have had. Either because he perhaps belonged to someone as a servant; or because he was bundled to someone by another urgent cause. But it seems to me that the most important cause was that Christ did not want to appear to have sold his good deed, that is, as if this man, freed from the devil, should henceforth be his servant and subject to him; but he wanted to give his good deed for free, and accept neither recompense nor glory nor anything else as his own in return. "For God loves a cheerful giver 2 Cor. 9:7. And this passage is against those who do good for their own sake, as it is said in Matt. 6:1, "who give alms before men, that they may be seen of them." O! this is a general evil among those who want to be considered good.
- eighth, the people of Gergesen were fools like Peter, who also called Jesus to go out full of himself, Luc. 5:8. This is how we do it, and we have been taught to do it, considering Christ a tyrant, or a Moses, and not a Savior. These Gergesenians saw more in his delivering their sows to the devils than in his delivering a man from the tenfel. This is a common thought of the flesh, that we take more to heart the punishment inflicted on the wicked than the grace by which the pious are saved.
(55) Therefore, we must learn not to take God's vengeance against the wicked too much to heart, but rather His beneficence and mercy against the godly. As it is said [in the Book of Wisdom, Cap. 1, 11 according to the Vulgate: "Remember that the Lord is kind"; and Ps. 118, 1.: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is kind, and his kindness endures forever." What is it to me that the swine, that is, the wicked, though they be many, perish, if only we men, that is, the godly, though ours be few, are saved! Therefore, it is enough for believers to look at the works of divine grace. On the other hand, it is the unbelievers who must look at the works of wrath, and not we believers.
46 Notes on Matth. 9, 1-8. w. vn. 73-77. 47
The ninth chapter.
V.1-8. Then he got into the ship and crossed over again, and came to his city. And, behold, they brought unto him a sick of the palsy, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Be of good cheer, my son; thy sins be forgiven thee. And behold, some of the scribes said within themselves: This one blasphemes GOD. And when JE saw their thoughts, he said, Why think ye evil in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee? or to say, Arise and walk? But that ye might know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, he said unto him that was sick of the palsy, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go home. And he arose, and went home. When the people saw this, they marveled and praised God, who had given such power to man.
Included in this chapter:
First, the miracle on the gouty man.
Secondly, the profession of Matthaei.
Third, the question of fasting.
Fourth: The twofold miracle, on the woman with the blood, and on the dead daughter Jairi.
Fifth, the miracle of the two blind men.
Sixth, the general narrative of Christ's teaching and the works he did for many others.
From the gouty man.
1 Lucas, Cap. 5, 18. ff, and Marcus, Cap. 2, 3. ff., describe more extensively the faith of those who brought the gout-broken man to Jesus 2c. Here see what pleasure Christ has in faith, that he does not call all that which these did for the sake of the gout-broken man works or a request. For Matthew does not say, JEsus saw their request, their effort and works, but their faith itself, out of
To whom these works and their silent prayer flowed. This means, in truth, to hear the mute, because these people speak nothing, pray nothing, ask nothing with their mouths, but cry out with their faith itself and with their deeds, so that he puts everything else aside and sees nothing but their faith. And by this we are encouraged to believe, and also to pray for others in such a way.
2 Likewise, we see here that God also hears silent prayers, that is, the desire and longing of the heart, without verbal word, so that we should know that we can always pray; as Luc. 18, 1. commands, "that one should always pray and not be slack. For as long as we groan in our hearts, long for something, and anxiously want something from God, so long do we pray, not with our mouths, but with the inexpressible groaning of our hearts, and with an everlasting cry, as Moses cried out, when the Lord said to him, "Why do you cry out to me?" 2c., Ex. 14, 15.
And here the question of one's own faith and the faith of others must be dealt with. It is a common saying that little children are baptized in the faith of the church because they have no faith of their own. This must be understood with caution. On the faith of the church, that is, by the church praying in faith, the little children are given their own faith, just as here, by the people bringing the gouty man to JEsu praying in faith, the gouty man was given the health he did not have. For the prayer of faith is omnipotent; as Christ says, "All things are possible to him that believeth" Marc. 9, 23.. Although we do not always feel that what we ask in faith is there, it is certainly obtained and will be seen in its time.
Now the speeches and words at this miracle must be dealt with. The
48 Notes on Matth. 9, 1-8. W. vn, 77-80. 49
first is the word of Christ: "Be of good cheer, my son, your sins are forgiven you". With this word Christ depicts himself as he is. And this speech is a true image of his heart, and what his heart is full of, his mouth passes over, namely, that his inclination is entirely to forgive sins gladly and to deliver from punishment. But this is only to those who are sorrowful and in need of such. He does not say this to the Pharisees or to other secure people (of whom there was a great multitude). For these have no need of remission of sins, or of health; but are in health, and have no need of a physician.
Therefore, a distinction must always be made among people according to their nature. Some are secure and live in peace; others are sorrowful and poor, that is, they are in need. And when these are mixed together, nothing can be taught or learned rightly. For Christ and his word belong only to the afflicted; the law, the threats, terrors 2c. belong only to the secure. Yes, those who write against us and cry out that our gospel is too sweet and deceives men are the greatest asses, although it is true that the gospel is too sweet for the secure and godless, just as, on the contrary, the law is too hard for the fearful. Therefore, both those who want to set the law over all men, whether they are secure or fearful, and those who want to set the gospel over all, are wrong. For in this way the law and the gospel are mixed together to the greatest harm. For in this way it happens that the godly, whom mail should comfort with the gospel, are crucified by the law, and the ungodly, whom one should frighten with the law, are hardened by the gospel 2c. Therefore Paul teaches Timothy that he should rightly divide the word of God 2 Tim. 2, 15, as Christ does here, who presents the gospel to the afflicted gout-breaker, but punishes the Pharisees as blasphemers and wicked men. "Why do you think such evil in your hearts?" he says. To the gout-broken
But he does not say, "Why do you think so evil? Neither does he say to the Pharisees, "Be of good cheer," 2c., sharing the word of God very well.
Those who pay attention to this difference are rare. For under the papacy, all this was in the greatest confusion. Therefore they could not teach what faith and works were, or how they differed from each other, or how they were to be distinguished from each other, as even today our Pharisees, the Papists, and other heretics do not know.
7 Therefore, these words of Christ, which are of infinite sweetness, must be further elaborated. First he speaks, "My Son." He calls the one Son, whom yet he describes as a sinner, saying, "Thy sins" 2c. How is he his son, since he is a sinner? Who can rhyme this together? Can a teacher of the law, a philosopher, a monk, or reason do this? All these will declare: These are impossible things, that one should be called a son, and at the same time be a sinner. But faith rhymes it so that there are two kinds of sinners: A fearful and broken sinner, who would like to be rid of sin, is a son. But a sure sinner, and one who does not recognize his sin, but makes himself believe that he is righteous, is an enemy and a devil. The former is raised up, but the latter is punished.
- secondly, it says, "Be of good courage, be strong," 2c. He does not use the word, "believe," but a far more emphatic and magnificent: "Be bold, undaunted, undaunted." Though sins make thee fainthearted and cast thee down, yet shun not the evil, but meet it the more courageously. Rise up, and be bold. Here behold the most learned physician, how beautifully and surely he knows the diseases of a troubled conscience. He says: "I see that you are frightened and that you do not have the courage to hope for help; this comes from your sins. And though they make thee fainthearted and despairing, yet put something else in thine heart than thy sins: Hear me.
50 Notes on Matth. 9, 1-8. W. vn, 8o-ss. 51
9 Third, he says, "Your sins are forgiven." Before he heals the disease of the gout, he does it like a perfect physician, and first takes away, as they say, the cause of the disease, namely sin. As if he wanted to say: It is easy to heal a disease of the body if the disease of the soul is taken away, which is the cause of the bodily disease. Therefore, he first heals and raises the mind, and after the mind is raised, the body is already more than half helped.
(10) But there is an emphasis in the word "they are forgiven," namely, that no man can be freed from sins without the forgiveness of them. But where there is forgiveness, there is no satisfaction or merit, but a free gift. And this is the teaching of the gospel, which is contrary to the teaching of the law.
Fourthly, the words "you", "your" must be inculcated, by which two things are done. First, it is affirmed that you are a sinner, because the forgiveness is given to you, and it is a forgiveness of your sins. Secondly, that you know that they are not given to another, but to you, that is, that you remember not St. Peter or Isaiam, but you; you, you sinner, I say, this evangelical voice addresses 2c.
(12) Then it is described how this doctrine is full of offence, as Paul says: "Christ is an offence to the Jews," 1 Cor. 1:23. For this word, "Thy sins be forgiven thee," is intolerable to all those who deal in laws and works. For the whole meaning of those who deal with the law is this: one must satisfy God by works; as all their deeds, speeches and writings testify.
(13) For this reason also our gospel is hated in like manner by our Pharisees, because they cannot bear the word, "Thy sins be forgiven thee. For these two things are contrary to human reason: one should keep the law, and yet those who do not are forgiven, even though they have not kept the law.
(14) All this flows from the error that they think man can fulfill the law and that God wants to be atoned for sins in this way, both of which are false. But they do not want it to be said that it is false; therefore they grumble when they hear that sins are not sufficiently atoned for, but that they are taken away by forgiveness, just as they get angry when they hear that we fulfill the law in vain. Therefore here the Pharisees, who were very angry, say, "This one blasphemes GOD." For they could find nothing harsher than to call it blasphemy, and that under the appearance of being right, because (according to their conceit) by it they were acting contrary to the law of God, since the law was not to be enacted but fulfilled, but it was for God alone to enact the law. Therefore, the offense of the Pharisees was, in appearance, very just, just as today and always the offense and zeal for good works seems to be very just. For they do not understand what the law or good works are, but object to them: GOD, GOD, GOD gave the law; it is the law of GOD, it is the law of GOD; GOD commanded to keep the law. With these speeches they close their ears, and say: blasphemy, blasphemy 2c.
15 But Christ answered reluctantly: "Why do you think such evil in your hearts? As if he wanted to say: "How poisonous you are, that you begrudge people the grace of God, since you lose nothing by it! Here he covertly punishes their avarice and idolatry. For the priests thought that if someone wanted to make atonement for God, this had to be done through sacrifices and the intercession of the priests; as there are commandments and examples of this in the Law of Moses and in the books of the kings. But now that Christ publicly says that God will be reconciled through faith alone/without sacrifices and without their intercession, they are worried because of their belly, and think to themselves: "If it is possible to get grace through faith alone, without our sacrifices, then we will have to perish completely. And not only
52 Notes on Matth. 9, 1-13. W. vn, 83-ss. 53
This, but the whole Moses with his sacrifices will fall over the heap. For who will continue to sacrifice when one can propitiate God by faith? 2c. Therefore it is certain that he is a blasphemer against the sacrifices and against Moses, consequently also against God.
(16) It is the same with all things in the priesthood today. When they hear that a man is saved by faith without works and sacrifices, they become quite furious, because they realize that this is detrimental to their belly, and they claim that it is blasphemy, because this doctrine of faith, which teaches against their sacrifices, which are sold for money, is supposed to be against the church, and therefore against God; although they have less proof for themselves from Scripture than the Pharisees.
17 Christ then sharply rebukes them in a mocking (ironica) unwilling speech, pitying him that they were so ill-disposed against him, saying, "Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? As if to say, "Yes, you are fine fellows, you know well which is easier or harder to say, this or that, one as well as the other. If you had the sacrifices of it for your belly, you would let both, the gout and the sin, have the misfortune, and would not ask much, which would be easy or heavier.
- However, besides this mockery, he also punishes their opinion, because they would have said that it is easier to forgive sin than to heal a gout-ridden man, because they had the certain opinion that they could obtain forgiveness of sins for themselves and others through their sacrifices and works, which in and of themselves pleased God; but to heal a gout-ridden man, they would not have presumed so easily. Therefore Christ decides and says: "That you may know" that your sacrifices and merits cannot forgive sins, "I will do both: I will forgive sin and heal the gout without any sacrifice and without your merit, although you think,
- For this translation of opera operata, see Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. 19, 440.
both are impossible for me. So that you may see that this is easy for me (namely, to forgive sins without sacrifice), which seems to be impossible for you, and on the other hand that this is something impossible for you (namely, to heal the gout by sacrifice), which is something easy for me. Therefore, it is as I have said: Ye know not what is easy, nor what is hard. For you measure me by the law and by your works. But everything is easy for me, not only possible.
Of the calling of Matthew.
V. 9-13. And as JEsus departed from thence, he saw a man sitting at the receipt of custom, whose name was Matthew, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat in the house, behold, there came many publicans and sinners, and sat at meat with JEsu and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and sinners? When JE heard this, he said to them: The strong have no need of a physician, but the sick. But go and learn what this is: I am pleased with mercy, and not with sacrifice. I have come to call sinners to repentance, not the pious.
19 Here you see once again that Christ's ministry is to save sinners. He testifies to this first by deed, then by word. The deed consists in the fact that he does not call the Pharisees or the saints, but a tax collector. He calls him in such a way that he not only makes him righteous through the forgiveness of sins, but also sets him up as an apostle, who should then himself administer this ministry among all the Gentiles who are to be saved from sins.
20 And this is a wonderful comfort, that ex chooses such unworthy sinners to be apostles, so that they would not be proud because of such a high office, or so that not a single sinner would have any distrust or despair of Christ. For who are those who sit in the highest choir and in the innermost council of the saints? Truly, they are outstanding sinners and tax collectors.
54 Notes on Matth. 9, 9-13. W. vn, 8s-88. 55
According to their righteousness, they should sit in the midst of hell. Therefore Peter has no cause to despise me or to boast against me, however great a sinner I am; for he has cause to think back, namely, that he has been a good comrade of sinners in the greatest sins 2c.
(21) And in this the Pharisees (as was said above, 14) were very angry, who hated sins and sinners, according to the precept of the law, and considered that all this was done against the law. But if something is done against the law, one has (according to reason) a very just cause to be angry about it; because it is just as much as if it were done against God. This is also an annoyance today, that we exalt grace in such a way that it seems as if all laws and discipline were abolished. In short, the gospel is an offense to the Jews (that is, those who deal in works and insist on the law), and a foolishness to the Gentiles (that is, the "epicureans" and atheists) 1 Cor. 1:23. They rage against it as if it were the most dangerous plague; these ridicule it as a vain and idle opinion of men. The former consider it blasphemy, the latter fairy tales. But the church and Christ pass through the midst of these, and with the right ear despise blasphemies, and with the left the fables, and live in the truth of faith, which worships God without blasphemies and fables.
- But this story can be elaborated by a vivid description (proZopopooias), how Christ is there happily sitting among the tax collectors as a companion of sinners, and how he, as it were, approves of their life. Meanwhile the Pharisees stand around them, frowning, mouthing, unwilling, judging, condemning, 2c., that is, they only look at the law against the one who is not under the law, nor can be, and who redeems all from the law.
The speech that Jesus gave is very sweet, and contains in itself: first, a sentence; second, a sentence of Scripture. The sentence is taken from nature:
"The healthy have no need of the physician." Here Christ philosophizes, that is, he speaks of the nature of things, and he applies this philosophy very well to his purpose; that is, he uses philosophy, that is, the knowledge of natural things, correctly. The other philosophers only speculate. They say how nature does things this way and that, but they do not teach what these things mean; as here Christ beautifully applies the art of medicine to religion or faith.
The scripture is beautiful and powerful against the law, against sacrifices and works, and deserves to be treated in a special sermon, because here it abolishes the law, even condemns it in the highest parts of worship, namely in the sacrifices, and prefers brotherly love to them 2c.
25 Here the word "I will" (volo) or I have pleasure must be inculcated. Who is it that says: "I will"? The majestic God, with whom everything has the same will at the same time; his will suffers no resistance, nor can it be changed so that it could will something else. Therefore, we have a certain knowledge in this word, and we are quite sure about the divine will. What do we care if sin, the law, death, the flesh, the world, wants something else? If God's will is for us, who can be against us? Here is the revealed word of God: Volo, this is what I want, this is how I am minded. And this word does not only mean to want something, but to take pleasure in it, to delight in it, to desire it from the heart, so that we can be sure of God's pleasure and approval in every way.
(26) Here we can digress a little, namely, how much trouble people have taken to know what pleases God or what His will is. For this reason, countless sects and ways have been invented through which people have searched for God's will. And behold, all of them have passed by this revealed, public and clear word "I will". So great is the blindness and stupidity of unbelief, because one has not believed that this word, spoken by
56 Notes on Matth. 9, 9-13. W. vn, 88-rn. 57
God is spoken in earnest, but one has only looked at the syllables according to the art of speech, and has passed it by. This one word could have prevented all monasteries, sects, and special ways of life, if one had paid attention to it. For what do all sects seek but this: O that I might know what God wants, what pleases Him? I want to put on a robe of harshness, a monk's habit, a sackcloth; perhaps it will please God. And in short, all seek this will of God, who says, "I will." And behold, Him who offers Himself freely and cries, "I will," Him they do not see or hear. This blindness and misery of men is greater than can be expressed, that they seek GOD by their own suggestions, and reject Him, since He offers Himself by His own words. The saying of Isaiah actually belongs to this: "I am sought by those who did not ask for me; I am found by those who did not seek me" Is. 65, 1. For God cannot suffer that he is sought by our suggestions, since he presents himself in such a way that one can find him very easily.
27 "In mercy." Having revealed himself and his heart's desire by the word, "I will" [or I am well pleased, he here gives the child his name, and declares what that is which he so heartily desires, saying, "Mercy." This word must also be inculcated against all other works that are not mercy, especially, since the Lord himself insists on it, against the greatest works of the whole synagogue, also against those that were prescribed in Moses, namely against the sacrifices, as much more against the self-chosen works of the monks, pilgrimages, and other services, by which not mercy but one's own righteousness is sought.
(28) Hereupon one can also explain what mercy is, and how many duties belong to it. But it is mercy, that one may do good to his neighbor in his misery or need. Here one can enumerate the needs of one's neighbor, and then one will also know what 'mercy' is.
- but there is a need or misery of the
Neighbor, 1) the sin. Therefore he must be taught, reminded, punished, borne, comforted. Behold, how many kinds of mercy are manifested in this single trouble? And this mercy the sectirians and the monks leave, who flee from the troubles 2c., or those who have gone after their own works 2c., while yet GOD speaks that he wants ^mercy]: "I will, I am well pleased with mercy."
- Sadness, illness, or other deficiencies of the body. In how many ways can a man help his neighbor? If not by deed, money, effort, favor, at least by favor and a good word. And in all this he knows that God also says to him: I will, I am pleased with it, persevere in it, my son, and you will walk on the right path. And with how great a cost should we not purchase this honor, that the man in these works of his is certain that this voice of God is as a halo upon his head: I will have this, I am well pleased with it? With how great joy would we not do all this, if we believed this voice, I am well pleased Dt mercy? O wretched Pharisees, and all works saints, who have not this wreath on their head. Therefore, the saints are also painted with a holy wreath of honor around their head, to indicate that they walk in the word of God and do everything.
- Poverty and other things more 2c. Who can enumerate all the ways in which mercy can be exercised? Namely, by giving bread, drink, clothing 2c. as Christ indicates Matth. 25, 35. 36: "I was hungry, and you fed me. I have been thirsty, and you have given me drink. I was a guest, and you gave me shelter. I have been naked, and you have clothed me. I have been sick, and you have visited me. I have been a prisoner, and you have come to me." The saints of works, who prefer to live on other people's goods and consume the wealth of others, do not have all this.
58 Notes on Matth. 9, 9-13. W. vn, 9i-s4. 59
but in the meantime walk idly in their righteousness. These false saints should have the devil's dirt painted around their heads instead of the scroll of the halo.
The third word is: "And not in the sacrifice. This is a harsh and terrifying thunderclap of the divine pronouncement on the supreme work, namely, on the sacrifice, wherein the worship itself consists. And it would have been hard enough, because he would have made such a comparison between your sacrifice and mercy, which is not equally favorable about both, namely in this way: "The sacrifice is pleasant to me; but the mercy is still more pleasant to me. Even this would have been unbearable enough, if the mercy had been preferred to the sacrifice.
But he also does not allow the sacrifice this place, that he lets it count something next to the mercy, namely in such a way: I leave the sacrifice in its honor and permit it, but the mercy I want 2c.' Even this place of honor he does not concede to it, although it is very small and very detestable to the saints of works, but he destroys it absolutely and says: I do not want the sacrifice, I have no pleasure in the sacrifice 2c. Nothing can sound more blasphemous in the ears of those who dealt with the sacrifices than this word. But he is not concerned that they are offended by it; he continues and confidently says: "I do not want the sacrifice", "I am not pleased with it, my soul abhors it"; as he also says in Isaiah in the first and last chapter Is. 1, 11. ff. Cap. 66, 2. 3..
34 Here one rightly asks: why does God so utterly abhor the sacrifice, which He has very much approved with many fathers, and moreover everything that a righteous person does in faith is pleasing? To this is answered from the 18th Psalm, v. 26, 27: "With the saints thou art holy, and with the perverse thou art perverse" 2c. A distinction must be made between the persons of the holy and the perverse. For since the saints live rightly in faith toward God and in love toward their neighbor, therefore everything they do, whether it be sacrifices or works, pleases God.
of their hands 2c. Yes, the Lord is so pleased with His people that even their sins and errors do not harm them; and God is holy with the saints even when they sin. On the other hand, because the wicked live wickedly, and do not care about faith toward God and mercy toward their neighbor, but only magnify their sacrifices and works and seek glory in them, God is also wicked with them, and is also wicked to them. As if he wanted to say: Because you reject my commandment of faith and mercy and consider it completely worthless, I also do not want to consider your highest work, the sacrifice; indeed, I do not want it at all. There is so much missing that your sins should not harm you, that even your highest merits become your highest sins. Why is that? Because I do to you as you do to me. If you boo there, I boo here. You have no pleasure in all that is mine; therefore I have no pleasure in all that is yours. So we are separated. What you have the highest pleasure in, namely in the sacrifice, I have the highest displeasure in, because your person is not as I want it to be 2c.
I have come to call sinners to repentance, not the pious.
(35) It is a great comfort that the Lord himself says that this is his calling, or that this is why he was sent by the Father, to call sinners and not the righteous. For that he saith, "I am come," is as much as when he saith elsewhere, "I am sent." For he came because the Father willed it so, because he commanded it, because he sent him. Therefore he says it is the Father's will that he should call sinners, and not the righteous. Therefore he did not come to judge the world, but to save the world, John 3:17, according to the will of the Father.
36 Therefore it is established, first, that the ministry of Christ is not the ministry of sin, nor of death, but of righteousness and life; which the Father would have us believe. 2c.
60 . Notes on Matth. 9, 13-17. W. vn. si-sr. 61
Secondly, with these words Christ mocks the Pharisees, who might have said: Do we not also teach that sinners should turn to repentance? What new thing do you bring forward? Does not the ministry of Moses or the Law also call sinners to repentance? In (he says), you want to be righteous, yet you are sinners, and do nothing else but declare both yourselves and others to be righteous, yet they are terrible sinners before God. These righteous ones I do not call to repentance, nor do they need repentance, since they are righteous according to your judgment. Go then always, ye righteous, with your righteous, be saints with your saints, and let me deal with my sinners, until I also make them righteous; yet not, as ye do, by works of the law, but by grace and forgiveness. You call sinners to repentance according to the righteousness of the law, so that you may make them double-minded sinners, just as you are. I call to repentance, according to the forgiveness of sins, that I may make twofold righteous, even as you are in grace and truth. In grace, because their sins are forgiven. In truth, because they truly begin to be godly and to do good works. You make two-fold sinners by your repentance, namely by guilt and falsehood. By guilt, because they are more proud because of the righteousness of the law than when they were yet sinners. By falsehood, because they think that the works they have invented are good. So they have far more guilt on them, both inwardly in their hearts, because of their unbelief and hopeful trust, and outwardly, because of their works; for there they are liars and hypocrites, because of the false appearance of the works, and the glory of them. Such people are you also. Ans with you and such saints; you do not belong to my repentance.
(38) This must be very well noted against the perverse and those who abuse the grace of God, or, as Jude says in his epistle (v. 4), "those who draw the grace of God upon themselves. For very many today abuse Christian salvation, and say: Grace, grace! therefore it is not necessary to do good or to suffer evil. These make
grace a will of courage, that is, a freedom to do what they want according to their own desires, and from the forgiveness of sins a freedom to sin, as all too many do today. But Christ speaks here: He does call sinners, but not to the freedom to sin, nor even to do what they want according to their desires, but to repentance, namely to the death of sins; as Paul teaches Rom. 6, 2: "If we have died to sin, how should we want to live in it?" For what is repentance but to put sin to death? Therefore, when sinners are called to repentance, it is so much that, even though their sins are forgiven, they are still called to a perpetual effort to recognize, hate, kill, and bury sins, according to the words of Paul, Rom. 6:4; not that sin is left to them to do as they please.
V. 14. Then the disciples of John came to him and said: Why do we and the Pharisees fast so much, and your disciples do not fast?
39 It seems that this is connected with the previous one. For Christ had said: he calls the righteous 1) to repentance. Now fasting is a part of repentance, as can be seen from the example of the Ninivites and others, as well as from the Proverbs of Scripture. Therefore it seems that the disciples of Christ do not repent, because they do not fast; and therefore their call to repentance is nothing; therefore they cannot be called righteous, because they are without repentance, to which, as you say, you call the righteous. Therefore, according to your own words, we and the Pharisees are much more righteous than you-your disciples. To this Christ gives the following answer:
V. 15-17. JEsus said to them: How can the wedding people bear sorrow as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast. Never-
- Here the word "the righteous" is used in a different sense than before, where the Lord speaks of those who make themselves believe that they are righteous. The text is correct.
62 Notes on Matth. 9, 15-17. W. vn, 97-100. 63
mand mend an old garment with a rag of new cloth; for the rag tears again from the garment, and the tear becomes worse. Nor does one put must into old wineskins, otherwise the wineskins tear, and the must is spilled, and the wineskins perish. But put must into new skins, and they will be kept together.
It is not fasting time now, they have other things to do. Your fasting is quite inconvenient, not only in time but also in person and manner. So he rejects them with their fasting; just as he rejected them above vv. 12, 13 with their repentance. It shall all be nothing. In sum: It does not apply patching with new cloth on an old skirt. This is pronounced in the German proverb for a garment that is too worn out: Oh, the skirt must be patched with a new one, no more patching will help, that is, one must throw away the worn-out skirt and have a new one made in its place. In the same way, one can say of a wine cask that is too worn out: "Oh, no more hoop or binding will help; it must be bound with a new cask, that is, one must have a new cask made. Otherwise, where you tie it in one place, it will run in two other places. If it is only piled up and thrown into the fire, a new cask must be made, and the must will stay in it and the cask will stay in it. Such similes can also be used of all things that are so worn out by age that other things must be used in their place. For example, of an old house: This house must be roofed, painted, supported 2c. with a new house. This axe must be sharpened with a new axe. This net must be completed with a new net. This bag must be mended with a new bag.
41 So also here it is said: Your fasting and whole repentance and righteousness must be improved by a new fasting, repentance and righteousness; that is, all your doings must be thrown away, and all made new. Your old doings do not contain this new. Neither can they stand together, or rhyme together, the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of faith.
bens. Now is the time of the bridegroom and the wedding, and also of the wedding people; there your fasting and sorrowful righteousness has no place, but joyful righteousness and an abundant wedding feast in faith. Therefore, now are quite different people, everything is quite different, different times, different works, different words 2c. Therefore your sad fasting, your hard and severe righteousness in works, is nothing. That is, put everything in the heap, and instead of the sad and burdensome fasting (that is, legal righteousness), celebrate a feast, and that a wedding feast (since it is most joyful); that is just the feast day of faith, "which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" Ps. 118:24.
42 And here it is to be noted that he calls the fasting of the Pharisees a bearing of sorrow. For he says, "The wedding people cannot bear sorrow," since they had asked him about fasting. For he should have said: The wedding people cannot fast; just as afterwards he says, "Then they will fast"; he does not say, Then they will suffer 2c. For by this he means that the righteousness of the law and of men is sorrow-bearing, that is, a sorrowful service, such as is held because of one who is dead, whom the prophets call Aven, that is, affliction and pain, toil and unpleasure; of which much and often has been said elsewhere. But the righteousness of faith is the service of the living and the joyful, for Christ's sake, who lives and reigns, and who is our righteousness and life 2c.
But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.
This can be understood in several ways. First, that after Christ has gone to heaven, his saints are forced to fast truly and to endure all evil, but this they do gladly. Secondly, in a prophetic sense, because after Christ is taken away from the Jews (or from us), the joyful feast of faith is gone, that is, there is nothing but death and destruction. But
64 Notes on Matth. 9, lL-^-26. w. vn, wo-iW. 65
I like the third opinion, that Christ would say this much: I will give my saints fasting and mourning enough without your fasting and mourning, which is nothing; that is, I will leave them in many temptations, as Paul did, so that they will not see or feel me as their bridegroom. Then they will suffer and truly fast. For this is sufficiently clear that Christ digresses in this place, full of Jewish fasting, to an allegory, speaking of the joy of a wedding and a banquet, against the fasting of the Pharisees and their sad righteousness.
From the daughter of the chief du school and from the bloody willow.
V.18-26. While he was talking to them, one of the chiefs came and fell down before him, saying, "Lord, my daughter is now dead, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live. And JEsus stood up, and followed him, and his disciples. And, behold, a woman, which had bled twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. For she said to herself: If only I would touch his garment, I would be healed. Then Jesus turned and saw her, and said, "Be of good cheer, my daughter; your faith has helped you. And the woman was healed at that very hour. And when he was come into the chief's house, and saw the pipers, and the tumult of the people, he saith unto them: Go away, for the maiden is not dead, but sleeps. And they laughed at him. But when the people had been driven out, he went in and took them by the hand, and the maiden stood up. And the rumor went out into all that land.
The allegory of the bloody woman and the dead maiden must be postponed to another time; then this story from the evangelist Marcus must be explained more extensively 2c. And it is to be noted that here first the miracle of a resurrected dead person, namely the chief's maiden, is described; but before that the woman with the flowing blood is made well with the very words with which above Cap. 8, 2..
the gouty man was made well: "Be of good cheer, my daughter, your faith has helped you.
(45) Here the power and glory of faith must be praised, which without works and merits brings the sick woman her health, as above Cap. 8, 2 the forgiveness of sins to the gout-ridden man. For such scriptural passages, which deal with faith, must be inculcated at all times and in all places, against reliance on works. For here no work can be cited by which this blood-fluid woman should have earned this grace. Rather, she despairs of herself and puts all her trust in the touching of his hem, considering herself most unworthy to approach him publicly with a plea or to send someone to him to plead for her. Yes, the Lord pretends that he does not know who touched him, so that he would understand that he does not know anything about the merits of this woman, and yet he confesses that a power went out from him Marc. 5, 30. Therefore he says: "Your faith". As if he wanted to say: "You see how you have done me no good at all, how you have done me no service at all; but because you believed, you received your request.
Here the saints of works may say what merits the deceased maiden or the bloody woman had here 2c. One must necessarily conclude that both were healed in vain and without merit, and only through faith in the mercy of God. And these examples are written so that grace may be praised against works, although works must not be omitted afterwards. Therefore we also must inculcate these examples against works. For the words are clear, "Thy faith hath helped thee"; works have not. And it is expressly added, "that she was healed at the same hour," so that one might not get the idea that the works of righteousness intervened, which, however, had to be done by her afterwards, when she was healed, according to the nature of her state.
66 Notes on Matth. 9, 18-26. W. vn, ivs-ios. 67
Now we come to the miracle of the dead girl, which is explained with many circumstances.
- first, that the father of the maiden is a chief of the school (as Marcus Cap. 5, 22. reports).
Secondly, that the whistlers are already there, who, as it were, blow the whistle to rest.
Third, that the friends make a fuss with their sorrow to comfort the father, 2c. so that one would be assured above all things that she was truly dead, so that the miracle would be all the more glorious.
Fourth, that they laughed at Christ, because they were sure that she was dead.
Fifth, what is most joyful is that Christ ridicules death itself in such a way, calling it a sleep in clear words.
This passage is very strange, that even the Lord himself calls death nothing but a sleep. This is a wonderful comfort for all believers. For Christ not only says here that the deceased maiden is asleep, but he also proves in fact that the deceased is asleep, because he speaks to her with light words, as if he woke her up from sleep. This wisdom no worldly wise man has attained; and although they have an infinite number of opinions about it, here all their questions are resolved in one word, namely: "she is asleep. O! it sleeps; where then art thou, O death? Death, with Christians, is not death, but sleeping. Yes, even the place where the Christians are buried is called
that is, a sleeping chamber. The pagans cannot call their graves like that; the Christians alone say: My grave is my bed, my sleeping chamber. I do not die, but I sleep. Thus Christ says, "He that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live," John 11:25. and of Lazarus he says John 11:11, "Lazarus our friend sleepeth."
(54) But here you see how many obstacles stand in the way of this belief in eternal life. For what happens here with the deceased maiden, since she is to be raised again, also happens in every believer when he is to die.
First, there is a timidity, as if he would not live in eternity. And to this agrees the great multitude (that is, the examples of the whole world), who say, "Why do you alone doubt, since you, like all of us, are dead forever? Secondly, the pipers also mock at the promises of life; that is, the law and the wisdom of the flesh say that death is death, whereas the promises of eternal life are nothing and only in vain; because the law otherwise knows nothing but that it kills. For this is how the conscience feels. Therefore one must pay sharp attention to this word of Christ, "she sleeps," which is overwhelmed with so much turmoil and astonishment, and against the whistlers, against the law, and against all the objections of conscience, pay close attention to the mouth of Christ, and cling to it, saying, "Behold, this one says that she sleeps; so I do not care what all thoughts object to with one another. I listen to nothing in the midst of so much tumult, but to this one, which is not quite audible before the tumult; but, in my ears it is clear and distinct, in that he says, "Soft! the maiden sleepeth," yea, "she is not dead."
(55) These words befit such a teacher, and he is worthy of the faith of the believers. It behooves him to say, "Death is not death to me, but sleep; no one dies to me, but all sleep. And we are to answer: Amen, my Lord, I believe. Help believe, my Christ. You do not lie; it is only because I do not lie to myself, and firmly believe that I cannot die for eternity, but that I die, that is, that I sleep for a time; but give me this faith. Say thou to that tumult, and to the pipers, "Depart!" so that they may depart, that they may cease from troubling and ridiculing this faith of mine. If you do not tell them to retreat, I will not be able to resist. But I will believe that I do not die when I die, but only fall asleep, and that I live even when I die. For I live unto thee whom I believe; and thou makest me alive, when thou hast heard of me.
68Notes on Matth. 9, 18-33. W. vn, lvs-iag. 69
Saying, This man is not dead, but liveth unto me: meanwhile he sleepeth, until I raise him up, that he also may live unto himself.
- And it would be desirable that (as the text says) this rumor of the power of Christ, who raises from the dead, would resound in all lands, yes, in all hearts, so that all would believe that he is one who takes us who are dead for living, and who shall be raised again from their sleep, so that we might cheerfully despise death, and be sure that he does not lie, who will raise us up, who make believe that we are dead, but are sleepers before him.
The miracle at the Minden.
V. 27-31. And as JEsus departed thence, there followed him two blind men crying out, and saying: O Son of David, have mercy on us! And when he was come home, the blind came unto him. And JEsus said unto them: Do you believe that I can do these things to you? And they said unto him, Lord, yea. Then he touched their eyes, and said, Be it done unto you according to your faith. And their eyes were opened. And Jesus troubled them, saying, See that no man know it. But they went on, and made him accounted throughout all that country.
57 These blind men also teach that grace is given without merit, through faith alone. For when they heard of the mercy that Jesus had shown to the maiden who had died and to the woman who was covered with blood, they had faith and courage; therefore they followed him and cried out, saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us. (For this is the quality of faith, that it calls upon the Savior in time of need and cries out to Him).
58 Secondly, Christ affirms this very thing by saying, "Do you believe that I can do these things to you? As if to say, "Faith can do all things, even to unworthy men like yourselves. Immediately they answered, "Lord, we believe," and he gave them face before all their merit.
- the words: "be it unto you according to your
Faith", must be treated in the same way as I treated the above statement against the captain in the eighth chapter § 8 ff.: "Be it done to you as you have believed", in a special sermon that appeared in German. For it is the same opinion.
60 It is to be noted that Christ does not heal the blind immediately, but lets them follow, cry out and come to Himself in the house, in order to teach that faith should be persistent, persevering, brazen, undaunted, impetuous, should not let up; for shame in adversity is harmful household goods, just as Christ Himself, Luc. 18, 1. ff, praises the woman's undauntedness before the unjust judge. Christ delights in the tirelessness and perseverance of our faith. He does not want us to doubt his goodness, nor to grow weary with impatience and lose heart if he does not help immediately, but he wants us to pursue him on the way, to cry out to him, and to break into his house, as these two blind men did. For in this way he tries our faith, whether it be true or fictitious.
61 Here the question arises: Why does he command them to keep the work of his grace secret? The answer is common to all and easy. Let it be an example to us that he who does a good deed to others should not boast of it, or seek his own glory in it; but should do it cheerfully and freely, to the glory of God, not as the world and the flesh do, who either seek retribution, or when they have been offended by ingratitude, cease to do good, yea, hate the ungrateful and unworthy.
From the possessed.
When these had come out, behold, they brought unto him a man dumb and possessed. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke.
- the last miracle, which is described after the sermon on the mountain, han-
- This refers to the sermon found in Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XII, 1190 ff.
70Notes on Matth. 9, 32-34. W. vn, iv8-in, 71
He was a blind man possessed, and Christ performed four miracles on this one man. For he was not only possessed and blind, but also mute and deaf. For every mute is also deaf, and vice versa. After this miracle, the evangelist, as it were to indicate that this is enough, says in general: he did many miracles. And so he finally comes to the election of the apostles, so that they too, after they had been sent by him, should teach and do this very thing, as will follow, and in this way the gospel might be richly propagated through the word and works, not only of the Lord himself, but also of the apostles 2c.
In this miracle, one not only sees but can also grasp that the divine benefits are given without merit. For this blind man could not have faith, because he had neither sight, nor hearing, nor perhaps even smell, so that he could not have been moved or encouraged to it either by word or by work. For as it cannot be said that he saw Christ perform any sign, neither can it be said that he ever heard of any sign that he performed.
And indeed, this blind man is undoubtedly almost only a lump, a block or body without face, without hearing, and, as it were, a shapeless body, which only knows how to live according to feeling and taste, and yet is so possessed by the devil that he has not been able to understand or miss what taste or feeling is. In sum, he was only a man in form, who did not know of himself whether he was anything, whether he lived or did anything; and in and for himself he was a true nothing, and just as much as if he were not, so that Christ did just as much here as if he had made a new man out of nothing, just as he brought forth Adam and Eve out of a lump of earth and out of the nipple, and all men out of the seed 2c. And there is no doubt that this blind man, having attained health, thought that he had been nothing at all in the world before, but had
He could not remember anything that had gone before, just as Adam could not think otherwise than that he had not been before. Therefore, this miracle is very great, which the Lord performed on him for nothing and by grace. However, there is the faith of others, who bring him to Jesus, ask and plead for him, so that we may be provoked to pray for faith, also for others; this foreign faith has also been mentioned above § 3.
(65) Here one can ask if this miracle is the same as the one told below in chapter 12, v. 22 ff, that he heals a possessed man who was blind and mute, where the people also praise him and the Pharisees blaspheme him: "He does not cast out devils except by Beelzebub, the chief of the devils" 2c. But it must be considered that they are different miracles, because the evangelists never repeat the same miracle. For just as Christ often spoke the same speech twice, and often taught with the same words, so he also often performed many miracles that are the same. As also follows in the text v. 35, that he healed many from all kinds of pestilences and diseases. And Matth. 11, 5. he does not say: One blind, One dead, but speaks in the majority, of many: "The blind see, the deaf hear, the dead rise" 2c. So one must also believe that the miracle with this blind man, although it has a similarity with the one told in the 12th chapter, was a different one.
V. 33, 34. And the people marveled, saying, Such things were never seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said: He casteth out devils by the chief of the devils.
(66) Here you see two disciples, namely the people who believe and praise God, and the Pharisees who are angry with him and blaspheme him. And as much as the people exalt their deed, so much do the Pharisees rage, attributing it not to the devil per se, but to the chief of the devils, in order to make Christ suspect as the greatest evil-doer among all men 2c. This is the nature of the world; this is how it must be. The more the
72Notes on Match. 9, 33-38. W. vn, iii-m. 73
The more the grace of God is praised, the more this teaching must be heretical and devilish. But Christ is silent here and does not refute it, as he does in chapter 12, v. 25 ff, perhaps because the Pharisees were not present, but blasphemed him absent after they heard about this miracle, just as they also said of him in his absence: "Man is not of God, because he does not keep the Sabbath. Joh. 9, 24.: "We know that this man is a sinner."
vv. 35-38 And Jesus went about all the cities and towns, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And when he saw the people, he was sorry for them, because they were faint and scattered, like sheep that have no shepherd. Then said he unto his young men, The harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest.
(67) After recounting other miracles, he ends with the election of the ministers of the Word, for which he was moved by the multitude of those in need of instruction and help, saying, "The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. For he saw that they were faint and scattered, like sheep that have no shepherd"; of which we shall speak hereafter. And Matthew beautifully describes the movement of the heart of the merciful Christ: "When Jesus saw the people without a shepherd, he was grieved by them." For this was a very miserable sight to his heart, to see so many souls abandoned by the teachers and without a word. But he paints this sight and continues it under the image of abandoned sheep. For here one must imagine how sad it is to see such a flock, miserable in and of itself, firstly emaciated by hunger and thirst, being given neither food nor drink, but left to pine away from hunger and thirst. Secondly, when one sees that it is not kept or provided for with any stable or fence, but wanders around in the wilderness, free from the rapacity of all.
and leave them to it. For both of these things necessarily happen to a herd that has no shepherd. For it cannot feed or protect itself.
In this way, the souls that are left without God's word perish through hunger and thirst, because there is no one to feed them or give them food. Then they are scattered and forced to wander here and there, since there is no guardian or sheepfold in which to wait for them. These two things devastate the Church and the people of God, namely, first, when they are deprived of the Word of God by which the Church is nourished and sustained. Secondly, if they are not defended against ungodly doctrines, it happens that, after the doctrine of godliness has been lost, the consciences go astray, full of sadness and pining away, and get lost in endless sects and superstitions, because they want to be healed; as we have seen under the papacy, where innumerable kinds of works were chosen after the word of faith had been lost. One chose this order, another the holy virgin, another worshipped St. Jacob; one strove to serve GOtte by pilgrimages, another by fasting, another by certain clothing, food, in a certain place, at a certain time 2c. And who can enumerate all the wrong ways in which we wandered? And yet it has helped us nothing, because by all these things not a single conscience could be "neither" nourished nor protected against the devil. And so, by these two words, "they were faint and scattered," he has abundantly expressed the whole heap of evils by which souls perish when they are without a word; and both cannot be adequately explained and magnified.
- but, o a frightening word against the whole state of the Levites, which is here punished, that they are "the shepherds" and "the idolatrous shepherds who leave the flock", Zechariah 11:16, 17. namely, in this whole priesthood all are hypocrites and larvae, and none is a true priest or shepherd.
74Notes on Matth. 9, 35-38. W. vn, ilt-ns. 75
(70) Now, if it is so terrifying to leave the flock without a word, what do you think it will be to be a wolf instead of a shepherd, or to become a wolf from a shepherd? Such people are those who not only set aside the word, but also teach the opposite, and even devour the sheep. And if this is added, that they also become tyrants and kill the godly for the sake of the word, then such a shepherd can be nothing more than the devil himself. But such were the Pharisees and scribes then, and now it is the pope and the bishops, who have long since neglected the word in the church and, having become wolves, have imposed their statutes in its place. Now they also persecute and kill the faithful for the sake of the Word, which they themselves, because of their office, are bound to teach. Therefore, the figure of the pope, the cardinals and bishops is very frightening, who appear to be bishops, but in reality are wolves and even devils in the church; the heretics, however, are only wolves 2c.
V. 37, 38. Then he said to his young men, "The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Damm asks the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest.
With this last saying: "The harvest is great, but the laborers are few," he explains how rare good shepherds are, while the number of those who seem to be good shepherds in the church is infinite. So Paul also complains: "They all seek their own, not Christ's" Phil. 2:21, and again: "Now they seek no more in the stewards, but that they may be found faithful" 1 Cor. 4:2. And Christ says, "How great a thing is it for a faithful and prudent steward, whom his lord hath set over his servants, to give them their hire in due season? Luc. 12:42.
(72) Therefore he teaches that one should ask for right shepherds, because it is certain that all the infinite misfortune now told will come upon the abandoned sheep, even though the whole world, through the ravings of Satan, considers nothing less or more contemptible than the ministers of the Word or the laborers in the harvest.
of the Lord, as if she still had a joy over her infinite misfortune. And woe! woe! woe to those who are the cause that the churches are left without ministers and word. For to them will be imputed the blame for all the calamities that come upon the sheep 2c.
73 And it is to be noted that Christ compares the ministry of the word with the harvest, by which he indicates that the souls are eager for the word and want to be gathered into the barn of faith, as he also says John 4:35: "Lift up your eyes and look into the field, for it is already white for harvest. Secondly, that his gospel is the gospel of the last time and the last doctrine, according to which one cannot hope for any other. All the more care must be taken that laborers are sent and not despised.
- one can also deal with the special emphasis that lies in the word "send"; namely, that no one should take honor for himself, or impose himself, but he should be called 2c. Heb. 5:4. A whole sermon could be preached on this matter; but it has already been dealt with elsewhere and by many: How many kinds of profession are there? And whether it is a good thing to desire the office of a bishop? 2c.
From the profession.
For the first calling is directly from God, as the apostles and prophets had it. The other is done indirectly through people who have a high rank or are in public office, as the apostles called their successors, and as is still called by earthly authorities and authorities or congregations. One of the two types of profession must have the one who is to teach in the church.
- Here now the question occurs: whether it is permissible to offer oneself to a profession 2c.? The answer is this: If it is done out of a carnal sense, that is, out of greed or avarice, it is not at all suitable (although if one has come into the preaching ministry in this way, and later be-
76 Notes on Matth. 9, 37. 38. Cap. 10, 1-4. W. vn, 116-122. 77
If a bishop turns around and becomes another man, it is good for him to remain in it, because avarice and greed also corrupt the highest and divine profession of the apostle Judas, as well as the profession of all priests, Caiaphas, and the likes of him. If it is done with the intention of serving God or living in the state of blessedness, it is a good work, according to the testimony of Paul: "This is certainly true, if anyone desires a bishop's office, he desires a good work" 1 Tim. 3:1. So also Moses commanded that
to receive the Levite who comes from any region to the place of the Lord's house to serve the Lord Deut. 18:6, 7, 8. In addition, emergencies can also arise, as when our brothers in faith find themselves in the midst of enemies who need to be baptized, taught, comforted and admonished; then each one of them should present himself as one who has been called to do so by the necessity of brotherly love, and should do everything that is necessary for the salvation of souls. .
The tenth chapter.
V.1-4. And he called his twelve disciples unto him, and gave them power over unclean spirits, that they should cast them out, and cure all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother; Jacob the son of Zebedee, and John his brother. Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector, Jacobus, Alphaei son, Lebbaeus, with the surname Thaddaeus. Simon of Cana and Judas Iscarioth, who betrayed him.
- This chapter has been very useful and very necessary. For a change was to take place with the whole church, since the synagogue was to be changed into the church of the Gentiles. Therefore, it was most necessary that those who were to bring about such a great change should be called in a glorious way. For to abolish the law and the kingdom of the law was such a change, which was not unlike the flood, by which the old world was changed into a new world. And indeed, the gospel made a new world out of the one that was under the law; therefore, the beginners of this new kingdom had to be called by the Lord Himself.
- He gave them power and authority to perform miracles; this was because of the renewal.
or change is also a necessary thing. But he equips them, not with weapons, but with miracles, so that they may know that his kingdom is a spiritual and not a physical kingdom. Therefore he gives them spiritual weapons against spiritual evil, that is, against the devil, against sins, against death, against sickness, and against everything that is of the devil, 2c.
- He teaches them how they should think of themselves. And this whole chapter belongs to the servants of the word, so that they may learn from it what they should think, speak, do and expect. And it is all full of the best instruction with commandments, with wholly divine reminders, encouragements, promises, that is, he prepares and instructs his preachers how they should be skillful, minded and confident.
Judas among the apostles.
4 The apostle Jude is included among the saints for a necessary example, namely, against the Donatists and many others who deny that the holy sacraments, or the grace of God, are communicated by evil ministers of the Word, which is a most harmful error. For if the power of the sacrament depended on the worthiness of the preacher, everything would be uncertain, because
78Notes on Matth. 10, 1-10. W. vn, iss-iss. 79
the worthiness of no man can be certain. But surely everything depends on the order and the calling of God, who works everything in everyone, through worthy and unworthy. Therefore, Christ works through Judas exactly what He works through St. Peter.
(5) And let all ministers of the word take note of this passage as the most noble, so that they may be sure that their ministry is of such a nature, that is, divine, that it is not made better by the holiness of any man, nor worse by the unworthiness of any man. Thus peace and harmony remain in the church, which otherwise would be disturbed without cessation, if the worthiness of the preachers were to be considered; and no one would ever presume to perform his office, for he would have to be uncertain even as to his own person.
V. 5 6. These twelve Jesus sent, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, neither go ye into the way of the Samaritans: but go ye to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
6 He commands them to avoid the Gentiles and Samaritans. This had to be done at that time because Christ was promised to the Jews alone; as Paul Rom. 15, 8. says: "Christ was a minister of the circumcision" until the law was abolished by the suffering of Christ, and therefore the apostles were sent out into the whole world by a new command.
7 From this it may be concluded that the churches should not be mixed with one another, and that no one should undertake to teach in each congregation; but that each one should remain in his profession and in his congregation, lest the churches be troubled and the offices be mixed. 2c.
V. 7 But go and preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
(8) He instructs them what doctrine to preach, namely, the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven. This is the preaching of the New Testament, not to preach ceremonies, not to preach worldly laws, nor anything else but the kingdom of heaven, that is, eternal life. Therein it is
The word of God of righteousness, of the forgiveness of sins, the victory over death, over the flesh, over the world, over the devil, over all evil. For the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of righteousness, of life, of eternal bliss, where there will be no sin, no death, no hell. This command, that is, that the ministers of the Word should teach this, must be observed most carefully, lest they make of the church a worldly regiment, as the pope did, nor a hypocrisy, as the monks did, but that they should stick to that which is their office, that is, that they should teach what belongs to the kingdom of heaven, or eternal life. "The kingdom of heaven is at hand," that is, now the kingdom of heaven is here, which was promised before. This then ye shall teach; let the dead bury their dead Luc. 9:60..
V. 8-10: heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils. You received it for free; give it for free. You shall not have gold, nor silver, nor brass in your belts. Neither shall ye have a bag to carry away, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a stave.
(9) He forbids the vice of avarice, of venality (simoniae), of ambition, that is, that they should teach purely and honestly, not for the sake of honor, profit, favor, but for free, for God's sake. For he knew that there would be godless people who would speak and do everything for the sake of profit; therefore he warns so diligently beforehand that they should only care for the kingdom of God in a pure spirit. The words must be well considered: "For free you have received, for free also give." He hereby reminds us to consider how unworthy we have been of so great an office; therefore, mindful of our unworthiness and His infinite mercy, we should gladly serve Him and teach the people for nothing.
(10) But this does not forbid them to accept a meager subsistence, because it is immediately followed by: "A laborer is worth his wages." Consequently, he allows us to accept wages, and calls us laborers, who
80 Notes on Matth. 10, 8-10. W. vn, 125-127. 81
are worthy of their reward. He forbids only the avarice and the splendor of those who want to pride and splurge on the goods of the church. Therefore, according to Christ, it is permissible to live on the Gospel, even with wife, children and family; only avarice, arrogance and indulgence are condemned, because they do not allow the Word to be taught.
(11) Therefore the words, "Ye shall not have gold, nor silver, nor brass, nor purse, nor two coats, nor shoes, neither shall ye have a stave," must be rightly understood. Namely, in the ministry of the word they are to be stripped of all this, that is, in their teaching and preaching ministry they are not to have their hearts set on money, honor and goods; they are not to speak or do anything for the sake of money, favor, honor, as the world is compelled by necessity to seek such things in its kingdom, and also seeks them gladly and excessively. But this office of the Word seeks something else, has something else in mind, namely eternal blessedness and the glory of God. Meanwhile it uses this world (as Paul says 1 Cor. 7, 31), but so as if it does not need it. In this way, they do not carry ore with them on the way, that is, they do not seek money or abundance from their teaching authority, nor a rod, that is, they do not seek the power to rule or to protect themselves; but they carry the word of God purely and simply, without any desire or effort for honor, wealth or power, because they have their sights set on something else. Therefore, Christ instructs them here in Matthew how their heart should be, and teaches them to set their intention on the word alone. In the meantime, he allows them to use things for their own needs. He approves that they use things for their need, saying Luc. 10, 7: "Effet und tripket, was sie haben; denn ein Arbeiter ist seines Lohnes wert.
(12) But what do Marcus and Lucas say? In Marcus Cap. 6, 8 it says: "He commanded them that they carry nothing with them on the road, but only a staff and shoes"; and in Lucas Cap. 10, 4: "Greet no one on the road." Answer: Lucas refers to the sense of the words in Matthew, namely, that they seek no one's favor with their magisterium, nor care for any man.
or look upon the same. So he does not forbid the usual public greeting, but the desire and inclination to please people. This he indicates by forbidding to greet others, but not to be greeted by others. For he who is publicly saluted by others must necessarily thank them; but to salute others, namely with such a heart, in order to please men more than God, this is what the Gospel prevents. The summa is this: The apostles should not want to please men. "If I were still pleasing men, I would not be Christ's servant," Gal. 1:10.
(13) In Marcus, the stick and the shoes are commanded par excellence and externally, namely, that they should be satisfied with poverty, as with a stick and shoes. And so, in the same way, the effort for wealth is forbidden. For there is no doubt that Christ often taught the same thing, and also presented it at different times under different images. Therefore it does not dispute that in that place and time it was forbidden to carry a stick, and in this place and time it was commanded, because the intention is different, and yet the opinion is the same. For on both sides he rejects avarice in his servants, in such a way that he will not even allow them a stick for avarice, and again he allows them only a stick against avarice. Thus, the same opinion is taught through different images, as he often does where he teaches to leave father and mother at the same time, and yet rebukes those who, under the pretext of sacrifice and gift, do not honor father and mother, Matth. 15, 4. ff.
14 This simple explanation pleases me best. For the other, which is brought forward from the allegorical sense, namely, that in Marcus he is commanded to carry a stick and shoes, in order to teach power by the stick, and by the shoes to signify being equipped against offences and aversions, serves more to show astuteness than that it would be useful for teaching. For Christ's special purpose here was to teach his disciples to
82 Notes on Matth. 10, 8-13. W. vn, 127-130. 83
He instructs them in integrity, saying that they should not set their hearts on riches, honor and power, nor seek them, and be content with daily necessities, even though they have only a stick, that is, food or sustenance, and shoes, that is, a covering, be it what it may. For to seek riches, honor, and power, that belongs to the world, and to those who cannot take heed to the word of God 2c.
For a worker is worth his food.
(15) At this point it must be noted that, according to divine law, teachers and preachers are to be provided with food and clothing. And those who want to be Christians and yet do not want to contribute anything to the maintenance of the ministers of the Word are hardly sinning today; some, as peasants, noblemen, burghers, 2c. even deprive them of what they are commanded to give by means of endowments. But they will have to give account to the one who says: "A worker is worth his wages"; but those cheat them out of the wages of which they are worth.
16 Secondly, notice that he approves of giving the workers not only food but also wages, namely, so that they can also acquire other necessary things, 2c. because clothing, housing and other things are also necessary.
V. 11: Wherever you go into a city or market, find out if there is anyone there worthy of it, and stay with him until you leave.
(17) Hereby he teaches them that they should not wander and run about. For this is what the false apostles do, and the swarmers, "who creep into the houses, and lead captive the women," as Paul says 2 Tim. 3:6. These are the vagrants, who also seek their profit, as in our times coiner, agitator, 1) Pellio,
- Ludwig Hetzer, an Anabaptist, was executed at Constance. Cf. Walch, old edition, vol. XVII, 2484. - Johann Huth (Hut) was executed at Jnnspruck, idiä. 2484. - Because of Hetzer, compare also Walch, old edition, vol. IX, 1149 f.
Huth and many others have been. For wandering about in and of itself is a sign of an uncertain heart and an unsettled doctrine. Therefore he says that they should choose a certain host with whom they would stay until they left the same city. So he also says Luc. 10, 7: "You shall not go from one house to another." For this is what the wandering and fickle preachers are wont to do.
18 And notice that Christ greatly commends those who entertain the ministers of the Word, because he says, "If he is worthy. As if to say, "It is a great gift, a high honor, if anyone is worthy to receive my servants and to entertain them. For such a one entertains me and my Father, and his house is then truly a heavenly dwelling, in which God dwells with all that he has. How great is this dignity above all kings' honor? And yet the world persecutes the servants of Christ, because it is not worthy of this honor; therefore it becomes a host of all devils, and so it remains for and for.
V. 12, 13: Wherever you enter a house, greet that house. And if that house is worthy, your peace will come to it; but if it is not worthy, your peace will return to you.
19 And against this wickedness of the world he comforteth them, saying, Be not offended at it, and be not angry, when ye shall seldom find such hosts. Do what is your duty, greet them, offer them the grace and peace of the gospel. If you find that they are despisers and ungrateful, do not be weary or slacken your efforts, for you know that they are not worthy. If they were worthy, your peace would be accepted by them with all reverence and gratitude, and they themselves, blessed by your peace, would be blessed; but now, because they are not worthy, your peace will return from them to you. And it will be profitable for you that you have labored in vain with them, for you will thereby have all the more honor with God.
84 , Notes on Matth. 10, 12-16. W. vn, 130-133. 85
- and one must pay attention to the word that he speaks: "your peace will turn to you again", so that we know that we do not work in vain, although our work is in vain with the ungrateful and despisers. "To you," he says, "it will turn again," that is, it will not be in vain that it has been offered to them, but it will serve you for a house of merit and honor.
21 So righteous ministers of the Word never work without benefit when they teach. For they benefit either others who believe, or themselves if others do not believe. It must be called good whoever preaches that God gives people to believe or not. And this passage serves against the swarming spirits who pretend that our word is not true because many will not be corrected, since Christ here confesses that many will not accept the word and will not be worthy of it and will not take hold of peace.
V. 14, 15: And if any man will not receive you, nor hear your words, come out of that house or city, and shake off the dust of your feet. Truly I say to you, the land of Sodom and Gomorrah will fare worse at the last judgment than that city.
(22) This is the terrible threat that follows, that they will leave those who will not accept them and shake the dust off their feet, and that they will be punished worse than Sodom. Therefore, he wants to say, do not become angry, do not desist, do not become vengeful against such ingrates, but rather have mercy on them, and stop the more diligently and teach, because they themselves are already punished, more than you would wish. Just as Paul also teaches 2 Tim. 4, 2. ff.: "Preach the word, stop, whether in season or out of season, punish, urge, exhort with all patience and teaching. For there will be a time when they will not suffer sound doctrine" 2c., just as it goes today. The Spirit says clearly: it is impossible that this ingratitude and contempt of the Word remain unpunished.
- the expression: "Shake off the dust of your feet" means a very great anger, in such a way that God does not even dignify the wicked with this honor, that the dust of the feet hangs on his servants, which nevertheless clings to them without their effort; how much less will he repay them for any other benefit, or a morsel of bread, or a crumb. As if to say, I have offered you the eternal kingdom; but from you I have not received even an hour hanging by the foot, which a single fly could take 2c.
V. 16. Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves.
(24) Now he teaches that they must patiently endure not only ingratitude and contempt, but also persecution. For in comforting them, he tells them beforehand that persecutions were surely ahead of them. "I am sending you like sheep," he says, that is, you are my messengers, you will have to do in the midst of grave wolves. Now you yourselves know what to expect from the wolves. Therefore prepare and strengthen yourselves against the tyranny of the wolves. Oh how bad it is, where sheep preach to the wolves and speak justice to them! Oh of the foolish nobility! Lions, or other very cruel animals, should be sent in the midst of the wolves. But this is done, as Paul says, "so that our faith may stand, not on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God," 1 Cor. 2:5, by which God wants to preserve His sheep even among wolves and the most hostile enemies. And it is to be expressly noted that we, who are in the teaching office, should certainly consider that we teach among wolves, and that our work is nothing else than if a sheep would judge, punish and provoke the wolves to anger, and bring them to the point that they are not wolves. Just as if I, or one of us, would undertake to judge the pope, the cardinals, the bishops and the like of them, and to put them in order. In sum, the wolves will never be good disciples of the sheep.
- Instead of Hitta in the Wittenberg we have assumed with the Jena.
86 Notes on Matth. 10, 16. W. vn, 133-iW. 87
Therefore, in their so very bad situation, he gives them a wonderful counsel 2c. by saying:
Therefore, be wise as serpents, and without falsehood as doves.
25 The first is that we should have prudence like serpents. The other, that our sincerity may be without deceit, like that of the doves. For it is necessary for a preacher of the word in persecution to have these two things about him, namely, that he be careful against the false and deceitful, and yet sincere and openhearted against the good and godly. For the devil and the world seek opportunity against the righteous by miraculous tricks, that they may give themselves the appearance of rightly persecuting them. Therefore one must be prudent so that no opportunity is given to them for a rightful persecution, but that they must always be convicted by their own unrighteousness that they hate Christ without any cause. In this way a serpent guards its head very cunningly and avoids with the greatest diligence everything that could harm it, as it is the most cunning of all animals.
(26) After this, if we have not given offense or opportunity to the wicked, and so have been prudent in evil, it is then required that we also be simple in good, that is, that we forbear for no wrong done, but teach, serve, be willing both to the thankful and to the unthankful, without distinction. Just as a dove, according to her simplicity, puts forth young ones without distinction, whether their own or others'.
27 Therefore this allegory of serpents and doves, according to this clear and distinct understanding, is to be explained in such a way that we should be careful against the wicked, that is, unoffending or blameless, so that they may have no just cause against us, and so we can say with a clear conscience: I have given no cause for these troubles and upsets. Furthermore, we should also be kind to all, so that we can boast: The wicked have no just cause to complain against us; the from
But men and all people have a right to be grateful to us. That is, to be wise against the wicked and their wickedness, and to be sincere against all.
(28) Paul does not speak of this opinion in Romans 16:19, where he commands "that they be wise in what is good, but simple in what is evil. For in this passage Paul is not speaking of being careful of the evil that others want to do to us, but of the evil that we ourselves want to do to others, that is, they should be careful not to harm others, but to do good to all without fail, making no distinction between the worthy and the unworthy. But in this passage Christ speaks of being prudentlyware of the evil that others want to do to us, that is, of not giving them the opportunity. Therefore, the evil there has a completely different meaning, namely here it is spoken of the evil that one suffers and there of that that one does.
(29) This is the very thing that he himself immediately declares this prudence, saying, "But beware of men." That is, beware lest they deceive you by guile, and find a lawful occasion against you, and entice you into the net. For you shall know that they deal only with this, "that they may deliver you up before their council houses." Therefore be like serpents, and take heed to your head, that is, lest you blanch, convicted by your conscience, that you have given occasion or offense.
(30) For our good conscience, or faith, is the head and "our glory before God, namely, the testimony of our conscience, that we have (as Paul says 2 Cor. 1:12) walked in simplicity and godly integrity in the world," when we have given no offense to anyone, but have proved ourselves to be the servants of God, both in doctrine and in life. For the devil and the world strive to make our doctrine a rebellious and heretical one, but to cry out our life as a godless and licentious one. Therefore, we must teach and live wisely in such a way that they cannot punish either doctrine or life for any legitimate reason, but that, if they do
88 Notes on Matth. 10, 16-20. W. vn, 135-I38. 89
If they punish you in a false way, they must be put to shame at the time of the examination, as Peter says: "Have a good conscience, so that those who speak evil of you, as of evildoers, may be put to shame, because they have reviled your good deeds in Christ. 3, 16. And Paul Tit. 2, 7. f.:] "Set thyself at all times as an example of good works, with unadulterated doctrine, with respectability, with wholesome and blameless speech, that the repugnant may be ashamed, and have nothing to say evil of us." Now this is to teach and live "wisely" that there be no guilt in our consciences when the world and the wolves condemn or kill us. Next, "to be without wrong" is to teach and live without regard to both kinds of people, namely the good and the bad, without hope of honor, and without desire for revenge.
But beware of men. For they will deliver you up to their council houses, and scourge you in their synagogues. And they shall bring you before princes and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them, and against the heathen.
(31) This is a strange warning that we should beware of men. What are men? Are they devils? Answer: In this matter, namely the Gospel, one must rely solely on God alone. For "all men are liars," Ps. 116:11, but God alone is true. Therefore, because all men are changeable, the 146th Psalm, v. 3. says: "Do not rely on princes, they are men, they cannot help", because this is what you will have in men: if they are favorable to you today, they will persecute you tomorrow. Nusquam tuta fides, that is, you cannot rely on anyone for sure, speaks even a poet among men. They are wolves, therefore make yourselves out of it and think as if you were alone in the world, like sheep in the midst of wolves. If some also hear you, they will be sheep with us; of the rest, think that they are wolves, and especially those who are men (that is, wise).
For there is an emphasis in the word "men" who are not fools,
as the faithful and simple, but men, that is, who have much human wisdom, who either despise the doctrine of faith or pretend to believe. For these always hate the preachers, especially when they are told the truth, just as Herod hated John. Therefore it will be just these who "will deliver you up before their council houses, and will scourge you, and will bring you before kings and princes". And the more they are men, that is, the more they are wise, just and good before others, the more they will do this. For the righteousness, wisdom and religion of men cannot patiently suffer the righteousness, wisdom and religion of God. Therefore, do not trust them, even if they present themselves as brothers and friends. For there will also be false brothers, false apostles and prophets among you, namely your worst enemies. Therefore, teach only by trusting in God.
The other council how they should answer in court.
V. 19, 20: When therefore they shall deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak. For it is not you who speak, but your Father's Spirit who speaks through you.
Again, this is a prohibition against confidence. As if he wanted to say: Perhaps you will be anxious about what you should answer, and therefore you will be careful in your hearts to speak beforehand, so that you will speak in such and such a way 2c. But do not be anxious about this. First, teach the word which is commanded you, which you have, and which is given you. But then leave off sorrow, how ye shall answer either your accusers or your slanderers. "Then shall be given you a mouth and wisdom, which shall not gainsay, neither resist all your adversaries," Luc. 21:15.
- The reason why he gives this advice is this: because Satan is a thousandfold artist in inventing new slander after slander, so that no preacher
90 Notes on Matth. 10, 19-22. W. vn, 138-141. 91
He is always ready to squeeze new slurs out of every word, and his malice is infinite. For he is always ready to squeeze new accusations out of every word, and his malice is infinite. And so it happens that everything that was thought about beforehand is thwarted, and in the accusation something completely different comes up than we would have provided for. Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be present to catch this Vertumnus and Proteus 1) or at least to keep us safe from his cunning schemes, so that we will not be caught.
In our time we have such examples in many devious and harmful people, who know how to decorate and make honest all their words and deeds, however evil they may be, with extremely apparent arts and beautiful pretenses, and on the other hand to slander the good words and deeds of others by these very tricks, so that not only the listener, but also the defendant himself is almost forced to consider his cause suspicious. Therefore it is quite impossible to foresee their calumnies, and he who seeks to prevent them gives himself vain worry and grief. The Holy Spirit, however, who is with us, will destroy their endless and ever-emerging calumnies; he refutes them and frees us from them.
For this reason, we must remember this passage, what an important office it is to teach against such monsters. That is why we must do everything in trust in Christ and in humility, or else despair of our own strength and cast all care on him, because he himself gives the promise, saying: "It is your Father's Spirit who speaks through you. Therefore we have here a firm comfort that we are assured by this divine promise that our slanderers (even if they can disguise themselves in a thousand different guises, and are still so cunning, and have the greatest appearance) are of no avail, but their foolishness will be revealed to everyone, as Paul speaks [2 Tim.
- Vertumnus, god of change, god of the seasons, which always change. Proteus, a bteergod and shepherd of Neptune's sea calves, could change into all kinds of shapes.
3, 9], because the Spirit of our Father is with us. In this way Christ has always 'overcome the most cunning plots of the Pharisees,. Peter overcame Simon the sorcerer, Paul his false apostles.
V. 21: And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the son; and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to die.
37 There follows the exceedingly great annoyance, which a teacher must also overcome and confidently despise, namely, that in this matter we will also have as enemies those who are in the highest degree our friends, namely, our brothers, fathers, sisters, sons, wives. Dear, how can we hope for peace and friendship where our neighbors, or these our household members, namely, father, mother, brother, son, are our enemies? As Christ soon after v. 36. quotes from the prophet Micah [Cap. 7, 6: "A man's enemies shall be his own household." Therefore the conclusion is correct: If father, mother, brother, son hate one another and help one another to death, how much more will all the others do it! Therefore he speaks:
V.22. And you must be hated by everyone because of my name.
038 For he saith this of all men, that is, of men of every kindred and station, of all with one another, who shall not believe you. For they that believe are members of your body, therefore shall they also be hated with you: and these shall be chosen out of all people, but they are few.
39 And it is to be noted that he says, "For my name's sake." He does not say, "They will hate you for fornication, for death, for theft, and for such evil things, which they will not find in you; but for the highest goods, for the highest virtue, for truth, for righteousness, for eternal life: in sum, "for my name's sake," that is, because you preach and teach about me. I am the cause of your misfortunes and tribulations. If you only deny me, and then also in the
92 Notes on Matth. 10, 22-25. W. vn, in-iis. 93
If you would agree to hate me, you would be holy and extremely praiseworthy people, although you would kill all my saints, although you would rob all goods, although you would curse everyone, even if you would finally crucify me. "If you were of the world, the world would love you; but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you from the world, therefore the world hates you" John 15:19. All those who hate you cannot sin or are without sin; you alone are sinners.
(40) So today with the papists, who rage against us, everything they do, even if it were against their own canons, let alone against God, is nothing; indeed, they make an honor of it. But this is a virtue above all virtues with them, that they hate us, kill us, chase us away, when we are not guilty of it through fornication, death or theft, but because we preach the name of Christ.
41 Therefore this also is for our comfort, and that we may be bold and of good courage, that we may be sure that Christ is the cause of our afflictions, as Paul says: "Our glory is this, that is, the testimony of our conscience, that we have walked in the world in simplicity and godly integrity and truth" 2 Cor. 1:12, that is, that we suffer without cause. For we have done no harm to anyone; indeed, we have benefited everyone; we have received evil for good. For we have been hated for the name of Christ.
But he who perseveres to the end will be saved.
For this reason, he concludes that in the midst of such great afflictions and perpetual tribulations, the heart must be strengthened for perseverance, for at first the teaching of the gospel seems to be pleasing even to the flesh, and many accept it in the hope of gaining honor, riches and favor through it, "who think that godliness is a trade" 1 Tim. 6:5. But when they realize that they receive nothing but hatred, persecutions and tribulations as a reward, they fall away and usually also become enemies. So Christ wants to say: Many who
but few will persevere. For they begin in a carnal way, that is, they seek what is theirs, not what is God's; therefore, if it does not go according to their desire, they become of another mind and do not persevere. Therefore, those who persevere are blessed, for they alone will be blessed. Here we can cite the simile Luc. 8, 6. 7. of the seed that fell on a stony land and was choked among the thorns. For they begin joyfully, but they choke under the thorns. Therefore one says in the proverb: Principium fervet, Medium tepet, Finis abhorret in the beginning heat, in the middle lukewarmness, at the end disgust. This is how it goes in all states.
V. 23 But if they persecute you in one city, flee to another. Truly I say to you, you will not align the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.
43 This is another advice and comfort. If you were to say: But what is to be done if we cannot persevere because they will not tolerate us in their territory? To this he replies, "This will not prevent you from persevering. For I am not speaking of perseverance in one place, but of spiritual perseverance, that is, that you should not lose heart, not cease to preach the word, not run from the ministry, but persevere and teach; if it cannot be in this place, then in another. Only persevere, and do not stop teaching.
- but again you may say, How if we were not allowed in any place, but were cast out everywhere in the whole world, so that we could not persevere? 2c. To this serves for the answer: Do not worry about it; before that will happen, that the word should find no more place, then I will be there with my future. So there will always be a place where you can teach until I come. If you only keep it, you will be saved. "You will not align the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes" 2c.
V. 24. 25. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above the master. It is
94 Notes on Matth. 10, 24-27vW. vn, 14S-146. 95
Enough for the disciple to be like his master, and the servant like his master. If they called the father of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call his household members.
45 To this comfort he adds two parables, one of a disciple and one of a servant, so that if they remembered these two examples, they would be all the more courageous to endure persecution. It must be a shameful wretch who would leave his master lying in the dirt, and meanwhile he would sleep in bed or sit behind the stove. As if he wanted to say: Just remember that I am your master and lord, then your heart will soon say with confidence: If my lord was crucified for me in this matter, what should I, his very lowly servant, not suffer? What wonder should I be that some misfortune should befall me, since so much has affected my Master? The cause for which I suffer is the very best; the example according to which I suffer is incomparable. If I now consider who this master is, and what I am, what he suffers, and what I suffer: then my suffering is already pure delight, yes, to be regarded as nothing at all. O be silent, thou servant and disciple, of thy! Suffering; behold, what suffers your Lord and Master! We must be ashamed of our suffering, if we hold it against his suffering. If, then, the relationship of the Lord to the servant, of the Master to the disciple, is rightly considered, there is in it a great impulse and a great power to comfort and encourage us.
Therefore, teachers and preachers must always have these sayings in their mouths and hearts, as if they were very common sayings, so that when they encounter something for the sake of the word, they are immediately ready to say, "The disciple shall not be above his master, nor the servant above his lord. If I am a servant, why should I be better than my master?
47 By these words Christ makes his servants unconquerable against all evil, arrogant, so that they despise it, rejoice, laugh at the devil, the world, and all misfortune. The reason is this: if one has owed reverence and honor to any saint, it was due [yet before
all] the father of the house himself and the holy of holies, namely Christ. But not only has he not been shown the same, but he has also been called Beelzebub; how much more will they call his household members. If the master of the house is despised, his servants will not count for much. He that reproacheth the prince shall not highly honor his officers. But it will not go unpunished to them. Therefore he decides:
Therefore do not be afraid of them. There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and there is nothing secret that will not be known. What I tell you in darkness, speak in light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
(48) Here begins another consolation, which is that their anger will not last forever, but in its time it will be smelled; and you will not remain unsmelled, just as you will not be without reward. But while they afflict you, and God is silent, they think that all this is hidden from God, and that it has been forgotten. What they do evil, they think, no one will punish it, and so it shall remain forgotten and unsmelled, as that which is hidden shall never come to light. As it is said in the 83rd Psalm, v. 1 ff: "God, do not be so silent, and do not be so still. God, do not pause so. For behold, your enemies rage, and those who attack you lift up their heads." How should God know? The God of Jacob does not know; no, God knows nothing about it, he does not pay attention to our rage. And as Habakkuk Cap. 3, v. 14, it says: "They rejoice as if they were eating the wretched in secret."
(49) Not only do they hope that they will go unpunished, but they consider the cover and the concealment to be so great that they think they are doing God a service. How surely they boast under this cover that they call the church and we heretics. They still do well when they kill you; you suffer justly who are killed. So they boast in secret; but a day will come when this cover will be taken away and it will be shown that under the cover of righteousness they have committed terrible abominations.
96 Notes on Matth. 10, 26-28. W. vn, 14K-149. 97
are. This is it that he says, "There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and there is nothing secret that will not be known." As if he wanted to say, "Let them adorn and adorn themselves, let them boast that they serve God and are called Ecclesia; let them blaspheme you; I will well uncover the adornment in time, so that all the world will see them. As Paul also says, "Her foolishness will be revealed to everyone" 2 Tim. 3:9. When he says, "It will be revealed," he is indicating that it has been hidden for a while and is still hidden. So today the abominations of the pope, which were worshipped in secret for piety, will now be revealed as abominations of the devil.
50 But you shall do the opposite. They hide their abominable things, and cover them up with an outward appearance; but ye teach publicly, even that which is hidden in the inmost parts, that ye make no deceit, as they do, that ye may show yourselves also outwardly before men, as ye are inwardly before me; so that, when all things shall be revealed, ye shall be found to be true inwardly and outwardly, even as they shall be found to have been liars everywhere, both before me, and before the world. This is what he says: "What you hear from me in darkness, speak in light"; that is: Do not be misled to teach publicly what you have heard in secret, like those who act hypocritically in the outward teaching of what they hear inwardly from their teacher, Satan; therefore they will be compelled to adorn their inward lies outwardly with the appearance of truth, of worship, of the church. But in vain. For the lie is finally revealed. They know that their inward lies are not valid by heart, if they are not covered with these words and covers, as, truth, church, righteousness 2c. Therefore, they hide their lies under these titles. But you do not need such deception of the hypocrites, if you are outwardly as you are inwardly, that is, if you teach, with Paul 2 Cor. 1, 12, as before God, and in Christ, with a clear conscience, and have nothing else in your heart than you say in your words.
V. 28. And do not fear those who kill the body and do not like the soul, but rather fear him who may destroy both body and soul in hell.
The last consolation is against death. Here he commands us to despise our death-slayers with arrogant faith in God, and thereby makes the raging and violence of the world very bad and low; he mocks, as it were, their raging, and says: "Dear, what can those who kill you do? 2c. Certainly, they can kill the body, which would have to die without it. But this is a very great power, to kill that which should die but is already dead. Who would be afraid of such death-blowers, who cannot take away life, but can only hasten death, and that only the death of the part that dies anyway? Therefore, do not be afraid of them, because they cannot kill the soul.
This passage is full of consolation and worthy of note, namely, that Christ here evidently confesses that his faithful live and cannot be killed for eternity, even if they are killed according to the body. Your soul, he says, lives; yes, you live even when your body is killed. For, saith he, "they cannot kill the soul." But now the soul is the life of the body. What then can they that kill you? They can separate the soul, that is, the life, from the body, but they cannot kill it completely. They may want to or not, the soul lives and cannot be killed. Just as when the emperor punishes a subject with civil death (as in Ovid), that is, when he sends him to misery, so it is not the person who is killed according to his essence, but the body, that is, according to civil intercourse, that is, he is separated from his home, from his wife, from his children, from his friends, 2c. The house is dead to him, not the subject himself; the house is abandoned, but he himself lives. Thus Paul says: he desires to live apart from the body and to be with the Lord Phil. 1, 23. 2 Cor. 5, 8., that is, he wants to be dead according to the body and live with Christ according to the soul.
98 Notes on Matth. 10, 28. 29. W. vii, 149-1S2. 99
(53) But how it is with this life, when the body is killed, can be believed, but not understood. And it should not be understood either. It is enough that we know we are alive, even if the body is dead. But how we are to live, we do not know now. For "this life is hidden in God" Col. 3:3, just as Abel lived, although he was killed, and accused Cain, who was still alive. So Abraham lives, who nevertheless died, Matth. 22, 32. for "GOtt is not a GOtt of the dead, but of the living." For to Him all things live. Therefore, even though we are killed, yet we live unto him. Since this is so, what are we afraid of death, we who cannot die, but are necessarily immortal? And our death-strikers can do nothing but separate our soul, that is, our life, from its home, namely from the body, and drive it out of this world, as from a dungeon, to its place, where it lives in God forever. Therefore you should be proud and strike a cliff at those who kill you, who threaten more than they can do, namely death; since they cannot do death, and cannot take life, but can only transfer life to another house. Here one can cite the examples and speeches of the saints who ridiculed death, such as Vincentius. St. Agatha, Athanasia, Lucia. For St. Vincent mocked his murderers, saying that death and crosses were only a joke and a game to Christians; and when he walked on the burning coals, he boasted that he was walking on roses. When St. Agatha went to prison and torture, she said she was going to a feast and wedding. And so did many others.
- Among this comfort he also mixes a threat, admitting something to them, saying: "Even if one had to fear and avoid those who kill the body, what good is this fear? Yes, should it not harm? In the first place, it makes of the larva of death a true death, and by killing the body it brings with it the killing of the soul; and thus makes of death, which lasts but a moment and is
is a pretended death, the eternal and true death. Therefore I advise you to turn your eyes away from the tyrant who kills you and look at the one who can kill both for eternity. If you look at him, the one who killed you in appearance and for a moment will be nothing in your eyes. Thus said Saint Polycarpus to his tormentors. This fire (with which he was browned) goes out, but the future fire will not be extinguished 2c. Therefore, since you have righteous cause and a gracious God, and your life shall certainly be eternal, be strong and despise everything, lest, denying your cause, you incur God's wrath and eternal death. For what can your murderers help you if you insult God to please them, since they can grant neither you nor themselves a single moment of life, but every moment the life of both your body and your souls is in God's hands alone, as is the life of those? Why then would you make an enemy of Him who can make you alive and kill you for eternity, for the sake of those who can only kill you for a moment and not make you alive for a moment? Thus we read of one who, along with forty other martyrs, endured the torture, but at last fell away and denied the Christian religion, that soon after the denial he gave up the ghost.
- Along with this consolation against death, there is another consolation against the annoyance that Christians die and are killed in such a miserable way, as if God did not care so much for anything as for his confessors, because he allows them not only to be killed, but also to die in disgrace, so that their murderers rejoice, have good fortune, and mock them. He meets this annoyance by saying:
V. 29. Do you not buy two sparrows for a penny? nor does one of them fall to the earth without your father.
(56) As if to say, It seems that you are very much like the sparrows who are born to it and are given up to it,
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They are killed and sacrificed (as it is also said in the 44th Psalm, v. 23: "We are esteemed like sheep for slaughter"), they are killed miserably. So you also are slaughtered quite miserably, and you are quite like them. But behold, if it were not for the will of God your Father, not a single sparrow could be caught by all men, much less killed. But because it is God's will that gives the sparrows away, therefore they are caught 2c. If then God also counts all sparrows and takes care of them so that, where he himself does not want, not even a single one would be caught, how much more does he count you and also certainly take care of you, not only as men, but also as my servants and believers. And he does not let anything bad happen to any of you without his exact foreknowledge and without his will, although it seems as if he does not know about you and does not care about you. Certainly, since he does not disregard a completely unworthy sparrow, he will much less neglect one of you.
V. 30 But now all the hairs of your head are numbered.
(57) Yes, I say even more: Not only are you numbered with Him and He takes care of you, but also all your limbs, all your fingers, all the members of them, finally even the nails, yes, even the hairs on your head (which are the least of your body and a completely dead part of it) are all numbered. And there is not a single one of them that God is not concerned about or does not know about.
(58) In truth, this is a glorious consolation, which is made exceedingly great and important to us, that not only the body and the soul with all parts and members, but also all hairs are numbered in such a way that the devil and the world cannot take even one hair from us without the will of our Father. Thus we say in German: Not to harm a single hair.
- O what is this unspeakable care of such a father? O what a wretched and impotent devil is this, who does not have power and authority over even a single hair on the body of the faithful! O how cursed is our unbelief, we who have such, so
rich, so glorious promises of God. How could fear, sorrow, sadness, even in the midst of hell, find a place where this is believed? That is, to be arrogant with Paul, and to say, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Rom. 8, 31. Thus the fearful sheep had to be encouraged and made stout-hearted, who were sent in the midst of the wolves. So the weak sinners had to be made proud, who should destroy the kingdom of the devil and the world, tread death, sin, and all evil under their feet and overcome it, and bring eternal life 2c.
Since it is certain that we suffer everything with the full knowledge and will of our Father, we must grasp this fatherly will with a joyful and glad heart, and set this glorious fatherly care of God against all ills and sufferings, however small they may be, yes, devour all tribulations, and drown them like a spark in this sea of God's infinite love and care for us, and speak of them with derision.
V. 31. Therefore do not be afraid; you are better than many sparrows.
(61) But he seems to say little in that he praises his saints no more than that they are better than many sparrows; as if even one godless man were not much better than all the sparrows in the world. But, one must understand this word of Christ figuratively, as less is said, and something greater is implied. As if it were said: Rather, St. Peter is as good as a sparrow; item, the emperor has as much a penny as you poor beggar, by which figure it is indicated that the comparison made does not correspond to the matter at all. As if, because it does not rhyme, that a sparrow should be esteemed equal to men, Christ says, O dear, you will be better to me than a sparrow, even many sparrows. As if to say, There is no comparison between you and the whole world; how much more is this true when you are compared with sparrows. So the image in this word must be judged by the heart of the one who speaks, and not by the books.
102Notes on Matth. 10, 31-33. W. vn. iss-is8. 103
The word "sparrow" is a word that means "sparrow" and the thing that it means. But Christ indicates that he cares for them most of all, since the sparrows, so useless, would not be caught without him taking care of them.
V. 32. Therefore, whoever confesses me before men, I will confess him before my heavenly Father.
62 This is another consolation, which is taken from the very glorious and praiseworthy reward. Behold, saith he, ye do a little work, that ye should confess me before men, and be my preachers before a few, and in the corner, and before little creatures that are on the earth: but I will be your confessor and preacher in heaven, and will boast of you before my Father and the angels. But how much more glorious it is to be confessed and praised by Christ in heaven before His Father and the angels, than to be preached by us sinners on earth before men.
(63) Now consider every word, and go on to say what a great difference there is between Christ who praises and confesses us, and us who preach Christ; and what a difference there is between the place where this preaching takes place, that is, between heaven and earth, and what a difference there is between the hearers, that is, between God and the angels (who hear Christ preaching from us) and the wretched people who listen to us when we preach about Christ. Accordingly, Christ preaches from us in glory; but Christ is preached from us poor worms in your place of shame. Who, then, can exalt or understand this glory and comfort of Christ's servants gloriously enough? Who should not bear a fervent desire and wish with joy not only to confess Christ, but also to die over the confession of Christ? These words, which Christ speaks here to strengthen His own, are quite priceless. Knowing our weakness and the greatness of the persecution in the world that we suffer from the flesh and from the devil, he opposes this plague with all his majesty, and boasts that he himself wants to preach about us, that his
heavenly Father and the angels his listeners that heaven would be the church or the place where this sermon should take place.
V. 33. But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my heavenly Father.
Again, what can be said against those who deny Christ in this world that is more frightening than this? They deny the Lord of glory in a corner, before few men; but he denies them before his heavenly Father, and before the angels in the exceeding wide heaven? How unlike the earthly deniers is the denial, the denier, the place of denial, and those who listen to the one who denies! Our denial does no harm to Christ whom we deny, the hearers of our denial help us nothing, the place of denial passes away. But his denial plunges us into eternal ruin and makes the heavenly Father, the angels, heaven, all the saints and all creatures hostile to us. As Paul says 2 Tim. 2:12, 13, "If we deny, he will also deny us: if we believe not, he abideth faithful." What then do we gain by denying Christ for the sake of men, that is, by making Christ our accuser, since if we confess Him we can have Him as our spokesman?
However, these words must be understood as a punishment and not misused for presumption or despair. For Christ does not mean that if anyone denies him, he cannot be helped again in eternity; but this is his opinion: that if anyone persists in denial, he will also deny him continually; but if anyone turns back from denial to confession, he will also turn back to confession, and vice versa. Just as St. Peter and many other holy martyrs returned from denying Christ to confessing him. Only we should not persist in denial. Just as many turn back from the confession to the denial, which we also do in our lines to
104 Notes on Matth. 10, 33. 34. W. vn, iss-iso. 105
many examples. And in the 18th Psalm, v. 26, it says: "With the saints you are holy, and with the perverse you are perverse."
V. 34. Do not think that I have come to send peace on earth. I have not come to send peace, but the sword.
Now follows a warning against the soft and tender martyrs who seek honor, riches, favor, peace and tranquility of the flesh and the world from the gospel. Just as nowadays most of them touch the gospel because it is soft. Namely, they seek the freedom of the flesh and want it to be good for them, but they do not want to do good and suffer evil. Therefore Christ here rejects this carnal freedom, and teaches that from within, before God, we have peace, honor, riches; but from without, in the world, the sword, that is, persecution and war 2c. As if he wanted to say, "Prepare your hearts for this and expect nothing more certain than this: as soon as you have begun to teach the gospel in one place, war will immediately arise against you, and the sword will make itself known. Just as David also says in the 120th Psalm, v. 7: "I keep peace; but when I speak, they look upon war." And in the 119th Psalm, v. 161. "The princes persecute me without a cause, and my heart is afraid of thy words." And in the 116th Psalm, v. 10. "I believe, therefore I speak; but I am greatly afflicted," that is, I must suffer much 2c.
67 And here it is to be noted that the words of Christ are very stirring, since he speaks that he has come to send the sword. Who would tolerate such a preacher? But Christ speaks of the sword passively, not actively, that is, he does not give us the right of the sword to kill others with it; just as Mahomet snatched the sword to himself and gave it to his own; just as the pope himself snatched it to himself, and wants to appear as if he had given it to the emperor. Christ does not want it to be understood in this way, but that it should be suffered. "He sends the sword," namely, against us, not for us; so that we ourselves must suffer the sword. But by "sword" he understands all kinds of persecution.
68 But you may say: You are nevertheless rebels, because you arouse the princes to the sword against you; you nevertheless cause disturbances in the kingdoms and nations, and disturb the peace by the gospel, which, if mau were silent about the gospel, would remain well; but now, because you attack the religions, the services of the gods, the righteousness of the works, and make the hearts of all men restless by new doctrine 2c.., you are in fact and truth disturbers of the peace. Just as Apost. 16, 20 of Paul and Silas: "These men make our city to err"; and of Paul Apost. 24, 5. 1): "We have found this man harmful, and the sedition arouses all the Jews on the whole face of the earth"; and as Ahab said to Elijah, "Are you the one who confuses Israel?" 1 Kings 18:17 The answer to this is, "This is what Christ wants, this is what He commands to be done, and we boast that it is done through us, and in this way Christ sends the sword. Thus Paul boasts that he proved himself to be a servant of God in riots, 2 Cor. 6:5, not which he himself had stirred up, but which he had endured when they had been stirred up by others for the sake of the Gospel. In this way Christ was crucified as a rebel, he was accused as one who would have troubled many people from Galilee to Jerusalem. But by whose fault is this sedition stirred up? Not through our guilt, nor through the guilt of the word, but of the world, of the flesh and of the devil, who do not want to hear the word of peace, life and salvation, but take up the sword and try to eradicate it with it. But it cannot be eradicated because it is the word of the eternal God. And because those cannot rest, a tumult inevitably arises, namely between those who persecute and kill and those who tolerate it and die over it. Thus, St. Stephen caused a serious uproar among the Jews, since he did not do anything evil, but only
- In Latin, these two passages are combined: "Those who confound the whole earth have also come here."
106 Notes on Matth. 10, 34-36. W. vn, iso-ies. 107
He did good and spoke what they could not tolerate Acts 7:54.
69 Christ therefore strengthens us against this clamor and senseless noise of foolish men who pretend: Peace is disturbed, the world is agitated, men are misled in heart and mind, religion falls upon the Hansen, worship is destroyed, lawful obedience is abolished; and, as they say, "What good has come from the gospel? before it was all better. Truly, these are very grave calumnies, and a very vexatious cry. But Christ commands us to confidently despise and laugh at such things, and to say, "You complain that the world is stirred up by our gospel. The answer to this is: "Thank God for that! This I have desired; and, O woe is me, if such were not done! For if it were received in peace, it would not be the true gospel, because Christ says: "He sends the sword" by sending the gospel.
(70) The word "sword" is also used here in a figurative or metaphorical sense, namely, that the sword signifies separation, because, as will follow shortly, Christ separates father and son, mother and daughter, by his word; just as the sword, according to its literal meaning, separates, so the word of Christ separates spiritually. This opinion is beautiful, however, it ultimately boils down to one thing. For when hearts are divided, there cometh the sword, that is, persecution, as he said above v. 21., "that the children shall deliver up the parents unto death." Hence the sword, if taken in the figurative sense, is a cause of the bodily sword, which is aroused against the gospel by its separation. As he also soon after says, "A man's enemies are his own household." For when hearts are inflamed with hatred, it is no other thing than that they are filled with death-smiting, which they set to work wherever they can; as John saith 1 Epist. 3:15., "He that hateth his brother is a death-slayer."
- Both senses of this word can be distinguished from each other in our German language, namely by the article "das".
and "a". For if one says: "the sword", then in German a physical certain sword is understood. But if one says: "a sword", then a sword is implied, the meaning of which, however, is uncertain and not yet determined, just as if it were without an article. However, the latter meaning, according to Christ's intention, is the actual one, although it brings the former along as a necessary consequence. For he also speaks elsewhere by a similar figure Luc. 12, 49: "I am come to kindle a fire upon the earth," that is, discord. And Lucas in this place expressly puts "discord" instead of the sword, saying v. 51., "Think ye that I am come to bring peace on earth? I say, no, but discord." So what Matthew calls "a sword" in the figurative sense, Lucas calls "discord" without figure. Just as, on the contrary, when Lucas writes in the 11th chapter, v. 20, that Christ casts out devils by the fingers of God, in the figurative sense, so Matthew pronounces this, cap. 12, 18, without figure, that he casts out devils by the Spirit of God. However, the former understanding is not to be rejected, because it is very comforting against the terrifying clamor of senseless and frenzied men, who attribute their frenzy to the Gospel; as we have said above 69]. And especially because Christ says that he has this sword in his hand, and that the devil can do nothing against us unless Christ himself sends and orders it, so that we may be sure that we will not be tempted according to the hatred of men and the rage of the devil, but according to the good and gracious will of God.
For I am come to provoke a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the cord against her inlaws. And man's enemies will be his own household.
But this is a wonderful separation, which not only seems to be rebellious, as I have already said 67. 68], but also blasphemous and ungodly, because it is against the fourth commandment of God. For in such a way the teaching of Christ must seem vexatious,
108 Notes on Matth. 10, 35-37. W. vn, E-ivs. 109
both against God and against men, that it is a curse and an abomination to the world, as the 22nd Psalm, v. 7, says: "A mockery of men, and contempt of the people." So now God commands: The son shall obey the father, the daughter the mother, the daughter-in-law the sister-in-law, the members of the household the master of the house. On the other hand, Christ says: "The son shall obey your father, the daughter your mother, the daughter your in-law, the members of your household your master. Does not this mean to dissolve the obedience of the children and the obedience of the members of the household, and consequently to dissolve the household and the secular government, not to mention religion? But he refers, without naming him, to the prophet Micah, who, in the 7th chapter, v. 6, speaks thus: "The son despises the father, the daughter sets herself against the mother, and the cord is against the in-law, and a man's enemies are his own household."
The answer to this is that the first tablet is above the second, and God is above the creatures. Therefore, if the case arises that either God or the creatures must be denied, then the creatures, rather than God, must be denied. Since the commandments of the second tablet apply to the creatures, the latter must give way, and one must let it go, if it is in conflict with the first tablet. This must be noted against our present devils (diabolos), who cry out: one must listen to the church and the authorities, above and against the holy scriptures and the word of God; as all papists cry out today. This is a frightening frenzy, that one prefers the second table to the first, and a man or creature to the Creator, and teaches: one must listen to the church, even if it obviously commands something against the word of God 2c. But it remains with the saying Apost. 5, 29.: "One must obey God more than men", and as Christ speaks here: "I will stir up the son against the father", that is, I want that one prefers me also to the obedience of the parents, and the commandments of all kings 2c.
V. 37: He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Here the emphasis lies on the word "more", because he does not abolish the power of the parents, but confirms it; namely, parents should be loved and honored, but not more than me. If it concerns the matter of the divine word, the parents must be put inferior. Except in this case, however, parents must be honored without fail.
This is an objectionable doctrine, first of all, because children in and of themselves despise their parents and hate them; how much more will they, under the pretext of this doctrine, hate their parents still more, and say: I am obliged to love Christ more than the parents. Just as under the papacy this trouble gave rise to so many monasteries, since the children, against the will of their parents, ran into the monasteries as if they were going to Christ.
But this is the most important thing, that Christ makes himself equal to God with these words, because he says: one must obey the parents for his sake; but this honor belongs to God alone, that 1) he is preferred to the parents. For he alone, who commanded that one should obey one's parents, can cancel this obedience. Consequently, Christ here shows himself to be God, which was frightening for the Jews to hear. For the prophets did not speak in this way, nor did they presume to prefer themselves to parents or authorities, but they preached that God must be preferred to all things; but of themselves they boasted that they were his servants. So did the apostles, especially Paul, who says 2 Cor. 4:5, "He preaches Jesus Christ, not himself. All these words indicate that this crucified man is true God. This is an offense above all offense among the Jews and all Gentiles. It still goes through, and must remain so forever, that for his sake, as for the sake of the true God, everything must be put aside, and he must be raised above everything, as the true God. Thus his infinite majesty makes itself known to the faithful in few words. The godless pass over it with deaf ears. Now follow seven sentences
- Instead of st in the Wittenberg we have adopted nt with the Jena.
110 Notes on Matth. 10, 37. 38. W. VII. IM-I6S. 111
of the divine majesty of Christ just mentioned.
- He subdues the children, that they should not love their parents more than him. And this is rightly the first, because this glory is the highest in the world, that one speaks: The fathers, the forefathers, the authorities, the church, so, so they believed, so they lived; and they were certainly no fools. Especially the children of the Jews have boasted of this, who were strengthened in this opinion by the law of Moses. Therefore also the 45th Psalm, v. 11. 12. prophesies: "Listen, daughter, look at it, and incline your ears; forget your people, and your father's house. Then shall the king delight in thy beauty: for he is thy Lord, and thou shalt worship him." Now this very great reason of proof, that it is not lawful to depart from the commandments of the forefathers, from the statutes of the church, from the custom of the countries, and among the Jews, from the law of Moses: this reason of proof, I say, holds men alike as bound with an iron and demented chain 2c. But Christ dissolves it with powerful and emphatic words, saying: "However great the power of parents may be, I must have the preference, not only according to the outward show of honor, but also according to the inmost and highest affection of the heart, namely in love, that is, I should and must be preferred to everything.
Look at the words that are full of majesty, when he says: "He is not worthy of me"; as if it were something great that one should not be worthy of this most wretched man, who was crucified and blasphemed in the whole world? yes, who should not wish to be far, far away from this so wretched man? So much is lacking that someone should consider it a great thing that he is worthy of this man. He should rather have reversed the saying and said: Blessed am I, if I were worth one man. For who should have a desire for me, who am a beggar, a crucified, a rebel, a damned? Who has need of me? Or, rather, what need have I not of an exceedingly wretched man? I must
rather seek people of whom I am worthy, and keep silent about those who are to be worthy of me. But, as I have said, he indicates herewith that he is the majesty of which all are in need, and those would be blessed who would be worthy of him, however miserable he is and appears without majesty. He thinks much of himself that he esteems it so dear who should be worthy of him. As if he wanted to say, "No one is worth more to me than he who prefers me to all that he is worth and that is worth more to him," the cross must become the highest treasure, which is the worst thing in the sight of the world. Just as Paul says: "It pleased God to make blessed those who believe in it through foolish preaching. To the wise the cross of Christ is foolishness, but to us it is divine power and wisdom" 1 Cor. 1:21, 23, 24.
And whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
- He subjugates the parents so that they should not love the children more than him, for the very reasons that I have mentioned above 73. ff. in the case of the children. For he wants to be what he is, that is, a Lord over parents and children, and wants to rule over the fourth commandment and over the whole second table, as the true God, as he is equal to God in the first table, as he is glorious and must be honored above all.
V. 38. And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
- He also submits to Himself every man in every state, saying: "Even you, though you are neither father nor son, or in any office, I will have you under Me, that you may hate yourself in regard to Me, and for Me submit yourself to death and all misfortune; that is, that you may bear the cross, and follow Me, that even your life and your body may be at the service of Me, as your God, and be put inferior.
This saying extends very far against all works saints who imagine they are something with their merits, like the monks and many heretics. For here he speaks
112Notes on Matth. 10, 38-40. W. vn. u>9-in. HZ
of all, none excepted: no one is worthy of him, unless he denies himself and is nothing in his eyes, and who alone can boast of this, not that he has done many and great things, but that he was worthy to suffer, be crucified, and die for his sake.
Truly, nothing of glory remains here, except this one glory of dishonor, that is, that we can boast of nothing because of our virtues, but only of the cross, that is, of the destruction and annihilation of our person, which we assume for His sake. There may be works, there may be merits, there may be glory, but this should and must be the sole and thorough glory, that for Christ's sake one perishes, perishes, is despised, trampled under foot, laughed at, hissed out, and becomes nothing at all; just as he himself became nothing for us, and gave us an example. Here it must be repeated again, "He is worthy of me," namely, that it is such a great dignity to be worthy of the cross, that is, of all evil for Christ's sake.
V. 39. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
- Because the cross is very hard, and the flesh cannot bear it, that it should become nothing, therefore he puts here in the fourth saying, besides threats, at the same time also a promise. As if he wanted to say: I know that what I teach is hard for the flesh, but you should also know this: Whoever does not want to do it, it will happen to him that, while he wants to preserve his life, he will lose it just by this; if he is afraid of the cross and denies me, just by this he is already eternally dead, because he leaves me who am the life. Here Christ again boasts of himself as a God for whose sake they live, and that those who do not worship him, the crucified, shall die. Therefore he speaks quite beautifully: "Whoever finds his life", that is, who is happy as he himself wants and seeks it, but despises or denies me, he has already been lost for a long time.
But he that perisheth for my sake shall prosper, as he himself will and seeketh. There is faith involved, that is certainly true; the flesh does not understand it, nor will it desire it.
V. 40. He who receives you receives me; and he who receives me receives also him who sent me.
- This is a wonderful comfort, that he awakens us to faith through this unheard-of and glorious honor, namely, that we should be sure that when we hear the word of God full of the apostles and servants of Christ and receive it, it is just as much as when we hear and receive Christ, yes, "Himself (he says) who sent me". This honor Paul extols everywhere. In Gal. 4:14 he says, "As an angel of God ye receive me, yea, as Christ JEsum"; and 1 Thess. 2:13, "When ye receive from us the word of divine preaching, ye receive it, not as the word of men, but (as it is truly) as the word of God."
Therefore, this honor of the word must be magnified as much as possible according to the art of speaking, namely, that when one hears the Gospel in church or reads it in the book, it is just as much as when we hear God Himself in heaven among the angels. And even if it were no longer of any use, it would still be something great to hear God Himself and the voice of God with one's ears. For what can be higher than to hear God speak? This glory and honor cannot be expressed in any words. But the world despises this majesty of Him who speaks and of His word, hears and wonders about human things. Therefore, God leaves them again, because they are disgusted to hear Him speak, and He gives them to hear fables and lies. But it is a gift. It does not want to be anything else, because: "Blessed is the one who hears God's word and keeps it" Luc. 11, 28.
(86) Again, it is an honor and comfort for us who preach the word of God to be certain that we are God's instrument, that our tongue is God's tongue, and that our voice is God's voice. For then can-
114 Notes on Matth. 10, 40. 41. W. vn, 171-174. 115
With great confidence we can despise the scorners of the word and say to the scoffers, "You are not scoffing at me, the Teacher, but at yourself; you are not scorning me, a man, but the Holy Spirit; you are not scorning my word but God's; what is it to me? Then you watch. So he says to Samuel, "They have not rejected you, but me, that I should not be king over them" 1 Sam. 8:7, and Peter to Ananias, "You have not lied to men, but to God" Acts 5:4. We, on the other hand, can comfort the brethren in the most certain way, saying, "It is not I who speak to you, but Christ through me; my word is not my word, but Christ's word: accept then the comfort through me, not as mine, but as your God's comfort, who created you, who sustains you, and who has redeemed you. Fear not; he himself saith, He that receiveth you receiveth me; he that heareth you heareth me." Summa Summarum, this is a priceless glory of our conscience against all contempt in the world, that Christ even makes His preachers gods and like Him, saying, "He that receiveth you receiveth Me and My Father." Now may we be despised or honored, it is not we who are despised but GOD who is honored in us. For if it is so in the world that a servant or messenger may boast of his contempt as a contempt of his Lord with all high pride, how much more shall we boast with all high pride that not we, nor our word, but our Lord, and our GOD's word has been despised.
V. 41: Whoever receives a prophet in a prophet's name will receive a prophet's reward. 1)
- It is a Hebrew expression: "He will receive the reward of a prophet", that is, he will be like a prophet, as he is like Christ who preaches Christ's word. And he who hears a preacher hears Christ, so that the difference is not in the
- Luther's marginal gloss: He shall have it as good as the prophet.
Hearing exists because the word is the same and one, which Christ Himself and His servants teach.
With this word Christ wants to comfort all who hear and teach the word. As if he wanted to say: Some might say, "Yes, if I heard Christ myself, I would easily believe. To these he answers: "He who hears you," that is, you apostles, "hears me. For a Jew could say: Yes, if I heard God himself. To this Christ answers, "He who receives me receives GOD." So now also, thirdly, one might say, O, if I were worthy to hear an apostle, I would easily believe. To this he answers, Hear a prophet, that is, an interpreter of the Divine Word, that is, a teacher, a bishop, a shepherd of souls, who is in the public office of the Word (for "prophet" is a name of a public person, and a disciple of the apostles in the Church), and one who is truly an apostle: then you have heard me and GOD, yes, you will be like the prophet whom you have heard.
- here a distinction can be made among the ranks in the church, of which we read in 1 Cor. 12, 28: "God has placed in the church, first, the apostles, second, the prophets, third, the teachers, then the miracle workers, then the gifts of healing, helpers, governors, various languages." For all received from the apostles, these from Christ, Christ from God. After that from the prophets, that is, from those who teach the Scriptures, come other shepherds and teachers, as now are the chaplains, the preachers, the lecturers 2c.
Whoever receives a righteous man in a righteous man's name will receive a righteous man's reward.
- This is the same saying, "He who receives a righteous man in a righteous man's name," that is, if you also hear a common Christian when he teaches, admonishes, punishes, comforts, you are righteous and like him, hearing in his person the prophets, the apostles, myself, and the Father 2c.
- according to these seven sayings, which in such a way proceed from the hearing of the Word.
116 Notes on Matth. 10, 4U 42. w. vn, 174-177. 117
The word "receive" must be made clear that it refers not only to the word but also to the works, because we receive the servants of Christ not only by hearing them but also by loving them; indeed, everyone who receives them in truth by hearing them also receives them by loving them. And he who despises them when he hears them, despises them also by refusing to perform the services of love; as experience clearly proves by all examples. That is why he makes this conclusion:
V. 42. And whosoever shall water one of these little ones with a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, it shall not go unrewarded unto him.
In these words, too, there is a great power of speech, by which he incites all men to receive the servants of the word, and shows what a great honor it is to receive them. For he gives the smallest service of love that can be given, namely "a cup of cold water". Furthermore he says: If this service of love would be performed, not in the name of Christ, nor of an apostle, nor of a prophet, but in the name of one who is the least of all, namely "in the name of a disciple". Finally he also says: if such a service of love would not even be done to Christ himself, but "to one of the very least among his own"; so that this service of love cannot be made less by any art of speech. And yet he says, "Verily such a cup of cold water shall not go unrewarded." What do you think one will have to hope for, if one serves, clothes, feeds, not disciples, but apostles and Christ Himself? Christ considers it such a great thing when the least and most despised of His own are honored, so that we may understand from this that all this is done to Christ Himself, whether it is something great or little, which is done either to the great or to the little of His own.
- through the contrast one can
He also understands that he will not let even the smallest deed and word, which are directed against the least of his own, go unpunished, if one even neglects to give them a drink of cold water or to speak a word to comfort them. Therefore (says Augustine) no evil will go unpunished and no good unrewarded. Everything is directed so that we may be exhorted to reverence for the Word and its ministers, and on the other hand be admonished from their contempt and disrespect and ingratitude.
(94) But it is to be noted that the words, "In the name of a disciple," are meant here in truth, that is, that he who gives the water believes that he is a disciple of Christ; and that he gives it to him for that reason, because he is a disciple, however small; that is, when good is done to a Christian, provided he is a Christian. Otherwise, if they are pagan good deeds, and they are done in another name, it does not matter, as the friends of the world honor themselves among themselves, and persecute Christ and his followers most fiercely, or love one another under the false name of Christ, as the heretics do. For Christ speaks of true disciples and of the true name. By this he implies that his true disciples would be meager and lacking, in such a way that they would sometimes need cold water, that is, some very little service of love, and yet would not find it in the world. But blessed is he with whom they find it. Just as we see that the world does not grant us the morsel of bread we must have, but would much rather deprive us of the same. Therefore, those who grant even this cup of cold water to true Christians are rare. Although they boast that they would do infinite good if the godly were in need of it, it is all deception and false, because they do not believe that those are godly who are, but they consider only those to be godly whom they themselves want and love.
118 Notes on Matth. 11, 4-10. W. vn, i77-isi. 119
The eleventh chapter.
V.1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished such a commandment unto his twelve disciples, that he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
The eleventh chapter contains an example of those who despise the gospel, therefore he shows throughout the whole chapter that he is furiously angry with them, in order to make clear by the matter itself the opposite of the previous chapter, that is, how those who do not hear his servants are to be punished. It has two parts. In the first part he is angry with those who despised John the Baptist. In the second part he is angry with those who despised him. At the end he consoles himself in this anger, and says: Oh Lord God the Father, it is right after all, they are not worth it 2c.
Before he Matthew speaks of this, he says in the beginning that after he had given these commandments to his disciples, he again began his work and his ministry, and preached in the cities, so that he was always busy not only with words but also with works, alternately working and resting. For it was another thing that he gave commandments to his disciples at home and especially, and that he labored publicly with teaching and reading in their synagogues and cities.
V. 2-10 Now when John heard the works of Christ in prison, he sent two of his disciples, saying, Art thou he that should come, or shall we wait for another? Jesus answered and said unto them: Go and tell John again what you see and hear. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who does not take offense at me. As they went, Jesus began to say to the people of John, "Why did you go out into the wilderness to see? Did you want to see a reed that
the wind weaves to and fro? Or what did you go out to see? Did you want to see a man in soft clothes? Behold, they that wear soft garments are in the houses of kings. Or what did you go out to see? Did you want to see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, he also is more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my angel before thee, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
(2) Accordingly, the first thing dealt with here is the contempt of John. As for the first part, where Christ answers the disciples of John, this has been sufficiently dealt with in the postilion; likewise also the other part. Only that we note this, that Christ here shows his displeasure when he says: "Why did you go out into the wilderness to see? As if he wanted to say: You have a preacher there; but how you hold him, that can be seen: you go out to hear him. Yes, if he would speak as you would have him, he would be a fine preacher. If he were a reed, that is, of unstable doctrine, as your heart is, you would believe him. If he were a flatterer and a foxtailer, and as it were softly clothed, he would please you. If he taught that Christ had not yet come but would come in the future, and if he denied me and said that I, who am such a lowly man, am not Christ, then he would be heard by you. Because he does not do this, you turn up your noses at him and say, "Who is he? Does he teach nothing else but this? But I tell you, he is not such a one; but "he is the angel sent before me". How this is treated more extensively in the postilions.
3 And herewith he indicates three kinds of preachers: Of the first kind are those who are moved by every wind, as Paul says to the Ephesians, Cap. 4, 14: "So that we may no longer weigh and sway.
120 Notes on Matth. II, 2-II. W. vn, i8i-i84 121
Let every wind of doctrine"; and Sirach, Cap. 5, 11: "Be not persuaded by every wind, and follow not vainly every way, as the fickle hearts do." These are those whose ears are always itching for something new 2 Tim. 4:3, who have a disgust for what has once been taught, and who accept everything and anything. Just as under the papacy we accepted the teachings of all dreamers (because they were only new). And now, after the Gospel, the Sacramentarians, the Anabaptists and others have risen. For the world is a sea (as Isaiah says Cap. 57, 20.), which cannot be still, but always roars and is moved by the waves, which always rise and fall; as can be seen in the waters that are moved by the wind. The earth, however, and a rock, stands unconquerably and immovably firm against these crashing waves, which fall back into themselves again.
(4) The other kind is those who preach for favor and to please people. These stand long enough, and last as long as favor and pleasure last. Such people are the Jews in their statutes of men, and the papists in their doctrines. They persist stubbornly, not because what they teach is true, but because it pleases the kings and great men of the world. These do not do it out of an inward unsteadiness of heart and a tickle, like the first ones, but they are bound by the outward vanity of gain and profit and honor. And these are the ones "who wear soft garments in the houses of kings.
The third kind are those who earnestly desire to be pious, and who, like those of the second kind, are consistent enough; but they do not look to favor or gain, and are not moved to and fro, as the former, but in good conscience (as it appears) they desire to be justified by works. These are actually the works saints who, apart from Christ, want to be saved by their merits, of which many have been and still are, as it says in Rom. 10:2, 3: "They strive for God, but with ignorance. For they do not know the righteousness that is before God, and seek to establish their own righteousness, and so are ignorant of the righteousness that is before God.
before God, not subject." These are the ones who only want to recognize John as a prophet, but not as an angel who goes before Christ, that is, they do not want to be referred to Christ, but want to be the way to the Father through themselves 2c.
V. 11. Verily I say unto you, Among all that are born of women there shall not come forth one greater than John the Baptist.
For this reason Christ preaches in the third part against all three kinds of people, but especially against the third kind 2c. First, he exalts the ministry of John, that is, the gospel; second, he exalts its fruit, and those who hear the word. First, he says, you should know, especially you of the third kind who want to be justified by the law, that this John surpasses all who were before him; he is also above Moses and all the prophets. Therefore, it is nothing that you defy your ancestors, or the prophets, or Moses. Here, here, I say, you have the one who is greater than all those, that is, he preaches something greater than all those. Therefore, you should give way to him, and leave to him all the glory of all the previous teachers, and listen to what he teaches. He teaches about the present Lord, who now walks among you. Therefore, if the Lord is present, all his former servants must rightly depart. In sum, John must be listened to because he points to Christ, and this pointing is preferable to all the teachings of the fathers, prophets, Mosis, patriarchs and all the saints until eternity; for he teaches from Christ the Lord, not from Moses the servant.
(7) Therefore, those who declare this word of Christ, "Among all those born of women, there is none greater than John the Baptist," about the holiness and worthiness of his person (as has been done so far), can be tolerated, but they have only grasped the shells, not the core. Christ speaks of the official and public worthiness of John, which is incomparably greater than the worthiness of his person.
122 Notes on Matth. 11, 11. 12. W. vn, I84-IS7. 123
ner person. That therefore the mind is this, Among all that are born of women there hath not arisen that is greater, that is, there hath not been a more excellent preacher that hath spoken of so great and of so present things. For he does not say, "There is no greater born of women;" but, "Among all those born of women, there has not arisen one greater." The emphasis is in the verb "arise," not in the noun "those born" (natos). But "to come up" means to arise to office and public status. So no one among all men has administered a greater and more important office than John. Thus one finds everywhere in the holy scriptures that these words: to arise, to come up, to stand, to sit, mean as much as to be in public office. As when it is said Matth. 24, 11., "False prophets will arise." John 1:26, "He has stood in the midst of you." Matth. 23, 2.: "They sit on Mosi's chair" 2c. Luc. 7, 16.: "A great prophet has arisen among us." So also here, when it is said, "John was the greatest of all that arose," that is, he preached the greatest things among all, namely, that Christ was present 2c.
But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
But here Christ excludes himself and prefers himself to John, saying: "He who is least in the kingdom of heaven", 2c. This is a paraphrase, as if he wanted to say: But I am greater than he. He speaks, as I said, cheerfully, therefore he uses images in his speech, and calls himself the least in the kingdom of heaven, since he could have said par excellence: But I am greater than he.
(9) But on this passage we should 1) preach anew, how Christ is the least of all, because in his life he served all who were least by deed, being a servant of the lepers, the blind, the lame, the poor, the dead, the damned. But even more he served in his life with suffering, that is, on the cross.
- Instead po8tu1at in the Wittenberg we have adopted with the Jena postnlst.
He was the servant of all, in that he bore the sin, the wrath and the death of all men, as he says: "I did not come to be served, but to serve" Matth. 20, 28. This servitude, especially of his suffering life, no saint has rendered; therefore he alone is the least of all, and the greatest of all; Eph. 4:9. "He is gone down into the lowest parts of the earth." But of this, as I have said, shall be spoken in his place.
V. 12. But from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and those who do violence snatch it away.
10 Secondly, he exalts the fruit of the word. And in these two passages Christ is joyful and lovely, looking on the glory of the preaching ministry that is about him and the fruit of the believers. Afterwards he becomes angry against the unbelievers 2c. But the fruit of the word is that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence from the days of John, and those who do violence snatch it away. He says that the gospel is not preached in vain; there are those who hear it, and hear it in such a way that they cannot be torn away from it by any force: they would rather leave life than deny it. These are the ones who break in by force and penetrate as if they wanted to break the door: they want to be saved; their conscience drives them to sigh anxiously for the forgiveness of sins. There are a great number of them. Thus the word "the kingdom of heaven suffers violence" is nothing else than that people love the word fiercely and prefer it to all goods of body and life.
(11) The simile is taken from warfare (for faith is warfare). For those who want to maintain a possession or a city, they absolutely need force, risk life and limb on it, and leave everything above it. So these also risk life and limb on God's word; that is, to do violence to God's kingdom and to take it by force. For Christ speaks with such words, which are taken from war and from soldiers when they are in the field, but in a spiritual way. Thus calls
124 Notes on Matth. I I, 12-16. W. vn, in-wo. 125
According to St. Paul 2 Tim. 2, 3 all Christians are good fighters of Jesus Christ, and the Scriptures call God a Lord of hosts.
V. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
(12) Then he also adds this fruit, that from the days of John the law is finished, and the prophecies are fulfilled (2c). And here Christ speaks great things, and presumes a great deal, namely, that until John, his angel, Moses and the prophets and the whole kingdom and priesthood had been valid; but now they must depart altogether, and make way for the Son, who is a Lord over Moses and the prophets, and now only John must be heard, and it would be in vain if one were to refer to the law and the prophets and oppose them. For here the Lord himself is present, whom John showed with his fingers; everything becomes new.
(13) And this is the grievance of the Jews to this day (against which Paul also contends everywhere), because they will not forsake the law and the prophets, and defy the divine prestige of the law and the prophets. But there is no use for that; it is over, John has come, the Lord himself is here; the law, the service, place, temple, persons, generations, people and everything has come to an end. For until John, the prophecy of all these, their kingdom, their priesthood, was valid. Now another kingdom, worship, temple, priesthood, people, race is at the door.
14 And with these words Christ secretly answers the secret question, how John is greater than all those born of women. How is he greater than Moses, than the prophets, than the kings, than the priests, than the temple, than the holy place, and than all things? He answers: Indeed he is greater than all these; so that they must yield to him altogether, and hear him, or perish. For until now their kingdom and worship has been, John begins another.
V.14. 15. And if you will accept it, he is Elijah who is to be the future. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
(15) Hereby he answers another secret question, namely: before the law and the prophets shall cease, Elijah shall come, as Malachi says Mal. 4:5. So if they are to cease now 2c., where is the promised Elijah? He answers, "He is the Elias who is to be future" (that is, of whom it is prophesied). But because you imagine that he will come differently, you err by waiting for the personal Elijah, since Malachi does not speak of Elijah the Thisbite, but vaguely, of a certain prophet Elijah, who can be different in person from that Elijah the Thisbite, and yet a true Elijah and prophet. Therefore he says, "If you will accept it," that is, if you will give ear and be instructed, and let go of your opinion: He is the same Elijah. But just as you do not recognize me for the Lord, neither do you recognize him for my Elijah. In the meantime, the Scripture is being fulfilled, while you do not believe and know nothing about it, and wait for another Elijah and Messiah, who will never come. Therefore I say to you, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." As if he wanted to say: The time is now fulfilled, Elijah is here, also the Lord himself is present; therefore hear Elijah, and seize the Lord whom he preaches. And with these words he thus makes an end, resigns, and gives a letter of renunciation to Moses, the prophets, and the whole old worldly regime, which was tolerated until the coming Christ. Now that he has come, let them all take hold of him and leave their people and their father's house, Ps 45:11.
V. 16: To whom shall I compare this generation? It is like the little children who sit in the marketplace and call out to their companions.
(16) Here he gradually became angry with the unbelievers and his despisers, as if to say: "Although the time of grace and the day of salvation has come, and all the glorious promises of the prophets are now being fulfilled, yet my people are so foolish and blinded that they do not see how great things are happening, because they not only do not recognize me, their Lord, but they also do not recognize me in the most arrogant and certain way.
126 Notes on Matth. 11, 16-19. W. vn, 190-192 127
as a fool, because they are far wiser than wisdom itself. And these words are full of images of biting mockery, and indicate a great anger that cannot be expressed by simple words. Just as when Ulan says: You are a pious one, it sounds harsher than if you said: You are a mischievous one. Likewise: You are a rightist, that sounds stronger than if you say: You are a wrongist. Because such figures express the very highest degree. As: You are a right man, that is, you are an exceedingly cunning rogue, so that if one holds all the other rogues against you, one does them an injustice by calling them rogues, so even you surpass them all. Therefore he says, "To whom shall I compare this generation?" As if he wanted to say: The wickedness and the perverse nature of this evil and adulterous generation is so great that it cannot be expressed in any words or depicted by any likeness. Finally, he needs a certain children's game for the simile, since the playmates speak to each other:
V. 17. We whistled to you, and you would not dance; we mourned to you, and you would not weep.
(17) What kind of game this was, we do not know. In our country there is almost a similar one, by which they mock each other, and say to the grumpy playmates: "O game-breaker, sow-stealer! he buys a little spur for an egg, and rides it in two on a sow"; by which it is implied that the other part spoils and stops the game by its grumpy nature, which the others wanted to continue with pleasure. In this way, perhaps, those who disturbed the game by their grumpiness also mocked their companions, saying, "We whistled to you, and you would not dance; we lamented to you, and you would not weep." As if to say, "If we ask, it is of no avail; if we are angry, you ask nothing. Oh, you are hostile game-breakers, you are good for nothing.
(18) So also these ungodly men are not skilled in this divine play, that is, in the gospel, and, as much as there is in them, they completely abolish it, so that they do not focus either on the gospel or on the gospel itself.
this way or that way. The way you do it is wrong. For example: If we teach that one must fast in the strictest way, and live miraculously, quite differently from other people, then they say: O, beware of these! all heretics lead a strict life, so that they may deceive others; the devil lies hidden under this hypocrisy. That is it that he speaks:
V. 18. 19. John came, not eating and not drinking; so they say, He has the devil. The Son of man is come, eating and drinking; so they say, Behold, how is man a glutton, a winebibber, the fellow of publicans and sinners. And wisdom must be justified by her children.
19 John has the devil, that is, he is a hypocrite, teaching heresy under a good pretense. On the other hand, if we do not fast, but live according to common custom like others, they say, "Behold, what carnal men and sinners these are; there is no difference between them and others. And so it comes to pass: You may live as you please, but the devil must possess you. If you live strictly like John, you are a hypocrite and a secret servant of the devil. If you live ordinarily with Christ, you are a manifest servant of the devil.
(20) Is not this a hateful sort of people, who can like nothing but what they themselves choose? and yet they themselves constantly choose. For if John had changed his severe way of life and lived as meanly as Christ, they would also have said, "Behold, this man is a glutton and a drunkard; what good can he teach? On the other hand, if Christ had changed his mean way of life and lived as strictly as John, they would have said: O this is a hypocrite of the devil, beware of his teaching. Thus the wicked never lack cause to condemn the word of God. For you may live and do as you please, they always have something to reprove, lest they be forced to acknowledge the word (against which they have a hatred). This is in truth the word in Isaiah Cap. 6, 10: "harden the heart of this people, and let their ears be thick, and blind them.
128 Notes on Matth. II, 18-7-24. w. vn, 192-195. 129
their eyes, that they see not with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts, and be converted and recovered." They should and must take offense at everything God does and says.
(21) A perfect example of this is given by the papists, who deal with us in the same way; since they cannot condemn the doctrine, they touch our lives. In the beginning, they accused us of being hypocrites of the devil, since we lived in a celibate and austere state; now that we live according to the common way, they cry out against us as carnal people. But if we taught nothing, they would be satisfied if we were strict hermits like St. Anthony, or whoremongers like the bishops and canons. But now, because we teach, they could not tolerate us if we were also people like Antonius; and if we were also Abraham and Jacob, they would not leave us undamned. It is all about the word; because they cannot suffer nor reprove it, they hang on to our life, which they can turn as they please, according to their poisonous heart.
(22) Therefore, again, we must go through freely. Since nothing pleases them, neither our whistling nor our complaining, let us freely do what pleases God and our conscience suffers, and again not look at them. If they will not dance nor weep, let them sit still and laugh. Let us whistle and lament where and when we can; let us eat and fast when we should; let us mourn and be glad when we can. Let them go to the devil. What good is it if we mourn and grieve to death for their sake? They want neither our joy nor our mourning; so we say: Dear world, put on a robe and hang it on your neck; if you do not want to follow, stay behind. For your sake I will not stay here. As you wish, little bird; if you do not want to eat, die. Now he makes a comforting remark:
And wisdom must be justified by her children.
- that is: nothing else will come of it, God must be the disciple, the world wants to be the master, it knows how to speak and do everything better than God Himself; as God speaks and does, so does the world.
it is not right. The poets express this in common life thus: The sow teaches Minerva. For the authorities must also suffer many masters, as it is said: He who clenches on the road 1) has many masters; and as we say in domestic life of children with wise noses: The egg teaches the chicken.
24 Therefore it is a comfort to us to know that it is no wonder that our things are considered foolish in the eyes of the world, but there is also a terrifying threat in the words that fools judge wisdom.
V.20-24 Then he began to rebuke the cities in which most of his deeds had been done, and yet they had not improved. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If such deeds had been done in Tyro and Sidon as were done in you, they would have repented before time in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, Tyro and Sidon will be more miserable than you at the last judgment. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be cast down to hell. For if the deeds that were done in you had been done in Sodom, they would still be there today. But I say unto you, That it shall be worse for the land of Sodom at the last judgment, than for thee.
(25) Herewith he poureth out his wrath, and breaketh the bottom of the barrel, against the ungrateful despisers, and wise judges against the gospel. But behold his wrath, that he should so describe his cities, his people, his flesh and blood, that they should be far, far worse than the idolatrous heathen and most wicked people. And this saying is also very well to be remembered and feared, namely, that with God those are worse than all the heathen who hear the word of God and do not respect it. Secondly, that there is nothing more frightening than to have the word of God and yet to neglect it. Third, how much more grievous do you think are those who, in addition, prevent, blaspheme, and persecute it? 2c. For it is seen here that Sodom (which was most irredeemably corrupted as an example) was not so much hated by God as
- The Wittenberger has incorrectly used eolts instead of "all.
130Notes to Matth. I I, 20-26. W. vn, iss-isg. 131
Capernaum, which was the place that Christ had chosen for His dwelling. That is how highly the divine word is respected in the eyes of God. But just as Capernaum then laughed at these threats, so today the world laughs at them, because it wants to perish in the most terrible way.
26 But this passage also comforts us. For if this happened to the Lord himself, that he was most despised where he taught the most and did the most miracles, what wonder is it that the same thing happens to us, that we have to experience the ingratitude of those whom we have served the most and whom we have taught the most diligently. The word of Christ must be fulfilled: "The servant is not above his master" Matth. 10, 24. It is indeed painful that the ingratitude of the world is so great, which we would have liked to help with our ministry, but we must experience this together with Christ, who freely confesses here that he has done much for these cities, and especially that he has raised his Capernaum to heaven, that is, he has made it very famous; but he threatens him with hell.
(27) Now that he has ceased to rebuke the unbelievers, he turns to the godly and lovers of the word, and again becomes joyful, for although they were lost, yet the word is not preached in vain. There are still some (he says) who have a delight in the word. And in view of these he rejoiced in spirit (as Lucas says, Cap. 10, 21.) and praised his Father, saying:
I praise you, Father and Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes. Yes, Father, for it has been pleasing in your sight.
28 As if to say: Away with these sad spectacles of divine wrath, and away with those who will not hear and believe; why should I torment myself in vain with their wickedness? Rather, I am joyful in you, O Father, who do not even honor these hopeful ones and those who are wise in their eyes, even to your truth. I praise
You do not want those who do not want you and want to know everything better, and you do not respect them and let them go in their wisdom, nor do you approve or admire their actions and wisdom, but you despise them again and choose the foolish and simple in their place, so that you may reveal it to them. For these love thy word and accept it. "Yes, Father, it has been pleasing in your sight," that is, it is pleasing in your sight to reject those who are trustworthy in their righteousness and wisdom, and again to choose those who are fools in their sins and foolishness. Yes, Father, you are truly a righteous God, who hates the trustworthy and secure, and loves the lowly and wretched. This may be called a God. This is not what other gods or men do, but only before you is this judgment valid.
By this example we also shall be strengthened and comforted, namely, that our doctrine is pleasing to God, although so great and so many people reject it, and it is accepted only among the wretched and despised. This was also foretold by Isaiah, that Christ should convert "the yeasts of Israel" (Is. 49, 6. according to the Vulgate). But the yeasts are the rest, when all the wine is lost. So it is said that when the greatest and best part is lost, the remnants and those that mean nothing are preserved. Thus, in the time of Eli, only seven thousand were preserved 1 Kings 19:18. And 1 Cor. 1, 26. f. the apostle says: "Consider, brethren, your calling; not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but what is foolish in the sight of the world, that God hath chosen" 2c. And under the apostles perished among the Jewish people all that was great, namely the priests, the princes, the wise 2c. Only the yeasts were preserved.
30 It is the same today. The whole world walks along in proud contempt; only we beggars cling to Christ. But our glory is that we know that it is thus pleasing in the sight of God. And there is no doubt that Christ, here all the examples in front of
132 "Notes on.Matth. 11, 25. 26. W. vri, 193-201. 133
I have seen the times when God preserved only the remnants and let all the others perish, as in the Flood, in the fall of Sodom, in the Babylonian captivity.
(31) Christ must be understood here as some common preacher who is angry at the multitude and greatness of those who despise the word, and finally consoles himself with the small number of believers and with the certainty of the word and of divine favor. For the speeches of his divinity follow immediately.
(32) I do not remember what I used to say about the wise and the prudent; but in my ordinary thoughts I do not understand the "wise" and "prudent" to mean only those who are wise and prudent in matters of state and in the household; just as in the household those are "wise" who know how to govern a house beautifully and to keep everything in good order. But "wise" are those who are prudent, and who take heed of everything, who give sharp and prudent attention to what is for the benefit and harm of their well-established household. A wise householder is one who arranges and sends his food well. A prudent man is one who knows how to guard against harm and evil tricks. And it is almost the same difference that Ovid indicates when he speaks:
Non minor est virtus quaerere, quam parta tueri.
That is, it is as great a virtue to keep that which is acquired in good counsel as to acquire it. A wise man is one who knows how to acquire something; but this is not enough if he is not careful and prudent, and has diligent care and attention how to preserve and maintain what he has acquired against those who seek to rob him of it, to deceive him about it, to pursue him, and to corrupt him by all sorts of intrigues.
This, methinks, is the meaning of the Hebrew words Binah and Chochmah, that is, diligence, attentiveness or care. For many know how to acquire money and goods happily and wisely enough, but afterwards everything is lost through security, carelessness, negligence, that is, through carelessness,
or it is destroyed by the deceit and cunning of others, and by the envy of neighbors and the disloyalty of householders. In sum, wisdom is required to acquire goods, and prudence is required to prevent misfortune. Not all have both. Many have wisdom without prudence; many have prudence without wisdom, but few have both. So also many rule wisely in the worldly government, but they are not careful against the persecutions and enemies. Thus it happens that they lose everything through their imprudence, which they have acquired with great wisdom. Christ is not talking about these two things here.
In the church, "wisdom" is to grasp the knowledge of the faith and the teachings of Christ in the right way. But "understanding" is to beware of the persecutions of Satan, of heretics, and of all deceitfulness that is brought forward under the name of the Word. Here many are deceived by certainty and simplicity. On the other hand, the heretics have much understanding, though they lack true wisdom. For they know how to protect false religion bravely and most cunningly, and to guard against that which is against it. And they are indeed wiser than the children of light Luc. 16, 8, that is, they take more care of their own than the godly, who, if they are only sure of the truth, do not take such great care.
(35) Christ speaks primarily against these, who want to be wise and judge in matters of religion, because they have the law and human reason for themselves, which is exceedingly clever and raises itself against true religion both by teaching and by judging. Therefore, Christ here boasts that God is right to hide His secrets from these wise and prudent people, because they themselves want to be above God, not below Him. Not that he hides it in fact or will, since he commands to preach it publicly under the whole heaven and in all countries, but that he has chosen such a preaching, from which the wise and prudent have an abhorrence by nature, and which is hidden from them by their own guilt, because they do not want to have it, as it is written in Is. 6, 9.
134 Notes on Matth. 11, 25-27. W. vn, 201-M. 135
means, "Behold, and perceive not." Behold, they see, that is, they have the doctrine which has been manifestly and publicly preached, and yet they see not, because they turn away from it, and will not have it. Thus they hide the truth from themselves through their own blindness. On the other hand, he reveals it to the ignorant, because the ignorant accept it when it is revealed to them; and the truth is revealed to them because they want and desire it. That is enough of these two words. Now follows a haughty glory of Christ from his divinity.
V. 27: All things have been given to me by my Father. And no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it.
(36) He who says "all things" takes nothing away; therefore he is true God. This agrees with the eighth Psalm, v. 7: "You have put everything under his feet." Again, when he says, "They are delivered unto me of my Father," he indicates that he is truly man who received it from the Father. For neither does God hand over anything to a mere man, nor does a mere God accept it from anyone. For neither a mere man can be above all, nor a mere GOtt can be below GOtt. Thus, in this one person, true God and man come together. After that he withdraws into the interior of the Godhead, saying:
No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it.
This is the only passage in which Matthew speaks in the manner of John: "No one has ever seen God; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared it to us," John 1:18. And it must be known that the words "knowing" and "seeing" are not to be taken in a philosophical but in a theological sense, that is, that not only the Father knows the Son, and the Son knows the Father in essence, or what God is; of this knowledge the philosophers and sophists dispute, and obtain
They never, but what the Father wills in divine things and what is mine; that is, it is to be understood from the counsel and will of the Father and the Son. For so it is also among men. What is the use of knowing the body of a man if one does not know his mind and spirit or will? For this does not even mean to know man, but to know what a man thinks and wants is to know him truly. So it is also with God; if one knows his counsel and will, that is truly knowing God. But now Christ says that it is unknown to all what God is in this way, except that it is known only to Him, the Son; and no one knows what the Son is except the Father. This is what is said: The counsel and will of God, that he would save the world through the Son, who came in the flesh and suffered, and that through faith in him all might be in grace with God, and that the Son is of the same mind with the Father in this respect in the Godhead, this is the mystery that is hidden from the wise and prudent.
(38) And indeed, he says, it is so hidden that it is impossible to know it unless the Son reveals it. That is, all must become disciples to the service of my word, and receive the Spirit from me, after hearing and under the hearing of the word; neither law, nor righteousness, nor wisdom, nor whatever it may be, will avail anything; I am it, and apart from me all is nothing. Therefore, either one must hear me, who reveals it; or it is done for all men, as far as eternal bliss is concerned.
(39) And the word "will", when he says, "To whom the Son wills to reveal it", is not meant to indicate envy or difficulty, as if he will not reveal it gladly and with unwillingness, but it indicates an exuberant kindness, by which he announces that it is all in his power and that he alone has the will to reveal it. It shall be he who will gladly do it. The others also want to teach it, but they cannot, because they are not the person who can have the will to teach; they are rather thieves and murderers Joh. 10, 8.
136 Notes on Matth. 1 r, 27. 28. W. vn, 204-S07. 137
The following text clearly shows that this is his will. If someone, moved by the word: "If he wants", wants to say: "Yes, who knows if he wants? I can hear that he can if he wants to, but I doubt whether he also wants to; perhaps he is hard in this and does not want it; to this he answers: Yes, I want to reveal it to him extremely gladly, because this is my will that I reveal it. Just as I alone can reveal it, so I alone will reveal it; look around for no one else. Yes, I want it so much that I call you, who do not want it, of my own free will, call, order, insist, ask and try it in all ways, so that you want to hear me, who reveal it to you. "Come here, come here to me, all of you," I say, not doubting my will; I am very inclined and willing to reveal it to you.
The other opinion, of the inner revelation, according to which he reveals it to the one to whom he has wanted to reveal it from eternity, is also true; but it is not in the place here. For here he makes his office common to all, but does not dispute the eternal revelation. At the same time, however, he indicates to whom this revelation actually belongs and who are capable of it, by making a distinction among the disciples. For although he preaches publicly to all and reveals his gospel, not all grasp the word and do not pay attention to it, because they are secure and put their trust in themselves and their own righteousness, in their wisdom, in their works, in their fame, in their riches, and in men, but it is the weary and the burdened, the miserable and the oppressed. As he said above Matth. 5, 3. 4., "Blessed are the poor in spirit and those who mourn." Likewise Cap. 11, 5., "To the poor the gospel is preached." And behold the glorious will by which he makes us confident to go to him, saying:
V. 28. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
(42) Let no one tremble or fear to come to me; let him come to me confidently and joyfully. I will not drive him back, I will not reject him, I will not harm him.
I do not want to increase his pain. O a great and rich mercy of him who calls poor sinners so sweetly to himself. Who would now despair? He would have to be an enemy to himself, and exclude himself from the word "all. For he who calls all excludes none. That is, to comfort the afflicted sinners. So let us approach the mercy seat with joy, that we may receive mercy and find grace in time of need, Heb. 4:16.
There is an emphasis, as on all words, but especially on this one: "To me. As if he wanted to say: Why do you run elsewhere? Why do you seek your merits? Why do you care for the intercessions of others? "To me, to me," he says, "come; without me you run in vain; without me you seek and do all in vain. So it is said in Hosea Cap. 13:9, "Israel, thou bringest thyself to trouble; for thy salvation is with me alone." And the whole 55th chapter of Isaiah belongs to this, where he says: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the water, and you who have no money, come, buy and eat, come, and buy without money and for nothing, both wine and milk.
You who are weary and burdened, I will give you rest.
- Although these two words, "you who labor and are burdened," could be understood of the tribulations, they actually refer to the conscience, which, apart from Christ, is laboring, that is, in many ways worrying and torturing itself under the law and its tyranny. For it feels burdened with sins, with the wrath of God, and with death. It would like to shake this burden from itself, but it cannot. Therefore it suffers misery, it is miserably worried and tormented. For the works cannot give it peace, nor can they take its burden from it. And finally it would be forced to despair if it did not go to Christ, who does both: he takes away the burden, that is, he remits the sin, and eases the trouble, that is, makes happy and secure. And thus he restores, or gives him rest, that he may not feel the sin; or, if
138 Notes on Matth. 11, 28. 29. W. vn, 207-210. 139
it feels them, despises them in Christ. He is not afraid of the law; or, if he is afraid, he overcomes it through Christ, who is our rest, victory, peace, salvation, joy against sin, against the law, against death, against the flesh, against the world, against the devil 2c.
- and it is to be noted that they are words of majesty when he speaks, "to me, I will refresh you." For no angel, let alone a man, would dare to promise this, because he indicates that he has power over sin, death, the law, justice, life and blessedness. But God alone is able to do this, that he can set the weary and the burdened free and comfort them.
(46) And this is the revelation which he said would be hidden from the wise and prudent, but known to the Father and the Son alone, and through the Son alone would it be revealed in a powerful way to the wretched.
(47) After this revelation of grace, or deliverance from sins and death, which is grasped by faith, and when so grasped, justifies, there now follows an exhortation to bear the outward cross. For in this way Christ, through the gospel, transforms eternal damnation into a temporal suffering, and at the same time he also makes this light by this consolation, saying:
V. 29. Take my yoke upon you.
(48) As if to say, I take your yoke upon me and deliver you from it, and you in turn take my yoke upon you. For the change is pleasant enough, that you bear a moderate and temporal yoke, while I, on the other hand, bear your eternal yoke, and at the same time not only deliver you from this eternal yoke, but also make this temporal yoke easy and sweet for you, partly by my example, partly by the inward comfort of the Holy Spirit, and by the encouragement of the word from without. Therefore I exhort you that you do not also complain to suffer a little for my sake, and bear the hatred of the devil and of the world, and the burdens of your flesh, which are against me.
the Spirit; behold how much I suffer and bear for you.
49 Hereby he indicates that the cross is on the necks of those who want to be refreshed by Christ, that is, those who believe in him. For the devil must necessarily hate them. Therefore he makes them strong for patience by his mighty example and his sweet words, as follows. He points them to his example by saying:
Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart.
(50) These, then, are two different things: Christ bearing our sins, and him being our example. There we do nothing, but receive from him, but here we do and suffer such things as he has done. There he restores the weary, here he commands us to bear his yoke 2c. But he says, "Learn." Yes, indeed, learn. He will remain the master, and no disciple will learn from the master, nor will he be like him. And he speaks very beautifully, "From me." For in the other examples of the saints there are many dangerous things, also many errors and mistakes. Therefore, it is best and safest to imagine this pure and certain example. If you follow Anthony, Jerome, Gregory, you may err and often follow a fault instead of a virtue; as, in their miraculous fasts and labors. Here is no error, no danger.
(51) Above all, this must be written in large letters, and it must be made clear that Christ does not say, "Let me teach you to fast and watch (as the miraculous saints insist); nor does he say, "Let me teach you to walk on water and to perform other miracles that are proper to my person," but rather to learn these common things, namely, to be meek and humble according to my example. These virtues belong to the second table, are low and mean, and therefore despised and without appearance; whereas the miraculous works of the monks shine. But you learn these virtues, which are despised by others, even if you are not familiar with the wondrous, strange works of holiness of those monks.
140 Notes on Matth. 11, 29. W. vn, 210-212, 141
shine; they are glorious in the sight of God. Be satisfied with this.
Both meekness and humility are necessary if we are to bear the yoke of Christ. Meekness" serves against impatience and revenge, so that we do not attack the persecutors nor wish them ill, but pray for them, as Christ teaches Matth. 5, 5: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
(53) And this fruit, that is, true meekness toward the enemy, no one can bring forth but a Christian. For the patience of the heathen (like that of Regulus and others) was a bad fiction, either because they could not avenge themselves, or because they wanted to have the appearance and glory before others that they were patient. The hatred against the enemies has always remained; nature cannot do otherwise. Christ alone and his own are truly meek, that is, those who have no vengeance against their enemies, but desire their salvation from the heart; indeed, it grieves them that they should perish. And that they give them a rebuke or punish them, they do out of love, as a father punishes his son. Therefore, learn, learn, learn to be gentle, and you will have done infinite works, each of which surpasses the miraculous works and rules of all monks. For there is no one more cruel, impatient and vengeful than the hypocrites and false saints; and they are even serpents, which of all animals are the most vengeful. Therefore Christ also calls the Pharisees serpents and vipers. They are equally ready, yes, furious, to judge others, but to justify themselves. Therefore it must necessarily follow that they like to take revenge,
(54) Here Christ makes a distinction between humility, saying that one is from the heart and the other is not from the heart. But if the construction be taken thus, "For I am meek and lowly in heart," it may be applied to both. For just as humility can be fictitious, so also meekness can be fictitious, as I have already said of the patience of Regulus, the Romans, the Greeks, and the monks. However, he puts the word "from the heart"
actually to humility. For he saw in his church the hypocrites (whom he hated very much), who distinguish themselves by no appearance of virtue so much as by the appearance of humility. And the world is also deceived by nothing else so much as by fictitious humility. A gray skirt, a tight rope, barefoot shoes, hanging one's head, humble words, stooping, bowing, looking sour, being special, that does the trick. Drinking and being humble from the heart does not do it. And yet among these larvae the most hopeful hope rages, as the examples of all times confirm,
55] Therefore, just as gentleness is a Christian virtue, according to which we remain kind and benevolent toward our enemies, so humility is that Christian virtue according to which we remain kind toward our brethren (who are weak, sinners, wretched), even inferior to them, always considering that we must be the servants of those who are inferior to us, and that therefore we must not lord it over them because we possess more gifts or virtues. And all this must be from the heart. For thus Christ, though he was Lord over all, and had incomparably more virtues than his apostles, yet became their servant, as he saith, "The Son of man is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister" Matt. 20:28. Likewise Matt. 11:11, "He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." And Paul 1 Cor. 9:19, "I have made myself a servant to everyone." Likewise Christ: "I am among you as a servant" [Luc. 22, 27.).
(56) If the popes and ministers of the church were such people, there would be no unrest or strife, either from within or without. For if you are gentle with your enemies, you will not cause trouble, but will have mercy on them. And so all tumult, all war, all envy, all wrath will cease, and all will be at peace, as much as is in us. If you will be "humble in heart" (that is, truly) toward the brethren and households, no one will despise another, no one will judge, no one will strive to be higher, but all will be lower and servants among and toward one another.
142 Notes on Matth. 11, 29. 30. W. vn. 212-ns. 143
and each will always want to be more unworthy and inferior to the other. But if one deceives in this way, what else can there be but peace, quietness, joy and comfort among one another? This is what he says:
This is how you will find rest for your souls.
(57) As if to say, all seek peace and tranquility, but some seek it by revenge, by oppression, by corrupting their enemies; others seek honor, want to rule, and thereby despise others beside them and are arrogant. Both ways are a way to unrest, and these "do not know the way of peace," as Paul says Rom. 3:17. This is not the way; it must be called gentleness and humility of heart.
V. 30. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
This is a prophetic word and well known because the prophets often used it. For they call their visions or sermons "burden", as, a burden of the word of the Lord. What is a burden? In truth, the law itself is an unbearable burden, as Peter says Apost. 15:10, because the law demanded things that nature could not fulfill, and so it increased sin; then it condemned it, and so it threatened death. Therefore the law is called a ministry of sin and death 2 Cor. 3:7, 9. But the yoke of Christ is an encouragement to take up the cross, that the old man may be put to death. But the cross is easy when the burden of the law is taken away, that is, sin and death. For if you believe that you are righteous and alive before God, that you are a child and heir of heaven, you will soon say with proud confidence, "If God is for me, who can be against me?" 1 Cor. 15, 55.: "Death, where is thy sting? Hell, where is thy victory?" where is thy glory? "For who is," saith Peter 1 Epist. 3, 13., "that can hurt you, if ye follow that which is good?" What harm can there be if God is good and gentle? Look at the martyrs, how they laugh at the punishments! Why? Because they have this joyfulness and freedom of heart.
(59) Those who interpret the yoke of Christ as the evangelical law, that is, the commandments, inasmuch as they were given by Christ, are greatly mistaken. And the sophists have made it very sour here to show how the yoke of Christ is easier than the yoke of Moses; since Moses only forbade the work, but Christ also forbade every useless word and the whole heart. Finally, these blind men have concluded that the law and the gospel are like excedentia and excessa, namely, that the law is easier in this respect than the gospel, because it forbids not the heart but the hand; but that the gospel is easier in this respect than the law, because it abolishes circumcision and ceremonies. O blindness! which is well suited for such people who do not want to read the gospel out of contempt 2c. This should rather have been taught, how wonderful the power of Christ is in his saints, who through faith in the hearts of men turns death into laughter, punishment into joy, hell into heaven. For those who believe in him laugh at and despise all these evils, from which the world and the flesh fearfully flee and bear abhorrence. This is what Christ calls a sweet yoke and a light burden, that is, bearing the cross with joy; as Paul says: "We glory in tribulations", Rom. 5, 3. Likewise: "Be glad in tribulations", Rom. 12, 12. and similar sayings more in Paul. And Christ says Matth. 5, 12: "Be glad and of good cheer" 2c. And of the apostles it says, Apost. 5, 41: "They departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they had been worthy to suffer reproach for his name's sake."
(60) The wicked know nothing of this feeling of joy in temptations, and it is not in human powers, but it is the power of the Holy Spirit that changes men so that they despise what others tremble at; and what those weep over, they laugh at.
(61) This is a great power to make an unbearable yoke not only bearable, but also sweet and easy, since it is not the burden that is so unbearable.
144 Notes on Matth. 11, 30. Cap. 12, 1-5. W. vn, 215-222. 145
itself, but the person who carries the burden is changed. For this is done with new strength, which (as Paul says Phil. 4:13) is able to do all things through Him who makes it mighty. For if I were commanded to carry heaven and earth, I would certainly be terrified. But if someone were to give me sufficient strength to carry it very easily, as if I were playing ball, then I would be able to carry it.
I would not carry it alone, but I would also play with it and take pleasure in carrying it. And this is the power of Christ, who therefore expressly says: "My burden. As if to say: My burden is distinct from other burdens; my burden does not press, but rather lightens and carries than is carried. Mosi's burden neither presses nor helps, but rather overpowers than frees.
The twelfth chapter.
At that time Jesus went through the seed on the Sabbath, and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck ears of corn, and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to be done on the sabbath day.
First, an occasion to speak of the Sabbath occurs here, through the disciples of Christ, who were plucking up ears of corn on the Sabbath day. Now the Sabbath was among all things the most holy and the most famous ornament among this people, since it was written in the first tablet of the Ten Commandments with the fingers of God, and had been commanded under so many signs from heaven. Therefore, nothing was more burdensome for them to suffer than when it was either broken or despised, not to mention that they were set apart from the rest of the Gentiles by this day, as if by a distinguishing mark, and could boast that they alone had such a great celebration commanded by God Himself, and the like.
V.3-5. And he said unto them: Have you not read what David did when he and those with him were hungry? How he went into the house of God, and ate the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but for the priests only? Or have ye not read in the law, how the priests break the sabbath in the temple on the sabbath day, and yet are guiltless?
(2) Here Christ comes and shows himself in such a way that it seems as if he not only despises and breaks the Sabbath, but also takes pleasure in provoking them to anger of his own free will. In view of this, it seems as if he is twice more wicked than the heathen, since he not only ridicules the Sabbath, but also the wrath and offense that had arisen from mocking the Sabbath, and shows himself to be a despiser beyond measure, even making himself master of it. This is now the summa of this trade: Christ wants to be a lord of the Sabbath, and demands of the Jews that they should suffer their Sabbath to be broken by him, and he does not want to be bound by its law. They could not suffer this crime worthy of death. Here the Jews have a just cause against him.
(3) Why, then, did he make this deal, and why did he seize this opportunity so eagerly? Answer: This was his office, and for this purpose he had come, that he might make himself and his office known, and fulfill the will of the Father. The will of the Father was that Christ should be accepted as his Son, that his word should be heard, that the law should be abolished, and that faith should be spread throughout the whole world. Therefore, wherever he can, he takes the opportunity to teach and do such things, in order to fulfill the ministry of his profession. Therefore, as his
146 Notes on Matth. 12, 3-8. W. vn, 222-2A>. 147
If, according to the judgment of the Pharisees, the disciples break the Sabbath, he does not stop them and does not bother to refute the accusation. For if he had wanted to refute it, he would have said, "Do not be angry, they did it without my command; likewise, they did it through ignorance; likewise: According to the law, this Sabbath is not a great Sabbath. For, as Lucas records, this happened on an after Sabbath Luc. 6:1. And he could have said many such things, which could have served to justly excuse the disciples and to appease them. This he does not do, but, as if he were pleased that they were upset, he seizes the opportunity to provoke them and to vex them with their Sabbath. As if he wanted to say: "Oh yes! You are just right with your Sabbath! You should be heard! You are fine people, too! Tell me, you wise men, why did David break the Sabbath? Why do the priests break it? Go and reproach them and yourselves; leave my disciples in peace and unpunished; they do better than you can teach them. So he resolves the argument by a power saying, as if he wanted to say: Sic volo, sic jubeo, sit pro ratione voluntas So I will it, so I call it, my will shall be the right. 1) All this is done, as I have said, so that he may make it known that he is the teacher and lord of all, whom one must hear and follow. Therefore he makes the conclusion:
V. 6. But I say to you (that is, I proclaim and preach to you) that here is He who is also greater than the temple.
4 This is: You shall know that I am to be heard, not you, nor your Moses; it is finished with Moses and your thing. This is the true resolution of the argument. When they say, Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath day, he answereth: It is not for you, but for me to judge. It is now a different time. Those who were formerly under Mo-
- This is how Luther himself translates this saying. Wittenberg edition (1553), vol. IV, p. 432.
If they could be called transgressors of the Sabbath, they shall not be so called now, though they truly break the Sabbath; how much more if they break it only according to your opinion? For the Sabbath and all that pertains to its observance departs from me. On this he adds something more special, putting it in the Scripture mostly.
V. 7. 8. But if you knew what this is: I am pleased with mercy and not with sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath.
- it seems as if he deliberately and diligently departs from the Sabbath and the temple, and also talks about the worship of the sacrifices to refute all their things. For if the Sabbath, temple and sacrifices are gone, what is left for them? And so, on the occasion of the Sabbath, he throws their whole religion over and makes them submissive. Are not these defenders of the Sabbath answered that they lose not only the Sabbath, but also the temple and the sacrifice, along with all worship and religion? Well, they have argued badly and got a very bad solution.
Therefore we must treat this passage, which is taken from Hosea Cap. 6, 6: "I delight in love and not in sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God and not in burnt offerings. This is Christ's absolute objection to the worship of the Jews, in which they imagined miraculous things. For they themselves exalted nothing higher than the sacrifice; as we see in Matth. 23, 18. ff. where they preferred the sacrifice to the temple itself and the altar, as well as to the honor of the parents, Matth. 15, 5. Therefore it was a terrible heresy that Christ preferred mercy to sacrifice. So now he says: "You are only sacrificial servants, and only boast about the sacrifices, which God does not respect, nor does he need them. In the meantime, you are so stingy, so cruel, and so devoid of mercy and love, that you will not even admit that my poor disciples, after fasting, eat the grains from the ears of grain that should have been eaten.
148 Notes on Matth. 12, 7-10. W. vn, 225-227. 149
should give, according to the law of love and mercy.
(7) Thus it has been from the beginning of the world, that the hypocrites have been completely blinded by the false conceit of their righteousness and religion, and have always been the most cruel and incapable of all good works, doing for and for nothing else but diminishing, judging, condemning others, and despising the sinners, the weak, the poor, the abandoned, and admiring only themselves, thinking that they were saints and children of God. Just as the priest and the Levite passed by before the half-dead man, but the Samaritan took care of him, that is, he showed him mercy, which God had shown to all victims (Luc. 10, 33. ff.).
Yes, Christ says even more, and does not prefer mercy to sacrifice alone, but abolishes sacrifice altogether, citing Hosea 6:6: "I do not like your sacrifice." Because they forsook mercy and chose sacrifice, God, on the other hand, chooses mercy and rejects sacrifice; not that the fault lay in such a holy work, but that the fault lay in those who did the work; as it is written Proverbs 21:27, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination"; Ecclesiastes 4:17, "They know not how much evil they do." For who should not have an abomination in him who rejects and despises God's commandment of mercy, and is stingy, cruel, negligent toward his neighbor, and despises, diminishes, condemns him 2c., and who instead of this commandment comes with his sacrifices which he offers out of his own devotion? Hence it is said in Jeremiah, "I told not your fathers the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, neither commanded them of burnt-offerings and other sacrifices; but this I commanded them, saying, Obey my word, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people, and walk in all the ways that I command you" Jer. 7:22, 23. Not what you choose and what is pleasing to you, but what I choose and what is pleasing to me, that I will keep. But you do not know this, nor are you concerned about it;
Therefore, you do not understand what the prophet Hosea taught; indeed, you do not know what great sin you are doing, while you imagine that you are doing the very best. For you trample underfoot the commandment of love and mercy through manifold disobedience, and want to propitiate God through your sacrifices, which you have chosen yourselves. This means to ridicule God as a fool, as if he should approve and crown your disobedience for the sake of your sacrifices, and thus prefer you godless ones to himself and his commandments, as if you were everything in everything with your sacrifices, but God should be nothing with his commandments and a buffoon 2c.
V. 9, 10: And he departed thence, and entered into their synagogue. And, behold, there was a man there, which had a withered hand. And they asked him, saying: Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? That they might have one thing to say to him.
(9) Now follows another occasion of Sabbath-breaking, and that in a public place, that is, in the synagogue, and in the place where the teachers and hearers were. There they find occasion to watch him in a more detestable way, namely in front of the common people, who were zealous for the Sabbath, just like themselves. For this reason, they summoned him to a public place of the people, so that they might provoke their minds to anger against him and honor themselves if he broke the Sabbath. So these cunning vipers knew how to choose the places and occasions, the people, the time and everything, in order to pursue him, to slander and harm him; and yet they are always deceived, and their plan fails them, as here.
010 There was a man standing here, that is, on the Sabbath, who had a withered hand, and so was in need of help and mercy; and Christ had just before exalted mercy above sacrifice and above the Sabbath. Therefore, those Laurians thought to themselves: "Now we have the place, the person, the time to try him before the people. If he has mercy on this needy person, he will break the Sabbath in the presence of the people. If he does not have mercy on him, he is against himself, as one who does not show mercy for the sake of the people.
150 Notes on Matth. 12, 9-14. W. vn, 227-230. 151
for the sake of the Sabbath. Here we will surely catch him, and he will not be able to escape us; for he cannot escape this captious conclusion, he must say yes or no. If he does a work of mercy, he will provoke the people against him; if he does not, he will make his doctrine suspect, that he is a heretic; and so death threatens him on both sides. They did the same with the question of interest to the emperor Matth. 22, 15. ff..
- but he breaks through their nets here, as a camel through a spider's web, and breaks off the one horn of the captious sentence, 1) and breaks off the one quarrel 2) of the fork, and thrusts it into themselves. This is what Matthew writes: They asked him that they had a cause (namely, of death) to him in the sight of the people. But he turns this very question back on them again, and compels them to answer, at least with silence.
V. 11-13. But he said to them: Which of you, if he have a sheep, which shall fall into a pit for him on the sabbath day, shall not take hold of it, and gather it up? How much better is a man than a sheep? Therefore one may do good on the Sabbath. Then said he unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out, and it was restored unto him, even as the other.
(12) By this question he deprives them of the applause of their people, but he frees himself from envy and wins applause for himself through his divine wisdom. There they stand like the pipers who have spoiled the dance, and have themselves courted them. For now the people also admired Christ, but despised those who sought the opposite. 1) Having thus put his enemies to shame, he speaks and works as it were in the open field. He speaks by saying, "One may well do good on the Sabbath," that is, to show mercy.
- This is spoken with reference to the previously used expression: eornutns sylloNsraus - a horned conclusion, that is, a conclusion that cannot be evaded.
- Luther himself gave these words in German. In the old editions: "zancken", that is, "Zinke" (of the fork) or "Zacke" (at the deer antlers).
as I have taught above v. 7. And so this teaching of his is vindicated, and the misleading of his enemies is refuted; and mercy retains the upper hand over sacrifice 2c. 2) He works by making men well, and proves by deed what he had taught and defended. And so he confirms his teaching with words as well as with deeds, and overthrows the teaching that was against him. And both the teaching and the work is a miracle of God. For no one could have taught against the Sabbath like this, nor healed the withered hand, if God Himself had not been present.
V.14. Then the Pharisees went out and held a council over him, how they would kill him.
- But behold what great power the devil has in the hearts he possesses, and how they cannot be reformed. They are overcome by the divine wisdom of the Word; they are convinced by the manifest power of God, that is, they hear the answer which they cannot deny; they see 'the work which they cannot reject. The answer is: a man is better than a sheep; and if it is permissible to preserve a sheep on the Sabbath day, it is much more permissible to preserve a man. What can be said against this? And yet they are blinded and hardened. The work they see with their eyes, he heals publicly before all a withered hand. What can be thought against it? And yet, not only are these good people not converted or moved in the least, but on the contrary, they become angry and hold counsel, not how to learn and hear from him, but how to kill him. O good people! who, convinced publicly and in conscience by the truth of both word and deed, are nevertheless carried away by their rage against the truth for the lie! What wonder if Satan does something similar nowadays, who always remains the same, although it happens through his different tools? So it shall be, 3) if they are the same
- Here we have omitted "that" because this disturbs the construction (in this sentence given by Luther himself in German).
152 . Notes on Matth. 12, 14-19. W. vn, 230-233. 153
themselves must confess that it is the truth, yet they shall stubbornly defend their lies with murder and blood; otherwise they would not be worthy children of their father, the devil, who is the author of lies and death John 8:44.
V. 15-19 But when Jesus heard this, he departed. And much people followed him, and he healed them all. And he afflicted them, because they reported him not. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet Esaias, saying, Behold, this is my servant, whom I have chosen, and my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall declare judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not quarrel nor cry out, neither shall his cry be heard in the streets.
14 Now follows another story, and Matthew takes occasion to refer to the Scriptures of Christ, saying, Christ forbade the people that followed and adhered to him, that they should not make him manifest. He therefore speaks: When Christ had heard that the Pharisees were counseling against him, he turned away from their anger and went to another place. With this example he teaches that one must avoid the frenzies under certain circumstances, and especially when necessity does not require that one stay, and a greater benefit can be achieved elsewhere. This is how it is here; since the Pharisees seek to kill him and do not want to follow, he gives way and finds others who hear him gladly and accept his benefits. For this is the nature and happiness of the gospel, that though some hate it, there are always others who love it, even to the end of the world. Then he comes to the scripture, and says: "He afflicted them that they reported him not, that the scripture might be fulfilled which foretold that he would be quiet and still in the streets" 2c.
(15) But it seems strange that the evangelist should adduce this saying for such a purpose, namely, that Isaias had spoken of this accidental and particular flight of Christ; seeing that Christ in all other places had been
was very famous and not at all silent on the weapons. But Matthew wants to say that Christ did not want to quarrel with the unbelievers or to repay reproach with reproach, but where he does not find a hearing, after he has limited the truth, then he moves away, and does not quarrel with the quarrelsome hypocrites, who make many words, but rather moves away elsewhere 2c. For this he cites the 42nd chapter of Isaiah v. 1-4: "Behold, this is my servant, I sustain him, and my chosen, in whom my soul is well pleased. I have given him my spirit. He will bring justice among the Gentiles. He will not cry out nor shout, and his voice will not be heard in the streets. He shall not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoldering wick. He will teach the right to be true. He will not be sullen nor cruel, that he may establish justice on earth, and the islands will wait for his law.
16 This passage not only contains what Matthew says here, but also portrays the whole of Christ. Therefore it is worth to be looked at and understood. "Behold," he says, "this is my servant," that is, you should all know that Christ is my servant, my messenger, my apostle, and the teacher of all men, sent by me to this end. He did not come without a profession, like the thieves and murderers John 10:8. He is my servant, sent by me. And whoever hears him hears me, just as Moses was my servant Deut. 18:18, 19.
- Therefore, it is to be diligently noted that here the word "servant" is a name that implies a public person in office. This is said against the common error in the papacy, where to serve God means as much as: to flee the world, to leave the public offices, in which one should teach, rule, and do what each profession required. Instead, they became monks, separated themselves from the people, led a private life, and imagined that they served God only with their own self-chosen works; for they did not want to bear the public danger and hardships.
154 Notes on Matth. 12, 15-19. W. vii, 233-235. 155
- Thus, the pronoun "my" in "my servant", has a glorious glory, namely, that he is certainly God's messenger, and must be heard according to God's command. And just as kings and princes give their plenipotentiaries credentials, that is, letters as witnesses to their mission, so here Isaiah is Christ's witness and authenticator by giving testimony to his mission.
- Matthew omitted these words from Isaiah: "I will keep him", or, "if I will keep him". This is a comfort for the messenger or servant, that he knows he has God as his protector in his office and mission. Likewise, it indicates that the servants of the Word are in such great danger from the devil, from the world, and from their flesh, that they also need divine help, and cannot be protected in any other way than by God's help alone, when the heathen rage against them and the kings rebel. And what is only something of the world troubles the messengers of God. That is why he promised to be their protector against all of them. And if he did not do this, and we did not know that he wanted to do it, who would take the trouble of teaching and the multiple danger upon himself? For what happened to Christ will happen to all his servants.
The one I mentioned.
20 By this word, Christ is preferred to all messengers of God, including Moses. For he does not speak of Moses in this way in his profession, however great a divine reputation he gives him. It is true that he also calls others, who have no profession, chosen ones; as, in the 105th Psalm v. 6. it says: "You children of Jacob, his chosen one", and" in other places more. But here Christ is called "the chosen one" among the messengers, so that his teaching may be considered chosen over the law and the prophets, and that all other teachings should give way to it (even if they are very good), since it is chosen before the others. And so Christ and the Gospel are also preferred above the Law by God's own pronouncement.
And my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. .
21 This also does not apply to Moses, nor to any other messenger, no matter how much he has been recognized by God Himself, but this glory belongs to this One alone and especially, that God is pleased with this messenger's teaching and work. He was not pleased with Moses, for the law was not kept. Therefore God was compelled to be more angry. For through the law such things happened in which God was displeased, because "the law only causes wrath" 2c. Rom. 4, 15. But through the ministry of this messenger, that which is pleasing to God occurs, namely the forgiveness of sins, victory over death, peace of heart, life and eternal blessedness, the glory of God and love of man 2c., so that one could say that Moses received applause from God, but that he nevertheless had no pleasure in his ministry, because the law did not help anything 2c.
- He also indicates that this messenger of God was not considered by the world to be a servant of God, but a servant of the devil, one who had not been protected by God, but had been abandoned, and who had to be punished by God; not a chosen one of God, but one rejected by God; not one in whom God was pleased, but an abomination. For his teaching is considered in the world to be the word of the devil, which God condemns, hates and abhors as a heresy and hellish poison. Therefore, only faith and the spirit understand these glorious words of Jesus and applaud them.
(23) Whoever wants to unite Matthew with the Hebrew text can say that they both said the same thing, only with changed words. Matthew pronounces it in this way, "Behold, this is my servant, whom I have chosen"; Isaiah, "Behold) this is my servant, I sustain him." Matthew says, "And my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased"; Isaiah, "And my chosen, in whom my soul is well pleased." so that what Matthew says, "Whom I have chosen," is what
156 Notes on Matth. 12, 18. 19. W. vn, 23s-23s. 157
Isaiah says, "Whom I will preserve or protect." In these two words alone is the difference. For the words "my chosen one" and "my beloved" can easily be united with each other. For he who wants to protect another can very well say: I want to accept this one, and choose him whom I want to protect. And in this way Matthew and Isaiah will argue with each other only according to the grammatical sound, but they agree with each other according to the theological way of speaking. According to the sense they are the same, but according to the syllables they are different; and this does not hurt.
I want to put my mind on him.
- according to the Hebrew way it is said that the spirit should be put on him, that is, that the spirit should be given to him, which should rule him, that he should do and speak all things with the spirit ruling him, as it is said in Matth. 4, 1: "Christ was led by the spirit into the wilderness. Likewise, "Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit" Luc. 10:21. This is nothing else than that everything that Christ would do and speak should be spirit. And this refers not only to the knowledge, but also to the courage that Christ should not only teach and do everything right, but also go about it courageously and tear through it mightily with teachings and deeds, and not be afraid of any danger. He can do it, and may also dare to do it, against everything that opposes him. Just as Samson dared to kill the lion and David the bear.
(25) For it is not enough to know what to teach, but one must also dare to do it and bravely persevere in what one has taught against the gates of hell. Both of these are judged by the Spirit in us, as it is said in Jer. 1:18: "I will make you a wall of brass" 2c. Summa Summarum: Just as this servant whom I have chosen is pleasing to me, so also he shall do all things by my Spirit, and he shall break through like a storm wind and like a tempest that nothing can withstand. He will have a spirit that nothing will be able to resist, even if kings and everything should resist. Therefore, there is an emphasis in
The word "my spirit" indicates that he knows, does and can do everything against the will of all his adversaries.
He is to proclaim judgment to the Gentiles.
- he will speak judgment to the peoples of the whole earth, that is, he will be a teacher of the whole world. For "to declare judgment" is just as much as to teach the Gentiles, that is, to instruct them in the true doctrine of the faith. This is what the Jews understand by their glory, as if they were ruling over the Gentiles through the Messiah. But Christ does not speak here through Isaiah of a future unlimited dominion over the Gentiles, for He does not glory in weapons, but in the Word; and by the Word He will rule among the Gentiles. Just as all the other prophecies preach that Christ will be Lord over the whole race, that is, through the Word and faith he will rule everywhere, and gather his faithful from all the Gentiles. These seven things are not the main thing that Matthew had in mind, but he included this whole passage for the sake of what follows and serves the purpose in relation to Christ, namely, that he was not a bawler, and that he wanted to be hidden and not publicly argue with anyone, 2c. as follows:
V. 19. He will not quarrel nor shout, and his shout will not be heard in the streets.
The Hebrew word "shouting" is very well translated by the word "quarreling". For it does not speak of the shouting of boys or the merriment in the streets, but how angry and offended people are wont to raise a clamor against one another with cries and complaints, that is, to quarrel or make a quarrelsome clamor. Christ rather avoided the Pharisees and got out of their sight; he let them be angry with him, persecute him, shout against him; but he persevered in silence and hope.
- and for the sake of this piece, as I have
26] Matthew used the saying from Isaiah to portray Christ as a peaceful, calm person,
158 ' Notes on Matth. 12, 19. w. vn, 238-242. 159
who tried to avoid all tumult, unrest and uproar of the furious and angry people, and gave room to their anger. The screamers do not hear what is said, nor can they scream any more, for: Away, away with this, crucify, crucify him, as they did before Pilato Luc. 23, 18. 21.. Likewise Apost. 22, 22. before Lysias, against Paul: "Away with such a one from the earth, for it is not fair that he should live." Likewise against Paul, Apost. 16, 20.
29 From this we should learn that we too should keep silent against the raging cries of men and get out of their way, because we do not achieve anything among them. Just as our adversaries, the papists, and the swarm spirits today have written, taught, and cried out nothing but: Away, away with this! They teach nothing wholesome at all, nor do they listen to those who teach rightly, but only revile and condemn them. Now these, according to the example of Christ, are to be let go and shunned, lest we be drawn into their clamor, by which we would accomplish nothing. We want to let them cry out until God will judge our cause. For it is of no use to quarrel with them (as Paul says), but to deceive the hearts of the hearers Rom. 16:18. Therefore also the preacher in the 9th chapter v. 17. f. speaks very beautifully: the poor man's wisdom is despised among these shouters, but the words of the wise man are heard by the silent, and resound there more than all the shouting of the great lords among the fools, because a few fools spoil much good.
(30) In sum, one must not argue with the quarrelsome. For they are not improved by it, but only more incensed; for they seek not truth, but honor and triumph. Therefore, be judged by the example of Christ. 1) When one has said what is right, and they want to shout and quarrel a lot, go away. As Christ did here, when he had preached of the Sabbath, he departed from it, and let
- The following up to the end of the paragraph is given in German by Luther himself.
his hostes enemies rage and dispute as long as they want, will not wait for their shouting and blasphemy, because there is no end to it.
(31) Cato also advises in worldly matters: Do not argue with a man who speaks a lot. Likewise: Truth is lost through strife. For he who seeks the truth listens in silence and seeks it without shouting and making a noise, but he who makes a noise and shouts shows that he seeks not the truth but honor. Why, then, should one quarrel with such a man who seeks not truth but honor? Neither he himself can ever arrive at the truth, nor will you be able to bring him to the truth, but in vain you will argue with him without end. Thus Christ says to the Jews Joh. 5, 44: "How can you believe, you who take honor from one another?
(32) The cryers are against the truth, therefore let them go. They do not want to learn, but to teach; they do not want to be unlearned, but to know and judge everything perfectly. Such students shall have the devil for their master. For they are never at their best, but remain brawlers and quarrelsome. As it is said in Rom. 2:8, "They that are contentious, and do not obey the truth." There it is very appropriately put together: Those who are quarrelsome; who do not obey the truth. And in this passage they are called "brawlers"; as can be seen today in the papists and the originators of the sects.
He will not shout, and his shouting will not be heard in the streets.
33 This is one and the same with the preceding, namely, "he will not quarrel." For by this accumulation of the words: "He will not cry out nor shout (non levabit, scilicet vocem, he will not raise his voice), and his voice will not be heard among the guests," as it reads according to the Hebrew, the prophet wants to indicate the furious and stiff-necked shouting of the brawlers and the rage of hatred of the Pharisees among the Jewish people against Christ. Christ will not contend with them, he prophesies, but he will be humble and calm, and with all patience he will teach them.
160 Notes on Matth. 12, 19. 20. W. vn, 242-24-". 161
Punish, threaten and admonish, as Paul instructs Timothy 2 Epist 4:2. For here Christ is not forbidden not to punish, threaten, condemn, and judge the ungodly, for this is required by the necessity of the ministry and doctrine; But the quarreling, the biting, the raging and blustering is forbidden herewith, and that one should not, as such people are wont to do, merely blaspheme and injure others with abusive words, slander, invective, hatred and envy, caring nothing for the doctrine or punishment of vices or correction of life, either in the church or in their own; but they are only anxious that they may vent their vengeance and anger, and thereby defend their opinions, customs, and statutes.
(34) But these three phrases, crying out, raising one's voice, making one's voice heard, can be taken as three pieces of shouting or quarreling. For the first thing that such furious people do is to quarrel, that is, to listen to no one, to yield to no one, but to quarrel endlessly and defend their own. For they leave the word
because their heart is hardened in such a way, and their eyes are blinded, and their ears are thick, Isa. 6, 10.
The other is that they not only establish their own, but also suppress the truth, which is against them. Here they cry out, and bring many things against the word, which in truth is nothing but crying and vehement words against the truth. They do not respect this; only in order to win, they write, preach, read; help what may, so that God's word does not win or remain right.
The third is that they want their voice to be heard; they also want to boast, to triumph and to be seen as victors. Then their voice is heard: church, church, fathers, fathers, concilio, custom, obedience 2c., as also the Jews cry out: temple, temple! Jerusalem, God's people, law, patriarchs! as Paul tells their glory Rom. 9, 4. 5.: "To those of Israel belongs the adoption, and the glory, and the covenant,
and the law, and the service, and the promise. Which also are the fathers." And Apost. 6, 13. 14.: "This man speaks against this holy place, against the temple, against the law, against the people" 2c.
(37) With such vehemence, or rather frenzy, a godly teacher should not present or assert his doctrine, but when he has taught, punished and judged, he should let them go, so that they bite, quarrel, brawl, revile, cry, shout, rage and rage, until they are rooted out. "There is one who seeks and judges", Joh. 8, 50. Therefore he should avoid such frenzies, as Christ did.
V.20. He will not break the crushed reed, nor quench the smoldering wick.
The most beautiful painting of Christ is adorned with the loveliest images, so that the consolation may be quite complete, and that for the sake of the images it may be all the more pleasant and adhere all the more firmly.
First, this whole verse is an allegory, or a constant simile. For the reed, the wick rc, mean something else, namely a contrite and humbled heart. The meaning of these words is the same as above Cap. 11, 28.: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden." Likewise the same with Cap. 11, 5.: "To the poor the gospel is preached." But it is pronounced more delicately and emphatically or forcefully by these figures and paintings.
40 Similarly, there is also another figure in these words, namely the
or the emphatic speech, which says less than it means. As, he will not quench; he will not break; that is, he will set it very on fire, and he will make it firm. And this figure is very sweet and powerful when used in the right place to comfort. As, if one is fainthearted, and for fear shuns to go to the Sacrament 2c., he might be persuaded by this figure: Why are you afraid? Go to it. For Christ will
- Instead of HUM in the issues, which does not fit, we have assumed.
162 Notes on Matth. 12, 20. 21. W. vn, 245-243. 163
do not give you poison. Likewise: It's not like he's standing behind you with a club. Likewise: He will not eat you. Such negative speeches are very uplifting, for they exclude with the greatest emphasis the evil of which one is afraid, and at the same time, in an affirmative way, they contain in abundance the good of which one desires. Thus one might say to one who is afraid to accept an office: "Well, it doesn't bite you; it's not the devil, that is, it's not only a harmless work, but also an admirably good and useful one.
41 Thus Christ is beautifully portrayed here as a king of the poor, the weary, the miserable, the contrite, the frightened. For no reed cares for him if it is not crushed; and no wick bears a longing for him, but that which is there only glows. Nor does he ask for another reed and another wick, that is, for people who are whole and strong, who shine, and have no need of him at all, because they are righteous enough, wise enough, and strong enough themselves, as he says, "The strong have no need of the physician." "I am not come to call the righteous" Matth. 9, 12. 13.. Likewise here also it may be said, I am not come to make whole a reed that is whole; I am not come to kindle a light that shineth; but I am come not to break the bruised reed, that is, to strengthen and make strong; not to quench the smoldering wick, that is, to kindle and enlighten.
(42) Under these words he shows the cruelty of the drivers, that is, the tyranny of the law and of the teachers of the law, who do nothing but afflict the consciences, which are already afflicted enough. For they impose unbearable burdens on men, which they themselves do not even touch with a finger; from others they demand everything strictly, which they themselves do not keep at all. But nature brings it about that no one is so afraid of death as the fearful; no one is so afraid of the law as this crushed reed; no one is so afraid of sins as such a smoldering wick. On the other hand, the spiritual
The tyrannies of the world have no one more than these fearful hearts. For they take pleasure in being so terrible that both their speeches and their deeds are so honored that the people are subjected to their feet in such a way. Therefore, they continue to increase the laws and statutes without end, and so they break the broken reed completely and extinguish the smoldering wick, that is, they drive to despair and hell.
43 We have experienced this sufficiently under the papacy. And in Ezekiel Cap. 34, 3. ff. the Lord complains that they have scattered and destroyed his army by their tyranny, because they ruled over them with violence and severity. And in the 13th chapter v. 22. he says: "You grieve the heart of the righteous falsely, whom I have not grieved." So also in the worldly regime only the afflicted, especially the Christians, are afflicted. In sum, they suffer both spiritual and worldly tyranny, and are crushed by both, so that there is a crushed reed around and around, which each one bends, bends, presses down where he can, as the wind drives a reed back and forth and pushes it as if it wanted to break it 2c.
- what follows is a wavy different in Hebrew, and Matthew omits some. In Isaiah Cap. 42, 3. 4. the words are: "He will truly teach the law. He will not be sullen nor cruel, that he may establish justice in the earth, and the isles will wait for his law." Instead, Matthew states:
V. 21. until he executes judgment in victory; and the Gentiles will hope in his name.
It seems as if the author of this text wanted to understand the words: "He will not be sullen nor cruel"; among these: "He will not break the bruised reed, and he will not extinguish the smoldering wick"; likewise the words: "He will teach to keep the law truly", with these words: "That he may establish justice on earth".
164 Notes on Matth. 12, 21. W. vn, 248-2S1. 165
But that he says, "The Gentiles shall hope in his name," is not very different from those, "The isles shall wait for his law."
46 Therefore the words, "He will truly teach righteousness," are to be understood as being directed against the righteousness of the law, against the righteousness of the works of the hypocrites, in this way: They have made themselves sore, and are still making themselves sore, to attain righteousness apart from Christ; but in this they strive in vain. They are always learning, and yet never come to the knowledge of the truth; nothing comes of it. He alone will break forth and fulfill the law by his obedience unto death; therefore he alone will accomplish true, certain, and thorough righteousness. The others (no matter how hard they try) lack the truth. For they are hypocrites, false righteousnesses, and can never have a confident conscience of their works. Now this one will one day gain the victory over sin and the law, under which all men have overcome and remained closed Gal. 3:23. He will break through and triumph by a manifest victory against sin and against the law, for himself and for all who believe in him.
47 And so Christ is praised by these words as the Savior, who alone would satisfy the law for all others and take away sin, wrath and death. This is what Matthew meant when he refers to judgment for victory. For judgment here is a name of a thing, that is, it means righteousness or a just cause, not merely the word or doctrine, He will bring it to pass, and that it may be called right according to the truth, not fictitious nor hypocritical.
He will not be sullen nor cruel.
(48) This is spoken of his manner and example, that he should not see sore, as the hypocrites are sore. For because they think that their righteousness consists in little clothing, a sad face, and other such peculiar and quite unusual habits, they will not be angry.
They can do nothing but judge, bite, punish, and despise others who live in a common way and do not behave like them in dress, food, and drink, and in the rest of their behavior. 2c.
(49) Christ, on the other hand, will be kind and gentle, not punishing, judging, or biting anyone for such things, but pleasing all who believe in him, without distinction of outward appearance, clothing, food, or customs. For he lived in the most extraordinary manner, and endured all with the greatest patience; except the hypocrites, because they would not be carried nor believe, but, as such sourpusses are, punish all 2c. There is a kind of people who are born, made, educated and carved to be sourpusses and to punish everything, of which there are also many among us today.
That he may establish justice on earth.
(50) Hitherto the saying of Isaiah has actually referred to the people of the law, who wanted to be justified by their works and had Christ promised to them. Now he extends this to the Gentiles, who also, though they did not have the written law, were themselves a law, Rom. 2:14, and sought wisdom and righteousness, as is evident from the example of Cicero and other very good men. This, he says, Christ will do, that true righteousness may triumph, first among the Jews, then also among the Gentiles, through the gospel 2c. For thus Paul understands the prophetic prophecies, first of the Jews, and then also of the Gentiles; as is evident from the first three chapters of the epistle to the Romans. For the fact that he says: "on earth" is an emphasis that the true righteousness will not only be with his own, with the reed that was crushed by the law, but also on earth, and everywhere on earth.
51 And here one must notice the emphasis that lies in these words. With the Jews he says Is. 42, 3.: "He will truly teach the right." But with the Gentiles it says Isa. 42, 4., "He will establish justice in the earth." For with
166 Notes on Matth. 12, 21-26. W. vn, An-W4. 167
It was difficult for the Jews to establish the righteousness of faith because of the prestige of the law and the custom of the people (as Paul's writings testify), but also because of the conceit and hypocrisy of the Jews, who boasted of the righteousness of the law against the Gentiles. Therefore "judgment" or true righteousness had to be executed there with the greatest force, as if they were to be led out of Egypt by new miracles. For even the apostles were led slowly out of that Egypt; but among the Gentiles, where there was no religion confirmed by divine miracles, the righteousness of faith was more easily accepted, being established there, as it were, in an empty place, where before there was no other righteousness than civil 2c. Therefore righteousness is established here on earth; but there it is set in motion by truth against hypocrisy. This is confirmed by the following words, which are of the same content:
And the Gentiles will hope in his name.
Here only the righteousness itself is described more clearly, namely, that it consists in hoping or trusting in his name, as I said above. For, as Paul speaks, Christian righteousness consists in putting one's trust in the name of Christ. And this is exactly what the Hebrew text says: "And the isles will wait for his law," as if to say: Not for the law of Moses will they wait. He himself will have his law, and for this law, that is, the law of faith, the Gentiles will wait, that is, they will have a desire for it, and receive it with great eagerness of heart, and want to have it, that is, they will gladly take it. With this word he implies at the same time that it will happen that the Jews will despise this Lord and his law and think as if they were much better through the Mosaic law 2c. Therefore, it only remains that the Gentiles will gladly accept it by rejecting it.
53And there is no doubt that St. Paul, who refers to this prophet in particular
The same God of the Gentiles, who justifies circumcision by faith, and the foreskin by faith," v. 29, 30. Otherwise it does not read well to say, "the law of faith," and it is not common to say, "of faith," and "by faith." But,.because he saw that here in Isaiah faith in Christ and the gospel are called the law of Christ, and that it was to be made known not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles, therefore he ventures to call it a law, but the law of Christ, in his epistles to the Romans and to the Galatians, but never otherwise. And because it was to be preached first to the Jews, and afterwards to the Gentiles, therefore, he says, it came to those "by faith," since it was promised to them; but to these, "by faith," since nothing of it was promised to them before 2c.
From the blind, deaf and dumb possessed.
V.22-26. Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb: and he healed him, so that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, saying: Is not this the son of David? But the Pharisees, when they heard it, said, He casteth out devils no other way, but by Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. But Jesus heard their thoughts, and said unto them: Every kingdom, if it be divided against itself, shall be desolate. And every city or house, if it be divided against itself, shall not stand. If then one Satan casts out another, he must be at variance with himself; how then can his kingdom stand?
Here follows the third miracle of the blind, deaf and dumb possessed man, which is similar to the one we read above in Cap. 9, 32. ff. Therefore, we must say here what was said above Cap. 9, § 62. ff., except that Christ answers the blasphemies of the Pharisees, which Matthew does not touch on above, and Marcus Cap. 3, 22. ff. deals with more extensively.
168 Notes on Matth. 12, 22--28. W. vn, 254-25." 169
(55) He now answers first by a similitude which includes an impossibility, namely, when a kingdom (a city or a Han) is at variance with itself. From this impossibility he draws this conclusion: It is impossible that one Satan can be cast out by another, but by me he is cast out; consequently it does not happen by Satan. But if it were done by Satan, he would cast himself out, which is impossible. It would be just as if a prince or king himself expelled his envoys or officials from their offices and yet at the same time wanted them to be honored by the subjects. For that would be to ruin oneself if one wanted to appoint an official and deprive him of the obedience of the subjects. For the lower power must be protected by the higher, not thrown over; otherwise the empire cannot exist and no government can exist.
But here a question arises, which is not to be despised: How, if the devils only pretended to be cast out? as this has been done so far in many places and by many evil-doers 2c. under the name of St. Cyriacus and others. For by this reason Christ's conclusion is nullified, which follows from this sentence: if Satan is cast out, then it must follow that this does not happen from Satan, because he allows himself to be cast out fraudulently. Here one must insist on the word "his kingdom," namely Satan's kingdom, as the final cause of the casting out. Therefore, distinguish the final cause. If it is about the confirmation of the kingdom of Christ, about faith, about the word of God, Satan does not give way and cannot be expelled by any power other than God's. But if it is a lie, an error, a lie, a lie, a lie, a lie, a lie, a lie, a lie, a lie, a lie, a lie, a lie. But if a lie, an error, an idolatry and the kingdom of the devil are to be confirmed, then he gladly poses as if he were to be cast out bodily, so that he may be fortified sevenfold in the spiritual possession. So he pretends to be cast out by the ungodly conjurors, so that he strengthens them in the error against Christ. Therefore, one must be careful whether it is about Christ's kingdom or about the devil's kingdom. For Christ speaks here of the
realm of the devil, not from his dissimulation. And these lying signs were foretold by Christ and Paul, so that we would not believe that it is true when we see devils being cast out, but would pay attention to the cause for which he is being cast out or is leaving, so that we would not be so deceived. Because we did not pay attention to this, we were deceived into believing that all the casting out of devils was a divine power, when everything was a deception of the devils, who come and go and go again.
V. 27 But if I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do they cast out your children? Therefore they will be your judges.
- Secondly. He takes the answer from their children, and thus he appeals to the rightful summoners who were in the Jewish people. For this people has never been without faith. Of which I have dealt elsewhere 2c.
V. 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has ever come to you.
Thirdly. Hereby he shows the greatness of the power to cast out devils, namely that it is a change of the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God. As if he wanted to say: You should not consider it such a small thing to cast out the devil. It is not such a thing as making one rich, healing one, making one a king, but it is making a son and servant of God out of a child, even a servant of the devil. Therefore I tell you, when I cast out devils by the finger or Spirit of GOD, an eternal thing is going on; death, sin, wrath, the devil's power and servitude are brought to nothing. Here one can explain by describing, dividing, summarizing 2c. what the bondage of the devil is, which is completely taken away by Christ when he casts out the devil.
59 And especially it is to be noted here that Christ speaks in the past time (praeterito): "Thus the kingdom of God has ever come to you". As if he wanted to say: After Satan has been cast out, so will
170 Notes on Matth. 12, 28. 29. W. vn, 256-259. 171
you will not be alone in the future, but are already children of God; through me, the mediator and overcomer of the devil, you will soon be God's kingdom; so that you may know that it pleased your Father to give you the kingdom, so that no one may presume to earn it by his works.
- how praiseworthy and sweet it is that a Christian is certain that as soon as the devil is cast out, he is already a child and heir of the kingdom, as if he were already in heaven; just as Paul also says Rom. 8, 17. and Gal. 4, 7.: "Heirs of God, and joint heirs of Christ. And John 5:24: "He that believeth on Him shall not come into judgment"; and 1 Cor. 6:3: "Know ye not that we shall judge the angels?" These and similar things, which the kingdom of God communicates to us, we will not only have in the future, but we also have them already now, but in faith. For he says: "The kingdom of God has come to you", when you have become free through me, who cast out devils.
V. 29. Or how can anyone enter a strong man's house and rob him of his household goods, unless he first binds the strong man and then robs him of his house?
Fourth. He adds a simile or example of a strong man who is overcome and robbed by another strong man. For he wants to reinforce the previous answer against the Pharisees; as if he wanted to say: You have already heard that a kingdom, if it is at odds with itself, cannot exist, therefore no devil can be cast out by its ruler/ without only pretense, as was said above § 56.. Now I make this conclusion further: A strong man is not overcome, unless a stronger man comes over him; therefore it is evident that the devils are subject to me, and that in me there is a stronger power than even in the chief of the devils, and in all devils. If this power were not in me, he would not leave me as a conqueror and the kingdom of God would not come to you. So you must admit, even according to common sense, that a strong man only gives way to one who is stronger than he. Therefore it cannot be true
I am sure that the devils have been cast out from me by Beelzebub.
But Christ is pleased with this likeness of a conqueror and conquered, because he sees himself and his suffering depicted in it. For the devil is strong and unconquerable, and possesses the whole human race in all security 2c. But he who is uniquely stronger than he comes and overcomes him and deprives him of his possessions and tyranny, but by miraculous power, which was namely hidden under weaknesses. For he did not drive out violence by force, but by a mysterious counsel he destroyed his power by allowing himself to be killed by him and rose again by the power of God. And so he threw him to the ground under the weakness and devoured him.
(63) Two things must be noted here. Namely, first, that we are born as captives under the kingdom of Satan and live as subjects according to his will, that is, that human nature, powers, free will, justice, wisdom cannot free themselves from the devil, but they are certainly possessed by him, and he does everything he pleases through them. The devil makes use of our highest wisdom, justice, the best gifts and creatures of God for our eternal destruction, just as a highwayman uses a healthy, strong and beautiful horse (which is held captive under him) for its destruction and for all his courage, and forces it to carry his tyrant even through thousands of dangers. Nevertheless, the horse thinks itself healthy and strong, because it does not know that it serves such a shameful master, and indeed to his greatest harm. In the same way, a man thinks himself to be just, wise and strong, just like such a horse and mule, and yet does not know that he serves as a slave to a terrible tyrant to his destruction.
64 Secondly, that Christ alone is the conqueror of our tyrant, who by his merits sets us free and throws the devil off our neck. Just as when a sovereign throws the highwayman off his horse,
172 Notes on Matth. 12, 29. 30. W. vn, 259-262. 173
and freed the horse, but captured and killed the highwayman, the horse does not free itself. So we are freed, preserved and triumph through the power of Christ. He alone overcomes the strong, binds and deprives him 2c. Just this is confirmed by the following saying:
V. 30. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
(65) As if to say: Here is no middle road, here is no name that does not belong to one of these two kinds, but we are necessarily either under your strong tyrant, the devil, in his prison, or under the Savior, Christ, in heaven. Therefore, to be with Christ means to be in his church or in faith in him; that is, to be against the devil and against the kingdom of ungodliness, and to be set apart from it, not to hold with the devil or his kingdom, nor to be of his opinion, since his kingdom is a kingdom of lies and murder; but to be of his mind against it,' and to hold it with truth and with life.
In summary: Christ distinguishes here a twofold church: one, the church of God, the other, the church of the devil. And these, he says, without any mediation, are irreconcilably at odds with each other. Therefore, it is impossible for one Satan to be cast out by the other Satan, just as it is impossible for the Church of the Devil to become hostile to itself for the Church of God. Therefore, every man lives either with Christ against the devil or with the devil against Christ.
But from the outside, from the outward appearance, the church of the devil seems to be holy and wants to be regarded as if it stands for Christ against the devil. On the other hand, the church of Christ seems to be heretical and to stand for the devil against Christ. Therefore Christ does well, who by the word makes the statement, and teaches it to be grasped by faith, that the true church is against the church of the devil. For to the senses and outward appearance it seems to be far different. For it happens to Christ Himself that it is thought to be so, as if
he would be for the devil against God, and on the other hand the Pharisees would be for God against the devil.
Therefore, God grant us grace to believe that our church, as the true one, is for God against the devil. For without faith, no one can hold on to the true church; it is even obscured by aversions and weaknesses. On the other hand, the church of the devil shines through its appearance and hypocrisy, so that it is impossible for reason to distinguish them. Therefore he says to himself and to his own, "He that is not with me is against me." The Pharisees do not believe 2c. Just the opinion it has also with the following words:
He who does not gather with me scatters.
(69) That is, all that I and mine do with me is wholesome and profitable for life; and he that is not with me does no good, but does all in vain for destruction.
This is a terrible and very severe sentence against the hypocrites, in which the serious saying is made that all the very beautiful, great, holy, endless works, yes, even the ways of life, are completely lost, yes, harmful and detrimental, if they are without glory. On the other hand, they that are with Christ, though they be scattered, that is, sin and fall, yet all that they do, suffer 2c., is wholesome and profitable, very good, holy, and divine. O, an unspeakable comfort to Christians! though they are weak, yet they gather with Christ. On the other hand, this is a terrifying threat against the wicked, that all theirs is scattering and destruction.
(71) But this is again false in appearance, if it is not grasped in faith. For the wicked make believe that they are gathering infinite and eternal treasures in heaven, and that no one is gathering them but they alone. On the other hand, the godly scatter and ruin everything in the most miserable way, and no one has less in heaven than the godly. These alone belong in hell, the wicked alone fill heaven. But here the Holy Spirit says in word against word: that the godly gather,
174 Notes on Matth. 12, 30-32. W. vn, 262-265. 175
and scatter the wicked 2c. And this happens in that the wicked do not notice it, and certainly think something more arid.
Having done this, he now attacks these blasphemers and deluded devils with fury:
Therefore I say to you: All sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever shall speak against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the next.
All blasphemy is forgiven men. Not only of common sins, but also of blasphemy, he says that they can all be forgiven, except blasphemy against the Spirit. This means that if one blasphemes against men, even against the Son of God, it can be forgiven; but if one blasphemes against the Spirit, it cannot be forgiven.
Here arises the question of the sin against the Holy Spirit. Although we have dealt with it elsewhere, we will also say a little about it now.
Of the sin against the Holy Spirit.
(75) Six sins against the Holy Spirit are counted, which, although they are almost the same in substance, differ in their deeds or rather iniquities: spiritual pride, disputing against the known truth, obstinacy, despair, envying the brethren for grace, impenitence to the end. These follow one another or are set in motion, namely, in the time of security and peace: spiritual pride, disputing [against the known truth), stubbornness; in the time of tribulation and unrest: despair, envy and impenitence.
For in the time of safety the wicked is full of confidence, is presumptuous, and thinks himself sure that he and his works please God, and wants to be wickedly righteous, like the Pharisees. When he is punished, he becomes hopeful and resists the truth that is against him, although he knows,
that it is truth, yet he will not yield, out of presumption, and so he disputes the truth that he has known. In this presumption and arguing against the truth he stubbornly persists; and so he dies in his sins as a hardened, hardened man, and as an incorrigible man.
On the other hand, when the wicked begin to feel the wrath of God, like Cain and Judas, they first despair and do not trust that their sins will be forgiven, but think that their iniquity is greater than God's mercy. When they see that they are rejected, they begrudge all men salvation and want none to be saved, and all to perish with them. In this resentment and despair they persist and will not be converted. And just as stubbornness is impenitence to the end in the time of assurance, that is, in their arrogance and disputing against the truth: so impenitence to the end is stubbornness in the time of tribulation, that is, in despair and resentment. 2c.
From Fegfuer.
78 But here St. Gregory has made a great error in interpreting this passage as referring to purgatory, namely, that it says, "He shall not be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in that world." Thus, he says, some sins are forgiven in that world, namely in purgatory; otherwise Christ would not say, "Nor in that world. "2c.
The good man is very sleepy here. For Christ speaks here of the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, that it will not be forgiven either in this world or in the next. Therefore, if only blasphemy is not forgiven in that world, then, according to this same conclusion, it would follow that all sins could be forgiven in that world; and thus forgiveness in this life would not be necessary, because it could be obtained in the life to come, if only one abstained from blasphemy.
80 And at the same time, see how dangerous it is to cite the Scriptures if one does not understand them correctly. For through this
176 Notes on Matth. 12, 31-34. w. vn, 265-267. 177
In the first place, the good man has confirmed the error of Purgatory throughout the world, from which have sprung an infinite number of other errors and adventures, namely, the apparitions of spirits for the sake of men's souls; likewise, pilgrimages, idolatry with the saints, and the appalling desecration of the Sacrament by the selling of masses, and, as it were, the sharing of the good work in which the Pabstacy consists. And this sacrament has been placed entirely at the service of the dead, while the living have been deprived of it. Certainly, here the elect have been led astray and miraculously preserved.
- But Christ declares himself in Marcus, Cap: 3, 29.: "He that blasphemeth the Holy Ghost hath no forgiveness for ever, but is guilty of eternal judgment." These words show that the words of Matthew, "neither in this world nor in that world," are not to be understood in a divided way (divisim) of any forgiveness, but in a combined way (conjunctim), simply denying that there is no forgiveness of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
- This is also ridiculous, that they assign to this world or to purgatory alone the forgiveness of venial sins, or at least the satisfaction for those mortal sins which have been forgiven here. For they say that whoever dies in a mortal sin is absolutely damned. Is this not a frenzy, then, that one teaches that Christ in this life has instituted the forgiveness of all sins, even of the infinite and greatest sins, and has spared the minor sins, or temporal satisfaction, until purgatory? As if he who forgives his debtor a hundred thousand pounds would not also forgive him a few pennies. What blindness and frightful lies! And yet they have been more feared and honored than the word of God Himself. For they have ruled over the whole world.
(83) And purgatory is a true blasphemy against the keys of the kingdom of heaven given by Christ. For he says thus: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
All that thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven" Matth. 16, 19. He saith not, Some things shall be loosed in that world: but all things that shall be loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven. In the same way it is against the saying, "Forgive, and you will be forgiven" Luc. 6:37. He does not say, "Forgive, and some things here will be forgiven you, and some things in the next world. Purgatory also disputes the holy Lord's Prayer, the Christian creed, and the Ten Commandments. For in all three one has forgiveness of sin, as it is said, "Forgive us our trespasses." Likewise, "I believe forgiveness of sins." Likewise, "I am the Lord your God" 2c.
Therefore, it is obvious that Purgatory is one of the greatest abominations and effects of Satan. And it has terrified the whole world, and devoured the goods of all men, and made the pope king over all kings, even over God and His Word. For we have feared the Pabst and his purgatory more than we have feared GOD with his hell. And we have placed greater trust in the Pabst's absolution from Purgatory than in the true absolution of GOD from Hell.
V. 33, 34: Either plant a good tree, and the fruit will be good; or plant a rotten tree, and the fruit will be rotten. For the tree is known by its fruit. You vipers, how can you speak good, because you are evil? When the heart is full, the mouth overflows.
Christ continues in his anger against the blaspheming Pharisees, and cites a simile or proverb, which is called: "A good tree brings forth good fruit," of which Christ himself spoke more extensively in the 7th chapter, v. 17 ff. For it is clear enough that Christ often taught and repeated the same. Therefore, it should not be a disgrace to us if we often say and hear the same thing.
86 But Christ here actually interprets this saying to the Pharisees, saying, "A tree must be either good or evil; so you must be either good or evil.
178Notes on Matth. 12, 33. 34. W. vn, M-no. 179
be. You are not good, and this can be seen from your fruits, that you are evil; for you blaspheme the Holy Spirit. This is not the fruit of good men, though in other things ye set yourselves as the best 2c. This is when he continues to speak:
V. 34. You vipers, how can you speak good, because you are evil?
This is a strange conclusion, but it is a certain one, that a wicked man cannot speak or do anything good, even if he does and speaks the best. For if the heart and the will are evil, it is impossible for the thoughts, sayings and deeds to be good.
(88) And this is the controversy in the world between God and the devil, and between the rich of both. For the devil speaks and acts wickedly, even of good things, both in word and deed; indeed, he alone, with his own, boasts the most of both good words and good deeds. For he leads God's words and works lyingly to destruction. But Christ with His own speaks and acts of good words and works truly and for salvation. Thus the devil praises the special works with clothes, food, strict way of life, not to create benefit by it, but to bring them to ruin by these apparent works. He leads the sayings of the Scriptures in a lying way, in order to fortify that thereby, but it is all evil, because the heart and the will are evil. Therefore he now says the exceedingly beautiful saying:
When the heart is full, the mouth overflows.
That is, an evil heart cannot help but speak evil, even when it speaks good. A good heart cannot help but speak well, even when it speaks evil.
(90) Here some understand the words of Christ in a superstitious and frivolous way, wanting to take the words as they are. I have heard such people, and when they were sharply rebuked or their opinion was disagreed with, they would immediately conclude, "You are an enemy to me because you speak evil against me. Says
the other: But I speak out of good opinion. Then says he, Thou deceivest me not: for when the heart is full, the mouth overflows.
Such people are more rude and crude than is proper. For I could say in the same way of all heretics and flatterers, "Well, you speak right. If someone were to remember that he was speaking good out of a bad opinion, I could still stick to it and say, "You are not deceiving me; when the heart is full, the mouth overflows. Therefore this is great foolishness to take the words of Christ in this way, as if an upright man could not out of a very upright heart reprove, rebuke, and say what is against us, and again, as if the worst wicked man could not out of a very wicked heart praise, and tell us the very best. Therefore, the question is not of the words or syllables, but the words of Christ are to be understood from the sense and opinion of the heart, in this way: An evil man can never speak good, that is, from a good heart, from a good opinion or right movement of the mind. On the other hand, a good man cannot speak evil, that is, out of an evil heart or an evil opinion; but, as the heart is, so is speech, according to the common saying: Speech is the image of the heart. 1)
(92) But this also happens to wicked men, that they cannot always remember what they have spoken, and therefore cannot prevent themselves from speaking their own words. For a liar must have a good memory. They may lie for a while and in some pieces, but they cannot always make everything fit together. The lie finally betrays itself completely, especially in those who listen carefully and pay attention to everything. For now and then a word escapes them by which they are caught, just as here the Pharisees profess that the devils are cast out, and yet lie that it is done by Beelzebub. By this word they are caught, that they confess that the devils are cast out, because they are in
- This is how Luther himself translates the saying: Oratio est eduraoter uninü.
180 Notes On Matth. 12, 34. 35. w. vn, 270-273. 181
have truly been put to shame in their hearts; and yet the wickedness of their heart, which their heart overflowed, compels them to say, "Let it be done by Beelzebub".
They also reproach Christ on the cross: "He helped others" Matth. 27, 42. Here they carelessly confess that Christ's miraculous works were true miraculous works, and are caught and condemned by their own words; and yet they blaspheme them out of malice, of which their hearts were full, "He did not help himself. Therefore he rightly calls them "viper-breeds For quite properly and appropriately he so calls this poisonous kind of slanderous people, because in truth they are vipers or serpents, that is, full of poisonous blasphemies. The following words are of the same content:
V. 35. A good man brings forth good from his good shah of heart, and an evil man brings forth evil from his evil treasure.
- that is, when a heart is full of evil, it also speaks evil 2c. For a treasure he calls a fullness (abundantiam). An evil heart is full of all wickedness; a good heart is full of all goodness. Therefore an evil man also blasphemes good things, and speaks of them in the very worst way. For he is so full of the treasures of wickedness that he cannot bear even the very best deeds and words, but makes them bad, and in the very worst way makes them bad and diminishes them. For, as he himself is, so are all things to him, even GOD himself, that is, evil, as he is evil; as it is said in the eighteenth Psalm v. 27. "With the pure thou art pure, and with the perverse thou art perverse." For everything that God Himself speaks and does, a godless man blasphemes, and accuses it of being devilish. As it was then with Christ, and afterwards with the Gospel, so it is to this day, and so it will be to the end of the world.
(95) Therefore, an evil heart is a well of poison and a poisoned fountain, from which nothing good comes forth, either in words or deeds, no matter how good it may appear to be on the surface. After that, not only does it itself bring no good
but also infects what is said and done good by others and poisons it, that is, it condemns and slandered it. It is the colorful newt (as the Germans say), since all poisonous worms fetch poison, which in Latin is called stellio.
Who can believe it, and who can understand it, that the human heart is condemned by such a terrible judgment in heaven with God? namely, that it is a treasure full of evil, a fountain full of poison, a head and source of all iniquity. A man should be afraid of his own heart, who is called a man, when he hears that in the midst of his body such a pestilence, such a poison, such a treasure of evil and poison is kept, that he speaks and does nothing good; then he lets nothing good that is spoken and done by others be good, but makes himself, even out of good, a poison, out of God the devil, out of life death, out of righteousness sin. Just as here the Pharisees make of God's work a work of the devil, of God's kingdom a servitude of Beelzebub, of the most righteous work of Christ the very worst sin. Fie on the shameful pit of murder that is in the human heart!
On the other hand, a good heart is so abundantly full of goodness, and even a fountain, spring, and treasure of goodness, that it not only speaks and does good things, and not only praises what others speak and do out of God as something good, but also what evil is spoken and done out of the devil and out of an even poisoned heart, can turn itself to good, and from it take opportunity for growth in good.
For example, when it sees a man who has been beaten to death, or a man who has committed a similar grave sin, it is moved to mercy, it has compassion, it prays for him, it sighs and laments over the misery of the man, while it admonishes, punishes, and corrects him as much as it can. Secondly, it humbles itself, remembering: Yesterday you, today me; remembering human weakness. Third, it prays to God that it may be preserved from such a fall, and praises Him for His preservation. Behold, how much good
182 Notes on Matth. 12, 35-37. W. vn, 273-27". 183
makes such a heart out of a single evil that another does. Do we not see here that in such a heart there is truly a treasure of goodness, which is outwardly manifested in words, signs, works and patience? A terrible threat follows:
V. 36. But I say to you that men will have to give an account at the last judgment for every useless word they have spoken.
The wicked are sure that the whole pile of their wickedness will not only go unpunished by God, but that it also deserves something from God and must be crowned with a reward. Therefore, Christ passes a very strict sentence by saying that no useless word should remain unpunished. He does not say, "No poisonous word or blasphemy," which is what is being spoken of here; indeed, he says, "These vipers will be given nothing at all from their blasphemies, so that even their useless words will be judged. In sum, no mercy will be granted to them, all their words and works will be judged most severely, because their heart is so full of evil, according to which even their useless words (as you can see) will be considered evil and poisonous.
(100) There have been innumerable disputations about what is a useless word? And with this they have troubled the consciences exceedingly, because they have described the useless words only from the outside, that is, as they are from the outside with the people. But Christ describes them from the inside, saying: "Nothing but good can come from a good heart. Even if something evil or useless should come out by mistake, it will still be forgiven by grace, and will not become evil or useless; yes, it will be useful for humiliation, for confession, for correction, for the glory of God.
Therefore, the useless words must be described from within, according to the heart. Where the heart is evil, the words are also evil, even if they do not seem to be evil, but only useless or spoken in jest. An evil heart about is an unbelieving one.
Heart that knows nothing of God and blasphemes. As it says in Rom. 14, 23: "What does not come from faith is sin. Summa: Christ will not let anything be good for them, because they will not let anything be good for him, that is, for those who deny him. On the other hand, he will leave everything good for everyone who leaves everything good for him, that is, for those who believe in him.
V. 37. By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
This must be understood in two ways. First, according to the wording of this passage, namely: Every useless word shall be condemned, therefore your words will condemn you. On the other hand: A useful word shall be justified, therefore your words will justify you. If thou hast spoken evil, thou shalt be judged according to it; if thou hast spoken good, thou shalt be blessed according to it. And this is the opinion. Each one will be rewarded according to his works. Namely, nothing will go unpunished, and nothing will remain unrewarded. And so the emphasis is in the speech: "from your words." As if he wanted to say: Not even the words (let alone the works) will go unpunished.
Secondly, in justifying their nature, the wicked condemn themselves, as happens here; by making Christ the devil, but themselves saints, they betray themselves by confessing that the devil was cast out by him. Likewise, by mocking him on the cross Matth. 27, 42: "He helped others and cannot help himself," they confess that others were helped by him, and yet they crucified him. Likewise Cain, in justifying himself, Genesis 4:9: "Shall I be my brother's keeper?" accuses himself precisely by saying that he is not guilty of loving his brother 2c. On the other hand, he who accuses himself and confesses his sin gains grace through this and is justified Proverbs 28:13.
184 Notes on Matth. 12, 38-45. W. vn, 2767-278. 185
V. 38-42. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered and said: Master, we desired to see a sign from thee. And he answered and said unto them: The wicked and adulterous kind seeketh a sign, and no sign shall be given unto it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the midst of the earth. The people of Nineveh will come out at the last judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because they repented after the preaching of Jonah. And behold, here is more than Jonah. The queen of the south will appear at the last judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the end of the earth to hear Solomon's wisdom. And behold, here is more than Solomon.
104 Then they ask for a sign, but they do it at the wrong time. For he is already angry at their blasphemies, and does not do what they want. He is not at home now. Therefore he saith, Shall I give a sign unto such men, which have so shamefully dealt with me? Yea, I will give a sign, that shall be a sign unto them 2c. And they are truly hateful people, who want to have signs in such a way according to their will, so that they can blaspheme what they like, but what they demand must be done. Yes, it should be ordered to them in this way, says Christ. Rather, such a sign shall be given to these people, that they may stumble and fall, as the sign of Jonah is, that is, my death and resurrection. By this sign they shall be dealt with as they are worthy: namely, that it shall be given and preached to them, but they shall not believe it, but shall persecute it, and so become worse than the people of Nineveh. Yes, the people of Nineveh will be holy people, and the queen of Sheba will be a saint, because they have seen and heard less than these, and yet have believed. But these do not believe the signs of the present Christ, nor his resurrection.
V. 43-45. When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, but does not find it.
Then he says: I will return to my house from whence I came. And when he cometh, he findeth it idle, swept, and adorned. So he goes and takes with him seven other spirits worse than himself, and when they come in, they dwell there, and the same man is worse afterwards than he was before. This is what will happen to this evil generation.
He continues in an angry way, prophesying evil to them, saying: "I have already expelled the devil's kingdom from this people, but because they are unthankful and secure while I reign among them, the time will come that when I leave, the devil will return to them and make them seven times worse than they were before. Indeed, as long as I am present, the devil will be forced to go out and wander through desolate places where he will find nothing to do. And there he thirsts, because he cannot let out his desires by deceiving and doing harm, until he comes back to the house he left, and then he rages seven times more than before.
(106) So it is with every person in particular; when one falls from grace, he is always made worse. This is exactly what Peter threatens in 2 Peter 2:20: "If they have escaped from the filth of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but are again caught up in it and overcome, the last has become worse with them than the first. And history proves this in the case of the Anabaptists, Sacramentarians 2c.
(107) These words, "idle, swept, adorned," can be taken in this sense, that the devil sees such a house standing idle, that is, unoccupied. As if he wanted to say: Oh, how busy it was in this house under me, because it served me faithfully; now, after I have been driven out of it, it stands idle and does not serve me at all; yes, it has also been swept away, so that nothing of me, not even a trace, is left. It is also adorned, namely with new works that are against me. So that these are the words of the devil, who mourns that he has been cast out; as when a pope mourns that we have been cast out of the
186 Notes on Matth. 12, 43-50. Cap. 13, 1-9. W. vn, 273-235. 187
They are free of Pabst's teachings and purified of his doctrines, and moreover adorned with new doctrine and customs, which he nevertheless blasphemes as the worst and most frightening evils.
(108) It can also be understood in another way, correctly and according to the mind of Christ; that Hans is empty means as much as that he is safe and idle after the devil has been cast out, because he is purified and adorned with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and with the forgiveness of sins. Therefore, worse devils are necessary, although this security is dangerous and harmful.
V. 46-50 While he was still speaking to the people, his mother and brothers were standing outside wanting to talk to him. And one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. And he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And stretched out his hand over
his disciples, and said, Behold, this is my mother, and my brethren. For he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
- At last his mother comes and wants to talk to him 2c. No doubt she had an important cause. But because he is now taken by the movement of anger against the blasphemers and by the zeal for the honor of his father, he hears nothing, not even his mother. Thus he teaches that the teachers of the word should also not even respect the honor of the parents above the service of the word. Therefore Christ says: What mother! The word of God is far preferable to mother, brothers and everything. Whoever hears this is mother, brother, sister and everything. Hereby he shows that he has an unspeakable love for God above all things, and that one must have such a love and not regard anything above or beside God as equal.
The thirteenth chapter.
After this, Christ speaks to the people through all kinds of parables. The disciples ask him why he is doing this, and Christ answers in two ways, as we will see later.
On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And many people gathered to him, so that he entered the ship and sat down, and all the people stood on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it. Some of it fell into the rocky soil, because it did not have much earth; and it soon died out, because it did not have deep earth. But when the sun went out, it withered, and because it had no root, it became dry. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. Some fell on good ground and bore fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
The first equal speech, from the sower.
1 The first equation is of an arable or sowing man; which is dealt with more extensively in the postils. But two points are to be noted here. The first one, against the swarming spirits, who think that the oral word is of no use, because it does not bear fruit with most of them. The fools, namely, as if they themselves bore fruit, whereas they are exceedingly wicked precisely because they despise the word of God. This heresy has spread far and wide, and is very wicked.
(2) For every man is of such a nature that he is immediately ready to judge others, but he is not concerned about himself. Hence also the poet speaks:
Nemo in sese descendere tentat,
Sed praecedenti spectatur mantica tergo.
That is: No one tries to recognize himself, but on the front man's back one has the satchel before one's eyes]. There is nothing else; such foolishness must be shown to the world.
188 Notes on Matth. 13, 1-9. w. vn, 285-288. 189
let the beam bearers straighten the splinter bearers. Big thieves hang the little thieves; big peelers punish little peelers. This is the world; this is what it has been, is still, and will remain the world, just as its prince, the devil, accuses, condemns, and kills the saints of God, although he himself stands in the greatest condemnation of all. So it also happens in the church that such people condemn the saints because of some things they do for the sake of the word of God. And they want to have a church or saints without sin, which is impossible to find. Therefore, they conclude that either they do not have the true word, or the outward word must be of no use.
(3) But here you see that the seed bears fruit in a good soil; indeed, if the seed were not there, no fruit would follow from the earth. So, if the oral word were not in the church, there would be no fruit in it.
(4) Therefore it is the highest wisdom not to be offended by the multitude of those who despise the word. No one can believe what great men are lost over this annoyance today, who think that nothing should be seen in the church but what gives the greatest appearance of holiness. First of all, the Donatists separated from the church because they saw that evil was mixed in it. Afterwards they became divided among themselves, and the followers of Maximianus separated from the Donatists because they found evil among them. For the same foolishness the Novatians also left the church, and many other sects more, which have always taken this as the cause, that they did not want to suffer the wicked. Of these Augustine deals extensively against the Donatists. Therefore, it is no wonder that even today this foolishness plunges many into ruin, and that even great men take offense at it, to say nothing of Münzer and other enthusiasts.
5 But they are not to be excused, especially if they want to be Christians. For they either do not read this chapter of Matthew, or they despise it. For if they read it and believed it, they would see clearly enough here
see that the seed, that is, the word of God, hardly benefits the fourth part, and that the remaining three parts have the same word with the fourth, and yet remain evil. Why do they either not read this; or, why do they not believe it? Here they would have the most powerful solution to the question, namely: How it is possible that the word is true and useful, and yet only the third part brings forth fruit? Whose fault is it? The word? No, but in the soil, or the listeners. All hear the same word, but not all bear fruit.
- is it not an obvious nonsense that mari wants to put the blame, which lies with the listeners, on the word? namely: man does not respect the heard word; therefore the word is not a true word. The devil does not love GOD; therefore GOD is not a true GOD. A son does not honor the father; therefore the father is not a true father. A highwayman is not obedient to distant princes; therefore the prince is not a true prince. The ungrateful and hopeful people must be beaten with such nonsense that they speak and do all wrong things. And yet, as I have said, this plague is common, that men judge the word according to the individual fruits, and conclude thus quite incorrectly: Where all that is contained in the word does not take place, the true word is not there; but now, with these or those, all that is contained in the word does not take place; therefore they do not have the word. The present gospel says no to the above statement, saying that many things which the word contains do not happen, namely, where it falls among thorns, on the rock, by the way; therefore it is false.
7 Therefore, the fourth part of the harvested land is already enough for the truth of the word; yes, even only the seven thousand men in Israel under Elijah 1 Kings 19:18 and the remnant in the church Romans 9:27. For they that remain shall be saved, not the whole multitude: they therefore that look on the whole multitude are justly offended at the word. But they that look on the remnant know that it is enough for the remnant to bring forth fruit, though there be no fruit in the remnant.
190 Notes on Matth. 13, 1-10. W. vn, 288-2so. 191
which": is without benefit. So much for the first point.
(8) The other is for us, the godly, to remember, so that we may have comfort if not all hear our word, lest we become fainthearted or despair, or abandon the word altogether because many, even most, despise it. At least for the sake of the elect we should teach and look to the remnant who shall be saved. The other three parts may go to the devil. If not all princes believe, yet one or the other believes. If not all peasants are good, it is enough that two or three are good. If most of the scholars and saints fall, it is enough if we keep their few. It will not be otherwise; we must let thorns remain thorns, and cannot make it good earth. So we must also leave viam the way, and petrosa the stony ground, and take comfort in the good earth, which therefore also does not become thorns, whether its neighbors are thorns, and therefore its fruit of the seed does not behave, whether the thorns choke the seed. It is, as I said, a very great annoyance that there are so many despisers, but this is also a divine comfort, that we are assured that our work is not in vain, (as Paul speaks 1 Corinth. 15, 10.), because the word of God does not return empty Is. 55, 10., but it is a power of God to make blessed all who believe in it Rom. 1, 16., and the Holy Spirit comes through it at least to the fourth part of the earth 2c.
V. 10. And the disciples came to him, saying: Why do you speak to them by parables?
(9) Here the disciples raise a question: Why does he not speak to the people in plain words, but in parables? Christ gives them a very broad answer to this, but it is also high and difficult. For he seems unwilling, or rather envious, as if he did not want them to be instructed and understand what he teaches, because he speaks:
With hearing ears they do not hear.
10 But his opinion is recently this: This people is so miserably hopeful and wicked that even where I speak and work openly, they not only do not want to hear and learn, but also revile and blaspheme the truth they have recognized. Therefore I do unto them as they would have it, that, because they will not receive the clear and plain word, they must hear parables which they cannot understand, though they would. If thou wilt not hear that thou canst understand," I will speak that thou shalt not understand. If thou wilt be blind, let it be so, and be blind always. Thus it comes to pass that Paul saith 2 Cor. 4:3, "If our gospel be hid, it is hid in them that shall perish." Likewise Cap. 3, 14: "Until the present day the covering of Moses remains uncovered over the Old Testament, when they read it." In sum: to the enemies of the Word, the Word cannot be preached in any way so that they accept it, because they are ready to slander and falsify everything. For this reason it is quite right that the teaching is presented to them in parables, so that they not only do not understand it, but also slander it, because they blaspheme everything they do not understand.
Therefore it is not the fault of Christ, as if he was unwilling or envious, but of the desperate wickedness of this people, who always wanted to hear only pleasant and sweet things from the prophets; if not, they killed them, as Isaiah introduces them in chapter 30, v. 10: "Preach to us gently", what pleases us. For they have taken it into their heads that God is pleased with all that they think, speak and do.
This is the first answer. But Marcus notes in the 4th chapter v. 33. another one besides this one by saying:
And by many such parables he told them the word, after they could understand it. And without parables he spoke nothing to them 2c.
How does this agree with that? The first answer, as I have said, belongs to the wicked, but this latter belongs to the godly.
192 Notes on Matth. 13, 10-14. w. vn, 290-293. 193
blessed. For the wickedness of those makes them understand nothing (as he says: By understanding too well, they make them understand nothing). For they do not want to learn, but to judge. Therefore, whether they speak plainly or faintly, the malice of the heart drives them elsewhere, so that they slander. The good, however, are most charmingly won over by parables and figures. For even if they do not understand everything, the images themselves remain with them. Just as when children and the unintelligent hear that in heaven there will be round dances, honey, milk, games, gold, precious stones, even though they do not understand the things presented here, they understand from the images of the words that in heaven there is the greatest joy. So also here: although they do not understand the seed according to the thing, nevertheless they grasp so much from the words that the seed is a delicious thing, which one must preserve, namely, either the law of Mosis, or another doctrine. For they could not yet grasp the gospel according to the thing itself. But a wicked man grasps neither the thing nor the words here; but is disgusted with it, and blasphemes it either as foolish or as most harmful.
(14) Even the ignorance of the matter works for the good of the godly, because they are attached to the words with which the matter is presented, and do not blaspheme. But for the wicked, the very fact that they hear the word, which they also twist into evil things, works against them. This is what he now says in the text:
V. 11, 12. To you it is given to know the secret of the kingdom of heaven, but to these it is not given. For to him that hath shall be given, that he may have the fullness; but from him that hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
You have, because you at least keep and honor my words and do not despise them. This "have," namely, to love the word, is already much and a great gift, even if you do not understand everything perfectly. For that
- The poet Terence.
is already a catch, if one knows what the words mean. For those who do not care whether or not they know what the words mean, do not keep the words either. They have nothing against it, because they do not even grasp the word, even despise it. Therefore the word together with the thing is taken from them. But to you the thing is also given together with the word. "He fills the hungry with goods and leaves the rich empty" Luc. 1, 53.
V. 13. 14. Therefore I speak to them by parables. For with seeing eyes they see not, and with hearing ears they hear not; for they understand not. And upon them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, With the ear ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and with the eye ye shall see, and shall not understand.
16 Here he digresses far, and in this saying he cites the passage of Iesaiah, and says: "For this reason I speak to these (namely, arrogant and completely hopeful people) by means of parables, because they are of such perverse wickedness that they neither hear nor see even that which they apparently hear and see, because they do not understand it; that is, they do not want and do not care that they understand it, but let themselves think as if they understood far greater and higher things. Therefore, the higher they go in understanding, the lower and lower I go in speaking, so that the arrogant may seek empty things, but the lowly may find me. And this is so that they may be humbled, and lower themselves from the height of understanding to the lowliness of learning. But this they will not do; so they remain as they are, that is, "with hearing ears they hear not, and with seeing eyes they see not." Not as if the fault were in my words that they hear, or in my works that they see, but the fault is in their ears and eyes, as Isaiah foretold, and pictured this people, that they have always been such a people, and will be in the future, against all the prophets of God who preach the word of God, but most of all against Christ Himself.
194 Notes on Matth. 13, 13-15. W. vn, 293-296, 195
- but it is a terrible prophecy; and yet there are many examples in the human race of God manifestly and palpably holding up His word and works to the eyes and ears of men, so that they see and hear it (as He speaks here), and yet the blindness of their hearts is so great that they do not see or hear what they see and hear. They have seen, I say, that these miracles could not be done, nor such glorious things taught, except by GOD; and yet they deny of everything that it comes from GOD, and ascribe it to Beelzebub. That is to say, to be blind with eyes to see, and to be nonsensical with good sense. Such a great artist is the devil, and so much can he charm the senses that they think that God is the devil, and again that the devil is God.
V. 15 For this people's heart is hardened, and their ears hear evil, and their eyes slumber; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should help them.
18 Here he adds the cause of this monstrosity, saying: "For this people's heart is hardened, and their ears hear": evil, and their eyes slumber" 2c. Just as he will say below in the 15th chapter, v. 19. "Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, thievery, false witness, blasphemy"; so he speaks here also: This, that one is blind with seeing eyes, deaf with hearing ears, and senseless with a good mind, comes from a hardened heart, or, as it is said in Hebrew, from such a heart, which is covered with mud, which is even slimy; namely, through the inclination and long habit to think differently and to be of a different mind. But when the heart is turned away from a thing, and the mind is alienated from it, it is quite natural that the eye looks at it carelessly, and the ear listens to it with difficulty and displeasure. For things which we despise, we do not appreciate to look at, or to hear, or to think about. And when they hear the word, it seems to their alienated eyes and ears as if they were in a strange world.
19 The cause of this monstrosity is therefore clear, namely, their heart is so constituted. But as the heart is constituted, and as it is minded, so are all the senses and inclinations, so that a wrong heart is like a painted glass, according to which the senses judge, and judge wrongly, because they form their opinion according to the heart.
(20) These words, "Lest at any time they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, that I may help them," seem to be spoken out of envy, as if he did not want them to see and be helped. But this whole passage must be read in context, so that it hangs together like a chain in this way: This people has a hardened heart, and ears that hear evil, and closed eyes 2c., hence it comes that they cannot be converted, and they cannot be helped. As if he wanted to say: The hardening of their heart stands in the way, that they do not see, and that I cannot help them. I would gladly help them," he says, "that is why I am sending my Son; but the hardening of their hearts stands in the way of my will and their salvation.
In this way, it is pronounced shorter and clearer than how Lyra expresses it: The little words "upon that," or "upon that not," would be taken here inferentially (consecutive), not intentionally (affective). For if one arranges the text in this way: The heart of this people is hardened, that they do not see, and I cannot help them, the understanding is clear. That they cannot be helped, that makes, because they do not see. But that they do not see, that is because their heart is hardened. Thus it is clear that God is said to have the will to help them; but this is punished in men, that their heart prevents this. But the higher question: Why some are hardened, others let themselves be softened? does not belong here, nor is it necessary or useful. Now follows the Sunday Gospel. 1)
- For the thirteenth Sunday after Trinity in the parallel passage Luc. 10, 23. ff. With regard to the parable of the sower, which is preached on the Sunday of SIXDAYSIME, Luther already referred to his postilion at the beginning of this chapter.
196 Notes on Matth. 13, 16-24. w. vn, 296-299. 197
V. 16-23 But blessed are your eyes that they see, and your ears that they hear. Verily I say unto you, Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see that which ye see, and have not seen it; and to hear that which ye hear, and have not heard it. Now therefore hear ye this likeness of the sower. When a man hears the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked man, and taketh away that which is sown in his heart: and he it is that soweth by the way. But he that is sown out of the stony place is he that heareth the word, and soon receiveth it with joy. But he hath no root in it, but is fickle: when tribulation and persecution arise because of the word, he is soon vexed. But he that is sown among the domes, if any man hear the word, and the care of this world, and deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and bring not forth fruit. But he that is sown in the good land is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it, and bringeth forth fruit: and some bear an hundredfold, and some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.
22 By this he means that you do not have closed eyes, like those slanderers and despisers, but your eyes are open and focused on the word. Therefore you see, and that which kings and prophets had a desire for, but which they did not actually see, and which was not set before them. This is found in the postilion.
The Other Equal Speech.
V. 24. He set before them another likeness, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that soweth good seed in his field.
This second simile of the seed is somewhat more frightening than the first. For the first speaks of the same seed in different fields, that is, of the different hearers of the word, since the word of God is prevented, either by the way, or on the rocky ground, or among the thorns. But this other simile speaks of different seed, namely of good and evil seed in the same field, that is,
of different doctrines, namely of the right some doctrine, and of the heretical doctrine.
(24) He means to say that the kingdom of heaven or the church is such that where the word of God is preached, there the devil also sows his heresies; as it is said: Where God builds a church, there the devil also wants to have a chapel or a shrine. Thus in the people of Israel, beside the tabernacle and the temple, innumerable sects of idolatry arose. Likewise Christ proclaimed beforehand that there would be false prophets and false Christs in the church, Matth. 24, 24. But this is a miserable and greater evil, that false teachers also come, who teach such things that depart from the word, since this is already misfortune enough, even if all teachers teach the same word and in unison, that the way, the stone, the thorns, do so much harm. Now, in addition to this misfortune, there is also a wicked sower. Evil disciples are also given an evil master. A godless teacher is given to a bad character. This is what he says here, that even on a good land evil seed is sown. Therefore Paul also complains that the innocent hearts are deceived, Rom. 16, 18, and it grieves him that the Galatians, who were so fine, were deceived Gal. 5, 7. For the heretics do not catch pleasure-seeking worldly men, not the thorny, not the miserly, but the most select people, and those who have the best conscience, who seek the truth with all earnestness, that it must hurt one.
(25) But he sets forth this terrible parable for the comfort of the godly, that they may not be dismayed when they see the doctrine of the word troubled by such great evils, and may not think that the church and the faith are in despair because of it, when they see many and strong heretics raging in the church; but they should think, It must be so, because it was preached beforehand, that it will be so. If it should move anyone, it should move the Lord Himself, who sees and proclaims all these things beforehand. Accordingly, behold the image of the church among the heretics, which is beautifully depicted here.
198 Notes on Matth. 13, 25. 26. W. vii, 299-302. 199
V. 25 But while the people slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away.
26 First, he depicts a good farmer who sows good seed in a cultivated and good field; then a neighbor and an evil farmer who, out of hatred for his neighbor, spoils his field with weeds. (This is the church, in which Christ is the husbandman, as he himself explains below. For this similitude his disciples understood better than the two that follow. The devil is also a husbandman. The good seed are the good ones who were begotten from the Word. The evil seed are the wicked begotten of heresy 2c., as we shall see below. Now that this painting has been set up, one must diligently ponder the words themselves.
Dr but the people slept, his enemy came re.
27 Thus he shows that it is impossible to prevent the heretics. For while the apostles confidently and joyfully teach the word, and hope that all things will be pure and sure, behold, while they sleep, as it were, and fear nothing of the kind, false apostles and false brethren suddenly arise. Who can guard against them? They are brothers, and become unawares husks, as Cain against Abel.
So a Christian and a preacher should never hope that all the people in his church are pure. The devil always has his own mixed in, who break out when the occasion arises, even though they pretend for a time. So it happened to the apostles; so it happens to us nowadays from those who learned our doctrine from us while we were asleep, and especially from those to whom we were least careful. And this will also happen further on from those whom we consider to be very devoted to our teaching now 2c. For we are still asleep with regard to those who will be in the future 2c.
29 But it comforts us in this so heavy misfortune that it must happen this way, because it preaches Christ. John also consoles himself
even for this reason 1. Ep. 2, 19.: "They went out from us, but they were not from us." Always out of the best comes the worst, as out of angels devils, out of Christians heretics, out of the people of God crucifiers of God. It must be so; therefore fearless and unruffled. It is said: inter triticum among the wheat. Tares shall not alone grow among tares, but also among the wheat. The devil also wants to sit in heaven, and does not like deserta et arida loca desert and arid oerter. He likes to eat sweet morsels, and he likes to eat pure oats. For he considers his unflattery to be thesem and balm. The pure little fruit wants to live among the roses. We have to suffer so much in the church.
And walked away.
(30) This is the only trick of Satan and the heretics, that they do not want to appear to be teaching evil doctrine. For they can bear nothing worse than to be said to be harmful to the church, since they alone boast of being the purest and most faithful servants of the church, zealous for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. No, no one has done so little harm, indeed, so much good, as they. He wipes his mouth very well, has eaten nothing, and walks away with honor. That is annoying. To do harm, and yet to have done right and well. Then strike, O Christ 2c. "But they will not do it for long (says Paul 2 Tim. 3, 9.), for their foolishness will be revealed to everyone."
V. 26. When the herb grew and bore fruit, the tares were also found.
Behold, little fruit, do you find yourself? For the pure ministers of the word know and discern their doctrines. And Paul saith, "There must be breeds among you, that they which are righteous may be manifest among you," that the false may be separated from the true 1 Cor. 11. 19., according to the first Psalm, v. 5. "The wicked stand not in judgment;" and lastly, the chaff abideth not with the wheat. And every evil tree before it brings forth fruit,
200 Notes on Matth. 13, 26-29. W. vii, 302-304. 201
sometimes surpasses a good tree in splendid leaves; but when one has tasted its fruits, one says: Fie on you! such a beautiful tree bears such evil pears 2c. In this way, as long as the heretics lie hidden under the pretense that they are with us, they are exceedingly beautiful, but when they begin to teach and do the opposite, the spirit of truth soon becomes aware of them. And so all who call on the name of the Lord 2 Tim. 2:19 depart from unrighteousness, and they also depart from us and make sects.
V. 27 Then the servants came to the father of the house and said: Lord, have you not sown good seed in your field? Where did he get the weeds?
(32) They say this because they are angry with heresies for the love of the Word, and would that there were none, but that all everywhere were like-minded; and it grieves them that the devil reigns in the church.
V. 28. He said to them: This is what the enemy has done. Then said the servants: Do you want us to go and weed it out?
The Lord answers strangely, yet comfortingly. For it is strange that he confesses that it is the enemy who has sown the tares, and yet will not let them be pulled up. This is a consolation against the gushing spirits and those who are annoyed by the weakness of the church.
34 For from the beginning of the church, the heretics held that the church must be holy and without sin. But seeing that some in it were subject to sins, they soon denied that this was the church, and made sects of which they wanted to be the holy church. Hence come the Donatists, the Cathars, and many others, and to-day the Anabaptists 2c. who all cry out with the same fury: The true church (because they see that sinners and the ungodly are mixed among them) is not the church, and they separate themselves from it.
- this thought also plagues great people, to whom it seems unworthy that weeds should be
should be mingled among the wheat; even the Lord's own servants, because they desire to sow it 2c. Therefore it is the greatest wisdom not to be offended when wicked men and heretics come into the church and from the church. For Christ says here: that the enemy sows them. And the greatest consolation is this, that we know that they do no harm, but that we must suffer the tares to be mixed with them.
V. 29. He said, "No, so that you do not plow up the wheat at the same time that you plow up the tares.
(36) These words, "Lest ye pluck up the wheat at the same time," which he gives as a reason why it should not be plucked up, can be understood in two ways. First, because some good people who would still be converted among them would be damned and corrupted at the same time if they were denied the church and fellowship with the wheat. This should by no means be done, because the access to the mercy seat must be open to the penitent. For "to be cut off" is as much as to be cut off from the church and fellowship.
37 Secondly, if we would not suffer weeds, there would be no church. For since the church cannot be without weeds, to pull up the weeds would be to pull up the church. This opinion is the most simple and genuine, because the truth is that the church cannot be without evil. And the enthusiasts, who do not want to have weeds among them, bring about that there is no wheat among them; that is, by wanting to be pure wheat and a pure church, they cause by their excessive holiness that they are no church at all, but a mere sect of the devil. For the hopeful, and those who are puffed up with vain conceit of holiness, are nothing less than the church, which confesses that it is a sinner, and which bears heretics, sinners, and the ungodly, that is, the tares mixed in. Since they do not want this, they separate themselves and pull out the wheat with the tares, and become nothing less than the church.
202 Notes on Matth. 13, 30. W. vn, sos-sos. 203
V. 30. Let both grow together until the harvest.
38 That is, endure and be patient. Do not take it into your heads that you want to be without evil people and heretics; you will not be able to change that. This is for me to judge on the future day of judgment, when I will free you from this suffering.
39 Here the question arises: whether the pope should be tolerated in the church, and whether it is necessary that the monasteries be restored to him? because it says here: "Let both grow. They want this to be understood in such a way that they should be allowed to live freely as they wish, unpunished and unhindered 2c. For this is how they explain it: let, that is, admit it. If this is true, then we are not allowed to punish them now, but we are bound to keep quiet and to let them have everything. Likewise, why don't they grow both (that is, us equally)? Because they want to exterminate us. Consequently they argue against Christ, that they want to exterminate us, and they alone want to grow 2c. And why do they not also say in the same way that Christ is the author of their sin, because he has forbidden to weed them out? and so he seems to confirm them.
40 Therefore this thought is not valid. For this word "let them" is not such a word with which he wants to confirm and approve them, but a word so that he wants to comfort us and exhort us to patience. As if he wanted to say: Because you are forced to tolerate the wicked, and the church will not be without wicked people, therefore you should be patient. Let them go, let go what you cannot hold. Thus he speaks elsewhere of the Pharisees: "Let them go, for they are blind", Matth. 15, 14. and Matth. 8, 22: "Let the dead bury their dead" 2c. Therefore he does not forbid to punish them, to avoid them, to put them under ban 2c., but if they do not respect the punishment, let them go; have patience and do not despair of the church because of this. For what you cannot judge, leave to me. I will find those who despise you 2c.
(41) And so this passage is to be understood of the patience of the saints who are in need.
to tolerate the evil and wicked people in the church; as it is said: "They went out from us, but they were not of us", 1 John 2:19. Therefore, if one wants to eradicate the wicked from the church, this is nothing else than that one wants to have the church without evil, which is impossible. However, this also means that we do not tolerate them, that we do not approve of them, that we do not let them be weeds in peace, but we rebuke them, we put them under ban, we do what we can. So Adam did not let Cain go unpunished; and yet, because he was incorrigible, he let him go his way. And Christ did not let Judas go unpunished; and yet, because he was not corrected by it, he let him go.
(42) And so the word "let" is not for them, but against them, that we do not allow them freedom to sin, nor do we consent to it. But if they continue to sin and despise our reminders, then we let them go their way. So we do not let the papacy do what they want, that is, we do not approve of their doctrine and their life; and yet, because they do not want to, we let them go.
43 Therefore, to the question: whether one may tolerate the pope and restore the monasteries, this is the answer: one may not tolerate him in such a way that we approve of his things and consent to them, but if they do something by force and take it to themselves, we must suffer. And that means to let both grow together and not to weed them out. For if we should leave them in sin with our consent, we would indeed pluck up the wheat, and make them grow alone as they will. But now we do not leave them to give our consent, but reject it, and separate ourselves from them, saying, Well, we must be among evil men, as it is said in 1 Cor. 5:10, "Otherwise we must depart out of the world." So let it be just as much these as others; but God will judge them in His time who despise us.
(44) Therefore they falsely say this against us, that we should let them, that is, let them do as they please, that they should go unpunished, even to the extent that they should not be punished.
204 Notes on Matth. 13, 30-32. w. vn, 3v8-3ii. 205
from the word of rebuke, as if they were doing right and well, while Christ's opinion is that they should be left as people who do evil and cannot be corrected, as outcasts from the community of spiritual people. They demand (on the basis of this word) the freedom to sin, as if it had been granted to them, while Christ indicates with this very word that the freedom to sin is punished or condemned, completely in the opposite sense.
(45) But this is beautiful and noteworthy, that those who support themselves on this passage and want to prove from it that weeds must be allowed to grow, confess by this very fact that they are weeds. For how do they defend themselves with this passage, that they should be allowed to grow, unless they want to teach us by their own mouth that they are tares? Nevertheless, if we teach against them as against the tares, they want to be the church or the wheat. Therefore they are condemned by their own words, because they want to be tares and wheat at the same time, that is, ungodly and the church. Yes, that would be a fine predicament; if they realized that there was danger, they could hang their mantle to the wind on both sides, and if they liked, the church, and also, if they wanted, again tares, and thus be free and safe on both sides. Who would not want this? as they do and want, so it should be right 2c.
And at harvest time I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to be burned; but gather the wheat into my sheaves.
46 This is a comfort, that they shall not abide for ever, and that the harvest shall come at last, in the which the wheat shall be delivered from the tares; though it is hard now to tolerate their insolence in the church. But because Christ or the evangelist has still saved the interpretation of this parable, and Matthew puts two other parables between them, we also want to keep this order.
The third parable is about the mustard seed.
He set another likeness before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. Which is the least of all seeds; but when it groweth up, it is the greatest of cabbages, and becometh as a tree, that the fowls of the air should come and dwell under the branches thereof.
(47) The third simile is taken from a grain of mustard seed, and under it he removes another offense, namely, the offense of weakness, which is found in the word and in the church before the world, even in the eyes of the godly. For the next preceding simile contained the offense of ungodliness and sects in the church; here he treats of the outwardly annoying appearance of the church itself, saying: "The church is like the tiniest grain, which seems very small. Here reason is annoyed and says: "Ah, what would become of the poor doctrine and the small cluster? If kings, scholars, saints preached; yes, if angels came as to Moses; but now poor, unlearned and also infirm men are accepted and come, and they want to rule the world and teach; the fishermen, the sinners, the donkeys teach wise men 2c.
(48) This trouble, which, as I have said, arises because of the weakness and lowliness of the word and of the persons, also makes an impression on ourselves, in that the reason of the flesh says: How, thou alone, thou vain man, dost subject thyself to so great things? How, if you alone were lacking? If God allows so many, so great, and all people to err, how if He also allows you to err individually? And here belong the reasons of proof: The church, the church! the fathers, the fathers! the conciliarities, 1) the habit, the multitude, the greatness of such wise people! Whom should not these mountains of proofs, and the clouds, yea, the seas of examples overwhelm? And yet it must be so, that in all the world Christ is the only one, in
- Instead of Consilia in the Wittenberg we have adopted Consilia with the Jena.
206 Notes on Matth. 13, 31-33. W. vn, [n-M. 207
Peter alone in all Rome, Paul alone in all Greece, one pastor in a whole city; and each one of these is despised in his own place against the glory of the world, and yet they all speak against the world. Yet from this single grain grows such a great church that afterward great men, princes and wise men come and rest in it through faith.
(49) Thus he says that the world was converted to faith in a strange and miraculous way, that is, through weakness, against all power, wisdom, righteousness, (2c) which is apparently a divine miracle. For the kingdoms of the world are not raised up by weakness, but by power against the weak. Therefore, it is a completely different way to propagate the kingdom of God than with the kingdoms of the world.
50 And with this very reason of proof it is proved that the church is the kingdom of God, because all the other kingdoms of the world contend against it alone, which, moreover, is weak, despised, and regarded as nothing at all, and yet does not overcome it, but at last overcomes all kingdoms, and converts them to itself, that is, by divine power. But before it grows like this, its weakness and lowliness is annoying, that is, it is despised and contested by the birds of heaven until they come and nest under its branches.
51 And it is strange that he compares mustard to cabbage. For cabbage herbs are good for eating, and can be cooked, and are useful for the stomach, 2c. But mustard has a bitter taste 2c. Therefore, he herewith indicates that the cabbage, that is, the kingdoms of the world, are indeed great and pasture for the belly; and yet the mustard finally grows, so that even princes and kings, and what else is cabbage, humble themselves to the faith, and become subject to the word, and rejoice that they are worthy to sit in the church of God, and to dwell under its branches.
52 This is why Christ here calls mustard a tree, while it is a perennial and a herb, namely, its we
not because of its essence. As if he wanted to say: The mustard is not really a tree, but if you look at the birds that live under its branches, it will be the largest tree among all. On other trees dwell the small birds, but on this mustard sit the eagles, the kings, the princes, the wise men, who abandon their trust and become very small, like the flies that sit on this tree. In sum, the Church and the Gospel finally become greater and higher than all kingdoms. The kingdoms pass away, the Church remains and triumphs, having finally subdued them by faith, as the stories testify since the beginning of the world.
The fourth parable of the leaven.
V. 33. He spoke another parable to them: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour, until it was leavened.
This fourth simile is to be understood, according to the letter, of Sarah, who kneaded flour for the angels and baked cakes out of it, Gen. 18, 6. And Christ himself dignified her to put an allegory of her here, as a lover of this pious woman, because of her faith and patience 2c.
(54) First of all, then, as all things are twofold, so is leaven; one is old, and the other is new. As Paul also says, "Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new dough." Likewise, "Let us keep Easter, not in the old leaven of malice and mischievousness," 1 Cor. 5:7, 8. And it is close before v. 6.: that a little leaven leaveneth the whole dough, namely, in both ways. A good leaven leaveneth well, and an evil leaven leaveneth wickedly 2c.
- But Christ wants to comfort us with this likeness, and to give us to understand that when the gospel, as a new leaven, has once been mixed among the human race (that is, the dough), it will not cease until the end of the world, but will run through the whole mass of those who are to be saved, and will come to all who are worthy of it, even against the will of all the wards.
208 Notes on Matth. 13, 33-35. W. vn, 313-316. 209
of hell. And just as it is impossible for the acid, once mixed into the dough, to be separated from the dough again, because it has changed the nature of the dough, so it is impossible for Christians to be torn away from Christ. For Christ is so incorporated into them as a leaven that it is One Body. One mass, One cake, One loaf 2c.
(56) Therefore it is in vain for the devil to chase and persecute the church out of the world, that is, if he wants to separate Christ from the believers, the acid from the dough. For as it is impossible for men to separate the acid mixed in from the dough, so it is impossible for the devil to separate Christ from his church. The dough is leavened; the devil will not separate the acid from the dough. If he boils it or roasts it, roasts it and bakes it, the leaven, Christ, is in it and shall remain in it until the last day, so that everything is leavened and nothing of the dough remains unleavened.
Here, according to the art of speech, a vivid picture of the devil can be drawn, as he stands there and tries hard to separate the acid from the dough, and yet achieves nothing, except that he sullies his hands and, as it were, weighs them down with dung. It is as if an angry maid wanted to knead the dough until she separates the acid from the dough, and yet does not know that the more she kneads, the more she mixes the leaven into the dough and drives it in. Thus one may paint the devil's cap with bells, standing over a trough, and kneading very angrily, so that he may separate Christ from the church; and yet the fool does not know that by his kneading he mixes the leaven of Christ the more among the church and drives it in.
(58) Therefore the word that is mixed in with it will remain until the end, that is, for our comfort, so that we can mock the devil and say: Be angry, devil, the mercury is in the pond, the leaven is in the dough, you have provided it. This is what we see, that the church has lasted until now, and we know that it will also last in the future, until all Israel is blessed, and the whole mass is leavened.
All these things Jesus spoke to the people in parables, and without parables he did not speak to them. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables, and will utter the mysteries which have been since the foundation of the world.
(59) Then follow the words of the evangelist, which are sufficiently offensive, especially to scholars. First, he says that Christ did not speak to the people without parables, of which something has been said above 10 ff. Secondly, that he says that this fulfills what is written in Psalm 78, v. 2, since in the place referred to there is no mention of Christ at all, but (as the text indicates) of the old stories and deeds that God did in the people of Israel, so that it would seem to a worldly person as if Matthew included this passage more out of a desire to cite Scripture than with good judgment to support his gospel.
(60) If we cannot answer this according to the capacity of our understanding, we must let the Holy Spirit be master, if he wanted to tempt us and make fools of us over one single passage, since he has been so clear in all the others. For it is indeed hard for Abraham, after he had believed everything, that he should finally believe things contrary to each other, that is, that the Son of Promise should be killed. Therefore it is safer to confess his ignorance than to want to understand everything. So also here: although this passage (as it seems) is not necessary, yet the Holy Spirit knows why he has included it.
(61) According to my understanding, Matthew has interpreted this general saying to something special. That is, just as the psalm sings of the stories of the fathers, all of which signify many things, so Christ also wants to say many things as stories, which nevertheless signify many things that should happen in the whole world. For just as all these words of Christ are of something other than what they signify (although what they signify are historical things), so also the stories of the people of the Old Testament signify, although they are things that really happened,
210 Notes on Matth. 13, 34-39. W. vn, 316-319. 211
but at the same time those things that would happen in the church and with Christ. That is why this saying from the 78th Psalm v. 2. can be generally applied on both sides, since it says: "I will open my mouth to proverbs, and utter old stories. As if he wanted to say: Christ's parable speeches are like those old stories. For in both, besides the things that happened, something else is taught. Both, then, can be rightly understood in the words, "I will speak ancient history."
62 And the Hebrew text in this very Psalm aptly helps this opinion, which calls "ancient history" chidoth, that is, riddles or aenigmata, and immediately after that secret hidden things, or mysteries. From these words it can be seen that Matthew was not moved without cause to regard Christ's parables also as chidoth and mysteries; namely, as those which were generally preached in this quoted saying of the Psalm. Yes, even Christ himself speaks here v. 11. that his parables are mysteries. As if he wanted to say: I speak to you chidoth and hidden things, such as the Psalm speaks. And so we both speak parables, both the psalm and I, and so we agree with each other. This is enough. Whoever wants more, let him search for himself.
N. 36-39 Then Jesus sent the people away and came home. And his disciples came to him, saying: Explain to us this parable of the weeds of the field. And he answered and said unto them: The Son of Man is the one who sows good seed. The field is the world. The good seed is the children of the kingdom. The tares are the children of wickedness. The enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The reapers are the angels.
- Here follows the interpretation of the second parable, which Christ gave of the wicked in the church, as stated above 23 ff. However, if Christ himself had not interpreted all the pieces in this way, no one would be able to understand it. However, if Christ himself had not interpreted all the pieces in this way, no one would have submitted to it, indeed, no one would have met with it, namely, that the field
the world, the good seed the good, the sowing moun Christ himself, the tares the wicked, the enemy the devil, the reapers the angels, the harvest should be the end of the world. For this interpretation does not refer to the household or to the worldly regiment, but it is entirely heavenly and divine. For who would know without the word of GOD that the angels would be the reapers, the harvest the end of the world, the enemy the Tenfel, the sower Christ. For reason knows nothing of angels, nothing of devils, nothing of the end of the world, nothing of Christ. Even if it could imagine under the field a kingdom, and under the good seed the good, under the tares the bad, it could not understand it of a heavenly thing, because it cannot grasp the things that are eternal.
Accordingly, we Christians who believe in an eternal kingdom are told that we should be certain: First, that the end of the world and the harvest, which is here foretold, is certain, and that this world will not stand without end. This is comforting to the weary who have no rest in this world. "If we hope in Christ alone in this life, we are the most miserable of all men," 1 Cor. 15:19.
Secondly, that we must suffer the wicked along with them, and that the church will always be full of sects, aversions and wicked people. But we should not despair because of this, as if the Church were not a Church because of this, or as if God had abandoned the whole human race. All this is part of our consolation, so that in this world among the wicked we may safely await the future harvest through patience.
Thirdly, we should be warned that the devil does not sleep, but goes about seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet 5:8. For we must not hope 1) that he will cease. To sow evil among the church; therefore watch and pray.
67 Fourth, that neither Christ nor his servants will abandon us, that is, that he will not abandon his church.
- Instead of desperandum in the Wittenberg we have assumed sxerarMum with the Jena.
212 Notes on Matth. 13, 36-44. W. vn, 319-322. 213
For here it is written that his servants denounce the tares to him: "Lord," they say, "have you not sown good seed in your field? Whence then hath he the tares?" Therefore, there will always be such people in the church who will accuse the wicked and the offenders by prayer before Christ, and will display their hatred and abhorrence by confession and preaching.
68 Similarly, it is also written here that Christ speaks with his own and knows and notices these troubles, even though his servants do not complain and pray. For he gives to understand that he sees all these evils very well and even better than they could complain about them. And so the church is never without Christ, who looks at everything closely, nor without some believers who are thoroughly taught by God. For the Church remains the Church, and Christ remains Christ, even though the aversions and the evils abound.
Fifthly, that the angels of heaven also belong here, and at the harvest, which is quite certain, they will administer the office of the reapers. For since God has already appointed His angels as reapers, nothing is more certain than that this harvest will certainly take place. For such great reapers are not appointed in vain, which also increases our comfort and makes it certain.
V. 40-43: As the tares are weeded out and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of this world. The Son of man shall send his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all offenses, and them that do iniquity, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom.
(70) Since he delights, as it were, in speaking of the last day, he then goes on to speak about it in a lovely way, and describes the ministry of those reapers or angels, saying: "The Son of man will send his angels," which is just as much as: they shall become the reapers. "And they shall gather out of his kingdom all offenses, and them that do iniquity," that is, both the ungodly doctrines and all wicked men.
schen. "And shall cast them into the furnace of fire." This is the first piece of the harvest, that they will separate the tares from the wheat. The second piece is that they will present the wheat cleaned. Then on both sides this will happen, that those, the tares, will burn in the eternal fire. But these, the wheat, will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom.
- Who could have interpreted this harvest like this? Who would have thought that the wheat would shine like the sun, and the tares would burn like hay, and both for eternity? Therefore, he does not exclaim in vain at the end:
He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
As if he wanted to say: This means talking about other things, because the world talks. And here it is time to hear, not to think. For these things cannot be grasped by speculation, but only by hearing. Those who do not hear grasp nothing.
The Fifth Parable of a Protection 2c.
V. 44. But sometimes the kingdom of heaven is like a hidden treasure in the field, which a man found and hid, and went away rejoicing over it, and sold all that he had, and bought the field.
The fifth parable is of a treasure hidden in the field, which means that the kingdom of God is sought in vain by our powers and efforts or works of the law. "For we are not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of GOD" John 1:13. In this way the Jews were after righteousness, and did not attain righteousness Rom. 9:31. They had the field, but they did not see the treasure in it. So also today and at all times the works saints labor with the law (as with a field), and yet do not thereby attain to the end of the law, that is, to Christ Rom. 10:4, but he remains hidden from them. But he is found by those who have not searched for him, as Paul Rom. 10, 20. from the 65th chapter.
214 Notes on Matth. 13, 44-46. W. vn, 322-324. 215
Isaiah v. 1. So when the Jews had the field, the Gentiles came, and when they found Christ in the law, they went and sold all that they had, and bought the field with the treasure, that is, the law with Christ contained therein, and for him they gave their lives and all with joy.
This, then, is the nature of the kingdom of God, that one seems to possess it, and yet does not possess it; another possesses it, and yet does not seem to possess it. This is why the hypocrites want to be the church and are not, because they do not recognize the treasure of the church, namely Christ. But the godly know him, and yet do not seem to be the church, but remain hidden from the world. 2 Cor. 4, 3. 4. Col. 3, 3.
Thus this reason has been established from the beginning of the world: the Church is not the Church, and that which is not the Church is the Church. Why is it said here that the treasure is found and hidden after it is found? 1) Because it is received without merit, as it were by chance, and yet it remains hidden from the wicked, although it is clearly presented to them by words and deeds, by the cross and by miracles 2 Cor. 4:3, 4. He is hidden (not to those who find it) and remains hidden. He who has it knows it; he who does not have it never knows it.
- Therefore, this parable contains a very important consolation, that we should not let ourselves be challenged when the wicked boast that they are the church, and yet cannot understand it. It is the poor people who understand it, and who take away the cause of the church from them, and let them have the name of the church, while they do not know the cause. 2) The poor people who understand it, and take away the cause of the church from them, and let them have the name of the church, while they do not know the cause. Meanwhile, these go and possess worldly honor and riches under the name of the church; but those lose and give away all that is theirs, under the name of heretics and rebels. This is how it will be and how it will be, not otherwise, so that the treasure will remain hidden from them, and we, in the danger of losing everything, will keep it.
- With the Wittenberg edition, we took this sentence as a question.
- This is what the church consists of, rem ecclesiae.
The Sixth Parable of a Protection 2c.
V. 45, 46. But once the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking good pearls. And when he found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
This sixth simile teaches almost the same thing as the previous one, except that the former speaks of what is found, while the latter speaks of what is sought. Therefore he teaches here of increasing faith, and implies that the pearl is not unknown, but that one has heard of it, that it is delicious. Therefore, it is sought as a known one, and because one has begun to recognize it, one strives to possess it completely. For this merchant does not deal with anything else than seeking the pearl. Above it was said: The husbandman searched for something more precious, and found the treasure in the field, that is, he received it without merit. Here the merchant has only this in mind, that he may receive the recognized pearl.
78 For so it is with the Christian life, that he who has begun it makes himself believe that he has nothing, but he pursues it, and continues that he may lay hold on it. Therefore Paul says Phil. 3, 13. 14.: "My brothers, I do not yet consider myself to have grasped it. But one thing I say: I forget what is behind, and reach out to what is ahead, and chase after the goal set before me, after the jewel which holds out the heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus. For indeed, nothing is more harmful to a believer than when he misses it, thinking that he has already grasped it, and that it is not necessary to search for it first 2c. For this is the reason why many fall back, and wither and become lukewarm because of security and sloth.
Thus also Bernard says: To stand still in the way of God, that is, to go back. Therefore, whoever has begun to be a Christian, it still remains for him to think that he is not yet a Christian, but to try to become a Christian, so that he can boast with Paul Phil. 3, 12, 15, 16: I am not.
216 Notes on Matth. 13, 45-50. W. vii, 324-327. 217
but I seek to be, and: as much as ours are perfect, let us abide by this rule. For a Christian is not something perfect, but in the process of becoming. For it is said to him, Ask, seek, knock au; it is not said, ye have it already, ye have found it, ye have entered already, but: Ask, seek 2c. Therefore, he who is a Christian is not a Christian; that is, he who lets himself think that he is already a finished Christian, since he is only a man who is to become a Christian, is nothing. For we chase after heaven, but we are not yet in heaven. And just as the one who thinks that he is already in heaven will never go to heaven, the one who chases after heaven is already in heaven, because God sees him as if he were already in heaven. In sum: Mau must increase, not stand still and surely snore. Our old man must (as Paul says) decay, and the inward one be renewed from day to day 2 Cor. 4:16.
Woe to the one who is already completely renewed, that is, the one who thinks he is already renewed. Such a one has undoubtedly not yet seen to be renewed, and has never tasted what it is to be a Christian. For he who has begun to be a Christian does not think that he is a Christian, but he has a great desire to become a Christian; and the more he increases, the more he seeks to become one, and the less he thinks he is one. So utterly wonderful siud the works of this kingdom. "He that standeth," says Paul, "let him see that he fall not" 1 Cor. 10:12. And again, "If any man think himself to be anything, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself" Gal. 6:3.
The seventh parable is of the net cast into the sea 2c.
V. 47-50. But once the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea to catch all kinds of fish. But when it is full, they draw it out to the shore, sit down, and gather the good into a vessel; but they cast away the bad. It will be the same at the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The emphasis of this parable lies in the last part, namely, that at the last judgment the wicked will be separated from the pious. As Christ himself declares, "The angels will go out at the end of the world and separate the wicked from the righteous.
- Accordingly, this parable should nourish the hope of the faithful, namely, that although in this life they are forced to tolerate the wicked who are mixed among them, they should be certain that at last in that day the wicked will be separated from them, just as the angels once separated the Sodomites from Lot.
This is also the case against the spirits of the swarming ones, who do not want to suffer the wicked among the good, as if they alone were the good, and want to separate the wicked before the last judgment. But here Christ says, first, that this separation will not take place until the end of the world, second, not by men but by angels. And so they are obviously nonsensical; in old times the Donatists and their kind, but nowadays Münzers Appendix 2c.
(84) But this is a defect that is inherent in us from original sin, that we do not want to tolerate the unjust and injustice. We are ready to punish the wicked and to judge all, but then also to arrogate to ourselves the wisdom, justice and power to improve everything, as if I were righteous and wise before other people, just as that Pharisee said in the Gospel Luc. 18, 11: "I am not like other people. So Donatus with his followers wanted to be pure before all sinners, and Muenzer wanted to exterminate all the ungodly. That means to see the mote in his brother's eye, but not to see the beam in his own eye Matth. 7, 3.
But this evil will not cease until the end of the world. There have always been such people, they are there now and will be in the future, who want to separate the rotten fish before the net comes to shore, and yet do not realize that they themselves are the rotten fish that are to be separated. Every man wants to be pious and master other people.
218 Notes on Matth. 13, 47-52. W. vn, 327-330. 219
This is the "being like God" that we contracted in Paradise: Paradise, as if we ourselves were without fault. There it is up to God alone to judge and improve everything: here, by word, there, by deed. But it is said: If one is good, they are all good.
V. 51. And Jesus said to them: Have ye understood all these things? They said: Yes, Lord.
When the parables were finished, he asked the disciples, "Do you understand all these things? As if to say, "Why do you not ask me about these other parables, as you asked me about the first two? perhaps because you have understood everything? (For so they say to him.) Awe yes, you are fine people, and understand it finely.
- But Christ speaks to his disciples as a father speaks to his children. Not as if he did not know that they understood nothing of all this; and he praises them as if they understood, because they would understand in the future. Just as if a father were playing with his son, and he asked him about something higher than he understood: even if the little son answers foolishly, the father says, "Yes, my dear son, you answer right; in time you will understand. So Christ is not playing children's games here, but he deals with his disciples as with children, in the most simple-minded earnestness and serious simplicity; for he thinks of what they would become through the Holy Spirit, and he bears their childish foolishness or simplicity.
For how would the disciples understand all this, since they did not yet know what the kingdom of God was, thinking it to be a temporal kingdom; much less did they understand these parables which dealt with this very kingdom. But because they hold their teacher in all honor, and out of great humility and simplicity do not want to confess that they do not understand, therefore this simplicity and sincerity of theirs pleases him; and in hope of their future perfection he tolerates this ignorance of theirs in a fatherly way, yes, he even praises them.
- in sum, one must be careful with this and
If you think of Christ's similar behavior toward his disciples, you will think that Christ is a loving father who jokes with his dear children seriously and with pleasure, and interprets what they say and do foolishly or childishly in the best possible way, looking to the future when they will do the thing seriously. As if he wanted to say: All your things are as I speak them. I speak to you in parables as to children, and you are still childish; but the time will come when you will become men and do serious things, and then this will also be done in earnest, which you now hear me speak in the same way. Meanwhile I speak childishly, and you also answer childishly; then everything will be without parables 2c.
V. 52. Then he said, "Therefore every scribe who has been taught about the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings forth from his treasure all things and new.
He makes the conclusion with an enigmatic speech, which is quite strange. He says, "Since you understand everything, you are worthy of your future ministry. As if he wanted to say: Yes, that is right, that is how it should be; whoever wants to be an apostle should be able to do everything, just as you know everything. Just like a rich householder, who should have his house full of everything that is good, who could say, "Bring me wine from afar, 1) new wine; long ago this, long ago that. That is, everything must be full, so that he can give as much as he wants, and as much as anyone wants.
(92) And it is evident that this also is spoken from the same attitude as the preceding, namely, as a father has toward his son, or a teacher toward his pupil, who says: "So, dear son, dear boy, this is how it should be done; you are learned and can do everything; continue, you are doing the right thing; I did not mean that you were so learned; ei, you can fully apply, there is nothing lacking. So lovingly and tenderly does Christ speak of his disciples concerning the future ministry which they were to carry on and fulfill by the rich measure of the Holy Spirit.
- therefore, because you understand everything, you are
- i.e. previous year's or older wine.
220 Notes on Matth. 13, 52-57. W. vn, 330-334. 221
you are worthy to be scholars of Christ, taught for the kingdom of heaven, namely, to promote the same. For "scribe" actually means what we call a doctor, a teacher. Therefore also Lucas, Cap. 5, 17. calls them Nomodidascalos, teachers of the law.
The treasure, or the amount of knowledge, is nothing other than the right knowledge of the Law and the Gospel. For in these two the whole wisdom of God is concluded, and, as it were, compiled in a brief epitome.
And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that he departed thence, and went into his own country, and taught them in their synagogues, so that they also were saved.
- now follows the story of the contempt of the preachers and teachers 2c., So he comes to his homeland, teaches there, and, as Lucas, Cap. 4, 23., they had heard of his miracles, which he had done at Capernaum, and tempted him, as Lucas reports more extensively. But they were annoyed with him, because he was far more powerful in teachings and deeds than others had been before. Therefore they thought that he did not do such things by the power of God (otherwise they would not have been annoyed, but edified), but by the power of the devil, and considered him to be a kind of sorcerer. This is what they say:
V.55. 56. Where does this man get such wisdom and deeds? Is he not the son of a carpenter? Is not his mother's name Mary? And his brothers Jacob, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence came all this to him? And were vexed with him.
96 As if to say: He will certainly have to do with the devil, he wants to be something in front of his friends; and so they believe that his speeches and deeds are devilish, from which one should have an abhorrence.
- but they 1) tempt him, as Lucas testifies Cap. 4, 23: "Do here also as to
- Instead of tentat in the Wittenberg is to be read with the Jena tentant; likewise (immediately following) instead of: äieat is to be read äieant.
Capernaum." As if they wanted to say: You are a juggler, dear one, juggle us here too. Christ is angry at this and gives them a harsh answer by saying, "There were many widows," 2c., as one reads in Lucas, Cap. 4, 25. This passage must be cited here in its entirety in order to explain Matthew with it. For there it also follows that the Nazarethites, enraged at his harsh speeches, wanted to throw him down from the mountain as a sorcerer of good hope, who despised them 2c.
V. 57. But Jesus said to them: A prophet is not counted less anywhere than in his own country and in his own house.
98 This is an important saying, because he says: A prophet is of no value in his homeland. This is all too true. John, Cap. 1, 11, speaks in the same way: "He came into his own, but his own did not receive him." Likewise St. Paul, 2 Tim. 4, 4. "They will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn to fables." And we see this strange circumstance in all histories, that nowhere is there so great a disgust for the word of God as where it is abundantly taught. Those who do not have it, desire it. Those who have it, despise it. Yes, what is the most serious is that no heresies arise but in the churches and from the churches. This only comes from the fact that they are disgusted with the word and despise it, and immediately become its judges. For if they did not despise it, they would listen to it with reverence and not cause heresies.
Let this be our consolation, that our word, yes, God's word, is despised by those who are closest to us, and not only by the peasants and the nobles, who soon get tired of it, but also by the scholars, and by our own household members, or fellow bishops, who try to throw us down from the mountain, because we do not want to speak and do what they want. It is said, "A prophet in his fatherland," and as he states in Matthew, Cap. 10, 36. from the prophet Micah [Cap. 7, 6: "Of the
222 Notes on Matth. 13, 57. 58. Cap. 14, 1. 2. W. vn, 334-338. 223
Men's enemies will be his own household." But against this we are comforted by this Luc. 4, 30., that Jesus passed through their midst. They will not end it, and must let the prophet remain.
V. 58. And he did not do many signs there because of their unbelief.
(100) That he adds that he could not do signs because of their unbelief shows their great contempt, for they considered him nothing but a kind of magician. And for the sake of this beautiful righteousness, these so holy and strong people do not need a doctor, just as a doctor could not heal the sick, where no one wants to be sick.
101 Marcus says, Cap. 6, 5: "He could not do a single deed there without laying his hands on the sick and healing them. As if he wanted to say: No outstanding work, which one could call a feminine deed, as raising the dead 2c., but he healed a few fevers; these were admittedly only small deeds.
102 But this is a terrible judgment on those who have the word abundantly, and with whom the word is as it were in its fatherland, that nothing great happens with them, except that some few and small people do only a little, because they become sure and say, "Yes, we have it all now, we need nothing more; even if all the prophets were not there, we would still know everything.
Here learn and know that one must tolerate such despisers. We will not change them, but they will grow worse day by day, until they cast us out and crucify us, as happened to Christ with his own. No, strangers do not have to do it; his own have to do it. For it is not possible for a prophet to perish anywhere else but in Jerusalem Luc. 13:33. Cain kills his brother Abel, not the wolves or the bears, but a man and, moreover, his brother, who lived with him in the same house, who was born with him of the same parents, who could not have been closer to him.
The fourteenth chapter.
V. 1. 2. At that time the rumor of JEsu came before Herod the Beer Prince. And he said to his servants: This is John the Baptist, he is risen from the dead, therefore he does such deeds.
- an example is given here of a king, so that we may know not only what the peasants of Nazareth think of Christ, but also what the kings of the court think of Christ, that is, how arrogantly and how surely they despise the Word.
For Herod hears from his servants that Christ is a great man and demands to see him Luc. 9, 9., not that he has sought him earnestly, but because he knows that he is king, he considers it well worth his while that Christ worships him and comes to him of his own free will. In sum, Herod thinks like this: I have John the holy man,
Perhaps he has risen from the dead and is performing miracles.
3 From these words it does not follow that he believes Christ to be the resurrected John, but it seems as if he spoke this in a mocking way. For Christ himself calls him a fox Luc. 13, 32. Therefore the heart of Herodis cannot be other than foxy, namely (as Marcus, Cap. 6, 16., says), "It is John whom I beheaded, he is risen from the dead, and does the miracles which he did not do before"; I would like to see him, if it were possible. So he is a knave, and all that he speaks is mischievousness.
4 However, this is introduced by the evangelist, so that he would take the opportunity to say something about the wickedness of Herod. Because the whole following history is completely vixenish.
224 Notes on Matth. 14, 3-13. w. vn, 338-341. 225
V. 3-i3. For Herod had taken John, bound him, and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. For John had said unto him, It is not right that thou shouldest have her. And he would gladly have killed him, but was afraid of the people, because they took him for a prophet. But when Herod was celebrating his anniversary, Herodias' daughter danced before them. This pleased Herod well. Therefore he promised her with an oath that he would give her whatever she asked for. When she had been prepared by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter. And the king was grieved; but for the oath's sake, and for the sake of them that sat at meat with him, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent and beheaded John in prison. And his head was brought in a dish, and given to the damsel; and she brought it to her mother. Then came his disciples, and took his body, and buried it, and came and preached the JEsu. And when Jesus heard it, he departed thence in a ship into a wilderness by himself. And when the multitude heard it, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
5 Herod wants to kill John, but he does not want to appear to have killed him. Therefore, according to Christ's statement, all of Herod's words must be understood as having been spoken by a fox. For Christ does not deceive.
6 Now this is the image of the great and noble of the world, for they are all Herods. They pose as if they were favorable to the word, but secretly they ridicule it and seek to destroy it, but in such a way that they do not want to appear to have killed; yes, they praise and love John and Christ, and desire to see them. Oh, these are foxes, foxes that would be worthy of the earth to rise up and devour them! Yes, they can do that too, namely, they talk about the resurrection of the dead, about miracles, about religion, so that one should believe that Herod was the Holy of Holies; and yet they ridicule all this, just as the papists and almost the whole world do today. They talk things,
who are very much like Christ, and yet think quite dissimilar things.
(7) Therefore, the evangelist, in telling the whole story of John the Baptist, does nothing but paint Herod as an exceedingly great fox, who pretended to love John and to be very sorry to kill him, while he was exceedingly glad to have done so. He loved the truth in appearance, but in reality he was its bitterest enemy. So he is a fox, as Christ calls him.
8 This is also the case when Matthew writes that he was afraid of the people to kill John because they thought he was a prophet. He was not truly afraid of the people, which is evident from the fact that he killed him afterwards without fear. But the opinion is this: just as he heard John only as a fox, in a deceptive way, only so that he would have the name of a pious king, so he is also afraid of the people here, that is, he is afraid that if he had lost the outward appearance, he would be publicly called a tyrant, because he would have liked to kill him (as the text obviously says). But he wanted to make it so that he and this deed would be considered just. And because no guilt can be brought upon John for which Herod could kill him under the appearance of righteousness, he makes an oath with his whore, and under its pretext, as if it were done out of conscience and obedience to God, he kills the righteous and innocent man, but in such a way that he receives the praise of the people that he did this not with will, but out of compulsion of conscience. O mischief above all mischief! Therefore also Christ speaks full of wrath, below Cap. 17, 12.: "Elias has already come, and they have not recognized him, but have done to him what they would." "What they willed," he says, "that is, according to their will of courage, without shunning of God. As if he wanted to say: Yes, what and how they wanted, they did. First, they wanted to kill him; second, they wanted to do it in such a way that they would be praised, even though they could not blame John. Yes, they
226 Notes on Matth. 14, 3-13. W. vii, 311-344. 227
have done it this way, it has been advised to them this way; John is innocently strangled, and Herod nevertheless remains mute and just with the Pharisees. Yes, dear little vixen, God does not understand such things.
9 Now follows the story itself, which cannot be expressed in words, indeed, which one can hardly imagine in thoughts. Alas, who can express such wickedness! The evangelist only gives an outline of it in bad words, a sketch, as it were, which is only painted in one color, but he leaves the colors to the listeners, although no human eloquence can reach these colors.
But this is the first piece that the text offers: 1.) Herod and his adulteress have firmly resolved to kill John, as is said in Marcus, Cap. 6, 24.
- 2.) Herod is afraid of the people, that is, he does not want to be considered a tyrant, but a saint. This is what Marcus says Cap. 6, 19: "Herodias pursued him and wanted to kill him and could not", that is, she was afraid that she would be considered a godless woman 2c.
- 3.) "Herod listened to John gladly, and obeyed him in many things"; as Marcus, Cap. 6, 20. says. But also this he did as a fox, that is, deceitfully, until they both would take or find an opportunity against him. It is whores and knaves. From this it is clear that when it says, "Herod kept John, and obeyed him ill many things, and heard him gladly," he is doing nothing other than opening his jaws like a lurking fox, and waiting to see if he could catch something against him, because he was offended by having been punished by him. But since he can find nothing, and yet wants to avenge himself for having been punished by him, and cannot stand such a great man who had punished him, he hides his displeasure and pretends to be favorably disposed toward him until he can put his intention into action by taking an oath.
Now imagine quite vividly how this story happened.
First. The birthday of Herod came at an opportune time. Although this was a pagan festival among the Jews, it was convenient for Herod to carry out his intention, and perhaps, according to his holiness, which he pretended to be a fox, he had never celebrated such a festival before, or not in such a way, because he did not want to do it at the festivals of the Jews.
14 Secondly. He arranged this feast with such great splendor and glory as he was not accustomed to, in that the princes, the noblest and greatest in Galilee were invited to this feast, so that John might be obscured by this splendor, but he himself might be glorified, so that people would not notice or respect his wickedness.
Thirdly. In the meantime, while the people are so happy and cheerful and dancing, John is not called to preach, but they are discussing about his head. And all the merrymaking of this feast is deceitfully arranged for his sake. One tries to appease the guests by so many merrymaking and dances.
Fourth. After the guests had finally become merry and drunk with such great abundance, and no one had cared about John for a long time, the devil's tool, the dancing daughter, is brought in, and for John's sake, the dance must be arranged, which perhaps would have remained (as well as the whole guest ceremony). And it is vixenishly clever to take the precaution that no other girl dances, but only the daughter, so that opportunity and occasion for the oath would be there (so great art, so much deceit these bloodthirsty enemies of God have needed to kill the righteous with some semblance). Because for the sake of another girl, he could not have taken an oath with such a great appearance of truth.
Fifth. The dancer is applauded, and the guests are induced to praise the dancing daughter, so that there would be all the better opportunity to take an oath, and the fox would become all the more beautiful and holy. Who would not praise and love such a dancer?
- sixth. So now that the
228 Notes on Matth. 14, 3-13. W. vn, 344-347. 229
Herod finally comes out and praises her himself, and loves his daughter as never before, for he is such a holy and pious man. First, he promises, second, he swears, third, he promises her half of the kingdom. Certainly none of the guests believed this to be true, for young maidens were not given kingdoms, much less stepdaughters, as this one was, for she was not Herod's but his brother Philip's daughter. But because the king speaks this from a merry heart, it could easily be interpreted for the best, either as a funny joke, or as an impossible thing, either to tease the maiden, or to praise her. And yet, under this joke and game, the head of the enemy, that is, his penal preacher John, is asked for in all seriousness, and at the same time there is the pretense and pretense of conscientiousness. Meanwhile, God knows nothing about all this and does not see such a big fox.
19 Seventh. The maiden leaves half of the kingdom and asks for the head of John. Ah, ah, here the fox is not a fox! For who could believe that the maiden would have renounced a kingdom? (since her sex loves wealth and honor more than men do). Furthermore, what should the young maiden have cared about John for her person? She would have taken the tenth part of the kingdom, and would have liked to know nothing about countless Johns. But this is how it comes to light that she was instigated. That is, the devil cannot cover himself completely. And so Herod begins to appear here in his fox bellows.
Eighth, she asks so carefully and anxiously that John's head be given to her on a dish. She is not satisfied that John should be killed, but also wants his death to be certain. And not only that his death be certain, but also that his head be given to her on a dish, so that John would not escape this danger. These are not girls
They are not childish or puerile things, but they are simply the work of a Herod or a Herodias. For such a young maiden could not be concerned about such things, much less ask for them, if she had not been incited to them and brought to justice, because her sex, especially young maidens, are terrified of the sight of murder, even more so of an unjust one. 1)
- ninth. Herod becomes sad, that is, the fox mocks the hen he has torn. Ah, truly, I am sorry that the fine cock is dead; but still I must eat. He is better dead than I am hungry. Otherwise, I would not begrudge him his life, if I did not like to eat so much. This may be called a sar- casmus, a taunt that is not only bitter but also exceedingly cruel and hostile.
22 Tenth. He is happy that he can put away his fox-like sadness with a good appearance, and is glad that his will is forced by the oath to kill the innocent John. Meanwhile, the holy man thinks his fox is adorned enough, and praiseworthy, because he honors the name of God, by which he had sworn. And so he is forced to act against the second commandment for the sake of obedience, against the obedience of the fifth commandment. For a lower law gives way to the higher, just as the whole second table gives way to the first. O he is a very deep theologian!
(23) Here it should be noted in passing that there is a twofold kind of hypocrite: the one who pretends to hold the second tablet in order to transgress the first. Such people are those who speak in the Gospel Luc. 14, 18. ff. "I have bought five yoke of oxen." Likewise, "I have bought a house." Likewise, "I have taken a wife"; for they do not want to let go of their necessary professional business. Therefore they do not want to come to the wedding, and imagine that they are excused in a good way and with all honors, because they carry out the works of their profession as they are obliged to.
- Latin: stium injustae. Here the Jena edition has in the margin the conjecture: justue. This change of the text is not necessary, if etiurn is taken in the meaning: [,noch dazu".
230 Notes on Matth. 14, 3-13. W. vii, 347-350. 231
- The other kind is the one who poses as if they are holding the first tablet so that they can transgress the other. Such people are these, Herod and his kind. That kind is human, because they are carried away by human inclinations, they want to preserve the persons, and are biased in the present things. But this kind is devilish, because they are driven by the devil alone to ruin the things and the persons. Those pretend love in order to neglect faith with a good appearance. The latter feign faith in order to pursue love under a holy pretense. And although both corrupt everything, namely faith and love, yet these foxes are worse than those swine. They the foxes cannot be reformed, and have despaired of the glory of God; but of these sows some are still converted from time to time, since they are bound only with human temptation.
(25) But better than both are they which are openly idolatrous against faith, and sinners against love. For they sin without appearance, and are more easily put to shame.
(26) Of these four kinds of wicked men, it is more extensive to show one's abhorrence of such men as Herod, whose wickedness, because it is so exceedingly great, cannot be adequately illustrated unless it be somewhat brought before the eyes by such comparisons, that a horror of this infinite wickedness of the devil may be left in the heart of the hearer.
27 Eleventh. How surely, and without making any objection to it, Herod immediately sends and has John killed. Should he not first have asked whether it was necessary to kill the innocent man because of the oath he had taken? No, one does not ask about such things; but immediately, without any trial and legal investigation, he passes sentence and executes it. Oh, how serious is his sadness here.
- Now compare this fox and Darms, the king of the Persians Dan. 6, 14.. When the latter (out of imprudence, and because he had been deceived by the obtained command) condemned Daniel to death
he struggled for a whole day to rescue him from the hands of his great ones, and had them severely punished afterwards. But this cursed fox is not worthy to be compared with this very good king, and this comparison is made here only for the sake of it, because things that are repugnant to each other, by placing them next to each other (according to the topics 1)), appear in a clearer light.
Twenty-ninth. The prestige and the attunement of the guests are also mentioned when it is said: "For the sake of those who sat at table with him", so that this fox would have a clearer appearance that he was forced to do it, not only by the prestige of God, but also of men. Who wants to punish such a saint, who is pious before God and the world, and who spills innocent blood with a good conscience and all honor? Yes, here I should be GOD! 2c. What infinite and inexpressible patience God has! So much full of history.
30 Now this example must be extended to all Herodians, and especially to those of our time. So there are such people today who pretend to be in accordance with the Gospel, but only to oppress the pious and ridicule the oppressed. Likewise, there are those who pretend to be the Church in order to destroy everything, as the Antichrist and his followers did before the Gospel. For the pope, in all his decrees and bulls, has pretended to be Christ in order to devour the world and, after having devoured it, to mock it. This is exactly what is done among us today by those who pretend our gospel until they have the opportunity to destroy and ridicule us. How much better, then, to be a Pilate than a Herod, or a natural Gentile than a godless Jew 2c.
- Now what follows of the cut off head of John, how it was carried in a bowl and given to your maiden, and she brought it to her mother, these are very strange, monstrous, devilish things in the female sex, so that not only the men would be devilish foxes, but also the women would be devilish foxes.
- the art of finding what is generally valid; the science of sources of evidence.
232 Notes on Matth. 14, 3-27. W. vn, 350-352. 233
- because these women not only listen to and see such things with dry eyes (while they usually cry so easily), but also cheerfully and playfully touch the cut-off head of this manue, carry it, pass it on and show it. These are all frightening monstrosities of Satan, but also the right reward of which such arch-foxes are worthy. Then Johanues is buried by his disciples.
Then came his disciples, and took his body, and buried it, and came and preached that JEsu. When Jesus heard this, he departed on a ship into a wilderness by himself.
Who can express what the disciples of John were thinking? They saw that their great and holy teacher had been executed in such a cruel and shameful way, as if there were no God who saw such wickedness, which must have caused great anger not only among the weak in faith, but also among the strong. For who would not grumble against God's providence, justice and goodness when he sees God abandoning such a holy man so miserably? To all this belongs a great faith, to bear it and to understand it. That is to make the world foolish in its wisdom. This is the secret wisdom of God, which lies in the hiddenness, namely, to know that God loves His most beloved John the most just when He seems to abandon and hate him the most (according to human wisdom).
And Christ himself, when these things were told him, was not angry at them; he said nothing, he made no complaint, but went into the wilderness to rest, as though all that he had heard pleased him. But, O glorious despiser! Just as Herod not only despises John, but also kills him, so does Christ again. Not only does he not get angry, but he does not even consider Herod worthy to utter a single syllable for his sake.
- Instead of fit in the Wittenberg we have adopted with the Jena 8it,.
He does not want to speak, but continues in his ministry and does good to others, even through miracles.
In this mirror, one can see the two military leaders, namely the devil and Christ. The devil prides himself here temporally through Herod, and considers John and Christ to be dead. Christ, on the other hand, does not dignify the devil enough to even think of his wickedness, but he postpones what he deserves until the future and eternal judgment. As if he wanted to say: Oh, let them do it, they will find it! They may be evil, but we want to be better. We want to be silent. The time will come when the heavenly Father will speak for us, and then they will have to hear far worse things than we have to hear now.
The miracle with the five fashions.
The miracle of Jesus feeding five thousand men with five loaves of bread and two fishes has been sufficiently described elsewhere, and explained by the beginning faith, that he should believe that the belly would be supplied by God 2c. And it is the same miracle that is told in John, Cap. 6, 1. ff., as the following story of the ship that suffered distress on the sea proves.
From Christ's walk on the sea.
V.23-27. And when he had left the people, he went up into a mountain by himself to pray. And in the evening he was there alone. And the ship was already in the middle of the sea, suffering distress from the waves. For the wind was contrary to them. But in the fourth watch of the night Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were afraid and said: It is a ghost, and cried out for fear. But straightway JEsus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I, fear not.
There are two things to note about this incident. The first is that Christ himself also frightened his forsaken disciples on the sea. For it would have been enough to frighten them that they were distressed by the wind and the sea, so that they would rather be comforted by the wind and the sea.
234 Notes on Matth. 14, 33-30. W. vn, 352-355. 235
and help would have been needed. But he himself heaped fear upon fear, danger upon danger, in that, after they had long struggled with wind and waves, he appeared to them quite silently (which was the worst thing) and walking on the sea. For they could not think that he would walk with them on the sea, because they had left him on the shore. Furthermore, even if he walked on the sea, he should not have frightened them so much and presented himself so strangely. To us, who now believe that he is Lord even of death, this seems to be a small thing, that he walks on the sea; but to those who at that time thought something quite different (namely, that he was on the shore), it seemed like a frightening specter, because they thought nothing less than that it was Christ himself. That is why Matthew writes that they cried out in fear; that is why they were in the greatest fear. For walking on the sea was an unheard-of thing for them, and did not enter their minds.
(37) But why does he do this to his beloved friends and disciples? It is, of course, so that we may learn that his will toward us is very good; that he plays with us in the most delightful way when we think all is utterly lost. Our sin is to blame for this, which does not let us recognize his presence, but considers him to be a ghost, or rather the devil. For he appears differently than we think, and is silent, still. For in our temptation we think that he is on the shore or on the mountain where we left him, but we cannot understand that he is present.
For this reason he gives us the rule here, because even in all temptations we imagine God to be other than he is. For at that time we think that God is not God, but a ghost, that is, a terrible image that wants to devour us in the midst of our troubles. Therefore, we should not believe our own thoughts about God. For it is certain that our thoughts of God will turn the most gracious God into the most hostile ghost.
39 And this is to be noted especially by those who are in a certain profession and office, just as here the disciples were in the midst of
The people who were on the sea, not out of their own daring, but at the command and impulse of Christ Himself v. 22, who had compelled them to go to the ships. For such things happen to such people so that they may be tested. [Just as Abraham was tempted to sacrifice his son Isaac. Likewise Jacob wrestled with the angel 2c. These are temptations against the promises and callings given by God Himself. Therefore, one must stand firm here and say: Even if God Himself should command the opposite, I will not depart from the place in which I have been placed. For either he tempts me by joking with me; or, even if I should perish, he will raise me up again. That faith may stand firm on the first command of the profession, and with closed eyes say, Though Christ himself should say otherwise, I will not depart; for I am sure that either it is not truly Christ, or he is only jesting with me. As Paul also says in Gal. 1:8, "If we also, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." For it is not possible for an angel to say anything else in earnest. Therefore, if he should say anything else, believe that he is playing with you out of love for you, as a father plays with his son, that he may tempt him 2c. This can be further explained with proverbs and examples.
V., 28-30. And Peter answered and said unto him, Lord, if it be thou, let me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come hither. And Peter came out of the ship, and walked on the water, that he might come unto JESUS. And when he saw a strong wind, he was afraid.
This is the second part of this story, which Matthew alone tells about Peter. Certainly a beautiful sight and a story that is full of comfort. For when Peter hears that it was Jesus who walked or stood on the sea (for he had said, "Be of good cheer, it is I; do not be afraid"), he, carried away by fervor and love, beseeches the Lord, "Lord, if it is you, let me come to you on the water." From
236 Notes on Matth. 14, 28-31. W. vn, W-M. 237
All this is done with good fortune, as if good friends were sitting or walking and joking with each other on land, because Peter believes that since Christ is present on the sea, he too can walk on the sea. And he truly walked on the sea. For Christ says, as it were jokingly, "Come here," and tempts him. So Peter comes. But Christ tempts him in a very friendly way (since he walked on the water in such great faith) and makes him see a strong wind. Here Peter becomes weak in faith, losing the word of Christ which he had said, "Come hither," in whose strength he had leaped out of the ship, but he did not remain in that strength. For the wind which he saw snatched away from him the hearing of the word, "Come hither," so that he remembered not that word, but the wind which he saw.
41 Thus 1) the eye always harms the hearing, and the visible things cancel out the word and the invisible things. For faith deals with invisible things, Hebr. 11, 1. For as long as Peter heard the word "Come here" and did not see the sea carrying him as he walked on it, he walked happily on the water. But when he began to look at the wind, he already lost the hearing of the word, "Come hither. There he went, and began to sink. The faith started strong, but it is weakened by the repugnance of the wind. This painting deserves a broader explanation.
For this reason Peter is portrayed to us in such a way, so that we will not be presumptuous, even if we have made a good start in faith, but will fear God, despair of ourselves and our strength, call upon Him, and always ask for His grace alone.
V. 30, 31: And he began to sink, and cried out, saying, Lord, help me. And Jesus straightway stretched forth his hand, and took him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?
43 But against this there is also the consolation that there is still help for Peter who is sinking, namely, because he cries out, "Lord, help me." And since he cries out in this way, Christ does not falter.
- Instead of item in the Wittenberg is to be read with the Jena ita.
He does not leave him for long, but helps him at that very moment. It was indeed time, otherwise Peter would have gone fishing under the sea and would not have brought more fish to the market in Bethsaida. But Christ shows himself to be a helper in trouble, Ps. 9, 10.
Jesus said to him, "O you of little faith, why do you doubt?
44 Christ then rebuked him for being of little faith and for doubting, and he absolutely laid the blame on Peter, not on the sea or the wind. For he does not say, "You sea or wind, why did you do this or that? why did you want to drown my apostle? but rather, "You Peter, why did you doubt? The sea is excused, because it has done what its right and nature entails. And you Peter have suffered what your nature entailed. If thou hadst believed strongly, and hadst laid aside thy nature, the sea also had laid aside its nature, and hadst been and remained a threefold of the sea, and the sea had been and remained unto thee an earth and a solid rock.
Therefore, doubt and faith change everything. Faith makes the sea like a dry road, but doubt turns this dry road of Peter again into the ordinary sea. So "all things are possible to him that believeth" Marc. 9, 23. On the other hand, all things are impossible to him who doubts. Faith makes gods, that is, children of God and miracle workers. Doubt makes men, that is, children of misery.
(46) Here, the word "doubt" must be especially sharpened. For the papists make very little of faith, and do not consider that doubting is something evil. Christ, on the other hand, puts all the blame on doubt, and clearly states that a doubter sinks if he does not again take hold of faith, and through it calls and cries out. For doubting made Peter begin to sink, but again, faith in? Christ, whom he called upon, raised him up and led him out. For if the doubt had continued, he could not have cried out, "Lord, help me" (these are not the words of a doubter, but of one who has doubted.
238Notes on Matth. 14, 31-36. W. vn, 3S8-s "i. 239
man, who in turn believes). For a doubter does not call upon God, but falls into despair and is silent.
- but it is praised as something Christ and his believers would like to be very proud of, that he walks along with his own on the sea as safely as if it were solid land, because all creatures are subject to the saints, that they must be obedient to them, and are forced to lose their powers, as the fire lost its heat in the furnace of Babylon, and the water its liquid [in the passage of the children of Israel through the Red Sea and through the Jordan 2c.
(48) Here we must show our abhorrence of the pope, who, with his sophists, declares the "sea" to be the princes, the authorities, the houses, even the bishops and the churches. For just as Peter walked on the sea, so he wants to tread on all these and on all churches with his feet, and the lie has happily taken place. But the world or the sea does not mean the authorities, the churches, or any other divine orders, but (if one desires an allegory) the sins, the waves of temptations, death, the devil 2c. These monsters, but not his very best creatures, Christ tramples underfoot.
V. 32. And they entered into the ship, and the wind ceased.
After the miracle, he enters the ship and performs a new miracle, namely, he calms the tempest of the wind and the sea, which he also did above, Cap. 8, 23. ff. And what was said there § 27. ff. can also be said here, namely, when Christ or faith is present in the church, the restlessness of conscience, fear, and any danger is forced to be quiet. For he himself is our peace, our rest, our consolation, our safety in all temptation. For he treads all things under his feet, that is, he is a victor over all, and his victory is ours.
V. 33. But those who were in the ship came and fell down before him, saying: Truly you are the Son of God.
- those who were in the ship were saved by these two miracles, namely to Peter
and the thunderstorm, were confirmed in the faith that they must confess that he is the Son of God. Certainly, this is a great fruit of miracles, to confess that such a lowly man is the Son of God. But who were these people? Certainly other disciples. For it was said above [v. 22.), "JEsus drove his disciples to enter the ship, and to pass over before him." However, there is no doubt that among the disciples there were also sailors who were moved by the greatness of this miracle.
51 The word "you are truly the Son of God" certainly refers to the true Son of God, which name the Scriptures do not attach to any other. And no doubt the holy disciples, enraptured by the astonishment (at such a miracle), spoke these words in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit wanted to prove Christ as the true God by this testimony of theirs, although they did not always think of it or speak in the same way afterwards (as they were men), if they were not in such astonishment, since he was always familiar with them.
V. 34-36, And they sailed over, and combed into the land of Galilee. And when the people saw him in the same place, they sent out into all the country round about, and brought unto him all that were unhealthy, and besought him that they might touch the hem of his garment. And all who touched it were healed.
In the end, he writes that many have been moved in this region, bringing sick people to him from all places.
(53) And here we can treat the doctrine that God's works and words are not in vain, but produce much fruit, although it does not seem so in the eyes of the world. For even here, not Pilate and Herod, Annas and Caiaphas, but some of the people, marvel at the word and works of Jesus. Therefore, one should not in any way desist from it (as is said elsewhere), for it does bear fruit among the elect. What do we care about the rejected? All things (says Paul 1 Cor. 9, 22. f.) I do for the elect's sake, that I may save them, and that I may be made a partaker of the gospel.
240 Notes on Matth. 15, 1. 2. W. vii, 361-367. 241
The fifteenth chapter.
In this chapter the important doctrine of the statutes of men is dealt with and their the scribes' and Pharisees' ridiculous, even harmful superstition is shown. It is ridiculous that it is considered a sin not to wash one's hands, since God has not commanded it. It is harmful, however, that for the sake of these ridiculous things, the serious commandments of God are nevertheless abrogated. These two characteristics of human ordinances must be made clear, namely, that they are, first of all, futile and ridiculous things that do not help to attain blessedness; secondly, that they nevertheless corrupt true godliness. I say again, these two evil things are well to be remembered.
- from the first. The whole human race lets itself be led captive by this ridiculous monster and shameful ape. For it has two extremely apparent grounds of proof. The first is that it is similar to the true commandments of God; for example, because in the Law of Moses there is much teaching about the various ablutions of the body, garments and vessels, to which they have added many other ablutions, innumerable in fact, and which are supposed to be so necessary and equal to those commanded in the Law of Moses. The other is that it comes from the reputation of the church, as it says here, "Essays of the elders." But the elders were then just what they now call the church, Concilium, the fathers 2c. So they praise also today in the statutes of food and drink 2c. the reputation of the general church.
V. 1. Then the scribes and Pharisees of Jerusalem came to him and said.
(3) Here we are presented with a real spectacle of how the Pharisees are angry, and how well Christ is able to carry off their anger. They come from Jerusalem, namely from the most distinguished place, as the Pharisees.
the most severe judge in these matters. For if he had despised the people of the land of Galilee, that would have been a very small act, and it would have brought little danger. But to despise the highest authorities of the capital Jerusalem is an insult to the majesty, a serious crime of sedition or heresy.
(4) Therefore the evangelist introduces them as they push against the rock of trouble. For they appear with great arrogance and pomposity and address him, as it were from on high, as the very lowest beggar.
V. 2. Why do your disciples of the elders transgress? They do not wash their hands when they eat bread.
5 They want to say this much: If you were from God and from the church, you would not admit that your disciples were such rebellious, disobedient and angry people. Then you know that these are essays of the elders. Who are you to oppose them alone? It is the reputation of the church against which you act. For the word "elders" is of great emphasis, and has powerfully oppressed and imprisoned the consciences, just as even today what the holy fathers, Augustine, Ambrose, and their ilk have said and done makes a great impression on the consciences, especially the weak ones. For "elders" were called not only those who lived at the same time, but also their predecessors, who had decreed such things. And they had a great reputation from Moses, who teaches that one should obey the high priest and the Levites everywhere, equal to God Himself; Deut. 17, 8. ff. Just as today they quote the saying: "He who hears you hears me" Luc. 10, 16. Therefore they safely and confidently accuse Christ of disobedience and mutiny, saying, "Why are you doing this? But he does not let them go away without an answer, as follows:
242 Notes on Matth. 15, 3. W. vn. 367-370. 243
V. 3. He answered and said to them: Why then do you transgress God's commandment because of your essays?
006 He doth not acknowledge them that he hath answered them in the matter, but driveth one wedge against another, and turneth back their question in a way that they hate, as if he had made a comparison, saying, If I am worthy to be punished, who have sinned a mote according to your mind, why are ye not more worthy to be punished, which sin great beams? You want to be my gnat, and you swallow your cameos Matth. 23, 24., although in truth neither a splinter nor a gnat can be found in me.
(7) Then this would be more tolerable if you did not fulfill or keep the law of Moses according to works; but this is the worst, that you abolish the law itself. For as long as the law stands, there are always some who strive to fulfill it, driven by the fear of God. But when the law is abolished, there arises a right and freedom to sin safely; indeed, it is a virtue to ask nothing of the law. But this you, God's worst enemies, do, and yet you judge the best children of God. And this for no other reason than that you may set up your essays against the commandments of God. Fie, what a shamefully cursed people you are! who, being the most wicked people on the face of the earth, nevertheless presume to condemn God Himself with all His commandments. Yea, I mean, they have well run, and rubbed themselves against the right cauldron, and caught Ram0. They want to teach him how to do wrong, and give him vain great cause to report their own vices. But let this be enough of these villains' foolishness and mischievousness.
Now we must consider what we are to learn from this. The first lesson is that it is the greatest transgression before God to transgress God's commandment for the sake of man's essays, for that is to put God under man. Just as was done under the papacy, and as they still do with both forms, with marriage,
- Ram - debris, dirt.
and other articles of spiritual freedom. Therefore, one must take courage and oppose with the greatest confidence wherever one notices that the prestige of the divine word is depressed by the prestige of human wisdom or reverence. For this is unalterably certain: There is no one above or beside God, but God alone is above everything, and everything under Him, to which it finally comes, and must come. For this challenge is always in the Church, has always been, and will also be in the future, as long as the devil is prince of this world, for he is a liar from the beginning; he has always wanted to become higher than God. Therefore, this instruction is always necessary for us, so that we know that we must obey God more than men, and prefer His word to the words of men. For there always remain people who do the opposite; some out of error, others out of malice. Just as what was previously error is now wickedness, as the doctrine of both forms 2c. And all heretics prefer their own sense to the true sense of Christ until the end of the world.
9 Secondly. In such statutes of men, which neither abrogate nor contradict the commandment of God, we are to be guided by the church or the people among whom we live. As it is said: Si fueris Romae, Romano vivito more If you live in Rome, keep according to Roman custom. For Christ expressly adds:
For the sake of your essays.
(10) As if to say, to wash one's hands according to the custom of a people is not evil; but because you demand everything so strictly for your own sake, against the commandment of God, therefore you are to be cursed with your opinions. He who is against God is a devil; but now you and your essays are against God; therefore you are devils. But if they were not against God, they would be for God, as when you wash your hands to keep up the customs of the people, so that love, peace and harmony may remain, to the glory of God: such washing would be something beautiful, and would be rightly washed, not only the hands and feet,
244 Notes on Matth. 15, 3-6. W. vn, 370-373. 245
but also the head and the heart, soul and body.
Now you can go through the text in order, so that the history will be well impressed on your memory.
V. 4. 5. 6. God commanded: You shall honor your father and mother. But he that curseth father and mother shall surely be put to death. But ye teach, Whosoever saith unto his father or mother, If I sacrifice it, it is much better for thee; he doeth well. Thus it comes to pass that no one honors his father or mother henceforth. And so you have abrogated God's commandment for the sake of your essays.
Here it can be clearly seen that Christ not only does not abolish the ten commandments, but also confirms them, because he says: the reverence for the parents, and consequently the whole household and the worldly government, is an order of God, which he does not want to be violated by any essays. -This is certainly a great honor for this estate, which is now so despised and burdensome in the world, with which the secular governments and those who live in the household should certainly console themselves.
(13) Secondly, he shows that those who curse their parents or rebel against the secular government are those who, under the appearance of religion, teach that parents should not be obeyed. For such people curse and destroy in truth the aforementioned two estates, precisely by saying: Corban Marc. 7, 11.. As if he wanted to say: You teach as rebels against God and men that people believe that the status of parents and children is not holy, because you prefer your Corban, that is, your gift or sacrifice.
- and notice here the devil, by whom they the Pharisees were possessed, whom here Christ depicts'. For the dispute with the Pharisees was really whether it was better to give to one's parents, or to offer to the priests? Those said: it was better to offer it, 2c. Thus they taught that the honor owed to parents is only a ceremony, namely, that one bows the head, stands up before them, and shows reverence to them in gestures. This is what the avaricious devil taught them. For Christ
teaches here that one 'curses' the parents with it, let alone that one honors them. For he who says that sacrifice is better than obedience to parents says that the status of parents is not holy if it is compared to sacrifice. But this is truly cursing the parents, that is, to hold and speak of them lowly and without reverence in the heart. On the other hand (says Christ) your sacrifice is cursed, and in comparison with the parents to be regarded as something low; but the reputation of the parents, when compared with the sacrifices, is truly most holy, blessed, and worthy of all reverence. For this is commanded by God, but your sacrifices are not commanded.
(15) Much worse nowadays have been the papists, who have rejected the household and called it a worldly and carnal life, but have preferred their orders holy, spiritual, seraphic, heavenly, and have infinitely preferred them even to faith and the Christian life. These are truly cursers and accursed, who curse God's orders and works. Therefore, against their frenzy, these words of Christ must be struck out and inculcated as much as one can. For this abomination has reigned mightily in the whole world, and still rages enough, although it has received a not insignificant blow. But it remains with Christ's saying, which is stronger and more powerful: You are all cursers against God's commandment, because you prefer your own opinions to the prestige and status of your parents and the worldly regiment. This we should believe, and not be deceived by their apparent curses, even if the Pharisees themselves should be angry at us if we transgress the essays of all the fathers. For, indeed, we must confess that it is a very great vexation to despise the Fathers, the Fathers, the Concilia, the Concilia. But what should we do if we find that the words and works of them (as Christ himself judged) are insisted upon by the Pharisees against God's certain commandment? Here we should confidently bid farewell to these cursed essays and remain with the blessed word of God.
16And it is quite possible, yea, certain, that the washing of their hands by their fathers
246 Notes on Matth. 15, 4-8. , W. vii, 373-37". 247
for a good cause, namely, for the sake of good discipline, for the common people, but they have subsequently made a reverence and service to God out of it. And not only this, but they also added their own essays, against God's commandments.
The fathers also spoke and did many things in the church for a good reason, which their descendants later made into a necessary service, and also added many things about the mass, about vows, about purgatory 2c, against faith and against obedience to God 2c. With all this, they have gone as far as Christ says here, that no one honors his father or mother anymore, or, as Paul says to Titus, Cap. 1, 14: "Men's commandments that turn away from the truth.
- but look at the pretense they put on when they speak, as it is said in Marcus Cap. 7, 11.: "If a man says to his father or mother, Corban, that is, if I offer it, it is much more useful to you." Corban, that is, a gift or sacrifice before GOD. As if he wanted to say: I would gladly give it to you; but what should I do? it is already no longer mine, but given to God. So the name of God must be the cover of shame of all blasphemy and mischievousness; God must have taken from the father what he should take from the son. Thus not men but God Himself sin against His fourth commandment; but they are holy people, according to the first commandment, as those who serve God. O peelers above all peelers. Therefore he is justly angry and speaks as follows:
V. 7, 8: Ye hypocrites, Isaiah hath prophesied of you, saying: This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me.
19 First, he confesses that the hypocrites seek the true God, because he says, "Me" and "I". They mean me, I see that well, because they carry my name in their mouth. They do not let themselves think that they are seeking idols or a foreign god.
20 Secondly, he admits that their seeking is a worship, saying, "They honor
me." This is a strange saying, that "to honor" is as much as "not to honor", which is called oppositum in; in German: Es ist ein Teufel Gott, oder, wie man spricht: Ein türkischer Christ, ein teuflischer Engel, eine hnrische Jungfrau, eine jungfräuliche Hure, ein devout Schalk, ein schalkhaftiger Heiliger, eine hoffährtige Demuth, eine reich Armuth. Which way of speaking is called oppositum in adjecto. In this way Christ calls idolatry a service of God. For in fact and truth their worship was not worship, but idolatry. Just as Mammon is called a god Matth. 6, 24, and Paul calls [Phil. 3, 19/ the. belly a god, and [2 Cor. 4, 4/ the devil a god.
What then is lacking here? It is the true GOD whom they seek (as he speaks), and their seeking is service, religion, piety, reverence. What more do you want, where is the service of the true GOtt, where is the reverence towards the true GOtt, where is the fear of the true GOtt? (For in Isaiah, the fear of GOD is in this place, where it says, "they honor me," that is, they fear me.) Is it nothing if one honors, fears and serves the true God? What do we want to do? Who wants to be saved? You hear here that Christ himself says this. Who can resist him? He says, "They serve me (or fear me). Me (he says), not the devil; it is I whom they serve, whom they fear. What is lacking? That is what is lacking, which is in the other commandment: You shall not take my name in vain. Mine is the name which thou shalt call; and shalt call my name, and not the devil's name.
22 Therefore the conclusion is made here that every idolatrous person sins; not in not seeking the true God, for all call the true name of God, and the true name of God means the true God, just as he says here, "They honor me," but in this lies the error, that they do not honor the true God with true service.
(23) Therefore, a distinction must be made, not in regard to God, but in regard to the service of God; one is the true service, the other the false service.
248 Notes on Matth. 15, 7-9. W. vn. 376-379. 249
Jeroboam did not worship the calves, but he worshiped the true GOD, but with false worship. For he meant and sought the GOD who had brought Israel out of Egypt (as his words read) 1 Kings 12:28. But because he did not honor GOD truly or by true worship, it is said of him that he worshiped the calves, and not GOD. This is what Paul also affirms Rom. 10, 2: "They are zealous for GOD, but with lack of understanding"; and 1 Cor. 10, 20: "The Gentiles, what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to the devil, and not to GOD." Behold, he speaks "they sacrifice." But to sacrifice is as much as to sanctify something to God. Therefore he says Rom. 1, 19. 21.: "That it is known to them that God is, is evident to them; but they have not praised Him as a God, nor thought Him" 2c.
(24) Therefore this passage is to be well noted, that the service of God (even of the true God) is rejected, contrary to all men's opinion, who say, If I mean well, it will please God. Just as the Sophists taught: To him who does as much as is in him, God gives grace. For this doctrine or opinion is the source of all idolatries, errors and sects, so that people think that if they can call the right God, and mean it well, then it must be right. But Christ condemns all these things here, saying that they are mouths without heart, and far from God. And yet they confess: they honor, they fear, they serve, they are pious, they are holy. What is the cause? He answers: Because they honor Me not according to the word of GOD, but according to the statutes of men. This is what he says:
V. 9 But they serve me in vain, because they teach such doctrines, which are nothing but the commandments of men.
(25) From these words of Christ you may conclude, first of all, that everything that happens without the word of God is idolatry.
- Secondly, everything that is done according to the word of God is true worship.
- Likewise, thirdly, everything that happens without faith is sin.
Fourth, everything that is done in faith is a good work, because the Word and faith are indissolubly linked.
as in a marriage. This is clearly stated by Christ here, when he says: "In vain do they serve me with the commandments of men. And again he says that he is indeed honored as the true God, but "in vain"; but in vain is the same as nothing. Therefore idolatry is called nothing, vanity, lies, falsehood, everywhere in the holy Scriptures. As in the 4th Psalm, v. 3.: "How you love the vain so", and the lies so gladly!"
Here one must explain and make a distinction between the commandments of men and the commandments of God, because the commandments of parents and princes also seem to be the commandments of men 2c. The Ten Commandments teach us this difference perfectly by the order of the commandments themselves, because the first tablet is preferred to the second, and flows into and governs the second. For example, the second tablet says: Honor the parents, listen to them, follow them; but where the parents should command something contrary to the first tablet, it is already a commandment of man, because it is completely contrary to God. Such is the case with religion, when parents force their children to idolatry and godlessness. Here one should say: "One must obey God more than men" Acts 5:29. For in this case the parents' commandment is a mere commandment of men ohüe GOtt, besides GOtt, over GOtt, because it does not flow from the first tablet, but resists the first tablet. Otherwise, where it does not resist the first tablet, the parents' command is truly God's command, because He Himself commanded to obey the parents, but not against God, who commands.
- Secondly. The case can also arise outside of religion that one must not obey parents either. As if the parents should command something obviously contrary to the second tablet: to kill, to commit adultery, to steal, to lie and to do other evil things. For God has exempted all these things from obedience to parents, and has also subjected parents themselves to the second tablet.
31 Therefore, if the commandments of the two tables are observed (for against these the parents have nothing to command), then one must do according to them whatever the parents or the authorities may command. And
250 Notes on Matth. 15, 9-II. W. vii, 379-38p. 251
then their commandments are not human but divine commandments. For God has given them the power to command; only that the ten commandments remain inviolate, to which they themselves are also subject.
So everything that is commanded against the ten commandments is an ungodly and human commandment. Now all the statutes of men involve a sin against the first tablet, because they teach that one should put his trust in such works. If they did not, they would do no harm and could be done quite safely. But then they would not last long, but would lie despised, because one would not need them if one should not put one's trust in them.
(33) Thus also the statutes of men afterward make death-slayers. For after they have taught that one must put one's trust in works (as is their way) and thus commit idolatry against the first table, they also immediately teach that one must put to death all those who do not want to follow such idolatry. And they have the title that they kill those for the sake of God, as blasphemers against the service of God. Just as Christ says Joh. 16, 2: "They think they are doing God a service by killing you."
34 Thus even these two sins of the devil, namely lying against the first table, and murdering against the second, cannot be separated from each other, but they are quite certain conclusions that Christ puts John 8:44: "He is a murderer and a liar." Thus every one who serves the statutes is an idolater or a liar, and every idolater is a death-slayer. For although he does not kill with his hand, yet he hates in his heart all godly men who fight against his religion, and gives his consent to it, and wishes happiness to it when they are killed. This is what I would have done to all godly people when I was still a monk, if they had challenged my foolish religion or human statutes as futile or idolatry. For, as I was a very wicked idolater, so I would have become a very cruel death-slayer by deed, if there had been opportunity.
For it cannot be otherwise: whoever is of the opinion that his being is worship, must also be hostile to all who condemn such worship. And this all the more, the more zealously he loves his religion, just as St. Paul, because he was zealous in his Pharisaic nature, had to rage and become a very cruel death-slayer Gal. 1:13, 14. Thus the lie (that is, idolatry) inevitably leads to death. The same opinion is also expressed by St. Gregory (however briefly) in a sermon: True righteousness has compassion, but false righteousness has wrath. As if he wanted to say: The false saints are the greatest death-strikers; the true saints, however, are kind and very gentle.
V. 10, 11: And he called the multitude unto him, and said unto them: Listen and hear. What comes into the mouth does not defile a man.
Then Christ gives an interpretation of Isaiah, and delivers a sharp sermon against the statutes of men. He uses many words and makes himself very hateful to the enemies with this passage. He deliberately moves from the washing of hands (over which the controversy about the ordinances of men had arisen) to the eating of food itself, in which he makes a statement contrary to the law of Moses, since Moses teaches in the second and third of his books that some animals are unclean to eat. Christ, on the other hand, clearly states the general proposition that eating and drinking neither sanctifies nor defiles. This was a completely new and unheard-of opinion among this people; indeed, it was blaspheming Moses to his face. For what is left here for Moses, when it is preached that the law of eating and drinking is free and abolished?
Therefore, a Jew can safely eat meat, fish, and other foods that were forbidden in the Law and were unclean in some way, and is bound (because the great God says so) to believe that he cannot sin or become unclean even if he eats gnats, or even if a snake gets into his mouth by accident.
38 What then are the commandments according to
252 Notes on Matth. 15, 10-13. W. VII, 382-385. 253
which one should eat and drink this or that 2c. if one wants to attain righteousness thereby, other than blatant blasphemies against these words of the divine majesty? Consider who and how great he is who speaks here, and you will see how foolish it is what is taught and held contrary to this.
39 Christ opens his mouth wide and says with a loud voice: "What enters the mouth does not defile. What can be said that is clearer, more powerful and more certain? He does not say, "All that you eat," but, "All that enters your mouth." With this he wants to avoid all slander, so that no one would like to pretend that there is any difference between the foods. What always enters the mouth is not called sin. But if food and drink do not defile, how much less will clothing, place, time, persons, and all other habits and statutes defile, since food and drink are the greatest things in this bodily life. Notice with diligence that Christ says this. The other part of Christ's saying is this:
But what goes out of the mouth defiles the man.
(40) This beautiful and graceful contrast between "going in" and "going out" is very attractive. As if it wanted to say: Oh, why do they bother with food and drink, or with what goes into the mouth? if they would rather take care of what goes out of the mouth. One should look up. What goes into the mouth does not defile, but what goes out of the mouth defiles. O these are vile hypocrites! who take heed lest they be defiled by those things that go into the mouth (which are God's creatures); why do they not rather take heed to what goes out of the mouth, which are the works of the devil?
41 Therefore, the emphasis of these words "what goes out" must be made great. As if he wanted to say: Oh keep silent about the going in! The going out of the mouth is all uncleanness. If the going out were pure, the coming in would not make impure. He
You are the most perverse hypocrites, making righteousness where there is none, and sin where there is none; but where there is sin, you make none, and where there is righteousness, you think it is none.
V: 12. Then his disciples came to him and said: Do you also know that the Pharisees were angry when they heard the word?
(42) Here you see that even the disciples themselves were moved about this teaching of the food, because they say that the Pharisees were offended by it. For it was indeed vexatious, even against Moses. But Christ, or the Lord, who has power over all things, answers with a still harsher saying, saying:
V. 13. But he answered and said, All plants which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.
- What is this talking about? Is not the law of Moses planted by God? For the disciples did not ask about the washing of hands, but about the freedom to eat, since Christ had said: "What enters the mouth does not defile the man"; therefore he could justly be accused as heretical against the law of Moses; for against this he teaches, not only against the ordinance of man about washing hands. I would have helped to crucify him, since he publicly teaches before the people in such an inflammatory way: one is not guilty of keeping what Moses commanded; yes, he declares Moses to be a heretic and contrary to God the Father, since he says that his plant is not from his father and should be expiated. And he adds: all those would be blind, and leaders of the blind, who teach these commandments of Moses, and follow them. Who would not want to stone, crucify, and eternally persecute such a devil preacher, or be spiteful 1) and grudging?
44 What shall we say to this? First, let us say that Christ is Lord even of the Sabbath, as He said above, Cap. 12:8; and how much more Lord over all ceremonies, over food and drink!
- In the old editions: "gehas".
254 Notes on Matth. 15, 13-17. W. vn, "ss-sss. 255
And therefore Moses, the servant, had to give way with his law to the Lord, who is now present; and the Pharisees or priests were now out of their office, and had to worship the new king. Therefore, the laws of Moses could no longer be called plants of God, since everything had been given to them for the sake of the future Christ; and the Father now wanted to start another kingdom through His Son.
45 Secondly, we say that the Pharisees were hypocrites and perverse disciples of Moses, because they thought that if they performed the ceremonies only outwardly, they would attain righteousness before God for the sake of the mere work. This was not Moses' intention, but the ceremonies were to be exercises of the godly, who were righteous beforehand by faith, namely those who kept the first commandment (above all); furthermore, the wicked people were to be kept in check by outward discipline and to be separated from the Gentiles. This is the opinion of Moses, if one understands him correctly. But now, since they do not only wrongly understand and teach Moses, but also the present Lord of Moses, Christ rightly concludes: the tree must be uprooted with its root, since it is no longer planted by the Father. And so Moses falls with his ceremonies, and at the same time the hypocrisy with the false understanding of Moses, and Christ, as the only free Lord and King of freedom, keeps his place.
46 If they had accepted the Lord and Moses in truth and (as Paul says Rom. 9, 31. f. 10, 3.) had wanted to understand the law correctly, then the ceremonies would have been good and Christ would not have cut them off, just as he would not have cursed the fig tree, even if the fig tree had not only borne leaves, but had been a righteous fig tree Matth. 21, 19.. For the whole sum is this: righteousness before God does not come from works and ceremonies, but from faith. Where faith stands, all ceremonies, even godly human statutes, can remain. But where faith is not permitted, there
neither the ceremonies, even if they are prescribed by God, much less the statutes of men, even if they are good in appearance, can remain, but both, and all at the same time, are to be uprooted as plants that the Father has not planted. For he will have faith; therefore all that can be called law shall be cut off. For faith makes righteous, but the law (even if it is accepted in the most spiritual way) does not make righteous. Therefore, even the law is completely eradicated in the spirit (as has often been taught and written elsewhere). For here one can act of the abolition of the law, because here ausreuten is the same as abolish.
V. 14 Let them go, they are blind and blind guides; but if one blind man guides another, they will both fall into the pit.
47 But because the ungodly people did not understand this, Christ commands them to be despised, knowing full well that they neither wanted nor were able to understand it. Therefore one must give them leave. Oh, let them go, let them do their thing; they do not understand, do not want to understand, and cannot understand. Let them be blind men, and lead one another into the pit to the devil; so they want it. Neither preaching nor miracles help. They do not want to hear me, and yet they might well. They want to teach and judge me, and yet they cannot. Blind, blind after all!
V. 15 Peter answered and said to him, "Interpret this parable for us.
48 Peter does not ask about the human statute of washing hands, but about the freedom to eat anything. For (as has been said) even the disciples take offense at this new teaching, which went against the Law of Moses. And Christ answers arrogantly enough, and not to the point. For when he should teach how these things did not dispute with Moses, he turns to something else, and speaks very contemptuously:
V. 16. 17. And Jesus said unto them, Are ye yet without understanding? Notice
256 Notes on Matth. 15, 16-19. W. vn, 388-391. 257
Do you not yet know that everything that enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is ejected by the natural course?
- As if he wanted to say to his dearest and most trusted disciples, "Oh, do you think that the food which is thrown out after a short time by the natural course can make you blessed? Have you no understanding at all? For what would this so great teacher and Lord need not only to touch upon this ugly need of the human body, but also (as philosophers and physicians are wont to do) to describe it very roughly, namely, how the food enters the mouth, enters the stomach, and is then thrown out? And he does not think it worth the trouble to say at least how the food is transformed into flesh and blood, and gives nourishment to the body; but in a spiteful manner he only magnifies that which is the worst of the food, namely the dirt. The Germans, as they are dainty people in their language, especially when they speak of this work, would pronounce this saying of Christ, according to their coarse manner, thus: Those who seek righteousness in food are shitty saints and defiled with human excrement, for their holiness consists in shitting and pissing. Certainly, an excellent holiness, which is thrown out by the natural course into the cloaca! Christ does not speak after the manner of the Germans; but still, being angry, he gives to understand that he wants to say just this. So much does he dislike this hypocrisy that Moses had been wrongly understood. As if he wanted to say: Oh, do you think Moses talked about eating and being thrown out again? Yes, he rather talked about an honorable discipline of the outer life, which should contribute something to righteousness (as those think).
However, he shows here in all seriousness the true praise and victory of the statutes of men and the false righteousnesses of the law, even of the law of God, that it is nothing but dung and dirt, as Paul also speaks of it in Phil. 3, 8, because the statutes of men give no nourishment to the soul, but are only dirt. After this he also says: "Righteousness without faith is dirt and harm, just as if God
(Inasmuch as it is to serve justice), what you eat and give of yourself, with which you may clothe and unclothe yourself. Only, just as the natural need of throwing out must be covered in an honorable way, so also the need of eating and drinking must be regulated 2c. in a decent way, so that people do not become beasts. But that justice is to be sought in these things is not Mosi's opinion, but it is imputed to him by the hypocrites. Therefore they are (as one commonly says) shitty prophets, whose doctrine and righteousness is human dung and stinking dirt.
V. 18, 19: But what goes out of the mouth comes out of the heart, and that defiles a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, thievery, false witness, blasphemy.
(51) But I, saith he, will not speak unto you of meat, nor of filthiness, but of that which verily defileth a man, that which goeth out of the mouth, and not that which cometh in. But he explains what goes out of the mouth (lest anyone should dream that it means saliva or spit), namely, what comes out of the heart and goes out of the mouth. Of these things Moses earnestly commanded. But those leave this aside, and dispute only about the things that come to the mouth. . They coward gnats and swallow cameos Matth. 23, 24. They are annoyed because I do not worship their shitty righteousness, and I should not be annoyed that they do not ask anything about true and pure righteousness? Let them eat their dirt in the devil's name. If ye honor the righteousness of the heart, all things shall be clean unto you afterward, whether it be fasting or meat, forbidden of Moses, or allowed. For he looked upon me as the one who makes hearts righteous 2c.
(52) Here the answer to the question is easy: why does he say that these manifest sins, fornication, theft, adultery, false witness, blasphemies, proceed from the heart, while they are all outward works? Because no one would do such things if he
258 Notes on Matth. 15, 18-20. W. vn, 391-394. 259
If he did not think of it in his heart and be willing to do it. Therefore, before the body commits the sin, it is already done in the heart; as he says in Matt. 5:28: "He that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." And v. 22: "He that is angry with his brother is guilty of judgment." Likewise 1 John Z, 15. "He that hateth his brother is a murderer." Therefore a stained and evil heart stains all speeches and deeds, even if they appear to be good, according to the saying: "To the pure all things are pure" Tit. 1, 15., as Christ also speaks elsewhere [Matth. 23, 26.): "Purify first the inward parts" 2c.
The register of gross sins is known, namely, murder, adultery 2c. Only this is to be noted that Christ does not speak of one piece of sin alone, but of the whole sin, that is, not of the actual deed, but of the root and the tree with its fruit. Murder is a sin that is done with the heart, with the mouth, with the hand, by counsel, by help; either only in one of these parts or in all of them at the same time, as. Matthew Cap. 5, 22. says: "He who is angry with his brother" 2c.
(54) Thus "evil thoughts" are called, not the lustful lusts (for these are included under adultery and fornication), but the harmful efforts, the artifices to deceive, harm, deceive one's neighbor, even when one wants to appear to be one's friend and the best person. For "evil", or "wicked", are called the thoughts of evil or harmful, doing harm, cheating, lying, deceiving. For these are the thoughts that prevail in the world under a good appearance. Ulid these come from the heart in which they have taken root. Thus, blasphemies and false testimonies are sins, not only against the second tablet or against the eighth commandment, but also against the first tablet and against the second commandment; as, the false teachers and false spirits speak lies under the name of God, and condemn and curse the true doctrine. And to this he adds a warning, saying:
V. 20. These are the pieces that defile the man.
(55) As if to say: These should be taken care of, these do not concern a trivial matter, as how food goes into the belly; these are important things. Why are you not aware of terrible sins and great beams here?
(56) At last, after the interlocutory speech is over, he returns to the matter at hand and speaks:
But eating with unwashed hands does not contaminate a person.
(57) For in the interlocutory discourse he had spoken of food, or that which comes into the mouth, and not of the washing of hands only. Whoever wants to wash his hands, let him wash them; whoever does not want to wash them, let him not: such things have nothing to do with righteousness or sin; I do not want sin or righteousness to consist in them. Therefore you must separate righteousness and sin from such human statutes. I do not object to anyone washing himself, but I do object to anyone considering himself righteous and holy before God because of it. Just as I do not object when someone eats or casts by the natural course, if only he does not imagine that this is righteousness. The things concerning the respectability and cleanliness of the body, as well as other things, such as clothes, vessels, houses, fields, may be and remain, but they contribute nothing to sin or to righteousness.
Therefore, one must pay attention to the intention of Christ, because he does not want this, that the bodily cleanliness should be rejected and instead uncleanliness should be accepted, as the monks think that they are holy and great people because of their little and dirty clothes. For who would be so senseless as to consider it a sin for a maid to wash pots, vessels, clothes, to clean the house and chambers and to sweep them out 2c? ? This Christ does not want, but he goes along the middle road; yes, he goes even further and says: In these things is not righteousness or sin; you may eat or drink, the table, the garment, the house 2c. be washed or not.
260 Notes on Matth. 15, 21-28. W. vn. 394-397. 261
The History of the Cananaean Woman.
V. 21, 22: And Jesus departed thence, and went into the region of Tyro and Sidon. And, behold, a Canaanite woman went out of the same border, and cried after him, saying, Lord, thou Son of David, have mercy on me: for my daughter is evil afflicted with the devil. And he answered her not a word.
The story of the Canaanite woman I have dealt with extensively enough in the postils 1). In fact, it contains mainly two pieces. The first piece deals with the great, constant and wonderful faith of this woman, who not only believes, but also, although she is challenged by so many temptations, nevertheless overcomes and triumphs. For it was already something very great that Christ, when she cried out to him, did not hear her, but despised her.
(60) Here an infinite number of human hearts would fall, saying: What shall I cry out? I see that I am not in grace, and He does not dignify me with His grace; therefore I am lost. God hates me and does not want to save me, therefore I must despair. This woman could also have felt such thoughts, and perhaps also suffered them according to the sensation of the flesh. But she, as a woman of very manly, brave mind, casts all these thoughts out of her heart, and stiffly holds to the opposite, namely, that she should and must be accepted and heard for grace, and believes in hope, since there was nothing to hope for Rom. 4:18, and says: Although I am a heathen and completely unworthy, yet I do not want to be a heathen, and I know that I will not be taken for a heathen by him 2c. This is the first battle, and a sharp one at that.
Then his disciples came to him and begged him, saying: Let her go from you, for she cried out after us. But he answered and said: I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
61 This other temptation is even more severe, in that Christ, despite the intercession of his
- Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XI, 544. vol.XIII, 254. 1692.
Disciple, persists in his hard sense, yes, shows himself in such a way that he denies her grace by completely separating and segregating her from the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel. Who could bear this hard blow, this thunderclap, if he were also a child of Israel? It is terrifying to hear the reason why he refuses her grace and will not hear her prayer, namely, because she is not of the sheep of Israel, and because Christ did not come to her or for her sake. This is a terrible ban, and moreover quite unbearable, unless the one who is thus challenged is very strong in faith.
(v. 25, 26) And she came and fell down before him, and said, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not good to take the children's bread, and to cast it to the dogs.
(62) This third temptation is the most severe, since she herself falls down before him and begs him, and yet she is not only not heard, nor accepted among the sheep, but is condemned by an obvious pronouncement and called a dog, while others are called children. Oh, to receive the sentence that one is a dog among the children, that is, not even to be counted among the servants, but to be excluded from the eternal inheritance of the children.
V.27. 28. She said, "Yes, Lord, but yet the little dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their masters' tables. And Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith; let it be unto thee according to thy will. And her daughter was healed at that very hour.
So great is the strength of faith, and that in a pagan woman, that she overcomes all these very fierce temptations and breaks through them all. It is found in few and seldom. Therefore Christ Himself also marvels at this faith, so that He also exclaims and says, "O woman, thy faith is great!" And he gives her what she has asked of him.
- this is presented to us so that we may learn that the faithful
262 Notes on Matth. 15, 27. 28. W. vn, 397-400. 263
Finally, they will obtain what they desire, if only they do not stop asking and knocking.
The other doctrine is that Christ was also given to the Gentiles and not only to the Jews. For among the Jewish people there was no more important question than this: whether the Gentiles (especially those who did not allow themselves to be circumcised) were also eligible for God's grace? because Moses and all the prophets strongly insisted that the seed of Abraham was God's people. And therefore this people was set apart and chosen from all other peoples, not by human arbitrariness, but by divine command, by miracles, by their worship, by the law, by the promise, by circumcision, and finally by the kingdom and priesthood, which were confirmed by obvious signs and by long use of God, and maintained by many miracles. Therefore, the Jews (as is still the case today) could not believe anything less than that there was a people of God apart from them, if they did not allow themselves to be circumcised and follow the use of Moses.
(66) And it seems that Christ approves of this opinion in this place, first, because he does not listen to the Canaanite woman, nor does he respect her; second, because he says that he is not sent, but only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; third, because he says that he is bread for the children, not for the dogs, and cuts off the children's bread from her.
This has always been the most difficult question from the beginning of the world, and will be until the end of the world, namely: which, who, and where is the church or the people of God? that is, who and where is God? For where the Church is, there is also God. The Jews believe that He is with them; the Turks, with them; the Papists, above all, with them; and we also believe that He is with us.
(68) And it always seems as if Christ is not with his own, but with strangers. For it seems as if he neither hears nor knows his own; just as he does here with this woman and today also with us. Nevertheless, he himself shows by the final statement that he is, regardless of the person, the God of all.
who believe in him, that he may be a god to all who trust in him, or to the faithful. Finally, he shows great mercy to this woman, and praises her faith, although she is a Greek woman from Syro-Phoenicia, a pagan (which Marcus insists on Marc. 7, 26.), that is, not of the seed of Abraham, but of an uncircumcised people, who had done no merits, no good works; indeed, who had never been under the law of Moses, and was not partaker of the promises of Christ, but had been converted to the faith out of idolatry, on the rumor or word which she had heard from Christ.
(69) Therefore, this example commands the Gentiles that even though they are not circumcised, or adorned with the Law, or with the promises of God, they should nevertheless have hope in the fellowship of the saints in light, and in the fellowship of the kingdom of heaven, if they believe in Christ.
70 What is the answer to the so strong reasons of the Jews, which they cite from the Scriptures? Paul solves them with a marvelous art of conclusion by saying Rom. 3, 29: "Is God the God of the Jews alone? Is he not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, indeed, also the God of the Gentiles." As if he wanted to say: I grant the Jews this assertion (affirmativam) that they are God's chosen and called people; but to this sentence, which excludes all others (ex-clusivam): The Jews alone are God's people, I say no. For it is something else that the Jews are God's people; and something else that only the Jews are God's people. For although God chose this people especially for the sake of Abraham and Christ, it does not follow that He does not want to consider any other people as His people, since He had the Ninevites under Jonah, Egypt under Joseph, and the Babylonians under Daniel. But why should he not now, under Christ himself, have all the Gentiles without distinction?
71 And Paul makes an excellent distinction in Rom. 15, 8, where he says that Jesus Christ is a servant of God.
264 Notes on Matth. 15, 27. 28. W. vii, 400-403. 265
The Jews were chosen for this purpose, so that there would be a certain people to whom God would fulfill His promises and to whom He would entrust what He had said. As if he wanted to say: The Jews were chosen for this purpose, so that there would be a certain people, to whom God would do His promises and to whom He would entrust what He had spoken (as Paul says in Rom. 3, 1. 2.), as it is also said in the 147th Psalm, v. 19. 20: "He shows Jacob His word, Israel His customs and rights. So he does no heathen, nor lets them know his rights." But by this he did not bind himself to have this nation alone, and to reject all other nations; indeed, this is an entirely divine counsel, that he did not choose several nations, but one nation, and even one person, Abraham, whose God he wished to be. For if he had chosen many specially and manifestly to entrust them with his sayings and promises; how could the whole world ever have been gathered under the one Christ, or to the one Church, since even now, when it is certain that God has been a Promiser to only one people, and yet has not given His promises to only one people, nevertheless infinite sects arise and deviate from the promises of God that were given to a single and particular people?
(72) What would happen, or would happen, if God had chosen several peoples and entrusted them with His speeches, as He entrusted them to the only people of the Jews? For each nation would call itself from God and separate itself from the others (as the Jews do, or rather did). And so there could never be one universal church in the whole world, but there would be as many universal churches as there were peoples who had the same promises as the Jews. But since God wants to have a general church throughout the whole world, it was necessary that a certain people, yes, a certain father of this one people would be chosen, to whom and to whose descendants the whole world should look, and thus become a sheepfold, and thus out of all the peoples, who by various customs are infinitely different from each other, become one church.
were different, yet would become one church.
The word Gentiles, however, must not be taken in a natural sense, but always in a theological sense, that is, as they are before God, that is, as they are without God, without law, without worship, without promises, without fathers, without prophets, and as they are only corrupt in their idolatries, and infinitely different and divided from one another. That these should be made equal to the Jews, who, on the other hand, had God, the law, and the worship of God, was (as I have said) an unbearable annoyance.
But the Papists of our time are far more damning than the Jews. Although they have nothing that God has given them as their own, no promises, no law, no worship, but have Christ, the gospel, the worship in common with all peoples, they have nevertheless invented their own laws, their own ceremonies, their own worship, their own promises. Those who do not want to keep them, they even judge to be heretics and worse than the heathen. And in such frenzy they would not receive this Canaanite woman, nor hold communion with her, but would exclude her as a dog from the bread of the children for eternity, until they had forced her to be circumcised according to the laws they had invented, that is, until she denied the common Christ and worshipped the new and strange Antichrist.
For this reason, the example of this Canaanite woman is also a comfort to us. For because she is taken from the number of dogs into the community of children for the sake of faith alone, much more will we be children and comrades if we believe in Christ. And also we will not need the law, the circumcision, the divine services, which were invented by men, because this woman did not need the law, the circumcision, the divine services, divine things, which were instituted by God. Therefore, if even the true law of God did not prevent her from becoming a daughter by faith alone, how should a lying
266 Notes on Matth. 15, 27-33. W. vn, 403-405. 267
What is the law of man or fiction that prevents us from being the church or members of the church through this very faith in Christ? Yes, just as they the Jews, having lost the faith because of their obstinacy in keeping the law, lost the true and divine law, both the bread and the right of filiation, so also the papists, who persecute the faith in order to keep their lying and fictitious laws, lose both the church and the right of the church, and have become a true abomination standing in the holy place.
V.29-31. And JEsus departed thence, and came unto the sea of Galilee, and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And there came unto him great multitudes, having with them the lame, the blind, the mute, the crippled, and many others; and they cast them before JEsu's feet, and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw that the mute spoke, the crippled were healed, the lame walked, the blind saw, and they healed God Israel.
76 This miracle of the Canaanite woman is followed by a list of other miracles. For the whole life of Christ had to be described in such a way that he either taught or performed miracles, or did both at the same time; because, as Peter Apost. 10, 38, he was anointed and sent by the Father with the Holy Spirit to go about doing good and healing all who were overcome by the devil. For all these diseases are attributed to the devil, who is a slayer and enemy of the human race, because they all originate from the first sin, as does death. Then he multiplies them and works them partly through himself, partly through his angels, through men, and through other equally harmful evils, so that he can rightly be called the cause of all diseases and evils; just as he is called the author of death and a father of lies John 8:44.
77 But this is to be noted, that Christ's wanderings in the land and his miraculous deeds are pleasing to the people at that time. For they
are astonished and praise God, who destroys and annuls these diseases or works of the devil through Christ. But afterwards, when Christ is accused before Pilate, these same miracles and benefits are called sedition, seduction, rebellion against the emperor and the high priest, so that he is condemned before both courts. This is the reward that the world gives for the deeds and miracles. As long as they are needy and receive good things, they praise them greatly and admire them; but when they have been filled, they condemn and curse them. Yea, thou pious fruit, thou dear child, woman of the world, as thou hast been from the beginning, even so art thou now, and ever, and from everlasting to everlasting. The devil strikes you. 1)
(78) But these miracles are written and preached to us who are chosen. They are offended by them, but we are edified by them, learning and believing that in Christ we have a gracious, gentle, loving, kind-hearted Lord, who is also able, willing, and able to help. And wants, and knows, to help. For here he shows himself to be the most powerful Lord over all these diseases or works of the devil, and there is no doubt that he is also the most powerful Lord over the devil himself, whose works he cancels and destroys with such ease. And although in this life such miracles have been performed only on certain persons, yet in that life they will come to all who have believed in him. For then he will publicly demonstrate his power to all, which he now only hints at and shows to some, so to speak, in order to build up our faith.
The miracle of the boiling drops.
V.32. 33. And JEsus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the people: for they have tarried with me three days, and have nothing to eat; and I will not feed them.
- The explanation of this saying is found in the interpretation of the 101st Psalm, Walch, old edition, vol. V, 1262: "I would also like to say sheerly, like that preacher, when he said of the rabbit strip that the head would be evil to strip (but meant the princes and lords), strip you, he said, the devil."
268 Notes on Matth. 15, 32-34. w. vn, 4os-4v8. 269
I will leave them uneaten, so that they will not faint on the way. Then said his disciples unto him, Whence shall we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so many people?
This gospel has already been treated in the postilla 1), but we want to add some things here. First, he consults his disciples and tries them to see what they would answer and what advice they would give. But they answered very carnally, according to their reason, counting the multitude of the people against the few loaves.
By this Christ also shows His disciples and all of us through them, how foolish and how ignorant we are in the works of God, who think that He does nothing, while He does abundantly above all that we think and ask; therefore we also always despair in things where there is nothing to hope for and which are impossible for us. Christ punishes this sin here, and shows that believers should think in desperate things that God can and will do abundantly above all that we ask or understand, as Paul says Eph. 3:20. Those who do not do this are broken in two ways (as Jeremiah, Cap. 17, 18, says), namely, by the difficulty or impossibility of the matter in and of itself; then also by despair, which they add to the difficulty of the matter. But with God no thing is impossible Luc. 1, 37., although with us it is impossible, or at least difficult to believe.
For this reason, we are shown here how deeply unbelief clings to us, for we would answer nothing but foolish things to all of God's works if he wanted to ask us for advice first. Therefore it is better that he does everything without our advice. For if it depended on our advice, he would never do a work worthy of God.
V. 34. And Jesus said to them: How much bread have ye? They said, Seven, and a little fish.
- The parallel passage Marc. 8, 1. ff. on the 7th Sunday after Trinity. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XI, 1366. 1374. vol. XIII, 780.
He asks her advice a second time so that the greatness and certainty of the miracle may be known. For if he had not asked their advice beforehand, and asked for their testimony, so that it might be known that there was not much bread, there might have been reason for suspicion, as if there had been more bread, or as if the people themselves, each for himself, had brought his bread with him; and so the glory of the miracle would have been destroyed or obscured, and faith would not have taken place, and so great a work would have been in vain. Just as nowadays all creations and governments of the whole creature are in vain, 2) since everything is either the same or even greater miracles than this one. For what is more wonderful than that yearly so much fruit, so much seed, so many animals 2c. are brought forth from the earth? But because they happen year from year on, they become thereby contemptible (as Augustinus 3) speaks). And Pythagoras, who speaks of an exceedingly lovely harmony of the heavens (as if he had read Job), which men no longer hear because they have become deaf to it through constant hearing, wants to say with this: one no longer respects the daily miracles of the creatures.
Therefore, if the majesty of God's works is to be understood, man must be advised and reminded that they are not there, that is, what he would advise if these or those things were not. For example: If one is to get an idea of the majesty of the sun and the moon, and admire them, one must think: How, if there were no sun, even for one day, what would the whole world be? Proceed in the same way with all the other works of God. Imagine them as if they were nothing, then you will, like the apostles here, answer foolishly and with despair, namely thus: It is over, here it is.
- i.e. they are not observed, thus they happen in vain.
- Augustine's word is: [ssiduitats omnia vil686unt, through frequency everything becomes small. Cf. Tischreden, Cap. 20, s 6. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XXII, 597.
270 Notes on Matth. 15, 34. Cap. 16, 1. W. vii,ii4. 271
all will be lost. Then the miracle of God will be clearly seen in all works. For all things are such miracles, if only there are people who look at them according to dignities, who remembered and admired such things.
This is what Christ does here, when he first wakes up his disciples and reminds them that the work which he is about to do and publicly display is not yet present. For with Christ these so many thousands of people were already satiated long ago, even from the beginning of the world. For he sees and knows the satiety and abundance, just as if it had already happened a thousand years ago. But in the eyes of the disciples everything is impossible, even after a thousand years, yes, in eternity. Therefore they had to give the same advice as they did in Matth. 14, 15, where it says: "In the evening his disciples came to him,
and said: This is a desert, and the night falls therefore, let the people go from thee, that they may go into the markets, and buy them meat." This is as high as they go; nor do they even consider this, that the very food they were to buy would not be there if it had not miraculously grown out of the earth and been preserved by God.
Ah, flesh, thou art flesh, and remainest flesh! When there is no danger or need, or when you are filled with present goods, you believe bravely; but when there is a lack of necessary sustenance, or when there is need, you sing or rather howl nothing but the words from the 4th Psalm, v. 8: "Those have plenty of wine and grain. So much is the flesh absorbed in the present things, and has no regard for the absent or future things.
The sixteenth chapter.
V. 1. Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came to him, tempting him and demanding that he let them see a sign from heaven.
As we have often said, there is nothing more hopeful, nothing more presumptuous, nothing more proud than the most wicked kind of men, the hypocrites, who arrogate to themselves wisdom and righteousness before others. See how they come to Jesus, not that they want to be taught by him (for they themselves want to be doctors and not disciples), but that they make of Christ a barker and a jester, who does signs as they would have him do, by which rather they themselves would be confirmed in their teaching, because they would be such people, who would have such a great artist at their disposal.
- after that they ask "that he may let them see a sign from heaven", just as if
The miracles that he had done so far were nothing, because they had only happened on earth. As if they wanted to say: Oh, these earthly miracles are nothing! if he showed that he was powerful in heaven, then one could believe him. Not as if they were willing to believe then, but they blaspheme these miracles in such a way, which are far greater than those they wanted to see from heaven. For to raise the dead, to give sight to the blind, surpasses all the signs that can be shown in heaven, as much as man, who is the image of God, surpasses heaven and all fleshly creatures, and eternal life surpasses corruptible creatures.
3 Therefore the evangelist reports this carefully, that they had demanded this sign from him "to tempt him", that is, more maliciously, slanderously, deceitfully, than the desperate boys. And they
272 Notes on Matth. 16, 1-3. w. vii, 273
want to suppress him among the people, because he does not do such signs that they themselves choose and prescribe; on the other hand, they do not respect the signs that the Father has given and wants to have done through him. God shall do as they will, or he shall not be God. God wills that they believe as he wills, speaks and does, or they shall not be his people, nor he their God.
4 This is how it is done today. If our doctrine did all the miracles of Christ and the apostles (although many more of them are done daily), but if it did not do such miracles as they themselves chose, it would be nothing. Again, if what they themselves had chosen were to happen, the slander would immediately be there that it was done by the devil, because they (who alone are the Church and children of God) cannot do such things. Let it be done as they wish, or everything will be wrong. But if what they themselves want happens, that is only catholic, if it so pleases them, because they are the Lord, who does everything (Factotus) in heaven and on earth, without God, except God, over God.
(5) Therefore, I have never wanted a sign to be done for the sake of doctrine, because I am sure that nothing would be accomplished by it, and because everything would be attributed to the devil by this damned race of hypocrites. I am content that they are convicted by the power of truth and must condemn themselves in their own conscience.
(6) But the signs of which such people are worthy are the perverts, namely (as they say) the taken (passives), by which they must push themselves, fall, break, be entangled and caught (as Isaiah, Cap. 8, 15., speaks) and thus receive the reward they deserve in themselves Rom. 1, 27.. Because they do not want to be built up on Christ, who is glorious by word and miracle, so that they may be saved, it is very just that they should be angry with Christ, who is weak and humiliated by the cross, and that they should fall to pieces and perish. Thus our hypocrites are judged justly, because by the word of truth (which they receive) and by the works of righteousness (which they cannot deny) they have
They will not let us build them up, they will be annoyed by our lives and by the annoyances that are rampant without our will, and they will have to fall.
V. 2. 3. But he answered and said, In the evening ye say, It shall be a good day, for the sky is red. And in the morning ye say, There shall be a storm this day; for the sky is red and cloudy. You hypocrites, you can judge the shape of the sky; can you not also judge the signs of this time?
7 See here how angry Christ himself is against these wicked hypocrites. He says: "You hypocrites, you can judge the form of heaven, but you do not judge the signs of this time. You know what it means when the sky is clear in the evening and cloudy in the morning, but you do not consider what the signs mean that you see and hear them being done publicly by me.
(8) He speaks all things in images and signs. For just as when the sky is clear in the evening, it is a sign that the following day will be beautiful and clear, but when it is cloudy in the morning, it is a sign of a sad and rainy day, for this is also expressed in our language by the proverbs: Evening red, morning fair; and again: Morgenroth leuget nicht, dicke Magd treuget nicht; ist's nicht Regen, so ist's Wind; ist die Magd nicht fett, so ist's ein Kind.
(9) Thus the signs of Christ have double power. For they bring resurrection and the joy of justification to the godly, but the sorrow of the wicked, and the tempestuous storm of eternal death; for the godly are made better by them, but the wicked perish by them.
010 Thus saith he, Those signs of heaven ye understand; why then understand ye not these signs also, which are done unto you unto salvation, if ye believe them; but unto destruction, if ye believe them not? For ye have now a bright evening, from which ye may have hope of the day to come, which is bright and salvific; but there shall follow a dreary morning, in the which ye shall see the
274 Notes on Matth. 16, 2-4. W. vii, 417-420. 275
have to fear eternal destruction. For my signs, and this time of grace and wrath to come, are no less clear, and shine as the heavens themselves with their evening and morning; if ye would but look into the prophets that prophesy of this time, and consider aright the things which ye see. But ye are not moved by the promises of the scriptures, nor by the things that are actually come to pass; and are only drowned in these temporal things, as happy or sad days shall come. Therefore you respect nothing; and yet you demand other signs. Yes, you shall have signs, because you slander and blaspheme what you see in many ways.
V. 4. The wicked and adulterous kind seeks a sign, and no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.
011 Ye are an adulterous sort, strangers, and so now no more the children of Abraham and of the fathers: ye shall have no other sign, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. This is an evil sign, in which ye shall not be edified (for ye will not be edified, but mock and revile him that edifieth you), but ye shall stumble, fall, be broken, and perish. This sign (I say) will be given to you, so that because you are not moved to believe by the signs of glory and power, you will be angered by the aversions of the cross and weakness in me. And you will neither understand my suffering nor my resurrection. For you could be attracted by these signs of glory and power to believe that I am from God, because no one has done so before; and if you had thus become my disciples, you could hear the secrets of my suffering and cross. But because you do not believe the signs of glory, it will happen that when these cease, I will appear to you as one who is weak, crucified and dead; then you will be able to believe in me much less, because you have been angered by such a great pain as the cross is. After that, when I will be resurrected, you will be able to believe in me most of all.
least believe in me, and so you will perish from righteous judgment, because you have despised the signs of this time, which are so glorious. Thus Paul says 1 Cor. 1, 21: "Because the world by its wisdom did not know God in His wisdom, it pleased God by foolish preaching to make those blessed who believe." Those who do not want to become good through the benefits of God must become worse through the ruths of God. Those who despise the wisdom of God are lost through the foolishness of God. He who will not laugh when God whistles must be angry when God scolds. If he does good, it is despised; if he does harm, it is blasphemed. He can nowhere do as we wish, therefore we must be lost, for we cannot be helped, neither with sweetness nor with sourness, neither with laughter nor with weeping.
(12) Therefore they shall have no other sign than the sign of Jonah. Not in the sense that they do not have all the other signs of Christ, because they have seen them all and blasphemed them, but this sign of Jonah will be peculiar to them, because it has been powerful in them to cause trouble and destruction (as they were worthy). For all other signs were with them not only ineffective and vain, but also devilish and very evil 2c. For they made themselves a deadly poison out of the healing medicine.
But how Jonah was a sign of Christ, he himself explains above in the 12th chapter, v. 40. Only this is something wonderful, that in both places it is said that Christ is a sign of Jonah, while Jonah himself was a sign of the future Christ. But the art of language easily answers here that Christ is called a sign of Jonah, because Christ himself becomes a kind of Jonah-sign (signum Jonale) to the Jews, that is, something similar (to Jonah), as he himself explains: "Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the midst of the earth. Days and three nights in the midst of the earth." Summa, Christ, who was delivered into the belly of the whale, that is, into death, and on the third day was cast out again and raised from the dead.
276 Notes on Matth. 16, 4-12. W. vn, 420-422. 277
This will be an annoying sign to the unbelieving Jews.
(14) Whoever wants to treat the story of Jonah here and decorate it with ornaments will find in it the glorious doctrine of faith in the resurrection of the dead, or of life in the midst of death, so that we may learn that God's miracle and power are presented to us here in Jonah, who dies a threefold death, namely by water, by the whale, and by the wrath of God; and yet he does not even die in this way, but lives forever. But this does not belong to this passage.
And he left them, and went away.
(15) He left the tempters, says the evangelist, and went away, because with such people all that is done and said is in vain. For this is not their purpose, that they may learn, but that they may try, and then blaspheme the best words and works. Therefore, we too must follow this example, leaving them who only search us out, not so that they may learn from us, but to tempt us, knowing that they will find such signs and temptations worthy of them.
V. 5, 6: And when his disciples were gone over, they had forgotten to take bread with them. And Jesus said unto them, Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
16 This is written for the instruction of faith and doctrine. For when the disciples were troubled because they had taken no bread with them, he answered them, that they should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, that he might remind them that they must hold fast the word and faith against the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. As if he wanted to say: "Why are you worried about the bread for the belly? Take heed that ye be anxious for the bread of the Spirit, that is, for the word and faith against false doctrine and faith. Seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, so that you will not enter the kingdom of God through evil teachers.
of the devil and of error. You must be concerned about this true bread.
V. 7 Then they thought to themselves and said: This is why we did not take bread with us.
(17) But behold how gross and weak the apostles are. For by this remembrance they become nothing better, neither do they understand it; but, being taken up with the mind of the flesh, they are now more grieved for the belly. Furthermore, they are already afraid that Christ himself will also freely accuse their carelessness and negligence; so that I may say: They do not understand that their care will be punished, but let themselves dream that it is rather demanded of them.
(18) So we see here that Christ deals most kindly with those who do not tempt him, but are willing to be taught by him in a simple way. For behold how much patience he has with the apostles because of their ignorance in the word and their weakness in the faith. He does not go away and leave them, as he does the Pharisees; but he tolerates and corrects their foolishness in the most friendly way, and has to explain to them, as to children, in clear words what he had said, and to submit to their ability.
V. 8-12 When Jesus heard this, he said to them: Ye of little faith, why are ye troubled, because ye have not taken bread with you? Do you not yet know anything? Do you not remember the five loaves among the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves among the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How do you not understand that I do not tell you about the bread when I say, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
19 "Two miracles," he says, "you have seen, by which I have gained so many people in the world.
278 Notes on Matth. 16, 8-12. W. vii, 422-425. 279
You still doubt whether we will have bread even in this emergency. If you had paid attention to those miracles and understood them, you would have thought that I was not talking to you about bread, but that I could find bread again just as easily. You have such a weak faith and understand nothing. And I have spoken diligently not of bread, but of leaven; and moreover of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. By these words ye might have been moved and reminded that I speak not of bread, because it is not the custom to eat leaven. But you do not understand anything, because you do not have faith, which would have become stronger by miracles. According to the account of Marci, Cap. 8, 17 ff., he attacked their ignorance and carelessness with harsh and sharp words, saying: "Why do you care that you do not have bread? Do you not yet understand anything, and do you not yet have understanding? Have ye yet a stout heart within you? Have ye eyes, and see not; and have ye ears, and hear not; and think not?" This is a rather sharp sermon, and yet he is patient with their ignorance and weakness, he does not abandon them or push them away. And even they do not throw away their love, trust and reverence for him because of this, but as righteous disciples they gladly suffer the chastisement of their master and are improved by it.
20 We should also do this when we are punished from within or from without, so that we do not immediately think that this is due to God's wrath and that we must be rejected because of it. But the conscience is an extremely delicate thing, which finds it very difficult to retain this confidence in the face of temptation.
21 He names two kinds of leaven, namely the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Marcus writes, Cap. 8, 15: "And he commanded them, saying, Watch, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herodis." This is the same thing. For Herod was an epicurean sow who, like the Sadducaeans, cared nothing for the future life with GOD.
22 He spitefully calls their doctrine not bread, but leaven, and that leaven of the most wicked people. The leaven of the Pharisees consisted in this: They had received from Moses the pure teaching of the law and the promises; but they taught, first of all, that one must keep the law only outwardly; as sufficiently appears from the 5th, 15th and 23rd chapters of Matthew, where he condemns their understanding of the law. Furthermore, they nullified the commandments of God through their human statutes, which they increased infinitely. One must be on guard against both of these things, as against a plague, but especially against the fact that they taught that the promises of God from Christ must be given and received only according to the belly, that is what I say, and according to the temporal. And in this they completely agreed with the Sadducees, only that they believed in the resurrection of the dead, but only to the same bodily belly glory.
But what shall we say today of the leaven of our Pharisees and Sadducees or Herodians? who, first, have abolished the faith in Christ and, as Peter says, 2 Epist. 2:1, "deny the Lord who bought them"; second, have devastated the church with their doctrines of the devils, of the prohibition of marriage, of purgatory, and of the redemption of the Lord.They have devastated the church with their doctrines of devils, of the prohibition of marriage, of purgatory, of pardons, of vows, of superfluous merits, of indulgences, of pilgrimages, of the adoration of the saints, of masses, of the sacrament of the altar, which they have robbed of its one form and turned into a spectacle. But who can enumerate, I will not say, all the leaven, but the infinite monstrosities, which are not human, but truly diabolical? Here, here it is most necessary to hear the Savior who warns and commands: Beware of the leaven of the papists, who would be the church and rule the church, as the Pharisees and Sadducees rule the synagogue. For he speaks not of heretics, but of the lawful bishops over the nations, who sit on Mosi's throne. For these have the rightful authority and the key of knowledge,
280 Notes on Matth. 16, 8-16. w. vn, 425-tW. 281
are most damaging to the church, as Christ says Matth. 23, 13: "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites, who shut up the kingdom of heaven from men; you do not enter, and those who want to enter, you do not allow to go in. Therefore, he teaches us to be concerned for the preservation of the pure doctrine of the Word, because he so vehemently chides the statutes of men.
V. 13 Then came Jesus into the region of the city of Caesarea Philippi, and asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that the Son of man is?
(24) This passage is the head and source of all evil in the church. For therefore the pope has arrogated to himself the keys alone, and thereby made himself lord over heaven and earth and hell. Christ, as has already been said, condemned the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees; the pope, on the other hand, raises up by this passage not only much leaven, but also filth, and that the filth of the most wicked and godless people, as has been partly told above. But this matter is far greater than could be explained by brief remarks, and is worthy of being elaborated in full interpretations.
(25) Meanwhile, let us build up our faith in simplicity. First, Christ asks what people thought of him. And by this he gives us an example of good conduct, that we should take care to have a good testimony, even among those who are outside, as far as it is possible without breaking the gospel, so that no one may suffer among us as an adulterer, or murderer, or thief, or malefactor, or one who takes hold of a strange office; as Peter commands 1 Epist. 4:15.
26 Then he took the opportunity to reveal to the apostles that he was the Christ, the Son of God. Therefore, after they had told him various and uncertain opinions that the common people had about him, he asked them: Who did they think he was?
V. 14. 15. They said: Some say, Thou art John the Baptist; others, Thou art
Elijah; some said you were Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He said to them: Who do you say that I am?
27 Peter answers in the name of all (for he had asked them all, and he speaks to all without distinction and without regard to persons):
V. 16. Then Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Therefore, it is of no use for you to have a human opinion of Christ, that he is a righteous, holy, good man or prophet, even if he is the greatest of all, but the revelation of the Father from heaven must also be added, that he is Christ, the Son of God, that is, true man and true God, then also the promised King and Priest.
And in these few words the whole teaching of the Christian faith is summarized. For that he is a son of the living God, this indicates the living God, which the Scriptures elsewhere prove more extensively. But that he is a man is evident in itself. For because he walked among men, he was also found to be a man Phil. 2, 7., and as he calls himself the Son of man: "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" But because he is at the same time the Son of God, he could not have been born in sins, just as the other men are born in sins who are begotten of a man. Therefore, he was born of a virgin, without a father, of the Holy Spirit. Then he was mortal as a man among men. But because he is God, he necessarily could not remain or die in death. So much for the word: "You are the Son of the living God.
30 Furthermore, because he is Christ, that is, an anointed priest and king, it necessarily follows that all that he was was offered as a sacrifice for the sins of men, as the prophets foretold.
31 Therefore, in these words, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," the
282 Notes on Matth. 16, 16. 17. W. vii. 4W-4si. 283
the whole Apostles' Creed included; that he is the Son of God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth 2c.., and that our Lord Jesus Christ was conceived full of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered for us, died and rose again, and sits at the right hand of God the Father, because he is the Son, the Judge and Lord of all; that he dispenses forgiveness of sins through the Holy Spirit, to the resurrection and eternal life. Now Christ answers Peter and says:
V. 17. Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.
Here is the statement that the doctrine of faith is not a philosophy or wisdom of human reason; it can neither be invented nor retained nor judged by it, but it is a heavenly doctrine revealed by God the Father Himself. Just as a light shines in the night, or a torch in the darkness (when the sun is not there), but because the sun shines in its power, the torch neither shines nor glimmers, but is obscured by the majesty of the sunlight: so faith is a completely different light, by which the light of reason is obscured and extinguished.
Accordingly, every man may rejoice who can repeat Peter's word in like faith: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"; I say, in faith that is not fictitious, and that he knows he has the revelation full of the Father in heaven, and that he is truly a Christian, blessed and free from sin, death and hell. What more do you want? Flesh and blood do not know this, nor do they understand it.
What is flesh and blood but men begotten of flesh and blood, even the best, the wisest, and the most excellent? You will not find such things in the books or in the wisdom of the worldly beings, of the poets, of the orators, not in the rights of the emperors, not in the Callöllian right of the popes, but "my Father," he says, "in heaven has given it to you.
revealed", while the Gospel had not yet been spread by the apostles.
But it seems as if this was spoken by Christ quite confidentially, lovingly and kindly, as he is wont to deal lovingly with his own, as if he said: "Certainly, Peter, you speak great and wonderful things; you seem to me to be an exceptionally wise man. Where does this wisdom and knowledge of hidden and heavenly things come from? Certainly, my father has revealed it to you, and no other man. And yet he affirms it in everything. Seriously, that those would be blessed who have this wisdom from the Father. For Christ's happiness and kindness can always be seen in his words and deeds. Just as Paul ascribes to him a lightness, gentleness, meekness 2 Cor. 10:1 in his dealings with people, which, however, were seasoned with a sweet seriousness without frivolity or improper joking, and at the same time attracted people to him in the most powerful way and served them for instruction.
For this reason, I gladly believe what is written about St. Peter, that he wept so often after Christ's ascension that his eyes were completely devoured by tears, and he always used to wipe them with a cloth. And when he was asked: Why did he weep so much and ruin his eyes? he answered: He could not refrain from tears as often as he remembered the most friendly contact with Christ. 1)
Now show me a successor of Peter who has such faith and makes such a confession, who has such a revelation from the Father in heaven. Do you think that such a one, rejoicing in this heavenly wisdom, would tolerate, I do not want to say, wish for or seek to erase the filth of the kingdoms of the world, that is, of the flesh and blood? which the Roman popes, the successors of Peter (as they want to be considered, while in truth they are more the successors of Romulus, Julius or of the flesh and blood), have so far so impetuously supported by all the evil arts of the world.
- The same narrative is also found in the Table Talks, Cap. 7, 164. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 348.
284 Notes on Matth. 16, 17. 18. W. vn. 431-433. 285
gwffe and shameful treachery seek. Because they follow what flesh and blood shows. That which the Father reveals and Peter confesses, they have ridiculed for many hundreds of years until this time, and still, by the devil's grace, they are Peter's successors.
38 Therefore, it must be stated, first, that the Roman popes have nothing at all to do with Peter, and Peter, in turn, has nothing to do with them. For they have nothing similar to Petro, nor does Peter have anything that belongs to the papacy. Peter confesses and teaches Christ, the Son of the living God; the Pope teaches about himself, his glories and his power. The former requires faith in the Son of God; the latter requires obedience to his devilish laws and habits of avarice. The former teaches about the life to come; the latter about temporal tyranny. In sum, the Roman popes have beautifully and bravely overhauled this faith and confession of Peter, they have not had it engraved or painted on their coats of arms or on their fisherman's ring, but they have seized the keys, which have been falsified by their tyrannical interpretation, and thus made themselves successors of Peter. But they would have done better and right if they had the bag and pouch of Judas Iscarioth engraved on their coat of arms instead of the keys of Peter. For they are actually his successors, because under the name of Christ they rob and steal everything that is in the world, and they would gladly take to themselves all the riches, power and honor of a hundred worlds (if there were so many of them) under the name of Christ, as he, their father, stole under Christ's name what was sent.
- Furthermore, it must be stated that the Church and the bishops are the true Church and Peter's true successors, who (as Christ himself says here) have the faith and confession of Christ, that he is the Son of the living God, and that by the Father revealing him in heaven, that is, in truth, by the Holy Spirit teaching them through a faith that is not fabricated; which afterwards, through the Word of God, is the truth.
of the apostles, because it is the confession of the mouth of Peter that should have resounded throughout the world. But those who, apart from this faith and confession of Peter, teach something else or argue against it, can obviously be declared neither for the church nor for bishops. Since the papal church not only teaches without this confession of Peter, but also teaches against it and persecutes it, it is clear that it is not Christ's nor Peter's church, but a school of the devil and of Judas Iscariot, a cesspool and a puddle of dung.
40 Let this be enough for now, because it should be only short remarks. Now let us see what Christ promises and gives to these people like Peter (Petris), his disciples and confessors. For his words extend to all, just as Peter answers on behalf of all.
V. 18. And I also say to you, You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Let us leave behind the various thoughts and quarrels that many have had about these words. The opinion of Christ is briefly expressed in this sentence: This is my church, which has this revelation, which you, Peter, confess here. As if he wanted to say: "Truly you are right, for all things are revealed; this is my church, which has this revelation that I am Christ, the Son of the living God. Upon this rock I will build my church. There it shall stand, whoever shall be saved; there it shall remain, even though all the gates of hell should rage against it. For I am Christ, the Son of the living God, therefore no one shall snatch them out of my hand, even though the gates of hell are predatory, and rage against me as well as against you; but they shall not prevail, because you, Peter, have said, and rightly so, that I am the Son of the living God and Christ. Therefore you are blessed, and all are blessed who believe this and persevere in it; and I say that these are the conquerors of the gates of hell, that is, of sin, of death, and of the Holy Spirit.
286 Notes on Matth. 16, 18. W. vn, 433-43". 287
and hell, however much these gates rage. For I am the completely reliable and insurmountable foundation of the church (that is, of those who, like you, believe and confess). For through me they will overcome, in me they will have peace, and they will be able to do everything.
From this it is clear that Christ is speaking of a completely different thing than the pope and his followers dream of. Christ speaks of eternal life, full of victory over the gates of hell, of the devil's raging, and of the preservation of the church and the blessedness of the faithful. On the other hand, the pope understands it full of his power and tyranny, or of obedience to his most foolish and godless laws, which do not teach about the faith in Christ that overcomes the gates of hell, but about temporal things, honorary offices, riches, and in the best case ceremonies that must pass away with this life. Such things can also be taught by the pagans and epicureans without this revelation of the Father of Christ, the Son of the living God.
For this reason, let us disregard the old teachers that the pope and his followers cite for this passage, and follow the single and simple opinion that St. Augustine has of it, which is both similar to faith and has the testimony of linguistic art for itself. For a passage of Scripture necessarily has only one actual, certain and true opinion; the others are doubtful and uncertain conjectures, from which one must beware in the holy Scriptures.
44 St. Augustine's opinion is that Christ speaks differently. First of all to Peter himself, when he says: "You are Peter," which must be understood according to the usual and loving complacency of the Lord Christ toward his disciples; that is: "Well, you are Peter all right, 1) because you hit the rock and the right ground, where it stands and must stand.
45 Secondly, he speaks to himself by saying:
- The Wittenberg edition has here: "Petras.
And upon this rock I will build my church.
(46) "Upon this rock," that is, upon me, not upon you. For he does not say, Thou art Peter, and upon thee, Petrum; but "upon this rock" (that is, upon me) "I will build my church." So also Augustine says: Christ does not say, I will build myself on you, but you on me, because Peter himself must necessarily be built on Christ, the rock. This opinion of St. Augustine is clear enough, and the real opinion. For the word "build" cannot be understood as if Peter were to be built upon; for he does not say: upon thee, but: "upon this rock.
But what need is there of many words? The church must necessarily stand founded and built on a living, eternal foundation, and on such a rock, which endures with it until the end of the world, and be a side-winder of hell. But Peter, the apostle, besides being a sinful man, died like all the other saints, and was also himself built upon this rock with the church. Therefore, this passage has nothing to do with papal tyranny.
When they cite the revelation of St. John about the twelve foundations of the city of the new Jerusalem Revelation 21:14, and St. Paul, who speaks of the foundation of the apostles and prophets in the letter to the Ephesians Cap. 2:20, one can answer this recently: in these passages, Peter is not called the only foundation, but all, not only apostles, but also prophets. According to this conclusion, one would finally have to invent one of the old prophets as the head of the whole church. But grammar easily finds counsel here, and shows that the foundation is called that of the apostles and prophets, because they first preached and confessed that Christ alone and the only foundation is. Just as Paul calls the gospel his gospel (Rom. 2, 16.], while it is united and only Christ's gospel, namely because he planted it through his preaching ministry. Thus the apostles are the first stones on this unified rock, on which or on which
288 Notes on Matth. 16, 18. 19. W. vn. 43"-43s. 289
The confession of which the rest of the saints also shall be built up, every man in his own order, until the house of God be finished, which is founded on the one rock Eph. 2:21, 22.
(49) It is therefore the greatest wickedness and impiety to say that the church of God is built on the pope (who is the most impious man and a Satan), that is, on the statutes of men, which were invented by himself, since these not only do not overcome the gates of hell, but are invented by the gates of hell against the rock of the church and the kingdom of heaven. For the statutes of men most of all contend against this rock, teaching that we must rely on our works in such a way that we may still retain some of them and sell them to others for the attainment of blessedness. This is the papal rock, this is what they teach, this is what they defend; this is what their deeds, their words, their decrees, their works, their books and examples testify to.
V. 19. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
Dear God, how tremendous and terrifying "You" 1) the devil has made in this passage through the pope on the whole earth; yes, even in heaven, if it pleases God. For according to the linguistic art and spelling of the Roman See, this is the meaning of this passage: To you, the pope, I will give the keys, that is, the power that you shall be God's governor on earth, that is, that you can do whatever you want. One could still have tolerated if he had pretended to be a governor of God, if he had not only made himself but also those like him governors, but especially if he had faithfully fulfilled the office of a governor, that is, if he had not taught anything other than what the Lord Himself had commanded and had taken care of it; as governors are rightly supposed to do and are obliged to do. But now he not only does not teach and does not care about what the Lord has commanded him to do, but he also does not teach and does not care about what the Lord has commanded him to do.
- In the words, "I will give to you."
who" he teaches and does strange things, yes, which are contrary to his Lord. Therefore he is not called a governor of Christ, but rightly a governor of the devil, an adversary (άντϊζό/κος) and an antichrist.
Therefore, the "you", of which he boasts so highly, does not concern him at all, but Peter, as a confessor of Christ, the son of the living God, but not Peter, the fisherman of Bethsaida, who is called a Satan by the Lord himself below v. 23. The pope certainly does not want to be taken for his successor; and his majesty would truly come off badly if he were to become such a fisherman. Judas Iscariot, who was also present at that time and wanted to become pope, is much less concerned, because he stole and robbed bravely Joh. 12, 6. and gave an example to his successors at the Roman court, and did not care about the confession of the Son of God, which Peter made. And no doubt he also laughed at the foolish Peter, the confessor of the Son of the living God, at himself, just as today the pope and the cardinals laugh at the true Petros, or confessors of the Son of the living God; indeed, they consider it a laugh and a game when they kill and destroy them. But where does my zeal and displeasure take me? This is a matter that should not be merely briefly noted, but dealt with at length.
52 Let us now return from the godless and wicked to the Lord Himself, who said to Peter, that is, to the confessor of the Son of God, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. But since a private person (as Peter was) can fall, as he also fell more than once later on, Christ must be understood in this place in such a way that he does not speak of the private person, but of the public confession, which Peter makes here, that is, of the ministry of preaching, which lasts until the end of the world against all the gates of hell.
Therefore, the word "you" is not properly understood by any person, not by any bishop, but by the Church itself, which endures and has the ministry of preaching, which endures.
290 Notes on Matth. 16, 19. W. vn. 439-442. 291
54 Therefore, let us defend our faith against the lying papacy: First, that Peter here is a public person of the whole church or of the preaching ministry. For the private person of Peter, Christ soon after v. 23 calls a Satan, that is, a person who is not holy. But this cannot be understood of the church, of which Paul commands to believe that it is holy and subject to Christ (Eph. 5, 27). The best fathers agree with this opinion, who say that Peter answered in the name of all apostles, just as Christ did not ask Peter, but all apostles. Therefore, this word "you" also belongs to all the apostles, equally and in general, whom he had asked.
- Secondly. Even if he had said it to Peter alone: I will give them to you, it does not follow that the Roman pope is Peter's successor, partly because spiritual goods are not hereditary, like the goods of this world; otherwise it would also follow that, just as Peter was holy and chosen, so all Roman popes must certainly and necessarily be holy and chosen; On the other hand, because Peter was not a bishop of the Roman Church alone, nor even a bishop of any church, but an apostle of many churches, who made others bishops over them. Therefore, this succession, which the Roman bishop alone arrogates to himself among the other bishops who are like him, belongs to all the churches that were established by him.
Finally, if the Roman successor of Peter was equal to the apostle Peter, it would follow that Linus or Cletus (who are said to have been appointed bishops of the Roman Church by Peter) would have been higher after the death of Peter than the apostle and evangelist John, who was still alive at that time. But who would admit this, that a bishop is above an apostle? Otherwise, if now St. Paul or St. Andrew were to return, they would have to be under the Roman Pontiff, even if he were a greater villain than even Julius the Second or Clement the Seventh had been. But it is known that the apostles were not under Peter, but like him.
What nonsense is it of the papists that they want the apostolic churches to be subject (even in temporal goods) only to the One Roman Church of St. Peter, since Peter himself has also destroyed many other churches, of which he is called apostle for just as valid reasons, especially since the Roman Church to this day neither has the body of St. Peter nor knows where it is?
Thirdly (this proof is a posteriori, that is, taken from the success), the very impudent lie of the papists is refuted by the matter itself and by experience. For neither the apostles have ever been under Peter, nor the churches throughout the world have ever been under the Roman pope. All histories testify to this. Now, to say that Christ promised the subjection of all the churches to Peter and his successor, the Roman pope, is just as much as to say that Christ was a liar because he never fulfilled the promised (as they pretend) subjection. Therefore it follows that he did not promise it, as the arch-villains, the papists, brazenly lie. What is it, then, that the frenzied people not only lie, but also blaspheme the Lord, teaching that he promised something he did not keep, or rather that he promised what he did not promise, since the obvious experience in this matter testifies to the opposite?
For how many parts of the whole world have been under the pope? Yes, to this day not even Europe has ever had him, and in Augustine's time not even Africa, yes, not even Italy; but India and other larger parts of the world (in which there must necessarily be Christians) have perhaps never heard the name of the Roman pope. But to condemn all these parts of the world and to reject them because they either do not know about the tyranny of the Roman pope or do not want to accept it, that is much more than diabolical.
60 Therefore, let us despise these obvious and satanic lies of the pope, and learn that Christ comes from a far superior place.
292 Notes on Matth. 16, 19. W. vn. 442-145. 293
The words are clear: "I will build my church," and "I will build my church. The words are clear: "I will build my church." He does not say he will build a worldly kingdom or temporal dominion for this life, but "my church," that is, the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of the life to come.
61 Furthermore: "On this rock", not on a man, or on transient power, as the pope seeks it. For by this power the church is not helped up, but suffers persecution from it; nor is eternal life promoted by it, but prevented.
The church is not a temporal kingdom, so much so that it does not have to fight with flesh and blood, but with the gates of hell. The gates of hell are not worldly power, but the power of Satan, the kingdom of sin and death. These are the enemies of the Church, with whom it contends and against whom it triumphs. She does not fight for the city of Rome, not for Sicily, not for Naples, not for Bologna, not with the powers of this world, as the popes do. For Rome, Naples, Bologna are not sin, death, the devil, namely the true enemies of the Church; but they are stones and wood, earth, water, gold, silver 2c., desirable things for unbelieving and lost people, the like of which God is wont to grant to His enemies and even to the devil. To the church he gives a better and more excellent good than such dung, namely righteousness against sin, salvation against the tyranny of Satan, life against death 2c., which the pope does not respect. And in the meantime he knits a net out of this most spiritual saying of Matthew, with which he tries to catch the great whale fish in this sea, that is, the kingdoms of the world, by the devil's powers, instigations, and deceptions.
Therefore, it is to be noted here that Christ describes His Church in revealed words as an armed battle array and warrior heroine against the gates of hell, that is, against the temptations of sin, death and hell. Therefore, a far greater and more difficult work lies ahead of us Christians.
If we use this title in earnest, it is more important to bring the kingdoms of the world under our rule through deceit and lies; we must fight against the gates of hell. The devil can also accomplish the former, and he can do it far better than we can. For he is a prince and god of this world, not only now, but from the beginning and always and until the end of the world. The church therefore contends, overcomes, triumphs and reigns against sin, against death, and against the author and lord of both, namely against the devil or the gates of hell, as Christ here promises, and encourages and comforts such soldiers that they should be brave and certain of victory, as long as they remain with the church, which confesses this rock, and as built up on it.
V.19. And I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Because in this alternating and dangerous struggle many must necessarily fall or be wounded and fall into danger, he decrees a remedy for this, namely the remission and retention of sins, which he calls the keys of the kingdom of heaven. The one, as I judge, is to close the kingdom of heaven to the impenitent, but the other is to open it to the penitent, so that by the two keys he seems to understand both powers, to bind and to loose. But I do not argue with the quarrelsome. For the key of knowledge, which Lucas, Cap. 11, 52, and Matthew, Cap. 23, 13, do not belong to these keys of which Christ speaks in this place, but the key of knowledge is there called the power to teach, or the office and power to instruct the people by the law. But here the keys are the power or office to bind and loose those who, having already been taught and instructed, have subsequently fallen and sinned.
(65) And these keys we accept in a broad sense, so that they take place in all places, at all times, and with all persons.
294 Notes on Matth. 16, 19. W. vn. 44S-44?: 295
(if only order and discipline are not confused), that is, that not only by the public voice of the gospel are the sins committed in the church loosed and bound, according to the saying, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" Marc. 16:16, but also that each brother may punish and comfort the other (especially in time of need), according to the saying, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" Matt. 18:20, so that the public preaching of the gospel or the ministry of the keys is not despised. For it shall not be lawful in the church, for the liberty of secretly using the office of the keys, that the public administration of the same should be mocked. For this would be to create a riot, and to draw the grace of Christ into disobedience.
Therefore, the pope does not have the power, just as St. Peter did not, to usurp kingdoms, to remove and install kings, and to plague them according to his will. For Christ is speaking here of the binding and loosing of sins, that is, of eternal death and life, not of worldly crowns and majesties. For he is talking about the church, that is, about faithful confessors of the rock, not about earthly worldly regiment.
67 And it is surprising that, when he mentions the keys, he does not mention their function, namely, to close and open, for that is their true function, but to bind and loose, which actually belongs to cords and chains. But in order that the keys might be understood in a more subtle way, not for something material, he wanted to call these two powers in this way, so that the retention and forgiveness of sins would be indicated all the more easily and clearly. For chains and cords would rather represent a binding than a loosening, or rather only a captivity. The binding and loosening, however, actually represent the retained and remitted sin. Therefore he wanted to represent them by the keys, which should make both present. For a key is not only used for locking, but primarily for unlocking, and the key is used almost exclusively for this purpose, in order to borrow with it.
Christ and the Church are more inclined to loosen than to bind. Or say something better in response to this question.
(68) This passage should also be noted against the Novatians, who said that the fallen had no hope of forgiveness of sins after baptism. That is to take away the keys of the church altogether, especially the most important part of it, namely the forgiveness of sins. They know nothing of original sin and its power; furthermore, they know nothing of Christ, that he is the reconciler and an eternal priest 1 John 2:1, 2 Hebrews 7:25, pretending that he can only save once and not forever. We let these go.
For us orthodox believers, this passage is full of comfort and instruction, namely, that Christ has left in the church the power to judge, condemn, and separate the stubborn, trustworthy, and secure sinners, whether they be manifest or hidden. For even those who are secretly wicked must be afraid, both of public condemnation in preaching and of secret condemnation from a brother. So also they must fear the special administration of the office of the keys, which is also public, but different from the general, because the general administration does not name a person; but this special one acts against one or more certain private persons. Thus the wicked, Sichern 2c. have to fear something, namely the binding of the church.
On the other hand, for the frightened and contrite he has left the power to absolve them, to comfort them, and to accept again both the secret and the open sinners, so that the earth may be full of the goodness of the Lord Ps. 33:5., that the humble may have something to hope for, namely, the redemption of the church, both publicly and secretly, both in general and in particular, yea, even for every individual person, not only from One Sin, nor from One Kind of the same, but from all sins of all kinds and sorts. And it is a great comfort to know that the judgment of the church is nothing other than the judgment of God in heaven itself.
296 Notes on Matth. 16, 19-22. W. vii, 448-4so. 297
Therefore, a stubborn and sure sinner can be sure that it is in vain for him to be sure and despise the Church, if he misses finding the solution of sins and the grace of God elsewhere than in the Church. And a contrite sinner can also be sure, when he hears the Church or a brother absolving him, that he hears nothing but the voice of God Himself from Heaven, addressing him in a confidential manner, personally and specifically.
This should have been diligently inculcated and insisted upon, namely, to instruct and rightly guide the consciences; not the blasphemous things, the power to rule and tyrannize in worldly matters, as the pope has done. But this horrible abuse of the keys has been spoken of elsewhere, and must be spoken of emphatically and at all times. Besides, I have also said many things about these things in the 18th chapter, which can be used for sermons. Therefore, what I have put here should be enough for these short remarks.
V. 20. Then he forbade his disciples not to tell anyone that he was Jesus the Christ.
He wanted his disciples to know that he was Christ before he suffered, so that after the pain of the cross they would be convinced that he was truly Christ, even though he was executed by such an ignominious and painful death. So also after his resurrection the angel repeats the words with which he foretold that he should be crucified Marc. 16, 7., so that they would know that he suffered of his own free will, as a lord of death, not out of compulsion, as a servant of death. For he wanted to die of his own free will, not by force; but we are forced to die against our will. For he is the master and conqueror of death; but we are servants and prisoners of death. Only through him are we also freed from death and made masters of death through faith.
V. 21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples how he was to go to Jeremiah.
salem, and suffer much from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and rise again the third day.
Furthermore, Christ forbids that he should not be known as the Christ before the fulfillment of his suffering; indeed, he publicly foretold the suffering itself, admitting that it must be foretold, lest afterwards, when his suffering came, they should doubt that he was the Lord and the Christ, since he had foretold it, and not think that he suffered by chance or according to human will (as it appeared in the eyes of the unwise). For the disciples, as future witnesses of Christ in the whole world, were very anxious to know this.
But Christ does this mainly to show his disciples that his kingdom is not temporal or earthly, because he predicts just the opposite to them, namely, that he himself, even in Jerusalem itself, as well as the chief priests and princes, should suffer and be killed. As if he wanted to say: One must not hope that my kingdom is a temporal kingdom, that I myself must be crucified and destroyed full of those who are the highest in this kingdom and even in the chosen place of the kingdom, namely in Jerusalem, and that the people of the kingdom will be my and my kingdom's enemy. Now if my kingdom were temporal, I would certainly want to be made king by the princes and in the most distinguished place. But I have another kingdom, which is not of this world; for I shall rise again after three days, after I have overcome death. Therefore, my kingdom is eternal life after death has been overcome and abolished by my death.
This is when he says, "He must rise again on the third day. These are words of life and blessedness, which are presented to the believers for comfort. But see what flesh and blood holds full of these things.
V.22. And Peter took him, and addressed him, saying, Lord, spare thyself, lest this befall thee.
298 Notes on Matth. 16, 22. 23. W. vn, 4so-4ss. 299
Here Peter is vehemently angered (no doubt the other disciples were of the same opinion with him), after he had heard the angry prophecy that Christ (that is, the King, the Messiah, the Son of the living God) was to be crucified. For he hoped that the kingdom of Christ, the Son of the living GOD, would be a temporal kingdom. Therefore, he speaks in utter dismay, "Why do you speak like this? You are a king and the Son of God; you will not be crucified and stabbed, for we believe in you as the Son of God and our King! Be far from you! God forbid this! Spare yourself! 2c. And Peter does not speak here for himself as a private person, but in the person of the whole synagogue and all those who hoped that the Messiah would be a temporal and worldly king. All of them thought and wanted exactly what Peter thinks and wants here, as the Jews still think today. And this is the ground on which all Jews stand who are born of the flower, that Christ will be a temporal and visible king of the world. Therefore it is written here about Peter that he gives this answer, not as if he was called to it, asked for it, or as if it was commanded to him, but out of his own impulse and sense of the flesh he goes forth carelessly, so that it may be shown that his answer is not commanded in the word of God and does not come from the revelation of the Father, like the above answer, but has flowed from his own inclination of his flesh and, as one is wont to say, from his own devotion, without the word of God. Therefore, with a hard word, but without hardness of heart, he is also dismissed and rejected by Christ, in such a way that he is also called a Satan, that is, an adversary of Christ Himself and of God, as the words immediately following indicate.
V.23. But he turned and said to Petro, "Get thee, Satan, out of my sight; thou art vexatious to me: for thou meanest not what is divine, but what is human.
78 But this is the opinion of Christ, in a serious, but against a
Peter, you answered rightly when I asked you and all that I was the Christ, the Son of the living God; but now that you hear that I am to be crucified, you do not understand the wonderful counsel of God, and fall on flesh and carnal thoughts, and without the revelation of the Father speak only your own, that is, foolish and carnal things. Therefore, "remove thyself from me"; far be it from me that I should prefer this thy carnal wisdom to the will of the Father; much rather would I lose thee and all, than that I should disobey my Father at thy plea. Here you are entirely a fool, and do not understand what is to be accomplished by the Son of the living God, whom you have confessed.
(79) Here it is well to be noted that no person besides Christ is to be trusted in matters concerning salvation, even if it were Peter himself, the highest apostle (as is supposed). For we see here clearly, and by a manifest example, that Peter himself, with the whole company of the apostles, speaking apart from the confession of the rock, and of his own, speaks not only foolish things, but also such things as go against the rock, and that he is expressly called a Satan by the Lord himself. In this we are made certain, as in an exceedingly powerful truth, and for the certain assurance of our conscience, that we are to hear only that which Peter, together with the other apostles, as a confessor from Revelation, with rejection of all universal vision of the person, even of the apostleship, as a confessor, teaches from the revelation of the Father, namely that Christ is the Son of the living God, whereas everything that Peter speaks with the entire college of apostles from his own mind, and not from the same confession of revelation, is to be considered devilish and contrary to Christ. Paul also says, 1 Cor. 3, 11: "No one can lay any other foundation than the one that has been laid, which is Jesus Christ," and 1 Cor. 16, 22: "If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maharam motha," that is, anyone who loves something else (who also teaches the same thing).
300 > Notes on Matth. 16, 23. W. vn. 453-456. 301
something else), let him be accursed. And to the Galatians, Cap. 1, 8: Let him be accursed who teaches anything else, even if it were I, or Peter, or an angel from heaven; and 2 Pet. 1, 19. f.: "We have a firm prophetic word." Further, the Father Himself speaks from heaven, "Him shall ye hear" Matt. 3:17.. And Christ himself Joh. 8, 12.: "I am the light of the world." Joh. 10, 8.: "All that came before me were thieves and murderers"; and Joh. 8, 36.: "If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."
80 Such sayings are found everywhere in the whole gospel and the epistles of the apostles; and yet they could not, and still cannot, bring it so far that Peter's and the apostles' successors did not want to be the successors of Satan or of the carnal Peter. For what is the papacy today but the very kingdom which the Jews hope for from Christ and which the apostles hoped for at that time? namely, the most worldly, most hopeful and most tyrannical kingdom. Furthermore, what is the teaching of the pope other than a man's own delusion, even against the rock or the confession of the Son of the living God?
- If we now (as is fair, just and true) consider Christ our Lord to be the highest of all prophets, so that all his speeches and deeds are not only the teaching or interpretation of Scripture, but also a prophecy of what is to come, then we must necessarily assume that here in this place he modeled for Peter and his apostles the future history of his entire church; namely, that some true confessors of Christ would be in the Church, as the best bishops and martyrs, who confessed Christ, the Son of the living God, pure and true, and taught according to the example of Peter, who spoke from the revelation of the Father.
- But because the same Peter and the apostles soon became carnal-minded, even devils (as he himself speaks), this history also indicates that after the successors of the apostles and the very good bishops, satanic bishops would come; and at last he would come who would
would only want to be the successor of the one Peter, who, instead of the revelation of the Father, would follow Satan and would not seek God's kingdom, but the kingdom of the world. And we see this prophecy fulfilled in a tangible and terrifying way.
Therefore we must constantly confess that these words, "Get thee, Satan, out of my sight; thou art vexatious to me, because thou meanest not what is divine, but what is human," are spoken against the successor of the carnal Peter, or the Pabstacy. For the papacy is a Satan, that is, an adversary of Christ, and an offense to the Christian church, full of pernicious sects, 1) which are directed against this one and true confession of the Son of the living God. For what does the papacy mean, what does it teach, even if it teaches best, but tyranny over the church of God and over the majesties of the world, according to its own head and will? That is, it means nothing other than what is human. It does not teach the faith and the cross of Christ, and the death of the flesh, but it teaches about the worldly kingdom, about freedom, dominion, tyranny over everything that is divine and human, and everything that is against Christ. For that which Christ denied and shunned, namely worldly kingdom, power and glory in this world, it seeks furiously and furiously, and demands it as things that would be owed to him, and that by putting forward Christ, who not only did not seek such things, but was also crucified and killed by the rulers of the world. But here is neither the place nor the time to deal with this abomination. Consider for yourself, dear reader, the words and deeds of Christ, and hold them up against the words and deeds of Pabst, and you will see, if you have a clear idea of Christ, the manifest and perfect form of the Antichrist, who is hopeful and raging under the pretense of the name of Christ.
- The Jena edition offers: seetarum, perältionls, but the 'comma after seetarnm is to be deleted according to 2 Petr. 2, 1.
Z02 Notes on Matth. 16, 24. W. vii, 4ö "7-4ss. 303
V. 24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
First of all, there is a promise here, when he says, "If any man will come after me," that is, "Whosoever will be my disciple, and be where I am, and come whither I go, and abide with me, let him do a very different thing from that which he hath hitherto detested. For men have hitherto been under the delusion that if they did the law, or (as Paul says Rom. 9:31) were inferior to the law of righteousness, they could attain to the righteousness of the law. But I say unto you, that ye must first despair of your works, and then take up the cross. For these are the two parts of the Christian life, namely, to despair of oneself, or to deny oneself; then to take up one's cross.
Here it is necessary to explain what it means to deny oneself. But the true denial of oneself does not only consist in leaving one's goods and houses, as the monks have falsified this passage to the worst by teaching that whoever wants to follow Christ must leave his goods and parents, go to a monastery, and lead a solitary life, and serve God alone. That is why so many vows and orders came into being. But, I pray thee, what denial was this, since, when they had left their own bodily things, they found strange and greater ones, yea, sought them by fraud, hypocrisy, and all manner of wicked artifices? In the meantime they have nevertheless retained, nay, increased, that which is the main thing in true denial, that is, presumption and confidence in their own righteousness and works. Therefore, they also brazenly sold their superfluous righteousness and good works to others and, which is a terrible abomination, made themselves equal to Christ, even preferred them.
- But Christ deals here especially with the head of the serpent, namely, the confidence or presumption in righteousness from the law and the works
may trample on the one they cherish the most. For Christ wants us to deny completely everything that we are, what we are able to do, what we do. But how do I deny myself, if I deny nothing but the outward larvae, namely the garment, the food, the place, the customs, the manners, and retain and strengthen the will and the mind, or the delusion of my holiness and knowledge in works? That is bringing God the husks and eating the kernel itself. Dear, what kind of denial is this, since I rob a hundred times more than I give? I give to GOD a cap, a certain place, a reputation of the person, certain customs (or rather, I only change them), and meanwhile seek something better than this, reserving for myself the wisdom and righteousness of the works. This is not what Christ calls denying oneself, but the true denial is described thus, namely, that you submit your will and mind, that is, righteousness, wisdom, works 2c. and say with Paul, "That I should not have my righteousness which is of the law" Phil. 3:8, 9, 1, even that you should regard it as filth, that in Christ you may be wise, and righteous, and alive, but in yourself a fool, a sinner, and dead.
Accordingly, to deny oneself is as much as to deny oneself completely, not only any part or the bodily, as clothing, food, place, etc., but you, you must be killed completely and become nothing, and keep nothing, on which you would rely before God. This will not happen unless you also deny that which is highest and best in you, namely, righteousness and wisdom, and become a sinner and fool, ascribing righteousness and wisdom to Christ alone. Then you will be truly righteous, because he "who died is justified from sin" (as Paul 1) says [Rom. 6:7, 1). For such a person, who despairs of himself in this way, God must be gracious to him through Christ and grant him all good things.
Finally, the one who has denied himself for the sake of Christ must turn to the
- In the Latin editions erroneously: "Petrus".
304 Notes on Matth. 16, 24. W. vii, 459-4K2. 305
Send temptation. For he who denies, condemns, punishes the works of his own righteousness, and opposes the hypocrites and false deniers, must prepare himself for death, for the world can suffer and hear nothing less than that the works of its own righteousness are condemned.
The words: "He takes up his cross" have been interpreted quite wrongly. For to take up the cross has been understood to be the same as to choose a cross, that is, to scourge oneself as the monks do; but we should suffer nothing at all from those who impose a cross upon us. For by their scourging and harsh ceremonies, they have made a pretense to the world in order to gain glory and honor in the world, and meanwhile nothing has been more impatient than this kind of people. For they are full of vengeance and hatred; as befits hypocrites.
90 Therefore, it is necessary to describe exactly what it is to take up one's cross. But it is to take up the cross, for the sake of the word and faith, to voluntarily take up and bear the hatred of the devil, of the world, of the flesh, of sin, of death 2c. Here it is not necessary to choose a cross. Only begin the first part of life, and deny yourself, that is, punish works righteousness, and confess the righteousness of faith, and immediately the other part will also be there, namely the cross, which you should then take upon yourself, just as Christ took upon Himself His own. But because the hypocrites condemn the first part, and defend their own righteousness, they not only do not take up the cross, but they themselves become crucifiers and murderers of the blessed who bear the cross. In the meantime, they wear their sclerotic robes, their fasts, their sacrifices, their vigils, their disciplines, etc., but with great applause and admiration of the world, and to the special delight of the devil.
- But he adds strangely: "his" cross. For he does not teach that we should bear that cross which he himself has borne; but he says, "Let each man bear his own cross. Each one's cross is already prepared, that is, according to the measure of the strength of each one (for
we cannot all suffer the same, because we are not all equal to one another in faith and in the power of the Spirit). However, remember that you bear yours, another his, the third his, and so on. For a weak man's cross, though in itself the lightest of all, can be as heavy as St. Paul's cross, which was the heaviest of all. The difference in strength makes all the crosses of all men equal, which are nevertheless, one to the other, very unequal. One man's prison is easier than another man's contempt or blasphemy; one man's death is easier than another man's deprivation of part of his goods. Therefore, each one has his cross, that is, the cross that is proper to each one, according to the time, the place, and the strength of the one who suffers it. Thus Paul says 1 Cor. 10:13, "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above your ability, but will make an end of the temptation, that ye may be able to bear it."
(92) Therefore, let each one consider the cross with which the Lord has weighed him down; only do not grumble if another seems to have a lighter burden. For this one has less strength, and a load that is so exactly adapted to his strength, as if it were measured according to geometrical proportions. A man carries a hundred pounds, a child only one. Therefore a man is not angry that he carries a hundred pounds, and not, like the child, only one pound.
But Christ adds this mark to the carrying of the cross: "and follow me. For it is not enough to take up one's cross for the sake of the word, or to deny oneself, if one does not also follow Christ. For not he who begins, but "he who perseveres to the end, the same shall be saved" [Matth. 24, 13.). Therefore, you too, with your cross, follow Christ, who bears his cross, to the end. Many begin well, but in the middle they grow weary, and in the end they fall away; like the seed that fell on the stony ground and among the thorns Luc. 8:13, 14. For in looking back, either to peace, or to the kingdom, or to the
Z06Notes on Matth. 16, 24-26. W. vn, 4"2- 307
If they do not have the riches or other advantages of the world, they lose the intended goal of the heavenly calling. Thus Demas finally left St. Paul, because he loved the world, although he had well begun 2c. 2 Tim. 4, 10.
V. 25 For whoever wants to keep his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
He reinforces this statement with two seemingly strange sentences (paradoxis). For it sounds strange to the ears of the flesh: He who loves or preserves his life will lose it, and he who loses it will preserve it. But this is why he speaks such strange words, so that they may stick all the more firmly in their memory. For strange speeches encourage and strike the ears all the more, because they seem to be impossible.
- He now says, "Take heed that you do not refuse the cross for my sake, and seek peace and honor and good days apart from me. For I tell you that if you seek peace in this way, you will run into an eternal cross; and if you refuse the cross, you will lose eternal peace. On the other hand, if you take up the temporal cross, you will find eternal peace; and because you despise this temporal peace, you will escape the eternal cross. Thus he says Luc. 6, 24. f.: "Woe to you who are rich, for you have lost your comfort. Woe to you who are full, for you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh here, for you will weep and wail." Whereas v. 20. ff., "Blessed are ye poor, for the kingdom of GOD is yours. Blessed are you who hunger here, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep here, for you shall laugh. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and shall separate you, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, because of the son of man. Rejoice then and leap; for behold, your reward is great in heaven."
Thus these two strange sayings, one a threat, the other a promise. The threat is: "Whoever wants to preserve his life will lose it."
The promise is, "He who loses his life will receive it."
97 But one must pay attention to the little word "for my sake. For many of them lose their lives wantonly; as soldiers, miserly men, arrogant men, who run into the greatest misfortune, even into death itself; but for money, honor, and other causes, not for the sake of Christ. And the heretics also suffer much (as they make themselves believe) for the sake of God; but in fact and truth for the sake of their arrogance, and to let their wisdom be seen. But blessed is he who suffers for the sake of Christ.
For to lose one's life here means not only to die, but also all suffering, all crosses, all adversities, all dangers and temptations, by which the pleasant life and peace of the flesh is disturbed, which it seeks in riches, honor, and pleasure. That therefore to lose one's life is the same as to suffer for Christ's sake; and to preserve one's life is the same as not wanting to suffer anything for Christ's sake, but wanting to have his riches, his honor, and his pleasure unharmed, his will and all that is good.
V. 26. What good would it do for a man to gain the whole race and yet have his soul harmed?
Now Christ speaks as an orator, saying: "What is it that man so much seeks peace and flees from the cross? Suppose the whole world were to be his, with all its goods, apart from me, against me and without me, what profit is there for him, since he is running away to eternal damnation? Why does he seek so much the drops of peace, or the small parts of the whole world, if the whole world full of goods should be eternal damnation for him? This peace that one seeks is short, then also small, because it is the smallest part full of peace or of the good of the whole world. On the other hand, the cross is also short and the least part of eternal damnation; and yet, through a short and small peace, those run into an eternal and infinite cross; and through a short and small cross, these find eternal and infinite peace, as Paul also says:
308 Notes on Matth. 16, 26. 27. W. vii, 464-467. 309
"Our affliction, which is temporal and light, creates for us an eternal glory, which is above all things, which we do not look upon as visible, but as invisible. For what is visible is temporal, but what is invisible is eternal," 2 Cor. 4:17, 18.
Thus, it does not help a man if he also possesses the whole world. What did the rule over the whole world help Alexander? Likewise, what did it help Julius Caesar, Augustus and their successors? They lived a short time in happiness (floruerunt), zero they are lost forever. Thus saith the 92nd Psalm, v. 8. "The wicked green as the grass, and the wicked flourish all, till they be destroyed for ever and ever." But who considers the brevity, the smallness, the uncertainty of this life, this peace, this glory, this pleasure 2c.? then also the eternity, the infinity, the certainty of death, of the cross, of shame, of pain? On the other hand, what pious man ever considers the shortness, the littleness, the lightness of the cross? then also eternity, infinity, the certainty of life, joy, bliss? O flesh, how art thou so mighty to darken these things even in the saints! Further he adds:
Or what can man give to redeem his soul?
(101) As if he wanted to say: It would not be so much to wonder or to sigh if people lost the future life for this one, if the future damnation was such that one could be redeemed from it again, or if one could return from hell again. Now a lost soul cannot be redeemed again, but the certain law remains that there is no redemption in hell except through me. But those are lost without me, not for my sake; therefore they do not have the ransom, which is me, and so they are lost for eternity without hope. And this they knowingly, deliberately, surely despise, and would rather perish than be saved, only so that they do not bear the cross for my sake for a very short time.
V.27. For it shall come to pass, that the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then shall he reward every man according to his works.
(102) As if to say: Although they are secure in this world and have good peace, and therefore do not worry about the future, it is certain that they must stand before my judgment seat, although they do not believe it now. And then I will repay each one according to his works. But it will be a judgment seat of glory, and such that no one can escape, for it will be in the glory of the Father and in the presence of his angels.
With these words he discourages the peace of the world and exhorts to patience in the cross. For what is the use of enjoying peace here, even with the approval of the emperor, if it were certain that one would be condemned there before the majesty of the Father and all the angels? O, what a great consistory that will be, which will be held in the presence of the divine majesty who will appear there, and in the presence of so many thousands of angels! And the greater the majesty will be, the greater will be the terror and the shudder of the wicked.
104 When he says, "Then he will repay each one according to his works," it should be noted, first of all, that in this life there is no repayment for true godliness or for ungodliness, but it is saved for the judgment seat of Christ. For the godly are oppressed and trampled underfoot, while the ungodly flourish and reign. Consequently, godliness does not receive its reward in this life, just as ungodliness does not receive its punishment and vengeance, but in everything the opposite takes place.
Secondly, whoever wants to be godly must decide for himself that he expects his hope in the world to come. He who will not do this, let him remain wicked, like the others, and leave Paul, as Demas did, and love this world 2c. In sum, godliness or godlessness cannot be judged before the tribunal of the emperor.
310 Notes on Matth. 16, 27. W. vii, 437-470. 311
because the world does not know either and does not understand either what is godly or what is ungodly, condemning godliness and approving ungodliness. The world does judge the lesser things, that is, the deeds that are done against the second table, such as obvious murder, adultery, theft, injustice 2c. But how bad is this judgment, if one compares it with the great misdeeds, which are committed against the first table, and against the second table with the heart and in secret! It is a beggar's judgment, and not the ABC of the judgment of God, for it judges only things that are manifestly proven before men, that is, the outermost bark of the tree 2c.
106 Thirdly. These words, "He will repay each one according to his works," are taken in a high sense, that he will also condemn those works that are praised and sanctified in this world, and that he will, on the other hand, approve what is condemned in this world. As if he wanted to say: Because the world judges the godly and the godless unjustly, therefore I will judge and reward differently, not as men think 2c. Thus it will happen that he will approve of John Hus, who was condemned at Costnitz, and condemn the pope with his followers, who justify themselves, because they did not reward John Hus according to his works, but just the opposite of what he deserved. Therefore, I will also do the opposite and repay him according to his works and make him blessed, and those also according to their works and condemn them.
(107) From this it is evident how inconsistently the sophists falsify this passage, and draw it to justification, that is, that we are justified or condemned by works, when Christ does not speak of justification, but of his judgment seat, before which he will judge the righteous and the wicked. For here he does not teach how we are to be justified, but how the just and the unjust are to be tested, whether they have been just or unjust.
From the works.
(108) But because the sophists do not care for the clear and proper meaning of the passages of Scripture, according to the matter of which they speak (secandum materiam subjectam), but, when they find only the word "works," immediately cry out, Behold, according to the works, according to the works! We too will digress a little and speak of works, but not for their sake, but for ours, although ours are to be reminded that they are not to admit that such passages of Scripture, which have nothing to do with justification, belong to the matter of justification; and on this they are to insist and persevere. When this is established, they may engage in a general disputation of the works (though this is not the place for it), and so say:
First of all, the Scripture has two parts: one is the promise, the other is the law. This difference is certain and is not doubted even by the opponents. Furthermore, it is certain that the promise does not demand that which we owe to do, but it offers us that which God gives us.
(110) If this difference is established and acknowledged, then it necessarily follows (as it must) that all speeches or citations of works and rewards belong to the law, not to the promise. If they belong to the law, it necessarily follows that they do not teach what God promises us without the law, but they show what we are to do. But by showing what we are to do, they summarize the whole of life as it should be. But life cannot be whole unless it includes in itself, along with works, the will, the reason, and all the powers, both of the soul and of the body. For example, the commandment: Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal 2c., requires not only the works, but also the heart and all the limbs; as Christ explains Matth. 5, 21. ff. Here nothing is said about what God wants to do, but what we must do. Therefore, there is no promise here, but rather
312 Notes on Matth. 16, 27. W. vn. 470-472. 313
law alone, which requires the whole person.
Secondly, since the law requires the whole man in such a way, it is rightly said that each man is recompensed according to his works. For it is necessarily understood by this that retribution also takes place according to the heart, according to the movement of the mind, according to the will and according to reason, from which the works flow and arise. These relate to each other like cause and effect, like a composite being; for without heart or reason no work would take place, neither a good nor an evil one.
(112) Therefore one must have great abhorrence of those who force the sayings of the Scriptures concerning works as if they could be done without reason and will, whereas reason and will are the most noble, the first and greatest part of works, and are necessarily included in all sayings that speak of works. For this is a fallacy in composition and division, that is, they divide that which should be combined and joined together, namely, works and reason.
(113) When we have received this, that the work necessarily includes in itself, nay, has reason or the will (that is, the whole man) for its presupposition, then it follows easily and of itself: before the work the person or reason must be right and good. For if reason is not first right and good, it is impossible that a right and good work can be done.
(114) Now ask a worldly wise man whether right reason alone, without works, makes a person good? Here he is forced to answer: before works, and without previous works, reason must be right, for works do not make reason, but works come from right reason. Consequently, by right reason alone, without works, the person becomes right; then, when the person has become right by reason, the works take place. Thus it happens that not the right works
But right reason makes works, and reason is right without works and before works; indeed, they are effects of reason, which is right before works. Therefore, in moral philosophy, too, the judgment must be made that a good work without reason is nothing, and that man becomes good only through reason, without works, and before works.
If this is true in moral philosophy, how much more must it be true in theology, where a heavenly gift is required in addition to natural reason. For just as in moral works right reason is necessarily required beforehand, which makes man good before works and without works: so in Christian works faith is required before all things, which makes the person good. For what reason is in moral things, faith is in theology, as in nature the tree is rather than the fruit.
For here also it may be asked: whether the fruit makes the tree, or whether the tree makes the fruit? Here one will answer from nature: If there is not first a tree that has its sap, 2c. no fruit will be produced. So also in moral things; if a man is not good and does not have his sap, that is, the right reason, then no good works follow. So also in theology, if there is not the sap and the fatness of the olive tree, that is, faith and the knowledge of God, there are no faithful works.
(117) It is therefore true that the tree is good without fruit, and before fruit, by its sap and nature alone. The truth is certain that the moral man is good without works, and before works, by right reason alone. The truth is certain that a Christian is righteous without works of love, and before love, by faith alone.
- What is it, then, that they insist so much on works and on the sayings about works, since they must confess that there can be no work unless there is first a worker, or one who works without works; and that the work necessarily requires
314 Notes on Matth. 16, 27. W. vn. 472-175. 315
beforehand a person who does the work? Why then do they argue so much against us that we say that faith is without works and makes the person righteous, followed by works, which do not make the person righteous, but are done by a person who is already righteous; since they must confess that this happens in such a way, both in nature and in moral philosophy, or in the law?
(119) Now if the sophists object to this: God repays each one according to his works Matth. 16, 27; likewise: "Do this, and you will live" Luc. 10, 28 and the like; then one must answer: These sayings are nothing else than commandments of God, which demand the whole man and the whole life, because they teach us what we should do, or what we have done. Just as St. Augustine says: by such passages of Scripture we are reminded of what we should do, but not praised for what we could do or what we have done.
120 Therefore, the conclusion is quite wrong: God rewards according to works; consequently, works either justify or condemn. And in truth, there is a fallacy in composition and division (fallacia compositionis et divisionis). For they maliciously separate from one another that which is summed up, since the word "works" is something summed up 1) which includes in itself the faith or believing reason by which the values take place 2c. But they separate this summary, and set works alone, or a part of the summary, against faith, and want to be saved by works. And even the text of the Gospel does not suffer this erroneous division, for it connects the works with the person, and makes of him who does the works and of the works such a composite thing that must not be separated. For he saith not, He will recompense every man his works; but thus, He will recompense every man according to his works." "To every one," saith he, that is, as to the person,
- Latin: cornxositum, i.e. it contains several terms in itself, is a collective term.
The person who does the work will receive the reward. Therefore, it is not the works that receive the reward, but the one who does the works. But the one who does the works is the one who is either good or evil before the work. Therefore, to infer from the work to the one who does the work is to infer from the part to the whole. Just as if you were to conclude: This animal has two feet, therefore it is a man; for two feet are a part of a man, but not the whole man.
(121) If this be too high for the common man to understand, let this simple doctrine remain: that the sayings of Scripture, which speak of works and rewards, are rules according to which the whole life must be arranged. They do not ask what faith is, what Christ is, what their ministry is, but only require that we keep them and live by them, for they command something.
But the sayings of the Scriptures, which deal with the promises, are teachings in which it is asked: what is faith, what can it do, what does it do? In short, it is quite another matter when it is said: Thus shalt thou live, or thus hast thou lived. For this doctrine comprehends the whole man and the whole life, and is taught by commandments and by law. Likewise it is another matter when it is said, Where shall this life be taken from, and what belongs to it? Immediately one says: Be pious, be righteous 2c. Here you are not taught or asked whence or by what you are to be justified; but it is simply said, Be righteous, love, do good works. But this is quite a different question: by what shall we be justified? Here it is divided, and thus distinguished, that faith justifies without works. But if a person is justified by faith, then the whole thing happens, namely, that you are justified and do good works. That is, after you have first been justified by faith, you do works. Here are two different things, the faith and the works; and yet they are
316 Notes on Matth. 16, 27. 28. W. vn. 175-478. Z17
One in all commandments, because all commandments require both. This kind of deceit occurs in all the reasons for concluding that works are contrary to faith, because they take the whole and conclude only one part.
V. 28. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Of these "some" the Lord Himself was not one, since He did not taste death alone, but He tasted death for all, as if He alone should taste it, and having tasted it, He swallowed it Heb. 2:9. Almost all hold that Christ speaks of John the evangelist and of his mother Mary, who, it is believed, did not die. For this is what Christ says in the last chapter of John, v. 22, 23: "If I will that he remain, what is it to thee?" Here we can add what is written in his legend.
It is believable, and I believe it to be true, that Christ spoke these words in the fullness of the Spirit, and out of exuberant joy of heart, about his glorious resurrection, or about the power and effect of his resurrection. After this he knew that the power of death should be so subdued and subdued that many would die bravely in faith in him, despising death and its terrors, just as Peter, Paul, and all the apostles, and many martyrs, sang the song of triumph to death in mockery: "Death, where is thy sting?" [Yes, at all times, and even today, many die in Christ as if they fell asleep gently and without pain, and do not feel the horror of death at all. That therefore the opinion is this: Through me death is swallowed up in victory, so that also some who stand here will die without death or, more correctly, will fall asleep, in that they will not feel the power of death. As if he wanted to say: How you all do not know at all who is the one who will die.
be the one you hear and see here. Verily I say unto you, I am he by whom death is so overcome, that not only before, and after, but even now some of them which ye see shall die without the pain of death: That ye may know that in me all things are, and that all things depend upon me, when I shall be risen. "I am the resurrection and the life," so that though one die, yet shall he live. [For this reason he also declares in the following chapter Matth. 17 by a clear appearance (visione) that those who believe in him live and die without pain, like Moses and Elijah, whom he presents to the apostles as they live in glory.
Therefore, these words are a preface to the following chapter, and with them the 17th chapter should begin. For what he has told them in words, he immediately shows them in reality, that is, in a glorious and clear appearance. Although the text says that this appearance happened only six days later, there is nothing between these words and the appearance, as if he had first prophesied with words about that which he wanted to present to them after six days. Just as He prophesied on the day of His ascension Luc. 24, 49 that they would be clothed with power from on high, which He declared to them on the tenth day afterward by the sending of the Holy Spirit.
(126) This word, "Some of those who are standing here," can be understood in two ways. First, in such a way as to exclude the whole multitude, that is, to be understood by the apostles and all the believers who were present in the flesh at that time, even though they did not believe at that time but were to become believers later; that the meaning was this: "All who believe in me from this multitude of the people will die without tasting death, that is, they will live forever.
Secondly, that by this he would exclude some of the apostles and believers at that time, or those who would believe in him in the future. As if he wanted to say: There are some here among the believers, and who are my disciples either
318 Notes on Matth. 16, 28. W. vii, 478-481. 319
or those who are to become of this multitude in the future, who will not taste death, until 2c., that the understanding is this: Many of these my present and future disciples will indeed fall asleep in death without pain: but not all. For the rest, though they shall be saved, yet shall they feel and, according to my example, taste the terror of death; for they shall not all conquer death in the same manner, nor die in the same manner, or with the same sensation. This mind pleases me best, because the prophets also complain of the fear of death and of the pains of hell, as, in the sixth Psalm and many others. For in one the power of the resurrection is stronger than in the other, after the Spirit communicates the measure of faith as he wills, for the benefit of the church and of the individual believers.
Until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
(128) Here the question arises: What do the dead do or suffer until the Son of Man comes? Of those at least who die without pain and do not taste death, it is not doubtful that they will suffer no evil until Christ comes. For Christ must speak the truth here, "They shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." The same is testified by Isaias, Cap. 57, 1. 2. "The righteous are taken away from calamity, and they that have walked rightly before them come to peace, and rest in their chambers." And this is enough to know of the saints who fall asleep in Christ. For what peace and security they have, we cannot understand. And it is sacrilegious to assert something without God's word, which seems to us to be drawn out by a good inference. For it does not follow: Peter lives; therefore he eats and drinks. His soul lives; therefore it believes or hopes. For he may live, and yet neither eat nor drink, but sleep, or do any other thing that I know not. And so in other things also.
About Purgatory. 1)
But what shall we say of those who do not die without pain and taste death? Here the papists would make two orders; one of the damned, who always remain in the taste, or rather in the stupor (ebrietate) of death, that is, who are tormented with the rich glutton in hell; the other of those who are to be blessed, who are to go into purgatory, and taste death for a time, until they are delivered from it. But the rich feast does not serve our purpose, because we are talking here about those who are to be saved. For whether the damned begin their hell immediately or on the last day is not part of the question, and does not concern us, since they have already been judged by their eternal sentence. But of the others, because purgatory cannot be proved by certain sayings of Scripture or of the Fathers (though the reputation of the Fathers is not enough in so important a matter), one may without danger have this opinion, that after they have tasted death, and the body has been dissolved, they cease to taste death, and then rest in peace and safety until Christ shall come to judgment. To this the Revelation of St. John clearly alludes, Cap. 14, 13: "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, the Spirit saith, that they may rest from their labor." For he speaks of those who die in the LORD, whether they taste death or not. For those who die in the Lord are blessed. Therefore, if they rest, as the text says, it follows that there is no purgatory. Unless we were to say that those who taste death when they die do not die in the Lord, but in the devil, and they die apart from, or without, and against the Lord, like that rich glutton. But if they die in the Lord (even if they taste death), they certainly rest from their work, much more from their torment. Or you must deny the words of Revelation altogether.
130 The Papists and the Contradictors
- The Wittenberg edition has this superscription somewhat later, almost in the middle of the paragraph.
320 Notes on Matth. 16, 28. Cap. 17, 1. 2. W. vn, 481-485. 321
boast that I have claimed purgatory. And I still claim it, but that purgatory which often occurs in the Psalms, where the saints praise God for having saved them from the lowest hell, from the darkness and shadow of death, from the hand of hell, from the danger of hell, from the borders and gates of death, and what is more; but not by the sacrifices or works of the mass apostles, the most wicked, impure and godless people, who sold their masses for money in a malicious way and mocked God and men with their mere outward works (operibus operatis). Finally, this purgatory is also not a fictitious purgatory (as theirs is), and which is only claimed by human opinions (should it also be those of the fathers), but it is something real, and something exceedingly serious for those who learn with the prophets and all the saints in Christ's school this hard lesson: "He leads into hell, and out again; he kills and makes alive" 1 Sam. 2, 6..
- but I have elsewhere, enough of
the papal and bogus purgatory. For the fathers, whom they praise, did not have the thoughts of these arch-villains, nor did they teach them, much less suppose that they should be taught in the church.
(132) But Abraham and Lazarus are surely alive, and are seen of the rich slave, and they speak with one another (Luc. 16:23 ff.). I answer, Yes, they are certainly both alive; but with what tongue they speak, with what ears they hear, with what eyes they see, what the arms and bosom of Abraham are like, who understands, since their bodies with their limbs have become dust and ashes in the grave? Finally, who knows what that time is like, since it is not this time of ours under the sun from which they have been taken away? Be it as it may, it is enough that we know that Abraham and Lazarus are in peace and in rest. Therefore, from this apparition, purgatory is not proven for those who fall asleep in the Lord. But I have said more about this elsewhere in a sermon 2c.
The seventeenth chapter.
And after six days Jesus took Peter, and Jacob, and John his brother, and led them up into a high mountain. And was glorified before them; and his face shone as the sun, and his raiment became white as the light.
- As far as history is concerned, it is certain that this thing took place in Galilee, when Jesus was still in Capernaum; and it is glorious that this mountain is Mount Thabor, as everyone says; on which he also appeared to the disciples after his resurrection, when he went before them in Galilee Marc. 16, 7. For it is an exceedingly beautiful mountain, and as St. Jerome speaks, it lies in the midst of a region of the Galilean country, exalted by its wonderful roundness, 1).
- Compare Dr. von Schubert's "Reise rn das Morgenland," cited in "Jauß, Beschreibung des heiligen
and almost adjoining all the four tribes of Naphtali, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, which tribes make up almost all of Galilee. It is also praised in the Scriptures for its loveliness, as, in the 89th Psalm, v. 13: "Thabor and Hermon rejoice in thy name", that is, Thabor and Libanus are created by thee as exceedingly beautiful mountains. He is also famous because of the victory of Deborah and Barak against Sissera, Judges. 4, 6.
- That Lucas says that Jesus took those three apostles to himself after about eight days, 2c. but Matthew and Marcus that it happened after six days, is not contrary to each other. Because Matthew and Marcus count the six intervening days,
Land. The height of the mountain is (Ungewitter, Erdbeschreibung und Staatenkünde, Vol. II, p. 406) 1755 Paris feet above sea level.
322 Notes on Matth. 17, 1. 2. W. vii, 4W-488. 323
But Lucas includes both the last day on which Christ preached before these six days and the first day after the six days on which the transfiguration took place.
The' order of the story seems to be this: First, he went up alone with the three apostles, leaving the others below on the plain. After uran had gone up, he prayed according to his custom. In the meantime, the three apostles were overcome by sleep, but from the conversation of Christ with Moses and Elijah, or from the exceedingly great clarity, they woke up again, and saw and heard all this. But because they were still full of sleep, and dismayed at the unusual thing, they said nothing. Afterwards, when Moses and Elijah had disappeared, Peter spoke, as Lucas, Cap. 9, 33, reports: "Lord, here is good, let us make three tents, one for you, one for Mosi and one for Elijah"; and he did not know what he was talking about because of his amazement, as Marcus, Cap. 9, 6, and Lucas, 9, 33, testify. And as he spake these things, there came a light cloud, and it shadowed them, and the voice of the Father sounded out of the cloud, saying, "This is my dear Son; him shall ye hear." Then the apostles, startled by the cloud and by the voice, fell on their faces. For Lucas writes that they were terrified by the cloud, but Matthew that they were terrified by the voice. After they had heard the voice, Christ touched them and called them to stand up. But when they arose, and lifted up their eyes, they saw nothing, but Jesus alone, who without doubt had now made full the brightness of his countenance.
4 This history contains many things. First of all, the resurrection of the dead is presented, and the future glory or clarity also in our bodies. For this was something worthy of admiration, that Christ was transfigured while still in the mortal body, which was subject to suffering, and that the clarity of immortality was shown while still in mortality itself. What will happen when mortality is swallowed up and there will be nothing but immortality and glory?
5 Secondly. To this in itself miraculous event is added the appearance of Moses and Elijah, who, although they are thought to be dead, nevertheless show by their appearance that they are not dead, but transferred into another life. Then they also prove that there is another life besides the mortal one, from which they were taken away, and yet they live. For neither Moses nor Elijah could have lasted in this mortal life until the hour in which they appeared, since they had already been so many hundred years out of the world or out of this life; and yet they are still alive and show themselves to be alive, and that they were never truly dead.
Thirdly, we have here two extremely faithful witnesses in Moses and Elijah that the dead are not dead, and that those who die only move from this miserable and wretched life to another better one. For if Moses and Elijah had been utterly annihilated and made nothing, they would not appear here.
Fourthly, this phenomenon teaches us that we must despise death and consider it to be a wandering from this house of service to the clarity of a better life, just as Moses and Elijah wandered rather than died, just as the Scriptures call death a sleep.
Summa Summarum: this appearance shows that this life is nothing at all compared to the life to come, which will also most certainly come to us, who have died to this world in Christ. And we owe it to God to thank Him with great praise that He has deigned in such great kindness to reveal this to us, and that He has willed to make us certain of the hope of the life to come by such a beautiful, manifest and powerful appearance. For behold, how the best of the heathen have taken much pains in their disputations concerning the immortality of the soul and the whole life to come, and yet have found nothing certain. To the Son of God alone was this so certain and clear manifestation reserved, so that through him alone the world might be promised this hope of the life to come, and through this clear manifestation of the life to come might be promised to the world.
324 Notes on Matth. 17, 1. 2. W. vn, 488-491. 325
would be shown. But this hope, that we shall overcome death through life, will also be shown hereafter.
Fifth, this story shows that sin has been overcome. For it follows by an irrefutable conclusion: Where death is overcome, sin is also overcome, because death is nothing but the wages of sins, Rom. 6, 23. For without sin death would not be 2c. But after sin and death are taken away through Christ, we are free from the power of the devil, and when this mortality is swallowed up, we can expect the glory of eternal clarity, 2c. which Christ showed at that time in his mortal body, still subject to suffering.
10 But he wanted to show this appearance especially to the three apostles, so that he would strengthen them against the future sorrow of his cross and death. But he did little with it. For in the hour of trial Peter had forgotten everything, denied him, and said that he did not know man; likewise they were all angry with him. But this appearance after the resurrection had its use, and served to strengthen the faith in Christ, that he was the Son of the living God, and that his kingdom must be understood in a spiritual way.
II Therefore Peter also confirms in his second epistle his confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, by citing this passage or transfiguration, and says: "We have not followed wise fables, when we made known unto you the power and the future of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the whole world is full of the doctrines of men concerning religion and worship; but they are all fables, which are yet wise, or (to use Paul's words) "have a semblance of wisdom" Col. 2:23. and are powerful to deceive men 2c. but 2 Pet. 1:16. f. "we have seen his glory, when he received of GOD the Father glory and honor, by a voice that came unto him of great glory, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." With these words he teaches us that Christ was declared by God the Father Himself.
The King and Lord, the Son of God and heir over all. And this is the right and true doctrine and knowledge of godliness, namely, when one teaches and believes that Jesus, namely the very man who was born of the Virgin Mary, is the Son of God, the Anointed One, the Lord and King over all. Just as in the other Psalm, v. 7, he says that he only wants to preach about this one commandment of God: "That the Lord has said to me: Thou art my son." Whoever believes this will be saved, and apart from this one teaching there will be no other; but they are all fables, taught to deceive men, and have a good appearance.
Immediately after these words Peter scolds the false teachers who would still come and leave this confession, invent their own sects, and deny this Lord Himself, and says that these human doctrines do not come from the Holy Spirit, but are "their own interpretations of Scripture, brought forth by human will" 2 Pet. 1:20, 21. And he condemns and curses such false teachers in a horrible way, as the whole second chapter shows.
(13) In fact, he clearly and recognizably depicts the Roman bishop in this very chapter. For this bishop not only assumes the interpretation of the Scriptures above all others, which he interprets according to his own will, but he also subjects himself to horrible blasphemy with his devils: he is above the Scriptures and the reputation of the Scriptures depends on his reputation, as one reads in the chapter Cuncta per mundum etc. O horrible frenzy!
14 But Peter here punishes his fictitious imputed successor by the dumb mouth of his ass as a foolish Balaam, since he speaks 2 Petr. 1I, 20. 21.: "This you shall know for the first, that no prophecy in Scripture is done by its own interpretation. For no prophecy has ever been produced by human will." Therefore, we are reminded here sufficiently that one must resist the abominations of the pope and stand before him as before the
326 Notes on Matth. 17, 1-13. W. vn. 4 "i-494. 327
Satan must flee and say to him, "Get thee, Satan, away from me; thou art vexatious to me" 2c. Matth. 16, 23.
(15) Therefore, this appearance of Christ wants to show the same thing in fact and truth, which Peter confessed above in chapter 16, v. 16: Jesus, the man born of the Virgin Mary, is Christ, the Son of the living God (Christ means a king and priest, that is, a Lord over all things; likewise also a mediator between God and men). And because he was to be preached as such throughout the whole world, he is shown here as such to the three apostles, who were to testify to what they had seen and heard. Just as John the Baptist had an almost identical appearance at the Jordan Matth. 3, 16., but the person of Christ was not transfigured there, nor were Moses and Elijah transfigured at the same time. For it was fitting after the time of John that the apostles were shown a clearer appearance; therefore, what Peter alone confessed above Matth. 16, 16., what John the Baptist alone had seen and heard before, is shown to the three most distinguished apostles through this exceedingly glorious appearance. Not only Peter (who was soon called Satan) says it here, but the Father himself testifies from heaven that this man, Jesus, is the Son of God, that is, the heir over all.
There is a cloud that overshadows them. Then there are also two witnesses, Mpses and Elijah, who not only testify to this, but also talk to him about the end, which he should fulfill in Jerusalem, as Lucas tells Cap. 9, 31. This refers to the fact that JEsu the man is to be taught and believed in the whole world that he is truly God and man, truly the Son of God and man, truly the Anointed One and King, Priest and Lord, who was promised by God the Father through the Holy Spirit, through the ministry of the Law (that is, Moses) and the Prophets (that is, Elijah), in whom alone should be salvation and life, in whose hand all things should be, because he was the Son and Heir. So that each one
Simon Bar Jonah blessed is he who believes this revelation of the Father and confesses him freely and publicly. For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby they may be saved 2c. Acts 4:12.
(17) For here we are not speaking of the law, much less of the ordinances of men, but of the highest article of human salvation, without law, without ordinances of men, without our works, that is, of Christ, the revealed Son of the living God, whom we should hear, recognize, believe in, confess, and also persevere in confession and die. For he is the salvation, the life, and the resurrection 2c.
18 Therefore, the whole Holy Trinity appears here to fortify all believers. Christ appears in transfigured form; the Father in the voice that declares the Son to be the Heir and Lord; the Holy Spirit in a light cloud that overshadows them, or instills faith.
19 Furthermore, there are two witnesses here, the law and the prophets. Just as Paul also touches this passage, Rom. 3, 21. 22. by saying: the righteousness of faith, which is now revealed in Christ, is that which was witnessed by the law and the prophets.
20 But the opinion of this transfiguration he discusses more extensively in 2 Cor. 3, 7, where he gives a discussion about the uncovered face of Christ and the clarity of Moses compared to the clarity of Christ. But the matter does not belong in this place and cannot be explained in short remarks, since it requires an extensive and complete discussion 2c.
V. 10-13. And his disciples asked him, saying: What do the scribes say to him, that Elias must come before? JEsus answered and said unto them: Elias shall come before, and set all things right. But I say unto you, Elias is come already, and they have not known him, but have done unto him as they would. So also the Son of Man will have to suffer from them. Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them of John the Baptist.
- the old opinion that Elijah and Enoch were to come after the Antichrist, who came from
328 Notes on Matth. 17, 10-13. W. vii, 494-497. 329
The idea taken from this passage, where Christ says, "Elijah shall come first, and set all things right," has filled all the books and spread through the whole church; therefore the question could be dealt with in this place, if we were able to come up with something that would have a better reputation than what the ancients teach.
First of all, we do not contradict those who want to follow this old opinion. They may wait for Elijah and Enoch, at the same time also for John (of whom they also say that he will come with Elijah), if they only leave it free for us to consider this opinion as a mere opinion. And even if one wanted to believe according to this passage that Elijah would come, or even because this was prophesied by Malachi Cap. 4, 5. and Sirach Cap. 48, 10., there is nothing in the Scriptures about Enoch and John. Therefore it is obvious that it is only a human idea of Enoch and John. And therefore also the matter of Elijah is suspicious, to whom they add these two, or one of the two. If these will not come, their comrade, Elijah, will not come either. .
Secondly, since Christ, John, Peter, Paul, predicted everything about the end of the world, how it would be a terrible time, they do not predict anything about the future of Elijah, but they refer to the last day and the hour after the last tribulation. And Paul teaches that "the Lord will kill the Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth, and will put an end to him by the appearing of his future" 2 Thess. 2:8. It is therefore not believable that Christ or the apostles would have kept silent about Elijah, who was to come and set everything right at the end of the world, if the Holy Spirit had prophesied about him so clearly through Malachi.
- Therefore one must remain with these words of Christ, when he says: "I tell you, Elijah has already come"; and with the words of the angel Gabriel, Luc. 1, 16. ff., who applies the words of the prophet Malachi from Elijah to John, just as he also applies the words of the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 7, 14. 9, 7. to Jesus Christ, the
Son to be born of the virgin Mary Luc. 1:31.
25 Therefore, just as there is no other son to be born of a virgin according to the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, than the one already born of the virgin Mary according to the interpretation of the angel Gabriel, so there is no other Elijah to be expected according to the prophecy of Malachi than the one born of Zechariah and Elizabeth, and according to the interpretation of this same Gabriel has already come and done what Malachi proclaimed before.
(26) And surely we must not doubt that Gabriel, especially in such an important mission from God, understood and presented Isaiah and Malachi correctly and properly. For we must not consider him to have used false or ambiguous speeches, since he presents such great things to the Virgin Mary, in such certain words, which she is to believe. Now if the mind of Gabriel in these words is true, simple and sincere (as it necessarily is), then no other Elijah is to be expected according to Malachi's prophecy than John. Just as no other son is to be expected from a true Alma or virgin, according to the 7th chapter of Isaiah, than Jesus Christ. Otherwise, the simplicity and truth of the literal mind will perish, and the whole reputation of the holy Scriptures will be in danger; and there will be as many Elijahs and Christs as there are new prophets rising. For every one would be at liberty to say in an allegorical sense: Behold, here is Elias! Behold, there is Elias! and so there will never be another Elias, who could certainly be, if it were thought that it was not John.
(27) It remains for us to understand the words of Christ, when he says, "Elias shall come first, and set all things right," which seems to be prophesying of another than John. But to this we can, or rather must, reply that Christ Himself immediately, in direct connection with these words, improves His speech, or rather the opinion of those who had heard His words from Elijah.
330 Notes on Matth. 17, 10-21. .r^vn, 497-500. 331
to the Thisbite, saying, "But I say unto you, Elias is already come. Why then do we not consider both this word, "I say unto you, Elias is already come," and that, when he says, "Elias shall come before"? Especially since the evangelists testify that the apostles understood from this that he was speaking of John, that is, that John was the Elijah about whom they had asked him, as they had been taught by the Pharisees from Malachi. Therefore, if Christ himself says that Elijah, about whom the apostles asked him from Malachi, had already come and had performed his ministry and had suffered, why should we wait for another Elijah?
28 Now this too is certain, that Malachi does not predict the coming of the former Elijah, whom the Scriptures call by the surname of the Thisbite; but here it is prophesied of Elijah, not the Thisbite, but of Elijah, a prophet par excellence. Therefore, nothing certain can be said of Elijah the Thisbite from Malachi to fortify this ancient opinion. Dear, who are we who add "the Thisbite", since the Scripture does not add it? Therefore we deceive ourselves by this addition. Therefore we must believe Christ and Gabriel that Malachi prophesied of John. This is well-founded and certain; but opinion is opinion.
29 Therefore Christ's word is to be understood thus: Elias shall indeed come, that is, you have heard the truth, the Pharisees have spoken the truth, that Elias shall come; for the Scripture must be fulfilled. So Elijah must come, and set all things right. For "verily, until heaven and earth pass away, not the least letter shall pass away, nor one jot of the law, until all be done." Matt. 5:18. But I say unto you: That which thus had to be done and fulfilled has already been done and fulfilled. So we have to understand that Christ does not prophesy here about another Elijah, who should come in the future, but he repeats and confirms the words of the Pharisees about Elijah, who should come, which the apostles heard from them.
From the moon addict.
V.14-21. And when they came to the people, a man stood by him, and fell at his feet, and said, Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is moonstruck, and has a grievous affliction, and often falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not help him. And JEsus answered and said, O faithless and perverse kind, how long shall I be with you? How lukewarm shall I tolerate you? Bring him hither unto me. And JEsus afflicted him, and the devil departed from him, and the lad was healed that same hour. Then his disciples came to him in particular, saying: Why could we not cast him out? And Jesus answered and said unto them: Because of your unbelief. Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove thyself hence, and it shall be removed; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. But this kind goeth not forth, but by praying and fasting.
30 This moonstruck man was possessed by a very evil spirit, according to the account of Marci in the 9th chapter, v. 17 ff, because he was deaf and dumb, and where he caught him, he tore him, and foamed, and gnashed his teeth. For there are different kinds of spirits, just as there are different kinds of men, because they have one kingdom and one government (politiam) among them until the day of judgment, when Christ will abolish all rule and all authority and power, 1 Cor. 15:24. And who knows whether many spirits did not possess this man at the same time? just as he is called one in the 8th chapter of Luke, v. 30, and yet he speaks that he is called Legion. So also here for one man a great multitude can be designated by the plural 1).
- and it is frightening to hear that the devils, with God's permission, subject themselves to so much and are able to make one wretched man so many powerful, very wicked and
- Latin: per numerum pluralem. This refers to the multiple designation of the evil spirit, Marc. 9, 25, as unclean spirit, speechless and deaf spirit.
332 Notes on Matth. 17, 14-21. W. vn, 500-503. 333
The goodness of the Lord is that he will take and afflict the evil spirits, as if many lions or wolves, or other hostile animals, were chasing a single hind or goat; as it is said in the proverb, "A horse is killed by a hornet or a horsefly. This is what the infinite goodness does and puts before our eyes, so that we learn to fear it and take refuge in its help. For without such hardship and misery we would become sure despisers of God and all His goodness. Therefore, just as hunger makes bread all the more delicious, and thirst makes water all the more delicious, so also this wrath of God and the raging of Satan make the mercy of God all the more pleasant to us. That is why God is compelled to be so terribly angry, so that He may make room for His mercy.
For this reason, this man is depicted in Marcus with such great diligence, and in a frightening way he is shown in how many ways the devils tormented him; and the desperate circumstance (desperatio) is added that even the disciples were not able to deliver him from it, so that it might be revealed that the wrath is exceedingly angry, or (as Paul [Rom. 7, 13.) sin appears to be exceedingly sinful, and Christ is glorified in his power, who alone could cast out such a spirit.
And yet Christ ascribes the guilt to both of them, accusing the father of the moonstruck man and the whole family, then also the disciples, of unbelief. And, what is even more astonishing, that he adds: this kind of devil does not come out, except by praying and fasting, since he at the same time says to the father of this man: "All things are possible to him who believes" Marc. 9, 23., and even more clearly to the apostles: "Nothing will be impossible for you" Matth. 17, 20.. Therefore, it is not asked here without reason: how do these two things rhyme together? For there are veritable contradictions, since he says The devil is not cast out except by prayer and fasting; and yet he can be cast out by faith, and, for the sake of unbelief, he cannot be cast out. These seem to be strongly opposed to each other. For these are contrary to one
other contending things, without fasting, are cast out by faith; and, not by faith, but only by fasting and praying. Nor does the text say that Jesus Himself cast out this devil by fasting and praying, but rather by His command and rebuke.
34 What then shall we say? If we are not justified by works, how can we do miracles by them? In addition, the devil does not ask about works, but only about the word and faith, as Peter says: "Resist the devil, who walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, firmly in faith" 2c. 1 Pet 5:8, 9. Answer: If we know nothing to say about this, let us give glory to God, and say that we do not know this; especially since Christ makes a definite declaration about this kind of devil, saying: "This kind does not go out except by praying and fasting." This is as if to say that other kinds of devils can be cast out without fasting and prayer, but this kind cannot be cast out without praying and fasting, clearly asserting, as it were, that there are different kinds of devils.
35 Furthermore, these are my thoughts, that by these words Christ wanted to give an understanding of the government (politiam) among the devils, namely, that some are ordained to this sin, others to others: so that some are pride devils, others are envy devils, others are avarice devils, others are whore devils. And so each kind has among them its chiefs, who are set over the individual vices, as it were over certain provinces entrusted to them. Therefore, just as the spirit of Italy is a spirit of arrogance, the spirit of Germany a spirit of gluttony and drunkenness, the spirit of Greece a spirit of lies and recklessness, the spirit of France a spirit of fornication and disloyalty, so also among individual men the individual vices have their certain spirits, and especially that spirit with whose vice this man is afflicted.
(36) Therefore, when it is said, "This kind does not go out except by praying and fasting," I do not understand the words otherwise than that there-
334 Notes on , Matth. 17, 14-7-21. w. vn, sos-"o". 335
to show over what kind of vices this kind of devil is set, namely, the spirit of crapulae and laziness or indifference. 1) Therefore, those who believe must beware of the vices of these devils, as he says elsewhere, "Beware lest your hearts be burdened with eating and drinking" Luc. 21:34. For he speaks this to the faithful, lest they should snore securely, trusting in the faith they have begun, and devour and drink, as if these vices were without danger. In sum, since he says that the apostles could have cast out this devil if they had had faith, and claims that their unbelief was the cause that they could not have cast him out: it is certain that he meant to imply something else by the prayer and fasting than what an unskilful listener understands from these words, namely, what I said, that he meant to show the vice of the devils, or to warn the faithful to beware of eating and drinking and indifference, and certainly to know that such works are not good but devilish. So that it is the same opinion as above: "Beware lest your hearts be burdened with eating and drinking" 2c.
(37) If this is not enough, let him have his opinion, and believe that this kind is not cast out except by prayer and fasting, and confess that this is something special with these devils. But these shall answer afterwards, how the devil can be cast out by the works of prayer and fasting, without faith? For when he says that he will not be cast out except by prayer and fasting, then certainly, by virtue of these words, everything that is not prayer and fasting is excluded; consequently both faith and charity, with all other virtues and works, are excluded. But that faith should be excluded with love is ungodly, to say nothing of the fact that it is inconsistent. Therefore, if one must admit that the devils are cast out with prayer and fasting through faith and in faith, then one must again
. 1) Latin: nciäiae, i.e. axyörax.
admit that they are cast out by faith, without works. For the clear words follow, that he who has faith as a grain of mustard seed may say to this mountain: "Lift thyself up fully unto it, and it shall be lifted up." And still more plainly he speaks, "And nothing shall be impossible to you." It follows: If nothing is impossible to a faith like a grain of mustard seed, neither will the casting out of this kind of devils be impossible to such a faith. Therefore, by these words "for by praying and fasting" must necessarily be understood something else than they read, otherwise Christ taught contradictory things. Therefore, it is probable that Christ intended to teach sobriety at the same time, as I said above, 36.
(38) The fact that he goes on to say, "Faith as a grain of mustard seed," has made a mockery of many (especially coiner). In chapter 13, v. 31, he compared the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed; here he compares faith to it. But since faith and the kingdom of heaven are at the same time with each other, and both do and suffer the same things, the same can easily be understood of both;
(39) But we put this aside now, and take the words in the simple grammatical sense, that faith, though it be small and in its beginning (if it be but a true and certain faith), can do miracles in all, and especially in the first church, or in the time of the apostles, when the foundation of the church was to be laid, and miracles must of necessity be wrought. Therefore, many saints, even lesser ones, performed miracles in the beginning of the church, which were the same and equal to the miracles of the apostles, who were greater saints. But after the faith and the Church were established in the whole world, the signs ceased. And finally the last times followed, in which the Antichrist performed miracles, even though they were false and faked miracles for the seduction of the unbelievers, as Paul says in 2 Thess. 2, 9. ff.
40 But if someone still wants to philosophize, he can take the mustard seed according to its nature and
336 Notes on Matth. 17, 14-27, W. vn. sos-vW. 337
The mustard has a round shape. For he can say that the mustard has a round figure; so also the faith should be round, that is, he should believe all articles (even if it would be a still so small faith). For he that believeth not one article aright, believeth not aright in all, as Jacobus saith Cap. 2, 10., "He that sinneth in one, is.guilty of all." And so also: he who doubts one article of faith, or does not believe it (at least when it is done stiff-neckedly), dissolves the roundness of the grain, and in such a way can do no good. Thus, mustard is of a sharp taste, that is, faith should feel the cross and be driven by temptations so that it is compelled to cry out and call upon God. Thus, the round faith is a gift of the spirit of grace; and the faith that has a sharp taste awakens the spirit of prayer. This faith now does good; in times past it also did wonders when it was needed, as it is written, "I will give them the spirit of grace and of prayer," Zech. 12:10.
From the authorities.
V. 24-27. And when they were come to Capernaum, they went to Petro, which took the groschen of interest, and said, Doth not your master use to give the groschen of interest? And he said, Yea. And when he was come home, JEsus came before him, and said, What thinkest thou, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take the toll or the interest? From their children, or from strangers? Then Peter said unto him, Of strangers. Jesus said unto him, So are the children free. But lest we offend them, go to the sea, and cast a line, and take the first fish that comes up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a stater; and take the same, and give it for me and for thee.
Here follows a beautiful history of how Christ behaved against the worldly authorities. First, he allows Peter to be asked by the tax collectors for the annual interest, so that an opportunity might arise to speak of the twofold kingdom, namely the heavenly and the earthly. Before
Peter is still telling the story, but Jesus precedes him and says: "What do you think, Simon, from whom do the kings of the earth take customs or interest? His opinion goes like this: "My dear Peter, I know that we are kings and children of kings. I am the king of all kings, so that mall have no right to demand the interest full of us, but they should rather pay it to us. How is it then, my dear Peter, that they demand the interest from you, since you are the son of a king? What do you think? Are they right in demanding interest from you? But because Christ puts this question in a general way, Peter also answers in a general way according to his simplicity, saying: "Not the children, but others are used to pay the interest; and he did not know that Christ in his words had called him a king's son himself.
From this it can be inferred how sweet Christ's intercourse with his disciples must have been. For here he is, as it were, playfully joking with Peter, as with a child who is simple without falseness, and Christ takes pleasure in his childlike simplicity. And yet one sees nothing of levity here, but only seriousness and majesty in Christ, who takes pleasure in Peter's simplicity. It must have been a fine, friendly, lovely company between Christ and his disciples, as this passage shows, just as if someone plays with a little child or with his dearest companion, only that this joke of Christ is as serious as it is at the same time extremely lovely. And when you consider how great the person is who jokes with Peter in this way, you must necessarily be moved by the greatest love for God, who sets aside His majesty and holds these unlearned people in such esteem that He jokes, plays, and, as it were, engages in antics with them in such a way that it could almost arouse the suspicion of frivolity. Neither Caiphas, nor the Pharisees, nor the rest of the hypocrites would have done so; but if they had heard and seen such things, they would immediately have frowned and said: Behold, what a good and great fool (phantasta) is this, who with these peasants so
338 Notes on Matth. 17, 24-27. W. vn. sm-sn. 339
plays 2c. But to us this is a comfort and encouragement of faith, that we should love Christ, who is most intimate and loving with His own, who does not despise the foolish or the simple. -
But lest we vex them 2c.
This is the reason given by the Lord Himself why one should obey the unholy worldly (prophano) authorities. Therefore, it must be considered and taken into account as a pronouncement made by the Supreme Majesty, namely, that one should honor the authorities so that they will not be annoyed, that is, so that they cannot accuse the Christians of sedition, as if they did not want to be subject to authority, but wanted to establish a new civil kingdom.
44 With this he also indicates that his kingdom will not be a civil or secular kingdom. As if he wanted to say: Go, my dear Peter, and know that we are kings and royal children in another kingdom; let them have their kingdom, in which we are only guests. Therefore, let us pay the host what we owe him, so that they may not say that we are unfaithful in their kingdom, that we consume their goods and do not pay. For it was necessary that he often reminded his disciples that they should not hope as if the Messiah would be a worldly king, but that they should learn that his kingdom was a completely different kingdom. And this is what Christ is mainly dealing with here,' that he might distinguish these two kingdoms. He says: We are children of the kingdom, but not of this worldly kingdom.
45 Thus, although he confirms the authorities here, he does not make them righteous or blessed before God; indeed, he separates them from His kingdom. Therefore, as much prestige and glory as kings have in the world from this passage, so much fear and despair do they have in view of the fact that they do not belong to the kingdom of God, lest they be puffed up because their status is approved by God, just as the status of marriage is approved by God, but is not made righteous or blessed because of it.
This must be said, because now even the godless princes, yes, even our great ones, are overly puffed up after they hear that their state is approved by God, as if they would be blessed because of it, and do not consider that in this state they are nothing better than the Turks and all the pagans. For even under the Turk, Christians are forced to obey the authorities, just as here Christ approves of the Roman authorities, and yet these same authorities were condemned by God. And it is the same with our authorities, where they are without faith.
- but this would still be tolerable and good, if the authorities would only take a stater, even from the pious; but now, trusting that GOD approves of them, they also persecute GOD Himself, who approves of them, just as Christ was killed by the Roman authorities. For GOD would bless the kingdoms so that they would have their interest for eternity; but because they are not satisfied with this blessing, they persecute the one who blesses them, and force him so that he must curse them and push the mighty ones from the throne.
(48) But he freely submits to the authorities, saying, "That we may not offend them. As if to say: Since we are strangers in this kingdom and are forced to live according to their law, lest we be considered rebels in their house, we will obey them and give what we owe. But that it may be shown them that I am the Lord of all, even of this kingdom, go and be a coiner in the mouth of the fish, and take out of the mouth of the fish a stater. O, what a wonderful coiner is this, who has no gold, no silver, and begs out of poverty, and yet shows that he could make golden mountains even in the mouth of any fish, if he wanted to. Therefore, this submission of his to the authorities is voluntary, as if the greatest king in the world were to come of his own free will to the house of the lepers and give a penny for the lodging, because it would be right, and the innkeeper would not know, however, what a great king, and that in his own kingdom, he had with him.
[340 Notes on Matth. 18, 1-5. w. vn> n-si4. Z41
The eighteenth chapter.*)
This chapter is one of the most important. For it contains the most salvific teachings, namely of the kingdom of Christ and of the keys or forgiveness of sins.
V. 1-5. At that hour the disciples came to Jesus and said: Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus called a child to him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye repent and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. He therefore that humbleth himself, as this child, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives such a child in my name receives me.
First, the disciples raise a question about the kingdom of Christ: who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? This foolishness of theirs he does not only bear with kindness, but he also takes it as an opportunity to speak and teach about his kingdom. For the opinion was deeply rooted among this people that the kingdom of the Messiah would be a temporal and worldly kingdom, so that it was impossible to eradicate it from all hearts. Therefore, he acts here against this opinion violently and extensively, so that he would eradicate this carnal mind from the hearts of the disciples.
(3) And he presents this matter in a vivid way (facit prosopopoeiam) by calling a child to him and placing him in the midst of them, so that what he wanted to saw now would stick all the more firmly through this spectacle; as if he wanted to say: I see that your carnal mind is not sufficiently moved by mere words; therefore I present this child to you, that you may remember it hereafter and always. Behold, here is a child! Tell me now if this one is sent to a worldly or temporal kingdom, of which you undoubtedly dream? That would be a miserable kingdom, indeed, not a kingdom that is of
should be ruled by this child. But now, as skillful as this child is to rule a worldly kingdom, as unskillful is he to think that my kingdom is of this world. For the kingdom I am starting is such that all worldly wise men understand much less of it than this child might understand of a worldly kingdom. Therefore, the opinion and the thought of a worldly kingdom must be completely discarded if you want to speak of my kingdom. For my kingdom will be such that you must be children in it who allow themselves to be governed, but do not govern themselves, just as this child does not govern itself in the worldly kingdom, but is governed. In short: I am starting another kingdom, which is completely different from a worldly kingdom, in which I will not make you kings, wise men, righteous in this world, but subjects, fools, sinners before the world, just as this child is ruled by others, is without understanding, and is under ruthlessness. Therefore, you need a different conception of my kingdom than the one generally accepted. For I will not make you kings, but children; not wise, but fools; not righteous, but heretics; and deserving of the stake.
4 For so it has happened that the Christians must be a people "made to suffer," as the 38th Psalm, v. 18, says, for they are beaten and afflicted with all kinds of plagues, even where they do not deserve it.
- here is a somewhat hidden doctrine of God (occultior theologia), namely this, that Christ has in mind the original sin, according to which Adam (according to the devil's sense) wanted to become a man and a wise man, not remaining subject to the word of God, but becoming a judge of the word of God, believing that God had
*Luther's notes on the 18th chapter are not included in the Wittenberg Latin edition, perhaps because they only go as far as the seventh verse. Therefore, we have used the Jena edition for this purpose.
342 Notes on Matth. 18, 1-9. w. vii, sli-sir. 343
Such was not commanded, or commanded out of hatred. That was to judge God and to exalt oneself above God. That is why Christ teaches here that now the opposite must happen, that Adam, who had become a wise man and a man in a wrong way, now becomes a child and a fool, who wants to humble himself against and before God, who does not want to know or understand anything, but who wants to listen to God, whom he wanted to teach and lead before, as a father and teacher and to follow him when he teaches.
6 This is it that he says, "Unless you turn and become like children," that is: You must become children again, you became wise men or men too early. As he also says John 3:3, "Ye must be born again." For this is a Hebrew expression, "that ye turn again, and become as children," which we Germans express by an adverbium, instead of the verb, thus: to become children again, that the one of the two tense words, "turn again," becomes the circumstantial word "again" or "anew." Hereby he now answers, but vaguely, by saying that he will be the greatest in his kingdom who has become a child again. As if he wanted to say: Oh, do not think how you will become great, but how you will become small. The becoming great will be found when you have become small. In this kingdom, it is not a matter of becoming great, but of becoming small. But everyone wants to be great, no one wants to be small; they do not belong in this kingdom. For imagine that all become like this child; how then can all be the greatest in the kingdom? So it follows from the meaning of these words: in Christ's kingdom no one is the greatest, but all are equal. For if they shall all be like this child (as all the apostles were afterwards), it follows that all are equally the greatest, consequently none the greatest, but all alike. Therefore, in this kingdom of Christ the thought cannot arise nor have a place that one wants to be greater, as happens in the world, but that one becomes small, like this child. Then all will be great, greater, the greatest, for they will all be equal, brothers, fellow heirs, and in all things equal in glory 2c.
V. 6-9 But whosoever shall offend one of these least of these that believe on me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the deepest part of the sea. Woe to the world, because of the trouble, trouble must come. But woe to the man through whom trouble comes. But if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to enter into life lame or crippled, than to have two hands or two feet, and be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, than to have two eyes, and be cast into hell fire.
- if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee" 2c. This is spoken in the same way, and must be understood in the same way, as the word of the cut man who is to cut himself Matth. 19, 12.. So this, that one should cut off his hands and feet and pluck out his eyes, is not to be understood that one should mutilate himself physically, but that he should keep himself in check by the help of the Holy Spirit or by faith.
(8) There is a double mind here; the first is of the bodily or actual limbs. These must be cut off, that is, tamed by the spirit, so that the hand, the eye, the feet, do not do what sin wants. For it is rightly said that he does not have the hands of death who takes care that death is not committed; so he does not have the eyes of adultery who hates adultery. That means in truth to cut off his limbs, if we do not let them be weapons of unrighteousness for the service of unrighteousness, Rom. 6, 13. So one could also say in the opposite way according to the same figure: If you are blind, if you have no hand and foot, then pull to yourself or take on eyes, hands, feet, that is, create, that through the spirit you let your eyes see chaste things, that you do good with your hands, walk innocently with your feet.
9 That is why he talks about the use,
344 Notes on Matth. 18, 6-9. W. VII, SI7-S20. 345
not from the essence of the members. For the spirit teaches us the use of things. For what is a thing without use but death and nothingness? What is your hand that does or can do nothing? Therefore, the making alive or the use belongs to your Holy Spirit. For what is life but the use of the thing itself, without which the thing is dead and as it were nothing? An eye that does not see is as if it were not an eye. Yes, even inanimate things, if they are without motion and use, are as it were nothing; as, the earth, which produces nothing or creates no use, is a shapeless and empty earth, Gen. 1, 2, until it is adorned with herbs and comes into use.
The other mind is of allegorical and political limbs. In this sense, the eyes are the rulers, the teachers, and the superiors of every kind, including the parents. The hands are all those whose help, benevolence and service we need, as there are all friends, wives, relatives, citizens, journeymen. The feet are those who are our subjects and all that we are to govern, as children, families, possessions and goods 2c.
Now he concludes: "It is better to be deprived of all these things in order to be saved, and without them to enter heaven as it were one-eyed, maimed, lame, than to go to hell with all of them. For it will not help you that you have all these things, namely, both eyes, hands, feet; that is, for no man's sake must you put God behind.
(12) With these words he also indicates at the same time how many, even the whole world, despise the kingdom of God for the sake of these eyes and hands, and would rather go to hell if they could only keep them whole, than that they should make an effort to enter the kingdom of God by neglecting them. For so great a teacher speaks of a small thing, or of a few men, but of the very greatest things, such as righteousness, wisdom, law, 2c., and of the best people in the world; and yet these plunge into destruction for the sake of such things.
(13) Therefore he cries out and says, "Woe to the world because of trouble. Ah, how far the man looks into the world and complains how it is there, namely, that the eyes and hands also give trouble. Not only the eyes and hands of private people (which is the least evil), but also the eyes of church and world rulers; namely, that those who are to teach and govern others give trouble themselves, not only with examples (which would also be something small), but also with words, in that they teach the churches and whole peoples ungodly and perverse doctrines. And it is hard to take away these eyes, to cut off these hands, that is, to avoid them, because they themselves sit in the regiment and want to be heard; or they kill those who oppose them. Now he frightens them with terrible threats. But they despise them in the strongest way, and imagine that they do not cause trouble, and do not disperse, but are builders and maintainers; and in the opinion of doing God a service, they kill the true builders and maintainers of the church. But woe to them!
V. 7: Trouble must come, but woe to the man by whom trouble comes.
This is a necessity, not of compulsion, but of consequence 1) (as one is wont to speak), namely in this way: One must necessarily have eyes and hands, that is, one must necessarily have some who are in office and service. For the church cannot be without ministers, just as the body cannot be without eyes and hands. The ministry of preaching is necessary; it is impossible to prevent sects from arising among these necessary ministers, or in this necessary ministry, just as Paul also says: "There must be sects among you" 2c. 1 Cor. 11, 19. This life cannot be otherwise, for there must be evil angels and good angels in the church, as Apocalypsis says, just as it has been in heaven from the beginning. But woe to the evil angels. Therefore, avoid these evil angels.
- Compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XVIII, 1635. 1844.
346 Erl. 13, 1-s. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 521-SS3. 347
(15) And this is what we are accustomed to teach concerning the twofold vexation, namely, of the work and of the word, or of the life and of the doctrine. The vexation of life is a private vexation, or that which concerns only the person; but the vexation of doctrine is a public vexation, and that which concerns the thing. And of this public annoyance,
Christ is speaking here primarily about how it does infinitely more harm than private anger. For he is especially aiming at the godless teachers here. He hates them terribly and threatens them so seriously. For it is they who do the real harm; they are nevertheless called pastors, fathers; ah! holy fathers of the church! 2c.
B. The Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Chapters of St. Matthew,
preached and interpreted by D. Martin Luther.*) 1532.
D. Martin Luther's Preface.
I have almost gladly seen that these sermons of mine on the three chapters of St. Matthew, which St. Augustine calls the sermon of the Lord on the mountain, go out, if God would grant His grace that such teachings of Christ may remain and be preserved in a right, certain, Christian understanding, because they are such common sayings and texts, which are violently practiced by all of Christendom. For I do not doubt that I have presented to my own, and to those who desire it, the right, true, Christian understanding in this.
- and cannot know how the wicked devil especially has so masterfully twisted and perverted the fifth chapter through his apostles that he has made a contradiction out of it. And just as Christ purposely wanted to counter all false teachings in it, and to open the right meaning of God's commandments, as he conditions and says Matth. 5, 17.: "I have not come to abolish the law", and takes it from piece to piece, and wants to make it clear and certain enough: nor has the infernal Satan found a text in the Scriptures, which he has more shamefully perverted and made more jarring.
*For the complete implementation of the Reformation in their churches, the Lübeckers, like the Brunswickers and the Hamburgers before them, asked for D. Johann Bugenhagen. He left for Lübeck toward the end of October 1530 and remained absent from Wittenberg until the last of April 1532. (Köstlin, Martin Luther, Vol. II, p. 250.) During this time Luther often acted as a substitute for Bugenhagen (De Wette, Vol. IV, 199), among other things he continued the sermons which, according to the order of the Wittenberg church, were held on Wednesdays on the Gospel of St. Matthew and on Saturdays on the Gospel of John. These sermons were transcribed (as Aurifaber reports in the 2nd volume of the Eisleben edition, p. 445) by Veit Dietrich, Georg Rörer, Anton Lauterbach and Philipp Fabricius (i.e. Philipp Faber, Schmidt, pastor in Kahla). The sermons on the 5th, 6th, and 7th chapters of St. Matthew were published, with Luther's permission, as late as 1532 in Wittenberg by Joseph Klug under the title: "Das fünfte, sechste und siebente Capitel St. Matthäi, gepredigt und ausgefegt durch D. Mart. Luther." Another edition appeared at Marburg in 1533; a third at Wittenberg by Johann Weiß, 1538. In the collections: in the Wittenberg (1553), vol. IV, p. 1; in the Jena (1566), vol. V, p. 343b; in the Altenburg, vol. V, p. 806; in the Leipzig, vol. IX, p. 185; and in the Erlanger, vol. 43, p. 1. This writing was translated into Latin by Vincentius Obsopöns and appeared with some of Luther's other sermons in 1533. This translation is included in the Latin Wittenberg edition (1558), Dom. VII, toi. 1, was included. We reproduce the text according to the Jena edition, comparing the Wittenberg and Erlangen editions. In the German Wittenberg edition, Luther's preface is inadvertently printed before the volume's index.
348 Erl. 43, 3-5. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, S23-S2S. . 349
This is a masterpiece of the devil, because he is the one who is ordered and placed by Christ Himself to be a false doctrine. This is called a masterpiece of the devil.
(3) First of all, into this fifth chapter have fallen the coarse swine and asses, lawyers and sophists, the right hand of the Pabst, and his mammoluchs. They have sucked such poison from this beautiful rose, and have scattered it throughout the world, so that Christ is buried, and the end Christ is raised up and preserved; namely, that Christ does not want his Christians here to command or keep everything that he teaches in the fifth chapter, but has counseled many things only to those who want to be perfect, and let them keep them, whoever they want, regardless of the fact that Christ is angry there: They shall not be in heaven that destroy one of the least of such commandments, and ninth it with the bare words, "Commandments.
For this reason, they have composed twelve Consilia Evangelii, twelve good counsels in the Gospel, which may be kept by anyone who wishes to be higher and more perfect than other Christians. Thus, in addition to faith, they have not only put Christian blessedness, even perfection, into the work, but have also made the same works free. That is, I mean, rightly and finely forbid good works, which they blame us, the gross asses and blasphemers. For they cannot deny these things, and no covering nor cleaning will help them as long as this fifth chapter of Matthew remains. For their books and glosses are there, along with their old and still daily unrepentant lives, which they lead according to such their teaching. And the doctrine of the twelve consiliis evangelicis is very common among them; these are: 1. 1) Do not repay evil. 2. not to avenge. 3. to offer one's cheeks to others. 4. not to resist evil. 5. leave the coat to the skirt. 6. walk two miles for one. 7. give to all who ask 2). 8. lend to him who borrows 2). 9. ask for the persecutors. 10. love the enemies. 11. do good to the haters 2c. as Christ teaches here. All these things (they spit) shall not be
- These figures are missing in the Wittenberg and Erlangen.
- "da" is missing in the Erlanger.
and the donkeys in Paris give good reason to say that it would be far too difficult for Christian doctrine to be burdened with this 3) 2c.
Thus the jurists and sophists have ruled and taught the church until now, that Christ with his teaching and interpretation has had to be their fool and juggler. And they still do not repent for it, but would gladly defend it, and gladly raise their cursed, shameful canons again, and crown their popes again. But God grant that I may live, and that I may give bracelets and precious stones for such a crown, so that the donkey, if God wills it, may be called crowned.
Therefore, dear brother, if you are willing and have nothing better, let this sermon of mine serve you, first of all, against our Junkers, the jurists and sophists. I mean especially the canonists, whom they themselves call asses, 4) as indeed they are, that thou mayest keep the doctrine of Christ pure from their asses and devilish dung in this place of Matthew.
(7) Secondly, also against the new jurists and sophists, namely, the red spirits and Anabaptists, who also cause heartache anew out of their mad head in this fifth chapter. And just as those fell too much on the left side, held nothing of this teaching of Christ everywhere, but condemned and destroyed it, so these fall too much on the right side, and teach that one should have nothing of one's own, not swear, not hold authority nor court, not protect nor defend, run away from wife and child, and much of the misery.
(8) Thus the devil blames and needs both parts among themselves, that they make no distinction between the worldly and divine kingdoms, much less what is to be taught and done differently in each kingdom. Which, praise God, we can boast that we have clearly and diligently pointed out and deleted in these sermons; that whoever errs from now on, or wants to err, we will be-
- Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XVIII, 949.
4s Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XVIII, 1545, 8171. In the interpretation of the 101st Psalm, Wittenberger (1553), vol. Ill, W. 472 b the saying is: kurus danonists est ruaspus asinlsta.
- Erlanger: blauet. - Blue or bluen - to beat.
350 Erl. 43, 5-7. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. VII,SS"-SS4. 351
We are half excused, as we have faithfully offered ours for everyone's good. Let their blood be on their heads, and let us wait for the reward, namely, ingratitude, hatred, and all kinds of enmity, and say: Deo Gratias.
(9) Since we have learned and know through such horrible examples, both of papal and red jurists, what the devil has in mind, and especially what he intends to pervert the fifth chapter of St. Matthew's, and to destroy pure Christian doctrine with it, let every preacher or pastor be asked and admonished to faithfully and diligently watch against it in his souls, and to help preserve the right mind. For as long as the devil lives and the world stands, he will not stop challenging this chapter. For he is interested in completely suppressing good works, as happened under the papacy, or in creating false good works and fictitious holiness, as he has now begun to do through the new monks or the spirits of the red sect.
(10) And even if both the papal and the Rottian jurists and monks perished, he would still find and awaken others. For he must have such servants, and his kingdom is from the beginning of the world.
ruled by monks. Although they were not called monks, their teaching and life was monastic, 1) that is, different and special or better than God commanded. As among the people of Israel were the Baalites, Camarim 2) and the like, among the Gentiles the Galli and Vestales 2c.
(11) Therefore we cannot be safe from him. For from this fifth chapter also came the monks of the pope, when they took a perfect state before other Christians, which they based on this chapter; and yet they kept to it, 3) that they became full of avarice, hopefulness, and at last full of all devils. May Christ, our dear Lord and Master, who has given us the right mind, increase and strengthen it for us and help us to live and do according to it. To him be praise and thanksgiving, together with the Father and Holy Spirit for ever and ever, Amen. Anno M.D.XXXII. 4)
- Wittenberger: been.
- XXXXX- idol priest (2 Kings 23:5.); actually.
one who walks sadly and gloomily. Therefore, the Jews of today quite rightly call the monks by this name. - Galli, the priests of the goddess Cybele. Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1483 and 115.
- "held to" - held in such a way to the state of perfection.
- The year is missing in the Erlanger.
The fifth chapter of Matthaei.*)
**) Interpretation.
When he saw the people, he went up on a mountain and sat down, and his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying 2c.
(1) Then the evangelist makes a preface and pretentiousness, how Christ stood for the preaching which he was about to do: that he went up into a mountain, and sat down, and preached his sermon.
He opens his mouth, so that one can see that he is serious. For these are the 5) three things, as they say, that belong to a good preacher. First, that he appears. Second, that he opens his mouth and says something. Thirdly, that he may also stop.
- "the" is missing in the Wittenberger.
*) Before this superscription, the Jena edition repeats the title of this writing and adds: "angefangen am 9. November des 30. Jahrs und durch den Druck erstlich ausgegangen Anno 1532".
**The text of the entire fifth chapter, which precedes it in the Wittenberg and Jena editions (but not in the original print), has been omitted here, because in each case the relevant verses of the text precede the interpretation.
352 Srl. 43, 7-s. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 1. 2**.** W. VII, 534-537. 353
- the appearance is that he presents himself as a master or preacher who can and should do it, as called to it, and does not come from himself, but to whom it is due from duty and obedience, that he may say: I do not come trolled by my own authority and discretion, but must do it by virtue of my office.
3 This is said against those who have caused us so much trouble and torture up to now and will do so in the future, the scoundrels and pranksters, who now and then go astray in the countryside, poisoning people before the priest and those in office or in authority know about it, and so they throw down one house after another until they poison a whole city, and then a whole country from the city. In order to prevent such sneaks and pranksters, one should not allow anyone to preach who has not been commanded to do so and who is not in office. Also, no one should dare to preach, even if he is already a preacher, when he hears a false preacher in a papist or other church, who tempts people to preach against him. Also, do not sneak into the houses from time to time and preach special sermons, but stay at home and wait for his office or preaching chair, or remain silent, if he does not want to or cannot publicly step into the pulpit.
4 For God does not want anyone to run astray with His word, as if someone were driven by the Holy Spirit and had to preach, and thus seek out places and corners, houses or preaching booths, where he has no ministry. For even St. Paul himself did not want to preach in the places where the other apostles had preached before, even though he was called to be an apostle by God Rom. 15, 20. 2 Cor. 10, 15. 16. Therefore it says here that Christ freely goes up the mountain publicly when he begins his preaching ministry, and soon after v. 14 he says to his 1) disciples, "You are the light of the world." Item 2) v. 15., "Do not light a candle and put it under a bushel, but set it on a lampstand to give light to all who are in the house." For the ministry of preaching and God's word should therefore shine like the sun, not creep in the darkness and be meek, as one would think of the
- Erlanger: den.
- Erlanger: and.
- But act freely in the daytime, and let him be seen under the eyes, so that both preacher and hearer may be sure that it is rightly taught, and that the office is commanded, that they may have it no secret. 4) Do thou likewise: when thou art in the ministry, and hast orders to preach, stand forth freely in public, and spare no man, that thou mayest boast with Christ, "I have taught freely in public before the world, and have spoken nothing in secret" 2c. Joh. 18, 20.
005 But sayest thou, How then shall no man teach anything, except it be publicly? Or, shall not a householder teach his servants in his house, or keep with him a disciple or other to read unto them? Answer: Yes, it is well done, and a proper room and place for it. For every householder is obliged to teach his children and servants, or to have them taught. For he is in his house as a priest or bishop over his household, and he is commanded to see what they learn and to answer for them. But this does not apply if you want to do this outside your house, and intrude from yourself into other houses or to neighbors. Neither shalt thou suffer that any creeper come unto thee, and make a special preaching in thy house, which he is not commanded to do. But if anyone comes into a house or town, let him bring a certificate that he is known, or a seal and letter showing that he has orders. For it is not necessary to believe all the pranksters who boast of the Holy Spirit, and turn back and forth into the houses with it. In short, it is said: The gospel or preaching ministry is not to be heard in the corner, but high emmpor on the mountain, and free publicly in the light. This is one thing that Matthew wants to indicate here.
The other thing is that he opens his mouth. This also belongs to a preacher, as said § 1, that he does not shut his mouth, and does not only conduct the ministry publicly, that everyone must be silent, and let him appear as the one who has divine right and command.
- In the old editions: "Kue". Erlanger: "cows".
- "dürfe" in all German editions. In Latin: ne dissimulare audeant. Accordingly, "dürfen" will have to be read.
354 Erl. 43, g-n. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. VII. SK7-M. 355
but also to open his mouth freshly and confidently, that is, to preach the truth and what he is commanded to preach; not to be silent nor to mumble, but to confess and speak out boldly and fearlessly, no one regarded or spared, to whomever or whatever it may concern.
- For this hinders a preacher very much if he wants to look around and worry about what people like to hear or not, or what might bring him disfavor, harm or danger; But as he stands high on the mountain, in a public place, and looks around him freely, so he should also speak freely, and spare no one, even though he sees many different people and heads, and not mince words, neither gracious nor angry lords and nobles, neither money, wealth, honor, power, nor shame, poverty, harm, and think no further than that he speaks what his office demands, which is why he stands there.
- for Christ did not establish and appoint the ministry of preaching to serve the purpose of acquiring money, goods, favor, honor, friendship, or to seek his own advantage with it, but rather to freely expose the truth to the public, to punish evil, and to say what belongs to the benefit, salvation, and blessedness of the soul. 2c. For God's word is not here to teach how a maid or a servant should work in the house and earn his bread, or how a mayor should govern, or how a husbandman should plow or make hay. Summa, it does not yet show temporal goods, by which one receives this life, for reason has taught all this before to everyone, but it wants to teach how we should come to that life, and means you need this life, and feed the belly here, as long as it lasts, but that you know where you should stay and live, when such must cease.
(9) Now if it is a matter of preaching another life, which we should seek after, and for this reason we should not regard it as if we wanted to remain here forever, then there is strife and contention, so that the world does not want to suffer it. Where a preacher prefers his belly and life in time, he does not do it; he stands and washes in the pulpit, but he does not preach the truth, he never opens his mouth; where it is not the truth, he never opens his mouth.
wants to go badly, he stops and does not bite the fox. Behold, therefore Matthew hath written the preaching before, that Christ, as a right preacher, goeth up into the mountain, and openeth his mouth fresh, and teacheth the truth, and punisheth both false doctrine and life, as we shall hear.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(10) This is a fine, sweet, friendly beginning of his teaching and preaching. For he does not proceed, like Moses or a teacher of the law, with terrors, dread and terror, but in the most friendly manner with vain charms and curls and sweet promises. And indeed, if it were not thus composed, and the dear words and sermon, which the Lord Christ first preached, were not presented to us all, then every one would be driven and driven by the arrogance to run after it to Jerusalem, yes, to the end of the world, since one would only hear one word of it. Enough money would be found to build the road, and everyone would glory in hearing or reading the words and sermon spoken by the Lord Christ Himself. O what an excellent and blessed man he would be, to whom such a thing would happen! This would certainly be the case if we had not written about it, even though much else had been written by others; and everyone would say, "Yes, I hear what St. Paul and others taught his apostles, but I would much rather hear what he himself spoke and preached. But now that it is so common that everyone has it written in a book and can read it daily, no one considers it something special and delicious. Indeed, we grow weary of it, and we throw it to the winds, as if it had been spoken not by the high majesty from heaven, but by some cobbler. Therefore it happens to us, as a punishment for our ingratitude and contempt, that we have little enough of it, and never feel nor taste what treasure, power and authority there is in Christ's words. But whoever has the grace to regard it as the word of God and not the word of man will esteem it higher and more precious, and will never tire or grow weary of it.
356 Srl. 43, 11-14. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 3. W. VII, S3S-S4L. 357
(11) But how kind and sweet this sermon is to the Christians who are his disciples, so vexatious and grievous is it to the Jews and their great saints. For soon in the beginning he gives them a hard blow with these words, rejects and condemns their doctrine, and immediately preaches the contradiction; yes, he cries woe over their life and doctrine, as Lucas Cap. 6, 24. ff. indicates. For this was the sum of their teaching: if a man were well here on earth, he would be blessed and well off. And to this end they had directed everything: if they were pious, and served God, that God should give them enough on earth, and not let anything fail; as David Psalm 144:13, 14 says of them: This is their doctrine: that every nook and cranny should be full of provisions, and the fields full of sheep, which all at once are full and bear much, and the cattle work much, 1) and no harm, nor loss, nor accident, nor plague should befall them. They are called blessed people 2c.
(12) Against this Christ opens his mouth, and says that there is something else to it, except that there is enough here on earth. As if to say, "Dear disciples, when you preach to the people, you will find that they all teach and believe this: whoever is rich and mighty 2c. is blessed. And again: whoever is poor and miserable, let him be rejected and condemned before God. For the Jews were strong in the belief that if a man were well, that would be a sign that he had a gracious God, and again; that made them have much and great promise from God of temporal, bodily goods, which He would give to the pious. They relied on this, thinking that if they had such things, they would be well off with Him. The book of Job is also based on this. For his friends quarrelled and argued against him, insisting that he had done something great against God and that he knew that he would be punished in this way; therefore he should confess it, convert and become pious, and God would remove the punishment from him.
- Jenaer: "ererbeite". Wittenberger: erbeite; probably a printing error.
(13) Therefore a necessary sermon was preached at the beginning, that he might destroy such delusion and tear it out of the hearts, as the greatest hindrance to faith, which strengthens the right idol Mammon in the heart. For from such teaching nothing else could follow, but that people would become stingy, and everyone would only seek how he could have enough and good days without lack and hardship. And everyone had to think: If he who is well off and has enough good things is blessed, then I must see to it that I do not have the least.
14 This is still the belief of all the world today, especially of the Turks, who rely and strengthen themselves most on it, and therefore conclude that it would not be possible for them to have so much happiness and victory if they were not God's people, and if he were gracious to them above all others. So also with us the whole papacy believes, and the foundation of their teaching and life is based on the fact that they only have enough, and have thus brought all the world's goods to themselves; as one can see before one's eyes. Summa, this is the greatest and widest faith or religion on earth, on which all men remain according to flesh and blood, and can regard no other as blessedness.
(15) Therefore he preaches another new sermon to the Christians, that if they are in trouble, if they are poor, and if they have to forgive themselves riches, power, honor and good days, they will still be blessed, and will have not a temporal but another eternal reward, that they may have enough in the kingdom of heaven.
- But sayest thou, How then must all Christians be poor, and none have money, goods, honor, power 2c.? Or, how shall the rich, as princes, lords, kings, do? Must they forsake all their goods, honor, 2c., or buy the kingdom of heaven from the poor, as some have taught? Answer: No; it is not to buy from the poor, but to be poor oneself, and to be found among such poor who will have the kingdom of heaven. For it is clearly and plainly written, "Blessed are the poor. And yet the little word "spiritually poor" is included, so that it is not meant that someone is poor in body and has no money or goods.
358 Erl. 43', it-16. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, S4S-S4S. . 359
For having external money, goods, land and people is not wrong in itself, but God's gift and order. So no one is blessed who is a beggar and has nothing of his own everywhere, but it is called "being spiritually poor". For I have said above § 8. in the beginning that Christ here does not speak of worldly rule and order at all, but wants to speak only of the spiritual, how one is to live before God apart from and above the external.
(17) To the temporal government belongs that one has money, property, honor, power, land and people, and cannot exist without these. Therefore a lord or prince should not and cannot be poor, for he must have all kinds of such goods for his office and status. Therefore it is not the opinion that one must be so poor that he has nothing of his own. For the world cannot exist in such a way that we should all be beggars and have nothing. For no householder could feed his household and servants if he himself had nothing. In sum, it is not good to be poor in body. For one finds many a beggar, who takes bread at the door, as proud and wicked as no rich man, and many a shabby peasant, with whom less is to be done than with no lord and prince.
(18) Therefore be poor in body and outward appearance, or be rich, as it is appointed unto thee; God doth not inquire of thee; and know that every man must be poor before God, that is, spiritually and in heart; that is, that he put not his trust, comfort, and defiance in temporal goods, nor put his heart therein, and let mammon be his idol. David was an excellent king, and must indeed have had his purse and chest full of money, the floors full of grain, the land full of all kinds of goods and provisions; nor must he have been a poor beggar spiritually, as he sings of himself Psalm 39:13 I am poor, and a sojourner in the land, as were all my fathers. Behold, the king that sitteth in such goods, a lord over land and people, may not call himself otherwise than a sojourner or pilgrim, as he that walketh in the street, having nothing to abide in. That is, a heart that does not bind itself to goods and riches; but, though it have, yet is it like unto it, as having nothing, as
St. 1) Paul of the Christians boasts 2 Cor. 6, 10: "As the poor, yet making much rich; as having nothing in themselves, yet having everything" 2c.
(19) All this is said, that because we live here, we have no need of all temporal goods and bodily necessities, except as a sojourner in a strange place, where he lies for the night and departs in the morning, needing no more than food and lodging for his necessities; he must not say, This is mine, here will I stay; nor sit down in the manor, as if it were his right, lest he should soon hear the host say to him, Dear man, knowest thou that thou art a sojourner here? Go your way, where you belong. So also here; that you have temporal goods, God has given you for this life, and grants you well that you use them and fill the maggot sack with them, which you wear on your neck, but do not hang your heart on it and cling to it, as if you wanted to live forever, but go on and on, and think about another, higher and better treasure, which is your own and shall remain forever.
- Let this be spoken roughly for the common man, that one learns to understand according to Scripture what is meant by "spiritually poor" or poor before God, not to reckon outwardly according to money and goods, or according to lack or abundance, since one sees (as said) that the poorest, most miserable beggars are the worst, most desperate peelers, and may commit all wickedness and vice, which fine, honest people, rich citizens or lords and princes do not do; Again, also many holy people, who have had money and goods, honor, land and people enough, and yet have been poor with so many goods; but it must be reckoned according to the heart, which does not let it be hard-pressed whether it has something or nothing, much or little, and what it has for goods, always puts it down as if one did not have it, and must come and lose all hours for it, and always keeps the heart in the kingdom of heaven.
21 Again, he is called "rich" according to the Scriptures, who, though he has neither money nor goods, yet creeps and scrapes after them, so that he can never have enough. These are the
- "St." is missing in the Erlanger.
360 Erl. 43, IS-18. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 3. W. VII, 545-547. 361
right, whom the gospel calls rich wives, who have very little in the way of great goods, and are never satisfied with what God has given them. For it looks into the heart, which is full of money and goods, and judges according to it, even though there is nothing in the bag and box 1). Again, it judges the poor also by the heart, whether he has full box, Hans and yard. This is the way Christian faith goes through, looking neither at poverty nor wealth, but at how the heart stands. If there is miserliness in it, it is called spiritually rich; and again, spiritually poor, who is not attached to it, and can leave it out of the heart, as Christ says elsewhere Matth. 19, 29. Luc. 18, 29. 30.: "Whoever leaves houses, fields, child, wife 2c., shall have it again an hundredfold, and shall inherit life eternal"; so that he will tear the hearts from the goods, that they will not think it their treasure; and comfort his own, who must leave it, that they shall receive much more and better, even in this life, than they can leave.
(22) Not that one should run away from property, house, farm, wife and child and go astray in the country, complaining to other people, as the Anabaptist flock does, blaming us for not preaching the gospel rightly, because we keep house and farm and stay with wife and child. No, he does not want such foolish saints, but rather it says: "He who with his heart can leave house, farm, wife and child, even if he sits in them and stays with them, feeds himself with them and serves them out of love, as God has commanded, and yet puts them where necessity demands, so that he can leave them all the time for the sake of God. If you are so skillful, you have left everything; so that the heart may not be captive, but remain pure from avarice and clinging, comfort and confidence in all things. And a rich man may be called spiritually poor, and therefore must not throw away his goods; but if he should leave them for necessity, he leaves them in God's name; not because he likes to be without wife, child, house, and farm, but much rather keeps them as long as God gives them, and serves him with them, and yet is also willing, if he gives them to him as if they were his own.
who wants to take. So you see what it means to be spiritually poor in the sight of God, or to have nothing spiritually and to leave everything.
- Now see also in 3) the promise which Christ adds, saying: "For such is the kingdom of heaven. This is a great, excellent, glorious promise, that we shall have a beautiful, glorious, great, eternal good in heaven for the fact that we like to be poor here and do not respect temporal goods. And since you let a little party go here (which you may need as long and as much as you can have), you shall obtain a crown on the other hand, that you may be a citizen and lord in heaven. This should move us, if we wanted to be Christians and believe that his words are true. But no one pays attention to who he is who says it, much less to what he says; they let it pass before their ears, so that no one cares any more about it, nor takes it to heart.
(24) With these words he shows that no one can understand this unless he is a true Christian. For both this piece and all the others that follow are genuine fruits of faith, which the Holy Spirit himself must create in the heart. Where faith does not exist, the kingdom of heaven will remain on the outside, nor will spiritual poverty and gentleness 2c. follow, but will remain a mere struggling and bickering, quarreling and rumbling about temporal goods. Therefore it is lost in such worldly hearts that they never learn nor experience what spiritual poverty is, nor believe nor respect what he says and promises about the kingdom of heaven.
(25) Though he ordains and directs it for the service of them, that whosoever will not be spiritually poor in the name of God for the kingdom of heaven's sake, he must be poor in the name of the devil, and have no thanks. For God has so hanged the miser in their belly that they can never be full nor glad of their ambitious goods. For Squire Avarice is such a merry guest, who lets no one rest; seeks, drives, and hunts without ceasing, so that he does not have to enjoy an hour of the dear good. Just as the preacher Solomon wonders and says Cap. 6, 2.
- Erlanger: Cash registers.
- Erlanger: from love.
- "an" is missing in the Wittenberger.
362 Erl. 43, is-so. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. VII, S47-S50. 363
Isn't it a shameful plague that God gives a man enough money and property, land and people, and yet he is not able to use it so much? He must always fear, worry and tremble, 1) how he will keep it and increase it, so that it will not perish nor become less, and is so completely imprisoned that he may not happily touch a penny. But if there were a heart that could be content and satisfied, it would have peace of mind and the kingdom of heaven in addition, since otherwise, with great good, or even with its stinginess, it would have to have purgatory here and hellish fire there, and, as they say, here with a cart and 2) there with a wheel; that is, to have sorrow and fear here, and heartache there.
- See, this is how God always manages that his word must remain true, and that no one can be happy or have enough, except the Christians; and the others, although they have everything, have nothing the better, indeed, never have anything so good, and must remain poor beggars, to be reckoned by the heart; Without these being gladly poor, and clinging to an imperishable, eternal good, that is, to the kingdom of heaven, and are blessed children of God; but those are stingy after temporal good, and yet do not obtain what they want, must be eternally martyrs of the devil for it. And there is no difference between a beggar at the door and such a wretch, unless the former has nothing, and is refused a piece of bread; but the latter, the more he has, the less he is to be satisfied, though he may get all the money and goods of the world in one heap.
27 Therefore this preaching, as I said, does not serve the world, nor does it accomplish anything; for it remains that it wants to be sure of its thing, and does not believe, but sees it before the eyes and has it in the hand, and says: It is better to have a sparrow in the fist, than to gape at a crane in the air. That is why Christ lets them go, does not want to force anyone, nor to drag them by the hair, but gives his faithful advice to anyone who wants to give him advice, and holds out to us the most wonderful promises. If you want to
- Wittenberger: live.
- "and" is missing in the Erlanger.
you have peace and tranquility in your heart here, and what your heart desires there forever. If thou wilt not, go thither always, and rather have here and there all heartache and unhappiness. For we see and learn that all things depend on him who is content, and does not cling to temporal goods; as many a man is, if he has but a morsel of bread, God can fill his heart, that he may be glad and better satisfied than no prince nor king. Summa, he is a rich lord and emperor, must not have sorrow, trouble and heartache.
This is the first part of this sermon: Whoever wants to have enough here and there, let him think that he should not be so stingy and scrape, but accept and use what God gives, and tend to his work in faith, and he will have paradise here, and the kingdom of heaven altogether, as St. Paul also says 1 Tim. 4:8: "Godliness is profitable for all things, and has the promise not only of this life, but also of the life to come."
Blessed are those who suffer, for they shall be comforted.
- As he began this sermon against the Jews' doctrine and faith (and not only against them, but against the whole world, where it is best, which always remains under the delusion that if it only has good, honor and its mammon here, then it is well, and only for the sake of it serves God), so he now continues, and also overturns that they considered the best, most blessed life on earth, who could bring it, that he would have good, gentle days, and should not suffer any adversity, of which the 73. Psalm, v. 5, says: "They are not in misfortune, like other people, and are not afflicted, like other people." For this is the highest thing that men desire, that they may have joy and pleasure, and be without evil. Now Christ turns the page, sets the antithesis straight, and calls blessed those who mourn and suffer. And so on, all these pieces are set and directed against the world's mind and thoughts, as it would like it to be. For it does not want hunger, sorrow, dishonor, disgrace, injustice, and wrongdoing.
- "here" is missing in the Wittenberger.
364 Erl. 43, S0-8S. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 4. W. VII, 550-552. 365
The people who suffer violence, and who can be exalted, consider them to be blessed people.
(30) So he is saying here that there must be a different life than they seek and think, and that a Christian must judge himself by it, so that he mourns and suffers in the world. Whoever does not want to do this may have good days here and live according to his will, but afterwards he will mourn forever; as he says in Luc. 6:25: "Woe to you who laugh here and are of good cheer, for you will weep and mourn"; as it was with the rich man, Luc. 16:19.who lived every day gloriously and joyfully, and adorned himself in precious silks and purple, making himself believe that he was a great saint and well off before God for having given him so much good; and yet he left poor Lazarum lying daily at the door, full of grief, hunger and great misery. But what was the last judgment he heard when he lay in the fires of hell? "Remember that thou hast received good things in life, but Lazarus evil: therefore thou art tormented, and he is comforted. Luc. 16:25. Behold, this is this very text, "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." And again this much is said: Who 1) here seek and have nothing but joy and pleasure, they shall weep and wail forever.
(31) But askest thou, How then shall they do? shall they all be damned that laugh, and sing, and leap, and clothe themselves well, and eat, and drink? We read about kings and holy people who were also happy and lived well. And especially St. 2) Paul is a strange saint, who wants us to be joyful at all times, Phil. 4, 4, and says Rom. 12, 15: "Be joyful with the joyful"; and again: "Weep with those who weep." Behold, this is contrary to one another, to be always joyful, and yet to weep and mourn with others. Answer: Just as I have said that having riches is not a sin nor forbidden; so also to rejoice, to eat well, and to drink, is not a sin nor condemnable; neither is to have honor and a good name.
- Erlanger: Who.
- "St." is missing in the Erlanger.
and yet I shall be blessed if I do not have or cannot have these things, and suffer poverty, misery, shame and persecution instead. So there are both, and must be both, mourning and rejoicing, eating and suffering hunger; as St. 3) Paul Phil. 4, 11. 12. boasts of himself: "I have learned the art, that where I am, I am content. I can be low, I can ride high; I am skillful in all things, and in all, both, being full, and hungering; both, having left, and suffering want;" item 2 Cor. 6, 8.: "Through honor and dishonor, through evil rumors and good gossip; as those who die, and behold, we live; as those who mourn, but always rejoicing."
- Therefore this is the opinion: Just as he who is spiritually poor is not called he who has no money nor anything of his own, but he who is not stingy about it, nor sets his comfort and defiance on it, as if it were his kingdom of heaven; so also it is called "bearing sorrow and mourning," not he who outwardly always hangs his head, sees sourly, and never laughs; but who does not set his comfort on having only good days here, and living in pleasure, as the world does, which looks no further than how it has vain joy and pleasure here, and feeds on it, and pays no attention nor cares how God or the people are doing. Thus many excellent, great people, kings and others who have been Christians, have had to mourn and suffer, even though they lived gloriously in the sight of the world, as David laments everywhere in the Psalter about his weeping and suffering.
33 And also now I could show 4) examples of great people, lords and princes, who have experienced and learned this piece about the dear Gospel. As now, at the last Imperial Diet in Augsburg, and otherwise, although they also lived well by heart, and dressed themselves princely in silk and gold, and were to be seen as those who went to the vain roses, but must be daily among vain poisonous snakes, and felt in their hearts such unheard-of arrogance, defiance and
- "St." is missing in the Erlanger. The same occurrence is repeated many times in this writing; we will not note it again.
- Wittenberger: "Auch kündte ich zu unserer Zeit itzt" u. s. w.
366 Erl. 43, 22-25. interpretation of the 5th, 6th, and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. VII. SS2-SS3. 367
Disgrace, so much evil malice and words from the shameful papists, who have had their pleasure and joy from it, that they have bittered their hearts and, as much as there has been in them, have not allowed a happy hour, that they have had to eat everything into themselves, and do no more than complain to God with sighing and weeping. Such people know something of what is said: "Blessed are those who mourn and suffer," even though it is not apparent to them, and eat and drink with others, and sometimes laugh and joke, forgetting their suffering. For you must not think that mourning alone means weeping and wailing, or crying, as children and women do; which is not yet the right deep suffering, when it has come over the heart, and pours out of the eyes; but that is when the right great blows come, which strike and storm the heart, so that one cannot weep, and no one may lament.
For this reason, mourning and suffering is not a strange herb among Christians, even though it does not seem to be by heart, even though they would like to be joyful in Christ, and also outwardly, as much as they can. For they must daily see and feel in their hearts, when they look at the world, so much wickedness, willfulness, contempt and blasphemy against God and His Word, in addition to so much misery and misfortune caused by the devil, both in spiritual and worldly government, that they cannot have many happy thoughts, and their spiritual joy is very weak. And if they should always look at it, and not cast away their eyes from time to time, they could not be happy for a moment, it is enough that it happens and strikes more than they would like, that they must not seek it far.
(35) Therefore, if thou lift up thyself, and become a Christian, thou shalt learn what it is to mourn and to suffer. If you are no longer able, take a wife and sit down, and nourish yourself in the faith that you love God's word, and do what you are commanded in your position, then you will soon learn, both from neighbors and in your own home, that things will not go as you would like, and that they hinder and hinder everywhere, so that you will have enough to suffer, and you will see that your heart will hurt. Especially
But the dear preachers must learn this well, and be practiced daily with it, that they must eat into themselves all kinds of envy, hatred, scorn and ridicule, ingratitude, contempt and blasphemy, so that their heart and soul is pierced and tormented without ceasing.
The world, however, does not want such mourning or suffering, so it seeks such positions and lives in which it can have good days and not suffer anything from anyone, as was the position of the monks and priests. For she cannot suffer that in the divine state she should serve other people with vain worries, toil and labor, and receive nothing but ingratitude and contempt, and other evil deeds, for her reward. Therefore, if it does not go the way it wants, and one looks at the other sourly, they can do nothing but rumble with cursing and thunder, yes, with their fists, and soon want to take away property and honor, land and fortune. But God has chosen that they should not go so freely that they should neither see a body nor suffer, and gives them a reward, because they do not like to do it, that they nevertheless have to suffer it, and make it greater and greater with anger and impatience, and can have no consolation nor a good conscience. But the Christians have the advantage that, though they suffer, yet they shall be comforted, and both here and there shall be blessed.
Therefore, whoever does not want to be a child of the world and have a part with the Christians, let him also be found in the register, that he may help to groan and to bear sorrow, that he may also be comforted, as this promise reads. Therefore one reads an example in the prophet Ezekiel Cap. 9, 2. ff., how God sent out six men with deadly force over the city of Jerusalem. But he sent one of them with a scribe to go through the midst of the city and write a mark on the foreheads of all who sighed and mourned because of the shameful things that were happening, and to see it pass through their hearts. And he that was so marked should live, and the rest, but all should be put to death. Behold, this is the advantage of Christians, that, though they see much sorrow and distress in the world, yet at last it comes to pass, when the world is most secure, and in
368 Erl. 43, S5-S7. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 4. 5. W. VII, 555-558. 369
The little wheel turns back, and suddenly a calamity comes upon them, in which they must remain and perish, but they are snatched out and saved. As the dear Lot was saved in Sodom, because they had long tormented and broken his heart (as St. Peter says 2 Epist. 2, 7. 8.) with their shameful nature. Therefore let the world now laugh and live in merriment, according to its lust and will. And if thou must mourn and bear grief, and see thy heart daily grieved, suffer thyself, and keep the saying, that thou mayest be pleased, and comfort thyself with it, and also outwardly refresh thyself, and make thyself merry, as much as thou canst.
38 For those who thus mourn may well have joy and take what they can, so that they do not sink into sadness. For Christ also says these very words, and promises comfort, that they should not despair in their sorrow, nor let their heart's joy be taken away and extinguished, but should mix such sorrow with comfort and refreshment; otherwise, if they had neither comfort nor joy, they would faint and wither away. For no man is able to endure vain mourning, for it saps sap and strength from the body, as the wise man says Sir. 30:25, 38:19: "Sadness has killed many people." Item Proverbs 17:22: "A sad spirit dries up the marrow in the legs." Therefore, such people should not only be given a break, but should also be told and urged to make themselves happy at times, if they can, or even to alleviate such grief and forget it a little.
39 For this reason Christ does not want there to be only mourning and sorrow, but wants to prevent those who do not want to mourn at all, and have good days and all their comfort here, and teach his Christians, when they are in trouble and have to mourn, that they know that this pleases God, and also let it please them, not to curse and rage or despair, as if their God did not want to have mercy. Where this is the case, the bitter morsel is to be mixed with honey and sugar and soothed or alleviated, which is this promise that he will be well pleased with it and that he will pronounce them blessed.
comforted here also, and there the suffering shall even be taken away from them.
40 Therefore let the world and all who harm us go in the name of their Lord the devil, and let us sing this song and rejoice in the name of God and Christ. For they shall not go out as they will, but though they rejoice in our calamities now, and do us much harm, yet let us have good courage, and let them weep and wail at last, when we are comforted and made merry.
V. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
(41) This passage follows finely on the first, where he said: "Blessed are the poor in spirit" 2c. For as he promised above v. 3 the kingdom of heaven and eternal good, so here he also adds a promise of this temporal life and good here on earth.
But how does it rhyme together, "to be poor" and "to possess the land"? I think the preacher has forgotten what he started with. For if one is to possess the land and goods, then one does not have to be poor. But here he means "to possess the land" to have all kinds of goods here on earth. Not that each one should have a whole country, otherwise God would have to create even more worlds, but the goods that God gives to each one, so that he gives a wife, children, cattle, house, yard, and all that belongs to it, so that he can sit and stay in the country (where he lives) and be master of his goods, as the Scriptures usually speak, and Ps. 37, v. 9. 11. often says "those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land"; item v. 22., "his blessed ones inherit the land" 2c. Therefore he brings here the gloss itself, that to be spiritually poor, of which he said before, is not to be a beggar, or to throw away money and goods. For here he wants them to dwell and remain in the land, and to deal with earthly goods, as we will hear further.
(43) Now what does "to be gentle" mean? Here you must know, first of all, that Christ speaks nothing at all of the authorities and their office; for it does not belong to them to be 1) meek (as we have said in the following passage).
- Jenaer: the.
370 Erl. 43, 27-SS. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th Cap. Matthaei. W. VII, SS8-56V. 371
He says only of individual persons how each one should live for himself against others, apart from his office and rule, as father and mother, where they do not live as father and mother against their children, nor do their father and mother office, that is, against those who are not called father or mother, as neighbors and other people. For I have often said that the two must be widely distinguished, office and person. There is much another man, who is called Hans, or Martin, and who is called Churfürst, or Doctor and Preacher.
- for here two different persons become equal in one human being. One in which we are created and born, according to which we are all equal among ourselves, man, woman, child, young, old 2c. But when we are born, God clothes and adorns you to another person, makes you a child, me a father, one a lord, the other a servant, this one a prince, that one a citizen: Prince, that one a citizen, and so on. This is then called a divine person, as one who holds a divine office, and walks adorned in his glory, and is not badly called Hans or Claus, but a prince of Saxony, or father and lord. Of this he speaks nothing here, but lets them go for themselves in their office and regiment, as he has ordered, but of the mere, individual, natural person, what each one should do for himself, as a man, toward the other.
45 Therefore, where we are in office and authority, we should 1) and must be sharp and strict, angry and 2) punish 2c. For here we must do what God puts into our hands and calls us to do for His sake. Otherwise, what goes beyond the office, let each one learn for himself to be gentle toward everyone, that is, not to deal with his neighbor with unreasonableness, hatred or revenge, as those who are called Hans with their heads through, who never want to suffer anything nor give way, but to destroy the world and the mountain.
- In the old editions: "sol".
- "and" is missing in the Erlanger.
and move trees, do not want to interrogate anyone, nor can they take credit for anything, and quickly tie up sackcloth and rope, thinking nothing but how they want to take revenge and strike again. This does not prevent the authorities from punishing and wreaking vengeance on God's account, but also does not give room where a judge, mayor, lord or prince is a rogue, and mixes the two personalities together, and overrides his office out of his own will of courage, or out of envy, hatred and enmity (as commonly happens) under the appearance and cover of office and law. As if our neighbors wanted to do something against us under the name of the authorities, which they otherwise could not do.
46 And especially he speaks again to his Jews, as he began, who stood straight on the sense that they should not suffer anything from any Gentile and stranger, and would do well to only take revenge confidently, and in addition they used sayings from Moses, as Deut. 28, 13: "The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will only float above and not lie below 3) 2c. Which would be right. But it is said that if God Himself does it, then it is well done. For it is much different when he says, "I will do it," and when we do it ourselves without command. What he says, that shall and must be done. What we say, that happens, if it can, or remains probably even after. Therefore it is not that thou wilt do it when he shall do it, and wait not till he bid thee do it, and yet accept such a promise, and defy it.
(47) Behold, Christ punishes such foolish saints here, who think that every man is lord in the whole world and has a right to it, that he suffers nothing, but only rumbles and rages, and drives by force to protect his own, and teaches us that whoever wants to rule and possess his own property, estate, and farm with peace, must be gentle, so that he can provide, 4) and drive with reason, and suffer what he can always suffer. For it can not fail, it will sometimes your neighbor
- In the Bible: "to be below". The issues: "subject to".
- provided - overlooked.
372 Erl. 43, 2S-31. Excerpt from Matth. 5, 5. 6. W. VII, 560-563. 373
They will take advantage of you and do too much, either by mistake or out of spite. If it is accidental, then you do not make it good because of you, that you neither want nor can tolerate anything. But if it be wantonness, thou makest him worse, so that thou shalt be hostile, and thou shalt be a throbber, and he shall laugh at thee, and atone for his pleasure, and be angry with thee, and do thee harm, so that thou canst have no peace, neither needest thine with tranquillity.
(48) Therefore choose one of two things which thou wilt: that thou mayest either live among men with meekness and patience, and keep that which thou hast with peace and a good conscience; or lose thine own with rumbling and rumbling, and have no rest. For there it is decreed, "The meek shall inherit the land." And behold even the strange heads, which always quarrel and fight about goods and other things, and give way to no one, but want to carry out everything with their heads, so that they do not get into more trouble and war than they always want to win, and finally lose land and people, house and farm, with discord and an evil conscience. God also pronounces His blessing on this, which is thus: "Do not be meek, so that you do not keep the dear land, nor enjoy a morsel with peace. But if you want to drive right and have peace, then let your neighbor's willfulness and iniquity subdue and extinguish themselves, otherwise you can do nothing dearer to the devil, nor do yourself more harm, than that you are hostilely angry and rumbling. If you have an authority, declare it and let them look at it. For they are set so that they will not suffer the innocent to be oppressed. God will also take care that his word and order remain, and that you possess the land according to this promise. Then you will have peace and blessing from God, but your neighbor will have strife, along with God's displeasure and curse.
- But this sermon is not acceptable to anyone, because Christians are and believe and know that they have their treasure in heaven, which is certain to them and cannot be taken away; therefore they must also have enough here, even though 2) they do not have chests and pockets full
- In the Jena: "with the".
- Wittenberger: da.
red guilders. Knowing this, why would you allow your joy to be shattered and taken away, even to cause trouble, and deprive yourself of such a wonderful blessing?
50 See, now you have three pieces, with three rich promises, that he who is a Christian must have enough, both temporally and eternally, although he must suffer much here, both inwardly in the heart and outwardly, again the children of the world, because they do not want to suffer poverty, nor suffering, nor violence, neither the kingdom of heaven nor temporal goods with peace and tranquility keep and enjoy. You may read further Ps. 37, which is the right gloss on this piece, and describes abundantly how the meek shall possess the land, and the wicked shall be cut off.
V. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
(51) Righteousness in this place must not be called the main Christian righteousness, by which the person becomes pious and pleasing before God. For I have said before [§ 24.) that these eight pieces are nothing else but a doctrine of the fruits and good works of a Christian, before which faith must first be there as the tree and principal piece, or summa of his righteousness and blessedness.
The righteousness of the world is the righteousness of the world, without all works and merit, from which such sticks must all grow and follow. Therefore understand here the outward righteousness
in the sight of the world, as we hold one against another. That this may be the short and simple opinion of these words: This is a righteously blessed man, who always perseveres and strives with all his strength that it may go well everywhere, and that everyone may do right, and helps to keep and promote this with words and deeds, with counsel and action.
Now this is also a delicious piece, which understands a great deal of good works, but is also very strange; so that we put it into examples, that if a preacher wants to be found in this piece, he must be so skilled that he instructs every man in his position, and helps him to lead him rightly, and does what belongs to it. And where he sees that there is a lack and does not work properly, that he be there, warn, punish and improve, how and with what he can.
374 Erl. 4s, 31-33. interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. VII, [sr-sss. 375
So that I, as a preacher, do not fail in my office, nor the others in theirs, that they may follow my teaching and preaching, and so be right on both sides. Wherever there are such people who take care of it and are serious about doing right or being found righteous in character and deeds, "they hunger and thirst for righteousness. And if it were so, there would be no evil and 1) injustice, but righteousness and blessedness on earth. For what is the righteousness of the world but that every man do in his estate what he owes? which is called the right of the same estate, as man's right and woman's right, child's right, servant's right and maid's right in the house, citizen's right or city's right in the country; all of which is that those who are to preside over and govern other people perform such office with diligence, care and faithfulness, the others also 2) perform the same owed service and obedience faithfully and willingly.
- but he does not put such words in vain: Hunger and thirst for righteousness. By this he means that great earnestness, desire and ardor, and unceasing diligence are necessary; that where there is no such hunger and thirst, nothing ever comes of it. The cause is this: for it has too great and many hindrances, both from the devil, who gets in the way and bars his way everywhere, and from the world, as from 3) its children, which is so wicked that it cannot suffer a pious man who would gladly do right for himself, or help other people to do so, but puts every plague on them, so that one might grow weary and discontented over it for a long time. For it is painful to see such shameful things happening, and to have nothing but ingratitude, contempt, hatred and persecution to reward one's vain good deeds. Therefore also 4) many people, who did not like to see such displeasure, finally despaired of it, and ran away from the people into the deserts, and became monks out of it. So that this proverb has always been true: Despairing makes
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: still.
- "also" is missing in the Jena.
- "of" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- Wittenberger: still.
a monk. Either that one does not dare to feed oneself and runs into a monastery for the sake of one's belly, as the great multitude has done; or that one despairs of the world and does not dare to remain pious in it, nor to help the people.
54 But this is not called hungering and thirsting after righteousness. For he that will preach or govern in such a manner as to make himself weary and impatient, and creep into a corner, shall be slow to help the people. It is not called creeping to corners or into deserts, but running out, if you were inside, and offering both hands and feet, and your whole body, and putting in all that you have and are able. And I want to have such a man, who is hard against hard, so that he will not let anything deter or overpower him, and will not let any ingratitude or wickedness of the world overcome him, but will always push and persevere as much as he can with all his strength. In sum, there is such a hunger and thirst for righteousness that never lets up nor stops, and cannot be satisfied, neither seeking nor thinking of anything else, and despising everything that wants to hinder him, so that he only promotes and upholds justice. If he cannot make the world pious at all, let him do what he can. It is enough that he has done his part and helped some, even if it were only one or two. If the others do not want to follow, let them go in God's name. One must not run away for the sake of the wicked, but think in this way: It was not begun for their sake, nor left for their sake; perhaps, in time, some of them may also come, or even become fewer, and to some extent improve.
55 For here you have a comforting and certain promise, that Christ may entice and provoke his Christians, so that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness may be satisfied, that is, their hunger and thirst may be satisfied, so that they will not have labored in vain, and yet at last a small number will be brought in whom it will be well invested, and not only here on earth, but much more will be revealed in that life, when everyone will see what fruit such people have produced through their diligence and constant perseverance,
376 Erl. 43, 33-38. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 6. 7. W. VII, 565-568. 377
even though it does not go as they would like, and they must half despair of it. As if a pious preacher had snatched so many souls out of the devil's jaws and brought them to heaven, or a pious, faithful ruler had helped many lands and people, who will testify to him 1) and praise him before all the world.
(56) Against this are the false saints, who, because of their great holiness, avoid the world and run into the deserts, or hide themselves away in corners, so that they may be exempt from such trouble and displeasure as they would otherwise have to have, and may not take on anything as it is done in the world. They do not even think that they should help or advise other people with teaching, instructing, admonishing, punishing and correcting, or at least with praying and sighing to God. Yes, it disgusts them, and they would be sorry that other people were pious, so that they alone would be considered holy, so that whoever wants to go to heaven must buy their good works and merits from them. In sum, they are so full of righteousness that they disgust other poor sinners, just as the great holy Pharisee, Luc. 18, 11. ff., from his great drunkenness, rejoiced and spat over the poor tax collector, that he was so gentle with him that he courted God and thanked Him that he alone was pious, and other people were evil.
(57) Behold, these are they against whom Christ here speaks, the shameful, proud, satiable spirits, who tickle themselves with it, and take pleasure and delight that other people are not pious, for which they should have mercy, pity and help; can do no more than despise, after-talk, judge and condemn everyone. And everything must be stink and filth, except what they themselves do. But that they should go and admonish or correct a poor, infirm sinner, they are as wary of that as of the devil. Therefore again they will have to hear Christ crying out to them, Luc. 6:25: "Woe to you who are full, for you will hunger. For as those who hunger and thirst now must be filled, so those who are full and full now must hunger forever, and yet no one can enjoy them, nor boast that they have helped or set any man right. So
- "him" is missing in the Wittenberger.
you have briefly the opinion of this piece, which (as said) understands many good works, yes, all good works, so that each one may live rightly among the people for himself, and help promote all kinds of office and status; of which I have often said further elsewhere.
V. 7. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
(58) This also is a fine fruit of faith, and well follows the preceding; he that shall help and encourage other people, that it may be right in all places, that he also may be kind and merciful, that is, that he may not soon rumble and rage where it is still lacking, and not
wants to go, 2) as it should go, and still hope for improvement. Because that is also the
The virtue of false holiness is that they cannot have compassion or mercy on the infirm and the weak, but want to keep it at the utmost 3) and to have it purest, and as soon as it is a little lacking, all mercy is gone, and there is vain raging and blustering. As St. Gregory also teaches to recognize such, and says: Vera justitia compassionem habet, falsa indignationem; true holiness is merciful and compassionate, but false holiness can do nothing but be angry and raging.
(59) For it goes on with all violence in the world, that it carries on all its willfulness and desolateness, under the beautiful, excellent pretense and cover that it does it precisely for the sake of righteousness. In the same way as it has hitherto, and still does, wreak its malice and treachery against the gospel under the name of protecting the truth and eradicating heresy, so it wants to deserve to be crowned by God for it, and to be lifted up to heaven, as the world that persecutes, strangles and burns its saints with great thirst and hunger for righteousness. 4) For they also want to trust the name of God. For they also want to have the name, yes, even more than the true saints, that they hunger and thirst for righteousness, lead to such great appearance and excellent
- Erlanger: "nicht gehet".
- "held" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- Jenaer: the as.
378 Erl. 43. 38-38. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 568-Ü7I. 379
Words that they think that GOD Himself should not know otherwise. > > 60 But the noble tree is known by its fruit. For where they ought to > promote righteousness, that both spiritual and temporal government may > be just, they do not do so, nor do they think to instruct and correct > anyone, and live themselves in vain iniquity; and if anyone punishes > their doings, or does not praise them, and does as they please, he > must be a heretic, and be condemned to hell. Behold, such is certainly > every false saint. For self-holiness makes him so proud that he > despises everyone, and cannot have a kind and merciful heart. > Therefore this is a necessary warning against such shameful saints, > that each one may see where he has to deal with his neighbor, whom he > should help and set right in his pride and nature, so that he may > nevertheless also be merciful and forgive, so that it may be seen that > you mean justice with a right heart, and not atone for your own > willfulness and anger, and be so righteous as to deal kindly and > cleanly with him who wants to forsake iniquity and amend himself, and > take his infirmity or weakness into account and bear it until he comes > afterward. But if you try all these things, and find no hope of > correction, then you may let him go, and command those who have to > punish. > > (61) Now this is one part of mercy, that one should gladly forgive > sinners and the infirm. The other is to be charitable to those who > suffer outward distress or need shelter, which is called the works of > mercy, from Matthew 25,
- ff. The hopeful Jewish saints cannot do this either. For there is nothing but ice and frost, yes, a hard and stony heart, and not a drop of blood of desire nor love to do good to the neighbor, as well as no mercy to forgive sin; care and strive only for their belly, although another should die of hunger; that even with public sinners is much more mercy, than with such a saint. How then must follow, because they alone praise themselves and keep themselves pious, every one
They despise them and consider them as nothing, and think that all the world should serve them alone and give enough; but they owe no one to give or to serve.
(62) Therefore this preaching and exhortation is despised and in vain among such saints, and finds no disciples, for those who first cling to Christ and believe, know no holiness of their own in themselves, but, according to the foregoing, are poor, miserable, meek, and quite hungry and thirsty, and so skillful that they despise no one, but can take care of everyone's need and have compassion. To these is the comforting promise: "Blessed are you who are merciful, for you will find mercy again, both here and there, and such mercy as far surpasses all human kindness and mercy. For our mercy is not equal to God's mercy, nor are our goods equal to the eternal goods in the kingdom of heaven; nor does he so favor our good deeds toward our neighbor that he promises the kingdom of heaven for a penny, a hundred thousand florins, where we need it, for a drink of water.
(63) Whoever does not want to be moved by such excellent, comforting promises, let him turn the page and hear another verdict: Woe and cursed are the merciless, for they shall not receive mercy either. How the world is now full of such people, from the nobility, burghers and peasants, who sin against the dear Gospel so well that they not only give nothing to poor pastors and preachers, nor help them, but also take and plague them where they can, and do not act otherwise than as if they wanted to starve them and chase them out of the world; and yet they go along quite safely, thinking that God should keep quiet about it, and let everything be good that they do. But one day (misfortune) 1) will befall them, and, as I fear, someone will come who will make me (who warned enough) a prophet, and deal with them with all mercilessness, and take away their honor and goods,
- Thus in the Jenaer. In the Wittenberg without parenthesis. "The misfortune" is missing in the Erlanger.
380 Erl. 43, 38-40. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 7. 8. W. VII, S71-S7S. 381
Life and limb to it; so that God's word may remain true, and whoever will not show mercy nor have mercy, will come upon vain wrath and eternal disgrace. As St. James also says Cap. 2, 13: "There will even be an unmerciful judgment on him who has not shown mercy."
64 Therefore also Christ on the last day will put on such unmercifulness alone for the highest, as done against Himself, all that we have done out of unmercifulness, and even pronounce the curse on them: 7,I have been hungry, thirsty, and you have not fed me nor given me drink" 2c. "Therefore go, you cursed, into the eternal hellish fire" 2c. Matth. 25, 42. ff. He warns and admonishes us faithfully, out of pure grace and mercy. Whoever does not want this, let him choose the curse and eternal damnation. Consider the rich man, Luc. 16:19 ff., who, though he saw poor Lazarum lying daily at his door, full of sores, yet had he not so much mercy as to give him a bundle of straw, or to allow the crumbs under his table. But behold, how high is he smelled, that he would gladly give an hundred thousand florins in hell, that he might boast of a thread which he had given him.
V. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
This piece is a little subtle, and not so understandably spoken for us, who have coarse carnal hearts and senses, and are still hidden from all the sophists, who are supposed to be the most learned, that no one can tell you what a pure heart means, and even less what God means to look at? They walk around with vain dreams and loose thoughts, of things of which they themselves have never known anything.
Therefore we must look at these words according to the Scriptures and learn to understand them correctly. A pure heart, they dreamed, means that a man runs away from the people into a corner, monastery or desert, and does not think about the world, nor is concerned with worldly things and business, but plays with vain heavenly thoughts. They have not only deceived themselves and other people with such a doctrine, and dangerously misled them, but also
The people have done murderous harm by considering the works and statuses that must go on in the world, and which are ordered by God, as unclean.
The Scripture says of such a pure heart and thought that it may nevertheless be written that one is a husband, loves his wife and child, thinks for them and cares for them, and deals with other things that belong to them. For God has commanded all these things. But what God has commanded does not have to be impure; indeed, it is purity, so that God may be seen. Thus, when a judge performs his office and sentences an offender to death, it is not his, but God's office and work. Therefore it is a good, pure and holy work (if he is also a Christian), which he could not do if there were not first a pure heart. Item, so also a pure work and heart must be called, whether a servant or maidservant in the house does an improper, unclean work, as, to load dung, to wash children and to make them clean. Therefore it is a shameful perversion, that one should hold in such low esteem the deeds contained in the Ten Commandments, and look for other special, glittering works, just as if God did not have as pure a mouth or eyes as we do, nor as pure a heart and fist, when he creates both man and woman; how then should such work or thought make an unclean heart? But so shall they become blind men and fools, who despise God's word, and consider purity only according to the outward larvae and glitter of works, and in the meantime cause misfortune with their own flying thoughts, and gape to climb up to heaven, and grope after God, until they overthrow their own necks.
68 Therefore let us rightly understand what Christ means by a pure heart. First of all, notice that this sermon is most set and sharpened against the Judaizers: for as they did not want to suffer anything, but sought good days, pleasure and joy; nor did they want to hunger, nor to be merciful, but to be full, and only to be pious, and to judge and despise everyone: so also was their holiness, that they must be outwardly pure in body, skin, hair, clothing and food, so that there must not be a spot on their garment.
382 Erl. <Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. vn, S7S-S7." 383
And if a man had a dead carcass untouched, or a scab, or a dung on his body, he had not to come among the people; they took that for purity. But this is not the end; I praise those who labor to be pure in heart, as he also says in Matt. 23:25: "You cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are full of robbery and devouring." Item v. 27: "You are like the whitewashed tombs, which outwardly also seem beautiful, but inwardly they are full of dead men's bones and all filthiness." Just as our clergy are now, even though they outwardly lead a beautifully clean life, and all things go on in the church in beautiful splendor and splendor, so that it laughs and is lovely to look at; but he does not ask for such purity, but wants the heart to be pure, even though it is outwardly a Cinderella in the kitchen, 1) black, rnstrigig 2) and besoben, and deals with vain filthy works.
(69) What then is a pure heart, or wherein is it? Answer: It is soon said, and you must not climb up to heaven, nor run into a monastery after it, and align yourself with your own thoughts, but beware of all that you know to be your own thoughts, as of vain mud and filth, and know, that a monk in the monastery, when he sits in his highest contemplation, and thinks of his Lord God, as he himself paints and dreams him, and wants to throw the world out of his heart, sits (with leave) in the mud, not up to his knees, but over his ears. For he goes about with his own thoughts without God's word, which is vain lies and deceit; as the Scriptures testify everywhere. But this is called a pure heart, which sees and thinks what God says, and puts God's word in place of its own thoughts. For this alone is pure in the sight of God, even purity itself, through which everything that is attached to it and goes in it becomes pure and is called pure. As if a common rough craftsman, cobbler or blacksmith, sits at home, whether he is unclean or rusty, or smells of blackness and pitch, and
- Wittenberger: "in the churches".
- i.e. sooty.
- Erlanger: "and sprightly".
thinks: My God created me a man, and gave me my house, wife and child, and commanded me to love, and to nourish with my work 2c. Behold, this man walketh with the word of God in his heart, and though he stinketh outwardly, yet inwardly he is as a balm before God.
But if he also comes into the high purity, that he also takes hold of the gospel and believes in Christ (without which this purity cannot be), then he is pure through and through, both inwardly in his heart toward God, and outwardly toward everything that is under him on earth, so that everything that he lives and does, walks, stands, eats and drinks, is pure to him, and nothing can make him impure. As when he looks at his wife, or even jokes with her, like the patriarch Isaac, Gen. 26, 8, (which disgusts a monk and makes him unclean). For there he has God's word, and knows that she 5) has given him God. But if he were to leave his wife and change his ways, or if he were to leave his trade or office and harm or annoy other people, 2c. he would no longer be pure, for that would be against God's commandment.
As long as he remains in these two things, namely, in the word of faith toward God, which purifies the heart, and in the word of understanding, which teaches him what he should do toward his neighbor in his state, then everything is pure for him, even if he walks around with his fists and his whole body in vain blackness. A poor maid, if she does what she is supposed to do and is a Christian, is a beautiful, pure maiden before God in heaven, so that all the angels laugh at her and take pleasure in seeing her. Again, the most severe Carthusian, even if he fasts and mortifies himself to death, weeps vain tears with great devotion, and never thinks of the world, and yet is without faith in Christ and love toward his neighbor, he is a pure stink and filth, both inwardly and outwardly, so that both God and angels have vain horror and disgust before him.
Seventy-two: So you see how it is all in God's Word, that what is contained and goes in it must be called all pure, clean and snow-white.
- Wittenberger: "to the height of".
- "they" is missing in the Erlanger.
384 Erl. 43, 42-44. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 8. W. VII, Ü76-579. 385
against God and man. Therefore St. Paul says Titus 1:15, 16: "To the pure all things are pure"; and again: "To the impure and unbelieving nothing is pure." Why so? "Because unclean is both their mind and conscience." How does this work? "For they well say they know GOD; but with works they deny it, because they are in whom GOD hath abomination. "2c. Behold how abominably the apostle depicts them, and chides the great Jewish saints. For, take before you a Carthusian monk, who thinks that if he lives in his strict rule, obedience, poverty, and without a wife, separated from the world, then he is pure. What is this but their own mind and thoughts, without God's word and faith, grown out of their heart? by which they alone consider themselves holy, and other people unclean. This is what St. Paul calls an impure mind, that is, everything they write and think.
Because such delusions and thoughts are impure, everything they do according to them must also be impure. And as the mind is, so is the conscience, that even if they should and 1) could help other people, they have a conscience according to such thoughts, which is bound to their caps, monastery and rule; weeping, if they should for a moment leave their thing in order to serve their neighbor, and deal with others, they would have committed the gravest sin, and have defiled themselves altogether. All this makes it impossible for them to recognize God's word and creature, even though they speak it with their mouths, as St. Paul says. For if they knew how and for what purpose they had been created by God, they would not despise such statuses, nor would they set up their own thing, but would let them remain pure and honor them as God's work and creature, and would gladly remain in them and serve their neighbor. This would be to recognize God rightly, both in His word and in His creature, and to keep both pure in heart and conscience, which thus believes and concludes: What God creates and ordains must be pure and good, for he makes nothing impure and sanctifies everything through the word he has given to all classes and creatures.
- Wittenberger: still.
(74) Therefore, beware of all your own thoughts; if you want to be pure in the sight of God, see that you establish your heart and attach it to
God's word, then you are pure above all the Carthusians and saints in the world. When I was young, this saying was praised: Stay gladly alone, and your hearts will remain pure; and to this I added a saying of St. Bernard, who says: As often as he was with people, so often did he make merry. As one also reads in Vitis Petrum about a hermit who would not let anyone come to him, nor talk to anyone, and said: "Whoever deals with people, the angels cannot come to him. There are two others who would not let their mother see them, and when she often waited for them and hurried them along, they soon closed the door and left her standing outside, weeping for a long time, until at last they persuaded her to go away and save herself until they would see each other in that life.
Behold, this has been called the most delicious thing, and the most high holiness and perfect purity. But what is it? It is God's word: "You shall honor your father and mother" Ex. 20:12. If they had considered this holy and pure, they would have shown all honor, love and friendship to their mother and neighbor. But out of their own thoughts and self-chosen holiness, they separated themselves from them, and just so that they wanted to be the purest, they defiled themselves before God in the most shameful way. Just as if desperate boys could not make such thoughts and appearances, that one must say: These are living saints, who can despise the world, and deal with vain angels; yes, with angels from the abyss of hell. The angels see nothing dearer, for where one deals with God's word, there they delight to dwell. Therefore, leave them unsworn in heaven, and seek them here on earth from your neighbor, father and mother, child and all, to do to them as God has commanded, and the angels will not be far from you.
(76) I have said this so that one may learn to be right in this piece and not look so far as the monks, who have thrown it out of the world and put it in a corner or in the cap, which is
386 Erl. 43, 44-47. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap". Matthaei. W. vn, S7S-S8I. 387
Let it be put where God has put it, namely, in the heart, which is attached to God's word and, according to the same, needs its state and all creatures;
so that both, the main purity of faith towards God, then also > outwardly in this life, are included in it, and everything comes from > obedience to God's word and commandment, whether it is physically > pure or impure. As I said about a judge, if he should deny life to > someone, and reach into the blood, and defile himself with it, which a > monk considers an abominably unclean work; but the Scripture says that > it is God's service, as St. Paul Rom. 13, 4. The authority that > wields the sword is called God's servant, and is not her, but his > work and command, which he puts on it, and wants to have from her. So > now you have what is called a pure heart, which walks in the pure and > clear word of God. > > But what is the reward, or what does he promise them? It is "that > they may behold God. A glorious title and excellent treasure! But what > does it mean to see God? The monks have their dreams here, that it is > to sit in a cell and think up to heaven, and to lead a contemplative > life, as they have called it, and have written many books about it. > But that will not be called looking at God for a long time, if you > come trolling with your thoughts and climb up to heaven, as the > sophists and our red spirits and mad saints want to measure and master > God, 1) his word and work, with their heads; but that is when you have > a right faith that Christ is your savior, 2c., then you see quickly > that you have a gracious God. For faith leads you up, and opens God's > heart and will to you, since you see His abundant grace and love. That > is, to behold God rightly, not with bodily eyes (so that no one can > see him in this life), but with faith, which sees his fatherly, kind > heart, in which there is neither wrath nor displeasure. For 2) he who > regards him as angry does not see him.
- Wittenberg and Erlangen: and his. - "and work"
is missing in the Wittenberg.
- "For" is missing in the Wittenberg.
- but has drawn a veil and a covering, even a dark cloud, before his face. But to see his face, as the Scripture says, is to know him rightly as a gracious, pious Father, to whom one may look for all good things, which come only through faith in Christ.
- after that, if you live in your state according to God's word and commandment, with your husband, wife, child, neighbor, and neighbor, you can see how 4) God will do this.
and conclude that it pleases him; as that is not your own dream, but his.
Word and command is that which neither leans nor moves us. Now this is a great thing, and
a treasure above all that one can desire or think, to know that one stands and lives rightly in the sight of God, so that both one's heart can be sure and boast of his grace, and know that even his outward life and conduct are pleasing to him. From this it follows that he is cheerful and confident to do and suffer anything, and nothing can frighten him or make him despondent. Which none are able to do, who do not have such faith and a pure heart, which only follows God's word. As all monks have publicly taught: no man can know whether he is in grace or not. And it serves them right that, because they despise faith and right divine works, and seek their own purity, they never have to see God, nor know how they are with Him.
79 For if you ask one who has prayed his times most diligently, who has said his mass daily, and who has fasted, whether he is certain that this pleases God, he must say that he does not know, and that he does it all by adventure; if it is, it is. Nor is it possible for anyone to say otherwise. For no one will be able to boast of it: God gave me the cap or called me to wear it; He only commanded the mass 2c. We have all walked in such blindness until now, when we have done so many works, donated, fasted, prayed rosaries, and yet we may never say: This work pleases God, I am certain of it, and I will die on it.
- Erlanger: "only" instead of: "has".
- Wittenberg and Erlanger: what.
388 Erl. 43, 47-4S. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 8. 9. W. VII, S8I-S84. 389
Therefore, no one can boast that he has ever seen God in all his works or life. Or, if someone, out of presumption, wanted to boast about such works and thought that God should look at them and reward them, he would not have seen God, but the devil in God's place. For there is no word of God anywhere, but everything is invented by men and grown out of their hearts. Therefore, it can never make a heart certain nor satisfied, but remains hidden under presumption until it comes to the last moves, when it all falls down and drives it into despair, and thus never comes to see God's face.
But whoever takes hold of God's word and remains in faith, can stand before God and look upon him as his gracious Father, must not be afraid that he will stand behind him with a club, is certain that he will graciously look upon him and smile upon him, along with all the angels and saints in heaven. Sifting is what Christ means by this saying, that all who have such a pure heart may see God. In this way he separates and separates all other purity, so that where this is not present, although everything else in man is pure, it is not valid before God and can never see God. Again, where the heart is pure, everything is pure and does no harm, even though everything is impure by heart; yes, even though the body is full of sores and leprosy.
V. 9. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Here the Lord commends with a high title and honorable glory those who work diligently to make peace, not only for themselves but also among others, to help unite evil and confused things, to tolerate strife. To prevent and prevent war and bloodshed. This is also a great virtue, but very strange in the world and among false saints. For those who are not Christians are both liars and murderers, like their father the devil. Therefore they serve nowhere but to cause strife, strife, war, 2c. As one now finds among clergymen, bishops and princes almost vain bloodhounds, who with many emblems
have proved that they would see nothing better than that we should all swim in blood. So when a prince is angry, he soon thinks he must start a war; then he sets fire and incites everyone until so much has been lost and so much blood has been spilled that the rebuke comes, and gives several thousand guilders for the souls that have perished. They are and remain bloodhounds, cannot rest until they have smelled themselves and atoned for their wrath, until they lead country and people into misery and misfortune, and still want to be called Christian princes and have a right cause.
There is more to war than having a right cause. For although it is not forbidden here that one should not wage war, as has been said, Christ does not want to take anything away from the authorities and their office, but only teaches the individual persons who want to live a Christian life for themselves, it does not apply that a prince wants to wage war with his neighbors, whether he has a right cause and the other one is wrong; but it is said: "Blessed are the peacemakers", that whoever wants to be a Christian and God's child, not only does not start war and strife, but helps and advises to peace wherever he can, even if right and causes would be enough to get. It is enough, if one tries everything, and nothing wants to help, that one must do an emergency defense to protect country and people. Therefore, not Christians, but the children of the devil, shall be called the angry junk lords, who from hour to hour plunge knives, and twitch leather, for the sake of a word; but much more, who now persecute the gospel, and innocently burn or murder the same preachers, who have done them no evil, but all good, and served them with body and soul. But we do not speak of these here, but only of those who want to have justice and a good cause, and think that they should not suffer as high and royal persons, even though other people want to suffer.
- Against this it says: Where injustice and violence happen to you, that 1) it is not valid that you would consult your foolish head, and soon begin to avenge, and
- "it" is missing in the Erlanger.
390 Erl. 43, 49-51. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. vn, [st-586. 391
But that thou think and seek how it may be tolerated and peace be established. But if it be not so, and thou canst not suffer it, thou hast right and authority in the land, whereby thou mayest duly seek it. For they are appointed to prevent and punish such things. Therefore, whoever does violence to you sins not only against you, but much more against the authorities themselves, because it is not your command, but their command, that peace be kept. Therefore let your judge, to whom it is commanded, avenge and punish such as against whom your adversary has forfeited himself. But if thou wilt avenge thyself, thou doest greater evil, that thou mayest also be guilty of the same sin, as he that sinneth against the authorities, and encroacheth upon their office, and maketh thine own cause unjust. For it is said: He who smites again is unjust, and: To strike again makes strife.
84 Behold, this is one thing which Christ here requires, against the revengeful and rumorous heads. And is called peacemakers, first, those who help the country and its people to peace, as pious princes, councillors or lawyers, and authorities, who sit in their office and regiment for the sake of peace. Then also pious citizens and neighbors, who judge, expiate and take away strife and discord (caused by evil, poisonous tongues) among man and woman or neighbors by their wholesome good tongues. As St. Augustine praises his mother Monica, that when she saw two at odds, she always spoke the best on both sides, and what she heard good from one, she brought to the other; but what she heard evil, she kept silent, or soothed it as much as she could, and thus reconciled much among themselves. For this is especially true among the womenfolk, among whom the shameful vice of after-talk reigns, that much misfortune is often caused by an evil tongue. The bitter and poisonous devil's wives serve this purpose, who, when they hear a word from someone, sharpen it and embitter it most severely against others, so that sometimes misery and murder result from it.
- all that makes us naturally an-
- "it" is missing in the Erlanger.
The shameful, diabolical filth clings to the fact that everyone likes to hear and talk the worst about his neighbor, and tickles himself when he sees a flaw in someone else. If a woman were as beautiful as the sun, and had some mark or spot on her body, then mail should forget everything about the other, and only look at the spot and say about it. So if one were the most famous of honors and virtues, let a poisonous tongue come, which once saw her laughing with one, and so disgrace her that all her praise and honor should be obscured. These are real poisonous spiders, which can suck nothing but poison from a beautiful, lovely rose, and spoil both the flowers and the sap, from which a little bee sucks sweet honey and leaves the roses unharmed.
(86) So do these, who see nothing in other men, except where they are infirm or unclean, which they can blame; but what good they have in themselves they see not. How then there are many virtues in man, which the devil cannot destroy, but puts out of sight, or hides them, that they should not be seen. For example, in a woman, though she be infirm in every way, and have no other virtue, yet is she God's creature, and can at least carry water, or wash swaddling clothes. And if no man on earth is so wicked, there is something in him that must be praised. What is it 2) then, that one puts good out of sight, and forms and looks only into the eyes, where he is unclean, as if one had desire to see another, with leave, only in the buttocks, when God has covered even the most dishonest members in the body, and (as Paul 1 Cor. 12, 23. says) has given the most honor? And we are such unfaithful people that we only seek out what is unfaithful and stinks, and rummage through it like swine.
(87) Behold, these are also the children of the true devil, who himself is called Diabolus, that is, a desecrator and blasphemer, as he hath his air in that he most grievously defiles us and embittereth us one among another, that he may cause only murder and wretchedness, and no peace nor peace of mind.
- Erlanger: "is deß".
392 Erl. 43, "-53. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 9. W. VII, 586-589. 393
Let harmony remain between brothers and neighbors, husband, wife.
(88) I once heard an example of two married couples 1) who lived together in such love and harmony that it was spoken of throughout the city. And when he could not prevent this by any means, he sent an old brat 2) to the woman, who told her how her husband was keeping company with another woman and was planning to kill her; he therefore made her heart bitter against her husband and advised her to take a shearing knife secretly to herself, so that she would appear before him. When she had done this, she came to her husband and told him the same thing about her, how she wanted to murder him, and that as a sign (she said) he would find a shearing knife in her bed at night; so he found it and cut off her neck with it. Whether this is true or fictitious, it shows what evil poisonous mouths can do, even between those who love each other with all their hearts, so that they may be called devil's mouths or devil women, as he, the devil, Diabolus, is called nothing else than a bitter, poisonous, evil mouth.
Therefore, beware of such things, that you do not hear them, nor do you give them heed, and learn that what you hear your neighbor say, you should disguise for the best, or even cover up, so that you may make and keep peace and harmony. In this way, you may be called God's child with all honors before the world and the angels in heaven. You should ever let this honor tempt and entice you, yes, run after it, if it were possible for you, until the end of the world, and gladly give everything you have for it. Now you have offered it here, and presented it in vain, you must neither give nor do anything for it, unless you want to be God's child, that you also show yourself in this way, and do your father's work for your neighbor. For even so our Lord Christ hath done unto us, in that he hath reconciled us to the Father, and brought us into grace, and still daily represents us, and speaketh the best things for us. So do thou also, that thou mayest be an atonement for thy neighbor.
- The same history is also found in the Tischreden Cap. 43, § 40, Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 1146.
- In the old editions: "Balck".
- Be a good man and mediator between your neighbor, and bear the best on both sides; but keep silent about the evil that the devil has brought in, or, as much as you can, talk it out. If you come to Greten, do as I said about St. Monica, St. Augustine's mother, and say: Oh, dear N., why are you so bitter? she really does not mean any harm; I do not notice anything different about her, except that she would like to be your dear sister 2c. Likewise, if you come to Catharine, do the same 4). Then you would have made peace on both sides, as much as is in you, as a true child of God.
- but if thou wilt or must speak evil, do as Christ taught thee [Matt. 18:15, 1. do not carry it to others, but go to him who has done it, and admonish him to improve himself; not so that thou lookest where thou goest, and leavest the person to whom it pertains; speak where thou oughtest to be silent, and be silent here where thou oughtest to speak. This is the one and first way that you act alone between yourself and your neighbor. But if you must tell others, where this will not help, tell those to whom it is due to punish, father and mother, lords or wives, mayors and judges 2c. This would be right and proper, so that evil would be put away and punished. Otherwise, if you carry it out among other people, the person remains unimproved and the evil unpunished, and is nevertheless carried out by you and others, so that everyone washes his mouth with it. See what a pious physician does with a sick child: he does not run among the people and cry it out, but goes to him and takes his pulse and other places where it is needed. Not to atone for his harm or to laugh at him, but out of a good heartfelt opinion to help him. Thus we read of the holy patriarch Joseph, Genesis 37:2, who was with his brothers among the cattle, and when evil cries came against them, he went and brought it before their father, as their chief.
- In the Wittenberg and in the Jena: sinful". Walch has already improved this error. Correct also in Latin: in reconciliandis proximis officiosum.
- "thue" is missing in the Erlanger.
394 Erl. 43, 53-56. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 589-591. 395
Lord, who was due to see and punish, because they did not want to hear him.
- But do you say: Why do you yourself attack the pope and others publicly, and do not keep peace? Answer: One should advise the best and help to peace, and keep silent everything that 1) one can keep silent. But when sin is evident and spreads too far, or does harm publicly (as the pope's teaching), then it is no longer necessary to keep silent, but to defend and punish, especially me and others who are in public office, to whom it is due to teach and warn everyone. For I am commanded and charged as a preacher and doctor, who is required to see that no one is deceived, so that I can give an account for it at the last judgment. So St. Paul commands Apost. 20:28 commands the preachers to watch and take care of the whole flock against the wolves that would come among them 2c. So also it behooves me to punish those who sin publicly, that they may amend; just as a judge must publicly condemn and punish the wicked on his own authority. For it has been said enough that Christ is not speaking here of any public office, but of all Christians in general, since we are all equal before God.
V. 10. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(92) I have said above (24) that these things and promises must all be understood in faith, from things not seen nor heard, and not said from outward appearances. For how can he be well and blessed who is poor in outward appearance, and mourns or is afflicted, and suffers all manner of persecution, which all the world and reason call evil, and flee? Therefore, whoever desires the blessedness and goods of which Christ says here, must lift up his heart above all sense and reason, and not judge himself according to what he feels, but conclude thus: If I am poor, I am not poor. I may be poor outwardly according to the flesh, but before God I am rich in faith. So, when he feels sad, sorrowful, and distressed, he is not poor.
- "das" is missing in the Wittenberger and in the Erlanger.
If a man is rich and blessed, he does not have to judge or say that he is an unhappy man, but he can throw himself around and say, "I feel sadness, sorrow and heartache, but I am blessed, happy and confident in God's word. The same thing happens in the world, that those who are called rich and blessed are not. For Christ cries woe to them, and calls them wretched, though it seems as if they were well off and doing very well. Therefore they should also lift up their thoughts above riches and good days, which they feel, and say, I am rich indeed, and live in vain joys; but woe is me, if I have not something else. For there must surely be misery, sorrow and heartache among them, which will pass over me before I feel it and understand it. So go through all these pieces, which all have a different appearance before the world, but different according to these words.
93 Thus far we have dealt with almost all the elements of a Christian being and spiritual fruits of faith, according to the two elements: first, for his person, that he is poor, afflicted, miserable, lacking, and hungry; and second, that he is a fruitful, benevolent, merciful, peaceable man toward others, and does nothing but good works. Here he now adds the last thing, how it goes over him, that he, above that, that he is full of good works, also against enemies and bad boys, must have this as a reward from the world, that he is persecuted, and adds body, life and everything over it.
94 Therefore, if thou wilt be a Christian, consider this, that thou be undaunted, and not therefore despair, nor be impatient, but be cheerful and confident of it, and know that it is not evil for thee when it is so. For this is what happened to him and to all the saints (as will soon follow these words), and is therefore foretold to those who want to be Christians that they should and must suffer persecution. Therefore you may choose which you will. You have two ways before you: either to heaven and eternal life, or to hell; either with Christ, or with the world. But this you must know: If you live according to this, that you want to have good days here and no persecution, you will not get to heaven with Christ; and again. And in short, you have to dec-
396 Erl. 43, 56-58. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 10. VII, 591-S94. 397
Neither let Christ and heaven depart, nor consider that you will suffer all kinds of persecution and affliction in the world. Summa, whoever wants to have Christ must put body, life, goods, honor, the world's favor and grace there, and not be frightened by contempt, ingratitude or persecution. The reason is this: The devil is an evil, angry spirit, and neither can nor will suffer a man to come to God's kingdom. But if he intends to do so, he gets in the way, awakens and tries everything he can against it.
Therefore, if you want to be God's child, think and prepare yourself for persecution; as the wise man says Sir. 2:1, and Paul 2 Tim. 3:12: "All who want to live godly in Christ must suffer persecution." Item, Christ himself Matth. 10, 24. 25.: "The disciple shall not have it better than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also. "2c. Nothing else comes of it; therefore it is said, Blessed are they that suffer persecution for the kingdom of heaven's sake, that they may know what comfort they have. For otherwise it is a grievous and unhappy thing to look upon outwardly, and it is slothful to sit always in one's body and estate. But when faith grasps this, it can rise above it and think, "Now Christ has said that I am blessed and well off. Because he has said it, I let this be my comfort, and I am well pleased. The word shall make my heart great, even greater than heaven and earth. For what are all they that persecute me against this man, or against his word? If there is one or two who persecute us, there are many more of them, even ten thousand angels, compared to one who is with us, and who laughs at us, comforts us and saves us, together with all the saints who agree with Christ and God Himself. Therefore we must not leave such words so cold and raw, but rather blow them out and make them great, and set them against all persecution: then we will see and learn that all our suffering is to be despised as nothing compared to this high comfort and eternal good Rom. 8:18.
96 But he clearly uses the word "for righteousness' sake" to indicate that it is not enough to be persecuted where this is not the case. For the devil and evil people must well
suffer also that they are persecuted, and one knave often falls into the hair of another, and are not friends among themselves; as one murderer persecutes another, a Turk wars against a Tartern, but are not blessed because of this; but it is only for those who are 1) persecuted for righteousness' sake; as also 1 Petr. 4:15 says: "Let no one among you suffer as a murderer, 2) thief or evildoer" 2c. Therefore it is not valid to boast or cry of great suffering without this, as the unholy monks have deceived the poor people, so they have been executed as punishment for their evil deed, and so comforted that they should put such death for their sin. But beware of the death that shall be for your sin. For it belongs to the abyss of hell. There must first be righteousness, and the death of the Lord Christ.
97 Therefore see to it that you first have a true divine cause, so that you may suffer persecution and be certain of it, so that your conscience may stand and remain upon it, even if the whole world stands against you. Therefore, above all things, God's word must be certain and firm, so that no doubt may be made of it after wavering. As if emperors, bishops, and princes now wanted to forbid you married life, freedom to eat, or both forms of the sacrament, and persecute you about it, you must see to it that your heart is certain of the matter and completely resolved that God's word wants such things to be free and unbidden; indeed, it earnestly commands you to keep it, and to stake life and limb on it. So you have the defiance to say, "This thing is not mine, but my Lord Christ's. For I have not devised it out of my own head, neither have I undertaken and begun it out of my own or any man's counsel and will, but I have received it through the mouth of Christ, brought down from heaven and proclaimed, who does not lie to me nor trust me, but is truth and righteousness itself. At the man's word I will dare, suffer, do and leave what I should, and his one word shall be of more value to me to comfort and strengthen my heart than to frighten all the devil's and the world's rages and troubles.
- "willen" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Erlanger: "or thief".
398 Erl. 13, 58-60. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. vn, SS4-S97. 399
For what is it if a prince or emperor is mad and foolish with raging, and threatens with the sword, fire or gallows, when my Christ, on the other hand, speaks kindly into my heart and comforts me with such promises that I am blessed, and heartily well off with God in heaven, and all the heavenly host and creature press me blessedly? If I have such a heart and such courage that I can suffer for the sake of His word and work, why should I be frightened by such wretched people, who rage and spray hostilely against God, but suddenly vanish like smoke and like the poor bubbles of water? As also the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 51, 12. 13., says: "I am your comforter. What is it then that you are afraid of men who must die, and of the children of men who are taken away as hay? And forget the Lord that made thee, that stretcheth out the heavens, and layeth the foundations of the earth," 2c., that is, he is eternal and almighty, who comforteth thee, and hath pleasure in thee; though they all be gone, yet he sitteth up, and thou also. Why do you want to accept more the grief and throbbing of a miserable, stinking sack of maggots than such divine comfort and favor? for that you should thank God, and be glad from the heart that you are worthy to suffer such things, as the apostles, Acts 5:41, went away with joy and leaping when they were reviled and chastised.
- Behold, are we not now highly blessed with these words, if we but accept them with love and thanksgiving? For there is no lack of persecution. And we have the great advantage that our adversaries themselves cannot condemn our cause, and must confess without their thanks that it is right and true; but this is because we teach it, for they will not learn it from us nor accept it, which has never been done nor heard before. Therefore, what we suffer over this is a holy, blessed suffering, to which they themselves must also bear witness, and is now no longer a human, but a real diabolical persecution, that they say: it must and should not be called God's word, but keep its mouth shut, and not preach, unless it comes first, and falls to the pope.
The first step is to let the man and his larvae decide for themselves what they like.
- Therefore let us suffer all that they can do against us all the more cheerfully and gladly, because we have the strong, certain comfort and great, glorious glory that our doctrine and cause is confirmed by their own mouth, and because we hear here the excellent, lovely promise that we shall be well rewarded in heaven, and that we shall rejoice and exult in this, as those who must not seek heaven but have it all ready; And they shall do no more with their persecution, than to encourage us the more, yea, to drive and chase us to heaven. Now see if these bad, short words cannot give as much courage as all the world can, and give more consolation and joy than all enemies can put on us; if only one does not run over them roughly, but grasps them a little with the heart and thinks about them.
101 This is what has been said about persecution, which is done by deed or fist, and is inflicted on body or goods, when Christians are violated, tortured, burned, hanged, and strangled, as is happening now and has always happened. Above this is another persecution, which is called blasphemy, shame or disgrace, concerning the honor and our name, which Christians must suffer above all others. Christ now goes on to speak about this.
V. 11 Blessed are ye, whom men shall revile and persecute for my sake, and shall speak all manner of evil against you, when they lie against you.
This is also a great and severe persecution, and (as I said) the real suffering of Christians, that they are blasphemed and reviled in the most bitter and poisonous way. For although other people must also suffer persecution, that one does them violence and injustice, one nevertheless lets it be enough that they keep their honor and good name. Therefore, this is not yet a truly Christian suffering. For here it is not enough that all torture and torment is inflicted on them, but in addition their name must be spat upon and blasphemed in the most shameful way, so that the world may still gloriously boast when it sees the Christians.
400 Erl, 48, so-"2. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 11. 12. W. VII, SS7-5SS. 401
They have put to death the worst of the wicked, whom the earth could not bear, and have done the greatest and most pleasing service to God, as Christ says John 16:2, that no more shameful and disgraceful name has come upon the earth than that of a Christian, and no nation so bitterly hostile, and so attacked with evil and poisonous tongues, as the Christians.
This is now also proven by the dear gospel and its preachers with such blasphemous defilements, lies, deceptions, evil tricks and poisonous interpretations, that one should rather wish to suffer death many times over, than such poisonous, lost, evil arrows. Then the pope comes along and strikes us with his thunder and lightning, condemning us to hell as the worst children of the devil. Accordingly, his servants, bishops and princes, rage and rage with such horrible blasphemy and defilement that it may go through life and limb, that one must finally grow weary and could not bear it, because we do not have a stronger and more powerful consolation than all their malice and rage can be. Therefore, we let them rage and blaspheme, so that they may torment themselves, and have the burnt sorrow, with their poisonous, insatiable hatred and envy. But we are confident and of good cheer. If they are angry and rage a lot, we can laugh and be happy.
- Therefore I say again: Whoever wants to be a Christian, let him expect that he has to suffer such persecution from poisonous, evil blasphemers, especially where they are not able to do anything with their fists, that he lets all the world sharpen their tongues at him, and aim, stab and cut out of him 1) and he, on the other hand, only defiantly despises all this, and in addition laughs in God's name, and lets them rage in their God's, the devil's, name, on the comfort and certainty (as § 94. said) that our cause is right and God's own. Which they themselves must confirm, whether they condemn us, and yet say it is the truth. For our heart and conscience to be sure before God that we teach rightly. For we do not teach from our own head and our own reason or wisdom, nor do we teach from our own conscience.
- Wittenberger: .them.
Seeking benefit, good, or honor from the world with it, but preaching and praising God's word and work alone.
- whereas they, our enemies, boast of nothing but their own work, merit and holiness, and persecute us, who do not do this with them. For they do not persecute us as if we were adulterers, robbers, or thieves, 2c. they can well suffer the most desperate peelers and boys among themselves, but they raise a clamor because we do not want to call their doctrine and life right, and only praise the gospel, Christ, faith, and right good works, and thus do not suffer for us, but everything for the sake of the Lord Christ. Therefore we want to sing it 2) also with them, and they shall not have such a hard head, we want to have even harder. For they shall still 3) briefly let the man remain, be it dear to them or sorry for them. 4)
V. 12. Be joyful and confident; you will be well rewarded in heaven.
These are sweet, comforting words, which should make our hearts cheerful and courageous against all kinds of persecution. Should we not esteem the dear Lord's word and comfort more highly and more than a powerless, insolent, stinking 5) maggot bag, or the shameful pope's anger, dread, banishment, cursing and thundering? if he poured out the basic soup and the whole hell of his disgrace and curse on us like a cloudburst; because I hear that my Lord Christ is so heartily pleased, and that he himself means me to be happy about it, and that he promises such a good reward for it, that the kingdom of heaven shall be mine, and all that Christ has together with all the saints and the whole of Christendom. Summa, such a treasure and comfort, for which I should not take all the world's goods, joy, and strings, though all the leaves and grass were vain tongues praising and glorifying me. 6) For here is not a Christian, not even an angel.
- Wittenberger: we.
- "yet" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Wittenberger: Amen.
- "unfläthigen, stinkenden" is missing in the Erlanger.
- "who praised and glorified me" is missing in the Wittenberg; then follows: "since not one Christian," etc.
402 Erl. 43, 62-"4th Interpretation of the 5th, 6th, and 7th Chap. Matthaei. W. vn, [ss-sos. 403
but the Lord of all angels, to whom both they and all creatures must fall underfoot and worship. Therefore, they and all creatures, including leaves and grass, must sing and leap joyfully in praise of me.
(107) Now what are they that blaspheme and curse me, but vain nits and louse bellies (with leave), yea, much more vile than any can call them. What would it be if all creatures, leaves and grass in the forest, and sand on the sea, were vain tongues, and rebuked and destroyed them to the utmost, against this man's one word? For his voice sounds so brightly that heaven and earth must be filled with it and resound, and against it disappear the spittle-flecked, 1) hectoring pawing and coughing of his enemies.
Behold, we ought to learn and make use of such words as these, which are not in vain, but are spoken and written for our strength and comfort, that he, as our dear Master and faithful shepherd or bishop, may equip us to be skillful and unafraid to suffer when all plagues and calamities are laid upon us for his sake, both in word and deed, and to despise all that comes under our eyes, and to judge against our own reason and heart.
- For where one indulges in the senses and feelings, it turns sour under the eyes, and it hurts that one should serve the world and everyone, help, advise, and do vain good, and receive nothing in return, but the worst, bitterest hatred, and cursed, poisonous tongues, so that where flesh and blood should rule here, it would soon say: If I am to have nothing else from it, then stick to the gospel and be a Christian, whoever wants to, and let the devil help the world from now on, if it does not want anything else. Therefore everyone now complains and cries that the gospel causes much strife, discord and disorder in the world, and that everything is worse now that it has arisen, than it was before, when things were quiet and there was no persecution, and people lived together as good friends and neighbors.
- "spittelisch" formed from "hospital", hence: sickly. - "heischer" hoarse.
(110) But it is said, If thou wilt not have the gospel, nor be a Christian, go and be with the world, and no man shall persecute thee, and thou shalt be their friend. But if thou wilt have the gospel and Christ, then thou must take heed that evil befall thee, and that strife and persecution come whithersoever it cometh. Cause, for the devil will not suffer it to be otherwise, nor cease to stir up men against the gospel, that all the world may be inflamed against it; as now peasants, burghers, nobles, princes, and lords, who are hostile to the gospel out of sheer spite, and do not themselves know why.
111 Therefore, I say to answer such useless mouths and plaintiffs 2): It cannot and should not go well and be so. For how should things go well where the devil is in charge and is a mortal enemy of the gospel? And not without cause, for it does him harm in his kingdom that he feels it; and if he should let it go unhindered, it would soon be done and destroyed. But if he is to prevent and hinder it, then he must muster all his art and power, and raise up against it what is in his power. Therefore do not hope for peace and tranquility as long as Christ with his gospel is in the devil's kingdom. And woe to the prosperity and good estate which was before, and which they now desire and covet! For this is a sure sign that the devil reigns with all his might, and there is no Christ, as I, alas, fear that it will go like this again, and the gospel will come from us Germans all too soon, after which such cryers are now striving.
But we have this certainty that it is not our fault that things are going badly. For we would like everything to go right, and we have done our best with teaching, admonishing, pleading, begging and deflecting, even against the enemies; we offer them peace, 3) and everything we are supposed to do; we help and advise them with all our strength, even at our own risk and disadvantage; we suffer for it.
- Wittenberger: Klüglingen. Latin:
- Wittenberger: offer in srieden.
404 Erl. 4g, 64-"7. ' Interpretation of Matth. 5, 12. 13. W. VII, 602-605. 405
We are not yet able to do anything, except to persecute, blaspheme and revile us in the most horrible and poisonous way, and cannot stop until they cool themselves in our blood. Since there is no other way, we will finally let them go with their raging and blaspheming, and keep ourselves certain of the comfort we have heard here, that they will not succeed where they would like to, because they have thrown Christ down from heaven and made him a liar with everything he has said.
For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.
(113) You are not alone (he says) to whom this happens. Look around you and count back all the holy fathers who have ever lived before you, and you will find that it happened to all of them. What special thing do you want? Shall he leave his way for your sake? For he hath suffered it in his dear fathers and prophets, that they were persecuted, and slain, and blasphemed of all men, and reproached, and made a mockery of the world. As it is seen in the Scriptures, that a common way and proverb was, when they would call a prophet, they called him a fool; as in the Historia Jehu, 2 Kings 9:11, they said of a prophet, "Why is this frenzied one come unto thee?" And Isaiah, Cap. 57:4, shows how they opened their mouths against him, and stuck out their tongues. But what have they done with it, but that now the dear prophets and saints have honor, praise and glory in all the world, and reign eternally with the Lord Christ, but that those are most shamefully stinking and cursed? You shall certainly be provided for (says Christ), that you may be rewarded as they are rewarded, more abundantly and more gloriously than you can believe or may desire. For you are in the same company and the same church.
(114) Behold, this is ever a fine and excellent preacher and a faithful Master, leaving nothing out to strengthen and to give comfort, both with his word and promise, and with the examples and testimonies of all the saints and the faithful.
of himself; with which all the angels in heaven and creatures agree. What more could we have and desire? Should we not, on such consolation, bear the wrath and defiance of the world and the devil for his sake? What would we do if we did not have a true divine cause, and such excellent sayings and promises, and yet had to suffer like other people who have no comfort? For it cannot come to pass in the world that one may suffer nothing, and must, as 110] said, go evil for the sake of the gospel, so that the pious may be proved thereby and promoted to their promised comfort, joy and blessedness, but the wicked and despisers or enemies of the gospel may be punished and condemned.
(115) Christ has thus far prepared and prepared his Christians to live and suffer for themselves in the world, and especially those who are to hold public office in Christendom. However, even without this, every Christian, as for himself, should always be ready to stand where it is necessary, to confess his Lord and to represent his faith, and always armed against the world, devils, mobs, and whatever he is able to muster. Now he continues, and will also instruct them in the ministry and teach them how they should conduct it; after that he also puts into their mouths what and how they should preach. For according to these things a Christian is quite perfect, if he lives rightly for his own person, and suffers all manner of things for it, after which he also leads and carries on his ministry rightly, that he may serve and help others. Thus he speaks:
V. 13. You are the salt of the earth. Now that salt has become dull, wherewith shall it be salted? There is no use henceforth but to pour it out, and let men tread it down.
(116) With the word salt he shows (as said) what their office is to be. For salt is not salt by itself, nor can it salt itself, but this is its custom, that meat, and what it is needed for in the kitchen, should be salted with it, so that it has its flavor, remains fresh and does not rot. So, says he, you are also salt, not that which is put into the kitchen.
- "a" is missing in the Erlanger.
406 Erl. 43, 67-69. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 605-607. 407
but to salt such flesh as is called the whole world. This is a glorious office and a great honor, that God calls them his salt, and sets them to salt all that is on earth. But such a man must be willing, as he has taught until now, to be poor, miserable, meager, 1) meek, 2c. and to suffer all kinds of persecution, shame and blasphemy. Where this is not the case, there will never be a preacher who is willing to salt, but remains a stupid salt that is of no use anywhere.
117 For there is much laid up, and too highly overcharged, that the poor fishermen, or
otherwise a poor despised man, shall be called a salt of the earth before God, and refrain from attacking and salting everything that is human and on earth. Reason and nature do not tolerate it, because they get tired of it and cannot bear it, that they should only have shame, disgrace and misfortune from it, and would soon say: "Salt the devil the world in my place. Therefore, our holy fathers, bishops, monks and hermits have wisely done so far, that they have been idle in preaching, and have waited for other things, or have separated themselves from people, because they have seen that it costs too much to sit in vain driving body, goods and honors, and thought, we want to command it to others, and meanwhile crawl into corners, and serve God with good days. That is why it is difficult to be an apostle or a preacher, and to carry out such an office; indeed, it is impossible to judge according to flesh and blood. But there must be such people who gladly do it for the sake of God and the Lord Christ, who does not want to force anyone to do it, nor do he force anyone with commandments. For the Christian state is such a state, which demands only willing hearts; whoever does not have a heartfelt desire for it, will probably stay away from it.
118 But our defiance is when things go badly, the world and the devil look at us sourly, and are as wicked as they will, that he says to us, "You are the salt of the earth." Where the wordD shines into the heart, so that it can rely on it, and boast without doubt that he is God's
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: "thirsty".
- Wittenberger: mags.
- Wittenberger: "these words.... shine".
Salt be: let him who will not laugh be angry and wicked. I can and may defy and insist on his one word more than they on all their might, swords and guns. Because he recognizes me and testifies to it through his word, all the angels in heaven, the sun and the moon and all creatures must say yes to it and stand with us against the world and the devil. And even if this were not the case, we would still have enough in the one word that he calls and baptizes us in this way. Let them leave that alone, and we will stand before them in honor, as long as Christ and his word remain.
Now, how the salting is to be done is easy to understand, namely, that one should appear and say: Everything that is born and lives on earth is no good, rotten and corrupt in the sight of God. For since he says plainly that they are to be salt of the earth, that is, above all that is in the world, it must follow that everything that is in the world, and is called flesh or man, must be punished and made to perish, so that all the world's holiness, wisdom, and godliness, invented by themselves apart from God's word, may be condemned as being of the devil, and belong to the abyss of hell, where it does not adhere to Christ alone.
This is an unkind sermon, which makes us unpleasant to the world, and deserves to be made enemies of, and to be smitten about the mouth. For the world could well bear it if one preached rightly about Christ and all the articles of faith, but if one wants to attack it, and salt it with the fact that its wisdom and holiness should count for nothing, even that it is blind and condemned, it cannot and will not suffer that, and blames the preachers, who can do nothing but scold and bite; and must be called to have stirred up the world and made strife, to have defiled spiritual estates and good works.
But how can we do it? If salt is to be used, it must be biting. And though they reproach us with biting, we know that it is so, and that Christ has commanded it, and that he wills the salt to be sharp and to bite confidently, as we shall hear. As St. Paul also does everywhere; punishes the entire
- Erlanger: "both".
408 Erl. 43, 6S-7I. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 13. W. VII, 607-610. 409
world and reproves everything it lives and does, where there is no faith in Christ; and Christ Joh. 16, 8. says, "when the Holy Spirit comes, he shall reprove the world" 2c., that is, he is to attack everything he finds in the world, making no distinction or difference, nor reprove some, and praise some, or punish thieves and scoundrels alone; but to take everything 1) in one heap, one with the other, be it great, small, pious, wise, holy, or as he pleases; summa, everything that is not Christ. For the Holy Spirit must not come nor send preachers into the world to show and punish outward gross sin, adultery, murder 2c., if it knows and can punish itself, but which it considers most delicious, and since it is best, to be pious and holy and serve God with it.
(122) Therefore it is not true that some are now wise and pretend that it is enough for a preacher to tell everyone what is right, and that he may well preach the gospel, but that one must not touch the pope, bishops, princes, and other estates or persons, because of which much strife and strife arises. But it is said: If you want to preach the gospel and help the people, you must also be sharp and rub salt into the wounds, that is, point out the contradiction, and punish where it does not go right, as now masses, monasticism, indulgences 2c. and everything that is attached to them and holds them up, so that such trouble may be cleared out of the way and no one may be deceived by it. Therefore, one must always stop here with salts, so that one can defend oneself and not leave room for it to arise again or to break down secretly. As must happen where the salt ministry does not always continue, and has so far happened in Christendom, that vain human doctrine has ruled and corrupted everything; which would have remained, if the salt had remained. For the right doctrine would not have been lacking, because by the grace of God the Scripture, Gospel, Sacrament, and preaching chair have remained in the church, if only the bishops and preachers had practiced this, and had let it go in practice and custom to salt what is of the old Adam.
- The second "all" is missing in the Jena.
(123) Therefore Christ here exhorts and warns the disciples so diligently that they watch, and always let such salting go on the way, saying, "If the salt becomes dull, wherewith shall one salt anything?" Dumb salt means that has lost its teeth and sharpness, and no longer seasons nor bites; This is when the ministry in Christendom ceases to punish people, and does not show them their misery and inability, nor does it maintain its own repentance and knowledge, letting them go on as if they were pious and right, and thus letting their own holiness and self-chosen worship fall away, until the pure doctrine of faith is again completely lost and Christ is lost and so completely corrupted that it is no longer possible to help or advise.
- He has seen this and prophesied the future fate, yes, the damage and ruin of Christianity, that such salting or penal office would be left lying around, and that all kinds of sores and sects would arise, each one throwing out his own garbage as a right doctrine and worship, and yet is nothing else but a worldly, carnal thing, grown out of our head and reason, so that we tickle ourselves, and thus even rot in it as vain wild, stinking, corrupt flesh, in which salting and punishment is lost.
125 From this you see how much and how great is the importance of this piece, that Christ does not place it here in vain before all others, and commands it so diligently. For without it, Christianity cannot stand, and Christ cannot remain, no right mind nor life can flourish, that indeed there is no greater harm and ruin to Christianity than where the salt, with which all other things must be seasoned and salted, becomes dull. And yet it has happened so soon. For it is such a poison, which sweetly enters, and gently does to the old Adam. For he must not stand so in danger, risking life and limb, nor suffer persecution, shame and blasphemy.
Therefore, our bishops and clergy are the wisest people on earth in this case (although they are not so good that they are called stupid salt, but the devil even siud, as they do not hold any episcopal office,
410 Erl. 43, 71-73. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 610-612. 411
They preach that they are without a driver, that they have money and goods, and honor and power enough. For whoever shall reproach all the world, emperors, kings, princes, wise men, scholars, and say that their nature is condemned before God, he must be put to death. But if I heuchele them and let their thing also be right, then I remain undefeated, keep favor and honor 2c., make me meanwhile a fine thought, I want to preach nevertheless probably the gospel beside it. But I am nevertheless a stupid salt. For with this I leave the people stuck in their own old delusion and carnal mind, so that they go to the devil, and I in front.
So this office has much challenge and obstacle everywhere, both on the left and on the right, that one is silent, either for fear of driving, harm and persecution, or for the sake of honor, good and enjoyment. Without this, we are weak, lazy, and weary, so that we are easily carried away and grow weary when we see that it will not go away as we would like it to, and it looks as if it were in vain, and people despise it, indeed, only 1) become angrier the more one wants to punish them.
(128) Therefore we must be prepared against it, and look only to Christ's command, who lays out such a ministry for us, and wills that we open our mouths freshly, and punish what is to be punished; not considering our fare, adversity, or profit and enjoyment, nor other people's malice and contempt, and comfort ourselves that he makes us his salt, and wills to preserve us thereby. And let us be confidently salted, and not be troubled or dismayed, if the world will not suffer it, and persecute us for it, or despair, though we think we can do nothing. For what he calls us to do, we shall put up with and be content with, and let him be commanded what and how much he will accomplish through us. If the people do not want to hear it or accept it, we are nevertheless salt and have accomplished our task. So then we can stand before God's judgment with all honor and joy, and answer for it, that we have done it every-
- Erlanger: "nu".
when faithfully said, and put nothing under the bench, that they have no excuse, as if they did not know better, and was not told to them.
But those who are frightened and keep silent for the sake of favor, honor and good 2c. will also have to hear them say at the last day, "He was our preacher and did not tell us. And they shall not be excused, if they will say, Lord, they have not heard. For Christ shall say, Knowest thou not that I commanded thee to salt, and didst warn so diligently; shouldest thou not fear my word more than they? Such shall nns also cheaply frighten.' For here thou hearest the sentence which he pronounces on such foolish salt, saying:
It is good for nothing henceforth, except to be poured out and let people trample it.
(130) This much is said: They shall not fare well here on earth, but shall be badly rejected by Christ, as they no longer belong to him, and shall never be his preachers, nor belong to Christendom, and are already cast out and deprived of all fellowship in heaven, and with all the saints, though they retain the name, and are esteemed by men as the best preachers and holiest people on earth. How it went in the papacy at the time when it was most pious and holy (not, as now, a secular empire and spiritual devil's regiment), when the pope himself preached, and ruled the church, and had ordered all things in the finest way, and set them in order and rule (as St. Gregory and others before him did). Gregory and others before and after him), which all the world considered the finest rule and holiest worship that could be done on earth, and yet all has been of no use.
For there was no salt at all by which one should have kept and punished such according to God's word, as our own self-invented holiness, but all the world praised and confirmed it, and thus strengthened our own presumption and false confidence in it, as in the right blessed life and holy estate. As St. Gregory himself praises and exalts, that even if he is a holy man, he is a holy man.
412 Erl. 43, 73-75. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 13. W. VII, 612-615. 413
The first man who has been a heretic (as I consider him) has done no good with his teaching, and yet has such a beautiful appearance that no one can blame him, that if they could now bring it back into the state and reform it, no one would be allowed to preach a word against it, or would have to be called the worst heretic that ever was.
Now this is one part of the warning, that he says: if the salt becomes stupid, it is no longer useful. The other is even more terrible, when he pronounces judgment on it, that one should let people walk over it and trample it underfoot. When the right salt, that is, the right interpretation of Scripture, is gone, by which all the world is to be punished, and nothing but the one faith in Christ alone is to be accepted, then all is finished, and nothing more helps what is otherwise taught or punished. For both doctrine and life, master and disciple, are already rejected and condemned before God.
In sum, if this article of Christ is not enforced, that we may be justified and saved through him alone, and hold all things condemned apart from him, then there is no longer any resistance and endurance, indeed, no measure nor cessation of all heresy and error, of all sects and cults, since everyone conceives and casts out something special, something of his own. As has happened to us so far under the pope, since no monk has dreamed anything, it has had to come to the pulpit, and a special service has had to be made of it, and no lies have been so shameful, which one has not accepted, who has only been allowed to bring it to the preaching chair; until it has finally come to such a point that one has not only lost Christ, but God as well, and they themselves almost no longer believe any article of faith, that I may say: that in a hundred years there have been few popes who have believed one article. As it is also now in German lands with those, since the article of Christ has perished, and for it one Rotteri and error have gone out over the other: since one denies the sacrament, the other the baptism and other articles, and many have already 1) become even epicuric, who believe nothing everywhere; just as
- Wittenberg and Erlanger: beautiful.
the popes with their cardinals at Rome, and thus finally become nothing but cows and pigs, and also thus die.
For this reason I have always exhorted, as Christ does here, that the salt may remain salt and not become dull, that is, that the main article of faith may be rightly practiced. For where this ceases, not a single thing can remain right, and all is lost, neither faith nor understanding, so that no one can teach or 2) counsel rightly. Summa, everyone must let it run over him with feet, that is (as said), no Bachant nor donkey is so rough, if he may only bring up something new, then everyone runs to, and believes it. For what have the shameful monks not been allowed to preach insolently until now, and to persuade the people with their brotherhoods, little prayers, rosaries, yes, with their shameful caps, so they put on the dead, and thereby promised heaven? What is this but to let every man trample under his feet, and to be subject to every preacher of lies? This makes that the devil has become powerful in the heart and has even corrupted it with his rotten, damnable teachings and superstitions, so that Christ is gone and his knowledge is lost.
For if I keep that Christ alone is my righteousness and holiness, then no monk will ever persuade me nor seduce me by his cap, rosaries, such or other works and humanity. For by faith I am a judge over all ranks and creatures, if one thinks 3) that I can condemn everything that wants to show me something else that is to be valid before God. If, however, I let go of the treasure and point to other ways of becoming pious, reconciling with God and atoning for sin, then I am already ready for all kinds of snares and nets of the devil, and let myself be led as he wills; so here and there comes one who preaches to me: If you want to become pious and serve God, wear a cap, pray so many rosaries every day, light so many little lights at St. Anne's; then I will fall down like a blind man and everyone will see me.
- Wittenberger: or.
- Jenaer: erdenkt.
- In the old editions: "nets".
414 Erl. 43, 7S-76. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 6IS-6I8. 415
I am a fool and a prisoner, and I do everything I am called, so much so that I cannot resist even the slightest error.
(136) Behold, the Lord Christ Himself has said this before, and warned that it would be so; yet no one has been able to beware of it. And if we are not careful now, and see to it that we keep the article, it will happen to us that we will not keep any article right and pure, nor will we cease to err and make mischief, until it is all over, and neither preaching nor teaching will help any more, but cows and swine will remain, as it unfortunately already happens among the great multitude, to the reward of our contempt and ingratitude for the gospel.
V. 14. 15. You are the light of the world. The city that is on a mountain may not be hidden. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, and it shall shine unto all that are in the house.
137 This is the other part of the ministry which he gives to the dear apostles: that they should be called and be a "light of the world," namely, to instruct and guide souls to eternal life. That he might cast the whole world among the apostles, that it should and must be enlightened by them, and that he might conceal that it is all darkness and blindness with all that it is able. For if she had no light to enlighten her (as she thinks), what would the apostle have to do with it? Now see if this is not a high and excellent office, and an honor above all honor, that all that is in the world, that is, kings, princes, lords, scholars, wise men, saints, must sit down, and let the apostles appear, and reprove and condemn all their wisdom, holiness, 2c. as not knowing what they teach or live, nor how they are with God.
But here comes Master Pabst with his bishop larvae, who want to be called the governors of Christ and the apostles, who are allowed to master Christ's word, and to put down the apostles when they slobber: it is not enough that the apostles have preached and the Holy Spirit has shone through them; but one must take the holy fathers, councils and popes' sentences as a basis.
We are to know that Christ is not such a juggler who speaks in half words, but because he is called a light of the world, their teaching alone must be valid and sufficient for all the world. But we are to know that Christ is not such a juggler who speaks with half words, but because he calls them a light of the world, their teaching alone must be valid and sufficient to enlighten all the world, so that there is no need of any other light; indeed, what is apart from their teaching remains darkness. Even if they shine with their lanterns for a long time, they are still nothing, but only laws invented by men, of external things, so that everyone understands without that and could well see and make for himself that they should not be called Lux Mundi but Lex Dei, as they are subject to govern God himself and his Christianity with their laws, just as if they were much better than the apostles. So they dim the light of the apostles with their blind doctrine, so that they cannot rightly punish nor instruct a conscience, as can be seen in all the books of the Pope and all the high schools, and so they may be called neither salt nor light. For when they do their best, they punish the coarse, outward parts, which have already been punished by worldly law and the light of 1) reason. But the right knots and main parts, as, unbelief, false holiness, they never become aware of, yes, they are even stuck inside over their ears. Therefore their doctrine is 2) a vain foolish thing, in addition darkness and blindness, cannot see higher, salt nor shine, than how one should eat meat or fish, dress and behave like this or otherwise.
- Therefore it is and remains the apostles' office alone to punish the right inward vices, and in turn to heal, comfort, and raise up all poor afflicted consciences, and to leave no one unpunished in evil, nor uninstructed and uneducated 3) to good. For this reason Christ installs them here and ordains them as preachers, so that they alone are heard and must be heard, and not allow any other spirits of the wicked, whom the devil also introduces next to them, who also want to be salt and light.
- "the" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Instead of: "their teaching" the Erlanger has: "it".
- Wittenberger: "instructed and erected. Jenaer: ununterweiset und aufgerichtet", which is to be understood in such a way that the prefix "un" is also to be drawn to the second word.
416 Srl. 43, 78-80. interpretation of Matth. 5, 14. 15. W. VII, 818-620. 417
even Christ himself, and cry out that there is nothing in the doctrine of faith, that we must come up higher, and attack ourselves differently, that we may suffer and be crucified. Which, if you look at it everywhere, is nothing, because taught by our own doing, and nowhere come to show unbelief, and punish the right hopeful vices, which are in the same doctrine, so that they raise themselves up to be salt and light; do not let it remain with the calling and command, which he gives here to the apostles, and says: Ye shall be the light; whereupon we alone do, that we may be sure of it, and may boast that Christ hath ordained us unto it, and hath marked us, that we should and must salt and shine, as of our office and divine command.
140 For this also is necessary, that Christ will not have such a > ministry secretly, or in one place, but publicly, throughout the whole > world. And shows them sufficiently what they have to expect from the > world, when he says: "The city that lies on a mountain may not be > hidden. Neither do men kindle a light, and put it under a bushel" 2c. > This is what is said: He who is to be a light, let him only watch, and > not creep into corners, but step freely into the square, and be > unafraid. For so it is, as it was said before, that those who are > called to be apostles and to shine do not like to come forward, to be > deterred by fear, danger, persecution, or to be overheard by > friendship, favor, honor and good, so that they do not come forward > and open their mouths, but creep to corners, stop behind the mountain, > and draw in their pipes. > > 141) As now our clergymen who sit in office. And if they are > commanded to preside over Christendom, and to shine publicly with > their doctrine,-they put it under the bank, nay, have become much more > angry, that they are the very ones who persecute the word, and want to > extinguish the light, incite emperors, kings, with all the world only > against it; sit nevertheless in the house, and want to rule the church > alone, have the preaching chair, baptism, sacrament, and all that > belongs to the profession and office. But this is the prophecy, as > proclaimed by the apostles, that shepherds
should become wolves, and the end-Christ should sit down in the temple of God, and rise above all that is called God and worship 2 Thess. 2, 4.
On the other hand, the other spirits of the mob, who have no profession and would like to stay at home in a corner, want to penetrate everywhere and shine alone, so that everyone will hear them and look to them. But it is nothing, except that they seek their own honor with it, and preach as long as people are attached to them, and may not worry about any danger. But if they were to stand like true preachers, as they are charged with the office, and always shine in public, not letting any wind or weather frighten them or keep them silent or dampen them, they would soon lose their way and no one would find them at home. So it must go with the dear preaching ministry on both ropes, that either those leave it who should lead it, or those want to lead it who are not commanded to do so, and so it will never be done right, unless there are such people as Christ depicts here and has prepared beforehand Matth. 5, 3. ff.
- So now he will say: If you want to be my preachers, then you must truly be prepared to stand freely in public on the square, and stand before the world as on a high mountain, that you confidently let yourselves be looked at and heard in public, that you neither conceal nor put under the bench what you are to preach, that you neither keep silent nor speak to anyone in love: But as ye are the light, shine also openly, without respect of honor or dishonor, riches or poverty, hatred or favor, death or life, knowing that ye serve me, who have set you for a light. These then would be righteous people, who do not allow themselves to be bent, neither to the right nor to the 1) left side; as Psalm 45:7, 8. says of the preaching office: The scepter of your kingdom is a straight scepter. You love righteousness, and hate ungodly beings 2c.
This is the virtue and praise of the gospel and its preachers. For otherwise all other doctrines have none of the driving, all preach what one likes to hear and the ver-.
- "zur" is missing in the Wittenberg and the Erlanger.
418 Erl. 43, 80-82. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 620-623. 419
Those who are in accordance with reason must not fear that they will be persecuted. But this doctrine is everywhere put to the test, because it wants to appear and 'let nothing be the light and doctrine of the world; so it tries all kinds of things to dim such light and drive us into a corner, or to throw us under a bushel, so that we leave our doctrine, or revoke it, and let it be bent and interpreted as they would like. But we will not be driven by our position, but will remain a city on the hill, and the light on the lampstand in the house. For he who made us light will keep us light; therefore he now decides:
V. 16 So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Behold, how diligently does he exhort, which he should not do, if it were not for great trouble and distress. And this much is said: They will darken your light, and not want to suffer; but only be bold and confident against it, that you receive only so much, that you do not crawl under the bushel, and carry out your ministry honestly, so I will see that it is not so dampened. For this is certain, because a Christian preacher holds to it and abides by it, and can despise the reviling and persecuting of the world, so the ministry must also abide, and the gospel cannot fall, because those who hold to it still stand and abide. As then some must always remain until the last day.
But that he says, "That men may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven," is spoken in the manner of St. Matthew, who thus speaks of works. For he, together with the other two evangelists, Marco and Luke, does not put his gospel so high and much on the high article of Christ, as St. John and Paul. Therefore they speak and exhort much about good works. How then it should be in Christianity that both are practiced, but each in its essence and dignity; that one first and most highly leads the faith in 1) Christ, after that also
- Erlanger: "and", instead of: "an".
the works. Because the evangelist John through and through has driven the main article in the most powerful way, and is therefore considered the highest and most distinguished evangelist, St. Matthew, Marcus and Lucas have also taken the other piece before them and have driven it strongly, so that it would not be forgotten. So that they are better in this piece than John, and he in turn in that one.
(147) But thou must not regard the sayings and doctrine of works as separating faith from them, as they, our blind teachers, stumble; but always draw them into faith, that they may be incorporated therein, and go out of faith, and into faith, and be praised and approved for the same; as I have often taught otherwise. So also here, when he says, "That they may see your good works," you must not regard it as merely, or as merely minor works, 2) as such faithless works (as our clergymen's good works have been hitherto), but of such works as faith does, and cannot be done without or apart from faith. For this is what he here calls good works, when one practices, drives, and confesses the doctrine of Christ and faith, and suffers for it. For he speaks of such works, that one may shine. But "shining" is the right faith or teaching ministry, so that we also help people to believe.
For this reason, the highest and best works are those from which it must follow, as he says here, that the heavenly Father is honored and praised. For this doctrine or sermon takes from us all the glory of holiness, and says that there is nothing good in us of which we can boast. And again it instructs the conscience how it should behave toward God, shows it God's grace and mercy, and the whole of Christ. This means that God is rightly revealed and praised, which is also the right sacrifice and worship. These works should be the first and foremost, after which life also follows outwardly toward the neighbor, which are called works of love, which also shine,
- The words: "or as mere minor works" are missing in the Wittenberg and Erlangen.
420 Erl. 4S, 82-84. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 16. 17. W. VII. 623-630. 421
but no further, for provided they are kindled and driven by faith.
You can conclude for yourself that St. Matthew is not to be understood here in terms of the common works that each one should do toward the other out of love, which he speaks of in Matt. 25:35 ff, but mostly in terms of the right Christian work of teaching righteousness, practicing the faith, and teaching, strengthening, and maintaining it, so that we can testify that we are righteous Christians. For the others are not so sure, because even false Christians can adorn and cover themselves with great and beautiful works of love. But to teach and confess Christ rightly is not possible without faith. As St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 12:3: "No one can call Jesus Lord unless by the Holy Spirit." For no false Christian, nor the spirit of the mob, can understand this doctrine, how much less will he preach and confess it rightly, even if he takes the words and repeats them, but does not stay with them or leave them pure! He always preaches in such a way that one grasps that he is not right; yet he smears his slobber on it, thereby taking away Christ's honor and adding it to himself.
150 Therefore this alone is the most certain work of a true Christian, when he so praises and preaches Christ that people learn how they are nothing and Christ is everything. Summa, it is such a work, which is not done for one or two, because it remains hidden, as other works, but shines publicly before the whole world and lets itself be seen, and for this reason alone it is persecuted. (For it can still well suffer other works.) Therefore it is actually called such a work, by which our Father is recognized and praised. The other lesser works cannot come into it; they alone remain among men, and belong to the other table of the ten commandments. These, however, are in the first three high commandments, which concern God's honor, name, and word, and for this purpose must be well proven and purified through persecution and suffering, so that they endure; for this purpose they must be defiled before the world, so that they remain pure from their own honor and presumption, and be praised before God all the more, as in them His honor and praise are touched. Therefore they stand
They are also the most firm, so that God will stand over them all the stronger and lead them through against the world's raging and persecution. Therefore we should also let them go far ahead, as the highest, then the others also, against the people among each other, so that both go right, that one first always teaches and practices the faith, and then also lives according to it, and thus everything we do goes in and from the faith; as I have always taught.
V.17. Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill.
151 Since the Lord Christ has laid down and earnestly commanded the apostles in their ministry, he now goes on, and himself sets both to salt and to shine, as an example to them, that they may know what they ought to preach; and attacks both the doctrine and life of the Jews, false delusion and work, to punish and to amend. Although, as I said, he does not teach the high main doctrine of faith here, but first starts from the bottom, and explains and emphasizes the law, which was quite darkened and perverted by their Pharisees and scribes. For this is also a necessary thing, that the doctrine of God's commandments should be purified and brought into order.
It is a sharp and unpleasant salt that he accuses and condemns such people as those who neither teach nor live rightly, and does not allow anything to be right or good for them, who were the very best and holiest, who taught God's commandment daily and practiced the holy service of God, so that no one could punish them. Gives them cause to confidently cry out against him and accuse him as one who wants to abolish the law and make it null and void, which God has commanded 2c. Just as the pope with his multitude cries out against us and reproaches heretics who forbid good works. So he was well aware that he would be blamed for this and that his preaching would be interpreted in this way. Therefore he comes first with a preface and condition that it is not his opinion to dissolve the law, but that he is there to teach it rightly and to confirm it against those who weaken it with their teaching.
422 Erl. 13, 84-8S. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. VH. 6M-633. 423
For it was necessary for them to have so many prophets and holy fathers, for the sake of the high fame they had and the excellent appearance they could make and show off, that they alone were God's people, that whoever dared to punish them had to hear from the beginning: Who are you, that you alone should be wise, and rebuke everyone, as if our fathers and we all had erred, who have and preach God's law? (As now all the world also cries out against us, saying that we condemn the holy fathers and the whole church, which cannot err because it is governed by the Holy Spirit. 2c.) Because you reprove our doctrine and life, it is a sign that you condemn both law and prophets, fathers and the whole people.
154 Christ now answers, "No, I will not dissolve the law or the prophets, but I will keep and press harder and more diligently than you. Yes, so 1) hard, that before heaven and earth pass away, before I let one letter or the smallest tittle pass away, or be written in vain. Yes, I want to say even more: that whoever despises the smallest commandment, or teaches otherwise, shall be rejected in the kingdom of heaven for the sake of the least of these, even if he holds fast all the others. Therefore we are of one mind in the matter that Moses and the prophets are to be taught stiffly and firmly, and kept above them; but because we both ought and want to teach the law (as also now both, the pope and the other clergy and we, refer to one Scripture, boast of one gospel and God's word at the same time), it is necessary to be sure which part rightly guides and interprets the Scripture or God's law, or not? The quarrel arises over this. Here I must salt and punish. For the Jews with their glosses have perverted and corrupted the law; so I have come to set it right again. How we have had to attack the teaching of the Pabst, who has corrupted the Scriptures with their stink and filth.
(155) Now he does not deny 2) that they are God's people, the law, fathers and pro-.
- Wittenberger: "so" instead of "yes, so".
- "nun" is missing in the Jena.
phets, just as we do not deny nor condemn the Christians, baptism, gospel, who have been under the pope, but say: it is the right baptism, gospel 2c. that we have. But there we fight to accept what they have smeared on it, and let it be right as they interpret and pervert it, and have defiled the pure doctrine with their nasty and maddening, yes, devilish addition of their caps, plates, indulgences, purgatory, sacrificial masses 2c. There we must salt and work to sweep and clean such stink. So it is that they are the very ones who dissolve and destroy the law and the Scriptures, who adorn themselves with the beautiful name of the Scriptures, the Gospel, the Christian church 2c., and carry their maggots into it under the shear, and have so corrupted it that it has become of no use; crying out for it above us: One attacks the Christian church, holy fathers, good works 2c.
He says therefore, "I have not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it"; that is, I do not want to bring another or a new law, but to take the very Scripture which you have and to strike it out correctly, and to act in such a way that you may know how to keep it. For the gospel or Christ's preaching does not bring a new doctrine that lays down or changes the law, but just that (as St. Paul says Rom. 1:2) which was promised beforehand in the Scriptures and through the prophets. So we take from the 4) ours just the Scripture, baptism, sacrament 2c. which they have, not wanting to add anything new or better. But we do this only so that the same may be preached and practiced correctly, and that what does not rhyme with it may be removed.
St. Augustine interprets the word "fulfill" in two ways: First, that the law is fulfilled when one does what is lacking in it. Secondly, when one fulfills it with works and with life. But the first gloss is not right. For the law is so rich and perfect in itself that nothing must be added to it. For even the apostles themselves must prove the gospel and preaching of Christ from the Old Testament. Therefore no one, not even Christ himself, can prove the
- Erlanger: "so".
- "den" is missing in the Erlanger.
424 , Erl. 43, 86-83. interpretation of Matth. 5, 17-19. w. VII, 633-638. 425
Law does not improve. For what higher thing can one do or teach, since the first commandment teaches: "You shall love God with all your heart" 2c.? [He does this by giving his grace and spirit over the law and the teaching, so that one may do and fulfill what the law demands; but this does not mean doing anything for the law. So he does not speak of this here, but of the fulfillment that is done with teaching. Just as he means "to redeem," not to do against the law with works, but to break off from the law with teaching.
158 Therefore it is not otherwise said, but as St. Paul says Rom. 3, 31: "Do we then abolish the law by faith? Let this be far from us; but let us establish the law," namely, that he will not bring any other doctrine than that the former should no longer apply, but will preach and expunge the same properly, showing the right core and understanding, so that they may learn what the law is and wants, contrary to the Pharisees' glosses, which they have carried in and preached only the shells or husks of it. Just as we may say to our papists, "We do not want to abolish your gospel or preach it differently, but we want to purify and polish it as a mirror that has been darkened and corrupted by your filth, so that no more than the name of the gospel remains, but no one can see anything in it. As the Jewish teachers kept the text of the law, but corrupted it with their addition, so that no right understanding nor custom could remain.
V. 18 For I say unto you: Truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or tittle of the law will pass away until all is done.
That is, I want everything to be taught and held purely and completely, and not the slightest thing to be done about it. So that he shows that he has found it much different, namely, that both doctrine and life have not gone right anywhere. Therefore he must take both before him and salt them so that they become pure. In the same way we must teach, so that we do not let one letter of the Gospel be broken off, but say: Everything must be taught, believed and kept pure. So he conditions himself to preach a sharp sermon,
and not leave the blame on him for wanting to dissolve the law, but strike at them from themselves and prove how they have weakened and dissolved the law and smeared their glosses on it. Just as our papists did with the Gospel and the Scriptures, since they completely concealed the highest article, the righteousness of faith through Christ. They have also taken one form of the sacrament and hidden the words of the sacrament; indeed, they have done so crudely that they have preached these very commandments, as Christ does here, not for necessary commandments, but for good advice, directly against these words and condition, that before heaven and earth must pass away, one of the very least things is not kept. Thereupon he immediately passes a serious sentence against such preachers, as follows:
V. 19: Whoever therefore abolishes one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But he that doeth and teacheth them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
(160) I will be so firm about it (says he) that not only will I not dissolve any of them, but whoever is a preacher and picks up the least piece or lets it go, he shall know that he is not my preacher, but shall be condemned and cast out of the kingdom of heaven. For that he says, "He shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven," is nothing else than that he shall not be in the kingdom of heaven, but as he thinks it small, that he despiseth the commandment of God, so shall he also be despised and cast out.
161 All preachers of the gospel must also be prepared to boast of this before all the world, just as we can defy our adversaries if they show us a saying or article of Scripture which we annul or do not preach correctly. For they themselves had to testify at the Diet of Augsburg that our confession is the true Scripture and not contrary to any article of faith. But they cry out about this alone, that we do not also keep their thing, which the conciliation and popes have set, and therefore shall be damned, that we do not like their nasty maggots and rotten humanity.
426 Erl. 43, 8S-S1. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. VII. 636-638. 427
(162) Although we have always offered ourselves, and could still keep everything with them, if they would let us have the freedom and distinction that it is not necessary for salvation, nor contrary to the gospel, whether we let it stand, but keep it to please them, as another free, unnecessary thing, which gives us nothing, nor takes anything from us, as one runs to please one at carnival in mummery. But they do not want to concede this; so we cannot do otherwise, nor let Christ our Savior (who has shown and given us more goodness through his holy suffering and death than the pope, Franciscus, Dominic, nor any saint) go for the sake of their rotten thing, which can neither benefit nor help anyone. If they will let us, then we will indeed 1) keep everything with them that they impose on us, and better than they themselves.
- But because they are not satisfied with this, but want to force us to accept Christ and the pure doctrine, which they themselves cannot reprove, we again despise them as condemned and rejected by Christ, both with their doctrine and life, as those who do not dissolve God's word or commandment, but even annul it, so that they teach impudently: It is not necessary to love God with all one's heart; item, that one honors one's parents, if someone wants to go into a monastery, or give his property to the church, so that he may help his parents; so also one may well leave his bride and go into a monastery. Summa, everything that the Lord demands here according to God's commandment, they have made unnecessary, as if it were only good advice and works of excess 2c.
Therefore, you see what fine Christian teachers and holy people they are, who are allowed to abrogate and nullify all of God's commandments without fear, and want to be unpunished for it, and are allowed to urge us, yes, with force and violence, to think that their humanity is necessary, and, if we do not accept and praise it, to punish us with cruelty.
- In the Wittenberg edition: "zwarten", which Walch has correctly resolved with "though". In the Jena and Erlangen editions, "zuwarten", which is not in keeping with the context. The form "zwarten" is also found in the old editions in the interpretation of the fifth petition of the Holy Father-Unsers, Also the Latin translation agrees with our reading.
The first thing you have to do is to attack the lawful edicts and all despotism. Now calculate for yourself what Christ will say about this, because he speaks such a strict judgment here that he shall have no part in his kingdom who dissolves the very least commandment, even though he teaches the others all exactly and keeps them. Where do you think that 2) they belong, but in the fires of hell, where they are deepest? For there has never come on earth such a shameful people, who have so brazenly acted on God's word, which they know is right, and yet want to be praised as Christian leaders. Therefore beware of them, and let no one be afraid of their condemnation. Persecuting and raving. For here we have the consolation that those who teach God's word purely and faithfully, or keep it, shall be great with Christ in the kingdom of heaven, even though that multitude curses them far below hell.
(165) But I leave undecided how the law must be fulfilled, that not a letter nor a tittle of it perish, 2c. when we teach that no man can fail to fulfill it. For I have said that Christ here speaks primarily not of life, but of doctrine; and does not deal with the high main article, which he himself is and gives to us, namely, that we cannot be justified nor saved by the doctrine of the law, but only come to the knowledge of ourselves by it, as we are not able to fulfill one tittle rightly by our own strength. And even though we do as much as we can after becoming Christians through baptism and faith, we can never stand before God through it, but must always grovel to Christ, who has fulfilled everything in the purest and most perfect way, and gives Himself to us with His fulfillment, so that we stand before God through Him, and the law cannot guilt or condemn us. So it is true that everything must be done and fulfilled down to the smallest tittle; but only through this one man, of which enough has been said elsewhere.
V. 20 For I say unto you, Except your righteousness be better than that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
- Wittenberg and Erlangen: da.
428 Erl. 43, S1-S3. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 20. 21. W. VII, 638-641. 429
Here thou seest how he assaults, and speaketh not generally against lesser men, but against the very best of all the people, which were the very core and the very paragon, and shone before others as the sun, that there was no more honourable estate, nor more honourable name among the people, than that of the Pharisees and scribes; and he that would call a holy man, must call a Pharisee, as we have called a Carthusian or a hermit. As the disciples of Christ themselves doubtless held, that no greater holiness was to be found than among these, and would have thought nothing less than to attack these people. Nor may he call them by name, and reprove not some persons among them, but the whole class; nor punish some evil deeds or sins, but their righteousness and holy lives, so much so that he denies them the kingdom of heaven, and sends them to the fire of hell. Just as if he now said: All priests and monks, and what is called spiritual, none excluded, is 1) eternally condemned to hell, with all their being, where it is best. Who could hear or suffer such preaching? Now this is one thing, that he confesses that they have a righteousness, and lead a fine honorable life, and yet so completely rejects it, that where it is not better, it is already condemned, and all is lost that can be done with it.
Notice, secondly, that he is speaking of those who would gladly go to heaven, and their earnestness is that they think after another life, which the other great, raw multitude do not respect, and do not ask after God or God's word, to whom all that is said of the gospel is preached in vain. But to these it is preached, that they may know that such righteousness is false, which must be salted and punished, as that they may deceive both themselves and others, and lead from the right road to hell, and shine forth against it what is right godliness, as the law requires; as Christ will henceforth show.
V. 21. You have heard that it was said to the ancients, "You shall not kill. But he that killeth shall be guilty of judgment.
- Wittenbergers: are.
Here he takes some of the ten commandments before him to explain them correctly, and shows how they, the Pharisees and scribes, have neither taught nor interpreted them any differently, except as the mere words lie there and read, from the outward rough notes. First of all, in this fifth commandment they have not considered anything more than the word "to kill," that it means to strike dead with the hand, and they let people stay on it as if nothing more were forbidden here; and they have made a nice cover for it, that they would not be guilty of the death-strike, although someone delivered another to death; As they delivered Christ to the Gentile Pilate, they did not want to stain their hands with blood, so that they remained pure and holy, so high that they did not even want to go into the judge's house, and yet they alone were the ones who brought him to death, and pushed Pilate against his will, so that he had to kill him Joh. 18, 28. ff. They still went as if they were completely pure and innocent, so that they also punished the apostles, Apost. 5:28, chastised them for it, saying, "Ye will bring this man's blood upon us." As if they were to say, "It was not we who killed him, but the Gentiles. Thus we read of King Saul in 1 Sam. 18:25 ff. He was angry with David and would have gladly killed him, but because he wanted to be holy, he thought not to kill him himself, but to send him among the Philistines to be killed there, so that his hand would be innocent of him.
Behold, this is the beautiful Pharisee holiness, which can make itself pure, and remain pious, if only it does not kill itself with its hand, although the heart is full of anger, hatred and envy, and secret evil and murderous malice, and the tongue full of cursing and blasphemy. As is the holiness of our papists, who have become vain masters in this chapter. And so that their holiness would not be punished, nor would Christ's word bind them, they helped him finely, and drew twelve counsels from it, that Christ had not commanded all this as necessary, but had set it for every man's good pleasure, as good counsel to keep whoever wants to earn something special before others; that it is quite a superfluous doctrine, which one might well do without.
430 Erl. 43, S3-SS. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th Cap. Matthaei. W. VII, 641-843. 431
But if you ask them for what reason they make such counsels, or by what means they prove it, they say, "Well, if one were to teach in this way, it would be called nimis onerativum legis christianae, that is, Christianity would be 1) greatly afflicted, as those of Paris 2) have publicly and insolently written against me. Yes, truly, a beautiful cause and great grievance, that a Christian should be kind to his neighbor, and not leave him in distress, as anyone would want to happen to him. And because she thinks it too hard, it must not be called commanded, but must be left to the free will of those who will gladly do it; but those who will not or cannot do it, shall not be burdened with it. So let us take Christ's word into our mouths, master his word, and make of it what we please. But he will not be deceived in this way, nor will he revoke his judgment, which he has given here and said: whoever does not have a better piety, heaven shall be closed to him and he shall be damned, and, as follows, he who says to his brother, "You fool," is also guilty of hellish fire. From which it is to be reckoned whether it is advised or commanded.
And here they have also found a little bell to help their lie, and thus say: it is well commanded to leave anger and resentment in the heart, 5) but not the signs of anger; that is, as one says in German: Forgive, but do not forget; and seal up a thought that you will not be angry nor do evil, and yet in the meantime deprive your neighbor of all kindness, do not show a good word nor a kind gesture. Here ask God Himself and Christ, why He does not show such kindness to those who crucify, blaspheme and revile Him in the most shameful way, but prays for them, saying: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" Luc. 23, 34., whether they are the most shameful boys, who deserve all punishment and wrath. Yes, should he have been so angry with us, who have been his enemies, and all idolatry and
- Wittenberg wrong: so.
- Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XVIII, 949.
- Wittenberger: sinful.
- Erlanger: to be. The Jenaer also has "sein" in the text, but such in the "Correctur" as a misprint.
- Latin: emitters.
If he had blasphemed, he would have had to remain in heaven, not shed his blood and die for us, and say, "I will forgive, but I will not forget. Then we would all have remained the devil's own, and no man would have escaped from hell. In short, it is quite a shameful, damned little bell, and full of sin and shame that someone in Christendom has been allowed to teach such things against such a bright, public text; nor have they smeared all the books full of such lies, and still want to defend it brazenly. But here we shall see and learn to know our Pharisees and hypocrites with their great holiness, so they pretend with many special works, but meanwhile transgress God's commandment without any shame, and teach other people also in such a way, as Christ depicts them here and elsewhere.
It is true that one must be angry when those who should be angry do so, and that anger goes no further than to punish sin and evil. As when one sees another sinning, admonishes and warns him to desist from it 2c., that is a Christian and brotherly, even a fatherly anger. For so you see in pious parents that they do not punish their children in such a way that they want to harm them, but that the evil is controlled and the evil is removed; just as the authorities must be angry and punish. Here it is right that there should be no anger in the heart, and yet angry signs and gestures must be made, since both word and fist are harsh and sharp, but the heart remains sweet and kind, and knows no resentment. Summa, it is the dear anger, which does no evil to anyone, but is the friend of the person, but the enemy of sin; as also nature may teach everyone. But this is not to be abused as a cover, 7) and to harbor and adorn resentment and envy in one's heart against one's neighbor under it, as those mock saints do and teach.
173 Christ therefore takes this commandment before him, saying, "Thus you have heard from the Pharisees, as Moses commanded, and as it has been taught from of old, Thou shalt not
- Erlanger: Well.
- Jena and Wittenberg: abuse.
432 Erl. 43, SS-S8. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 21. 22. W. VII, 643-846. 433
kill" 2c. With this you tickle and adorn yourselves, go in, as those who diligently teach and practice God's commandment, as they were taught from Moses and received from the ancients; plead and insist: There is Moses, who says: "Thou shalt not kill." You dwell on the word, and do not let it be interpreted further, for as it is crudely written there, the simple must say, "It is true, it is written so in the book; so darken the words with your whispering and idle bells, that one may not see what the words have in them and give. For, thinkest thou that he alone speaketh of the fist, when he saith, Thou shalt not kill? What does "thou" mean? Not your hand alone, nor your foot, nor your tongue, nor any other single member, but all that you are in body and soul. Just as when I say to someone, "You shall not do this," I do not speak with my fist, but with my whole person. Yes, even if I said, "Your fist should not do it," I do not mean the hand alone, but the whole person of which the fist is a part; for the hand alone would do nothing unless the whole body with all its members were involved.
174 Therefore it is said, "Thou shalt not kill," as if he said, "As many a limb as thou hast, as many a way as thou mayest find to kill, whether it be with the hand, or with the tongue, or with the heart, or with signs, or with gestures, look sourly on it, and do not 1) give life with thine eyes, or even with thine ears, if thou hearest not gladly to speak of it; all this is called "killed. For the heart and all that is in thee are so minded, that they would have him dead already. And although the hand is still, the tongue is silent, the eyes and ears are closed, yet the heart is full of murder and death.
But I say to you: Whoever is angry with his brother is guilty of judgment. And he that saith unto his brother, Racha, is guilty of counsel. But he that saith, Thou fool, is guilty of hell fire.
175 Behold, this is the right light, which showeth the right understanding of this commandment, and seeth most under eyes; whereas their foul gloss is put to shame, as a dark lantern.
- "not" is missing in the Erlanger. - Latin: äiSavsnäo.
against the bright sun, and now shines with a different form, so that afterwards they are astonished at it and say: this is called mighty teaching, not like their scribes. Although this 2) interpretation is clear enough, and is often used elsewhere, we have to cut out the words a little here for the sake of the text. First, he says: "Whoever is angry with his brother is guilty of judgment," that is, he has forfeited the same punishment that goes over a man who kills, namely, that he is sentenced to death. For he repeats v. 21 the very words that are in the text, Deut. 24, 17 (as he has now put on himself 4)): "He that killeth shall be guilty of judgment." Because he who is angry falls into the same judgment, he is also called a slayer. In the second and third: Whoever says to his brother, Nacha, or, You fool, is guilty of the council and of the infernal fire, he means the same thing, which is to be guilty of the judgment, namely, that he is guilty of being killed again.
(176) He mentions three things to show how the punishment becomes greater and more severe the more the sin continues and breaks out. For he speaks in the same way as it is done in court when a wrongdoer is to be punished. For he that hath committed the crime of death is first guilty of judgment, that is, that he be brought before the court, and be accused, and a sentence passed upon him, as he that hath forfeited death. This is the first degree or stage of death; but the judgment has not yet been passed, so that he may still have room to talk himself out of it and get rid of it. Secondly, when the sentence is pronounced that he is to die, he falls into the council, that one should deliberate over him, what punishment should be inflicted on him; there he is again closer to death, that he now cannot escape. Third, when the verdict has been passed and everything has been decided, he is handed over to the executioner to lead him and do him justice. Thus, with these three stages, he shows how one falls deeper and deeper into punishment, just as,
- Erlanger: the.
- "the" is missing in the Erlanger.
- In the Jena: "as we have now dressed ourselves."
- "him" is missing in the Erlanger.
434 Erl. 4S, SS-wa. Interpretation of 5, 6 and 7 Cap. Matthaei. W. VII. S4S^"4S. 435
who is to be executed, comes closer and closer to death. Therefore it is just said: Whoever is angry in his heart is already guilty of death before God's judgment; but whoever goes further and says Racha, or you fool, has already received the judgment on himself 2c. Summa, he is already condemned to hell fire who is angry with his brother. But he who says, Nacha, belongs still deeper into hell; still deeper, however, he who also kills with words and the fist. So it is all a punishment and condemnation, and yet the same heavier and harder, after which the sin goes on, and breaks out stronger.
177 But what is called "Racha" is otherwise said, that it indicates all kinds of signs, which one shows out of anger against his neighbor. As when one turns his mouth and eyes away from him, or is cheerful and laughs in his fist when he is in a bad way, or otherwise shows himself in such a way that he would like him to be spoiled. As now there are many such poisonous, evil worms, which show themselves against us most bitterly, both publicly, and with secret practices and treacherousness, as if they heard nothing better than that we were all exterminated, and yet walk along as the holy, Christian people.
The other, "You fool," is not only the signs, but all words that come from an evil, poisonous heart that is hostile to the neighbor. Otherwise, when it comes from a good, motherly heart, it is not a sin. For there one may well punish and rebuke with words, as St. Paul calls his Galatians fools Gal. 3:1, and Christ says to the disciples Luc. 24:25, "O fools, and slow of heart to believe"; yes, not only that, but must also be angry, and set oneself sore and unkind with gifts. For all this is divine anger and resentment against evil, not against the person, but to help the neighbor. Summa, it is a necessary anger, which one cannot do without in any house, nor in any city 2) and authority, yes, on any preaching chair. For if father, mother, judge and preacher should shut their mouths and fists, and not resist or control evil, then the regiment and Christendom, and everything, would fall to the ground, through
- "the" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Erlanger: "no stand."
the world's wickedness. That is why it is said here: Enemy of the cause, and yet favorable to the person; as the jurists rightly say, if they also needed it rightly.
Therefore, when you offer your gift on the altar, if you think that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go first and make peace with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
He makes a long sermon about this commandment, and is probably a light text to look at, but very a broad, common vice, especially among high, mighty, clever people; as, zi 3) kings, lords, and princes courts, and what something is or is able on earth, is in it most profoundly, and yet must not have the name. For it is also the most beautiful, and none that can so prettily preen and adorn itself with the appearance of holiness, under which many people deceive themselves and others; and do not see how they are heartily hostile to their neighbor, or bear a secret grudge against him, yet want to be serene, serve God, and, as he says here, go to the altar and sacrifice, thinking they are quite comfortable with it.
180 The ornament and beautiful cover is there, which is called zelas justitiae, such a virtue, which loves justice and is angry against evil, and cannot stand it; as then the sword and authority are ordained to administer justice, and to punish evil; as also father and mother, lord or wife, must be angry and punish. Then comes the pious rogue, puts on the same cloak, and says that he does it out of love for justice, and that he has right and just cause for it; how princes and others are full of poison, hatred and envy against ours, and so go along in it, making no conscience for them, and everything is vain indulgence and sanctity. For they also have the beautiful cover that they say they are enemies of heresy, and so a great virtue must come of it, a holy zeal and love of truth. And yet, at bottom, it is nothing but a shameful, poisonous hatred and resentment, which otherwise cannot prove and vent itself.
- Wittenberger: an.
436 Erl. 43, 100-102. interpretation of Matth. 5, 23. 24. W. VII, 649-SSI. 437
For I know, and may well say, that all our opponents (except our dear Lord Emperor for his own person, as he is not better informed) have no cause, nor do they know, why they hate and are hostile to us, because of loud envy and will of courage. For it is not because of some evil thing that they think that we are knaves or peelers, or that we are too close to them; so they also know, and have to confess, that our doctrine is the right truth. Nor are they so venomous that they would rather suffer the world full of vain desperate knaves than us and ours.
182 Thus there are many, even fine, honest, learned and otherwise righteous people, who walk in secret anger, envy and hatred, and become immersed in it, so that they are never aware of it, and all remain in the made conscience: they do it because of their office or because of justice. For the cover is too beautiful and too dazzling that no one may reproach them other than righteous and pious people. Then at last hardened hearts come out, strengthened and hardened in poisonous vice, and a sin in the Holy Spirit. For there is a twofold wickedness. First, that the heart is full of anger, hatred and envy. Secondly, it does not want to be sin or evil, but should be called virtue. Which is called God struck in the mouth and punished lies in his word.
Behold, therefore Christ diligently warns, that every man take heed lest he deceive himself with such hypocrisy and false pretense. For no one believes how it is such a simple doctrine, and yet goes so far, and affects such great people. For with these words, when he says, "When you offer your gift on the altar," he clearly shows that he is talking about those who serve God, and who want to be the true children of God, and have the praise that they are the first of all. What do they lack? Nothing, except that their hearts are full of hatred and envy. Dear one, what is it that you fast and pray without ceasing, giving all your goods for God's sake, chastening yourself to death, and doing as many good works as all the Carthusians, leaving God's commandment to be kept?
Do you not have a conscience that you disgrace and blaspheme people, and yet you want to make a great sacrifice? Just as if someone who has waged war and murder, and shed much blood, then gives a thousand guilders for them for the Mass of the soul; or if someone has stolen and robbed a large sum of money, then gives alms for the sake of God. So they deceive God (yes, themselves) with the beautiful hat, as if he should regard them as living saints.
Therefore he says: If you want to serve God and sacrifice, and have offended someone, or have anger against your neighbor, know in short that God does not want your sacrifice, but lay it down badly, and leave everything, and go ahead and reconcile with your brother. By this he means all the works that one can do for God's service or praise (for at that time there was no better work than sacrifice), and yet he rejects it altogether, that is, he leaves it standing badly; unless your heart tells you beforehand that you are reconciled to your neighbor, and that you know no wrath in yourself. When this is done, then come (he says) and bring your sacrifice. This he nevertheless puts, so that one does not think that he wants to reject or despise such a sacrifice. For it was not an evil work, but ordered and commanded by God; but this is evil, and even corrupteth it, that they have cast away the other higher commandments, and despised them. That is, the sacrifice abused against the neighbor.
There is also an abuse that goes higher, that one wants to be saved by it, to atone for sin, and to rely on it and defy God, which is said elsewhere. Otherwise it is a good work in itself, just as all other works of outward worship, such as praying and fasting, are not to be despised nor slackened, if the opinion and custom of the same is right, namely, that one does not do it to earn heaven by it, and the heart stands right with the neighbor, and thus both faith and love go pure and right. But if thou prayest and fastest, and yet speakest evil to thy neighbor, and bearest people away, and slanderest 2c., saith
- Erlanger: den.
438° Erl. "s, 102-104. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W.VII,"-"S4. 439
He will not eat a morsel, but will wash and defile himself with his neighbor, contrary to God's commandment.
For this reason he punishes and reproves such fasting in the prophet Isaiah, chap. 58:3 ff, so that they may hurt their bodies and have great devotion, saying: "When you fast, you exercise your will and drive out all your guilty ones. You fast so that you quarrel and fight, and strike ungodly with your fists. Fast not so as ye do now, that a cry of you may be heard on high. "2c. And further teaches how to fast rightly: "This is a fast that I choose: Let go those who are unjustly afflicted 1) with you; let go those whom you afflict" 2c. "Break thy bread to the hungry; if thou seest any naked, clothe him" 2c. There you see, how it is all to do for the love of the neighbor.
V. 25 Be ready for your adversary soon, while you are still with him on the way, lest the adversary hand you over to the judge one day and be thrown into prison. I say unto thee, Verily thou shalt not come forth thence, till thou hast paid the last farthing.
In the previous text he preached to him who had offended or angered his neighbor, but here he says how he who has been offended should behave. And he continues the same as he began, how it goes in court, where two parts stand against each other, and one sues, the other is sued, and the judge pronounces the sentence, and the part that is guilty punishes. And is not otherwise, for so much is said, that he who offends the other shall be reconciled to him in a friendly manner; but the other shall be reconciled and gladly forgiven. Now this is also a subtle trick, and here also many people can finely cover up and decorate their mischief by saying that they will gladly forgive, but not forget. For there is always the remedy of which I have said that anger is just against evil, and they think that they have good cause and that it is right and well done.
Therefore he warns here again, and shows that in this 2) commandment not only ver-
- d. i. connected.
- Erlanger: dem.
It is not forbidden to be angry, but also commanded that you gladly forgive and forget what has happened to you, as God has done to us, and still does, when He forgives sin, that He erases it from the record and never remembers it. But not that you must or can forget it to such an extent that you may no longer remember it, but so that you may have just as kind a heart toward your neighbor as before he offended you. But if the pen remains in your heart that you are not as kind and gracious to him as before, then it is not forgotten, nor forgiven from the heart, and you are still just the prankster who comes before the altar with the sacrifice, and wants to serve God, and yet is full of anger, envy and hatred in your heart. But very few people pay attention to this; they all go about in their beautiful robes and do not see how their heart stands against this commandment, which, in short, suffers no anger or resentment against their neighbor.
(189) It is true, as has been said, that anger must and should be; but see that it goes as it should go, and that you are commanded to be angry not for your own sake but for the sake of your office and God, and not to mix the two, your person and your office. For your person you must not be angry with anyone, no matter how much you are offended; but where your office demands it, you must be angry, even if no harm has come to you for your person. Thus a pious judge is angry with the wrong-doer, whom he does not wish any evil for his person, and would rather leave him unpunished, and goes to one heart, since nothing but love is vain toward one's neighbor, and only the evil deed must bear the wrath which must be punished. If this were not the case, there would be neither wrath nor punishment. But if your brother has done something against you and has made you angry, and he asks you to stop it, and puts away the evil work, then the anger must also go away. Where does the secret resentment come from, which you nevertheless keep in your heart, when the work and the cause of the anger is gone, and now he has shown other works, as he is converted, and has become a different person, and a new tree with new fruits, who now loves you?
- "a" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Wittenberger: nothing.
- "and cause... Works" is missing in the Wittenberg.
440 Erl. 48. 104-107. interpretation of Matth. 5, 25-30. W. VII, 654-657. 441
lind honors you in the highest way, that he accuses and punishes himself against you? And you must be a desperate man before God and all the world, if you do not show yourself against him in such a way, and forgive from the heart, so that such a judgment befalls you, as Christ is threatening here.
V. 27-30. You have heard that it was said to the ancients, You shall not commit adultery. But I say unto you: He that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. But if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee that one of thy members perish, and not the whole body be cast into hell. If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee that one of thy members perish, and not the whole body be cast into hell.
(190) Now this is a piece of salt against the doctrine of the Pharisees, wherein he dealeth two things. First, about adultery; then about divorce. Of adultery they had interpreted it like the fifth commandment, teaching that it was no more forbidden than if adultery were committed by deed, and they did not consider it a sin, even if their hearts were inflamed with evil desire and love for another, and even if they showed themselves by heart with unhandsome words and shameful gestures, and nothing harmed their holiness if they only did good works, sacrificed diligently and prayed 2c. This is not teaching God's commandment, but rather going against it, and not making people righteous, but rather giving them more room and leave for all kinds of sin and fornication. But here you hear another master, who makes such their holiness sins and disgraces, and rightly shines into this commandment, and concludes that adultery also happens with the eyes, ears, mouth, yes, most of all with the heart. As when a man looks at a woman, or jokes with her, even remembers her with evil air.
191 Now behold how it must have been among this people, and what manner of men Christ found, because not only the great and common multitude, but also those who presided over other people, were not the same.
- Erlanger: "one" instead of "a man".
The people who are supposed to teach and govern not only admit this, but also do it themselves, and strengthen the cause of adultery, and yet want to be scolded for being pious, if only they do not publicly break the marriage with the deed. Although it is well to reckon how pious and chaste people remain for the sake of the work, where one admits so much and comes so far that the heart is full of ardor, and breaks out with all kinds of signs, words and gestures against each other. What else can follow here, but also the work, where one would only have room? Or, what is he the more pious because of it, if he leaves the work he would like to do, and burns for it in his heart without ceasing? Even as a mischievous man can wish his master dead, even if he lies imprisoned in the dungeon, and would gladly strangle him himself, if he could only get to it; should he not therefore be called a murderer, or even be called pious?
- But do you say, "If it is true that marriage can be broken even with a reputation, how should one do it? After all, both male and female must live among each other, and must deal with each other daily; or should one run away from the world, or gouge out the ears and eyes, and have the heart torn away? Answer: Christ does not here declare that one should live, eat, drink, even laugh and be merry among one another; all this is still without harm, if only the part of it remains, which is called: "to desire your 2). The Jews, however, want to help them 2) by saying that it is not a sin to love another with thoughts and signs, just as they do not consider it a sin to be angry with one's neighbor and to be hostile in one's heart; so that one does not have to condemn the whole nation and so many holy people as if they were murderers and adulterers. Therefore they must give these commandments a nose, that they should not be so strictly interpreted, but, as our learned men have said, There may be good counsels for the perfect, but no man bound with them. And from this they have gone so far that many also argue about it and doubt: whether a bad case with a little hair outside of marriage is also sin? And is
- "to" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: ihm.
442 Erl. 48, 107-109. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 857-659. 443
Although it is now an honor among sensible people in French-speaking countries that even those who leave it at that are considered almost holy. Again, however, there are some who are too eager and want to be so holy that they also forbid the reputation and are taught to avoid all company of men or women. Hence come the excellent saints who have run away from the world into the deserts and monasteries, that they abstain from all seeing and hearing, commerce and fellowship of the world.
193 But Christ sets the contradiction on both sides, and will not let God's commandment be turned in this way, and so advise the matter, that one should leave the bridle to fornication and adultery. For he says in clear and concise words that whoever looks at a woman with evil desire is an adulterer, and condemns him to hellfire when he says: it is better that one's eye be plucked out than that the whole body be thrown into hell. So he does not want such saints who run away from the people. For if this were to be the case, then nothing of the Ten Commandments should apply anywhere. For if I am separated from all men in the wilderness, no man shall thank me that I commit not adultery, nor kill, nor steal. And yet I think that I am holy and have gone far beyond the Ten Commandments, which were given by God to teach us how to live rightly in the world toward our neighbor.
For we were not created 1) to walk apart from one another, but to live with and among one another, suffering both good and evil. For since we are human beings, we must also bear all kinds of human misfortune and the curse that has come upon us, and so prepare ourselves to dwell among evil people, so that each one may prove his holiness there and not be made impatient to flee from it. For we must live on earth as among thistles and thorns, in such a being, which is full of temptation, opposition and accident. So you have not helped yourself, even though you have run away from people, yet you carry the same mischief with you, that is, the heat of the moment.
- "so" is missing in the Wittenberger.
and evil desire that is in the flesh and blood. For thou canst not deny thy father and mother, though thou be alone and shut up, nor cast thy flesh and blood from thee and leave them. It is not a matter of moving your foot away and fleeing from it, but of remaining in it, standing chivalrously and fighting against all kinds of temptation, and tearing through it with patience and winning.
Therefore Christ is a right master, who teaches you not to run from people, nor to change your place, but to attack yourself, and to cast away from you the eye or hand that offends you, that is, to take away the cause of sin, which is the evil desire and lust that is in yourself and comes from your own heart. If this remains outside, then you can well be without sin among people and deal with everyone. Therefore he speaks clearly (as said): If you look at a woman to desire her, then you have broken the marriage in the heart. He does not deny this reputation, for he is speaking to those who have to live among people in the world, as the entire previous and following sermon of this chapter sufficiently shows. But this is what he wants: to separate reputation from desire.
You may look at every woman or man's image, but see to it that only the desire for it remains. For God has ordained that each man should have his own wife or husband, so that he may keep and turn his lust and desire there. If you can stay with it, he will grant you that, pronounce his blessing on it, and let it please him, as his order and creature. 2) But if you want to go further, if you are not satisfied with what God has given you to desire, and if you look for others, you have already gone too far, and mixed the two together, so that the reputation is also spoiled by the desire.
197 This is also the greatest cause of adultery, which must always strike, that one does not regard God's word in his spouse, as that which God gives him, and blesses him, but opens his eyes at the sight of another; 3) then soon the heart hangs.
- Erlanger: Business.
- Wittenberger: "ansihet".
444 Erl. 43, 109-111. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 27-30. W. VII, 659-662. 445
The lust and desire that I alone should have for my wife beats after my eyes. Flesh and blood are so shrewd without that, that they soon get tired of it, and do not like what they have, and always look for another, and the devil blows, so that one sees nothing in his spouse but what is infirm, and puts out of sight what is good and praiseworthy. Hence it comes about that every one is more beautiful and better than mine; indeed, many a man is so blinded by a beautiful, pious wife that he grows angry with her and becomes attached to a hideous, shameful brat.
- Therefore, this would be the right art and strongest defense against it (as I have said elsewhere about marriage and conjugal life), if everyone learned to look at his spouse according to God's word, which is the most precious treasure and most beautiful ornament that can be found in a man or woman, and reflected in it; then he would love and value his spouse as a divine gift and treasure, and think so if he saw another (whether she would be more beautiful than his): If she is beautiful, she is 1) not too beautiful, and because she would be the most beautiful on earth, I have at home a much more beautiful ornament on my spouse, which God has given me and adorned with his word before all others, even if she were not beautiful in body or otherwise infirm. For when I look at all the women in the world, I find none that I can boast of, as I can say of mine with a happy conscience: God Himself gave this one to me and placed her in my arms, and I know that it is heartily pleasing to Him, along with all the angels, if I adhere to her with love and faithfulness. Why then would I despise such a delicious, divine gift and cling to another, since I do not find such treasure and adornment?
Behold, I could look upon all women, and talk with them, and laugh, and be merry, that yet the air and lust thereof should remain, and none should be so fair and lovely to me, that I should do contrary to the word and commandment of God. And even though I am of the flesh
- "they" is missing in the Erlanger.
I would not have to allow myself to be challenged by God and blood, nor would I have to allow myself to be overcome, but would fight against it chivalrously and win through God's word, and live in the world in such a way that no malice could make me evil and no irritation could make me an adulterer. But because one does not see or respect such God's word, it is easy for one to become weary of his spouse and resent him, and prefer to win another, and not be able to resist lust and desire. For he does not know the art, that he could look at his spouse rightly according to the beauty and adornment, so that God has clothed her for him. He looks no further than the general appearance of his wife, how shapeless or infirm she seems to him, and how another seems more beautiful and better. So you understand when looking is sin or not sin, namely, that one does not look at another, as each man should look at his wife.
(200) But it is not necessary to be so strict here, even though someone is challenged and feels that such lust and desire for another stirs up that he should be condemned for it. For I have often said that it is not possible to live in the flesh without sinful evil inclination, not only in this piece, but also against all the commandments. That is why the teachers have made such a distinction here, and I will leave it at that: that an evil thought without consent is not a mortal sin. It is not possible, if one has offended you, that the heart should not feel or be moved, and rise up to take revenge. But this is still not condemnable, because it only does not decide and prescribe him. harm, but resists such irritation. So also in this case, that the devil should not be able to shoot into the heart with evil thoughts and lust, it is not possible to resist; but then see to it that you do not let such arrows stick and grow in, but soon pluck them out again and throw them away, and do as an old father taught before, and said: I cannot resist that a bird flies over my head; but that I can well resist, that they do not nest in my hair, or bite off my nose. 2)
- The same history in the appendix to the Table Talks, 819.
Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XXII, 1662 f.
** 446** Erl. 43, IN-N3. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th Cap. Matthaei. W. VII, SSS-S64. 447
So it is not in our power to resist this or any other temptation, lest thoughts should come into us; if we only let them come in, lest they be admitted, though they knock, and forbid that they take root, lest a resolution and consent be made of them. But it is nothing less than sin, yet included in the common forgiveness, because we cannot live in the flesh without a great deal of sin, and everyone must have his devil; as St. Paul also complains about the sin that dwells in him, Rom. 7:18, and says, "that he finds no good thing in his flesh.
But that some have disputed here, and sought so closely whether it is sinful for a man to desire a woman to marry him, or again, a man? is foolish, and both asked contrary to Scripture and nature. For when should people become married, if they did not have air and love together? Yes, that is why God has given such love to bride and bridegroom, otherwise everyone would flee and avoid the marriage state. He has also commanded in Scripture that both husband and wife should love one another, and shows that He is very pleased when husband and wife are well together. Therefore, truly such air and love must not remain outside, and may well be happiness and grace that it only lasts long. For misfortune strikes without, both from the flesh, which soon grows weary of this estate, and will not bear the daily adversity that befalls it; and also from the devil, who cannot bear it when he sees that two spouses hold each other with true love, and does not celebrate until he awakens cause for impatience, discord, hatred and bitterness among them. So that it is not only necessary, but also difficult, and the only art of the Christian, to love his wife or husband rightly, so that one bears the other's infirmities and all kinds of accidental misfortune. In the first place, they want to devour each other for love, as they say; but when the lust is over, the devil is there with the excess, and wants to take away your desire too much here, and set it on fire too much elsewhere.
This was recently said about lust and desire. But what shall one say to it.
That Christ is so hard, and is called to pluck out the eye, and to cut off the hand, when it vexeth us? Shall we corrupt ourselves, make ourselves lame and blind? So we should also deprive ourselves of life, and each one become a murderer of himself. Denu, if we were to throw away everything that annoys us, we would first have to tear out the heart. But what would that be different, because the whole nature and GOttes0 creature exterminated? Answer: Here you see clearly that in this whole chapter Christ speaks nothing of worldly order and nature, and that all such sayings, which are found now and then in the Gospel (as, denying oneself, hating one's soul, leaving everything 2c.), do not belong at all to the worldly or imperial regiment, or are to be understood according to the Sachsenspiegel, as the lawyers call gouging out eyes. How else could this life and regiment exist? But are spoken only of the spiritual life and being, since one does not outwardly cast out his eyes and hand in the body before the world, but in the heart before God, denying and forsaking oneself and all things. For he does not teach to wield the fist or the sword, nor to rule body and goods, but only the heart and conscience before God; therefore one does not have to drag his words into the law book or worldly regiment at all.
(203) In this way he also speaks of the reaping in Matth. 19, 12, where he places three kinds of reapers or eunuchos. The first and the others, who were either born this way by nature or were cut by the hands of men, who are also called the world and lawyers. The third, however, who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, are other eunuchs, who are not called eunuchs outwardly in the body, but nevertheless in the heart or spiritually, and not in a worldly way, but (as he says) eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. For he has nothing to do with the worldly. So here, too, we should spiritually pluck out eyes, hand, and heart, and let everything go so that it does not bother us, and still live in this worldly being, since we cannot do without any of it.
- "GOttes" is missing in the Wittenberg.
448 Erl. 43, 113-116. interpretation of Malth. 5, 27-32. W. VII, 664-667. 449
(204) This is the opinion: If you feel that you are looking at a woman with evil desire, pluck out that eye or face (as this is against God's commandment), not of the body, but of the heart, from which the heat and desire come, then you have plucked it out correctly. For if the evil desire is from the heart, the eye will not sin, nor will it offend you, and now you see the woman with the same bodily eyes, but without desire, and it is just as if you had not seen her. For the eye of which Christ speaks, which was before, which is called the eye of lust, is never there, although the eye of the body remains intact. So he also says of those who are cut off. If the heart has decided to live chastely without marriage (where it has grace), it has cut itself to the kingdom of heaven, and must not injure any member externally in the body. Summa, it is such cutting and plucking that is not done by the fist or the executioner, but by God's word in the heart.
Therefore they are fools, who drag such and such sayings out of the spiritual into the external, worldly being, as if Christ had taught against the worldly rule, yes, against natural order and creature. Therefore, some have been so grossly deceived that they, out of impatience and desperation to fight against flesh and blood, have gone to it, and have helped themselves, that even the bishops in the conciliis have had to forbid it. All this is due to ignorance, that they do not distinguish between Christ's and the world's rule and doctrine; they remain in the coarse sense of cutting, that they think no further than what the world says and understands in its essence; whereas Christ himself excludes and takes away the same understanding, and distinguishes those who are cut by nature or by hands (whether by themselves or by others), and sets against them those who are neither cut by hands nor by nature. So that he may clearly show that he is speaking only of spiritual cutting, since the body is whole and intact with all its members, and yet does not have such heat as others, which cannot be cut out with hands.
- "the" is missing in the Erlanger.
Flesh and blood cut, although one deprives oneself of the natural,! As they themselves say that such Eunuchi or cut have much more desire and love for women, than any other. Therefore, even great kings 2) liked to have such people as chamberlains, because of the great loyalty and love they bear to wives.
(206) It also seems as if Christ often used these words, "Does thine eye vex thee," "Does thy hand or foot vex thee? For elsewhere in the Gospel they are also applied to other things; so that he used it for a common saying, and drew it as a common simile to all kinds of sin, that one should not follow the cause and incitement to sin; but here it is applied and interpreted to a particular thing, namely to adultery, that it is called plucking out the eye, which wants to anger us through evil desire. As adultery is commonly caused by sight, and enters the heart through the eyes, where one does not resist the irritation. So the same words in Matth. 18, 8. 9. are applied to other troubles, that it is called an angry eye or hand, when a preacher and teacher, or a lord and tyrant, wants to seduce you from the truth and right doctrine, and is called to pluck it out and throw it away; so that one would say: You are indeed my eye or hand, master or ruler, but if you want to lead me away from the truth to false faith, or force me into evil works, then I will not follow you 2c.
V. 31, 32: It is also said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a bill of divorcement. But I say unto you: He that divorceth his wife (except for adultery) maketh her to commit adultery. And whosoever shall marry a woman that is put away shall commit adultery.
Here one sees finely how they were torn by this commandment, given room and freedom enough to act against it, and yet not to be counted for sin, if only one did not make it too rough with public adultery, because it was permitted to them, if one was angry with his wife, and would have liked to be rid of her, and had air to another, that he would like to be
- Erlanger: Queen.
450 Erl. 43, 116-118. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chapters. Matthaei. W. VII, 687-670. 451
divorce her, and woo another, who pleased him greatly. And although she had another husband, 1) they could masterfully wrest his wife from the other, so that he had to let her go, and still not be taken by force. So it was also a small thing with them, if one had slept with another, that he thereby got her to himself, because otherwise they might have more than one wife, and had indeed brought it about that each one acted as he wished with marriage and divorce without shyness and knowledge. For this reason, Christ took this part of divorce with him, salting and punishing their excesses and abuses of legal divorce, to instruct the consciences how to proceed in this rightly, so that they do not go too far and go against the commandment. But he only touches on it here in brief words; for afterwards in chapter 19, v. 3 ff. he goes on with it.
I have said, however, how marriage and divorce are to be handled in our country now, that it should be ordered to the lawyers and thrown under the secular rule, because marriage is a worldly, external thing, like wife, child, house and farm, and other things that belong to the governmental rule, as they are subject to reason, Genesis 1:1. 1 Therefore, what the authorities and wise men conclude and order according to right and reason, let it remain so. For Christ neither sets nor orders anything here as a jurist or ruler in external matters, but only as a preacher who instructs the conscience, so that everyone may have the right to the law of separation, and not to overreach and his own will against God's commandment. Therefore, we do not want to go any further here, except to see how it was with them, and how those who want to be Christians should conduct themselves (for the unbelievers do not concern us, as they must not be governed with the Gospel, but with coercion and punishment), so that we may keep our office pure, and not reach further than we are commanded.
209 In the 5th book of Moses, Cap. 24, 1. ff., it says: "If a man takes a wife in marriage, he shall be married.
- Erlanger: hold.
Ulld she does not please him, for the sake of some displeasure, then he shall give her a letter of divorce, and thus let her go" 2c. But nevertheless binds a shillelagh with it, that the same man (where he would like to have her again afterwards) may not take her again to himself. 2) Now, they soon learned and honestly abused the law, so that every man quickly left his wife and pushed her away when he was tired of her and had a desire for another (although Moses only allowed it so far if he found an unwillingness or infirmity in her, so that they could not well stay with each other), and went so freely with it that they themselves saw that it was not to be praised, and especially frivolous, and asked Christ about it, Matth. 19, 3. ff.: whether it would also be right to divorce for the sake of any cause? He also answers, and reads a hard text on it, which they had not heard before, and concludes just as here: that both, who divorces, and a divorced woman frees, except for the sake of adultery, breaks the marriage); and makes that she also breaks the marriage, where she takes another. (For otherwise she could not break marriage where she remained without a husband.) Thus he not only punishes them for being careless about divorce, but teaches that they should not divorce at all, or if they divorce, both remain without marriage, and concludes that divorce is always a cause of adultery.
210 But when they ask vv. 7, 8, "Why did Moses permit such a divorce?" he answers, "For the sake of your hard heads he permitted it. Not that it was fine or well done, but because you are such wicked and unrighteous people that it is better to allow it than to do evil, or to cause trouble, or to commit murder, or to live with one another in constant, eternal hatred, strife and enmity. How then it would also be advisable (if the secular authorities wanted to order such things) for the sake of some strange, stubborn, troublemaking heads, who can suffer nothing everywhere, and serve nothing at all for the conjugal life, to let them divorce. For one cannot govern in any other way for the sake of people's wickedness, one must often
- "u. s. w." is missing in the Wittenberg.
452 Eil. 48, H8-120. interpretation of Matth. 5, 31. 32. w. vn, 6'0-672. 453
The first thing to do is to let up a little, although it is not a good thing that nothing untoward should happen.
211 It is therefore decreed that those who desire to be Christians shall not divorce, but shall each keep his spouse, and suffer and bear with him good and evil, though it be strange, odd, and infirm; or, if he divorce, that he remain without marriage. And it is not valid to make a liberty out of the marriage bond, as if it were in our power to drive, change and walk with it as we would like, but it is said, as Christ says Matth. 19, 6.: "What God has joined together, let not man put asunder."
For such evil does not come from anywhere, because people do not regard the marriage state according to God's word as his work and order, nor do they respect his will, that he has given every man his spouse to keep, and to bear such adversity as occurs in the marriage state for his pleasure; they regard it no differently than a mere human, worldly being, so that God has nothing to do with it. That's why we soon get tired of it, and if it doesn't work out the way we want, we soon want to leave and change. Nevertheless, God has sent us to do no better. As it commonly happens, when one changes and improves all things, and no one wants to bear his lack, but to have everything in the purest way and without unwillingness, that he gets another, since he finds so much or ten times more unwillingness, not only in this, but in all other things.
For there can be no other way on earth; there must be much trouble and unhappiness every day in every house, city and country. And there is no state on earth in which one does not have to suffer much that hurts him, both from those who belong to him, as wife, child, servant, underlings, and by heart from neighbors and all kinds of random accidents. When a man sees and feels such things, he soon grows tired and weary of his position, or goes out with impatience, anger and cursing, and if he cannot avoid such hardships or turn them around, he wants to change his position; he thinks that every position and character is better, and he is not able to avoid them.
When he has changed for a long time, he finds trouble for evil. For to change is easy and soon done; but to mend is troublesome and strange. This is what happened to the Jews with their marriages and their divorces.
- Therefore, one should do in this as we have always taught and admonished: If someone wanted to start something that would be blessed and well advised, even in such bodily matters as becoming married, sitting at home, taking a stand, 2c. that he would call upon and therefore welcome God, who is to give it and is his. For it is not a small gift of God, if someone comes upon a pious, sorry spouse; why then would you not ask him to let it go well? For the first rut and foresight will not do it, nor have the time, if he does not himself give his blessing and happiness to it, and helps that one can bear such accidental adversity. Therefore, those who do not do this, but fall into it out of their own self-will, as if they were not allowed by God to do it, do not learn to do it, and it is only right that they should have purgatory and hell inside, and not be allowed by the devil. And because they bear no unpleasantness with patience, but have read everything in the purest way, and want to take away and cancel the article called forgiveness of sins, they have for a reward a restless, impatient heart, and so must suffer misfortune twofold, and have no thanks for it. But enough has been said about this elsewhere.
- But askest thou, Is there no cause at all for which man and woman may separate and change? Answer: Christ puts here and Matth. 19, 9. only this one, which is called adultery, and draws it from the law of Moses, which punishes adultery with death. Since death alone separates marriage and makes it free, an adulterer is also already divorced, not by man, but by God Himself, and not only from his spouse, but also from this life. For by committing adultery he has divorced himself from his spouse, and separated the marriage that he should not separate nor divorce, and thus forfeited death, so that he is already dead before God, even though the judge does not kill him. Because now here God
454 Erl. 43, 1S0-1S2. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. VII, S72-S75. 455
the other part is released and free, that it is not bound to keep its spouse, as fragile as he has become, if it wishes to do so.
For we neither call nor increase such divorces, but command the authorities to act therein, and let it go accordingly, which secular law orders in this matter. But rather than advising those who want to be Christians, it would be much better to admonish and encourage both parties to remain with each other, and the innocent spouse to be reconciled to the guilty one (where it humbles itself and wants to improve), and to forgive him out of Christian love. Unless there was no hope of recovery, or the guilty party, thus reconciled and taken into grace, wanted to abuse such kindness and nevertheless continue in a public, free manner, relying on it as if he were to be spared and forgiven. In this case, I would not advise, nor would I be called upon to show mercy, but would rather help such people to be beaten to a distemper or to be put into a sack. For to sin once is still to forgive, but to sin willfully on grace and forgiveness is not to suffer. For, as I have said, without this we know not how to force anyone to take a public whore or adulteress to himself again, if he will not, or cannot do so because of disgust. For we read of Joseph, Matthew 1:19, that although he was a devout man, yet he would not take Mary, his trusted bride, to himself (when he saw that she was with child). And therefore he is praised, because he would go away from her secretly, and not accuse her, nor kill her, as he might have done.
217 Above this cause of adultery is another, when one spouse forsakes the other, as when one runs away from the other out of sheer spite. As if a pagan were with a Christian, or, as now happens, that one spouse is in the Gospel, but the other is not (of which St. Paul says 1 Cor. 7, 13 ff.), whether such a divorce also applies? Then St. Paul concludes: "If one spouse wants to remain, the other should keep it; even if they are not one for the sake of faith, faith must not destroy the marriage.
But if the other part does not want to stay, let it go. You 1) are therefore not trapped nor bound to run after him. But if a boy otherwise runs away from his spouse without his knowledge or will, leaves house, farm, wife and child, stays outside for two or three years, or as long as he pleases (as now happens a lot), and when he has married and brought his own through, wants to come home again and sit in again, that the other part should be bound to wait for him as long as he wants, and take him to himself again: Such a boy should not only be forbidden house and farm, but also the land, and the other part, where he did not want to come again, if he was required and long enough to wait for him, only freshly acquitted.
218 For such a one is much worse than a heathen and an unbeliever, even less to suffer than a bad adulterer; who, though once fallen, can yet amend himself, and render his former fidelity to his spouse; but this one drives his loud courage with marriage, and does not hold his wife and child that he should dwell and remain conjugally with them, but that he may know a certain safe appearance, if he desire to come again. But it is said: Whoever wants to have wife and child, he should stay with them, bear good and evil with them as long as he lives; or if he does not want to be taught that he must do it, or is even divorced from wife, house and farm. But where there are no such causes, other faults and defects shall not hinder, nor divorce the marriage, except in cases of wrath, or other accidents. But if they divorce (says St. Paul), they shall both remain without marriage.
This shall be said briefly of this trade in the text, for I have otherwise written enough about it. The most important thing against such divorce and other misfortunes is, as I have said § 214, that each one learns to bear with patience the 2) common infirmities and accidents in his state and in this life, and to hold them to the advantage of his spouse, and to know,
- Erlanger: "and" instead of "you".
- "the" is missing in the Erlanger.
456 Erl. 43, 122-124. interpretation of Matth. 5, 31-37. W. VII, 675-678. '457
That not everything can nor will go right and according to our purpose. If you cannot have it any better in your own body, and have to suffer all kinds of filth and unpleasantness, which it causes you every day, because you should throw away everything that is unclean in it, then you would have to start at the belly, which must nourish you and keep you alive.
- If then you can suffer this in your body, that it makes you stink before you look around, or begins to fester and fester, that nothing pure remains in all your skin, and keep everything to it, even proving all the more good and love by waiting, washing, carrying and helping where it lacks something, why will you not do the same here to your own spouse, whom God has given you, in whom you have greater treasure and more cause to love? For there should be such love among Christians as one member of the body has for another (as St. Paul often exhorts), in that one takes care of the other's infirmities, reaches in, carries and lifts them up, and does everything in which it knows how to help him. Therefore our proper chief article is nothing but the forgiveness of sin, both in ourselves and toward others: that as Christ in his kingdom unceasingly bears and forgives us all infirmities, so also we bear and forgive one another in all states and things. Whoever does not want this, may God grant that he will never have rest, and that his simple misfortune or affliction will be tenfold more severe.
V. 33-37. You have heard that it was said to the ancients, "You shall not take a false oath, and you shall keep your oath to God. But I say unto you, swear not by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of a great king. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your speech be yea, yea, nay, nay; that which is above is of evil.
221 This text is also stretched with many glosses, and many a delusion and error is drawn from it, that many great doctors have
and have not been able to make themselves fit for it, that here it is forbidden in such a dry way: one should not swear at all, but remain badly Yes Yes, and No No; that some have stretched their consciences so tightly that one doubts whether one should also make an original peace when he is released from prison, or whether one should accept a peace and treaty with the Turk or unbeliever by an oath 2c. Now one cannot deny that Christ himself and St. Paul have often sworn, and that it is written that those who swear by his name will be praised; therefore a distinction must be made here, so that one may understand the text correctly.
But we have heard enough that Christ does not want to speak anything into the worldly rule and order, nor to take anything away from the authorities, but only preaches to the individual Christians how they should live for themselves in their nature. Therefore swearing is to be regarded as forbidden, just as killing and looking at or coveting a woman is forbidden above (v. 21 ff.). Killing is right, and yet not right. To covet a man or a woman is sin, and not sin; but so that both may be rightly divided, that is, that it may be said to me and to thee, If thou killest, thou doest wrong; if thou lookest on a woman to covet her, thou doest wrong. But to a judge he says, If thou killest not, and punishest not, thou shalt be punished. So to a husband or wife: If you do not keep yourself to your spouse, you do wrong. So it is both to kill and not to kill; to be with a wife and not to be with a wife. Namely, thou shalt not kill, nor be angry, nor love a wife, unless thou hast the special word or command of God. But if you are angry because God calls you to be, or if you have a wife according to God's word, both are right; for what God tells you and calls you is much different than what you do yourself.
- Now as you have understood this, understand this also: that it is forbidden here not to swear at all, just as he has forbidden killing so completely that there may be no anger in the heart; likewise, that one should be so completely alien from husband and wife, that one may be
** 458 Erl. 43, 124-127.** interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, "7S-S80. 459
Nor look upon her, nor think to desire her. And yet it would be a harmful sermon to preach it in the magistracy or in the marriage state, and to say to the judge, Thou shalt not be angry, nor do the sign or work of wrath; or to the married couple, Thou shalt not look upon thy wife or husband, nor love him; but one must reverse the matter here, and teach the antitype, and say, Thou judge shalt be angry and punish; and every man have and love his spouse. How then does Christ say that one should not desire a wife or have anger in his heart? Answer, as I said, he speaks of the wife that is not given to thee by God, and of the wrath that is not commanded thee: thou shalt have none. But where it is commanded thee, it is no more thine but God's wrath, and no more thy desire, but given and ordained of God: for thou hast. God's word to love your spouse and not to desire another. So also, from swearing, one must see where one has God's word or not.
- But that he is so hard on the prohibition here, he is also doing against their false teachers, who preached that oaths and swearing, even if it were done without necessity and God's word, were not sin; Indeed, they had made a distinction (as Christ here shows) as to how one should swear freely, and which oaths should be valid or not; as that one might swear by heaven, or by Jerusalem, or by his head; these would be small oaths, and would not bind so hard, if only one did not invoke God's name. In the end, therefore, they had come to the point where a bad yes and a bad no counted for nothing, and they thought that nothing mattered if they did not keep something that they had not sworn to keep. Just as they had taught about killing, that a secret anger and malice should not be considered a sin; so also if a man was hostile to his wife, had no desire nor love for her, but might well have a desire for another, and proved this with looks and jokes and other signs.
225 He began to preach against such unrighteous saints, saying, "If you do not change and become more devout, you will not be able to
you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. It is not valid to swear as you do, that it should be right and valid where and when you want; but it is said: You should not swear at all, neither by the temple, nor by Jerusalem, nor by your head, as little as by God Himself; but what you do with each other should be yes and no, and yes and no should remain. For this is the misuse of God's name, where one passes over this with oaths and swears, as if a bad yes and no should not apply nor bind, unless God's name were involved. After that, it is also 1) an abuse to swear so lightly, as is now common, since one almost uses God's name for every word. All of this should be forbidden, just as swearing by the name of God should not be.
226 For swearing, like swearing, is both good and evil. For we read in the Scriptures that holy people often cursed; as, Noah cursed his one son, Ham Gen. 9, 25., and the patriarch Jacob spoke an evil blessing and curse over his three sons, Reuben, Levi and Simeon Gen. 49, 4. ff.. Item, Moses against Korah 2) 4 Mos. 16, 5.. Yes, Christ himself in the Psalter curses his Judas, and in the Gospel about the false teachers; and St. Paul, Gal. 1, 8, curses all teachers who preach differently (even if it were an angel from heaven), that they should be anathema, that is, banished and cursed by God. As if we said: God must hinder them, and destroy them to the ground, and give them neither grace nor happiness. So the time comes when one must curse or do wrong. As that we should now pronounce a blessing on it and wish it well, that pope, bishops and princes deal with such poisonous practices and evil tricks against the gospel, to overthrow pious people's blood and to throw Germany into each other; this does not belong to Christians, but should and must say to it: Dear Lord, curse, destroy and plunge all their plots into the abyss of hell. Therefore, no one can rightly pray the Lord's Prayer, he
- "yet" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- In the old editions: "Core".
460 Erl. 43, IL7-ILS. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 33-37. W. VII, 680-683. 461
must curse to it. For when he prays: Hallowed be thy name, let thy kingdom come, let thy will be done 2c., then he must take everything on his house that is against it, and say: Cursed, maligned, profaned must all other names be, and all kingdoms that are against thee be destroyed and torn, all suggestions, wisdom and will go to the ground 2c.
But this is the difference: No one shall curse or swear of his own accord unless he has God's word that he should curse or swear. For, as I said, where it is in and according to the word of God, it is all right to swear, to be angry, to lust after a woman 2c. But that is to have God's word for it, if he commands me to do it as an official and for his sake, or demands it through those in office. As if by way of example, if you were imprisoned and in the hands of the authorities, and they demanded an oath to 1) Urfried; or if a prince demands an oath that you owe him; or a judge demands it from a witness; then you are obligated to do it. For there is the word that you shall obey the authorities. For God has 2) so ordered and arranged the government that one must be bound against the other, so that all erroneous things are settled, separated and put away by the oath, as the epistle to the Ebrians says Cap. 6, 16.
But if thou sayest, Yea, here is another word which Christ saith, Thou shalt not swear." Answer, as above 173 ff] Said of killing and anger: Thou shalt not do it but for thyself. Here, however, you do not swear, but the judge who calls you to it, and applies as much as if he did it himself, and is now the judge's mouth. Now Christ neither swears nor gives anything to the authorities, but lets their rule go as it should and must go, but he swears to you that you do not swear out of your own understanding, pride or habit, just as he swears to you to draw the sword, but does not refuse to be obedient to the authorities, if you are not willing to do so.
- Thus the Wittenberg. Jena and Erlangen "zur". But in 221, the word "Urfriede" is masculine in all editions.
- "hat" is missing in the Wittenberg and in the Jena.
If your sovereign wanted to use it, or if he ordered you to go to war, then you are obliged to strike freshly and confidently, and it is no longer your fist or sword, but subject to the authorities; and now you do not do it yourself, but your sovereign, who is commanded to do it by God. So we also say in the same fills. As if it came about that a treaty and agreement should be made with our enemies or Turks, then emperor and princes would well give and take an oath, both, whether the Turk swears by the devil or his Mahomet, whom he considers his God and worships, as we worship our Lord Christ and swear by him. Now you have a reason why it is right to swear, namely, the need to take an oath out of obedience to the authorities, to confirm the truth, or to make an agreement for the sake of peace and unity.
The other cause is love, although it is not demanded by the authorities, but is done for the benefit of the neighbor, just as love is angry and punishes when it sees the neighbor sin or err, as Christ teaches Matth. 18, 15. Demi it can ever not laugh at it, nor praise the evil. So I may well show love to another woman, if she is in distress or danger, that I help her out; this is not a carnal, forbidden, but a Christian, brotherly love, which does not go out of my own lust or forwardness, but because my neighbor needs it, and has God's word for it, which says: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" 3 Mos. 19, 18..
230 Therefore, when I see someone in spiritual distress and distress, weak in faith, or of a despondent conscience, or of an erroneous mind, and the like, I should not only comfort him, but also swear to strengthen his conscience, saying: As truly as God lives and Christ died, so surely is this the truth and the word of God. The oath is so necessary that one cannot do without it. For by it the right doctrine is confirmed, the erroneous and stupid conscience is instructed and comforted, and loosed from the devil. Therefore you may swear here as high and as dear as you can. So Christ and
462 Erl. 43, 129-131. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthäi. W. Vll. p83-686. 463
St. Paul swore and led God's name to witness. So an oath belongs to any urging word or promise, so a Christian preacher preaches, both to frighten the hard heads and to comfort the stupid.
Likewise, when one is to excuse one's neighbor and save his honor against evil, poisonous mouths, one may also say, "One is doing him wrong in the sight of God. For all this is God's name well used, for God's honor and truth, and the neighbor's salvation and blessedness. For there you have God's word and commandment hovering over you, which calls you to love your neighbor, to punish the disorderly, to comfort the afflicted. And because it is in the commandment, it cannot be wrong; indeed, the very thing urges you to swear, and to do wrong if you fail to do so.
- summa, where you have God's word, God grant you mercy, so that you may swear quickly, punish, be angry, and do everything you can. But what is above and beyond that, not by command, nor for the neighbor's need or benefit, you shall do none of these. For God does not want anything everywhere that you do on your own initiative, without his word, no matter what it may be, even if someone could raise the dead. Much less does he want to suffer that one misuses his name to invoke it where it is neither necessary nor useful, or that one goes astray with it every day in the Hanseatic League and in all places, as one does now, since one swears to every word, mostly in taverns 1), that it would be necessary that such things be strictly defended and punished. So you have a correct, clear understanding of this piece, so that one does not torture oneself in vain over this text, and make a purgatory out of it, which is none.
233 Christ says: "I tell you that you should not swear by heaven, nor by earth, nor by the city of Jerusalem. 2c. There one sees that this 2) city was held in high esteem and honor, that one swore by it. And he 3) also confirms it, and calls it a city.
- Erlanger: "Beer houses".
- Erlanger: "the"; the "is" that follows immediately is missing in the Wittenberger.
- "he" is missing in the Wittenberger.
God, and otherwise it is also called the holy city Matth. 4, 5. But it is called holy because God's word was there, and God dwelt there through it. And it is a fine way, and undoubtedly brought about by excellent people, that the city was held so high (as the prophet Isaiah also gloriously praises it) not for its own sake, but for the sake of the Word. Accordingly, any city that has God's word may be called holy, and may boast that God is certainly there.
234 But that he saith, Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black, is spoken of his creature, not of our custom. For he does not mean to say that hair cannot be powdered to make it black or any other color, but that it is not in our power to make a single hair white or black, nor to prevent it from becoming otherwise or so. But if it is grown, it can be shaved off or burned, just as other things can be changed to some extent by other creatures, but nothing can be done to make them otherwise or so. Thus he makes our own head a sanctuary, as it is not our work nor our power, but God's gift and creature.
- That he now decides: "Your speech should be: Yes, Yes, No, No," 2c., he speaks clearly to those who have no command or need to swear. For, as §228 said, for oneself one should not swear at all. But when the two things are added, command or necessity, it is no longer called swearing for oneself, for you do it not for your own sake, but for the sake of him who requires it of you, as your authority, or your neighbor's necessity, and God's command.
V. 38-41 You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, resist not evil: but if any man smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will be right with thee, and take thy skirt, let him have thy coat also. And if any man trouble thee a mile, go with him two.
464 Erl. 43, 131-133. interpretation of Matth. 5, 38-41. W. VII, 686-688. 465
This text has also given rise to a great deal of questioning and error on the part of all teachers who did not know how to separate the two parts, the temporal and the spiritual, or the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of the world. For where the two are mixed together, and not divided purely and finely, no right understanding can ever remain in Christianity, as I have often said and proved. Now we have heard nothing else so far, except that Christ preaches against the Pharisees, who deceived the people, both with doctrine and life, and misinterpreted and perverted God's commandment, so that they became false saints, as they still do. For one always finds among the preachers some (if not all) such Jewish saints, who teach no more than about sin and godliness in outward works.
237 As he has punished and rejected their doctrine and false interpretation in the previous plays, so here he also takes before him the play that is written in the law of Moses, for those who are commanded to lead the regiment and authority, and to punish with the sword, that they should and must take an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; so that they sin just as grievously, where they do not need such a commanded sword and punishment, as the others, who take the sword themselves without command, and take revenge. Just as in the previous plays, he who does not live and remain with his wife, who is given to him in marriage, sins just as much as he who lives with another woman out of wedlock. This they had also now reversed, and made a mixture, that they drew this text, which is only given to the authorities, for themselves, and thus interpreted: that also each one for himself might well seek vengeance and take an eye for an eye 2c., However, just as they had also mixed it among themselves in other pieces, and had drawn to themselves the anger that is due and commanded to the authorities; item, the desire or lust outside of marriage; likewise also the swearing, outside of necessity and love, drawn to their frivolity and other abuses.
238 Therefore Christ comes, and puts down such perverse, false delusion and understanding, leaving the authorities their right and office.
He teaches his Christians as individual people, apart from the office and regiment, how they should live for their own person, so that they do not desire revenge, and so skillfully, if someone strikes them on one cheek, that they are ready, if necessary, to offer the other, and not only abstain from revenge with the fist, but also in the heart, with thoughts and all their strength. Finally, he wants to have such a heart, which is not impatient, vengeful, nor peaceable. Now this is another righteousness, for they taught and kept, and yet wanted to adorn themselves from Moses, that one might well want to avenge and defend oneself where violence was done to one, because there it says in the text: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" 2c.
239 Now many people have quarreled over this saying, and not only the Jews but also the Christians themselves have taken offense at it. For they thought it too severe and too hard, that one should not resist evil at all, because we must have justice and punishment among us. And some have set against it the example of Christ, John 18:22, 23, when he was beaten on one cheek before Annas the priest, 1) and yet did not offer the other, but answered for his innocence, and punished the priest's servants, which seems to be contrary to this text. Therefore they said that it was not necessary to offer the thug the outside cheek, and thus helped this text that it was enough that one was prepared in the heart to offer the outside as well. This is not wrongly said, but it is not rightly understood. For they think that this means to offer the other cheeks, that one says to the beater: See, there you have this cheek also, and beat me another time; or that one throws the skirt also to the one who wants to take the coat. If that were the opinion, then one would have to throw everything, finally also house and yard, woman and child after it. Therefore we say that nothing more is preached here than that every Christian should be willing and patient to suffer what he should and must suffer, and not seek revenge or strike back.
- nevertheless the question remains here
- Jenaer: was.
466 Erl. 43, 133-13S. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 688-M1. 467
and disputation, whether one must suffer all kinds of things from everyone, and in no case be allowed to defend oneself; also not to quarrel or complain in court, nor to speak and demand one's own? For if such things were forbidden, it would become a strange thing that one would have to suffer everyone's willfulness and iniquity, and no one could stay ahead of the other, nor keep anything, and so in the end no regiment would remain.
To answer this, you must always keep in mind the main point, that Christ preaches for his Christians alone, and wants to teach them what kind of people they should be, against the fleshly delusion and thought that was still in the apostles at that time, that they thought he would set up a new reign and empire, and set them up to rule like lords, and bring their enemies and the evil world under them. As flesh and blood always desires and seeks in the gospel that it may have its rule, honor and benefit, and suffer nothing. This is also what the pope sought, and he brought about such a regime that his being became a righteous worldly rule, and was so feared that all the world had to be subject to him.
242 So now we also see that all the world seeks its own interests in the Gospel, and so many rascals arise from it, who have nothing else in mind than how they raise themselves up and make themselves masters, and dampen others. As Muenzer began with his peasants, and, after him, others have also proven themselves. In addition, the right Christians are also challenged when they see that things are so bad in the world, even in their own government, that they would like to take hold of it and rule it themselves. But let it not be, and let no one think that God would have us rule and reign with worldly law and punishment, but let the Christians' nature be entirely separated from this, so that they neither worry about it nor have anything to do with it, but let those take care who are commanded how to distribute goods, how to act, how to punish, how to protect, 2c., and let them go as they do; as Christ teaches Matt. 22:21: "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's." For we are placed in another, higher being, which is a divine, eternal kingdom, there
There is no need of things that belong to the world, but each one is Lord in Christ, both over the devil and the world, 2c. as is said elsewhere.
243 Those who belong to the same earthly government should and must have law and punishment, and must order and divide it according to class, person, and property, so that everything is in order, and 1) everyone knows what he should do and have; and no one interferes with another's office, nor interferes with others, nor takes what is theirs. This includes lawyers, who are to teach such things and keep them in mind. The gospel, however, has nothing to do with this, but teaches how the heart is to stand before God, and how it is to be skillful in all this, so that it remains pure and does not fall into false righteousness. Take this difference and notice it well, as the reason for the matter, according to which one can easily answer such questions, so that you may see what Christ is talking about and who the people are to whom he is preaching, namely, spiritual nature and life, and for his Christians how they should live and conduct themselves before God and in the world, so that the heart may cling to God, and not take any interest in worldly rule, nor in any authority, violence, punishment, wrath, or revenge.
244 If it be asked now, Whether a Christian also ought to do justice 2) or to defend himself 2c.? answer badly, and say, No. For a Christian is such a person, or man, as hath nothing to do with such a worldly being and right, and is in such a kingdom or regiment, where nothing else ought to go but as we pray, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us." There shall be love and service one to another, even toward them that love us not, but are enemies, and do violence and wrong 2c. Therefore he tells them not to resist evil, and so not to seek revenge, but to turn the other cheek to him who strikes them 2c.
245 Thereafter, there is another question: whether a Christian may also be a worldly man, and lead the regiment or law office and work, so that the two persons or two
- Erlanger: and a.
- Wittenberger: rechen. Latin: juäieio contsuäsrs.
468 Eri. 43, 138-188. interpretation of Matth. 5, 38-41. w. VII, 6SI-6S3. 469
What is the name of a vain worldly person, because they belong to the worldly regime? Then we say: Yes. For God Himself has ordered and established such worldly rule and distinction, confirmed and praised it by His word. For without it this life could not exist, and all three of us 1) were conceived in it, even born in it, before we became Christians. Therefore we must also remain in it as long as we walk on earth, but only according to the outward, bodily life and nature.
Therefore it is not possible, a Christian must be some kind of worldly person, because he is, at least with body and goods, under the emperor; but for his own person, according to the Christian life, he is only under Christ, and not the emperor's nor any other man's; and yet by heart he is thrown under him and bound together, if he is in a state or office, has house and farm, wife and child; for such are all the emperor's. Therefore he should and must do what he is called to do, and what such an external life demands, and would do wrong if he had house, wife, child, and servants, and would not nourish them or protect them where necessary. And it does not apply that he would pretend to be a Christian and would have to leave everything or have it taken away from him 2c., but it is said: You are now in the emperor's regiment, since you are not called a Christian, but a father, lord, prince 2c. A Christian you are for your person; but against your child, servants, subjects 2) 2c. you are another person, and you are obliged to protect them.
247 See, so now we speak of a Christian in relatione, not as a Christian, but bound in this life to another person, whom he has under him, or above him, or also next to him, as master, wife, wife, child, neighbor, 2c. since one owes it to the other to defend, protect and shield where he can. Therefore, 3) it would not be right to teach one to hold out one's cheek and to throw away one's skirt for a cloak.
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: inside.
- Instead of: "child, servants, subjects" ... "they", the Erlanger has: "servant" ... "him".
- "it" is missing in the Erlanger.
For that would be just fooled, as they say of a mad saint, who let himself eat the lice, and did not want to kill any, for the sake of this text, pretended that one had to suffer and not resist evil.
If you are a prince, judge, lord, or woman, 2c., and have people under you, and want to know what belongs to you, you must not ask Christ, but ask the emperor, or your law of the land, which will tell you how you should behave against your subjects and protect them. For there you have power and right, both to defend and punish, as far as your regiment or office and command reaches; but not as a Christian, but as the emperor's subject. What a foolish mother would be, who would not protect and save her child from a dog or wolf, and then say: A Christian should not defend himself. 4) Should they not be taught with good blows, and say: If you are a mother, do what is your mother's right, which is commanded you, and which Christ did not take away, but rather confirmed?
That is why one reads of many holy martyrs, who even under unbelieving emperors and lords went to war, when they were summoned, and 5) confidently struck out and murdered like others, that in this there was no difference between Christians and pagans; and yet they did not go against this text. For they did it not as Christians, for their own person, but as obedient members and subjects, bound to worldly person and government. But if you are free and unattached to such a worldly rule, you have another rule here, as another person.
Therefore learn well the difference between the two persons, which a Christian must bear at the same time on earth, because he lives among other people, and must use the world's and the emperor's goods, as well as the Gentiles. For he has the same blood and flesh, which he must receive, not from the spiritual government, but from the field and land, which is the emperor's, until he also bodily comes out of this life into another. Where now such with good difference
- Wittenberger: "Should a Christian fight back?"
- "and" is missing in the Wittenberger.
470 Erl. "3, 138-140. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. VII, "ss-696. 471
When you have understood how far a Christian and a worldly person are stretched, then you can finely word all such sayings and apply them correctly, so that the two are not mixed and blended together, as the pope did with his teaching and rule.
251 Now let this be said of such a person who is bound to other persons under secular law, which is called father's, mother's, master's and woman's law 2c. But how, if it concerns your person alone, that one does you harm and injustice, whether it also applies that one resists and protects oneself by force? Answer: No. For here secular and imperial law itself teaches: Striking again causes strife, and whoever strikes again is 1) wronged. For in doing so, he interferes with the judge, whose duty it is to punish, and deprives him of his right. As in other cases, if someone steals or robs from you, it is not your duty to steal or rob from him again and take by force. But we are usually so clever that we have smelled ourselves before we look around. But it shall not be so.
252 If you do not want to or cannot bear it, you may go with him before the judge and execute your right there. For he will allow you to demand and take justice in a proper way, only that you look on and do not have a revengeful heart. Just as a judge may punish and kill, and yet it is forbidden that he have neither hatred nor revenge in his heart; as it commonly happens that one abuses his office to atone for his own willfulness. But if this does not happen, and you alone seek to protect and stop yourself with justice against violence and wrongdoing, not to avenge yourself 4) or to harm your neighbor, you do no wrong; for where the heart is pure, everything is right and well done. But it is yearly, because the world is evil in flesh and blood, and always seeks its own, and yet adorns itself with such appearances, and covers the mischief.
- Wittenberger: has.
- Jenaer: "kanstu". "du" is missing in the Wittenberg and the Erlanger.
- Wittenberger: "gir" instead of: Revengefulness.
- Wittenberger: "rechenen".
So it is not forbidden to go to court and complain of injustice, Violence 2c, if only the heart is not wrong, but is patient as before, and does so only to keep it above what is right, and not to give way to what is wrong, and to do it out of a right love of justice. As I have given an example above § 90 of St. Joseph, who accused his brothers before their father, when they had done wrong, and had cried foul; and for this reason he is praised, because he did not do it out of an evil heart, so that he would betray them, or have a desire to make trouble, as they began to do, and therefore made enemies of him, but out of a kind, brotherly heart, for their good. For he did not like to see them get a bad rap; that it could not be called revenge sought or evil grudged, but rather helped for the best, and suffered that they put on him all mischievousness Gen. 37, 2. ff.
254 Thus we also read in the Gospel Matth. 18, 23. ff. in the parable of the servant to whom his master had forgiven all his debts, and he would not forgive a small debt to his fellow servant, that the other servants were greatly grieved, and complained of this to the Lord, not because they were avenging themselves or rejoicing in his misfortune, But kept their hearts and mouths quiet, so that they did not curse or slander others, but brought it before the Lord, to whom it belonged to be punished, and sought justice, but with a fine Christian heart, as such persons who were bound to their Lord to be faithful. How it should and must go, be it in a Hanse or city, where a pious, faithful servant or subject sees another do wrong or harm to his lord, that he may show it to him and prevent his harm. Likewise, a pious citizen, if he sees violence and harm done to his neighbor, to help save and defend himself. These are all worldly actions that Christ did not forbid, but rather confirmed.
For this must not and should not be, that one should leave room and cause for every one's will to be courageous, and be silent about it, and do nothing about it, if it can be properly defended and occurred;
472 Erl. 43, 140-142. . Interpretation of Matth. 5, 38-41. W. VII, 696-699. 473
even though we should and must suffer without it, where injustice and violence are done to us. For one must not approve of injustice, but bear witness to the truth, and may well plead the right against violence and iniquity, as Christ Himself pleaded the right before the high priest 1) Annas, and nevertheless suffered that He was beaten, and offered not only the other cheek, but the whole body John 18:22 ff.
- Behold, then, you have a fine, clear instruction, how one is to proceed rightly in the two, that one may not use the extensive and dangerous glosses, which one has hitherto sought; only that one may divide it rightly, and not draw it into one another, so that it may go both ways, and yet each remain in its circle; That is, so that a Christian may conduct all kinds of worldly affairs without sin, not as a Christian, but as a worldly person, and yet keep his heart pure in his Christianity, as Christ demands; which the world cannot do, but abuses all worldly order and law, yes, all creatures, contrary to God's command.
Thus, if a Christian goes to war, or sits in judgment, and punishes or sues his neighbor, he does so not as a Christian, but as a warrior, judge, lawyer 2c. But nevertheless he keeps a Christian heart, who desires no one to do evil, and would be sorry that harm should come to his neighbor; and thus at the same time lives 2) as a Christian toward everyone, who suffers all kinds of things for himself in the world, and yet also, as a worldly person, holds, needs, and does all kinds of things that land or city law, civil law, and domestic law demand. Summa, a Christian, as a Christian, lives none of the things that are seen in him in this outward life. For all this belongs to the imperial regiment, which Christ does not want to overthrow, nor to teach that one should run away and leave the world or his office and position, but rather need its regiment and order, and remain connected to it, and yet live within another regiment, which is nothing everywhere.
- Erlanger: Priest.
- "At the same time" is missing in the Wittenberg; instead: "against everyone equally".-Erlanger: "at the same time against everyone equally".
The new version of the book is a good example of this.
258 So now we come to the text with such a difference, and go through all these pieces, namely, that a Christian should not resist any evil; again, a worldly person should resist all evil, as far as his office goes. As a householder shall not suffer his household to set themselves against him, or to smite one another 2c. In the same way, a Christian should not be on the right side of anyone, but should let go of both his coat and his robe if they are taken from him. But a worldly person shall protect himself with his right hand and defend himself where he can, against violence and iniquity. Summa, in Christ's kingdom it is said: suffer all kinds of things, forgive, and repay good for evil. Again, in the emperor's regiment, one should not suffer injustice, but defend against evil and punish it, and help protect and preserve the right, which is required of every office or position.
259 But sayest thou, Yea, Christ hath said here in plain words, Ye shall not resist evil, which is but a bare saying, as if it were indeed forbidden? Answer: Yes, see also to whom he speaks such things. For he does not say that one should not resist evil at all, for that would be to abolish all rule and authority; but he says this: You, you should not do it. What are these "you"? They are called Christ's disciples, whom he teaches how to live for themselves apart from worldly rule. For to be a Christian is another thing (as has been said enough) than to have and hold a worldly office or position. Therefore he will say: He who is in the worldly government, let him resist evil, do justice and punish, as the lawyers and lawyers teach; but to you, as my disciples, whom I teach, not how you should govern externally, but how you should live before God, I say: "You should not resist evil," but suffer all kinds of things, and have a pure, kind heart toward those who do you wrong or violence. And if they take away your skirt, that you seek not revenge, but leave your cloak for it, where you cannot help it.
But he sets two ways by which one is wronged or his own is taken away. First, by sheer force
474 Erl. 43, 142-145. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthäi. W. VII, WA-7M. 475
and iniquity, as when a man strikes you on the mouth, or robs you publicly, and does not ask the law about it; that is, he gives you a cheek. On the other hand, if it is not called public violence, but is done with the appearance and expedient of justice, as when someone seeks a cause against you in court, as if he had good right against you, that he should wrest from you what is yours. That is, Christ's skirt is taken from you in court, since you are denied what is yours, and so you must suffer both innocent injustice, and yet be guilty of it, as if you were unjust 2c. Not that the law should do thee harm or violence, which is set to protect the pious, but that peelers and knaves sit in judgment and are in office, that they should do justice, and yet, where they cannot do thee violence, they bend and bend it, and abuse it to their own will. As the world can do masterfully and does daily, nothing is now so mean as to make injustice out of right, and right out of injustice with all kinds of devious plots and strange intrigues.
261 But most of all this happens to devout Christians, to whom the world is hostile without, and has a desire to put on all plagues. For this reason Christ tells them beforehand to take care of themselves in the world and to be devoted to suffering, especially if it is for the sake of the things for which they are Christians, that is, for the sake of the gospel and the spiritual government, so that they will wait for all the tricks and let everything go. For otherwise we must suffer, because as individuals we have no power, nor can we defend ourselves against the authorities who set themselves against us. Otherwise, if this is not the case, and you can protect and defend yourself by law, so that no violence is done to you or yours, then you are doing the right thing, and you owe it.
V. 42. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants you tomorrow.
262 He shows three things that the Christians should suffer in temporal goods: that they let them take, gladly lend, and give. The scribes 1) taught no further than the law of the world and of Caesar, which is the law of the world.
- Erlanger: "they" instead of: "the scribes".
does not mean you to give what is yours to others, nor to let it be taken from you, but teaches you to handle and act with your goods, so that you take the same in return by buying, selling, exchanging 2c. 2) Now Christ preaches nothing of this, but lets it go, as reason teaches, how one should divide goods and act 2c. But he shows what a Christian is to have above all this, namely, the threefold thing, that he let him take, whether by force or by the appearance of right. Item, that he give gladly, and also lend gladly.
For this reason, we must divide the secular law and the teachings of Christ. According to worldly law, you may well need your goods, trade with them, buy and sell, as one reads of the holy patriarchs, that they traded and dealt with money and goods, like other people, as it must be, who wants to live among the people, nourish wife and child, 2c. For everything belongs to it, that the belly has its right, and is just as necessary as food and drink.
But Christ teaches you that in all these things you should nevertheless be willing to let yourself be taken, even to do good or to give, and also to lend where you can, and to suffer violence, not only with goods, but also with your body and life, as was said in the previous text; and especially everything for the sake of the Lord Christ, where it is desired of you because of the gospel that you should not only give up your skirt, but also your coat, not only your goods and honor, but also your body and life. For in such a case there is no doubt. Nor can any other case occur. For in other cases, which belong to worldly affairs and government, you have judge and right, where injustice or violence happens to you, whom you can call upon and take to help you. But if you cannot obtain justice or protection, you must also suffer it, just as unbelievers must suffer it.
But here we must also be careful not to leave room for scoundrels and boys who want to help themselves to the doctrine and pretend: Christians must suffer all sorts of things,
- "u. s. w." is missing in the Wittenberg.
476 Trl. 43, 145-147. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 42. W. VII, 701-704. 477
Therefore one may confidently reach into their goods, take and steal; and a Christian must be obliged with all that he has to sit there with any bold boy, so that everything is open to him, and must give or lend him as much as he wants to have, and not demand again 2c. How the shameful, renegade emperor Julianus mocked with this text, and took from the Christians what he wanted, pretending: he wanted to play their own right with them. No, dear fellow, it is not so. It is true that Christians should be ready to suffer all kinds of things; but if you come before the judge, or into the executioner's hand, see what he will suffer from you? A Christian must wait to suffer what befalls him from you and from everyone else; but he is not obliged to allow you to be ruthless and to leave room for it where he can defend himself with justice and by the help of the authorities. And even if he does not want to protect the authorities or even uses force himself, he should not keep quiet about it as if he had to approve it.
266 So also here, whether he should gladly lend and give to anyone who asks him; but where he knows that a knave is, he is not obliged to give to him. For Christ does not say to me that I should give what is mine to every man, and deprive those who are mine and others who may have it, whom I am obliged to help without it, and after that I myself should lack and burden others. For he does not say that one should give and lend to anyone, but to the one who asks us, as he is in need of it, 2c. not to the one who willfully wants to take it away, as those who otherwise have it well, or who wants to feed himself without work with other people's burden. Therefore, one should look at this and know what kind of people one would have in a city, who would be poor and without means, or not, and not allow any boy or runner, who has no need, and could feed himself well. For the same Junker Unrath is now going astray everywhere in the country, who want to make use of this doctrine, and with it eat and splurge on other people's property, and beat everything through it, and thus strike out from one place to the next. Such people should be sent to Master
- "shall" is missing in the Erlanger.
The people of the city are the ones who have to be instructed and taught otherwise, so that they do not have to betray the good people of their courage.
267/ St. Paul also teaches this in 2 Cor. 8, 2, when he himself seeks a tax from the Corinthians for the poor Christians in the time of trouble, that it should not be done in the opinion that others should have rest and they should have tribulation, that is, that they should have trouble and work, and themselves suffer lack, that others should have good courage from theirs; and 2 Thess. 3, 6. ff. he commands Christians to abstain from those who walk disorderly, but to work every man with a quiet mind, to eat his own bread, and not to afflict others; and concludes that he who will not work shall not eat. Therefore, let him who is able to work know that this is God's commandment, that he should do something to nourish himself and not be a burden to others. For those who need it are enough without that, that one nevertheless has enough to lend and give; as the Scripture says Deut. 15, 11 Matth. 26, 11: There will always be poor in your country. For we should not lend and give in such a way that we throw it to the wind and do not see to whom we give it, but should open our eyes beforehand to see who he is, whether he is peton (as Christ says here), that 2) he is in need, and ask rightly? or whether he is a tempter or a knave?
268 Now your worldly person belongs to you, so that you are wise here, because you live among the people, and know the poor, and see what you get for people, and to whom you should give or not. If then thou seest that there is a right bitter man, open thine hand, and lend or borrow to him, if he be able to restore it thee. But if he cannot, give it to him, and make a mark in the register. As there are pious people who would gladly feed themselves with wife and children, and work, and yet will not do it, come here and there into debt and mischief; for whom also every city shall have its common treasury and alms, and ecclesiastics, who shall see who such are, and how they live, 2c. that they may not be called to the
- Erlanger: "d. i. ob."
478 "rl, 43^147-149. interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 704-707. 479
lazy strings leave room for people to complain.
V. 43-48. Ye have heard that it is said, 1) Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you are only kind to your brothers, what special thing will you do? Do not the tax collectors do the same? Therefore be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
269 This saying, which Christ indicates here, is not found in one place in the Old Testament, but from time to time in the fifth book of Moses, about their enemies, the Gentiles around, as Moab, Ammon, Amalek. And even though it does not say that they should hate their enemies, it follows from this when he says, Deut. 23:3 ff, that they should never do good to the Ammonites and Moabites and other enemies of theirs, nor wish them happiness or salvation 2c. Truly, the Jews were allowed a great deal and were given a wide berth, and they were well wrapped up in it. But as in others, they did not understand this rightly, but went too far, and abused it to all their power. Therefore Christ interprets it differently here, and shows them the right understanding of the law, which they left aside, and instead drew out such sayings, which seemed to be for them, that they confirmed their deeds with it.
(270) Now here let us understand the difference: first, that he alone speaks what Christians, as Christians, should do, especially for the sake of the gospel and their Christianity. If anyone hates, envies, blasphemes, or persecutes me for the sake of Christ and the kingdom of heaven, I should not hate, persecute, blaspheme, and curse again, but should love, do good, and bless.
- "da" is missing in the Erlanger.
and pray for him. For a Christian is such a man, who knows no hatred nor enmity against anyone, has no wrath nor revenge in his heart, but only love, gentleness and goodness; just as our Lord Christ and his heavenly Father is himself, whom he also sets as an example here.
2/1 The question now is: What shall we say to the fact that we often read in the Scriptures that the holy people also cursed their enemies, even Christ himself and his apostles? Does this mean to love and bless the enemies? Or, how can I love the pope, whom I reproach and curse daily, and also cheaply? Answer to the most simple: I have often said that the ministry of preaching is not our ministry, but God's. But what is God's is not our ministry. But what is God's, we do not do, but He Himself through the word and ministry, as His own gift 2) and creature. 3) Now it is written, Joh. 16, 8, that the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit is to punish the world; but if he is to punish it, he cannot pretend to it or call it a minister of grace and say what it likes to hear, but must rebuke it and accost it, as Christ, Matth. 23, 13. ff, cries woe to his Pharisees, and St. Paul cries woe to Elymas, Acts. 13, 10: "Thou devil's child, full of all mischievousness," 2c., and St. Stephen also, Apost. 7, 51 ff, reads a harsh and sharp text to the chief priests; and especially St. Paul, Gal. 1, 8, pours it out in a heap and calls them all anathema, that is, banished and cursed, and put into the abyss of hell, who do not teach the pure doctrine of faith.
Behold, thus does the word of God touch the whole world; it takes both lords and rulers and every man in the mouth; it reproves and curses all their conduct, which is not fitting for me and you, as individual Christians, apart from the ministry and the doctrine. So in the other Psalm, v. 10 ff, David may come and tell all kings and rulers to think and humble themselves, and to fall under the teaching of Christ, to be punished and taught otherwise, or in short, to be damned to the devil. I should not do that; but God's word goes thus, thunders
- Wittenberger: Thing.
- Erlanger: Business.
480 Erl. 48, 14S-1S1. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 43-48. W. VII, 707-708. 481
and flashes, and storms against great, mighty mountains, and strikes that it smokes, shatters everything that is great, proud, disobedient, as Psalm 2S, 3. ff. says; and again, as a fruitful rain soothes and moistens, plants and strengthens what is dull and sick, as poor, arid plants.
273 Now if anyone will go forth and bite at himself with cursing and scolding, not as a teacher and preacher who is commanded 1) to speak God's word, he does wrong. But he who is commanded to such an office should and must do it; and also does wrong if he neglects it, or does not open his mouth confidently out of fear, and punishes what is to be punished without regard to the person. As we must now say to our bishops that they are tyrants and evil-doers, who publicly act against God and right with all outrage and courage. For I do this not of my own accord, but because of my office; otherwise, for my own part, I should neither wish nor say evil to any man on earth, but again, wish, speak and do all good to everyone. For I am not so hostile to the pope, bishops and all enemies who persecute us and inflict all plagues. What God gives them in the way of temporal goods, power and honor, I sincerely grant them, and would gladly help them to obtain them, and even more gladly grant them that they might also be rich in spiritual goods, in which we are, and have no lack; and it would be our heartfelt joy if we could bring them here with our life and limb, and rescue and save them from their blindness and the devil's power.
But because they do not want the bad, nor can they suffer or accept anything good that we offer them, we must also let them go, and say: If it should be that one of them should perish, God's word and Christ's kingdom, or the pope with all of his bunch, then he had better go into the abyss of hell, in his God's name, the devil's name, so that only God's word remains. If I should bless and praise one thing, or curse and condemn another, I bless the word of God, and curse them with all that they have.
- "is" is missing in the Erlanger.
For I must take God's word above all things, and life and limb, 2) the world's favor, goods, honor and all salvation, 3) that I may receive the same, and remain with Christ as my highest treasure in heaven and earth. For one thing must happen to the two, that either God's word remains, and they are added to it, or, if they do not want grace and good things and all salvation, they should not suppress it.
Thus a Christian may easily direct himself in the matter, that he may keep himself both against enemy and friend. Friend, and love everyone, bless 2c. where it concerns the neighbor's person. But besides this, as far as God and his word are concerned, let nothing happen too near, but put it above and before everything, put everything above it, regard no one, whether friend or foe, as this is not our business, nor our neighbor's, but God's own business, whom we owe to obey above all things. Therefore I say to my worst enemies: As far as my person is concerned, I will gladly help you and do you all the good I can, even if you are an enemy to me and do evil; but as far as God's word is concerned, you must not wait for friendship or love, so that I will do against it, even if you are my closest and best friend; but because you do not want to suffer the same, I will say such a prayer and blessing over you: That God forbid thee, and put thee to shame. 4) Gladly will I serve thee; but not to overthrow the word of God, that thou shouldest not bring me, nor be able, to give thee a drink of water. Summa, people are to be loved and served, but God above all things; that where one wants to hinder or resist the same love and service towards God, there neither love nor service is valid anymore. For it is said: You shall love your enemy and do good; but I must also be an enemy to God's enemies, so that I do not run against God with them.
- Now he has also refuted 5) this piece against the delusion of the Jews, who turned their noses up at the Scriptures as if they would like to give their
- The words "body and life" are in the Wittenberg after "honor.
- Wittenberger: set.
- Erlanger: "that GOD may smite thee to the earths."
- "nun" is missing in the Wittenberg. ,
16
482 Drl. 43, 151-154. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th Cap. Matthäi. W. vir, 7ds-712. 483
The law declared that they should not have any enemy at all, although Moses had said that they should not have and make friends with some foreign nations, which God had specially chosen as his enemies, not them. But that they themselves considered as enemies those whom they wanted, and cursed, persecuted and tormented them, that was not Moses' opinion. For Solomon also, when he understood and interpreted Moses aright, saith thus Proverbs 25:21, "If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, water him." Which saying is also indicated by St. Paul Rom. 12, 20. For "to hate thine enemy" belongs to a common person and office, by God; but the commandment, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," goes over the common multitude, and every one through and through.
But behold how high he sets his purpose, not only to punish those who do evil to their enemies, but also not to let those be righteous who leave it to them to do good where they may. For he says first, "Love your enemies." But to love means to bear a good heart and to grant all good things, to be kind from the heart, 1) to be kind and sweet to everyone, not to laugh at his harm or misfortune.
278 Likewise, when he says, "Bless them that curse you," 2c. he wills that no evil word be spoken against them, though they reproach, blaspheme, profane, and curse us most grievously, but that they speak and desire good things. This is where the Christian word comes from, which some pious people use when they hear that someone has wronged them, or that they have done something wrong, so that they say: God forgive him! as a lamentation and out of compassion, desiring no more than that he not be harmed before God. That is, a good tongue against other evil tongues, so that both mouth and heart show vain love.
279 Then, thirdly, he wills that such a heart should be shown also in works, and in all kindness and goodness, saying, "Do good to them that hate you.
- Erlanger: and.
But this is a strange virtue, and such a doctrine, which truly does not serve the world at all, and is quite impossible to nature, that Ulaan should give and pour out all good for all kinds of evil, and not let any evil or shameful ingratitude overcome him; but overcome and curb evil with good, as St. Paul says Rom. 12:21. For this reason he has previously commanded that whoever desires to be a disciple of Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven must have a different and better righteousness than the Pharisees and the Jewish saints.
The fourth part, "Pray for those who insult and persecute you," is more about our doctrine and faith than about our person and life. For their persecuting us is because of God's word, that they may be right and we may be wrong. It is part of this that we should ask and command God, because we cannot find justice or a judge on earth. And because we see that those who persecute us not only attack us, but also God Himself, and reach into His kingdom, and do the greatest harm not to us, but to themselves, and have fallen into God's wrath and judgment, we should have more mercy on them, and pray for them, that they may come out of blindness and terrible judgment. For no one can do us any harm; he must first have done it to a greater Lord, namely, to the high Majesty in heaven.
281 But this also in such a way that it goes outside the office and does not hinder it, so that, as I have always said, one may well distinguish the teaching that concerns each person in general from the teaching that belongs to those who are in office, whether spiritual or secular, which has its work that it must punish and ward off evil. Therefore, even if they are benevolent in themselves, justice and punishment, as the work of their office, must also go. And would it not be right for them, as a matter of mercy, to let it stand, for that would help, strengthen, and give place to evil. As if I were to say to our enemies, pope, bishops, princes, and whoever they are, who persecute and trample underfoot the gospel and the poor people who are attached to it: Dear lords,
484 Erl. 43, 1S4-IS6. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 43-48. W. VII, 712-714. 485
Praise God, you are pious people and holy fathers 2c., or wanted to be silent, and worship them, or kiss their feet. No, dear brother, so it is said: I am a preacher, who shall have teeth in his mouth, bite and salt, and tell them the truth; and if they will not hear, put them under ban, shut up heaven, 1) decree hellish fire, and give it to the devil for God's sake 2c.
282 Therefore he that hath this office to punish, to reprove, let him do it; but apart from the office let every man keep this doctrine, that thou neither reprove nor curse, but wish and shew all good, though he do evil, and so put away the punishment from thee, and command them that have the office. For he will surely find his judge, who will not give it to him, even if you do not take revenge or seek revenge. For God does not want to leave unpunished any will to be brave, but He Himself will take revenge on our enemies and send them back what they deserve from us; as He Himself says Deut. 32, 35: "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay." From this St. Paul exhorts Christians, Rom. 12, 19: "Do not avenge yourselves, but give place to the wrath of God." With which words he not only teaches, but also comforts. As if he wanted to say, "Do not refrain from avenging one another, cursing one another, and wishing evil on one another; for he who does you harm or damage encroaches on an office that is not his, as he who refrains from punishing you or doing you harm without command, even against God's command. If you also do this, you are also encroaching on God's office, and you sin against Him as grievously as he does.
Therefore keep your fist still, and give room to his wrath and punishment, and let him do as he will not leave it unsmelled, and punish more severely than you may desire. For he has not touched you, but much higher God Himself, and has already fallen into His wrath, from which he will not escape; as no one has yet escaped from Him. Why then will you be angry, because God's wrath, which is immeasurably greater and heavier than all the wrath and punishment of the world, has already come upon him, and has already risen higher.
- Erlanger: and.
Why do you want to curse and avenge him so much, because you see that he is in such a heavy sentence, that you should rather have mercy on him and pray for him that you may avenge him? 2) Why then do you want to curse and avenge much, because you see that he lies in such heavy judgment, that you should rather have mercy on his misery, and pray for him that he may come out and mend his ways? 2c.
284 And to confirm this doctrine, and to make it appear, he gives two examples: first, that he says, "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. 2c. As if he should say: If you want to be called true children of the Father in heaven, let his example move you, so that you also live and do like him. But how does he do? "He makes his sun rise daily, and rain, both on the righteous and the wicked." There he has summarized in short words all the benefits that God shows to the world on earth, when he sets the two pieces: The sun, and the rain. For if the two or the one of them were not, the whole world would have long been desolate, corrupted and passed away. If the sun did not go out every day, it would not be possible to work a day, but all animals, trees, herbs and grass would perish from frost. Therefore the sun alone gives the benefit (of which the world is full, and cannot pay), that all, animal and man, can seek its food, and in addition heat and warmth, that it remains alive, grows, increases, and does not perish. Summa, it is not to be counted, what God gives every hour and moment through the sun for benefit. Yes, where is someone who recognizes such things or gives thanks for them?
But although God gives, creates and sustains everything through the sun, we must also have the rain. For if it were always raining, everything would wither and pine away from the heat, and no food or grain could grow for animals or people. That is why he tempered it with the rain, so that it would come back to itself and thus remain with its sap and strength. Thus, in these two, the four elements that belong to life, which the philosophers call primas qualitates, are cold.
- "self" is missing in the Erlanger.
- "allhie" is missing in the Erlanger.
486 Erl. 18, 15S-168. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 714-717. 487
warm, dry and humid, which must be none without the other. For if it were vain cold, or again vain heat, it would be no life. Now the sun penetrates two parts, heat and dry; likewise the rain also two, that 'it is cold and damp. Thus God gives the whole world daily life and limb, and all the necessities, benefits and uses thereof, most abundantly and altogether in vain, to his enemies as well as to his friends. Yes, it 1) rains most in a desolate, wild forest and water, where it is no use at all, and lets rain very sparsely, where pious people live. Yes, he gives the best kingdoms, land and people, money and goods to the most wicked boys; but to the pious hardly the dear 2) bread to eat.
Because God sets such examples before our eyes everywhere in the wide world, it is as if he wanted to admonish us and say to us: "If you do not know what kind of man I am and what good I do for you, then ask the sun and the moon and the rain about it, and everything that is cold, wet, warm or dry, then you will see not only the countless good deeds that I show to my Christians, but also much more to the wicked, who do not know how to thank me, but persecute my son and pious Christians to the highest degree. So that you should be ashamed when you look at the sun, as it preaches these things to you every day, yes, even before a little flower or a bamboo leaf in the field. For it is written in all the leaves and grass, and there is not a bird, nor a fruit, nor a berry, nor a grain so small, which shall not show thee these things, saying, To whom shall I bear my goodly fruit or berry? To the most wicked wretches and knaves of the earth. What do you 3) show yourself, that you have no love for God, nor do good to your neighbor in your body, and do not show a little 4) to others, because he does you so much good through all creatures without ceasing?
- There is not a man on earth who suffers so much from evil for the hundredth time.
- Erlanger: er.
- "love" is missing in the Erlanger.
- to blame - to blame oneself.
- Erlanger: so.
- Erlanger: still.
- not only that his goods and all creatures are misused for vain sin and shame, but rather that the very same ones who have the most of such goods, as kings, lords and princes, are so hostile to him and his word as to the devil himself, that they would gladly, where they could, eradicate it all at once; 7) They storm without ceasing with vain reviling, cursing, blaspheming, and in addition with their fists against it, so that there is no one on earth to whom more hatred and envy, together with all kinds of mischievousness and deceitfulness, are shown than his Christians. Well, he must suffer this from all the world; he is still so pious, and lets the sun shine on them daily, and enjoy all his good deeds superfluously, which would rather be worth not having a straw, nor a moment of light, but that he would rain vain hellish fire on them without ceasing, and with rays 8) hailstones, spears, and stones from the bushes on them. This may be called a pious father, who lets so much good, land, people, fruits and good weather happen to such desperate evil-doers, and be lord and sovereign of all things in his estate, that sun and moon and all creatures must serve them, and let themselves be abused to all their will and malice against God. If we want to be the Father's children, we should let ourselves be moved by such a high example, so that we also live in this way.
The other example is that of wicked men and murderers among themselves. They can also do the art of keeping company with one another, and are in good spirits with one another; indeed, they put together life, limb and property, and yet they are only directed to harm people, to rob and murder, and this only for the sake of temporal, uncertain good. Therefore you should be ashamed of yourselves, who are called Christians and children of God and want to go to heaven, and have such a pious, faithful father, who promises and gives you all good things; and yet you are nothing more pious than robbers and murderers, and all those who do not know what they are doing.
- Erlanger: er.
- Wittenberger: exterminate.
- with stralen" will probably mean as much as "gußweife", as in a ray. Therefore, we have deleted the comma after "rays".
488 Erl. 43, 1SS-1S0. Interpretation of Matth. 5, 43-48. W. VII. 717-71S. 489
like bad boys on earth. For none have ever been so wicked as not to have kept love and friendship among themselves; otherwise how could their nature exist? For even the devils in hell cannot live against each other, otherwise their kingdom would soon be destroyed; as Christ himself says Luc. 11:18.
Behold now, how pious art thou, when thou art only kind and gracious to thy friends? Yet thou art as pious as thieves and husks, harlots and knaves, yea, as the devil himself. You still walk along, you are safe, and you think you are well off, and you can still adorn yourself gloriously and boast as if you were an angel. Just as our gang spirits now boast of the great love they have for one another, so that one must sense from this that the Holy Spirit is with them. But what do they do? They love their own mobs; besides, they find us mad and murderous enemies, who have done them no harm; so that one can certainly feel what they have for your spirit, and may well boast that they nevertheless have as much love as boys, husks and murderers, plus the devils themselves among themselves. With the way no man on earth would be evil. For no one is so desperately wicked, he must have someone for a friend; otherwise how could he live among the people, if he should bite and devour himself with all the people? If you nnn here also wanted to conclude: He loves his friends, therefore he is pious and holy, then you must also make the devil and all his friends pious in the end.
For this reason, Christ 1) wants to conclude against the Pharisaic saints that everything they teach about love is false, 2c. and teaches them to turn the page and look at the Scriptures correctly, where they want to be God's people, so that they see and show love towards their enemies. In this way they could prove that they had a right love and were God's children, as he proves his love to the enemies and the ungrateful. For Moses himself clearly said this in Exodus 23:4, 5: "If you meet your enemy's ox or donkey and he errs, you shall bring him back to him.
- Erlanger: "he" instead of: "Christ allhie".
of the burden lies, you shall help him up again 2c. In you they should have found that they would also be guilty of loving their enemies, if they had looked at the text and not fluttered about it, as now our blind teachers flutter about the Scriptures. For because he is called to restore and to help up an ass or an ox that is the enemy, he will have done much more such things when he himself is in danger of his body, goods, wife, child 2c. And in sum, this is what is said: You shall not desire his harm, but prevent it and, where you can, help and encourage him to do good 2c. With this you can finally move him and overcome and soften him with good deeds, so that he must love you again, because he sees and experiences no evil, but only love and everything good from you.
291 So then Christ bases this chapter on such doctrine and examples, saying, "Therefore be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Here our sophists have dreamed much of perfection, and have attributed everything to their orders and ranks, as if priests and monks alone were in the state of perfection, and one higher than the other: the bishops higher than the others, but the pope highest of all. Thus this word is even torn from the common Christian state, as if they could not be called and be perfect. But here you hear that Christ does not speak to bishops, monks and nuns, but in general to all Christians who want to be his disciples and 2) be called children of God, not like tax collectors and bad boys, as the Pharisees and our clergy are.
But how is it that they are perfect? Answer recently (for elsewhere I have spoken further of this): So we cannot be perfect nor become perfect, that we have no sin, as they dream of perfection, but this is called being perfect here and everywhere in Scripture, that first of all the doctrine should be wholly righteous and perfect, and after that also the life should be directed and walk according to it. This teaching is that we should love not only those who do us good, but also our enemies.
- Wittenbergers: the.
490 Err 43, iso-162. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. vn. 71S-72S. 491
Whoever teaches such things and lives according to such teachings teaches and lives perfectly.
But the Jews' doctrine and life are both imperfect and wrong, because they teach only to love their friends, and live according to that. For this is a fragmented or divided love, and only half a love. But he wants to have a whole, round, undivided love, so that one loves and does good to the enemy as well as to the friend. Thus I am called a right perfect man, who has and holds the doctrine finely rounded. But whether the life does not afterwards go so strongly in the swing, as it cannot go, because flesh and blood hinder without ceasing, this does no harm to perfection: only that one strives for it, and
I have the right Christian perfection, which does not stand in special offices or classes, but is common to all Christians and should be in line with the example of the heavenly Father. Thus I have the right Christian perfection, which does not stand in special offices or ranks, but is and should be common to all Christians, and is arranged and directed according to the example of the heavenly Father, who neither divides nor shares his love and good deeds, but lets all men on earth enjoy them at the same time through sun and rain, excluding no one, whether he be pious or wicked.
End of the explanation of the fifth chapter of Matthew.
The sixth chapter.
V. 1-4. Take heed to your alms, that ye give them not before men, to be seen of them; otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Now when you give alms, do not sound the trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine alms may be hid; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Until now, the Lord Christ has punished the false doctrine and interpretation of the Scriptures, by which alone people were led not to sin with their fists, but by which the heart inwardly remained unclean, and has shown and cut out the right understanding of the Scriptures and the Law. But now, according to the doctrine, he also attacks the life, and punishes their good works, and lets them
- In the old editions: "false".
Therefore, nothing good, neither doctrine nor works, since they, as holy people, taught the Scriptures daily and did good works, so that they were considered the best core of the whole Jewish people and the holiest on earth, and all the world had to look at them as their mirror and example, according to which they should live. As until now one has not known to look for the right doctrine and life anywhere, except in our clergymen, priests and monks; and yet now also are punished by the gospel, that everyone sees that they have neither taught nor lived rightly, but have deceived and deceived themselves and the people.
(2) Now this is a vexatious sermon, which comes into the world in such a way that, in short, it makes nothing right or good for such holy people, so that it deserves to be made an enemy of, and does not want to suffer in the world. But the Holy Spirit does not shrink from this, but continues, as his office is, wherever he comes, to punish both; as then one must be punished with the other. For this is true, where doctrine is not right, it is impossible that life should be right and good.
492 Erl. 43, 16L-164. interpretation of Matth. 6, 1-4. w. VII, 725-728. 493
The only thing that must be done and done according to the doctrine, but what is done and done according to it, are vain deviations and aberrations, and so much the worse, that nevertheless the appearance and delusion always remains, as if it were the right, divine doctrine, which is wise and leads to heaven, and the works have the name that one calls them good, and yet sees no further than the fist. As they thought it was enough, and lived well, if they only did the works, gave much alms, fasted and prayed, regardless of how the heart stood against God; and in addition they had the disgraceful deceit and filthiness about them, that they did it only for the sake that they 1) would be seen by people, and would have honor and glory from it before the world. For this reason Christ reproves and even rejects it here.
(3) And first, he punishes their almsgiving, which is the best of all outward works. For it is nothing else than helping the poor and needy, and does not only mean a piece of bread given to a beggar at the door, but all kinds of charity and all kinds of good works toward one's neighbor. For the word "alms" is derived from the Greek word eleemosyna, which means mercy; as we also call works of mercy. Therefore the Scripture also praises such works above all others, even those done against God, as sacrifice, prayer 2c. As Christ Himself says Matth. 9, 13. 12, 7. from the prophet Hosea [Cap. 6, 6.ft "I delight in mercy, and not in sacrifice." Item Is. 58, 3. ff. He punishes them for their suffering with fasting and mortification of the body, and demands such works that they should do good to the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked 2c. How is it then that he here punishes the Pharisees for such good works? Answer: He does not punish the work, but their opinion and request in such work. For the work itself would be good in itself, but that spoils it, that they smear their filth on it, because they only seek their glory and honor before men with it, not for the sake of God nor the neighbor.
- Wittenberger: only.
for the sake of it. Therefore, he makes a short, firm judgment that all such alms, however great, much and delicious they may be, are in vain and lost.
(4) Who thinks that such vice and misconduct is so common in the world, and mostly among the very best, and how few there are who do good works without such a request for worldly honor or favor? Take all the alms done in the whole papacy, and count how many you find that are not given to such opinion? Yes, the world never comes to know what it is to give alms. For we are all so skilful that if people never began to praise us, or to give us honor, thanks, and favors, everyone would soon withdraw his hand. For if the pope had said to the princes and benefactors, "My lords, I will not give you a penny for all your endowments and alms," what do you think they would have given or endowed to churches and otherwise? Not one stone would they have led to it, nor would they have had it laid. As one sees now, because one teaches rightly and exhorts to such works, that one should give for God's sake, out of a pure and simple heart, without any request for one's own honor or merit 2c., there is no one who wants to give a penny. But before, when there was praise and honor, there was almsgiving, endowments and wills. And even though this helped a lot, so that people thought they were earning heaven with it, this was not the right reason, but actually the reason Christ says here: "That it was held high in the eyes of the people and praised. Otherwise it would not have been considered that it was done for the sake of God or the kingdom of heaven.
(5) As I have said, this is evident when people are now being enticed and exhorted to do such good works, and it is made as delicious as it can be, that it is heartily pleasing to God, along with all the angels in heaven, and He wants to reward them a hundredfold, but no one wants to go there yet. What is lacking? Only that one should no longer have praise and honor, thanksgiving and reward before the world. Because the head is cut off, the body will not follow. But if the head were to come to life again, then
494 Erl. 43, is4-is7. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthäi. W. vii,?ss-730. 495
Soon it will be in full swing again, as it was before: When a rich prince gave so much to a monastery, they all came and said: Deo Gratias! and promised to earn it with their prayer and worship. This had to be shouted out on all the preachers' chairs and all the world had to say: O, this is a delicious work! Thus it has gone through and through in the papacy, although there may have been 1) few of them whom God has found righteous. 2) Behold, this is a certain indication that such things were done solely to merit thanksgiving, honor and praise.
(6) Moreover, you also have this sign that such saints soon become angry and withdraw when they feel ingratitude or contempt. For if they did not do it from the cause, they would not be indignant about it, nor refrain from it, but would go on and say, "I did not start it for that reason, nor did I leave it for that reason, but I will do it for God's honor and pleasure, even if no one says a good word to me about it. But if you say: I have done so much to this one, it is already forgotten and there is no gratitude in the 3) people 2c. I would gladly have given him the heart in the body; but because I see that it is to be lost, and has shown itself so ungrateful, and oll have done toil and labor in vain, so I would have him hellish fire, that I would give him a penny or the bark 4) of the bread. See, there the rogue looks out, and shows with your own words, why you do it, namely, that you are to be acclaimed and celebrated and honored as a god. As can now be seen from some great scoundrels, how they can be angry and reproachful if they are not always thanked or told what they like to hear, so that they even defy princes and lords and want to have everyone captured.
(7) Behold, this is the shameful evil of good works, and the common plague of all the world, that no man doeth any good thing without such a request of his own. For the world cannot come out of delusion and mind, nor suffer and overcome ingratitude. Therefore also the
- "wohl" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- Wittenberg and Jena: have.
- "den" is missing in the Wittenberger and in the Erlanger.
- Erlanger: Rings.
Monks come who have run into the deserts because they were too weak to suffer such things, that they should be in the world, helping everyone and doing good, and get nothing but contempt, harm, insult and ingratitude for their reward. But what devil makes you do such works, thinking that you are trying to earn the world's honor and favor, which is uncertain and can soon fall and turn, and do not invest it better, namely in God, since it cannot be lost to you, who wants to repay you abundantly, both here and there? And it serves thee well, because thou art such a rascal, and seekest nothing more than that men should worship thee, and thereby make thee a god; 5) so he may well let the world and devils deal so with thee, that they may take away the godhead from thee, and cast it into the mire, where it shall lie. For because thou mayest sit God in his throne, 6) and take hold of his glory, he shall bring thee down again with equity, that thou mayest have all shame to thank for the stolen glory.
(8) Therefore it is a shameful thing about the world, whether it be pious or wicked, it is not fit for anything. For it either wants to be a public devil with evil works, or wants to be God himself with good works. And yet it cannot suffer any of them. Therefore, no one can do a good work unless he is a Christian. For if he does it as a man, he does it not for God's sake, but for his own honor and pleasure; or, though he pretends to God's honor, yet it is a lie and a forgery.
(9) Christ therefore teaches how to give alms properly, saying, When thou givest alms, thou shalt not sound a trumpet before thee, and make a great noise, that a whole city may know and speak of it; as in our country, when a donation is made, all the bells are rung: but when thou givest alms, give it so that thy left hand may not know what thy right hand is doing. This is not said in any other way than as St. Paul used to say Rom. 12:8 and otherwise, "He who gives, let him give simply." But to give simply means that he does not give his honor or favor,
- "you" is missing in the Jena.
- "may" - subordinate yourself.
496 Srl. 43, 167-169. interpretation of Matth. 6, 1-4. W. VII, 730-733. 497
Seek gratitude or reward with it, and look upon no man, whether he be ungrateful or not, but freely give what he will. Just as God gives daily and lets his sun shine, regardless of the grateful or ungrateful, as if he saw no one. That is, a simple heart and mind that neither seeks nor desires anything else, but looks only to God's will and glory.
(10) Such simple alms are not found in the world. For their giving is such that the right hand gives, but the left hand draws to itself. This is called a "giver-taker," 1) as the children mock one another, so given that one takes ten times more for it. As one who gives a drop of water and drinks a bottle of wine. For she gives in such a way that she wants to have the honor that is immeasurably greater than all money and goods, and buys you with one party, 2) that she thereby has an eternal prisoner in you, with life and limb and what you have, yes, even God Himself as well.
011 Therefore saith Christ, When thou givest alms with thy right hand, see that thou seek not to take more with thy left hand; but put it behind thy back, and let them not know that it is called a simple giving, and not a taking; or that it is so given, that they ought to owe thee ten times as much, and to celebrate and worship thee for an idol. As our disciples do now; when they have served one with a florin or two, they want to buy and bind him in such a way that he must let everything be gold that they speak and do, and must not say a word to them without what they like to hear. Dear man, if you can sell your parties in this way, you are not a corrupt merchant.
(12) Therefore let every man beware of these vices, and take heed to himself, lest he also be found among them. For there are few people who realize it, and even those who think they are pious and full of good deeds are twice as bad as others. Thus God is especially hostile to this vice, and
- Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XIX, 1405, note I.
- i.e. a begging piece.
can suffer it less than to take from the neighbor publicly and do wrong, than to give, and to spoil the good work so shamefully that you make yourself an idol, and bind and imprison the neighbor more heavily than anyone else. But so it goes; where right doctrine lies low, and yet everyone pretends to great piety, there also follow such good works, which have nothing but a vain appearance, and do twice more harm than public evil works.
013 But if any man say, What shall become of it, that he saith the alms shall be hid? Shall it then be rejected, if it be proclaimed and shewed to them that shall take and receive it? Answer: No; you must see where Christ is speaking, for he looks at the heart and mind; namely, if it is given or given for the purpose of seeking honor and glory, it is of no use in the sight of God, although many poor people would be helped by it. But this is called almsgiving given in secret, where the heart does not reveal itself, and wants honor and name from it, but is so minded that it gives freely to it, nothing respected, although it has no appearance before men, 3) nor praise, indeed, is despised and disgraced by everyone; so it is called done secretly and only before God, although it is done publicly before all the world. For it is covered with this simplicity of heart, which neither inquires nor considers whether God gives thanks or ingratitude, good or evil. For so I see it not, though other men see it. As I and others in our preaching ministry must do, we do not care whether we please people or not, but rather expect contempt, ingratitude, persecution, and all kinds of misfortune for it.
14 For every good work must wait, and be tried and tested, that it may stand, and be found righteous, which other glittering hypocritical works do not. Summa: Whoever wants to be a Christian must be so skilled that he neither does nor leaves a good work for the sake of the people, but for the sole reason that he may live with his own goodness.
- Wittenberger: Fame.
498 Erl. 43. 1SS-171. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 7SK-73S. 499
Let him serve God with his office, status, money, property, or whatever he has, can, and does, and do what he can in his honor, even if he never earns any thanks on earth. For it is impossible that even the smallest work that a pious man does could be rewarded here, if he were crowned with gold and given a whole kingdom. Therefore he should think no further than to take food and drink from it, and wait for no reward from the world, which is not worthy to pay or reward a good work, even that it should recognize and honor a true Christian. And even though she knows him, she is not so pious that she would thank him. Since it was not begun for her sake, let it not be left for her sake, but let it be commanded to God, who will repay it abundantly, not secretly, but publicly, before all the world and all the angels.
15 Where there is no such understanding and courage, one cannot do a good work, but becomes impatient, makes trouble for himself, and lets the shameful ingratitude of the world overcome him, so that such a good work is spoiled and lost. And it is found that it was not done for the sake of God, but for the sake of men. And I myself, if I did not know this, would have long given the world a vacation and let it go to the devil before it should hear a word from me. But it is not for her, but for our dear Father in heaven, for whose love we want to 1) preach praise and honor and do good 2) because otherwise all the world is hostile to him, and most shamefully 3) despises and blasphemes him, and does everything it can that is contrary and annoying. And we take comfort that he is still alive when all the world has perished; and because he has said and promised that he will reward and recompense it, he will not lie to us. Seek it, and thou shalt find it, that thou lack not. Let this be said at the beginning in general about almsgiving and all other good works, as a Christian should be skillful in his heart 2c.
- Erlanger: to.
- Wittenberger: too good.
- "him" is missing in the Erlanger.
V. 5. 6. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites, which love to stand and pray in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward there. But when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and shut thy door, and pray unto thy Father in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
(16) After almsgiving, or doing good to one's neighbor, this work also belongs to a Christian, that he pray. For just as the need of this life demands that we do good to our neighbor and take care of his needs; for this is why we live on earth with one another, that one may serve and help the other: so, because we are daily in all kinds of danger and need in this life, which we cannot avoid or turn away, we must also always call upon God and seek help, both for ourselves and for everyone.
- But as it is a strange work in the world to give alms rightly, not only because of the common robbery and stealing that goes on everywhere in the world, since no one does good to another, and everyone only paws at his own dung, and asks nothing about it; where the neighbor remains, but also that, although it does good works, it only seeks its own with it; that therefore the world is nothing else but vain robbers and thieves, both on the left and on the right, both bodily and spiritual, both in evil and good works; so then also prayer is a strange work, which no one does but Christians, and yet has been so common in the world, especially among the Jews, as Christ here shows, in schools and in4) all corners of the streets, and now in so many churches, monasteries, convents 2c., where day and night people are bustling and plaguing themselves with singing and reading, so that the world is full of it everywhere, and there is no lack of work, and yet everything in one heap is not worth a penny. ,
(18) For here Christ punishes and rejects all their prayers, which they practiced with all diligence, for the sole reason that they were not able to pray.
- "an" is missing in the Erlanger.
500 ErU 43, i7i-i73. Interpretation of Matth. 6, 5. 6. W.vn, 73s-738. 501
How much more are our clergymen's prayers to be condemned, who seek nothing but to fill their bellies with them, and no one would say the Lord's Prayer to them if it did not carry money? And if they have done it in the best way, they have murmured or sounded a bag of words, even without heart, mind and faith, like the bells or organs. They have had the honor and glory of being the only ones to pray; but the others, as those who deal with worldly matters, cannot pray nor serve God; but they must pray in our stead, that we may make them lords with our money and goods.
(19) How necessary prayer is, however, is not to be told here; we should indeed feel it ourselves, because we live in the flesh and blood, which is full of all kinds of evil things, and we have the world with us and against us, which causes us all sorrow and heartache, and puts on so much trouble, and the devil is everywhere around us, who awakens innumerable sects, mobs and seductions, and drives us to unbelief, despair, etc., that there is never an end, and we cannot rest, because we are surrounded by such enemies, who do not cease, that there will never be an end, and that we will not have rest, because we are surrounded by such enemies, who do not cease, because they have beaten us down, when we, as single poor people, are much too weak for so many enemies. Therefore God says in the prophet Zechariah, Cap. 12, 10, that He wants to give His own the spirit of grace and prayer, so that they, 1) because they are thus in the field, will be preserved, and will be able to defend and protect themselves against the evil, harmful spirit. Therefore it is the very work of Christians who have the Spirit of God, that they not be idle and slothful, but always praying and not ceasing, as Christ teaches elsewhere.
020 Now therefore the power is, that it may be a righteous prayer, and not a hypocrisy, as their prayer and ours hath been hitherto. Therefore Christ instructs them to pray rightly, and shows them how to do it, namely, not to stand and pray publicly in the streets, but to pray at home in their closets alone, 2) in secret, that is, in the presence of all.
- "they" is missing in the Erlanger.
- "at home ... alone" is missing in the Wittenberger.
Put away the false pretense that they want to pray something for the sake of reputation and fame or the like. Not that it is forbidden to pray in the street or in public (for a Christian is not bound to any place, and may pray anywhere, whether in the street, in the field, or in church), but only that it be not done for the sake of people seeking honor and enjoyment. Just as he does not want to forbid the trumpets or bells for alms, but he punishes the addition and the wrong opinion with these words, so that they are seen before the people.
(21) Therefore, it is not necessary that one should always go into a closet and shut oneself away. Although it is fine for a person to pray alone, since he can freely and unhindered pour out his prayer to God and speak words and prayers, which he cannot do in front of people. For although prayer can be done in the heart without all words and offerings, it helps to awaken and ignite the spirit all the more; it should be done in the heart almost without ceasing. For a Christian always has (as I said) the spirit of prayer with him, so that his heart is in such constant groaning and supplication to God, whether he eats, drinks, works, etc., for his whole life is directed to spreading God's name, glory and kingdom, so that whatever else he does must all be done under prayer.
- nevertheless (I say) the outward prayer should also go beyond this, both in particular, as that each one in the morning, in the evening, and over the table, and when he has time, should say a blessing or Our Father, faith or psalms, after which also in general, when one comes together, acts God's word, and gives thanks to it, and calls upon him for common need; this should and must be done publicly. And a special place and time are appointed for this purpose, when people come together; this is a precious prayer and a strong defense against the devil and his plots, because the whole of Christendom is united there. And the stronger it goes, the sooner it is heard, and the more it is answered.
- "den" is missing in the Erlanger.
- "Prayer" is missing in the Erlanger. Wittenberg: "law".
502 Err. 43, 173-176. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. V. vrr. 7 "s-74ü. 503
It is more creative, as it also now creates much good, resists and prevents much evil deception of the devil, which he should otherwise cause through his members, so that what now stands and remains, both in the spiritual and worldly regiment, is preserved through prayer.
(23) I have often said and acted elsewhere concerning the things and qualities that a right prayer should have; namely, that I repeat it briefly: that we be driven to it, first, by God's commandment, who has earnestly commanded that we should pray. Then, his promise, in which he promised to hear us. Third, that we may consider our distress and misery, which oppresses us and lies on our necks, that we may well bear it, and pour it out freshly before God, at His command and commandment. Fourth, that we pray on such God's word and promise with right faith, certain and undoubted that He will hear and help us. And all this in the name of Christ, through whom our prayer is acceptable to the Father, and for his sake gives us all grace and good 2c.
24 Christ also shows this here with the little word, when he says: "And pray to your Father in secret" 2c. And afterwards more clearly, as he puts the words: "Our Father who art in heaven" 2c. For this is so much taught, that our prayer should be directed to GOD, as to our gracious, kind Father, not as to a tyrant or 1) angry judge 2c. Now no one can do this unless he has God's word that he wants us to call him Father, and that he has promised to help and hear us as a father; and that he also has such faith in his heart that he may cheerfully call God his Father, and ask out of heartfelt confidence, and rely on such prayer as surely answered, and wait for help.
(25) But none of these things are in that Pharisaic prayer, which thinketh no further than how the work is done, that they may be seen therewith as holy men that love to pray; or, like our monks and priests, that they may fill the belly thereof. Yes, they have come so far away from it that they should be seen with
- "Tyrants or" is missing in the Wittenberg.
such 2) faith that they considered it foolishness and presumption that one should boast that his prayer would be pleasing to God and answered. And so, even though they prayed, they put it all on pure 3) adventures, and thus grievously angered God by unbelief and misuse of His name, contrary to the first and other commandments.
26 Therefore learn here that no right prayer can be made without such faith. But if you feel weak and stupid (as flesh and blood always resist faith), as if you are not worthy or skilled and fervent to pray, or doubt whether God has heard you because you are a sinner, then keep the word and say: Even though I am a sinner and unworthy, yet here I have God's commandment that I pray, and His promise that He will graciously hear me, not for my worthiness, but for the sake of Christ the Lord. With this you can cast out thoughts and doubts, and cheerfully kneel down and pray, not considering how worthy or unworthy you are, but your need and his word, on which he calls you to build. Especially because he has also presented to you the words and put them into your mouth, how and what you should ask (as follows), that you may cheerfully let such prayer go up through him and place it in his bosom, so that he may bring it before the Father through his worthiness 2c.
V. 7-13. And when you pray, do not babble much, as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard if they speak much. Therefore, do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask. Therefore you should pray: Our Father in heaven. May your name be hallowed. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
- "Such" is missing in the Wittenberg.
- i.e. to the unknown.
- "den" is missing in the Erlanger.
504 Erl. 43, 17S-178. Interpretation of Matth. 6, 7-13. W. VII, 740-743. 505
(27) Just now vv. 5, 6 he rebuked their false opinion in prayer, that they also sought their honor and pleasure from men in the work that is directed solely against God, that one should call upon him and ask him for help in our distress and temptation. Here he also rebukes the unkindness of prayer, that they think that praying is a lot of words and babbling, and calls it a pagan way, and a loose useless babbling, as of those who think that they shall not be heard. For he saw that this would happen, and that such abuse would also 1) remain in Christianity, 2) as it was already with them, that one would make a loud work out of prayer, which one regarded according to size and length, as if it were deliciously arranged with it, and thus instead of a right prayer, it would become a loud babble and chatter, which the heart never experiences.
(28) As we see, it happened in monasteries, convents, and the whole clergy, who had nothing else to do in their state, except to spend so many hours every day, and at night too, blowing their horns and making themselves tired with reading and singing. And the more they could do it, the holier and greater the service was called. And yet among them all there was not one who did a righteous prayer full of heart; but all were in the pagan delusion, as if one had to cry and murmur pagan, himself and God, tired; as if he could not or would not hear otherwise. They did nothing else with it, but lost time uselessly, and, like donkeys, blew their nose with prayers.
(29) Therefore they themselves have said that no work is harder than praying. And it is true that if you make prayer into a work or labor, you put your body to reading or singing for so many hours in a row that no day laborer would rather choose one day to thresh than two or three hours in a row just to move his mouth or to look straight into a book. Summa, their praying is not
- "also" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Wittenberger: to be.
- Erlanger: "in which" instead of "among them".
It was not a sighing or a desire of the heart, but a purely forced labor of the mouth or of the tongues; that if a monk has read or murmured his times for forty years, he has not prayed one hour from the heart in all of them. For they never think to present a need to God, but do not think otherwise, because they must do it, and God must look upon such toil and labor.
(30) But the Christian's prayer, when he goes in faith to God's promise and presents his need from the heart, is easy and does not require any work. For faith has soon said what it desires, yes, with a groaning that does the heart, and cannot be recovered nor expressed with words, as St. Paul says Rom. 8:26. The spirit prays, and because 4) it knows that God hears it, it must not lead such a perpetual laundering. Thus the saints in the Scriptures prayed, as Elijah, Elisha, David and others, with short but strong and powerful words; as one sees in the Psalter, in which there is seldom a psalm that has a prayer over five or six verses long. That is why the ancient fathers said: do not do it with many long prayers, but praise the short prayers, where one sighs up to heaven with a word or two; which one can do often and much when he reads, writes, or does other work.
The others, however, who only make a buffalo's work out of it, can never pray with joy or devotion, but are glad that they have only done their washing. As it must be, where one prays without faith and need, the heart cannot be present. But when the heart is not with us, and the body has to work, it becomes heavy and disheartened. Just as in bodily work, whoever does something unwillingly sees how hard and sour it becomes; but again, where the heart is cheerful and willing, it is never aware of the work. So also here, where one is serious and is happy to pray, a man neither knows nor feels work or trouble, but only looks at his distress, and has sung and prayed out the words before he turns around.
- "because" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- Erlanger: Lust.
506 Srl. "3, 178-180. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. VII, 743-745. 507
sees. Summa, one should pray briefly, but often and strongly; for God 1) does not ask how great and long one prays, but how good it is and how it goes from the heart.
32 Therefore Christ says, "Your heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask," as if to say, "What are you doing, thinking to cover him up with your long washing, so that he will give you what you need? You must not persuade him with words or teach him at length, for he knows beforehand what you need better than you do. Just as if you were to come before a prince or a judge who knew your cause better than you could tell him, and you wanted to make a lot of noise to tell him about it, he would laugh at you, or rather become unhappy with you. We also do not know, says St. Paul Rom. 8, 26, how we should ask; that if he hears us and gives us something, he gives it so that we can understand and hope Eph. 3, 20. For this reason he sometimes lets us ask something that he does not give as soon as we ask, or does not give at all, since he knows well what is necessary and useful for us or not; which we ourselves do not see, and in the end must ourselves confess that it would not have been good for us if he had given us according to our request. Therefore we must not teach him nor pretend with our long talk what and how he should do for us; for he wants to give so that his name will be sanctified, and his kingdom and his will will be promoted and continue 2c.
(33) But sayest thou, Why then dost he suffer us to ask and to present our affliction, and givest it not unasked, because he knoweth and seeth all affliction better than we ourselves? He gives the whole world daily so much good for nothing, as sun, rain, grain, money, life and limb, 2c. Therefore no one asks him nor thanks him, because he knows that it cannot do without light, food and drink for a single day; how then is he called to ask for it? Answer: For this reason, of course, he does not call it that we should teach him with our prayers what he should give, but that we should recognize and confess what goods he gives us, and will and can give much more;
- Erlanger: er.
so that by our prayer we teach ourselves more than him. For in this way I am turned back, so that I do not go like the wicked, who do not recognize such things nor give thanks for them; and so my heart is turned to him and awakened, so that I praise him and give thanks, and in my need have recourse to him and wait for help from him. And everything serves so that the longer the more I learn to recognize him, what kind of God he is. And because I seek him and knock on his door, he also wants to give more and more abundantly. Behold, this is a true bitter, not like the other useless washers, who babble much, but never recognize it. But he knows that what he has is God's gift, and he says from his heart, "Lord, I know that I cannot provide or preserve for myself a portion of my daily bread, nor protect myself from any need or calamity; therefore I will wait and ask it of you, as you have called me and promised to give, as you who have met my need without my thoughts.
(34) Behold, such recognition in prayer pleases God well, and is the right, highest and most delicious service we can do to Him, for thereby His glory and thanksgiving are given to Him, which belongs to Him. The others do not do this, but snatch and devour all God's goods like swine; take one country, city, house after another; do not think about it, that they once look at God; meanwhile they want to be holy with their great, many sounds and noise in the church. But a Christian heart that learns from God's Word that we have everything from God and nothing from ourselves, accepts this in faith and practices that it can provide everything to Him and wait for it from Him. Thus prayer teaches us to recognize both ourselves and God, and to learn what we lack and from where we should take and seek it. From this we become a finely perfect, understanding person, who is able to be and keep himself right in all things.
35 Therefore, since Christ has punished and rejected such false and vain prayer, he goes on and himself presents a fine short form of how and what we should pray, in which all kinds of distress are included that should drive us to
508 Erl. 43, 180^-183. interpretation of Matth. 6, 7-13. W. VII, 74S-748. 509
that we may remember them daily in such brief words, and that no one may be excused for not knowing how or what to pray. And it is a very good practice, especially for the common man, child and servants in the house, that one prays the Lord's Prayer daily, both in the morning and in the evening and over the table, and also otherwise, so that in it one can present all kinds of distress to God in common. But since the Lord's Prayer is sufficiently explained in the Catechismo and elsewhere, I will leave it at that, and not make a new gloss here.
(36) It is, of course, as has often been said, the very best prayer that has come on earth 1) or that anyone can come up with, because God the Father has put it through His Son and put it into His mouth, so that we may not doubt 2) that it will please Him exceedingly. But soon in the beginning he also reminds us of both his commandment and promise with the word "Our Father" 2c., as he demands such honor from us that we should ask of him as a child full of his Father, and want to have confidence from us that he will gladly give us what we need. Thus it is also concluded that we may boast that we are his children through Christ. And so come in his commandment and promise, and in the name of the Lord Christ, and stand before him with all confidence 2c.
Now, the first, second and third requests concern 3) the highest goods that we have from him; namely, first, because he is our Father, that he may have his glory from us and that his name may be held beautiful and honorable in all the world. By this I include in one heap all false faith and worship, and all hell, all sin and blasphemy, and pray that he may put a stop to the blasphemous faith of the pope, Turks, ruddy spirits, and heretics, as all profane and desecrate his name, or seek their glory under it. This is a short word, but in the sense it goes as far as the world is, against all false doctrine and life. Secondly: After we have his word and right doctrine and worship, that
- Erlanger: kommet.
- Wittenberger: on.
- Erlanger: "meets.... an."
His kingdom also be and remain in us, that is, that he rule us in such doctrine and life, and thereby protect and uphold us against all power of the devil and his kingdom, and that all kingdoms that rage against it go to ruin, so that this kingdom may remain. And thirdly, that neither our will nor that of any man, but his will alone be done, and that what he thinks and counsels continue, against all the designs and schemes of the world, and what strives against this will and counsel, though all the world be beating and strengthening itself in multitude to maintain its thing against it. These are the three most noble pieces.
(38) In the other four petitions we come to the need that concerns us daily for the sake of this poor, weak, temporal life. First, we ask that he give us our daily bread, that is, everything we need to sustain this life: food, a healthy body, good weather, house, yard, wife, child, good government, peace, and protect us from all kinds of plagues, sickness, pestilence, evil times, war, and rebellion. 2c. After that, that he may forgive us our trespasses besides, and not look upon the shameful abuse and ingratitude of the world 4) for the goods which he daily gives us so abundantly, and therefore not deny and deprive us of the same, nor punish us with disgrace, as we deserve, but graciously forgive us, whether we also, who are called Christians and his children, do not live without sin 5) as we ought. 6) Thirdly: Because we live on earth in the midst of all kinds of temptations and troubles, being hindered on every side, and not only outwardly by the world and the devil, but also inwardly by our own flesh, so that we cannot live as we ought, nor stand a day in the face of so much danger and temptation; we pray that he will keep us in such danger and trouble, that we may not be overcome and felled thereby. And lastly, that he may finally help us out of all misfortune altogether, and when the time comes for us to depart from this life, grant us a merciful, blessed hour. So
- "of the world" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Lhne Sünde" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Wittenberger: should.
510 srl. 43, iss-isL. Interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. ". vii, 748-750. 511
we have recently placed all physical and spiritual distress in his bosom, and with every word we have gathered the whole wide world into one heap 2c.
39 But there is a little piece added to the text, so that it concludes the prayer with thanksgiving and a common confession, which means: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. These are the proper titles and names that belong to God alone. For the three things he has reserved for himself, which are called judging, righting, and glorifying. No one shall judge, or rule, or have the upper hand, except God alone, or those whom he commands to rule, as his servants. In the same way, no man shall exercise justice with another, or be angry and punish, apart from those who have the office, because of God. For it is not innate to men, but given by God.
(40) These are the two which he here calls the kingdom or dominion, that all authority may be his; and after this, the power, that is, the consequence of justice, execution, that he may punish, cast down the wicked, and protect the pious. For he who punishes does it as if in God's stead, and everything goes out of his power, so that justice is administered, protected and preserved. Therefore no one shall avenge himself nor punish himself, for it is not his office nor his ability, nor does he succeed; as he says Deut. 32:35, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." And elsewhere it drieth Matt. 26:52., "He that taketh the sword himself to avenge himself shall be punished with the sword."
- so glory, or honor and fame, is God's alone, so that no one can boast of anything, wisdom, holiness or wealth, except through him and in him. For if I honor a king or prince and call him gracious Lord, or bow the knee to him, it is not for his own sake, but for God's sake, as he who sits in majesty, in God's stead. Thus, when I show honor to Father and Mediator, or to those who are in their place, I do it not to men, but to the divine office, and honor God in them; so that where there is authority and power, to him also belongs honor and glory.
- and so his kingdom, power and glory go in the whole world, that he alone rules, punishes, and has the prize in the divine offices and states, as father, mother, lord, judge, prince, king, emperor 2c., although the devil sets himself against it through his own, and himself wants to rule and exercise power, take vengeance and punishment, and have his glory alone. Therefore we ask primarily for his name, his kingdom, and his will, as these alone are to go, and all other names, kingdom, 1) power and will are to fail. And so we recognize that he is supreme in all these three things, and the others are his instruments, through which he does and accomplishes these things.
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
This is a strange addition, but nevertheless very delicious, and if someone would be surprised how he comes with such an addition from this one piece: "Forgive us our trespasses" 2c., he could just as well have attached such a piece to the other one, and say: Give us our daily bread, as we give to our children; or, lead us not into temptation, as we tempt no one; deliver us from evil, as we save and redeem our neighbor. And yet there is no piece that has an addition like this. And may it be considered that the forgiveness of sins is to be acquired and earned by our forgiving; where then would our doctrine remain, that forgiveness comes through Christ alone and is received by faith? Answer to the first: He especially wanted to make this request, and to tie the forgiveness of sin to our forgiveness, so that he linked Christians to it, that they love one another, and let this be their main and most important thing, next to faith and forgiveness received, that they also forgive their neighbor without ceasing. They should also forgive their neighbor without ceasing. That as we live toward him in faith, so also toward our neighbor through the
- Wittenberg and Erlanger: and.
512 Erl. 43, 18S-I87. Interpretation of Matth. 6, 14. 15. W. VII, 7S0-7SS. 513
Love, that we do not offend and grieve one another, but think that we always forgive, even if we have been wronged (as must often happen in this life); or know that we have not been forgiven. For where anger and resentment lie in the way, it corrupts all prayer, so that none of the former things can be prayed for or desired. Behold, this is called making a firm and strong bond, that we may be held together, that we may not be divided among ourselves, and cause divisions, factions, and sects, where we would otherwise come before God, pray, and obtain things, but bear with one another through love, and remain one in all things. If this happens, then a Christian man is perfect, as he who believes and loves both. Whatever infirmities thereafter remain in him shall be consumed in prayer, and all shall be forgiven and given.
44 But how does he put forgiveness on our work with these words, saying, If you forgive your neighbor, you shall be forgiven, and again 2c? Does this not mean that forgiveness is based on faith? 1) Answer: The forgiveness of sin, as I have often said, happens in two ways: First, through the Gospel and Word of God, which is received inwardly in the heart before God through faith. Secondly, outwardly through works, of which 2 Petr. 1, 10. says, when it teaches about good works: "Dear brethren, be diligent to establish your profession and election" 2c. He wants us to be sure of this, that we have faith and forgiveness of sin, that is, that we prove the works, so that the tree is felt by its fruit, and it is evident that it is a good tree and not a rotten one. For where there is a right faith, good works surely follow. So a man is both outward and inward, pious and righteous, both before God and men. For this is the consequence and fruit, that I may make myself and others sure that I have right faith, which otherwise I could not know nor see.
45 So here also the outward forgiveness, which I show by deed, is a sure thing.
- Wittenberger: put.
Sign that I have forgiveness of sin with God. Again, if this is not shown to my neighbor, I have a sure sign that I also do not have forgiveness of sin with God, but am still in unbelief. Behold, this is the twofold forgiveness; one inwardly in the heart, which alone hangs on God's word; and outwardly, which breaks forth, and makes us certain that we have the inward.
46 Thus we distinguish works from faith, as an inward and outward righteousness, but so that the inward righteousness is there beforehand, as the stem and root, from which good works, as fruits, must grow; but the outward righteousness is a witness of it, and, as St. Peter 2 Ep. 1, 10 says, certificatio, an assurance that it is certainly there. For he who has not inward righteousness does not do outward works. Again, if the outward signs and evidence are not there, I cannot be sure of them, but deceive both myself and others. But if I see and feel that I gladly forgive my neighbor, then I can conclude and say: I do not do this work by nature, but feel differently through God's grace than before.
(47) Let this be answered briefly against the sophists' babblings. But it is also true that this work, as he calls it here, is not a mere work, like others that we do of ourselves, for faith is not forgotten in it. For he takes such a work and puts a promise on it, that it may be called a sacrament with good honor, to strengthen faith by it. In the same way, baptism is also to be regarded as a work that I do when I baptize or am baptized; but because God's word is involved, it is not a bad work that is valid or creates something for itself, but a divine word and sign to which faith is attached. So also, our prayer, as our work, would neither count for anything nor create anything; but it does, that it goes in its commandment and promise, so that it may well be considered a sacrament, and more a divine than our work.
48 I am talking about the fact that the Sophists
- Wittenberger: from.
- Wittenberger: that's right.
514 Erl.", 187-183. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chapters. Matthaei. W. VII, 7SS-756**. 515**
Only the works that we do are regarded as mere, without God's word and promise. Therefore, when they hear and read such sayings that refer to works, they must say that man, by his deeds, 1) deserves them. But Scripture teaches us that we should 2) not look to ourselves, but to God's word and promise, and cling to it with faith, that if you do a work out of the word and promise, you have a sure sign that God is gracious to you, so that your own work, which God has now taken to Himself, should be a sure sign of forgiveness to you 2c.
Now God has presented us with various ways, paths and ways by which we can take hold of grace and forgiveness of sin, such as, first of all, baptism and sacrament, item (as now said), prayer, item, absolution, and here our forgiveness, so that we are abundantly provided for and can find grace and mercy everywhere. For where would you seek it more closely than in your neighbor, with whom you live daily, and also have daily cause enough to practice such forgiveness? (For it cannot fail that thou shouldest not be offended much and often) so that we have not only in the church or with the priest, but 4) in our life a daily sacrament or baptism, one brother to another, and each at home in his own house. For if you take the promise through this work, you have the very thing that you receive in baptism. How could God grace us more abundantly than by hanging such a common baptism on our necks and binding it into the Lord's Prayer, which each one finds in himself when he prays and forgives his neighbor? so that no one has cause to complain or excuse himself that he cannot come to it, and that it is too high and too far for him, or too heavy and expensive, because it is brought home to him and his neighbor at the door, or even placed in his bosom 5).
- Wittenberger: probably.
- "we" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- "ant" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Erlanger: middle.
- In the Wittenberg and Jena editions, the form is "bösem" (English: bosorn); in the original Erlangen edition, "bösen. - "wird" at the end is missing in the Wittenberg.
(50) Behold, if you look at it, then, not according to the work itself, but according to the word that is attached to it, you will find in it an excellent and precious treasure, that it is no longer your work, but a divine sacrament; and a mighty great comfort, that you will come to the grace of forgiving your neighbor, even though you could not come to other sacraments. This should move you to gladly do such a work with all your heart, and thank God that you are worthy of such grace; you should run after it to the end of the world, and consume all your possessions for it, as we did before for the fictitious indulgence. He who will not accept this must be a shameful, cursed man, especially when he hears and recognizes such grace, and yet remains so crooked and stiff-necked that he will not forgive, so that he loses both baptism and sacrament and all other grace at once. For they are all bound one to another, that whosoever hath one, he shall have them all, or keep none. For he that is baptized must also receive the sacrament; and he that receives the sacrament must also pray; and he that prays must also forgive 2c. But if thou forgive not, thou shalt here have a terrible judgment, that thy sins shall not be forgiven thee, though thou be among the Christians, and shalt enjoy the sacraments and other things with them, but shall be the more hurtful and damnable unto thee.
(51) And that Christ might the more provoke us to it, he hath also used finer, kinder words, saying even thus, "When ye forgive men their trespasses," 2c. not saying their wickedness and malice, or wantonness and iniquity, 2c. For he calls an error such a sin, which is more from infirmity or ignorance than from malice. Why does he do this, that he so belittles and minimizes the neighbor's sin, when we often see that some sin willfully, out of pure iniquity and evil will? Therefore he does it, that he may put away thine anger, and soften thee to forgive gladly, and sees more in it, that he may make thy heart sweet and kind, than that he may make sin as great as it is in itself.
- for it is and shall be so great in the sight of God.
516 Erl. 48, 189-131. interpretation of Matth. 6, 14. 15. W. VII, 756-758. 517
that it is worthy of eternal damnation and excludes heaven, even though it is a small sin and only an infirmity, if he does not recognize it or forbids it. But of me and thee he will not regard sin, as it is not his due to punish sin, but to forgive it; so that thou mayest think, though thy neighbor hath done wickedly against thee, yet is he astray, captive, and blinded of the devil. Therefore thou shalt be so pious, and have mercy on him rather than on him who is overcome of the devil, that it may be a great and unpardonable sin on account of the devil, 2) who gives him such things, but on account of man it is called a fault and an infirmity. Just as Christ Himself did against us when He prayed on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" Luc. 23:34. This has ever made our sin small and insignificant, which in itself is the greatest sin that ever happened on earth. For what greater sin can be committed than that God should most flagrantly torture and kill His only Son?
(53) But you must interpret such a fault and infirmity in such a way that the neighbor who has sinned against you may recognize it and seek forgiveness and amend. For I have said that there are two kinds of sin: one that is confessed, which no one should leave unforgiven. The other, which is confessed, no one can forgive, because it does not want to be sin, but to receive forgiveness. Therefore also Christ Matth. 18, 18, when he speaks of forgiving or binding, he puts both parts together, loosening and binding, to indicate that one cannot loosen the sin that one does not want to let be sin nor have forgiven, 3) but should bind it in the abyss of hell; but again, which one confesses, one should loosen it and lift it into heaven 2c.
(54) Now as it is in the office of the keys, so it is with every Christian toward his neighbor. Who, if he should be willing to forgive anyone who hurts him; but where he who has hurt him, 4),
- "to" is missing in the Erlanger.
- "half" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- .Haben" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- Thus the Wittenberg. Instead of the words: "the one who injured him", in the Jena and Erlangen: "he".
If a man does not want to recognize the sin or remit it, but continues to do so, you cannot forgive him; not for your sake, but for his own, because he does not want to be forgiven. But as soon as he admits guilt and desires forgiveness, it shall all be given, and absolution shall quickly follow. For since he punishes himself and lets sin fall so that no sin remains with him, I should let it fall away much more; but if he keeps it himself and does not want to let it fall, I cannot take it from him, but must leave him in it, as he himself makes an unforgiven sin out of a forgiven one. Summa, where he does not want to recognize himself, one should weigh down his conscience to the highest degree, and show no mercy, as he wants to be the devil's own. Again, if he confesses sin and absolves you, and you do not forgive him, you have brought it upon yourself to condemn you.
55 So Christ also will have sin confessed, that he may yet call it a fault. Not to deny that it is wrong, nor to charge thee that thou shalt approve it as rightly done, but not to let it be right nor good; unless it come to pass that it became a vain sin, and so small that it is called only a fault. So that thou mayest say to thy neighbor, Though I cannot praise it, and it is wrong; yet because thou knowest thyself, and now thy heart is different, and hath no evil against me, I will gladly let it be given as a fault and oversight, and forget all wrath.
If you are now so minded toward your neighbor, God will also show Himself to you again with such a sweet, kind heart, and make your great, grave sin, which you have done and are still doing against Him, so small that He will only call it a mistake when you recognize it and ask for forgiveness, as He is more inclined to forgive than we ourselves can provide for Him. Now you should buy such a heart from God with your life and limb, and run after it until the end of the world; as one has run after it under the papacy, and has toiled for it with so many works. Now such a heart is offered to you here, and it is presented and given to you free of charge, just like baptism,
518 Erl. 3, 191-193: Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chapters. Matthaei. W. VII, 758-761. 519
Gospel and all its goods; and get more than you would with all your works and the works of all men. For thou hast a certain promise, which doth not lie with thee, neither doth it confess thee, that all thy sins, though they be many and great, shall be as small in his sight as human daily infirmities, which he will not reckon nor remember, if thou hast faith in Christ. For as other sacraments come and go through the Lord Christ, so also our prayer is heard and we have certain forgiveness; that we have not earned it, but all things have been purchased through him and given to us, that he always remains the one mediator through whom we have all things, that also the promise, placed on this work, is valid through him alone.
Now you see why Christ added this to the prayer, so that he might bind us firmly together and keep his Christianity in unity of spirit, both in faith and love, so that we might not be separated for the sake of sin or infirmity, 1) so that we might not lose faith and everything. For it cannot be otherwise, there must be much offence among us daily in all ranks and dealings, speaking and doing against one another things which we do not like to hear and suffer, and which give rise to wrath and dissension. For we still have flesh and blood in us, which does what it is wont to do, and easily lets slip an evil word, or an angry sign and work, so that love is hurt; so that forgiveness must be and go with Christians; just as we may also forgive God without ceasing, and must always keep to the prayer: Forgive us as we forgive. Without being such hopeless people that we always see a mote in our neighbor's eye rather than the beam in our own eye, and throw our sin on our back. For if we should look at ourselves daily from morning till evening, we would find so much in ourselves that we would forget others, and be glad to come to prayer.
V. 16-18. When you fast, do not look sour like the hypocrites, for they disguise their
- Wittenberger: treumen.
They shall shine before the people with their fasting. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face, that thou appear not before men with thy fasting, but before thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
(58) As he punished their almsgiving and prayer, so 2) he punishes their fasting. For these are almost the three good works which all the others include: The first, all kinds of good deeds toward one's neighbor. The second, that we accept all kinds of need, both common and our own, and present them to God. The third, that we mortify our bodies. But as they have shamefully abused almsgiving and prayer, seeking not God's glory but their own, so they have also abused and perverted fasting, not to keep their bodies in restraint and discipline, nor to praise and thank God, but to be seen of men, and to have a name that one should wonder and say: O these are excellent saints, who do not live like other common people, but go along in gray skirts, hanging their heads, looking sour and pale 2c. If they do not go to heaven, where will the rest of us stay?
(59) He does not mean to reject or despise fasting in itself, any more than he would reject almsgiving and prayer, but rather to confirm and teach the proper use of them: so he also means to correct fasting, so that it may be done according to right usage and right opinion, as a good work should be done.
- But it has its origin with the Jews that Moses had imposed on them to fast in autumn, on the feast Expiationis, approximately fourteen days after each other 2 Mos. 30, 10. 12. 3 Mos. 23, 27. 28. 25, 9. This was the common fast that they all kept at the same time. Now the Pharisees had their special fasts, that they might do more and be more holy than others. For those fasts were not made for them to keep before
- Erlanger: so.
520 Erl. 43, 1S3-196. Interpretation of Matth. 6, 16-18. W. VII, 761-763. 521
The people were not seen by others, because it went through all the people; and what goes on in general, no one can boast of particularly. Therefore they had to fast much more specially, so that they would be seen as much higher and more spiritual than common people. Therefore they also boast in the Gospel against Christ, "Why do the disciples of the Pharisees fast so often, and your disciples do not fast?" 2) [Matth. 9, 14Z For this they made a difference with gestures and signs, so that one should know when they fasted; they disguised their face so that they did not wash nor adorn themselves, but looked sour and gloomy, and were so serious that one had to say and sing about it 2c. 3)
(61) Christ therefore cometh, and smiteth such fasting to the ground, and straightway teacheth the contrary, saying, If thou wilt fast, fast so that thou shalt not look sour; but wash and anoint thy face, that thou mayest look fine and merry, as on a feast day; so that no difference may be seen nor perceived between thy fasting and thy feasting. For this was the manner of the Jews, that they sprinkled themselves with delicious waters, and watered the hanpt, that it smelled from the whole body, when they feasted or wished to be merry. If dn so fast, between you and your father alone, then you have fasted rightly, that it pleases him. But this is not a prohibition, that one may not go on a fast day in little clothes or unwashed; but the addition is rejected, that one does it for the sake of fame, and locks the eyes of the people with such special gestures. Otherwise one often reads, when one has fasted, that one has put on sacks and sprinkled ashes on the head; as, of the king of Nineveh, together with the whole city Jonah 3, 5. ff., but that was another fast, which taught them their distress and misery.
- Now, from the first fast we also took our great fast, and kept it for fourteen days at first, and after that it became more holy, and we stretched it out into four weeks, until at last it was extended to forty days.
- Jenaer: the.
- Erlanger: "u. s. w."
- "u. s. w." is missing in the Wittenberg.
days. However, they did not stay with this, but set two days of fasting every week throughout the year, Friday and Saturday, and finally the four gold fasts, 4) or emergency fasts; these were, nevertheless, still common fasts. Above this, the Advent found some special saints, who also made a fast out of it; without what the monks kept in monasteries, and after that each one chose some special saints, over the common feasts, until it came so far that all this was considered nothing, if each one did not make his own 5) fast.
Now such fasting all in one heap is not worth a penny. For the first old fathers may well have meant it well and kept it well, but it soon became overpowered 6) and corrupted with filth, so that it was no good. But it also happened right to him. For as it is a true human practice with the strange many fasts, so it has also fallen into a 7) shameful abuse. For I may freely say that I have never seen any real fasting among the papacy, as they call it fasting. For what kind of fast is it to me, if one prepares a meal at noon with delicious fish, seasoned to the best, more and more splendidly than usual at two or three times, and the strongest drink with it, and sits with it for an hour or three, and fills the belly so that it is full? 8) And that was still mean and low, even with the most strenuous Möuchen. But the holy fathers, the bishops, abbots, and other prelates first attacked it severely, at once with ten and twenty dishes, and in the evening so much refreshment that some threshers could manage with it for three days. It may well be that some prisoners or poor and infirm people, for the sake of poverty, have had to fast; but for devotion's sake I know of no one who has fasted.
- i.e. the Quatember days, also called "Weih-" and "Frohnfasten", cf. tz 68.
- "one" is missing in the Jena.
- Wittenberger: blended.
- "one" is missing in the Erlanger.
- In the old editions: "donet." The Latin edition offers: ut tmr^iat quoqus (it should probably be turheißen) - that he is full, bristles. Compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XIX, 416.
522 Erl. 43, 19S-198. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. VII. 763-7S6. 523
much less fast now. For they 1) have now, my dear papists, all become well Lutheran, that you no longer think of fasting, meanwhile let on our part poor parish priests suffer hunger and sorrow, and keep a proper daily fast in their place.
- Because this fasting is much worse than the fasting of the Jews and Pharisees (who fasted rightly and truly, without seeking their glory; but ours, under the rain of fasting, has been nothing but food, and is not called fasting, but mocking God and the people; with the shameful addition that they made a distinction of food, and forbade some of it, so that it would only be called fasting if one did not eat meat; but because the best fishes are eaten with the most delicious lamb. 2) and spices, and the strongest wine), therefore I have advised, and still advise, that such fasting be trampled underfoot, as it is done to God's loud mockery and shame, that it grieves me that such mockery should be practiced and suffered in Christendom, and that God should be deceived with the larva, that such a life, eating and drinking to the best of one's ability and filling the belly, should be called fasting and a good work.
Now this is a gross, impudent, shameful deception, which the Scriptures cannot punish, but any peasant, even a child of seven years, can grasp and understand. But over it there is also the shameful abuse (which also corrupts the right fasting), that one has sought great merit with God, than to atone for sin, and to reconcile God; as they have imposed such fasting for repentance in the absolution. That is, fasting in the name of the devil, and Christ was beaten in the mouth and trampled underfoot; that for the sake of abuse, I would rather allow, if evil should be done, that one should 3) be full and mad, and rather see a full sow, if I am to see an unflattery, than such a saint, who fasts most strenuously for water and bread.
- the abomination of all monks' teachings and books, of all popes' books, of all
- Wittenberger: es.
- Latwerge - sauce, broth, sauce.
- Jenaer: "yes".
They are so full of sermons that they know of no other fast when they do it in the best way. I will keep silent that they also exalt so highly the gross, shameful lying fasts, of which I have now spoken, and have thereby 4) founded and confirmed the idolatry of the saints, and no one is healthy who has spoken a word against such abuses. Therefore I still say that in the whole papacy I have never in my life seen any fasting that was truly Christian fasting, but only shameful fasting and food instead of fasting, and in addition all idolatry and hypocrisy, so that one has made a nose at God and deceived the people. Therefore, let us learn here what a true fast means.
There are two kinds of fasts that are good and praiseworthy; one may be called a secular or civil fast, commanded by the authorities, like another order and commandment of the authorities, not demanded as a good work or service of God. For this I would like to see, and to advise and help, that emperors or princes make such a commandment that one day or two in the week one does not eat meat or have it on sale, as a good, useful order for the country, so that one does not eat up everything, as is happening now, until at the end the time must become precious and nothing is to be had. After that, I also wanted that at certain times of the week, once a week, or as it seems good to them, they should not eat in the evening without a bite of bread and a drink, so that they would not consume everything with constant eating and drinking, as we Germans do, and learn to live a little moderately, especially as young, full, strong people do. But that was supposed to be a worldly way, subject to the authorities.
68 After these fasts there would be a spiritual common fast that we Christians should keep, and it would also be fine to keep a common fast for several days before Easter, item, before Pentecost and Christmas, and thus divide the fasts into the year. But by no means to make a service out of it, as to earn something with it, or to propitiate God, but as an external Christian discipline and exercise.
- Erlanger: also.
524 Erl, 43, 198-200. interpretation of Matth. 6, 16-18. W. VII, 766-768. 525
For the young and simple-minded people, that they may learn to observe the times and to distinguish them throughout the year, as four consecration or joyful fasts 1) have been kept until now, when everyone observes them. For it must be that some times are set apart and marked out as fasting days and holidays for the common people, for the sake of the preaching and remembrance of the most important! History and Works of Christ 2c. So that no special worship is sought, but only a day of notice, according to which one could grasp the whole year, and know how one is in time. So I would also like to suffer that one fasts in this way throughout the year every Friday 2) evening, as being set aside for a special day. But such fasting I cannot nor will not do, unless it would be accepted beforehand in harmony. Behold, thus the Christian church would have enough to fast for itself that we should not be blamed for despising and even rejecting fasting. 3)
(69) But this is not yet the true Christian fasting that Christ means, which is particular to each one, and is done in such a way that, if it is to be called true and Christian fasting, it is not enough that you eat nothing in the evening, which is only a part of it, and the very least, but it is in it that you discipline your body and keep it moderate. This applies not only to eating, drinking, and sleeping, 2c., 4) but also to idleness, all kinds of joyful play, and everything that may be good for the body, so that one may care for and maintain it. Now this is called fasting, when one breaks off and abstains from all these things, and only for the purpose of keeping the flesh in check and humble; as Scripture interprets fasting to be, and calls it affligere animam, to hurt the body 2c. so that it does not take on any pleasures, good days, joys. This was the fasting of the fathers of old, who did not eat or drink all day long, slept little, and went away as if they were suffering, and broke off everything from the body, as much as nature might have suffered.
- The same as gold fasting, § 62.
2s Wittenberger: Feirtag.
- "gar" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- "u. s. w." is missing in the Wittenberg.
70 Such fasting is not found much now, especially among our clergy, monks and priests. For the Carthusians, who nevertheless want to lead the strictest life, do not do so, even though they may make a pretense of walking in hard clothes, but nevertheless eat their belly full of the best food and drink, and live without any care in the most gentle way. No, it is not a matter of deceiving and cheating; it is a matter of humbling the body and taking from it everything that lusts and pleases it. And even if they fast rightly in all things, the devil's abuse is that they base their holiness on it and want to gain something special from God with it. Therefore, even though fasting is the best thing to do, it should not be relied upon. For there may well be a secret mischief hidden under it, against faith or love, just as the prophet Isaiah, Cap. 58, 4 (as mentioned above Cap. 5, § 186), punishes such fasting, so that they hurt their bodies, but at the same time they tormented and afflicted their guilty 2c. So Christ also condemns the fasting of the Pharisees; not that they did not fast rightly, but that they sought their glory and honor in it 2c.
Therefore, it takes a great deal to make it a good work and to please God. For he does not want anything everywhere, that you want to court him with your fasting as a great saint, and yet bear hatred and anger toward your neighbor 2c., but, if you want to fast rightly, think that you are a pious man beforehand, and that you believe and love both rightly. For such work does not concern God or neighbor, but our own bodies 2c. But this will nowhere follow. Therefore I may well say that I have seen no true fasting. For otherwise all fasting is only half and piecemeal, and a loud deception, since one breaks off a meal for the sake of appearances, but otherwise tickles the body daily; without what may now be the case with some pious preachers and pastors in the villages and elsewhere, who have to do it out of necessity, and suffer scorn, ridicule and all plagues for it, and have no morsel of bread from anyone. There is neither pleasure, nor adornment, nor gentle days; these are they who go astray in the world.
526 Erl. 43, 200-202. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 7SS-771. 527
and no one knows them, of whom the world is not worthy (as the Epistle to the Hebrews, Cap. 11, 37, 38, says). But let the Carthusian monks and our rabble in their hard shirts and gray skirts open their eyes and their mice, and let it be said, "Oh, how holy these people are!
- See, this is what I call the right fasting of the Christians, because one hurts the whole body and forces it with all five senses, so that it must leave and do without everything that is good for it, whether willingly or out of necessity (but that one accepts it gladly and suffers), One eats fish or meat, but nothing more, because the dear necessity demands that the body not be spoiled or made unfit by it, but be kept in constraint and work, so that it does not become idle, nor lazy and horny. But I do not dare to undertake such fasting, nor do I want to impose it on anyone. For every man must look to himself here, and feel himself, because we are not all alike, that no common rule can be laid down for it; but every man, when he is 1) strong, and feels that the flesh is in need, according to that he should begin and break it. For it is set against the lust and irritation of the flesh alone, not against nature, and is not bound to any certain rule or measure, time or place, but should always go when it is necessary to keep the body in check, and so accustom it that it may suffer hardship if it came to the necessity that it had to do so. And let him be free to do as he pleases, that he may not be judged by laws, as the pope has done. Just as prayer cannot be measured out, but must be left to the discretion of each person's devotion or need. So also not the alms, to whom, or if, or how much one must give, as forced by necessity and law.
(73) But so far is the common rule for all Christians, and every man is commanded to live temperately, soberly, and chastely; not for a day or a year, but daily and chastely.
- "he" is missing in -er Wittenberger.
always, which the Scripture calls sobrietatem, sober living. That, even though they cannot keep all the fasting, they may go so far as to keep food, drink, sleep, and all the necessities of the body in moderation, that they may do it for necessity and not for excess and wantonness, and not live as if it were for the sake of eating and drinking, dancing and jumping. But whether anything is sometimes done about it out of weakness, that is included in the article called forgiveness of sin, like other daily afflictions.
. Above all, see to it that you are devout and a true Christian beforehand, and that you do not serve God by fasting, but that your worship is only faith in Christ and love for your neighbor, that you wait for what is required of you. If this is not the case, then let fasting be the more important. For fasting is only for the purpose of putting the body to work to cut off its desire and causes of desire from within, as faith does from within the heart. That is enough said about fasting.
(75) Now we must also consider the words which Christ gives to all these three things, almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, that they should be hidden, and our Father, who sees into the hidden things, will reward them publicly. For it is a necessary comfort for Christians who do such works righteously, because in the world it certainly happens that their work is desecrated and covered up and hidden in such a way that no godless person can see it, and even if he sees it, he does not recognize it with open eyes. As if we set ourselves as an example of what we do and create by the grace of God, no one sees it, and the whole world reproaches us no differently than those who despise and forbid prayer, fasting, and all good works, and who cause unhappiness and discord 2c. But how we pray, both publicly and secretly, they shall not see, though they hear it, and would stand by and take hold of it publicly, as we help to peace and all good 2c. For God has ordered it thus, as the Scripture says Isa. 26, 10., that in short no wicked person shall see God's glory, that is, everything that God speaks
528 Erl. 43, sor-Lvs. interpretation of Matth. 6, 16-18. W. VII, 771-773. 529
and does; as also Isaiah Cap. 6, 10. says: "harden the heart of this people, and let their ears be thick, and blind their eyes, that they see not with open eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their heart, and be converted" 2c.
(76) So it is with us, both with our doctrine and life. For I do not think that our gospel is hidden from them, but that it has been heard so that they all see and hear it, otherwise they would not rage so angrily against it; nor can they see it, and with them it must not be called the gospel, but damnable heresy. They also see the fruits of it in us and our good works, 1) which we also show against them as our enemies, and humble ourselves before them to the highest degree, offering peace and all good things, and for this purpose faithfully pray for them; yet they are not worthy to recognize this, but for this very reason must persecute us all the more grievously. So they also do not see our fasting, as our preachers willingly suffer hunger and sorrow, that they may serve the people 2c. But if they fast with a good cowardly collation, and three or four sermons, 2) that is a delicious thing and great holiness; just as our prayer must mean nothing compared to their babbling and howling in the churches.
(77) Behold, therefore, the whole Christian life must be and remain hidden, and cannot come to any glory, nor have any appearance or renown in the sight of the world. Therefore let it go, and do not accept it, even though it is hidden and well covered and buried, so that no one sees it or respects it, and be content that your Father above in heaven sees it, for he has sharp eyes and can see far into the distance, even though it is covered with a great dark cloud and buried deep in the earth, so that the life of all Christians is directed solely to God's eyes. For nothing else comes of it, we live as we please, and do it as well as we can, yet we cannot please the world, nor do it justice and thanks, and shall not be worthy to be helped by it and to do it good.
(78) Therefore, again, we must give her leave, and send her home to the devil, and
- Jenaer: [not".
- Galrede - jelly.
on such sayings comfortingly defy, and sing: Let go, the world has a stupid mind 2c. It is enough that we do it in honor and favor of the one who sees it, and we will neither do nor leave anything for her sake. God grant that she may give thanks or reproach, be angry or laugh; we will not make her any different than she has ever been. What shall we then wrestle for honor or thanksgiving, which is not to be exalted? but let it be to the wicked, who wear rosaries on their necks, howl in the choir day and night, eat vain fish and stinking oil 2c. and do vain works: they shall have the honor and glory of her, as they both are worth and belong together, as cattle and stall, to the devil in the butt. For as the works are, so shall their praisers be, that one shall praise another.
(79) This is one piece of comfort, that we know that the world is not worthy of us, but we have another in heaven who looks upon us and our work. The other is that he says, "Your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you publicly," so that it will not remain with the seeing alone, but will also be repaid, and not secretly, but publicly, so that all the world will see with its eternal shame. Therefore let him do it, he will bring it to light, so that it will not remain in darkness on earth and in the sight of men; as also the 37th Psalm, v. 5, 6, teaches and comforts: "Command the Lord thy ways, and hope in him; he will do it well, and will bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and make thy cause clear, that it may shine as the dear sun in the noonday." See how the dear martyrs were so shamefully killed, and yet now shine forth in such a way that all the world is a mere stink in comparison. Thus John Hus was condemned before our time, so shamefully as never to be heard of, and his name (as they thought) eternally interpreted; nor does he now shine forth with such honors that his cause and doctrine must be praised before all the world, and the Pope's thing lies in the mire in the most shameful way.
80 Let us also now remain shut up and hidden; but the time will come when God will draw us forth, and our cause and nature will shine forth.
530 Erl. 43, L0S-L07. interpretation of 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. VII. 77S-77S. 531
before the eyes of all the world, even here in this life. But much more glorious on that day, when some poor man will come forth, and with his fruits and good works will disgrace the whole ministry and 1) world, that his thing will be all light and clarity, but that thing will be all filth. Only that we keep Christ's word, and neither turn to it nor let it be challenged, whether we are now mocked and put in darkness by the West, but look to him, and do all things for his sake. For God's work and Word cannot remain behind, but must come out into the light, however deeply it is buried, so that I myself have often been amazed when I have seen the Pabstics, how the devil has led the dear Gospel into a dunghill and puddle through the Pabst's abominations, and buried it so deeply that I thought it was not possible that the truth should come forth more and more under so much seduction of the masses, purgatory, and innumerable other abominations, 2) nor did it have to come forth just when it was at its deepest, and they thought that their thing should now stand forever.
(81) So it was with Christ himself, when they had put him under the earth, and thought that they had buried him so deep that no one should sing or speak of him any more; then he flashed forth, and shone through his word so powerfully that they all fell to the ground forever. Therefore we can be sure, because we have his word, that our teaching and work must come to light and be praised before the eyes of all the world, even though it is now hidden. Unless God Himself must remain in the dark. Behold, this is the comforting promise, given to us for admonition, that we practice righteous good works and do not fret if the world does not see it, for it is too blind; and as little as it recognizes God, so little can it recognize His word and work. And it shall never come to see what a great thing it is for a baptized child, or a Christian who receives the sacrament and loves to hear God's word; but must regard it as a bad water bath, or piece of bread, and a useless
- Wittenbergers: the.
- "Abomination" is missing in the Erlanger.
Chatter. So she does not see what he does who fasts or prays properly. Therefore we command him who can see it, and hope that he will disgrace the blind, mad saints with their great, glittering being, so that they now obscure the life and work of Christians.
V.19-21. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume them, and where thieves dig and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves neither dig nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(82) First, he has punished their false interpretation of the Ten Commandments, and purified and purified the corrupt and obscured doctrine; then, against their false, glittering works, he has taught the right, good 3) works, so that both the Ten Commandments may be rightly understood and the works righteously done. Now he begins to warn against the temptations that hinder this teaching, and he does this almost thoroughly until the eighth chapter, and he will do it well out of all measure, as a master of excellence, who omits nothing that serves to keep us in the right doctrine and life.
83 And first, he takes before him the great and beautiful vice called avarice. For these are almost the two most harmful plagues that always follow where one teaches the gospel and wants to live by it. First, false preachers, who corrupt the doctrine; then miserliness, which hinders the good life. As we see now, after the gospel is preached again, that the people are much more stingy than before, scratching and clawing as if they would even die of hunger, who before were walking in blindness as if they were strengthened, having preached to them what every man dreamed, and giving what they should, with heaps, so that they themselves did not see nor complain what they were missing; But now, because their eyes are opened, that they may see how they ought to live, and to do right good works, they watch their penny so closely, and stint as if every man would gladly give to the world.
- "good" is missing in the Wittenberger.
532 Erl. 43, 207-209. Interpretation of Matth. 6, 19-21. W. VII, 779-782. 533
I cannot interpret it in any other way, nor reckon where it comes from, because it must be a louder plague from the wicked devil, who always throws in this shameful vice of hindering the light of the gospel. For the gospel gives us the consolation that we shall not only live forever there, but also have enough to eat here, as Psalm 8:7, 8 says, that Christ shall be King and Lord over all the earth, having in his hands sheep and oxen and all the beasts of the earth, so that he will not let us die of hunger. Now we know this, but we ourselves are still much deeper in avarice and the care of temporal food than before, and we want to lack and run out everywhere, and cannot give the tenth part to God in honor of what we have previously spilled into the devil's mouth.
84 Christ also showed and said this in many more places. When he sends his apostles to preach, his greatest concern and warning is that they beware of the two, false doctrine and avarice, and commands them harshly that they should take no provisions with them on the way, nor care what they eat and drink Matth. 10, 9, so that they (as said) are the two most harmful things in Christianity, by which it is even corrupted, spiritually, the faith through false doctrine, physically, the fruits through avarice. Therefore it is necessary to preach and warn when doctrine and life have been established, that we take care to stay with it and not be led away again by a false interpretation of the Scriptures; then beware of avarice, lest it creep up on us and take us by stealth, so that we set our date in time, that we have enough here, as if it had been set.
For it is an annual, clinging evil, and can also make a fine appearance and beautiful thoughts, that it also deceives the Christians, and no one can know himself safe from it. For when they see how they fare in the world, which afflicts them in every way and does not allow them a morsel of bread, so that they have to die because of it, just as the poor preachers are now suffering grief and hardship, then they are challenged.
That they also think how they can get something and bring it before themselves, so that they can remain in the world until they even fall into worldly care and avarice, and over this fall and lie down their preaching ministry, and some even abandon the gospel.
For this reason Christ begins to preach with many words against the great idol Mammon, and paints him in the most shameful way 1) that one should beware of it, and says first: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust devour them, and where thieves dig for them" 2c. Then he gives to the treasures on earth three finders, namely rust, moths and thieves. These are shameful guardians, if one puts them over treasures. God has arranged it so that where there is treasure, there must also be such companions to guard it, like sparrows or rats and mice with the grain. For there is nothing of better value, because we do not really need money and goods, but are attracted to ourselves by the tiresome avarice, and no one gives to the other, nor gives to the other. 2c.
Not only moths and rust, which eat clothes or iron and bronze; nor mice and rats, which are caught in traps; nor only thieves, who secretly clear out boxes, but also the great, living moths and public thieves, as the great iron-eaters and scavengers at court, who can empty a prince's floor and bag, and finally rob him of everything he has. So also in cities; not only do they enter a citizen's house, but they also secretly suck a city dry with usury and racketeering in the marketplace, and wherever they can. In short, where there is money and goods, there must also be moths and thieves; and everything in the world is full of such rats and mice, where only people live among themselves. For what is an unfaithful councillor at court or magistrate but such a rust or moth, which serves nowhere but to eat away a prince's money and goods, because something is there? As there are now many such hypocrites, who with daily, difficult, unnecessary and futile
- Wittenberg and Erlangen: most shameful.
534 Erl. 43, sos-211. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 782-784. 535
They make the princes poor, and ask nothing of them whether a prince prosper or perish, if they are only masters in his money, and rule as they please.
So also, in all towns and villages, everything is full of vain rats and moths, both large and small, secretly and publicly; as, cobblers, tailors, butchers, bakers, brewers and tavern keepers, and other craftsmen, laborers and day laborers. Yes, in any house, whoever has a lazy, unfaithful servant or maid, what does he have but a cornworm that eats away more than if he had the ground full of rats and mice? Now see what a fine god Mammon is, who has no better guardians and servants around him than rust and moths, so that when one has long gathered great treasures, they must be so eaten away by such servants that no one enjoys them who should. And not many treasures of great lords and princes are ever well invested, but are commonly devastated by wars, or eaten up by such loose eating worms, or otherwise uselessly destroyed and squandered. Therefore, those who do not have much treasure are best off, for they do not have many rats to feed and must not fear thieves.
(89) But how can one have no treasures at all, and all be condemned herewith who gather treasures on earth? That need not be. For if they were all to do as you and I have done, no one would have anything in his house and court tomorrow. Lords and princes must create and have supplies for the land and the people. For this purpose God created gold and silver and gave them mines. Thus we read in the Scriptures that Moses teaches the king that he should not have too many horses, gold and silver Deut. 17:16. With this he allows him to gather treasures moderately. As also king Solomon boasts of himself, and the patriarch Joseph gathered so much that he made the whole land of Egypt with grain, money, goods, cattle 1) and body in addition to the king's own, as completely serf people. So Abraham also had
- "Cattle" is missing in the Wittenberg.
much sheep, gold and 2) silver, so that he traded and bought. What shall we say to this, then, that he so clearly declares that we are not to gather treasures, when he himself (if one wanted to reckon with him) also had a supply, because Judas carried the bag and money after him, and yet always had some cash, so that they never lacked anything when he sent out the disciples, as they themselves said? Why then does he here deny such things, and say that they should carry no money, nor bag, nor shoe with them 2c.?
90 Answer: It has been said often enough above Cap. 5, § 222. 242 ff. that Christ in this sermon teaches an individual or Christian man; and that a man of the world and a Christian, or a Christian and a worldly person, are to be far separated from one another. For a Christian is called neither man nor woman, young nor old, lord, servant, emperor, prince, baner, citizen, nor anything that goes on in the world and may be called, does not have a person nor larvae, and should neither have nor know anything in the world, but let him be satisfied with the protection in heaven. Whoever does not distinguish between these things cannot understand such sayings properly, as our sophists and enthusiasts throw them into one another and brew them.
A prince may be a Christian, but as a Christian he does not have to rule; and after he rules, he is not called a Christian, but a prince. The person is indeed a Christian, but the office or principality does not concern his Christianity. For according to the fact that he is a Christian, the gospel teaches him that he should not harm anyone, nor punish nor avenge, but forgive everyone, and whatever harm or injustice is done to him, he should suffer. This is (I say) the lesson of a Christian. But this would not make a good rule if you were to preach to the prince in this way; but so he must say: I let my Christian status go between God and me; that has his decision, how I should live against him; but above or beside that I have another status or office in the world, that I am a prince. The person does not go against GOD, but between me and my country and people 2c. There does not belong how you live against
- "and" is missing in the Erlanger.
536 Erl. 43, 211-214. interpretation of Matth. 6, 19-21. W. VII, 784-787. 537
Let God live, and what you should do and suffer for yourself; let that go for your Christian person, as he has nothing to do with land and people. But your princely person shall not have anything to do with it, but shall think how to govern. Keep and protect justice and peace, and punish the wicked.
- Behold, both ranks or offices are rightly divided, and yet in one person, and, thus to be reckoned, repugnant, that one person should at the same time suffer all, and not suffer; but thus, that 1) to each office its own is differently allotted, namely, as said, if it befalls me as a Christian, then I shall suffer it; but if it affects my worldly person, who is not bound between God and me, but to country and people (whom I am commanded to help and protect, and have been given the sword to do so), then it is not a matter of suffering, but of contradiction. So every man on earth has two persons: one for himself, bound to no one but God alone; then, a worldly one, that he may be bound to other people. As we must be in this life among ourselves, as a husband or landlord to wife and child; who, though he be a Christian, yet shall he not suffer of his own that they should practice wickedness or wantonness in marriage, but shall ward off and punish evil, that they may do what is right 2c. If you know such a difference, then Christ's teaching is easy to understand, because here and in all his sermons he does not speak about how a worldly person should do and live, but how you should live righteously towards God, as a Christian who has nothing to worry about the world, but should only think about another life.
- So say 2) now also to this text: My person, who is called a Christian, should not care for money nor collect it, but only cling to God with the heart. But outwardly I may and should need temporal goods for my body, and for other people, as far as my worldly person goes, collect money and treasures.
- Wittenberger: one.
- "sage" is missing in the Wittenberger.
But not too much, lest it become a miser who seeks only for himself and cannot be satisfied. For a worldly person must have money, grain and provisions for his country, people or others who belong to him. If one could rule as the patriarch Joseph ruled in Egypt, so that all the floors and chests would be full of provisions, and the land would be so organized that it would be supplied with all necessities, from which one could help the people, advance and distribute when it was necessary, that would be quite a fine treasure, and of temporal good and Christian use. For what a prince collects, he does not collect for himself, but as a common person, yes, a common father of the whole country. For we do not all have to be beggars, but each one must bring so much before him that he can feed himself and not burden others, and help others as well, and thus put one to another where it is needed.
94 So every city should collect as much as it can for the common need, yes, also every parish a common box for the poor. This would not be called collecting unjustly, but rather collecting Christian treasures. For there is no such treasure to atone for avarice and lust, as the world does, and as our priests have collected money until now, and have sought no more than to see their pleasure in it, and to play with the florins as maidens do with the cattle. 4) But when the need arises, when one should help others, there is no one at home. This is called the devil's treasure, against which Christ speaks here, that one should not gather treasure from the earth, that is, for himself and for his own pleasure. So that the heart may not be stingy and cling to temporal mammon, but seek and gather another treasure in heaven. But outwardly and worldly you may gather as much as you can with God and with 5) honor; not for your lust and avarice, but for other people's need. He who gathers in this way shall have blessing and indulgence as a devout Christian.
- but those who are so stingy and pawing that they
- "also" is missing in the Erlanger.-Wittenberger: "doch dass auch nicht". The words: "doch auch nicht zu viel" are missing in the Wittenberger:
- d. i. dolls.
- "with" is missing in the Erlanger.
538 Srl. 43, 214-216. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. VII, 787-790. 539
cannot stop, and yet let no one enjoy it, that even they themselves may not need to rejoice, it shall also happen to them as it says here, that vain moths, rust and thieves eat away, that, as it is won, it goes again. Although it often happens that even though it has been collected, it is still eaten up. For it must not happen better to the temporal goods on earth. If it is the same for those who collect real treasures, how much more for those who seek nothing but money, not the use, benefit and fruit of money; for it is so blessed here that moths and rust must come over it, and eat it away, and be stolen, that no one succeeds who is so stingy and scrupulous; And if a farmer has already collected a lot, he must not use it, nor is it his place, but must bury it, so that it is of no use to him or others, without the worms gnawing and biting at it, or the landsknechts and Junker Scharrhansen being granted it, so that it is not better invested.
96 With these words Christ wants to talk us out of our minds, so that we are not so stingy after mammon, and speaks so contemptuously and shamefully about it, that he could not speak more honestly 1) to him. For what kind of a God is he who is not able to resist rust and moths, but must daily be eaten away and consumed, and there lie every man for a prey, that what comes over him eats him, and every thief carries away 2c.? It is a disgrace to have such an impotent God, subject to rust, moths and thieves, who governs the whole world. Therefore we should be ashamed of ourselves, that we are such people, who hang on such rust-eating treasure, and put all their comfort on it. Since you know these things, do not set your heart on gathering treasures on earth, but be satisfied with what God gives you here, and put it in the way that it may perish or be taken from you. For nothing else will come of it, especially he who
- more honest - more too close.
- "yes" is missing in the Jena.
If a Christian wants to confess or preach his Lord, he must wait all hours to be bitten out and cast out, as he who has brought the world and all devils upon himself. If he is to carry it out, he must take courage so that he can despise their treasures and goods and know another, better treasure.
97 Therefore say, "Gather ye treasures in heaven," 2c., that is, let the world have its rusty, rapacious, and thieving treasures, which are worth nothing better, that it may have pleasure and comfort in them. But you, who are not of the world, but belong to heaven, and have been bought by my blood to have another, eternal good, which is prepared and appointed for you, do not let your heart be taken captive here, but, whether you live in such an office and state, that you must deal with it, that you do not hang on to it, nor serve it. But seek how you may get those treasures which are laid up for you in heaven. For these are true treasures, which neither moth nor rust can touch, and are safe from all that can devour and steal. For they are laid up in such a way that they always remain whole and fresh, and are kept in such a way that no one can dig for them.
Whoever wants to be a Christian, let him enjoy this irritation and rhetoric. For it should please a stingy stomach, and his heart should laugh, if one showed him such a treasure, which no rust could eat and no thief could steal. But the world should not respect this, because it does not see it nor grope, but remains attached to the gold and silver, which it sees glittering, although it knows and sees that it is not safe for an hour from rust and thieves. But we do not preach the same. If any man will not keep the word of Christ, and cleave unto the uncertain treasure, let him go always: we will not pull any man's hair. But see, if it come to thee, that thou must and must depart, then call upon thy treasure, which thou hast gathered, and hast set thy trust upon it; and see what thou hast in it, and be thou saved thereby.
But it goes as it is written Ps. 76, 6: Dormierunt somnum suum omnes viri divitiarum, et nihil invenerunt in manibus suis,
540 - Erl. 43, 218-218. interpretation of Matth. 6, 19-21. W. VII, 790-792. 541
"The rich wives who served your mammon, when they were about to die, found nothing. It is a terrible thing that those who served mammon all their lives, and for its sake wronged and harmed many, and despised God's word, and 1) yet in adversity could not enjoy a hair's breadth, 2) their eyes are first opened, that they look into another world, and grope about for what they have gathered for food, they find nothing, and let them go away empty-handed: They are so afraid that they forget what they have gathered and find nothing in heaven. And it happens to them, as Christ Luc. 12, 19. 20. says of the rich man, who once had a delicious, good autumn, that he wanted to break off the scabs and make them larger, and thought now to have good days, and said: "Dear soul, you now have a large supply for many years, eat and drink, and have good courage. Behold, this is the peasant song which all miserly men sing; but what follows it? "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be taken from thee, and what shall it be that thou hast prepared?" So he has lost both, this treasure, and must also be robbed of his accumulated goods, and so shamefully that he does not even know who is to get it.
For this is how it is in the world; because great treasures are seldom brought together divinely, that they do not have to invest it as well as 3) they would like to, or come to someone's use, but are so dispersed that 4) no one knows where it remains; as I have already experienced many times, especially among rich, great bullfinches, who have left great goods, but after their death have suddenly disappeared, or indeed have been given to those who have known no thanks for them, but have squandered and disgracefully killed them. And especially, where a war starts, it goes as the devil wills, that the iron and steel companies get it.
- Wittenberg and Jena: "and". The Erlanger has omitted this "and", which is also in their original.
- Erlanger: "not so much" instead of: not a hair wide.
- "als" is Conjectur of the Jena edition in the margin, instead of "da" in the text.
- Jenaer: that it.
eaters to whom it is never meant, and in addition put on the people all the nuisance for it.
Therefore, if one gathers for a long time and someone asks who is to get it, he must say that he does not know Ps. 39:8. And yet he comes to the point that it does not turn out the way he thought it would. Therefore he is a great fool, that he stakes all his comfort and salvation on it, and toils his life away with great anxiety and fear, and yet does not know himself to whom he has gathered it; nor will anyone respect it. For the blindness and wickedness of men is too great, and the world wants to remain the world for a short time, and have the plague of serving the rust-eaten treasure. And when it has served long and has angered God, it must be rewarded that he cannot help at the last, and it lets it have the afterglow and in addition mockery to the damage. She will not let them defend her, as little as the firer can be defended, so that it does not burn or water does not extinguish. Therefore let her go, and know that this is preached to you as a Christian, that you think where you should have and find your treasure, since it is certain to you and remains forever, and cannot be lost or become the property of another; and that you should not use worldly goods, and let them go as they go, as a traveling possession. And where you gather such treasures with God and honor, he will also see to it that it remains where it should remain, that it is nevertheless not lost, but well invested, and much good is done with it.
Now Christ concludes this with a saying, and says: "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. This is spoken in the same way as we Germans say of a miser: Money is his heart; that is, if he has only money, that is his joy and comfort, and summa, his God. Again, if he has nothing, that is his death, there is no heart, joy nor comfort. Therefore he says, "Take heed to yourselves, and examine your own heart, and know assuredly that your heart will be in the place where your treasure is. Just as it is customary to say, "What a man loves is his God. For there his heart carries him to it, goes about with it day and night, sleeps with it and watches with it, be it money or 5)
- Erlanger: "and".
542 Erl. "3, 218-220. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. vn, 792-794. 543
Good, pleasure or honor 2c. Therefore, only look at your own heart, so you will soon find what is in it, and where your treasure is. For this 1) is to be felt, whether thou hast so great a desire and diligence, that thou hearest the word of God, and livest according to it, and obtainest that life, as thou gatherest much money and goods, and bringest them before thee.
For if the heart is so minded, and proves itself so, where it is to be proved that I would rather lose not only money and goods, but also my neck, than leave the gospel or despise it, and do wrong to my neighbor or 2) do violence to him, for my own benefit 2c.., then I can conclude that money and goods are not my heart's treasure, even though I collect them and keep them in counsel, but freely put them into the drive and the entrenchment, seeking another treasure in heaven, namely, hidden in God's word. But again, if it is so about you that you let preach, teach and exhort what you want, and go and think how you have enough and lead your splendor; do not ask whether you do right or wrong to your neighbor, if you have only your own, and make your calculation so that you collect two, even ten, with one penny, give God where he remains with his word and preachers, and the world with its right: then you can also grasp that your treasure is not up in heaven, but is in the rust and moths; so much so that you would rather anger God and the world before you would let a penny go to waste and let something go for their sake. How now peasants, burghers, nobles, everywhere speak and live insolently, who for the sake of a penny may strike God and his world regiment in the redoubt, so that this saying may remain true, and with the deed transfer them, because they do not want to hear nor let them be told. For nothing else will come of it, if we worry about it for the same length of time and like to see things differently. Therefore it is best, when they have been told, to let them go, and to despise and laugh at them as much as they do at us. For God says in the outer Psalm Ps. 2, 4. 5. that He can also laugh, and laugh in such a way that it will make them
- Wittenberger: da.
- Jenaer: and.
will become a sour weeping. That is, "He will speak to them in his anger, and in his wrath he will terrify them."
V. 22. 23. The eye is the light of the body. If therefore thine eye be one-seeded, thy whole body shall be light. But if thine eye be a mischief, thy whole body shall be darkness. But if the light that is in you is darkness, how great will the darkness itself be?
(104) This is a warning, that we be not deceived by fair colors and appearances, that covetousness may adorn itself, and cover the mischief. For, as I have said, there is no vice among all fleshly vices that deceives men more, and does greater harm, both to the gospel and its fruits. For it is such a fellow that hindereth where he may, that the gospel be not preached, and remain with the people. And though it be preached, yet the preachers that get into miserliness are of no use; so that both the people that are to hear it, and they that are to preach it, are diminished; that they that have it well will not feed the preachers, and let them die of hunger for it; and because the preachers see this, they also give themselves up that they may not live by the grace of the people. They are much more harmful enemies than the others. For even though a farmer becomes stingy and gives nothing to preserve the gospel, a preacher can still be fed, even if it is meager. But if the preachers themselves get into trouble, they will not like the gospel, that they should suffer and dare anything for it, but will make their reckoning that their belly is not broken, and preach what people like to hear and carry money.
For this reason St. Paul gives this vice the special name that it is called 3) idolatry or idolatrousness Eph. 5, 5. Col. 3, 5., as it goes directly against faith, which is the right idolatry 4) or God's glory.
- Wittenberger: ers.
- Wittenberger instead of "right idolatry": "idolatry".- Immediately before we put instead of "which" "which"; it refers to "faith". Latin: huno füUssj vsru xistus erst, 86U eultus Dei.
544 Erl. 43, 220-222. interpretation of Matth. 6, 22. 23. w. VII, 794-797. 545
For he makes mammon and the impotent penny his god and lord; what he wills he does, so he lives and preaches, and is even his own and captive, that he no longer asks anything about God's word, and does not put a farthing in danger for his own sake.
Now Christ can do no more than punish such vices and warn those who wish to be warned against them, as is necessary. For even the pious can hardly guard against being deceived. But the others are sure to be drowned in it, regardless of what is preached and said. The Jews were also such fellows, drowned in their avarice, as he always had to rebuke them; and all the prophets, when they preached about faith, are nothing but vain cries and screams about avarice, against their preachers and false prophets, as well as the common crowd. But it was of no use, except for a few who were still kept, for whose sake Christ and all of us must still preach, and let the others go, because they want to be of the devil.
Now Christ used this saying more than once as a common saying, not only about avarice, but also about other things, especially about doctrine. For in doctrine it is so, that the false spirits and false preachers pretend, 2) they mean it with all their heart and in all seriousness, and seek God's glory and the salvation of souls, that no one boasts and swears as much as they do. Then 3) he warns them, "Take care that your eye is simple and not a prankster's eye, that is, that your opinion and boast is right and not a secret prankster, and that you do not deceive yourself with false delusions and thoughts.
(108) For such people are commonly bewitched by the devil, and not otherwise than a man lies in a dream or sleep, and is so completely caught that he cannot believe that he is dreaming, but neither thinks nor knows otherwise than that it is truly so, and is so certain that he feels nothing more certain: nor is it anything but nothing.
- Wittenbergers: the.
- In the old editions: give for.
- Wittenberger: that.
a dream that disappears as soon as he wakes up and is nothing more. And even if he sometimes thinks that it is a dream, or dreams of a dream, he is still caught, so that he cannot judge himself out of it, nor is he strong in his senses. So are such people imprisoned, who are so sure that their thing is the truth, that they may conspire everything on it, and yet they are nothing but nothing but dreams and mad people's thoughts. Therefore, it is a dangerous thing if one does not keep God's word purely and simply, and allows himself to be led by it to people's thoughts, which have a good appearance, and soon take them captive, so that whoever falls into it cannot work his way out again afterwards. For he knows no other way than that it is the right word of God, and stands so firmly on it that he does not allow himself to be turned away from it; as one can see that some leave their necks behind.
But this does not belong to this place. For here he uses the word for the common vice of avarice, which, though it be gross and outward, yet is no vice, according to doctrine, that can so adorn itself and make such a beautiful cover; that it must not be called avarice, but be seen and praised as if one were heartily hostile to vice, and no one were so mild, kind, and merciful; and yet does not himself see that his heart deceives him, and is even drowned in avarice. We must look at the text a little further, and show it roughly with examples (although it is not possible to think up everything, how many things the prankster can twist and help himself to), so that one may learn to beware of it. For it is also a common temptation among Christians that no one believes that so few people are pure from it; for the heathen and others do it so rudely that it can well be grasped.
The fact that Christ says: "The eye is the light of the body" is taken from the natural body. If it had no eye, no sun would help, even if it shone a hundred times as brightly. Therefore the body has no other light to guide and direct it than the eye; because it can see with it, one must not worry that it will drive into the Elbe beside the bridge or through hedges.
546 Erl. 43, 222-225. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 797-800. 547
He shall go over wood and stone, and fall, or be drowned in water: for there is no light, but darkness. But he that hath not an eye, and walketh not, goeth over wood and stone, until he fall, and dash his neck, or be drowned in water: for there is no light, but darkness.
(111) So it is also in Christianity, especially with covetousness. See then that your spiritual body has an eye, that is, a righteous good opinion and understanding, that you know how you believe and live, and do not deceive yourself with false delusion and conceit. For example, if you think, "I want to work and do something, so that I may gain something, and be satisfied with my wife and child, with God and honor, and God gives me the opportunity to serve and help my neighbor, I will gladly do so. Behold, this is the light or spiritual eye, from God's word, which shows thee what pertaineth to thy estate, and instructs thee how thou shalt conduct it and live therein. For this is right and must be, because the body lives here, that each one may create something to nourish himself, and households.
But now see to it that such an eye does not become a rogue and deceive you, but that you do it with a simple mind, and intend only that you work, and do what your profession demands, for the need of yourself and your neighbor, and do not seek something else under such a cover, namely, how you fill your avarice with it. For flesh and blood are masters of this, which can abuse such light and turn it to appearance. If, then, you have brought food before you that you love, and only think how you can keep it together and make it bigger, and if you have one florin, you would like to have ten in addition, behold, there runs along the eye of a fool, which looks not only at the food and need, but at its avarice, and yet can adorn itself finely, that it does not seek avarice, but does what God has commanded it to do, and accepts what God gives.
(113) Therefore, no one can look into your heart and judge you, but behold, you are a man.
- Erlanger: with it.
- "but" is missing in the Erlanger.
yourself that your eye does not fei a shale eye. For it is soon done, and loves mightily very much, especially when one feels what it bears and gains, so love is thirsty and never gets full, and nature without that otherwise inclines to it: so then whores and knaves come together, and go as it should go, that it is true, as they say: Occasio facit furem, money makes peelings. That is why Christ warns his own so diligently. For the world is a whorehouse altogether, and is sunk in this vice; and we ourselves must live in it, and see such examples and provocations, that we are in great danger, and must take care that we do not let the devil ride us.
If thine eye be single," saith Christ, "thy whole body is light;" that is, all that thou doest and livest outwardly, according to thy office and station, is all righteous, proceeding according to God's word, from right opinion, that it may shine as the sun before God and man, and stand before all the world; and all that thou doest is profitable, and mayest with a good conscience use temporal goods, as honestly and godly obtained. 2c. Again, "if thine eye be a mischief," that thou doest not act therein according to thy office and God's command, but goest out of the way, and thinkest only how to atone for thy lust and love of money, "then is thy whole body dark," and all that thou doest is condemned and lost before God, though thou be reproached before the world as a godly man. For the body is led with all its outward being and life, like a blind man, and cannot walk or live otherwise than as the eye leads.
So he warned us, and commanded every man's conscience, that he should see how his mind and heart stand, lest he himself make a beautiful and yet false thought, as if he had good honest cause, and good reason, and right, to be so sharp and stingy, and to thumb his nose at God, as if he should not perceive the mischief. As if he should say, "You may adorn yourself as you wish, but if you deceive God, you have deceived a wise, prudent and experienced man. But see that you do not deceive yourself
548 Erl. 43, 225-227. interpretation of Matth. 6, 22. 23. w. VII, 800-802. 549
and turn your light into a shawl, making your whole life dark and condemned by God; for he has a pure, sharp face, and will not be deceived with your painted color.
- He now cloaks this warning 1) with an ominous word, to frighten, so that one does not so easily need the same beautiful, poetic opinion, and says v. 23: "But if the light that is in you is darkness, how great will the darkness itself be? That is, whether you can think such fine thoughts, you do not want to gather to avarice, like the others, but want to do it in such a way that you can defend it before God and the world, that it should not be called stingy, and yet you live just like that, and thus make a light of your own in your heart. But see to it that this light is not darkness, not only that it is pure avarice in the heart, but also that you cover it with light, so that it is not called avarice, and thus becomes a twofold darkness, much greater than ever before.
(117) Just as there has been a great darkness under the pabstics, so that the light of Christian doctrine is taken away, that they have taught nothing else, but to take away sin and be saved by works 2c. But when one still defends it and boasts that it is the righteous divine teaching, and whoever says otherwise is a heretic, and forbids worship and all good works 2c., then it becomes pitch dark that one adorns such darkness and error with the name of truth, and thus makes the darkness greater by the added light. Just as if one knows the devil, that it is the devil, and makes a god out of him. That is darkness covered with darkness, and yet wants to be bright and light, yes, the sun itself.
(118) Christ therefore concludes, If this opinion and doctrine, which is thought to be light, is itself darkness, how great will be the other darkness which it brings with it, namely, that one practices the same doctrine and lives according to it. So here, whom avarice has insisted on scratching and scraping, he has already
- Erlanger: "Und beschleußt nu solche Warnung." "nun" is missing in the Wittenberger.
a darkness in the heart. But when he approaches and adorns himself, so that it is not called stingy, and thus takes away the conscience, so that one should not punish him, that is first called a quite thick, 2) double darkness. Just as a fool, who wants to be clever and punished for his foolishness, is first called a great, coarse fool; or an abominable maiden, who wants to be beautiful, and dresses herself up with her abominable pattern; that is first made even blacker and more disgraceful. And all men are so clever that no one wants to have his sin punished, but they all make a cover, so that one should praise it and consider it delicious, and thus make a twofold sin out of a bad one.
- Where such a thing comes into spiritual matters, it does 3) great, murderous harm. For the same state of mind can easily take the right measure; but if one falls on the gospel, he may become too lenient in giving. Again, where one falls away from it, there is also no cessation of stinginess; as it was before and has been until now, when one has begun to give, it has poured out in heaps to churches, worship and spiritual goods, as in former times the emperors and princes of good opinion gave and endowed whole countries for this purpose; but now again almost no one gives a penny, and everything is stingy to himself, as if one feared to die of hunger.
This is what the monks, priests and canons have done until now, whom no one has been able to fill with giving. If one has collected two, three, four fiefdoms, he would have liked to have so much more; and yet all of them had the beautiful cover: Whether I have enough for the need with a prebend, parish or bishopric, but it is also necessary that I can lead my state honestly, as a prince, nobleman, or otherwise a prelate. So he opens the window and door, scrabbles around and takes whatever he can get, all so that he can manage his position honestly; and yet the light is lit, so that it no longer has to be called his avarice, but done for the preservation of his position. As soon as you can find a little bell, so that you can give the devil a
- "thick" is missing in the Jena.
- Wittenberg and Erlangen: den.
550 Erl. 43, S27-SS9. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th Cap. Matthaei. W. VII, 802-8V5. 551
light. And if one has no other remedy, then it must be just this, that one says: I want to collect my money in such a way that I endow masses and church services, or alms for the maintenance of poor people 2c. That is first a beautiful, big light lit; then one would be to death, and would always say: I mean it well. And is then the silly man, our Lord God, deceived in the very finest way, that he can neither see nor notice such quick actions, and they come to him in heaven, before he becomes aware of it. But I have also seen many who collected so much that it lay at a thousand guilders, but then died with the property, so that no one knew where it had remained, for it was an ambitious property; it had to remain in avarice, be eaten by rust and moths, and never come into proper use.
I say this for an example, by which one can see how masterfully a miser can adorn himself and make himself pious, if it comes to him, and yet in truth he is a two-faced rogue and liar. For what does God ask of you if you want to lead a glorious, chivalrous life, so that he should like you to be so stingy, contrary to his commandment, and live as if you wanted to take everything for yourself alone, to carry out your splendor and pride, and then say: you are doing it for God's sake and for the honor of the church, and you want to pay for it with endowments and worship? Just as if someone were to break open your house or chest, and take what he finds, and then say that he wants to give a portion of it as alms: ei, a delicious sacrifice that would be! Thus it is said, If thou wilt give to God, give of that which is thine; for he saith, "I am hostile to the sacrifice that cometh of robbery." If thou hast, give what thou wilt; if thou hast not, thou art excused. But if you are so stingy and sharp that you could give, and pretend that you are doing it for this reason, you are not in earnest, but are lighting a light for yourself out of the dark lantern to thumb your nose at God and people.
122 So now I should go through all the booths and show how to clean oneself and
- Erlanger: and.
that avarice is called a virtue, and mammon is praised and honored as a god. But who wants to tell all that the peasant in the market, the citizen in the cities, the nobleman in the office and in the countryside are doing? That is enough of an example that I have given, in which it can be seen clearly and brightly, yes, so thick darkness that it can be grasped, and the others can also judge finely by it. What is it now among the great merchants of the nobility, who presume to do almost any business, even with iron and nails? All this is not to be called avarice; but, because God has given it, let every man seek his food with what he can, that he may honestly lead his profession, 2c. This is also a little light that makes them blind, so that they see nothing at all, even though in worldly law it is ordered in such a way that each one may lead his food and trade, so that nevertheless another may also remain before him and nourish himself. 2c. But now no one can stay in front of the griffins and lions; they 3) take all commerce to themselves, and on top of that they want to be called pious and honorable people.
But (as I said) who could conceive it all, which is now ruled and used in all classes and trades of such deceitfulness? For what is the world but a great, wide, wild sea of all wickedness and mischievousness, adorned with good appearances and color, which can never be founded? especially now at the last time, which is a sign that it cannot stand long, and is even going down the pit. For it goes, as they say: the older, the poorer; the longer, the poorer. And everything becomes so stingy that almost no one can not have food and drink before the other, although everything is given enough by God. But this is the reward for the ingratitude and contempt shown to the Gospel, as I have said.
119] said: He who falls from the gospel must be so possessed by the devil that he cannot be stingy enough. In the same way, again, he who has the gospel rightly in his heart becomes lenient, so that he not only stops scratching, but gives and dares everything he should and can.
- "so" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- "they" is missing in the Erlanger.
552 Erl. 43, 229-231. interpretation of Matth. 6, 22-24. W. VII, 805-807. 553
We must let the world remain, and even if it is stingy with everything for a long time, it must leave it behind at the end and leave something for us, or even if we have to suffer poverty and sorrow with it, we still have not shared badly, like Isaac and Jacob with their brothers. They have acquired the world's goods and all freedom from the compulsion and plagues of the papacy through us, so that they do what they want. This is Ishmael's portion, a bottle of water, which Abraham hung around his neck and had him cut off. But we have another portion, that is, spiritual goods and heavenly blessings, and are thus finely divided. Their great goods, which they have, we leave to them gladly, and do not want it, whether they throw it to us immediately; again they do not like the spiritual goods, which we have. So we keep the land and the inheritance, which remains with us forever, and let them defy us with their party, which will pass away today or tomorrow, and for their sake deprive themselves of our inheritance, which we would gladly grant them. If, on the other hand, they deprive us of our share, we will always have so much that we can well recover from the damage.
But let us be warned, lest we fall with the world into the false light, that is, into the shammy eye, which putteth out the true light, and maketh it twofold darkness. And see that avarice does not also enter you with such a sweet opinion and beautiful color that you want to bring yourself or your children into a high, honest position, and only give much to improve and increase their position. Just as avarice becomes less and less satisfied the longer it goes on, but strives higher and higher, and no one is satisfied with his station; but he who is a burgher would like to lead a knightly station; a nobleman would like to be 1) a prince, and so on. A prince would like to ride like the emperor. But if thou wilt ride rightly, as a Christian, beware of such opinion as of the most shameful darkness, and direct thy food thus: Where God blesses thee, that it may befall thee, that thy neighbor also may feed beside thee and enjoy thy food.
- Wittenberger: one.
that you may reach out to him with your gentle hand. For if you allow the sham eye to deceive you, then you have already lost God's word, as you have been driven out by the false 2) light, and one thick darkness comes to another, which makes you completely blind and obdurate, so that you can no longer be helped.
V. 24 No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will cling to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
(126) Then he pronounced a terrible judgment on the miserly, first on his Jews, who were true miserly men, and yet wanted to be holy and great servants of God, like our priests and clergy; that is, you think you are well off and serve God with great earnestness, and yet you are miserly wretches, that you do everything for the sake of mammon, even though you also serve God. But it is said: No one can serve two masters together. If you want to be servants of God, you cannot serve mammon. But this is what he means by two masters who are against each other, not by two masters who rule with each other. For this is not contrary to one another, if I serve the prince or the emperor, and God also, for it is proper from one to the other, that if I obey the lowest, I serve the highest also. Just as a householder sends his wife or children to the servants, and by them commands what they shall do; there are not many, but all are one lord, and of one lord. But where two masters give disgusting commands, they are against each other, 3) as, God, and the devil. God says: You shall not be stingy, nor have another God; but the devil says: You may well be stingy and serve your mammon.
This is also taught by reason itself, that it does not suffer to serve two unequal masters at the same time. Although the world can do it masterfully, and is called in German: Den
2°) In Latain: talso Inmins.
- Erlanger: "But these are called two masters who are against each other and do disgusting things. - Wittenberger: "who are against each other".
554 Erl. 43, 231-233. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. VII, 807-810. 555
Carry a tree on both armpits, and blow cold and hot from one mouth. As when a nobleman serves a prince and takes pay from him, and betrays and sells it to another and also takes money there, mid sees where the weather wants to go, where it rains here, that the sun shines there, and so betrays and sells both. But still it is not served, and also reason must say that such must be traitors and peelers. For how would you like it if you had a servant who took your pay and wages and looked with one eye at another and asked nothing about how you were doing, but if things went bad today or tomorrow, he would jump there and leave you there?
Therefore it is rightly said: He who is a pious servant 1) and wants to serve faithfully, must not be attached to two masters, but say: I am at the master's bread, I will serve him as long as I am with him, and provide his best, and turn to no other. 2) But if he will carry out here, and steal there, then the executioner belongs to it. For the chickens shall be put to death, and the homes shall be eaten, but the eggs shall be laid elsewhere. So the Jews also did, thinking that God should consider them great saints and be satisfied when they sacrificed in the temple and slaughtered their calves and cows, although they were stingy in the meantime, where they could, until they also did their hawking in front of and in the temple and set up exchange banks, so that one should only carry quickly, and no one should go away unsacrificed.
Against such, Christ says that no one should presume to be the servant of God and the servant of Mammon. It is not possible to maintain his service, which he has established, if you want to be stingy according to mammon. For the service of God is to hang on his word alone and to put everything into it. Whoever then wants to live by it and stay with it, must in short recite mammon. For this is certain: as soon as a preacher or pastor becomes stingy, he is no longer of any use, nor can he preach anything good.
- "is" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Latin: nee altsrius eurarn üadearn.
For he must spare and punish no one. For he must be cautious and not punish anyone; he gives him presents and shuts him up, so that he lets people do what they want; he does not want to anger anyone, especially those who are great and mighty, and so he leaves his service and office in place, which requires him to punish the wicked. So also, if a mayor or judge, or whoever has an office, should wait for his office, and see that it goes right, he need not think much how he will become rich and have his enjoyment of it. But if he is the servant of mammon, he lets himself be stung with gifts, so that he becomes blind, and no longer sees how to live. For he thinks, If I should punish this one or that one, they will become hostile to me, and he would lose mine over it 2c. And even though he has a noble ministry, and sits in the office that God has commanded and given him, he cannot carry it out and do it; this is done by Mammon, who has possessed his heart.
This is how it goes in the world everywhere, that it thinks it is a small thing, and no great danger around mammon, and makes it a beautiful, sweet thought that it can still serve God. And yet it is a shameful plague, by which the devil blinds man, so that he no longer perceives his office and service, and even freezes in avarice; only because he is worried that he will not be honored, given, or bestowed.
For this reason, Christ has made a strict judgment that one should not deceive oneself with such thoughts, and so little take to the wind, but know that whoever does not carry out his ministry for the sake of mammon, money or pleasure, honor or favor, as he should, that God does not want to recognize him as His servant, but as His enemy, as we shall hear. But he who wants to be found in God's service, and to conduct his office rightly, that he may think and have a man's heart, that he may despise the world with its mammon; but not grown out of his bosom, but given from heaven, with supplications that God, who has given you such office and commanded you, may also impress it, and give that you may perform it; and let it seem to you, 4) that God, who has given you such office and commanded you, has given you a man's heart, that he may despise the world with its mammon.
- Wittenberger: evil.
- The words: "dass du .... dünken" are missing in the Wittenberg.
556 Erl. 43, 233-236. Interpretation of Matth. 6, 24. W. VII, 810-813. 557
You have nothing nobler or better on earth and can do nothing better than the service you are supposed to do for him, and you do not pay much attention to whether you suffer harm or come to harm because of it, and comfort yourself that you serve a greater lord, who can well delight you in the harm and is better than that you should lose the eternal treasure for the sake of a small, temporal good that cannot help you. For if you were to choose a lord, would you not much rather serve the living God than the impotent, dead wretch?
(132) Behold, every Christian that hath the word of God doeth so to honor it, and keepeth it, and regardeth not whether it grieve the world, or whether it have no piety, but is so minded: There lie my purse, and my bag, and my house, and my court, 2c. but here is my Christ: if then I shall leave one, and deliver it up, I will leave all that, that I may keep my Christ. This is what Christ means by the words that one cannot serve two masters. For it comes to pass that the two oppose one another, and one must give way to the other. Therefore it is nothing for you to adorn yourself with such thoughts, as if you wanted to keep them both as masters, but must consider freshly that you leave one.
This is why the word "serve" is important here. To have money and goods, wife and 1) child, house and farm is not a sin; only that you do not let it be your master, but let it serve you, and be its master. As they say of an honest, fine, mild man: He is master of his money, not so subject and captive as a meager miser, who before God's word and everything lets go, stops hand and mouth before he puts his money into the drive. This is a womanish, childish and servile heart, which despises and leaves the eternal treasure for the sake of the shameful mammon, which 2) it is not allowed to use or enjoy; nevertheless, it goes safely along, thinking that it can still always come to God's word; in the meantime, it pulls what it can to itself, so that it does not let a penny go away for God's sake, until such time that it is ever deeper into the world.
- "and" is missing in the Wittenberg and in the Erlanger.
- Wittenberger: "that".
sinks into avarice, and the further away from God's word he gets, the more he becomes a coward.
(134) For Christ has spoken hard words, and has pronounced the verdict harshly, when he says: "Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will cling to one and despise the other. This much is said: The shameful love of mammon makes enemies of God. As some of our priests say openly, it would be a fine doctrine, but it did harm; therefore one is an enemy of it; and not unreasonably (as they think), because it gives cause for it. But Mammon is a god of his, who does no harm in the kitchen or in the purse. Wherefore love and friendship are divided here above the words, "He will hate one, and love another." For there are two masters who are against one another, and do not love one another in one heart, as little as two landlords in one house, so that when it comes to a meeting, when one is to serve and cling to one, one must anger the other, or let him go. So it certainly comes about, because one loves money and goods, that one becomes an enemy of God.
This is the dear fruit of the service of mammon, as can be seen especially now, when avarice rules so thoroughly that it is a commonplace of avarice among nobles, peasants, citizens, priests and laymen. Is this not a great holiness and beautiful virtue, that one takes the best part of man from God and gives it to Mammon? For this is, of course, the highest service: what the heart loves and desires, all the members and the whole body go after, as Christ said above v. 21: "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." For what a man loves he certainly runs after, there he speaks gladly of, there all his heart and thoughts are. Therefore also Sanct Angustin says: Deus meus, amor meus, what I love, that is my God. From this you see what kind of people Christ gives the title that they are God's enemies, who pretend to be His closest friends, but are basically nothing but true devil saints, who hate and persecute God and His word and work with all their heart.
- for this is truly called God.
558 Erl. 48, L36-238. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. VII, 81S-81S. 559
hates when one hates his word. This is how it happens: If a man is punished for unbelief and avarice, and the first commandment is held against him: "You shall not have other gods", that is, you shall not set your heart, desire and love anywhere but on me, and he does not want to hear such punishments, nor does he want to suffer them, he starts to grumble and rage against them, until he is even embittered in his heart with poisonous hatred against the word and its preachers. That is why in the text of the Ten Commandments there is such an ominous word: "I am a zealous God, who punishes the sin of the fathers on the children of those who hate me" 2c., so that he means the same miser and servants of Mammon, as the Scripture calls avarice idolatry or idolatry Eph. 5, 5. Col. 3, 5.. Nor do they (as said) want to be called the greatest saints, and enemies of idolatry and heretics, and by no means bear the name that they hate God. But with this they are convicted that they cannot hear God's word nor see it when it attacks their avarice, wanting to go unpunished; and the more they are punished and threatened, the more they laugh and mock at it, and do what they want, contrary to God and everyone.
Now behold, is this not a shameful plague and an abominable sin, which should terrify us, and make us become enemies of Mammon from the heart, and bless and flee from it, as from the devil? For who would not be terrified that he should fall and hear such a judgment about himself, that he should be called God's enemy, who not only despises him, but wants God and His word to be nothing, that he should have only his free pleasure and will, to harm and annoy God? For, calculate how such a one will fare, and what he will burden himself with for a man, which in the end will become much 1) too heavy for him.
(138) And such 2) are afflicted beautifully enough (as the text says) with being such wretched people that their heart, desire, love and joy is even set in the secret chamber that should be in heaven and with the one who is God. How could a
- "much" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- "such" is missing in the Erlanger.
What is more shameful for a man than to turn his comfort away from God, who gives him everything that is good, and deserves to be favored, and sticks himself up the devil's ass, and delights in his stink and hell? 3) And should he even fall into hellish wickedness, that he only despises God's word, but becomes so murderously hostile that he wants there to be no God? This is the thanks he gets from such miserly people, that he gives them daily. Life and limb, sun and moon, and the same treasures they have. But what they gain from it, they will find, and they already have it in part, that they must eat the devil's stink and filth forever.
- That is a piece in the text, of which Mammon spoke: "Either he will hate one and love the other." The other: "Or he will cling to one (that is, God) and despise the other." There he does not say badly: He will love one, but shows the deed and work of love with the word "clinging". For whoever should love God and His word, it will not be so little, but will often be disgusting to the eyes, and such love will often make Satan sour and bitter. Therefore it is necessary to hold fast and cling to God's word, and not to be torn away from it, even though our own flesh, and the example of the whole world, together with the devil, opposes it, and is subject to take us. And there must truly be a man and chivalrous courage who alone can stand against so many enemies; yes, there must be a great fervor and fire of love that burns so that a man can let go of everything, house and home, wife and child, honor and goods, body and life, even despising and trampling them underfoot, so that he may only keep the treasure that he does not see and is despised in the world, but is only presented in mere words and believed in with the heart.
But he does not mean that one should not have and take money and goods,
- Wittenberger: "an seinem hellen stank" d. i. an seinem Höllenstank.
- "da" is missing in the Erlanger.
- "and" is missing in the Wittenberg and in the Erlanger.
560 Erl. 43, 238-240. interpretation of Matth. 6, 24. 25. w. VII, 8IS-8I8. 561
or, if you have it, throw it away, as some fools among the philosophers and great saints among the Christians have taught and done. For he allows you to be rich, but he does not want love to be attached to it, as David taught and proved with his example: "If riches come to you, do not attach your heart to them. This is such a man who, in the midst of money and goods given by God, can keep his heart free (which the world cannot do), and where it wants to lure his heart (as the beautiful florins and white silver cups and jewels kindly smile at him) and tear it away from God's word, he can trample it underfoot and despise it as much as the world clings to it and despises the heavenly treasure in comparison. Summa, there must be a man who is master of mammon, that he must lie at his feet; but he has no one subject to him nor for master but the word of God. But this is preached to the few who believe Christ and hold his word to be true; with the others nothing comes of it.
V. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; neither for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not life more than food? and the body more than raiment?
The Lord makes room for it and preaches a great, strong sermon against this harmful vice, because it (as said § 83.85) commonly breaks in violently next to the gospel, and not only the world but also the Christians are greatly offended, especially those who are supposed to preach God's word, and for the sake of it sit in all kinds of fare, despised and driven away by the world, so that according to the flesh they would have good cause to worry. For whosoever will be a Christian, and confess his Lord, maketh the devil (who is a prince of the world) his enemy: therefore he opposeth and assaileth him; not by word and faith, but by being 1) under his dominion and power. Now we have our rotten sack, flesh and blood, still in his kingdom, which he can well afflict and
- Erlanger: "that" instead of "that he".
We are to be thrown into prison, to be deprived of food and drink and clothing, so that we must always be in such danger with everything we have. On the other hand, flesh and blood think, as it also brings so much before itself, that it would like to be firmly seated and to be overtaken by the journey. So the challenge is raised, which is called the care of food. Although the world does not consider it a challenge, but rather a virtue, and praises such people who can seek great good and honor 2c.
And here you hear what it is to serve your mammon, namely, that it means to take care of life and our body, what we should eat and drink, to have on and around; that is, to think only of this life, how we will become rich here, gather money and goods and increase, as if we should remain here forever. For this is not sin, nor serving your mammon, that you eat and drink and clothe yourself, as the need of life and body demands, that it have its food and covering; nor that you seek and acquire food, but that you care for it, that is, place your heart's comfort and confidence in it. For sorrow is not in the garment or in the food, but in the midst of the heart; it cannot leave it alone, it wants to cling to it; as one says: Good makes courage 2c. So that "worry" means just as much as to be attached to it with the heart. For what the heart does not mean and love, I care nothing for; and again, what I care for, I must have a heart for.
However, you must not make the text so restrictive that it forbids taking care of nothing. For every office or position entails care, especially when one presides over other people; as St. Paul says of spiritual offices in Christendom: "Let him who rules be careful. Thus a householder must take care of his children and servants, that they be well brought up and do what they ought; and where he does not, he does wrong. Likewise, the care of a pastor or preacher is that the sermon and sacraments go and are performed properly; that he comforts the afflicted and sick, punishes the wicked, prays for all kinds of needs 2c. For
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: "to".
562 Err 43, L4O-242. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chapters. Matthaei. W. VII, 8I8-WV, 563
He is commanded to maintain and govern the soul. Thus a prince and other authorities in secular government must see to it that things go right, as his office demands. In the same way, again, the subjects must see to it that they perform their obedience faithfully, the servants and maids; that they serve their masters well, and preserve their harm. 1)
(144) Christ does not speak of this care here, for it is an official care, which is to be far separated from avarice. For it does not care for its own sake, but for the sake of the neighbor; it does not seek its own, and may even abandon it and serve another; so that it is called a care of love, which is divine and Christian, not of self-interest or mammon, both of which are contrary to faith and love, and the very thing that hinders the care of the office. For he who loves money and seeks its benefit will not take much notice of his neighbor or his office, directed against his neighbor. As has been seen hitherto in our clergymen, who have cared nothing at all for the right direction of souls, but have directed all their concern solely to the end that all the world might bear them enough; and what money would not bear them, they have left in order, so that none of them would have spoken a Pater noster to another in vain. But a pious preacher only sees to it that he directs his ministry rightly, so that the souls are helped; he does not ask whether he does not get much from it, yes, must suffer all kinds of things for it, and bite himself with snakes, who have the world and the devil as enemies, let it be ordered by God where he gets to eat, but takes comfort in another treasure (for which he does all these things) in that life, which is so great that all the misfortunes he suffers here are far too few in comparison 2c. Rom. 8, 18.
145 Because he has forbidden zero such care of avarice and mammon service as idolatrous, and which makes God's enemies, he continues, and leads many sayings, examples and likenesses to make us the more disgusted with avarice, and wants to paint it so shamefully that we want to spit at it, and says
- Erlanger: "u. s. w."
first, "Is not life more than meat?" 2c. That is, you can and must trust God with your life, body and soul, and it is not in your power to sustain for one hour; what fools you are, that you will not trust him with your body's necessities, that he will provide food and drink for you? For how can greater foolishness be conceived, that a man should care in a hostile manner where he may take food and drink, and not care where he may take life and limb, or preserve that hour? Just as if one took care of how to decorate his house deliciously, and yet knew no one to live in it; or how he prepared plenty and delicious food in the kitchen, and yet had no one to eat from it. We do the same with our miserliness, that we provide for the least and never think of the great. This is called quite useless and idle, even foolish care. And even if we wanted to provide a lot for life and limb, nothing is done with it, because it is not in our power for a moment. Just as little as if someone wanted to worry to death about how the grain in the field would grow that he had not sown, or where the silver in the mine would lie that he had not laid down.
Since we have to leave the worry in our whole life, and it is received by God every hour without our thoughts and efforts, what do we want to bother ourselves with the foolish worry 2) for the little parties, as if he could not or would not give us food and cover? We should be ashamed that a man should say of us that we do such foolishness. Nor is our nature any different, especially from that of the great, rich wives, than that of such fools, who are always taking care that they have only the kitchen full, and let it be served most abundantly, and yet have neither table nor guest; or who let many splendid beds be prepared, and have no one to put in them. 3) Just as if a cobbler did nothing else all his life but make his workshop full of shoe lasts, and yet never thought of making a shoe where he took leather. Should
- "uns Plagen" is missing in the Erlanger.
- "than" is missing in ver Erlanger.
564 Erl. 43, 242-244. interpretation of Matth. 6, 25-27. W. VII, 820-823. 565
one does not illuminate that, as mad and foolish, to the country?
(147) Behold, Christ shows us what foolish men we are, that we should spit upon ourselves, and yet go on in such blindness, though we see before our eyes that we cannot take care of our body and life, and if we did, we should become Christians, thinking, Behold, I have not my whole life in my hand one moment. Since I have to trust God with my life and limb, why should I doubt and worry how my belly will be nourished for a day or two? It is as if I had a rich father who would gladly give me a thousand guilders, and would not trust him to give me a penny for my need 2c.
Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow, they do not reap, they do not gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more than they? Who is there among you that can add a cubit to his length, though he be anxious?
- There he sets an example and a likeness to the admonition, to mockery, ridicule, and shame of the tiresome avarice and belly care, that he may tear us away from it, and show what we ourselves are, that we must be ashamed in our hearts, because we are much higher, nobler, and better than the birds, than which we are masters, not only of the birds, but of all living creatures, and all things have been given to us for our service and created for our sake: and yet we do not have so much faith that we dare to feed ourselves with all that God has given us, since he gives daily food and sustenance to the smallest birds, even to the smallest worms, as our least servants, without all their care and thought, who can neither gather nor store anything, neither sow nor, when they have sown, reap.
- Is it not now a 1) blood disgrace,
- "one" is missing in the Jena. - Blutschande is written here - great shame.
that we cannot trust in God, who has given and given us all creatures, and grows so much every year that we have enough to sow every year, and many more to reap, without worry and avarice? For if anyone should care and gather, the little birds should do so, because they cannot do so, and should think when summer comes, "Behold, now all the world sows its grain, that they may gather again for summer; now, or in the autumn, everyone reaps and gathers, and we all have not a grain to sow, nor to bring in; where will we take food during the year, especially in the cold winter, when it is all brought in and there is nothing in the field? What would we humans do if we did not have to sow for one summer? Yes, if we did not have a fortnight's supply, how would the whole world despair, as if we were all to die of hunger? Now the dear little birds fly in the air, summer and winter, sing and are merry, care and worry for nothing everywhere; if they do not know where they are to get food tomorrow: and we miserly miserly people cannot stop worrying, even if we have soil and barns full, and see the grain growing so abundantly in the field.
- Behold, he makes the little birds masters and teachers, so that a faint sparrow, to our great, eternal shame, must stand in the Gospel as the most wise man's doctor and preacher, and daily hold this up before our eyes and ears; as if he wanted to say to us: Behold, you wretched man, you have house and farm, money and goods, and yearly the field full of grain and all kinds of crops, more than you are allowed; yet you cannot have peace, and always worry that you will die of hunger. And where thou seest not store and knowest before thee, thou canst not trust God to give thee one day's food.
- This text is taken from the old edition of Walch, because the text of the other editions is more or less corrupted. Jenaer: "that we do not trust the God, who has given us all creatures ... cannot trust him with our belly" 2c. Wittenberger: "that we do not trust the GOD to us all creatures.... cannot trust in our belly" 2c. Erlanger: "that we, the God all creatures... cannot trust him in our belly" 2c. The Latin agrees with our text.
566 Erl. 4S, S44-S46. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th Cap. Matthaei. W. VII. 823-825. 567
We have so many masters and preachers, as little birds in the air, that we should be ashamed and not lift up our eyes. Summa, we have so many masters and preachers, as little birds in the air, who disgrace us with their living example, that we should be ashamed and not lift up our eyes when we hear a bird singing God's praise and our shame to heaven: nor are we so stony-hard that we do not even turn to them, even though we hear them preach and sing such things daily with a great multitude.
(151) Yes, behold, what more do they do, the little birds, how they live without care at all, and wait for their food from God's hand alone. If one locks them up to sing, and pours food before them in abundance, so that they should think: Now I have enough, that I must not worry where I eat; for I now have a rich master, and my barns are full 2c.They do not do this, but are much rather free in the air, also grow fatter, and sing more finely and sweetly to their Lord Lauds and Matins early in the morning before they eat: and yet they know not a grain in store, make a beautiful, long Benedicite, and let our Lord 1) God take care of them, even if they have young ones to feed. Therefore, when you hear a nightingale, you hear the finest preacher admonishing you of this gospel, not with bad, mere words, but with living action and example, because it sings all night long, and almost barks itself to death, and is much happier in the forest, than when it is caught in the birdcage, where it must be waited for with all diligence, and yet seldom thrives or remains alive; as if it should say: I would much rather be in the kitchen of the Lord, who created heaven and earth, and is himself cook and host, and daily feeds and nourishes innumerable little birds from his hand, and has not a sack full, but heaven and earth full of little grains.
152 Christ says: "Because you see these things every day before your eyes, how the heavenly Father feeds the little birds of the field, without
- "HErrn" is missing in the Wittenberg.
All their care; could you not grieve him so much that he will also feed you, because he is your father and calls you his children? Should he not care much more for you, whom he made children, and gives his word and all creatures, than for the little birds, who are not his children, but your servants? and yet he cares for them so highly that he feeds them daily, as if he alone had to care for them. And he is pleased that they fly and sing without any care, as if they should say: I sing and am happy, and yet I do not know a grain to eat; my bread is not yet baked, my grain not yet sown; but I have a rich Lord who cares for me while I sing or sleep, who can give me more than all men and I could with our care. 2)
Because the birds are able to trust in Him so completely, and cast their care upon God, we, who are His children, should do it much more. Therefore it is a good example that puts us all to shame, that we, who are sensible people and have the Scriptures before us, do not have so much wisdom that we could do it to the birds, and must daily hear so much shame before God and men, as much as we hear birds singing. But man has become mad and foolish after he has fallen from God's word and commandment, that henceforth no creature shall live that is not wiser than he; and a little Zeisich, which can neither speak nor read, is his doctor and master in the Scriptures, though he has the whole Bible and his reason to help him.
This is the first similitude, to which he adds a saying from our own experience, showing that our worrying is in vain and accomplishes nothing: "Who is there among you (says he) who can add a cubit to his length, even though he worries about it? If a man should not become great before he cares, how great would we all grow? or, what would it do for a little dwarf to worry himself to death as he wished?
- Wittenberger: could.
- "yes" is missing in the Wittenberger.
568 Erl. 43, 246-249. interpretation of Matth. 6, 26-30. w. VII, 82S-827. 569
grow bigger? What do you do with worries, where you take food and clothes? Just as if it were in your power to make your body as large and long as you wanted. For thy body is measured with all its members, and has its length and breadth, that thou canst not make it otherwise; and it is commanded thee that thou make it a hairbreadth longer. What kind of fool are you to take care of things that are not in your power and have already been measured out by God, both time and measure, how long your body and life will last? and you cannot trust him to provide you with food and clothing as long as you have to live here 2c.
V. 28-30. And why do you care for clothing? Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not work, neither do they spin. I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as one. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which stands today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, should he not do this much more to you, O ye of little faith?
There you have another example and likeness, in which the little flowers of the field, which are trodden down and eaten by the cows, must also become our doctors and masters, so that our shame may become all the greater. For behold, how they grow, so beautifully adorned with colors, and yet you neither care nor think how they grow, or what color they should get, but let God take care of them. And without all his care and attention, God clothes it with such beautiful, lovely color that Christ says: "King Solomon, with all his glory, was not as beautiful as any empress, with all her women, with all her gold, pearls and precious stones. For he knows of no king who was more richly, gloriously and beautifully adorned than Solomon; nor is the king, with all his beautiful splendor and adornment, anything compared to a rose or a flower of nails or a violet in the field. So our Lord God can adorn whom he wills, that it is called adorned, and no man such color.
She can neither make nor paint, and could neither desire nor obtain any other more beautiful ornament; and if one were to adorn her with the finest gold and silk, she would still say, "I would rather be adorned by the Master up in heaven, who also adorns the little birds, than by all the tailors or silk embroiderers on earth.
Since he clothes so many little flowers and adorns them with so many colors that each one has its own skirt on, and is thus resplendent above all the adornments of the world, why can we not believe him that he will also clothe us? For what are the flowers and grass of the field compared to us? Or, what are they made for, but to stand a day or two, and be seen, and then wither, and become hay; or, as Christ saith, "to be cast into the oven," to make fire therewith, and to heat the oven? 1) Nor does our Lord God take such a perishable and insignificant thing so highly, and spend so much money on it, that he adorns it more beautifully than any king or man on earth, since they have no need of such adornment, and are even more lost in them than he who soon perishes with the flower. But we, his highest creature, for whose sake he created all things, and gives us everything, and he cares so much for us that it should not end with this life, but after this life he will give us eternal life, we should not trust him so much that he will also clothe us, as he clothes the flowers of the field and the birds of the air with various beautiful colors and feathers! This is honestly spoken and shamefully depicts our unbelief, so that he could not make it more scornful. 3)
157, But it is the wretched devil, and the terrible fall we have done, that we must see the whole world full of such examples, of birds and little flowers, against us, which with their example and sight punish our unbelief, and become our highest doctors, singing and preaching to us, and laughing.
- Instead of "heizt den Ofen" in the Wittenberg: "einheitzet".
- Jenaer and Erlanger: in.
- "that .... could" is missing in the Wittenberg.
- Erlanger: treffliche.
570 Erl. 43, 249-251. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 827-830. 571
so sweetly to us that we should only believe. We are still going along, letting ourselves be preached to and sung to, always striving and stinging for ourselves, but to our eternal shame and damage, so that every little flower testifies against us before God and all creatures until the last day and condemns our unbelief. Therefore, he now concludes this sermon for his Christians.
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat? what shall we drink? wherewith shall we be clothed? The heathen seek all these things. For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.
Because you see such examples before your eyes every day, even 1) in everything that lives and grows out of the earth, how God feeds and nourishes everything and clothes and adorns it in the most beautiful way, let yourselves be moved to put away worry and unbelief and think that you are Christians and not pagans. For such worry and avarice belong to the pagans, who neither know about God nor ask for Him, and is a true idolatry, as St. Paul says Col. 3, 5. and is also said above §136, where it is called serving mammon.
Therefore every miser is not a Christian, though he be baptized, but hath certainly lost Christ, and is become a heathen. For the two suffer not one another, stinging or caring, and believing; one must bite the other. There is no greater shame before God and all creatures for Christians who hear the word and know it, than that they should be like the heathen, than those who do not believe that God feeds them and gives them all things, and so fall back from God, deny the faith, and turn neither to his word nor to such a visible example. This is a harsh judgment that should frighten anyone. For it is briefly decided that a Christian should think and leave the care of avarice; or know that he is no Christian, but ten times worse than a heathen.
160] Moreover, because you are Christians, you must not doubt that your
- "also" is missing in the Erlanger.
Father knows that you have need of all these things, that you have a belly to eat and drink, and a body to be clothed. If he did not know, you would have reason to worry and think about how to feed yourselves; but now that he knows, he will not let you go. For he is so pious that he is glad to do it, and especially to you Christians, because (as v. 26 is said) he also cares for the birds of the air. Therefore, let your worrying be, for you are not doing anything with it. It is not because of your worry, but because of his knowledge and worry. If something should not grow in the field before we take care of it, we would all have died in the cradle, and nothing would have to grow yet if we lie down and sleep. Yes, should we all worry ourselves to death, not a stalk will grow in the field from our worrying. We must see and grasp for ourselves that God gives everything without our worrying; nor are we such hopeless people that we do not want to stop worrying and being stingy, nor let God take care of us, to whom alone it is due, as a father takes care of his children.
V. 33. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
The Lord saw well when I said § 104 that no vice among the outward gross things strives so grievously against the gospel and hinders God's kingdom than avarice. For as soon as a preacher seeks to become rich, he no longer does his ministry properly, for his heart is caught in the worry of food, as in a rope, as St. Paul calls it 1 Tim. 6, 9., that he cannot teach nor punish as and where he ought, fearing to lose favor and friendship with those whom he may enjoy; being thus deceived into silence, and deceiving other men with him; not by heresy, but by his own belly, which is his idol. For he who wants to be a true preacher and faithfully conduct his ministry must keep the liberty with him to speak the truth unashamedly, to respect no one, and to punish where punishment is due, great and small, rich, poor, powerful, friends and enemies. This does the
572 Erl. 43, 851-253. Interpretation of Matth. 6, 33. W. VII, 830-833. 573
Not miserly. For he fears that if he were to anger great merchants or good friends, he would run out of bread. So he smokes his pipe and keeps quiet.
162 Likewise also the common people, which are not preachers, but are to hear the word of God and to help further God's kingdom, each in his station and life, do not want to wait or suffer any hardship or lack for the sake of the gospel, but see above all that they have enough and provide for their belly, God granting that the gospel may come afterward or remain behind. So they go and dig and scratch as much as they can, giving nothing to the preachers, but taking what they have. So it goes according to the devil's will that no one wants to preach or listen anymore, and so both the teaching and its fruits perish in the hearts of the people, and God's kingdom falls away. Only the shameful, devilish mammon does that. Behold, this is why the Lord Christ so faithfully warns His own against it by preaching for so long,
- and that one may be all the more careful about it, he shows with these words a good strong remedy against it, how one should do it, so that one may not be allowed to worry, and yet have enough, yes, much more and more excellent treasure, than mammon can give us, and we can get with our worries; this is now called: Seek God's kingdom.
But it is important to put into one's heart what God's kingdom is and gives. For if we could be persuaded to consider and weigh in our hearts how great and precious a treasure it is in comparison with mammon or the world empire, that is, all that is on earth, we would spit on mammon. For what would you have more, if you had the king of France's goods and power, and the Turkish emperor's, than a beggar at the door of his party? For all that matters is that you fill your belly every day; that is as far as you can go with all the world's goods and glory; and the poorest beggar has as much of it as the mightiest emperor. Yes, his party shall taste and prosper much better than his glorious, royal meal. There it remains with, and no one gets more of it, and
But it lasts a short, short time, so that we have to let all this go, and we can't live our body with it for an hour when the hour comes. That is why it is a poor, miserable, even a rotten, stinking kingdom.
But what is God's kingdom or the kingdom of the Lord Christ? You count that yourself, and say what the creature is against its Creator, and the world against God? For if heaven and earth were mine alone, what would I be to God? Not so much as a drop of water, or an hour against the whole sea. In addition, it is such a treasure, which does not cease nor diminish, nor can it be diminished, that it cannot be measured and comprehended by any human heart or sense, because of its greatness and worth. And I should so shamefully throw away and let go of God and His kingdom that I would take this vile, deadly kingdom of the belly for that divine, imperishable one that gives me eternal life, righteousness, peace, joy and bliss. And everything that I seek and desire here temporally, I shall have in this eternally, and everything immeasurably more glorious and exuberant than that which I can attain here on earth with great effort, care and labor, and before I attain it and bring it to where I want it, I must depart from it and leave it all. Is this not great, shameful foolishness and blindness, that we do not see such things? Yes, a hardened wickedness of the world, possessed by the devil, that it will not let itself be told nor heed when it is preached to it.
For this reason Christ was pleased to awaken us with these words, saying: "If you will take care and strive as you always have enough, strive for such a treasure as this, which is called the kingdom of God. Do not care for the temporal, perishable treasure, which moth and rust eat away, as he said above vv. 19, 20. But if ye have another treasure in heaven, which I will shew you, take heed and seek it, and think what ye have of it, and ye shall forget the other. For there is such a treasure, which shall keep you for ever, and shall not perish, neither be taken away; that because the treasure remaineth, and ye have it, ye must also
- Jenaer: an.
574 Trl. 43, SS3-256. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. Vli, 83S-835. 575
if you didn't have a penny in the world.
Now it has often been said what the kingdom of God is, namely, in a nutshell, that it does not consist in outward things, eating and drinking 2c. nor in other human 1) works, 2) but in believing in Jesus Christ, who is the head and king of this kingdom, in whom and through whom we have all things; that whoever abides in it, no sin, death, or misfortune can harm him, but has eternal life, joy, and blessedness, and begins here in such faith, but will be revealed and eternally perfected at the last day.
What does it mean to strive for such a kingdom? Or, how does one come to it, which is the road and the way one must go? One points here, the other points there. So, the pope teaches: Run to Rome and get indulgences, confess and do penance, say or hear mass, put on a cap, and practice great worship and hard austere life. We have walked all the ways, and as we were told, as foolish and foolish people, and have all wanted to seek God's kingdom, but have found the devil's kingdom. For there are many ways, but all of them without the one, which is: to believe in Christ, and to practice and carry on the gospel (on which faith is held) with preaching, listening, reading, singing, thinking, and how one can, so that it always increases in the heart and becomes stronger, and breaks out through its fruits, so that it is brought further and further, and leads many people to it. As we (praise God!) are doing now, and yet there are still many, both preachers and other Christians, who are working with all diligence, and who are fuming, so that they put all they have into it, and would be ready to lose before they would let the word go.
No monk, nun or priest knows this, even though they claim to be God's servants and Christ's brides. For they all lack the one, right path, and leave the gospel standing; they know neither God, nor Christ and His kingdom. Demi
- "human" is missing in the Jena and the Erlangen.
- Erlanger: "which one can do".
- "demselbigen" is missing in the Erlanger.
Whoever wants to know it and meet it must not search for its head, but hear its word as the foundation and cornerstone, and see where it points you and how it interprets it. Now this is his word about his kingdom: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved" Marc. 16, 16.. The word is not spun out of our head, nor grown out of a man's heart, but has fallen from heaven, and has been revealed by the mouth of God, so that we may be sure, and not lack the right road. Where such things are really going on, both among the preachers and the listeners, that the Word and Sacrament are diligently practiced, followed, and kept up, so that it becomes known among the people, and the young people are taught and taught: that is, God's kingdom is sought and promoted, and seriously meant.
170 What then does he mean by adding, "And his righteousness"? This kingdom also hath a righteousness; but it is another righteousness than in the world, even as it is another kingdom. This is called the righteousness that comes from faith, which is active and active through good works, so that I mean the gospel with earnestness, and diligently hear or practice it, and live by it in deed, and am not a loose washer or hypocrite, letting it go in one ear and out the other, but prove it by deed and be strong in it, as St. Paul says 1 Corinthians 1:12. Paul says in 1 Cor. 4:20: "The kingdom of God is not in words, but in power." This is what we call faith with its fruits, that is, doing good works, and waiting for his position or office with diligence and faithfulness, and suffering all kinds of things for it. For here he calls righteousness in general the whole life of a Christian toward God and man, as the tree with the fruit. But not in such a way that it is perfect, but always continues, as he calls his disciples always striving for it, when they have not yet fully grasped it, or have not yet learned and lived it purely. For in the kingdom of Christ we are half sin and half holiness. For that which is of faith and of Christ in us is wholly pure and perfect, as not ours, but Christ's, who is ours by faith, and lives and works in us.
576 Erl. 43, rss-S5S**.** Interpretation of Matth. 6, 33. W. VII, 83S-8S8. 577
is still our own, which is a vain sin, but under and in your Christ it is covered up and destroyed by the forgiveness of sin, and in addition it is killed daily by the same grace of the Spirit until we die to this life.
Behold, this is the righteousness of this kingdom, that it be righteous, and that there be no hypocrisy. For it is set against those who can speak and boast of the gospel, but live nothing of it. For it is also a hard business to preach the word of God and to do good to everyone, and to suffer all kinds of misfortune in the process; but that is why it is called the righteousness of God. For the world is not able to do right, and to suffer evil for it; nor does it belong to its rule. For it is not right that he who does right should be punished or suffer violence, but should receive good in reward and thanksgiving. But our reward is 1) not on earth, but in heaven, where we will find it. He who knows this and wants to do it will have enough to do that he may not seek other ways; he will also forget the avarice and worry of mammon. For the world will make it so sour for him that he will not value life and temporal goods, but will become so weary that he will have to wait and hope for all the hours of death.
This is the admonition by which he points us from the temporal good to the eternal treasure, that we should not be afraid of that which we have 2) in heaven 2c. In addition, he now 2) also makes a promise and comfort, so that we do not think that he will give us nothing at all on earth and leave us to die of hunger, because we must suffer all kinds of things from the world, which neither gives us anything nor grants us anything, and wait all hours for marl to take away everything we have; but know that we are nevertheless also to have here for the necessities of this life what we are entitled to. Therefore he saith, Seek ye first God's kingdom, and all these things shall be added unto you; that is, ye shall have food, and drink, and raiment, 2c. as an addition, without all your cares; yea, even so that ye shall not have for it.
- "is" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- Jenaer: well.
- "nun" is missing in the Jena.
and put everything in danger for the sake of God's kingdom. And let it come to you that you do not know where it comes from; as our experience also teaches us daily. For God still has so much in the world that he can also feed his own, because he feeds all the little birds and worms, and clothes the lilies of the field, as we have heard; yes, because he gives so much to the bad guys and lets it grow, that the world must nevertheless let us eat and drink with it, even if it is sorry for it.
- What more shall we desire, knowing this, if we have God's word, 4) act and teach, 5) and do every man what he ought to do, that we may have to eat and drink, around and about, and get as much 6) as a king or emperor, namely, that we may feed the belly, without his having to have more and more glorious to his state, but yet nothing more worthy; And my bread shall feed me as well, and my raiment as well cover and warm me, as his royal banquet, and gold and silver pieces. For how would it be possible that he should die of hunger who serves God with faithfulness and promotes His kingdom, because he gives so superfluously to the whole world? There would have to be no more bread on earth, or heaven would no longer be able to rain, if a Christian were to die of hunger; indeed, God Himself would have to have died of hunger beforehand.
174 Because he has created and given so abundantly, and because he promises so surely that he will give enough, and will give before we know it, or before we know it, what will you trouble yourself with your hostile worries and miserliness? The Scriptures (especially the Psalter) are full of such sayings everywhere, that he will feed the pious in their time of need, and has never yet let a pious man go for bread 2c. [He will not become a liar in you, if you could only believe. Whether the world, as' now nobles, peasants and citizens do not, he will still find people, or other means by which he can give, and more, than they can take from you now 7).
- Wittenberg and Jena: and.
- "and teach" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Erlanger: "itself" instead of: "shall".
- Wittenberger: "der zeit".
578 "rl. L5K-L6V. Interpretation of 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. vir. 83S-840. 579
V. 34. Therefore do not worry about the morrow, for the morrow will take care of its own. It is enough for each day to have its own plague.
(175) Keep this care (he means to say), as you keep God's kingdom with you, and be so far from the other care that you do not care for the morrow either. For when tomorrow comes, it will bring its own sorrow with it; as they say, "When day comes, so comes counsel. For our worries are of no avail, even though I do not expect more than one day, and experience shows that we often have two or three days before today. And to whom God wills and gives good fortune, he can often accomplish more in one hour without trouble and worry than another can in four whole days with great trouble and worry. And when he has made long and prospered, he himself makes it long, if another had made it in an hour: so that no one can make nothing, but when the hour comes, which God gives without our care; and it is in vain that thou wilt forestall, and by thy care give great counsel (as thou thinkest).
For the art of our Lord God is that he can secretly shorten and lengthen time and hour, so that one hour becomes fourteen days, and again so that one with long labor and toil gains nothing more than another with short and easy labor. As one can see every day, there are many who, with hard, constant work, hardly earn their bread, and others who, without any special work, have finely arranged and ordered their affairs so that they are well managed and prosperous. God creates all this so that our worries do not have to be blessed. For we do not want to wait for such goods to come to us from God, but to find them ourselves before God gives them.
See how it goes in the mines, since one digs and searches diligently; still it often happens that where one hopes for the most ore, and proves as if it wanted to become pure gold, nothing is found, or soon cuts itself off and disappears under the hands". Again, in other places, which one considers lost and leaves lying, it gives itself
And one who has built all his property into it gets nothing, another becomes a lord from a beggar; and after that, those who have it raised with many thousand guilders, before in ten years again become beggars, and not much happens that such a large property reaches the third heir. Summa, it should be called: not sought, but given; not found, but fallen to, if happiness and blessing are to be there. But we would like to make it so that it comes as we think; there is nothing out. For he thinks against it: You should not get it like that, or not keep it long and enjoy it. For I myself have seen many who reached into their pockets for a penny, and did not pay attention to a penny, but afterwards would have been glad that they had found so many pennies.
Since you see that it is lacking, and your worry does not help, why do you not leave it alone, and think how you have God's kingdom? for He wants to give you, but not because of your worry, whether you should work. For such care brings and creates nothing; but the care does, which is your office and belongs to God's kingdom, that you do what is commanded you, preach and promote God's word, serve your neighbor according to your bern, and take what God gives you. For these are the best goods, which have not been thought of, but have been bestowed and have fallen to us; and what we have acquired by our care, or what we undertake to preserve, may well be the first to fall and perish; as often happens to the rich farmers, to whom their grain and other provisions spoil because of great care. And it is a great mercy that God does not let us worry about how the grain grows in the field, but gives it to us because we lie down and sleep; otherwise we would also spoil it for ourselves with our worry and get nothing.
(179) Therefore he says, "Why will you worry about today and take on yourself two days of misfortune? Let it remain with that which today lays out for thee; tomorrow the day will bring thee another. For calamity or plague is his name, that it is laid upon us by the sweat of our brow.
- Jenaer: we.
580 Erl. 43, 260-262. interpretation of Matth. 6, 34. cap. 7, 1. w. VII, 840-846. 581
to nourish us Gen. 3, 19., and what other accidental, daily misfortune, accident and journey is. As when something is stolen from you, or you suffer damage; item, fall into sickness, or your servants 2c., as it happens in this life, that we must daily see and wait for such misfortune. Suffer such sorrow, lamentation, and misfortune, and accept it with joy, and yet let it remain so; for thou hast enough to bear with it, and let up the care, that thou mayest only make the misfortune more and heavier than it is in itself. And see such examples that God has never made anyone rich by his worrying (as 1) their much, as said, to the utmost.
- Erlanger: because.
But this he does well, when he sees that someone is diligently and faithfully waiting for his office, and takes care of it to please God, and lets him take care of it as he sees fit, and to him he gives abundantly. For it is written, Proverbs 10:4: "A diligent hand maketh rich." For he does not want to leave both care and work to those who are idle and slothful, as if they should sit and wait, if he would let a roasted goose fly into their mouths, but gives that one should honestly engage in work, then he will be there with his blessing, and give enough. That is enough of this sermon.
- "them" is missing in the Wittenberger.
The seventh chapter.
V. i. Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you.
In the previous chapter we heard how the Lord Christ, after the doctrine of righteous good works, preached a lukewarm sermon to warn against covetousness, as it hinders God's kingdom very well, both in doctrine and life, and does murderous harm in Christendom. Here he goes on to warn against another vice, which is also a great, harmful vice, and is called one's own wisdom, which judges and rebukes everyone. For where these two vices reign, the gospel cannot abide. For avarice causes either the preachers to be silent, or the hearers to disregard the gospel, so that it is driven out by contempt. But when one's own prudence gets in the way, then everyone wants to be the best preacher and master himself, not hearing or learning from others. Then sects and mobs arise, which counterfeit and corrupt the word, so that it cannot remain pure, and so again the gospel with
His fruits perish. This is what he calls "judging" or "judging" here, since each one lets his deeds please him alone, and everything must stink of the other. A beautiful, blissful virtue! and just the fine man, who is called Master Wing, to whom neither God nor the world is kind, and yet his is full everywhere.
(2) But that one should not take offense at this preaching, and wrongly understand it as if it were forbidden to judge and pass sentence, is clear from what has been said above Cap. 5, § 222, that Christ preaches here to his disciples alone, and does not speak at all of the judgment or punishment that must take place in the world; just as father and mother must judge and punish in the home among children and servants, and also strike if they do not want to do right. So a prince or judge, if he wants to carry out his office rightly, he can do nothing else but judge and punish. This belongs to the secular government, which does not concern us. Therefore we leave it there, as it should and must be. But here we speak of another kingdom, which does not weaken or abolish that one, namely, spiritual life and life in the world.
582 Erl. 43, 262-264. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W, vn, 848-848. 583
It is forbidden that one should not judge and 1) condemn another. For the devil is always mixed in with them and does his work, so that each one thinks he is good and that his thing alone should be the best, and everything that does not conform to him is rebuked and destroyed.
(3) Now this is a fine folly in worldly matters, and still well to suffer, though it is not right. For it is so coarse that everyone grasps it. As when a maiden lets herself be thought more beautiful than all others, and what she sees in others she does not like. Or that a young fool wants to be so beautiful and skillful that he does not know his equal. After that, among the wise and learned, as it goes on strongly, that no one lets anything be what another can or does, and everyone wants to be it alone, who can do it all better, and no one can leave unchallenged. Everyone sees this and understands it well; there is still the same master of brains everywhere, who knows himself so clever that he can bridle the horse in the tail, when all the world must bridle it in the front of the mouth.
4 But when it comes to spiritual matters, and the devil sows his seed in Christ's kingdom, so that it falls apart, both in doctrine and life, there arises misery and distress. In doctrine it is so, that although God has given and commanded one to preach the gospel, yet others are found, even among the disciples, who want to do ten times better than he, and the gospel must have the plague and misfortune of being judged by everyone, and everyone becomes a doctor of it, and himself wants to be a master in doctrine. Just as it happened to Moses, Numbers 16:3, when Korah and his household stood up against him and Aaron, saying, "Why do you exalt yourselves above God's people? Are they not all holy? Should GOd speak through Moses and Aaron alone?" Just as they now say, "Should we not have the Spirit and understand the Scriptures as well as others? Then another doctrine is quickly established, and sects are made, and judging and judging are raised up, and
- Wittenberger: or.
Especially the disgraceful asterism that one part blames and promises the other in the most poisonous way. As we have now learned enough. From this follows the murderous damage that Christianity is being divided and the pure doctrine is perishing everywhere.
(5) Christ was well concerned about this, not only concerned, but also proclaimed that it would be so. For the world cannot be made otherwise, should we preach ourselves to death. Therefore, where the gospel rises up, there must follow mobs and sects that corrupt and dampen it again. The reason is that the devil must sow his seed among the good seed Matth. 13, 25, and where God builds a church, he builds his chapel or tabernacle next to it. . For Satan always wants to be among the children of God, as the Scripture says Job 1:6, 2:1. Therefore Christ wants to warn his apostles and righteous preachers herewith, that they diligently guard themselves against vice, and see to it that they do not let it break down, lest there be division and disunity, especially in doctrine, as if he wanted to say: If ye will be my disciples, let your minds and minds be alike and of one accord in doctrine, lest any man be master, and know a new thing, or a better thing, and judge and condemn others; and see not who is the chief, but what I command you to preach, there keep, and let it be done in one accord, lest one despise another, and raise up another.
(6) Understand, then, that he who is in public office to preach is not deprived of judging the doctrine and also the life. For it is his duty to publicly punish what is not in accordance with the right doctrine, precisely so that he does not allow sects to come in and arise. Likewise, when he sees that people are not living rightly, he is also to punish and defend them. For he is there to see it, and must answer for it. Yes, even every Christian is guilty, when he sees that his neighbor does evil, that he admonish and warn him. This cannot be done without judging and condemning. But all this is still considered to be done out of an office and command, of which Christ speaks nothing, as has been said enough.
584 Erl. 43, LS4-LS6. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 1. W. vn, 848-851. 585
(7) But it is forbidden for any man to go forth in his own head, and make his own doctrine and spirit, and make himself think he is a master, and let every man master and reprove him, because he is not commanded. These are the ones the Lord is punishing here. For he does not want to do or have done anything without orders out of his own conceit, especially to judge other people. This is what I now call judging in doctrine, the highest, most shameful and most harmful vice of all on earth, from which all the red spirits have arisen, and hitherto monks, priests, and all that has been in the papacy, since everyone has put up his own thing for the best and judged others; of this it is not necessary to say now. 1)
(8) The other judging or condemning is done in life, where one reproves and condemns another's life and work, and does not like what others do; this is first of all a widespread, common vice. Now we are forbidden, as we are to be of one mind and understanding or faith for the sake of doctrine, so we are also to be of one mind and heart in the outward life, though this cannot be the same as faith. For because there are diversities of estate, works also must be unequal and diversities. In addition, in such a life, which is itself diverse, one also finds diverse infirmities, such as, some whimsical, irascible and 2) impatient heads. This is how it must be in Christianity, because our old Adam is not yet dead, and the flesh is always fighting against the spirit.
(9) Now there is a virtue called tolerantia and remissio peccatorum, that one should bear, bear well, and forgive another, as St. Paul teaches with beautiful words Rom. 15:1: "We who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to have pleasure in ourselves. Just as Christ says here: "You shall not judge," 2c. that those who have high and better gifts in Christianity (as some must have, especially the preachers), nevertheless do not draw any other courage and sense, nor do they
- "is" is missing in the Erlanger.
- "and" is missing in the Wittenberg and in the Erlanger.
Let them think themselves better than those who have not; that in spiritual matters no one may be above another. Outwardly there should be a difference, a prince higher and better than a peasant, a preacher more learned than a bad craftsman. A lord cannot be a servant, a woman cannot be a maid, 3) 2c. but nevertheless the hearts should be like-minded in such a difference, and should not accept the same inequality.
(10) This is what happens when I give credit to my neighbor, whether 4) he is of a lower class and has fewer gifts than I, and let me like his work, that he waits on his horses as a servant, just as much as my works, since 5) I preach or govern the country and the people, even though mine is better and creates more benefit 6) than the other. For I do not have to look at the outward appearance, but that he lives in the same faith and Christ, and has just as much of grace, baptism and sacrament, although I have a different, higher work and office. For it is the same God who creates and gives all these things, and pleases Him with the least as well as with the greatest.
(11) Against this reigns in the world the praiseworthy, beautiful tendency of which St. Paul speaks Romans 15:1, that every man pleases himself. As when a man travels in the name of the devil, and cannot see his own vices, but only those of others. Which we all have by nature, and cannot be rid of, though we be baptized, that we love to make ourselves beautiful, and to adorn ourselves, and to see what is good in ourselves, and to tickle ourselves with it, as if it were our own. And that we alone may be beautiful, we see not in our neighbor what is good, but, the same done out of our eyes, where we perceive any little leaf, we fill our eyes with it, and make it so great, that we see nothing good before it, though it had 7) eyes as a hawk, and a face as an angel. Just as if I saw one in a piece of gold, and
- Only here does the Wittenberg bring the phrase: "a preacher must be more learned than a bad craftsman 2c."
- Wittenberger: alike.
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: that.
- "Benefit" is missing from the Erlanger.
- Wittenberg and Jena: es.
586 Srl. 4S, 266-269. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. VII, WI-SS4. 587
I would have pulled a seam or white thread through it, and opened my eyes afterwards, as if it were to be despised, and yet I would let myself seem delicious in my coarse smock, trimmed with a golden cloth.
(12) So we do not see in ourselves our own vices, of which we are full, but we cannot see anything good in other people. Where such natural vice comes among Christians, judgment increases, so that I soon despise and condemn another when he stumbles a little or is infirm, and he does the same to me again, measures me with the same measure (as Christ says here), seeks and reproves only the worst that he can find in me. In this way, love is suppressed, and there is only biting and eating among each other, until they consume each other and become unbelievers.
13 Thus it is, when one looks at another's life, and does not want to look at himself, one soon finds something that displeases us; likewise another also in us (as also the heathen 1) complain of their nature), that no one sees what he carries on his back, but whoever follows him sees it well; that is, no one sees where he himself is lacking, but in another he soon sees it. If one follows such a face, then nothing else comes of it, but after-talking and judging among each other. This is what the devil does in Christendom, until he brings it about that nothing remains among them but pure judgment in life, as also in doctrine, that Christ's kingdom (which is a unanimous, united and peaceful kingdom, both in doctrine and in life) is divided, and in its place reigns vain rancor, arrogance and contempt.
(14) Therefore this is a necessary warning, that we learn and become accustomed, when we have performed our office, whether it be preaching and publicly punishing, or fraternally admonishing (of which Christ teaches Matthew 18:15), that we may bear, cover, and adorn our neighbor's infirmities. And if I see something in him that does not please me too much, that I turn back and look at myself,
- kkasärus, lid. IV, kadula IX.
I will also find many things that other people do not like, and would like to have held and carried to my advantage, then the tickle will soon subside, who himself likes and smiles at another's infirmity, and master Klügel will troll himself finely, and let the verdict fall. Yes, you will be glad that you will immediately pick up with the 2) other and speak to the first: Lord, forgive me 3) my sin. Then to the next: If you have sinned against me, or I against you, let us also forgive one another.
(15) But if you see that he is too rough and does not desist from punishing him, then go and tell him yourself, as is said now and often in Matt. 18:15 ff, that he should improve himself and desist. That would not mean judged and condemned, but brotherly admonished to reform, and thus the admonition would proceed peacefully according to God's command. Otherwise, with your tickling, smiling and mocking, you will only make your neighbor bitter and hardened toward you, and you yourself will be much worse than he is, and you will be a twofold greater sinner, so that you will deprive him of love, and take pleasure in his sin, and fall into God's judgment, and condemn him whom God has not condemned, and thus bring the heavier judgment upon yourself, as Christ warns here, and deserve that God condemn you again much higher.
(16) Behold, all this shameful evil comes from this, as St. Paul says (Rom. 15:1), that we please ourselves, reflecting and tickling with our gifts as if they were our own, but see nothing in another except where he is infirm, and so become blind, that we look neither at ourselves nor at our neighbor with right eyes. Since we should reach into our bosom and first see what we lack, we do not do so, but have a whispering 4) before our eyes, that we allow ourselves to think beautifully, whether we see a gift in ourselves, which the neighbor does not have, and just thereby corrupt, and do not also see in the neighbor what he has good in him, because 5) we would always find as much as we now see of his infirmity.
- Jenaer: den.
- "me" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- Blaring -- dazzle.
- Wittenberger: which.
588 Lrl. 43, 2SS-S71. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 1. W. VII, 854-858. 589
We should also let ourselves like it, and keep it to ourselves, whether something frail would happen to it, as we can please ourselves, and keep it to ourselves finely.
- Summa, it is the worst vice and a loud tenfelshoffahrt that we let ourselves think good and tickle, if we see or feel a gift in us, and do not thank God for it, but become proud, and despise everyone, and so even fill the eyes with it, that we see nothing before what we otherwise do; think that everything is beautiful about us; steal and rob God of His glory, make ourselves an idol, and do not see our misery, which we cause by this, when otherwise we would have enough on us, if we could see it right, as Revelation 3, 17. 3:17 to a bishop who thought himself more learned and better than others: "You say, 'I am rich and full, and have no right;' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable, poor, blind and naked. For though it be true that thy gift is greater than another's, as it must be, because thine office is distinguished, and higher, and greater, yet with the shameful addition of reflecting thyself in it, and so pleasing thyself, thou spoilest it altogether, and makest that same high adornment more vile than all other infirmities.
(18) For the higher the gifts are, the more shamefully they are corrupted, if you make an idol of them, as if you mixed poison with a delicious malmsey. So you have done well to judge another for the sake of a small infirmity, and you yourself fall into grave sin with your own good judgment, that you throw God ungrateful, even put yourself in his place in your heart, and reach into his judgment, since one sin is graver than any other of all men; you become proud against your neighbor, and in all things blind, that you no longer know God, nor your neighbor, nor yourself, nor can you look at yourself.
019 What then doest thou with such judgments, but to invite the judgment of God against thee? That he should say to thee, I have not given thee these gifts, that thou shouldest despise thy neighbor, and serve thyself therewith, but thy neighbor, which is poor, and thou shouldest serve him.
and frail, and me. So you go to and do not even thank me for it, as if it had grown in your heart, and need my own gift against me and the neighbor, and make yourself a tyrant, master of the rod and judge against the neighbor, whom you should carry by love, improve and help up, if he had fallen. What will you then answer when he speaks to you like this (as he warns you beforehand), but that such a judgment will go over you, that you will not make a splinter, as you might see in your neighbor's eye (as Christ says here), but a large beam out of a small splinter.
(20) I will be silent about the fact that you are not only condemned by your shameful judgments because of your work, but it commonly happens that he who judges is himself in greater sins and iniquity than others; that if he went back and read his own calendar and register, as he has lived from youth, he would hear a legend that would make him dread, and would gladly keep silent about other people.
(21) But now every man makes himself believe that he is pious, and will forget all that was before, and reprove and condemn a poor man who has once sinned. Thus he comes into two miseries, that he despises his former life, and forgets what he has been, not thinking how it would have hurt him if he had been mocked and condemned. This is one sin, that he is ungrateful, and has forgotten the forgiveness of sins, grace, and all the benefits of God. The other sin is that he loses his piety, and all his former sins come out against him, just so that he is reflected in his piety, and becomes seven times worse with him than ever before.
22 For do you not think that God can put a register before you and put on, not only your infirmity and sin of youth, but also your whole life, which you thought was delicious, as now the monks' monastic life? how will you stand and answer that you have blasphemed and crucified his Son daily with your masses and other idolatries? So it goes, when we forget what we have been, so
590 Erl. 43, 271-273. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII. 8SL-8S9. 591
we can judge other people. But it is said: Hans, take yourself by the nose and reach into your own bosom; if you want to look for and judge a prankster, you will find the greatest prankster on earth, that you will forget other people. You will forget other people, and gladly pick up with them. For you will never find so much sin in another as in yourself. For if thou seest much in another, thou seest a year or two, but in thyself thou seest all thy life; especially the grosser knots, which other men know not, that thou shouldest be ashamed of thyself. Behold, this is a way against shameful vice, that thou please not thyself, but beseech God to forgive thee and others.
23 Secondly, that even if you see something evil in your neighbor, you should not therefore despise and condemn him, but look at his goods, and with your goods and gifts help him, cover him, adorn him and advise him, and know that even if you are the holiest and most pious, you will become the very worst when you judge another. For your gifts are not given to you to tickle yourself, but to help your neighbor where he may, to bear his weakness with your strength, to cover and adorn his sin and shame with your piety and honor, as God has done for you through Christ and still does daily. If you do not do this, and want to tickle yourself 2) and despise others, know that where another bears a splinter before you, you bear a great beam against him before God.
24 Thus you see why Christ speaks so harshly against this vice, and passes the severe sentence: "He who judges shall be judged again. And also just. 3) For, because you bring God into his judgment, and condemn him whom 4) God has not condemned, you give him cause to condemn you again to hell with all your life, even if you had been so pious, and your neighbor whom you have judged and condemned,
- Wittmberger: the.
- Erlanger: with it.
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: as is also cheap.
- In the old editions: those.
and 5) make him a judge over you, and make him find ten times more to condemn in you than you found in him. So you have made it 6) well, that you have both God and your neighbor angry and against you, and thus at the same time lose both God's grace and Christian life, and throw worse than a heathen who knows nothing of God.
V. 3, 4, 5: Why do you see the mote in your brother's eye, and are not aware of the beam in your own eye? Or how mayest thou say unto thy brother, Hold, and I will pluck out the mote out of thine eye? and, behold, there is a beam in thine eye. Thou hypocrite, first pluck out the beam out of thine own eye; and after that, know how thou pluckest the mote out of thy brother's eye. .
(25) That he may warn us the more diligently to beware of vice, he sets up a gross similitude and paints it before our eyes, pronouncing such a judgment: that every one who judges his neighbor has a great beam in his eye, while he who is judged has but a small mote; that he is ten times more worthy of judgment and condemnation, just by condemning others. This is a terrible, horrible judgment. Where then are the red spirits and masterly clever ones, who know much to master and reprove the gospel, and can do nothing but judge us and others? since there is nothing to punish, or perhaps they see a splinter in us, which they highly polish up. As 7) now the papists blaspheme, if they do it in the best way and bring great cause to judge and condemn us, the greatest is that some of ours have spiritual goods in their possession; or reproach us that we do not fast, and what is more, that has a semblance, as there are some infirmities among them. But they cannot be aware of their bar, that they persecute the gospel, murder innocent people over it, and are themselves the great robbers and thieves of monasteries and church goods.
26 For what do the pope, bishops, and the people rob now?
- Jenaer: and.
- "it" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Wittenberger: So.
592 Erl. 43, S73-L75. Interpretation of Matth. 7, Ä-5. W. VII, 859-861. 593
and princes? They do with all spiritual goods what they desire, but no one else is a true bishop, nor has his own with God and honor, and sits inside as a thief and robber; and yet everything must be delicious, and not be called stolen or robbed. But that we do not fast, nor keep their righteousness so strictly, which they themselves do not keep, this must be evil to all, and make all their sin and shame pious and honorable. So it goes through the whole world, that everywhere a beam judges the mote, and a great mischief dulls a little one.
Now it is true that we are not without infirmity; indeed, no Christian will ever be able to keep a splinter.] For St. Paul himself could not bring himself to do this, as he laments Rom. 7:14 ff. And the whole of Christianity must daily pray: "Forgive us our trespasses" Matth. 6, 12. and confess the article of faith, which is called forgiveness of sin. But these beam-bearers and judges of splinters do not want to suffer this article, and have everything so pure that there is no defect or infirmity; and as soon as they see something like this, they proceed with judging and condemning, as if they were so holy that they were not allowed to forgive sin or pray; they want to reform the Lord's Prayer, and blot out the main article of faith, since they are full of blindness and devils, and have heartache with other people's splinters. And among ourselves, even if we become foolish, who are full of vice and wickedness, they cannot help it, they must look at the little vices of others and condemn them, that the beam is master and judge over the splinter.
(28) But he who is a Christian must know (and will certainly feel it himself) that it cannot be so pure without the mote, and that the article, forgiveness of sin, must reign in us daily. For this reason he is able to accept other people's infirmities and to include them in the Lord's Prayer, when he says Matth. 6, 12: "Forgive us as we perish," 2c. especially when he sees that the word is loved and valued, not despised or persecuted. For where these things are, there is Christ's kingdom, and forgiveness of all things, by which the mote is not destroyed.
is consumed. Therefore we should neither despise nor condemn anyone where we feel this; or else we will make a beam out of our splinter, so that we will not receive forgiveness, because we do not want to forgive others.
- Thus sayest thou: Shall I not punish when I see that it is done unjustly, or call it right and approve of it? Or shall I put up with people tearing up the monasteries, or going about so roughly, praying nothing, fasting 2c. No, I do not call you that either. For he confesses here that it is a splinter, and shall be taken away. But he teacheth thee rightly to deal with it. Let me tell you, it is not a splinter in the eye; but let me be careful that I do not have a beam in my own eye and take it out. First make the great mischief in thy bosom godly, and then make the little one godly also. For this is not true, that the great thieves hang the little ones (as they say), and great husks condemn the little ones. If the pope and his followers would stop and first turn at their door, so that they themselves would not be arch-thieves and evil-doers, then we would also have to suffer afterwards, or would have to suffer over it. But now they do not want to leave their beam and have it unpunished, and condemn us because we still have a splinter, and do not keep it as pure as we should. And so it goes that the great heretic, the pope, condemns the other little heretics, 1) and the little thieves must make pious the great thieves, who steal and rob publicly and without ceasing, and hang and pay for them.
(30) Such a perverse nature shall not be in my kingdom (says Christ), but so that you first make the great prankster pious, whom you will find in your own skin, if you look at yourself rightly; then, when you have done this, you will come with good measure to make your little prankster pious also. But then you shall see wonders what you will have to do with the great prankster every day, so that I may be your guarantor and pledge my head to you, so that you will never come to pulling out the other's splinter and have to say:
- Wittenberger: Sinner.
594 Erl. 43, 275-277. interpretation 'of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. VII, 861-864. 595
Should I first deal with other people and make them religious? I can never make myself righteous, nor get rid of the beam. And so your brother's splinter will remain safe from you. See, this is what Christ wants to say, and in sum teach so much that one should gladly forgive the other and bear with patience, and show humility to one another, as it should be if we followed the teaching. In this way, all things would be right and well in Christianity, in true harmony, and God would be with us. But the devil does not allow this to happen through his limbs and his ruthlessness.
(31) And we should be afraid of vice, that it should present us with such a 1) horrible judgment, as I have said, that always he who judges has a beam in his eye before God, and the other who is judged has only a mote. Now the beam is an immeasurably graver sin than the mote, that is, such a sin as condemns us utterly, and there is no mercy in it. For how great our sin and infirmities are, he can forgive them all, as he shows by calling his neighbor's sin a splinter. But this is the shameful addition and blasphemy that spoils it, that you judge and condemn another for his infirmity, and do not forgive as you would have God forgive you; you go away and do not want to see such a beam, thinking that you are without sin. But if you know yourself (as has been said), you would not judge your neighbor either, and so 2) your beam would also be called small and a splinter, and would come to the forgiveness of sin, and you would also gladly forgive, and bear another's splinter and keep it to yourself, considering that God forgives your beam and keeps it to yourself.
- It is called a beam in the eye, which makes a man blind as a bat and blind as a bat, and which the world cannot see or judge. Yes, it is adorned with such appearances that it thinks it is a precious thing and great holiness. And just as Christ said above Cap. 6, 23. about the sham eye, that the miser lights a light for himself, and
- "a" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Wittenberger: "will"; the immediately following "also" is missing there.
It is also the case here that those who carry the beam do not want to have a beam, nor do they want to be punished for being blind and wretched people, but are praised as those who judge the doctrine or life of others out of a right Christian opinion. Just as the spirits of the mob can boast and swear that they teach differently out of no hope or envy, but only seek God's honor and the neighbor's salvation, making it so beautiful and light, and humility and God's honor is so great that they see nothing before it. So it is also in life, when people begin to judge and reprove one another, such a lid and glory also goes: I do it not out of enmity to the person, but out of love of righteousness. I am in favor of the person, but hostile to the cause. This tickles so gently under the beautiful appearance that one is never aware of a bar.
(33) But it is not that you yourself would judge and pass judgment as you will, without God's word and command, and after that be called God's honor and righteousness; but it is a devilish addition that adorns itself with such a cover and makes itself beautiful. For here you hear that God does not want us to subject ourselves to be judges, whether in doctrine or in life. But where it is necessary to judge or punish, let those do it who have the command and office to do so, preachers, priests in the spiritual, and authorities in the secular government; or one brother against another, solely out of brotherly love, which bears and mends the neighbor's infirmities.
V. 6. You shall not give the sanctuary to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine; lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you.
- He has now almost preached (the Lord Christ) about the fruits and works that follow the teaching, and now he wants to begin a warning or admonition to beware of other teaching, as he also admonished the apostles when he sent them out to preach, saying Matt. 10:16, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and without guile.
596 Erl. 4S, 277-280. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 6. W. VII, 864-867. 597
like the deaf" Luc. 10, 3. For a Christian, who is to lead and preach the word of God, and to confess it with his life, truly lives in a perilous state because of the people, and well gains cause for impatience, because the world is so exceedingly evil, and he lives in it as among serpents and all manner of vermin. Therefore saith he, Beware lest ye cast your sanctuary before swine and dogs. For they may trample it under foot, or turn against you and tear you asunder. This is to show them, and to make them angry, that wherever they go and preach publicly in crowds, they will also find dogs and swine, who will do nothing but trample on the gospel, and then persecute the preachers.
35 Who then are they that tread down our sanctuary, and turn against us? Now this happens in the two parts, teaching and praising. For the first are the false teachers, who take our gospel from us and learn it, and so get our treasure and precious treasure, in which we are baptized, live and boast, 2c., and then go to their place and begin to preach against us, and turn their trunks and teeth against us. When now our mob, which before had been quietly silent, while the pope raged and ruled, so that no one heard them murmur; but now we have broken the way, and have loosed them from the pope's tyranny with our heavy ride, and have heard our doctrine, and can preach after it, they go and turn against us, are our worst enemies on earth, and no one has preached so evil as we, without which they would know nothing of it.
36 Secondly, your life is also like this, mostly in our country, since people despise the gospel and are tired of it, and now it has already come to the point that they hardly want to feed a pastor anymore, especially Junker Scharrhan's in the countryside, who takes all the goods for himself, and keeps the preachers so that they must lose the desire to preach, and lets them be his servants, so that they have to preach and do what he wants. This is followed by Junker Filz in cities, and He Omnes, who act 1) as if they did not want to preach the gospel.
- Erlanger: to face.
We have neither the gospel nor the word of God, and yet we have freedom from the tyranny of the pope, as well as all outward goods. But now they would like to drive us out to the country with the gospel, or even starve us out.
(37) Well, we cannot do otherwise, we must suffer that such serpents, dogs and swine are about us, which both, with doctrine and life, corrupt the gospel; and where there are true preachers, it must always be so. . For this is the happiness of the gospel in the world; and when it comes again (as I have often prophesied, and fear it will happen all too soon) that such men, as popes and bishops, rule, it will already be gone and represented, and its preachers will be gone. For the gospel must be every man's footcloth, that all the world may run over it and trample it under foot, together with its preachers and disciples.
038 What shall we do therefore? You shall not (says Christ) cast it before swine and dogs. Yes, dear Lord, they have it already. For because it is a public sermon, and poured out into the world, we cannot prevent them from falling in and taking it. But they do not have it yet, and we want to prevent them (praise God!) that they do not get the holy things; they have the shells and the husks, that is, the carnal freedom; but this is forbidden to them, so that no dog or sow, whether he be a sheep, felt or peasant, gets a letter of the Gospel, even though he reads all the books and hears all the sermons, and makes himself believe that he can do it exceedingly well.
(39) Therefore this is the art, as Christ teaches here, when we see such a sow or dog, that we turn away from him, as we do from the spirits of the wicked, and have no fellowship with them, nor minister to them the sacraments, nor communicate to them the consolation of the gospel, but signify that they should enjoy nothing of Christ our treasure. If we do this, we have finely taken from them the pearls and the sanctuary. For let no scribbler or peasant, 2) swindler or spirit, have the gospel and Christ from me; let him first ask me for it.
- Wittenberger: Felt.
598 Erl. 43, 280-282. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 867-869. 599
and hold with me that I say yes to it, or any 'right preacher. For he who has the right gospel must certainly hold it with us and be one, so far as we are first sure that we have the right gospel and the pearls. Therefore, truly, he must not trample us underfoot, like Squire Scharrhans, nor condemn us, like the Rotten, nor despise us, like the peasants in towns and villages, but hold the dear word in honor, and all who preach it and hear it gladly. If not, we hold them for swine and dogs, and tell them that they shall get nothing from us; meanwhile let them read and hear, and 1) boast evangelically as they will, as I have to do with some Scharrhansen and towns. 2) For this is certain, whoever despises the preaching ministry will not think much of the gospel. Because they trample underfoot the pastors and preachers, and hold them in such contempt that the peasants do not hold their swine in such a way, we draw our pearls to ourselves again, and want to see what they will have of the gospel without our thanks? If you can trample on God's word and his preachers, he in turn can also trample on you.
40 Christ therefore saith, When ye see that they despise your preaching, and tread it under foot, have no fellowship with them, and depart from them: as he saith also Matt. 18:17, Whosoever heareth not thee and the church, count him a heathen and a publican. So that they 3) are told that they are not Christians, but damned Gentiles, and have nothing preached to them, and leave no part of our goods, as St. Peter Apost. 8, 20. 21. says to Simon Mago. So do I, and all who preach earnestly, that we do not make ourselves partakers of their sin. For God does not want us to pretend with our brethren as if their doctrine were right, but must consider them enemies, separated from them by the gospel, baptism, sacrament and all that they teach and live. So also we must tell ours, if they want to have a part in the gospel, that they have nothing over us.
- "itself" .is missing in the Erlanger.
- "as I must ...." is missing in the Wittenberg.
- "them" is missing in the Wittenberger.
They should not despise everything, but prove their fruit by being serious and, at the very least, by honoring the Word and Sacrament, and by standing by them with humility.
(41) Yes (they say), with the way one wanted to make a rule again, and to put oneself again in chair and constraint, as the pope has sat until now, that would not be to suffer, and would have remained just as much under the pope. Answer: Yes, truly, I myself am very worried that it will be like this. But this will not be the way, which they undertake to resist the tyranny of the priests, but just the right beginning, that they will be despised and trampled under foot. For when they are gone, who have trampled them underfoot and driven them out, they will still not be able to be without priests or preachers. For Christ wants to keep his rule in the world, that nevertheless his gospel, baptism, sacrament, must remain. Even if no prince would not protect it, he will do so, because the Father has set him at his right hand and wants him to be the Lord. Even if they now drive out all the priests, they will not throw Christ from the throne. Therefore it will be so with them: because they do not want nor can suffer the righteous, pious preachers now, God will create others for them, who will force them, 4) and rule with tyranny, worse than before.
Therefore they are on the right track, our Scharrhansen and others, who put their heads together and think that they want to subdue us and force us under them, do not know that another sits above, who has the regiment, and says: If you do not want to have right preachers, then you have the devil with his preachers, who preach lies to you, which you must accept, and must let them be master, and suffer all plagues from them. As it has already gone over our Germany, since they did not want to accept the gospel, and still persecute it, that they have every corner full of the rotten, the swarmers and the Anabaptists, and they cannot fight it.
- But this would be the right way to perish such things, 5) if the gospel
- "become" is missing in the Erlanger.
- degenerate = to forestall, to resist.
600 Erl. 43, 282-284. interpretation of Matth. 7, 6-11. W. VII, 869-872. 601
and faithfully ask God to send true, faithful workers into his harvest; then we should not have to worry. For such preachers would not press us nor force us, nor do us any harm in body or soul, but would promote and help everyone, and do all that is good. As we have been told, we may well boast before God and the world that we have not sought dominion nor our own benefit, but have served all the world with our bodies and lives, have not burdened or harmed anyone, but have gladly helped everyone, even in time, and have suffered all danger, violence and persecution. Because they no longer like us, God will grant that others may come after us who will deal with them differently, press them, torment them and torture them, so that they may see what they have had in us, and suffer it from those whom they now do not regard and would not like to have as stable boys. For they are worth nothing better than that they have such tyrants whom they must fear, as they had the pope; he was a right ruler 1) for them. Our mad princes have also already learned this, and have it in mind that they want to be rid of compulsion, and no longer fear the pope; they start to protect the clergy, but not for their sake, but that they force them under themselves, that they must live by their grace, and protect them in such a way that they should rather fall to us, whom they regard as enemies, than let themselves be torn apart by them in this way, under the name of protection. But this is how it should and must go, and it serves them both right.
- but it shall not be so with Christians, but what righteous, pious hearts are, their pastors and preachers shall hold in all honor, with all humility and love, for the sake of the Lord Christ and his word, and shall esteem them great as a precious gift and treasure, given by God, above all temporal treasures and goods. Likewise, the right, pious preachers will seek nothing else with all faithfulness, but the benefit and salvation of all people, without all complaint, both of conscience and also outwardly of temporal goods and bodily beings. But he who
- Erlanger: Regiment.
who despises us, knows that he is not a Christian and has lost the treasure again. We preach and admonish everyone who wants to accept it and keep it with us; but whoever does not want to, and still despises us with the appearance and name of the gospel or Christian brotherhood, and wants to trample us underfoot, against such we also need the art, that we let them have the appearance, but in principle take everything back to us, so that they keep nothing everywhere. For we have the command that we should depart from them, though we would not gladly do so, and would rather that they should remain with us; but because they will not, we must also let them go, and not for their sake let our treasure be spoiled, or let it be trodden under foot by them.
V. 7-11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For he that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. What man is there among you, if his son asks him for bread, that he may offer him a stone? Or if he ask him for a fish, that he offer him a serpent? So then you, who are evil, can still give good gifts to your children; how much more will your bard in heaven give good things to those who ask him?
- After the Lord Christ taught the disciples and established the ministry of preaching, 2) so that they would know what to preach and how to live, he here gives another exhortation to prayer, wanting to teach them that prayer, next to the ministry of preaching, is the most important work of a Christian, and to show that there is nothing more necessary in Christianity, because we have so many challenges and obstacles, than to continue praying without ceasing, so that God may give His grace and Spirit, so that the doctrine may come to strength and be accepted by ourselves and others. Therefore, God promised in the prophet Zechariah Cap. 12, 10 (as mentioned above Cap. 6, § 19) that He would pour out on Christians a spirit of grace and prayer.
- Wittenberger: aligned.
602 Erl. 4, 284-286. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chapters. Matthaei. W. VII, 872-874. 603
So, in these two pieces, grasp the whole Christian essence.
46 Therefore he will say, I have given you doctrine, that ye may know how ye ought to live aright, and what ye ought to take heed of. Now it is part of this that you also ask, and continue confidently with seeking and knocking, and do not become lazy or slothful. For it will be necessary to ask, seek and knock. For even though both doctrine and life have begun rightly, there will still be a lack of all kinds of afflictions and impediments that hinder and hinder us daily, so that we cannot go on, and must constantly fight against them with all our strength, but have no other stronger defense than prayer, so that if we do not do this, it is not possible for us to stand and remain Christians. As we can now see before our eyes the daily obstacles against the gospel, but we can also see that we take little notice of prayer, and act as if this warning and admonition were none of our business, and must now pray nothing, because the useless babbling and grumbling of the rosaries and other idolatrous prayers has ceased. Which is not a good sign, and to fear that much misfortune will befall us, which we could otherwise ward off.
(47) Therefore let every Christian accept this exhortation, first of all, as a commandment, just as the previous clause, "You shall not judge," 2c., is a commandment; and know that he is obliged to exercise himself in the Christian work, and not do as that peasant who said he would give grain to the priest, because he should pray for him. As some think, What is the matter with my praying? if I do not pray, others pray. Lest it be thought that it is not our business, or that it is at our free will, as I have often urged.
48 Secondly, you have here the comforting promise and rich promise that he makes of prayer, so that it may be seen that he cares, and may keep our prayer precious before God, because he so earnestly exhorts us to it, so kindly entices us and promises us,
- In the editions: there will be lack". Walch has inserted "not" here, because the meaning is: There will be the lack, that all kinds of infirmities and impulses hinder us 2c.
that we should not ask in vain. And if we had no cause or stimulus but this kind, rich word, it should be enough to drive us. I will be silent, that he exhorts and gives so dear and high, and that we may do it so heartily.
- Moreover, as if it were not enough, if we should do without this, for the sake of our great need, he sets a beautiful similitude in measure, to provoke the more, of every father against his son: that although he himself is 2) a disgraceful blunderer, yet if his son asks him for a fish, he will not give him a snake 2c. From this he concludes these comforting words: Because you can do these things, who are not good in kind, and there is no good vein in you toward God: how then should God, your heavenly Father, who is good in kind, not also give you good things, if you ask Him for them? Everything is at its highest, so that one should or can provoke someone to pray, if only we would look at such words and take them to heart.
50 Now as to the need for which he gives this admonition, and which should drive us to pray, it has been said: that if one has God's word right, and both doctrine and life are well begun, there cannot fail to be found daily not one but a thousand temptations and oppositions. For the first is our own flesh, the old lazy sack, which soon becomes disobedient, careless and reluctant to God's word and good life, so that we are always lacking in wisdom and God's word, faith, love, patience 2c. This is the first enemy that hangs on our necks daily, so heavy that it always drags us there.
The other enemy will also strike, the world, which does not want to grant us the good word and faith, nor does it want to suffer, however weak it is with us. It closes in on us and condemns us, wants to take away what we have, so that we cannot have peace with it. These are already two great temptations that hinder us inwardly and want to chase us away outwardly. Therefore we have nothing more to do, except that we always have to be at peace.
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: whether the same.
604 Erl. 43, 286-289. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 7-11. W. VII, 874-877. 605
Cry out to God to strengthen and promote His word in us, and to ward off the persecutors and the mobs so that it will not be muffled.
The third enemy is only the strongest, the wicked devil, who has the two great advantages that we are not good by nature and are weak in faith and spirit; so he takes up residence in my own castle and fights against me. He also has the world to help him, so that he drives all evil against me, so that he shoots his poisonous, fiery arrows at me, so that he makes me tired, so that the word goes out in me again and is muffled, and he rules again as he ruled before and cannot be driven out. Behold, these are three calamities, which press us hard enough, and are upon our necks, and do not depart, because we live and have breath. That is why we have constant cause to pray and cry out. That is why he uses these words: Ask, seek and knock, to show that we do not yet have everything, but that we are in such a state that everything is lacking and in short supply. For if we had it, we should not ask nor seek; if we were already in heaven, we should not knock.
Now, these are the highest tribulations in God's service and God's Word. After that we have the common, temporal trouble of this life on earth. So that we should pray that He may give us gracious peace, good government, and protect us 1) from all kinds of plagues, sickness, pestilence, evil time, bloodshed, storms 2c. For you have not yet escaped death, nor have you eaten your daily bread, 2) that you may not ask him to give it to you daily. Item, you also have to pray for the secular authorities and against all kinds of vice, so that people do not rob and steal from one another, because you must see daily that it is so shameful everywhere. Over all this you have to govern your wife, child and children in your home, where you will find your hands full. For he who in his whole life shall keep and execute both Christian and imperial righteousness has more upon him than a man's work and fortune.
- "us" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Erlanger: you have not eaten your daily bread.
What shall we do now? We are in the midst of so many great hardships and obstacles that we cannot avoid, because we should tear ourselves apart. How can I resist not dying, being so slothful and lazy to God's word and all that is good; or that the world should rage and rumble, and the devil rage, and there should be so much trouble and misfortune? The dear Lord Christ knows these things well. Therefore he wants to show us a delicious, good medicine, as a pious, faithful physician, and teach us how we should do it. As if to say, "The world is so foolish, and it is not to be brought out of itself by wisdom and reason; it seeks so many ways and means, help and counsel, as it can get out of such distresses. But this is the only, shortest, surest way, that you go into a closet or into a corner, and there open your heart and pour it out before God, with lamentations and sighs, and comforting confidence that he, as your faithful, heavenly Father, will help and counsel in such distresses 2c. Just as one reads Isa. 37, 14. f. of King Ezekiel: When the enemy lay before the city with a great multitude, and he was so oppressed and overwhelmed that no help nor counsel could be humanly hoped for, the enemy defied him most shamefully, and mocked him to his misfortune, and wrote him a letter full of blasphemy, that he might have despaired: then the pious king did nothing else, but went up into the temple, laid the letter before the altar, and fell down, and prayed from his heart. As soon as he was heard, he was helped.
But there is trouble and fear, and the hardest art, before one brings it to it, and the most miserable misery, that we always struggle beforehand and eat ourselves to pieces with our own worries and thoughts, so that we want to get rid of it ourselves and get rid of it. For it is a wicked, mischievous devil who rides me 4) as well as others, and has often shown me such deceitfulness when the challenge or trouble comes, whether in spiritual or worldly matters, that he sticks his head in quickly and makes one eat oneself with it. So that he snatches us away from prayer, and makes the head so mad, that one can
- "him" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Wittenberger: plagues.
606 Erl. 43, 289-291. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII. 877-sso. 607
He does not think about it, and before you start to pray, you have already martyred yourself half to death. For he knows well what prayer creates and is able to do, therefore he hinders and disturbs as he always can, so that one does not come to it.
Therefore, these words should be impressed on my heart and I should become accustomed to falling on my knees as soon as we are confronted with fear and distress, and to presenting the distress to God according to this admonition and promise, so that we would not have to struggle with our own thoughts to seek help. For it is a very delicious medicine, which certainly helps, and is never lacking, if one only needs it.
(57) How one should pray properly has been said above (Cap. 6, § 20 ff.) and elsewhere enough. For here we speak only of the power of prayer and what should drive us to it. The most important thing, however, is that you look at God's word first, which instructs you in your heart what you should believe, so that you are sure that your faith, gospel and Christ are right, and that your standing is pleasing to God, then you will soon see the devil against you, and feel how he is lacking everywhere, inwardly in faith, and outwardly in your standing, that he wants to leave everything behind, and swarms around and around with temptations. When thou feelest these things, that thou mayest be wise, and open thine heart, that thou mayest straightway begin to pray, and say, Dear Lord, I have thy word, and am in the state that pleaseth thee, I know it. Now you see how I lack in every way, that I know no help without you; therefore help me, because you have said and commanded that we should ask, seek and knock, and we shall surely receive, find and have what we desire.
If thou wilt so accept and be accustomed to pray confidently, and not receive, then come and reprove me. If he does not give you in a moment, he will give you so much that your heart will feel comfort and strength until the time comes when he gives much more abundantly than you had hoped. For this is also a virtue of prayer, if one practices it and pursues it, and thus remembers the word that he has promised, that the heart will always become stronger, and hold on more firmly, and at last obtain much more than otherwise.
(59) I could finely prove this by my own example and that of other pious people. For I also tried it, and many people with me, especially at the time when the devil wanted to devour us, at the Imperial Diet in Augsburg, and everything was so full of evil, and so lively, that all the world thought it would go over and over; as some had defiantly pressed, and the knives had already twitched and the guns were loaded. But God, through our prayers, has helped and opened up in such a way that 1) those who were shouting with their pestering and threatening have been put to shame, and have given us a good peace and a gracious year, which has never been for a long time, and which we could not have hoped for. If another journey and adversity now comes, let us pray again, and he shall help and deliver us again, even though he lets us suffer and be pressed a little, so that he may strengthen us the more, and we may be driven to pray the harder. For what kind of prayer would it be if the need were not there and pressed us so that we felt it? It serves well that one may feel it, so that prayer may become the stronger. Therefore, let each one learn not to despise his prayer, not doubting that he will surely be heard and receive what he desires in his own time.
- But why Christ needs so many words, that he sets three pieces: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you," when it would have been enough in one, is easy to see (as is also said) that he wants to admonish us the more strongly to pray with it. 2) For he knows that we are stupid, and are afraid to present our need to God as unworthy and unskillful 2c. We feel the lack, but cannot bring it out, thinking that God is so great, and we so small and unworthy, 3) that we are not allowed to pray. This is also a great hindrance from the devil, which does great harm to prayer. "Therefore he provokes us with such stupidity and thoughts, 4) so that we may have no doubt, but only go on confidently and boldly. For
- Wittenberger: aufgehaben.
- Wittenberg and Erlanger: to pray.
- "and unworthy" is missing in the Erlanger.
- "and thoughts" is missing in the Wittenberg.
608 Erl. 43, 291-sss. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 7-12. W. vii, 880-887. 609
Even though I am unworthy, I am still his creature; and because he has made me worthy to be his creature, I am also worthy to receive what he has promised me and holds in such high esteem. Summa, if I am unworthy, he and his promise are not unworthy. Then only dare to do it freshly and confidently, and present it to him with all joy and confidence in his bosom. But above all, see to it that you believe rightly in Christ and are in a right standing that pleases God, not like the world, which does not respect its standing and only strives day and night to fulfill its evil and evil-doing.
(61) But one might interpret these (3) three pieces as repeating the same thing in different words, indicating the stopping of prayer, of which St. Paul also exhorts, Romans 2:12: "Stop at prayer. As if to say, "It is not enough to lift up, and sigh once, and recite the prayer, and then depart; but, as the need is, so let the prayer do. For it does not attack you once and then leave you, but is always attacking you, and again falls on your neck, and will not let go. So do thou also, that thou prayest always, and seekest, and knockest, and never ceasest. Just as the example of Luc. 18:3 teaches about the widow who would not let go of her judge's neck with her pleading and her stopping, and she did it so brazenly that he was stunned, and had to help her without his thanks. How much more (Christ concludes v. 7) will God give us, when he sees that one does not cease to ask, but always and forever knocks, so that he must hear; especially because he has commanded it, and shows that he is pleased with such perseverance. Therefore, where the need always knocks, knock also always, and do not desist, because you have his word; then he will also have to say, "Go on, then, and have what you desire. St. Jacob also says in his epistle Cap. 5, 16 that the prayer of the righteous is powerful if it is persevered in earnest, and cites the example of Elijah the prophet from Scripture 2c. So does
1 ) "so" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Wittenberger: mag.
- Erlanger: the.
God, therefore, to drive thee not only to ask evil, but to knock, that he may try thee whether thou canst hold fast, and teach thee that therefore thy prayer is not unacceptable nor unheard, though he consumes, and often makes thee seek and knock.
V. 12: All things therefore that ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them: this is the law and the prophets.
62 With these words he concludes his teachings in these three chapters, and puts them all in a small bundle, in which they may be found, and each one may put them in his bosom and keep them well. As if to say, "If you want to know what I have preached and what Moses and all the prophets have taught you, I will tell you briefly and in such a way that you will not complain that it is too long or too difficult to remember. For it is a sermon of this kind, which can be stretched out long and wide, and also made short, and all doctrine and preaching flow out of it and spread out, and again come together here. How could it be made shorter and clearer than in these words? Without the world and our old Adam not allowing us to think about it, and to hold our lives and this teaching against each other, let it come in to one ear and out to the other again. But if we were always to hold it against our life and work, we would not go so roughly and be thrown to the winds, but would always have enough to do, and might well become our masters ourselves, and teach what we ought to do, that we should not run after holy life and works, nor should we be allowed many lawyers and law books for this purpose. For it is brief and soon learned, if only there were the diligence and earnestness to do and live according to it.
(63) So that it may be seen by rough examples: There is no one who likes to steal from him, and if he asks his own heart about it, he must say that he really does not like it. Why does he not conclude that he will do the same to another? As when you see in the market that everyone makes his own as dear as he himself wants,
- Erlanger: "-zu der" instead of: und diese.
- "to" is missing in the Erlanger.
610 Erl. 43, 293-298. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. vn, 887-889. 611
that he would gladly give for thirty pennies what is not worth ten, and you ask him, "Would you also like it to be done to you?" He cannot be so coarse and unreasonable; he must say, "I would buy it as the market would give it, and what would be cheap and right that I should not be taken over. Behold, there is thy heart, which doth tell thee with discretion what thou wouldst have, and thy conscience, which doth conclude that thou oughtest to do likewise unto others, and doth teach thee with discretion how thou oughtest to deal with thy neighbor in buying and selling, and in all manner of dealings; which all pertain unto the seventh commandment, Thou shalt not steal."
64 Likewise in other commandments: If thou hast a wife, daughter, or maidservants, thou wouldest not willingly put them to shame, or speak evil of them, but wouldest have them honored and esteemed by all, and wouldest say 1) the best of them. Why then art thou so wicked, that thou seekest after another's wife, and makest thyself to be ashamed; or leaveest it standing where thou shouldest help her to honor, and hast thy delight in backbiting and slandering? Item, you would not like anyone to do you harm or harm you, or to speak evil of you, and what is more. Why then do you not yourself keep the rule and measure that you demand and want from others, and can soon judge, reprove and condemn another if he does not do it for you, and yet will not keep your own law yourself? So go through all the commandments of the other table, and you will find that this is the right sum of all the preaching that can be done; as the Lord himself says here 2).
(65) Therefore it is called a short sermon; but again, if it is to be spread out through all the pieces, it is such a wide sermon that has no end. For all that is done on earth is not to be counted until the last day. And there is a fine master, who can make such a long, extensive sermon so short and close it into a summa, that everyone can carry it home with him, and remember it daily, as written in his own heart, yes, in all his life and works (as we will hear further on).
- "them" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Erlanger: like him to you.
and everyone can see 3) where he is lacking in his whole life.
And I also think that it should still have power and produce fruit, if one only got used to thinking about it and did not want to be so lazy and careless. For I do not consider anyone so rude nor so wicked, if he thought of it, he would still shy away from it and be repulsed by it. And it is certainly well done that Christ sets it so that he sets no other example than himself, and so that he does not set it nearer, that is, in our heart, body and life, and all our limbs; That no one may run far after it, nor spend much effort and expense on it, 4) but has placed the book in your own bosom, 5) and so clearly that you must not let anyone try to understand Moses and the law, so that you yourself are your Bible, master, doctor and preacher. Then he instructs you that you should only look at it, and you will find how the book goes through all your works, words, thoughts, heart, body and soul. Only judge yourself by it, and you will be wise and learned enough over all lawyers' art and books.
- As a rough example, if you are a craftsman, you will find the Bible placed in your workshop, in your hand, in your heart, teaching you and preaching to you 7) how you should do to your neighbor. See thou by thy hand, by thy needle, by thy thimble, by thy beer cask, 8) by thy stuff, by thy scales, by thy cubits, and by thy measures, read thou this saying written thereon, that thou canst not see it, lest it come under thine eyes, and there be no thing so small, that thou shouldest go about daily, that it should not tell thee without ceasing, when thou wouldest hear it; and thou shouldest not lack preaching. For thou hast many a preacher, and many a trade, and merchandise, and handiwork, and other readiness, in thy house and court. This cries out at all times over thy neck, My dear, deal thus with me toward thy neighbor, as thou wouldest that thy neighbor should deal with thee with his goods.
- Erlanger: and see.
- "und lassen" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- "hat dir" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Wittenberger: nu.
- "dir" is missing in the Erlanger.
- "Your beer barrel" is missing from the Wittenberger.
612 Erl. 43, 29S-298. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 12. W. VII, 889-892. 6 13
(68) Behold, this doctrine is written in all places where we look, and put into all our lives, if only we had ears to hear, and eyes to see; and it is so abundantly set before us, that no man can excuse himself that he knew it not, or that it was not sufficiently told or preached unto him. But we are like vipers who stop up their ears and become deaf when they are summoned; we do not want to see or hear what is written in our own hearts and minds, and so we go about recklessly: "Ha, what is another man's business to me! I may do with what is mine as I please, and sell what is mine as cheaply as I can, who will deny me 2c.? 1) as a squire does with felt and gags on the market. And when they are punished and rebuked by God's word, they laugh and mock at it, and only strengthen themselves in their wickedness. But we do not preach such things, neither does Christ, nor do he want to have anything to do with them, and despise them as much as they do, and let them go to the devil, so that they may be separated on both sides.
(69) But those who would like to be pious, and yet fear God and think how they want to live and drive, they should know that they should not, nor must they, deal with their goods as they wish, as if they themselves were masters, but are obliged to act as is right and proper, which is why there is land law and city law. For this is what every man would have his neighbor do to him; therefore he should also do so to him, taking and giving good goods for just money, 2) both. This is his earnest commandment, and he would not have any liberty or arbitrariness made of it, as if one would do it or leave it without sin; and he will keep it, however much the world thinks it a disgrace and despises it. If you do not do it, he will deal with you according to your own right and judgment, and will also come to your house and court, so that you will have no blessing for the one you have gained against this teaching, but all sorrow and heartache, with your children. For he will give his commandment to the-
- "2c." is missing in the Wittenberger.
- "um recht Geld" is missing in the Erlanger.
nor have held, or shall have no good nor good fortune.
70 Secondly, it is not only so obvious (as has now been said) that I must see in everything that is before my eyes, but it is also so prefigured that one must be ashamed of himself. For there is no one who would gladly do an evil deed that other people should see, and no one may sin so freely before people as if it were done secretly, so that no one sees. So Christ himself wants to make us witnesses here, and to make us shun ourselves, so that when we do wrong, conscience will soon stand against us with this commandment as an eternal witness and say, "Behold, what are you doing? Thou shalt give it so dear, according to the common equal purchase; then thou shalt put so much over it. Item: you would not gladly take the goods from another, as you spoil or counterfeit them 2c. How would it grieve thee if one gave thee for a florin that was worth scarcely ten pennies? that if thou hadst a good drop of blood in thy body, thou shouldst be ashamed of thyself. For if another did it, you would call him a thief and a rogue. Why then are you not ashamed of yourself, since it is not another but yourself who must reproach you, condemned by your own conscience? But there is good for a hard, impudent forehead, which is ashamed neither before men nor before itself, much less before God. But if someone else does it to you, you can soon cry out: Isn't this sin and shame, and really 4) stolen from the bag? Soon you can see a thief and a scoundrel in another; but the one who is in your bosom, whom you can grasp and feel, you do not want to see.
(71) Oh, how many such fellows are now in all trades and crafts, who go about safely, cheating and deceiving people where they can, and yet do not want to be thieves and scoundrels, if they only do it secretly and carefully. But if anyone were to give back what he had stolen and robbed in his trade or craft, then
- "dazu" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- Wittenberger: terrible.
614 Erl. 43, 298-300. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII. 892-894. 615
few people keep anything. They still go about as pious people, because they must not be publicly scolded and punished, thinking that they have not sinned; and when they look around, all the corners of the house and yard are full of theft, and God grant that they do not have one or two guilders in the house unstolen. Nor shall all this be called theft. Yes, if it were theft alone, and not murder in addition, since one makes many people weak and ill with evil, harmful goods, food or drink, and not only deprives them of money, but also of health, so that many eat and drink that they boil up after it and often die from it! Dear man, is this not as much as if you broke into his house or chest, or beat him to death? without it not having the name.
If you were not so wicked and insolent, you should be ashamed when your conscience tells you this, and holds this saying against you, so that you have to strike yourself; yes, it would make you so afraid that you would not be able to stay away from it. For it is a burden that always presses and drives, yes, always condemns, as an eternal witness against ourselves that it is not possible to bear. This would soon teach you to desist from such robbery and stealing, and what is similar that you would not like to have done to you by another 2c. So get into the habit of looking at this saying a little and practicing it with yourself, so that you will have a daily sermon in your heart on everything you have to do and act with your neighbor. In this way you can learn to understand all the commandments and the whole law, and govern and guide yourself through your life and the lives of all people, so that you can judge what is right and wrong in the world.
Seventy-three: But sayest thou, How saith he that the law and the prophets consist in this? Does not the Scripture of the Law and the Prophets contain much more? For it has the doctrine of faith and promises, of which nothing is said here. Answer: Christ here names the law and the prophets as opposed to the gospel or promise. For he preaches here nothing of the high article, namely
Not from faith in Christ, but from good works alone. For these are two distinct sermons, both of which must be preached, but each at its own time and hour. You can see this clearly in the text, in the words where he says, "Whatever you want people to do to you, you do to them." With this he shows that his sermon now goes no further than the works that people do to us and we do to them, and says nothing about the grace of Christ that we received from God. This is why he says: "If we are to preach about good living and works that we should do towards our neighbor, you will find nothing else in the whole Law and all the Prophets than what this saying teaches you. Therefore he also clearly uses the words, "To the people," and, "You also do this to them," 2c., to indicate that he is speaking only of the commandments of the other tablet.
74 And the best part of the saying is, He saith not, Other men shall do it unto you; but: You shall do it to other people. For every man is glad to have another man do it to him, and there are many peelers and boys who can well suffer that every man should be pious, and do them good; but they will not do it to any man. As now, our peasants let themselves think that it is unjust and a great burden that they should give equal purchase; and yet they can cry out and complain that people steal from them or value them. But these are vain evil worms. Some, however, 1) are still a little better, who say, "I would gladly do what I ought, if other 2) people would do it against me first. But this saying is thus: Do thou what thou wilt of another. Thou shalt begin, and be first, if thou wilt that other men do it unto thee; or, if they will not, do it nevertheless. For if thou wouldest not be righteous before, and do good, if thou sawest it of another, it would never come to pass. If others do not want to do it, you are not all the less obligated to do it according to the law and the order of the law, because you would like to have it done to you. He who wants to be pious does not have to be
- Wittenberger: ander.
- Wittenberger: but.
616 Erl. 43, 300-302. interpretation of Matth. 7, 12-14. W. vn, 8S4-8S7. 617
Turn the example. And it is not for thee to say, This man hath deceived me, and I must again cast him; but because thou wouldest not, do not that man either, and lift up that which thou wouldest have done against thee. Then you may persuade other people by your example to do you wrong again, even those who have done you wrong before. But if you do not do it yourself, you are liable to pay that no one does it against you. And it shall be well with thee in the sight of God and in the sight of men.
V. 13, 14: Enter by the narrow gate: for the gate is wide, and the way is broad, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. And the gate is narrow, and the way is strait, that leadeth unto life, and few there be which find it.
He has now preached, our dear Lord, and finally concludes this sermon with several warnings to prepare us against all kinds of obstacles and troubles, both of doctrine and life, which come under our eyes in the world. For it is true that the teaching has been beautiful and delicious, both long and short enough in one word, so that it can soon be said and understood; but there is toil and work to make it work in life. And it is indeed a hard and difficult life, to be a Christian or pious, which will not come to us sweetly; as that good damsel said, "Much belongs to honor; yes, indeed, much, and much more to a Christian life. The dear Lord also takes this into consideration here, that it will come under their eyes and occur to them: I would like to live like this, but it takes a lot. Yes, that is what I say, therefore I warn you, beware, and do not turn away from it, even if it becomes a little sour and difficult, for it will not and cannot be otherwise in the world.
A Christian must know this, and be prepared for it, so that he does not let himself be annoyed or hindered, whether the whole world lives differently, and by all means does not follow the great crowd, as Moses also forbade before, Ex 23:2: "You shall not follow the crowd to evil" 2c. As if he should say: You will always have to see the trouble in the world.
The way to damnation is wide, and there are many, many of you who walk in it; and the gate is very wide, so that you go through it with Hansen 2c. 1)
This is the great annoyance that makes many people suspicious and 2) disparaging, yes, even the prophets and holy people have been thrown out of their minds, as David often complains in the Psalter, especially Psalm 73:3 ff. with many words: "I was distressed when I saw that the wicked 3) were doing well. For they are not in any journey of death, and stand adorned like a palace. They are not in calamity like other people, and are not afflicted like other people." Summa, they are blissful on earth (he says) and become rich, have house and yard full, live in pleasure, and do what they only want and think. But what do I do about it? I have to be pious and suffer, and am tormented daily, and my punishment comes every morning, that is, if I transgress a little, he is behind me with the rod. That's what I get. Everything there is done with honor and joy; that is why all the world falls to them, praises and praises everyone. As we have seen under the papacy, if only someone put on a clerical garment, the whole world had to celebrate him and hold him in honor, then everyone helped and admitted, and was a blessed mother who had carried the son. And now also: He who is only an enemy to us is held in great honor and esteem by them, he may live as he pleases. This hurt the dear fathers, that they had to see such happiness and wickedness of the world, that everyone thinks much of it, and runs after it, and they should be pious, and have nothing but misfortune for it, and suffer contempt and persecution from everyone.
(78) Christ will also show this, and warn his own, that every man should live in the world as if he were alone, and let his word and preaching be to him the greatest thing on earth, so that he may think, Though I see that my neighbor, and the whole city, yea, all the world, live otherwise, and all that are great, noble, rich, rulers, and lords, hold with it:
- "u. s. w." is missing in the Wittenberg.
- Erlanger: and us.
- Erlanger: so.
618 Erl. "8, 302-304. Interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VII, 8S7-8S9. 619
nor have I a companion, 1) greater than they all, even Christ and his word. Therefore, even though I walk alone, I am not alone. For because I have the Word of God, I have Christ with me, together with all the dear angels and all the saints from the beginning of the world; that indeed there is a much greater multitude and more glorious process 2) around me than there is now in the whole world. But that I do not see it before my eyes, and must see and bear the sorrow that so many people fall from me, or live and walk against me.
You must keep to this, if you want to stand otherwise; otherwise you will be carried away by such anger, where you look with your eyes at how other people live and believe. For from this the Turks conclude, as from their strongest reason: Do you think that God is so cruel, and condemns such a large world? So also the papists: Yes, do you think that this alone should be right, what you bring forth from your corner, and the whole world be damned? 4) Should so many popes, bishops, holy fathers, kings and princes have all erred? 2c. They stand so firm on this that no man can tear them away, and conclude most certainly that our doctrine is not right. And yet there is nothing else but the reason: ours are many; theirs are few; we are pious, learned, wise, God's people, sitting in the apostle's place 2c., therefore we cannot err. Christ has not abandoned His Church, nor God His people. It is not possible that God should condemn so many excellent people for the sake of the few, for He did not create heaven in vain.
But against all these things Christ teaches thus: Only the eyes are put out, or even turned away, that one may not look at the great multitude, but only at God's word, and know that it should and must be so, that the road to damnation is wide, and a broad gate, and many that go therein. And again, the gate to life
- Instead of "a journeyman," the Wittenberg has: "one who has it tnit mir helt."
- "Proceß" here means "procession". Cf. § 88.
- "recht" is missing in the Wittenberg.
- "and the whole.... sein" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- "shall be and" is missing in the Wittenberg.
narrow and the way is narrow, and very few who walk on it. Therefore, it is not valid for the Turk and the Pope to boast about their faith: Ours are many, and have kept it so for a long time; therefore it must be right. For Christ sets the contradiction arduously, and calls it the road to condemnation, which is broad and well prepared, and warns that we should not be offended that ours is so few, and the other multitude so great. But it is very difficult to digest this little bit, if one feels it rightly, that I myself have often choked over it and thought: We are such a small, poor group, despised and condemned by all that is high and great on earth; shall we then boast and defy all the world that our thing alone is right, and pass judgment on them all: that the pope, bishops, and all that is attached to them belong to the devil? It must still be overcome and decided: I know that my cause is right, even if 6) the whole world should say otherwise.
How did the dear Virgin Mary react when the angel came and brought her the message that she was to be the Mother of the Most High? Who stood with her, who believed this, or who stood with her? Should she have considered that there were so many rich, noble, great lords' and princes' daughters, and God should have known to find no other for such high work, for which no virgin had ever come, but she, a poor, unknown, despised handmaid? Item, how did the patriarch Abraham, when he had to go out of Chaldea, and go alone, as if he alone were a Christian, and all the world condemned? [But he did not have to turn back on it, nor look around for others, but said: "How God deals with the whole world, I will let him command it, but I will keep his word and follow it, regardless of whether I see the whole world going the other way. Just as Mary had to think: What God does with others, I will let him take care of, but I will stick to the word that I hear and tells me what he wants to do with me. So we must also conclude: I see that the pope, bishops, princes,
- "also" is missing in the Erlanger.
620 Erl. 43, 304-308. ' Interpretation of Matth. 7, 13. 14. W. VII, 899-902. 621
The mobs, the burghers and the peasants do as they please, despise and ridicule us in the most certain way, so that I would also like to say: Do you think that you alone are right against them all? But go away, pope, princes, scholars, and all the world; I know that the teaching is right and the word of God; I will stay with it, God grant, go, or stay, as you wish.
82 Christ therefore saith, I have given you such a doctrine, that ye shall see how very few men shall keep with you, and how many shall teach and live contrary unto it, that it shall greatly overthrow you: but hold fast, and be not offended; and know that it shall be so, and must be so; and remember that I said before, that the gate is strait, and the way is narrow, unto life; but the way is broad and wide. 2c. Therefore turn not aside from it, but hear what I say unto you, and follow me. For I, with all the saints, have gone the narrow way, so must ye also go it, if ye would come unto me; let them go their wide way. For you shall see how narrow the hole will be where they have to come in. Whereas you, who now have to go through the narrow gate and narrow path, will come into a beautiful space, as large and wide as heaven and earth.
Now, what is it that makes the way so narrow? No one does, because the wretched devil, the world, and just our own flesh, which is lazy, blocks and resists, and does not want to go up, so that it trusts God and keeps his word, cannot stand the world's contempt, poverty, danger 2c. Summa, it would like to go also the wide road, therefore it makes this path 1) sour and difficult for us.
After that comes the world, which persecutes, hangs, murders, burns and drowns us, so that we do not go the long way with it. And when it can no longer do so, it blasphemes and disgraces us in the most poisonous way, chases us away with sword, fire and water, so that it is a hard fight to stand and fight against our own flesh, so that man may trust in God, love his neighbor, discipline his own flesh.
- Wittenberger: "victory".
- "to" is missing in the Erlanger.
and remain in his profession. And if we do all this with hard work, the world shall persecute and blaspheme us as the worst evildoers on earth, precisely because of the same hard life.
The evil devil also comes and plagues the heart with evil thoughts, misbelief, fear, anxiety, despair, and makes everything we have done good a sin and a disgrace; and yet we must remain standing there under such enemies, and stand at the goal of them all. Someone else might get angry, fall back and say: "I see that those have peace and good days, go in good peace, and have the name, fame and honor that they are the right servants of God: why should I alone let myself be so miserably mangled, vexed and disgraced? where they all remain, there I also remain 2c.
The ancients have finely modeled this with the poem of the knight Tondalo (without that they have not properly arranged it, and pointed to the purgatory or torment of the souls after this life), how he had to go over a narrow bridge, which was barely a hand's width, 3) with a load on his back, and under him a sulfurous pool full of dragons, and in addition one came to meet him, which he had to give way. That rhymes finely with this saying. For a Christian leads such a hard life, as if he were walking on a narrow path, yes, on a shearing knife. Thus the devil is among us in the world, snatching at us without ceasing with his jaws, that he may bring us into impatience, despair and murmuring against God. For this the world goes to meet us, and will not give way nor let us pass over. So our own flesh is on our neck, that we are oppressed in every way, and the way itself is so narrow that it would be enough effort without it, if there were no other way or obstacle; nor do we have to pass through it, or be granted to the world and the devil.
Therefore, think and act accordingly: If you want to be a Christian, be one. For nothing else will come of it; you will not widen the way, and must see that here a little, and there a great multitude.
- Jenaer: and.
622 Erl. 43, 306-SOS. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. VII, SV2-VV5. 623
go. But let this be your comfort: First, that God stands with you. Then, when you have passed through, that you will come into a beautiful, wide space. For if you only keep the word, and 1) [If you only hold to the word, and 1) if you follow it and not your eyes, then he is surely with you, and so strong that your spirit overcomes the flesh, the world and the devil, that he cannot create anything through your flesh, nor through the world, nor through himself. For the word which thou cleavest by faith is too strong for him, though it seemeth small, and we see it not. But he knows well what it can do, as he who has often tried it and felt what power and army strength it is, where one believes in it. Therefore the prophet defies so high Psalm 118, 6. 12. 13.: "The Lord is with me, therefore I will not fear; what shall man do to me? They surround me like bees, and burn like fire in thorns; but in the name of the LORD I will smite them. They may push me to fall, but the Lord helps me" 2c. Behold, he also hath nothing, but the word and faith, that the Lord is with him, whom yet he seeth not; but feeleth the world and flesh, which narrow his way, and make his life sour. Yet he stands firm, content with the fact that the Lord is with him and holds fast with him, and is sure that he will remain before them and prevail, even though all the world is against him.
We must also be accustomed to comfort, so that we learn to make a wide space out of a narrow gate and a narrow way, and a large crowd out of a small group, so that we do not stare with our eyes, but through the light and the word look toward the invisible, namely, that Christ himself and all the heavenly host are with me, and have just gone the way, and with a beautiful, long procession 2) have gone before me to heaven, and all of Christendom is still walking along the same road until the last day. For where he goes and remains, there they all must go and remain. So the way becomes easy and gentle for us, so that we can walk through it with confidence. As Christ also beckons and says Matth. 11, 28. 30.: "Come to me, all you who are in need.
I will give you rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. As if to say, "Do not be weighed down by what I lay out for you in the world. For it is a yoke and a burden to the flesh, and is called a narrow bridge 3) and a strait gate: but only cleave unto me, and I will make it smooth and gentle for you, and will give you so much strength, that ye shall walk softly in the way, and not only so, but shall know that it is pleasant and sweet unto you.
For this is certainly true, if one compares them with each other, the believers have the advantage that they should not gladly change places with the wicked. Even though they live in a state of great turmoil and have to suffer much, they torment and torture themselves ten times more than they do us, with their poisonous, restless hatred, and with so many futile attempts to harm us, and all kinds of evil deeds and tricks, so that they sin, that they do not have a good conscience, nor a right happy hour, and are their own devils here on earth; and yet do no more with it against us, without a little pestering and urging us, as far as God allows them.
(90) But they that believe in Christ shall not have such sorrow and trouble, and yet may have a merry heart and conscience. Whether we are pressed a little, and the devil oppresses us; But nevertheless he must let go again, and we nevertheless be refreshed by the word, so that our lust and distress become sweet to us, and have only half a torment, outwardly in the outward man, but they are twofold martyrs of the devil, both have their hell here and there, with eternal torment and restlessness of conscience from murder and blood, that they cannot draw any happy, good thoughts to God, although they have a little joy and pleasure outwardly. So it serves them right, as the Scripture says Jer. 17, 18: Duplici contritione conteres eos, Domine, HErr, give them double plague and heartache.
91 Behold, thus the LORD with all faithfulness hath warned us both, and comforted us against it, that we turn not away from it, whether it be to us or not.
- Wittenberger: and you.
- In the old editions: Proceß.
- Wittenberger: Climb.
624 Srl. 4S, 30S-S1I. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 13-15. W. VII, 905-907. 625
Our life becomes sour, and we have to see and feel so much trouble in the world, because, if we look at it rightly, it becomes only half sour, and through Christ, in whom we believe, everything in our heart becomes sweet, and brings life and eternal joy. What harm is it, then, if the old Adam is pushed a little over it?
V. 15. Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Until now the Lord has established both doctrine and life correctly, and warned against that which is contrary to them, and does harm or hinders them. To this he adds a warning, that one should see whether the doctrine and life are already rightly established and working, lest teachers arise secretly among us, who, under the same name and appearance of right preachers and gospel, introduce another, and pervert and corrupt both doctrine and life.
For nothing else will come of it; the true, pure doctrine of the gospel must be contested by the devil in every way, both within and without, as Christ said at the beginning of this sermon; that whoever wants to be a Christian must consider that he has enemies: first, those who are outside of Christendom, who set themselves against him and attack and harm him, beat and choke him, or at least blaspheme, curse and condemn him. And it is decided that whoever does not have haters, blasphemers and persecutors is not yet a Christian, or has not yet proved his Christianity by outward deed and confession. For as soon as he wants to confess, the world becomes hostile to him, and where it can, it will certainly kill him over it. These are now public enemies and outside of Christianity, which everyone can see and feel.
- But over these (Christ is saying here) you will still have enemies of 1) one kind or another: not those who are outside and deny the doctrine, but those who grow up among you, carrying your name and praising it, who will first have the greatest-
- "of one kind" - a kind.
- Do harm. For those, even if they thunder, cannot take 3) more than body and goods; but they cannot take my heart and faith by force. But these are not after body and goods, but leave me what I have; but cunningly grasp at the doctrine, that they may take from my heart the treasure itself, namely, the dear word, for which we suffer persecution from those enemies. This is a wretched thing, that those who are called our brethren, and who praise the Christian doctrine, rise up against us, and under the same name take away the right doctrine and introduce others. As St. Paul also warns his Ephesians, and prophesies Apost. 20, 30: "There shall rise up among you yourselves, which shall teach and preach perverse things" 2c. This, I say, is especially a pitiful thing, that they should do it who are among us and of us, whom we consider righteous, and cannot guard against them until they have already begun to do harm.
This is the persecution in Christendom, which is proclaimed to us beforehand in all Scripture, granted from the beginning of the world. For so it went to Moses in his people 4 Mos. 16, 1. ff.. Yes, Jacob, Isaac and Abraham in his house, and Adam, who had only two sons, nor did one have to make a rotter 2c. Gen. 4, 5. ff.
96 And I think we have now experienced it well ourselves. How many have been you who first stood with us and began the gospel against the pope? that it could be seen that we would bring the whole world to ourselves. But in the moment when it should be going on best, our people themselves go to it, and cause a misery worse and more injurious than all princes, kings, and emperors could have done to us. Well, what shall we do about it? They do us the greatest harm, and in addition strengthen our enemies against us, who cry out that they see what our doctrine is, because we ourselves are not one among ourselves, and the Holy Spirit cannot be with us,
- Erlanger and Jenaer: "great"; but the latter has "greatest" as a conjecture in the margin, which the Wittenberger has in the text.
- Erlanger: still.
626 Erl. 43, 311-313. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. VN, 907-SI0. 627
because we ourselves persecute, reproach and blaspheme each other 2c. This is what we have to suffer, that the enemies are strengthened by such annoyance, and we are weakened and blasphemed, and thus both our enemies and brothers are against us, so that there is no greater challenge in Christianity, in the outward nature of our doctrine.
Because we must always wait for such things and cannot avoid them, Christ gives us both a comfort and a warning with this sermon. The consolation is that we should not be frightened, nor worry ourselves to death over such terrible distress, as it appears and feels that we, who praise God's word, are not one even among ourselves; but, instructed by His word, say thus against it: I knew this well before, when I wanted to be a Christian, that it would happen as my Lord Christ foretold me, that I would have to have two kinds of enemies, both from without, and also within from my own dearest friends and brothers. Therefore this shall not deter me, nor make me dislike the doctrine, as though it were unjust, that they which were my brethren should set themselves against me. Christ himself had Judas, his betrayer, with him, and therefore what he taught and did was not wrong or unjust, so that his dearest disciple fell from him and caused trouble. Therefore we must not respect our Judas either.
98 But the warning is that we should certainly take care of ourselves, and diligently watch and guard that such mobs do not deceive us, but prepare ourselves against them, and learn to know them. For in saying, "Beware," he wants to teach that we are not to retreat here, nor 1) be patient, but to open our eyes, to be brave, cautious, and wise. For against those outward enemies we must not be more than patient, that we suffer what they inflict on us, and stand firm; but here it is not a matter of suffering nor of yielding, but of guarding, of watching out, that I also trust not a word to my brother with me and with you, but with keen brave eyes look to the word alone, and trust no one but myself.
- "wejchen noch" is missing in the Erlanger.
Man, who is with me now, than who can preach with me today, but probably against me tomorrow.
And no one may think himself safe here, as if he did not need this admonition. For it is such an annual, cunning temptation that even the most spiritual have enough to do to keep from being deceived. But the rest of the people, who are safe and without worry, cannot help but be deceived. Therefore he does not use the word "beware" for nothing. For the appearance and name is too beautiful that no one can recognize (as we will hear) who does not have the right understanding of God's word, and in addition looks at it with all diligence, and lets that be his highest concern, how he keeps it pure and true.
For behold, how he paints them, the false teachers, according to their appearance and renown. First, he gives them the name that they are called and are prophets, that is, teachers and preachers, and also boast that they are not called or held differently, have the same office of preaching, the same Scripture, and the same God that they boast of, 2) as the others, and yet are false prophets. For he speaks here of those who have the ministry to preach. For the others, who go about without office and command, are not so good that they are called false prophets, but tramps and boys, who should be commanded by Master Hansen, and are not to be suffered (though they taught rightly), where they want to take hold of the office and command of others, or sneak secretly and thievishly into corners, where no one should preach his own sermon without being asked, nor should he intrude, even if he hears and knows that one is preaching wrongly in public, when he is not commanded to answer for it. For God has ordained the ministry like others, that one should not act contrary to it; but he who conducts it unjustly will have to answer for himself, and will certainly find his judge.
101 Secondly, he says that they come in sheep's clothing, so that they cannot be reproached or distinguished outwardly from other true preachers. The two pieces are,
- Wittenbergers: those who boast.
628 Erl. 43, 313-315. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 15. W. VII, 910-912. 629
who do the harm of having the right office, and come to it with such beautiful adornment and appearance that one cannot say otherwise than they are right, pious preachers who seek everyone's salvation; how they boast exquisitely, and can swear to it, leading vainly God's name and word. This goes in so strongly, and sweeps the people away like a flood, that one cannot defend oneself. 1) For who is there among the rabble who can or may sit down against such and punish them? Yes, who knows how to beware of them, because they come with God's name and word (as they boast)?
But Christ warns us herewith against both, that we should not turn away from the fact that they have the office, although the same is necessary and belongs to a preacher. But no one is assured that because of this he must be believed as if he could not be a prankster in the office. Just as it is not strange in the world that in all offices and positions there are many scoundrels and boys who misuse it. They may be called prophets, I allow (says Christ); but beware of them, and see that they are not false prophets. Likewise, see not if they come in sheep's clothing, with the precious name and appearance. For here thou hearest that a ravening wolf may go hiding under them. 2) Therefore beware lest the sheep's clothing deceive you. For they must all have such a beautiful cover and appearance, if they are to deceive the people.
103 And this is the difference between these secret enemies and other public enemies. For the latter come to us in public, so that everyone knows them well; but these go among us in the same office that we have, also leading the same scripture and word in pretense; but they come (says Christ) from themselves; that is, although they have the office, yet they bring such words and doctrine that God has not commanded them, nor sent them to do, but their own dreams and doctrines of devils, adorned with God's name. Therefore, be warned just against the sheep-
- Wittenberger: who is not to be resisted.
- Wittenberger: to be.
Dress thyself, that thou trust no man, how great an appearance he maketh, but look to the word alone, whether he performeth the same aright, or selleth his own trumpery thereunder.
(104) Behold, if we would receive such a warning, and walk according to the words of Christ, we could easily beware of all false prophets and preachers. But the fact that they are tearing down everywhere is due to the fact that we, who hear the true gospel, do not take it seriously, do not make sure that we have it and grasp it; we go along so sleepily and industriously, as if we could not lack it. This is the reason why we are deceived by such a fine appearance and prestige before we look around. For as soon as another, new teacher comes and appears, the word attendite, "look to yourselves," is forgotten, so that we should be prepared, and hear each one as if we did not hear him, but only look and pay attention to the teaching. These are frivolous, fickle spirits, who only look preachers in the mouth, and quickly burst out of a forwardness that makes them lustful, so that they think: "Oh, I have heard that one before, I must also hear this one, he is a fine, learned, holy man. 2c. There the devil has already gained space, and before they are aware of it, he drives them and leads them according to all his will from one rottenness to another; as St. Paul says of such, Eph. 4, 14, that they are like a reed that weaves to and fro, 4) letting themselves be driven where every wind blows with new teaching. If today or tomorrow another one appears, they also burst on it, and always listen.
This means that they do not have a certain understanding in their heart of God's Word, that they hold the Gospel in low esteem, and think that when they have heard it once or twice, they know it and now have it; they soon get tired of it, 5) open their ears and mouths when someone else comes along who brings something new; and they are just like Adam and Eve, who were deceived by the serpent 2 Cor. 11:3, who also opened their eyes after the forbidden tree, and imagined such beautiful thoughts.
- "so" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- Wittenberger: blows.
- In the old editions: "vberdrus".
630 Erl. 43, 315-317. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. VII, S12-9IS. 631
against God's word: Why should we not eat from this very tree? They became so lascivious and forward that they were tired of all the trees in the whole paradise and gaped at this one alone. 2c. Gen. 3:4.
(106) But if we were serious about the gospel, and concerned about keeping the treasure pure and clean, we would not be so easily deceived. For I hope that no spirit of the mob shall so easily overthrow me, because I know that our gospel is right, and would not willingly lose it. But if a man comes with beautiful sheep's clothing, I do not look at his body as if I wanted to hear something different or new, but whether he agrees with my gospel. If not, then I am so composed and assured, praise God, that I know he is a false prophet and a ravening wolf under his sheep's clothing.
So the devils' spirits have two advantages, that we are so careless, safe and careless people, and they can adorn themselves in the beautiful sheep's wool. For sheep's clothing is called, not evil pieces and gross sin, as of the heathen and unbelievers, but the excellent names and fame of true Christians, who have holy baptism, sacrament, Christ, and all that Christ is. They must bring all these things with them. For no one has to come in this way: This is what I say, but this is what Christ says: Dear friends, you have the Word of God and the Scriptures, and you must believe them if you want to be saved; anyone who teaches otherwise deceives you 2c. They lead you to the highly praised name of Christ and God, and the terrible, magnificent words: God's glory, truth, eternal blessedness, and what more such words belong to it. When a man hears such excellent words, and is so highly admonished about his soul's salvation and damnation, he is frightened, and as soon as he is not armed and well prepared against them, he is caught. For it cuts like a sharp shearing knife, and goes through body and soul. This is a piece of sheep's clothing.
Moreover, they adorn themselves with peculiar works and ways, walk in gray skirts, look sour, and make it hard and severe with fasting, fasting, hard camp 2c., and do not live at all like other common people.
This, however, makes a great impact, and charms the people splendidly, so that it falls down in heaps; and such a villain can seduce a whole city, which has had God's word for a long time, with one sermon, and make people forget in one hour 1) what they have heard in ten years; that even I, if I wanted to, would easily dare to preach to my people again in two or three sermons, and to establish new pilgrimages and masses, with such a pretense and special holiness. For the people (as I said) are easily persuaded with it, and without that, they are forward and eager to hear new things.
(109) Behold, they must adorn themselves, both with doctrine and life, so that they lead the very same words that we hear, and in addition a beautiful, glittering life. As our Anabaptist flocks are now seducing many people by crying out that the gospel is not right with us, because it is seen to bear no fruit, and people remain wicked, hopeful and stingy; it must be something more than the mere word and letter; the spirit must do it, and attack itself honestly with life; if it were God's word, it would certainly also bear fruit. So they go on, saying that they have the right mind, and the right fruit and life. When a simple, inexperienced man hears this, he says, "Oh, this is true! So he lets himself be carried away with the excellent word: Spirit and fruits of the Spirit. Then they go on to say, "He who wants to be a Christian should not have worldly authority, nor wield the sword, nor have anything of his own, as we have; but this is a true Christian, who proves it by works, forsakes everything, does not accept worldly authority and government, walks in a bad gray coat, suffers hunger and sorrow. 2c. These are called fruits of the spirit. Behold, there are vain sheep's garments, with which they lead the poor people in heaps.
(110) Who can now recognize the wolf among them and guard against it? Answer: I know of no other advice, except as I have said § 98 ff. that each one should see to it beforehand that he is sure of his cause and of the doctrine, and
- Wittenberger: verleuret.
632 Erl. 43, S17-S1S. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 15. W. VII, 915-917. 633
I have so grasped it in my heart that I could stay with the teaching, even if I saw everything that is on earth taught and lived differently. For whoever wants to be safe, he must not look at any outward manifestation in Christianity, nor judge by it, but only by the word, which shows us the right nature, which is valid before God. For example: The main and summa of Christian doctrine is that God sent and gave His Son, Christ, and through Him alone forgives all sin and makes us righteous and blessed. This you shall keep, and no other. After this, when thou liftest up thine eyes, thou seest divers diversities of life and substance, that this man is man, and woman, and lord, and servant, and ruler, and subject, and rich, and poor, and whatsoever estate and station there be in the world; and all things are so mixed together, that I can see nothing 1) that hath any peculiar appearance. But because I am so composed, and know such a main thing, in which I have 2) everything, my heart concludes thus: God grant, I see a husband or virgin, master or servant, scholar or layman, gray or red clothed, fasting or eating, seeing sour or laughing, what is that to me? Summa, what such difference is, and I see with my eyes, that is one thing to me as the other. For I have such an understanding that a maid in a red robe, or a prince in his golden garment, can just as well be a Christian as a beggar in a gray robe, or a monk in a willing or hard shirt, and through such understanding I am well protected from all kinds of outward larvae.
But he who does not have such a main thing, nor knows how to judge everything according to it, cannot be careful that he is not deceived by such larvae, when he sees this one with wife and child, or splendidly and deliciously adorned, 2c., and sees another one sour, fasting a lot, barefoot, and in a gray skirt, and concludes as soon as: O this is a holy man! the others are nothing. 3) He is not so wise that he could say, "Can there also be a rogue hidden under the gray skirt? As a Christian can conclude and say: Dear
- Jenaer: I do not.
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: ichs.
- Latin: ut retineri
Monk, if you wear a gray skirt not out of necessity, but out of a peculiar sense that you want to be considered peculiar in the eyes of others, you must be a desperate, two-faced villain who opens people's mouths with false pretenses, otherwise you would have to say: If a farmer who plows or fertilizes his field is just as much a Christian and goes to heaven as I am, what am I doing with my peculiar nature?
But, as I have said § 104 ff., the great common multitude clings to such larvae as fill their eyes, 4) and it is a peculiar thing to behold that nothing helps if one preaches against it for an equally long time. Thus we are by nature inclined to such teachings and works. For it pleases reason, which always wants to deal with God by its own works. So then the devil blows and stirs up through these teachers until he has driven us into it.
But we, as much as we want to be safe, should see to it above all things, as I have always admonished, that we have our main article of Christ right, so that we can judge rightly of all outward vestures and creatures, and the Spirit will teach and guide us finely. In the same way, every man will find enough good works to do in his own state, if he wants to be pious, so that he may not seek anything special.
For if you are a prince, judge, husband, servant, or maid, and if you practice and prove your faith, if you are faithful in your office and profession, and if you do what is right, you will have so much to do and to work for, that no Carthusian will have a heavier order than you. For what great toil and hard work is it that a man wears a gray skirt or cap, or walks on wooden shoes, or hurts his body a little when he does it hard, and yet lives without worry and fear, and has enough to eat and drink? But he must eat his daily bread in the sweat of his brow and with sour labor, and not only his body, but much more his heart must be ground down by the evil world and his neighbors, and
- Erlanger: "das ihn .... füllet."
634 Erl. 43, 319-322. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. vn, SI7-S20. 635
all misfortune, strife and heartache await and suffer. So that a right civil estate, Christianly led, is more than a tenfold Carthusian order; without that it does not seem, like the monk wearing a cap, separate from people, and yet, if one would open one's eyes, and hold them right against each other, reason would also have to conclude this. So also a prince, whether he wears gold chains and marten-like hoods, but if he is pious, he is such a martyred and wretched man under the marten-like hood that there is no equal to him in any monastery. So go through all offices and ranks. If you find a pious man or woman, you must not look for a monk or nun, for he is monk enough before, and leads a heavier order than all cap and plate bearers; yes, it is vain fool's work before God with all monks and forest brothers, 1) against a pious child, servant or maid, who obediently and faithfully does what he is commanded. Do only what a pious man or woman should do, then you have a rule that is heavier 2) than Francisci and all monks rule, caps and plates, which covers much before a rogue than a pious Christian.
But the foolish reason does not want to look at this, but throws it to the winds, and thinks: "Oh, this is a mean thing, everyone would have it in his own house. But the only thing lacking is that we do not allow ourselves to be serious about taking God's word, otherwise we would soon say: "If Carthusians, Anabaptists, the devil himself or his mother come here, they will not make a better state or life than God has made.
(116) Therefore, it is necessary to let it be an excellent, high, divine state for a pious husband, servant, maid or faithful worker, and thus, according to the words of
- Forest brothers - hermits.
- Wittenberger: better.
If the people were to judge rightly in all works and all classes, and if everyone were to teach and live rightly, everything would be done in the finest way. These would be the right classes, which God has created and ordered and is pleased with. And if God would have it that a city would have many such pious citizens, wives, children, masters, servants and maids, then we would have the kingdom of heaven on earth and would not be allowed to have a monastery. We would not be allowed to fast, nor to pray and sing in church during the day, but we would not be allowed to do more than what each person's 4) office and work requires.
- So you see what the sheep's clothing is, so that they open people's mouths. But what are they inside and at the bottom? Nothing else, says Christ, but ravening wolves. That is what they seek, the desperate boys, to destroy and tear the souls with a beautiful appearance of doctrine and life. Not outwardly, like the tyrants and persecutors who tear apart body and goods; nor like the preachers who publicly preach against us and condemn our doctrine, but inwardly, that they may secretly snatch away the treasure of our heart, which has now become God's throne or kingdom and dwelling place. That is, all their deception, which they so adorn with doctrine and life, is to the end that they tear away the faith and the chief article of Christ. 5) As now the reformers also take our name by heart, and well confess that we have the gospel by word and preaching; but there follows (they say) no fruit. Just with the word "no fruit" they lead people away from faith to works, and take away the main part, which is faith in Christ, and lead us to look at the fruits alone; if these are there, then the gospel is right, and again. And all their doctrine is nothing else, but that one must attack and prove himself by the fruits, having nothing of his own, leaving all things 2c. So again they fall on works, and put their trust in them, but to be saved by them.
- Erlanger: "und dürften doch".
- Erlanger: their.
- den" is missing in the Wittenberg.
- Wittenberger: tear away.
636 Erl. 43, 322-324. interpretation of Matth. 7, 15-20. LL. VII, 920-923. 637
- And the worst of all, they teach not the right fruits, which the gospel teaches and requires according to faith, but what they dream and devise; they say nothing about how every man should lead his profession rightly and faithfully, and remain in it, but just the opposite; they lead the people of such professions, teach them to leave as worldly, and to run away, and to start something strange, to see sourly and to live hard, not to eat, drink, and dress like other people, to let themselves be tortured and killed willingly and without being asked. Otherwise (they say) the gospel has no fruit in you, and you are not yet a Christian, even though you have long believed 2c.
119 And they adorn their dreams with Scripture and sayings from the Gospel, when Christ never taught or commanded such things, neither by word nor example, that one should run away from men, leave everything, have nothing of his own, unless it comes to the necessity of leaving either this or his word. Therefore thou shalt not forsake it ere he bid thee, and be compelled to do so. If it comes to that, then say: Before I would forsake the gospel and Christ, I would rather lose wife, child, body, goods, sun, moon, and all creatures. But apart from necessity you have God's commandment that you love your neighbor, serve him and help him with body and goods, likewise love and govern your wife, child and servants, 2c. do not run away from them and let them sit, as they do against God's word and order without any necessity, and yet want to boast of great fruits of the gospel, as special saints.
120 Therefore learn to know such spirits, how they tear inwardly under the sheep's clothing, and take away the faith, leading you from Christ to yourself, and calling the fruits of the gospel, which they themselves dream, that they may destroy the true fruits. These are they, the ravening wolves in sheep's clothing, who always destroy Christianity. Until now they were called monks; now they are Anabaptists, as new monks; in former times they were Cainites, Ishmaelites, Esauites, Pelagians. For this false faith has been granted by the
- "wrong" is missing in the Erlanger.
Beginning of the world. And even if these Anabaptists leave now, others will come.
In sum, this monasticism must remain as long as the world stands, although with other new names and works. For all those who go about doing something special, above the faith and the common classes, are and remain monks, even if they do not lead the same way, clothing or manner. One can well beware of these who walk along with caps and plates, for they are now well enough painted that everyone knows them. But beware of the new monks, who do not wear caps, but still put on other special characters, pretend great devotion and holiness with sour eyes, gray skirts and hard life; say that one must not wear velvet or silk, red or colored clothes; just as those monks also taught. So that there is always the same monasticism, without any other clothes. That is why the painters have it just right when they paint the devil in a monk's cap, and his devil's claws come out below. 2) For he does nothing else from the beginning of the world, but seduces the world with monasticism.
V. 16-20. By their fruits you shall know them. Can you also gather grapes from thorns? or figs from thistles? So every good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, and a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore you shall know them by their fruits.
Because the Lord Christ warned His own to hold fast to His teaching, and to see that they are not deceived by others, who are ravening wolves under sheep's clothing, He now also teaches, for more warning, how to know them by their fruits, and sets up a similitude with bad, simple words, which even a child can understand. For no one is so foolish as not to know that a thorn bush is not a wolf.
- "go" is missing in the Erlanger.
638 Trl. 43. 324-326. , Interpretation of 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. vil, S2S-92S. 639
figs nor grapes 2c. But however simple the words are, no one sees that they are so valid who does not diligently consider God's word. But it is all in understanding what he calls good or evil trees and fruits. For it is soon said, This is a fig or a thistle, a good apple or sour sloes, and with the eyes and reason easily seen and understood; but since 1) it points to Christ, it is impossible, without spiritual understanding alone, to reason according to God's word. For we have heard above 101 ff] how these same false teachers bring such appearances and smooth words that reason is not able to judge, nor can it guard against them. Yes, it is just such a doctrine and life that has grown out of reason and is in accordance with it, and naturally pleases us, because it teaches about our own deeds and works, as we understand and are able.
This is called recently "a good tree, bearing 2) good fruit," who lives and conducts his being and walk according to God's word, pure and clean. For he will also conclude afterwards of many who have heard God's word, preached in his name 2c., 3) and also say: Lord, Lord! to this have done many signs, cast out devils, 4) and yet are false and hypocrites. Therefore, reason must be put to bad use here, and only God's word must be followed, and then it must be concluded, when judging life and works, that one knows what God's word calls a good tree or good fruit. For this is too high for reason (as I have said), when it sees someone who wears nothing but a gray skirt, who fasts every week, like the Pharisee in the Gospel, yes, who also performs miracles and signs, that he should not be a good tree with good fruit. For it cannot know anything higher, 5) nor conceive and understand anything better, is badly trapped in concluding that he who leads a different life than other people must be a special one.
- Wittenberger: that.
- Erlanger: the.
- "preached in his name 2c." is missing in the Erlanger.
- "Teufel ausgetrieben" is missing in the Erlanger.
- "know" is missing in the Wittenberger.
be a holy man. Do not see, the blind fool, that such works are still all far, far from God's word.
And if you ask her: How do you know that the same works are so delicious as you do them? she cannot say otherwise than: So it seems to me. Yes, 6) into the smoke hole with your conceit, that I should stake my salvation and happiness on it. It means, then, that you must know, and not imagine or think, and have a certain reason and testimony from God's word that it pleases Him, so that you can say, "The work is well done," or, "The state is pleasing to God, that I know. Not according to my own light or star, 7) that it seemeth me good or evil; but that it goeth by the word and commandment of God. It seems not fine to me that a husband, or wife, or ruler, or judge, should be as holy as one who crept into corners or deserts; but it is not for me to judge according to my own conceit. And even if someone casts out devils and does all the miracles the apostles did, I would rather be a cobbler's servant or a dishwasher according to God's word, and set such a standard above your conceit, even if you could raise the dead. Therefore, to bear good fruit is to live a life and do good works according to God's word and command.
Thus these words, "By their fruits you shall know them," 8) are set for a sign, and made a goal, by which they may be judged and known. But if we are deceived, it is no one's fault but our own. For he hath not left us in doubt, but hath set forth arid clear. If ye cannot judge them (saith he) before the beautiful garments of sheep, take heed only to their fruits and works, whether they be righteous and good.
(126) Yea, how knowest thou these things? may these things also be false. Answer: You know what God's commandments are; see if they are according to them. For I will surely be your guarantor that no spirit of the wicked shall come and seal it up, and leave a stink behind.
- Erlanger: "There".
- Erlanger: Starn.
- Erlanger: "from" and "know" instead of: "on" and "recognize".
640 Erl. 43, 32S-3L8. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 16-20. W. VII, S2S-S2S. 641
that one sees that the devil has been there. And never has false > doctrine or heresy arisen, it has had the sign with it, as it shows > here, that they have raised other works than God has commanded and > ordered. That the world is deceived now comes from nowhere, because it > follows the mad reason, and leaves God's word under the bench, does > not pay attention to what he gives, meanwhile opens its eyes to the > larvae, where it sees mix something strange. > > Now if anyone wishes to judge rightly here, let him do as Christ > teaches him and examine their works and fruits before him and hold > them against God's word or commandment, and he will soon see how it > all adds up. Look at the most holy Carthusian monk with his strict > order, and St. Paul on the other hand with the ten commandments, and > you will see that St. Paul preaches in this way: If ye have Christ by > faith, be ye every man obedient, and subject unto the authorities, and > love one another in all ranks. Behold, there you have a true > reflection of a Christian life according to God's commandment and > order. On the other hand, the spirit of the mob comes and says, "Oh, > this is a wicked thing! There are many wicked people in the ranks, and > everything is a worldly thing; ei, we must seek something better. So > he goes and does something strange and peculiar, comes trolled with a > cap or a gray skirt; that is supposed to be a delicious life and a > perfect state.
(128) But if thou art in accord with the word of God, thou mayest soon judge, and say, Where hath God commanded thee to raise up such peculiar estates and works against the common estates which he hath ordained? I know very well that there are many bad boys and pious people in all classes, but what is it to me how they are abused? Nevertheless I stand by the word that teaches me that such estates are good, although there are wicked men in them. There I look and judge. And because the estate is good, the works and fruits must be done according to God's word, as the same estate demands, must also be right and good. But because your state has no word of God, the works done in it cannot be good, and both tree and fruit are rotten and of no use.
So you have a certain judgment that you cannot lack, as Christ teaches you to know them by their fruits. For I have also read up on all the heretics and the rotten ones, and found that they have always done and brought forth something different than God commanded and ordered, one in this article, the other in that article. This one has forbidden not to eat all kinds of food; the other one has condemned marriage; the third one has condemned the authorities; and each one has done something 1) of his own, so that they must certainly all walk on 2) this path.
130 Therefore, as I have said §123 ff., it is up to one to actually know and keep the definition of what Christ calls good works or fruits: namely, that a good work is that which is commanded or commanded by God's word, and is in the same commandment. Thus, a wife who is pious and keeps her marital status right can say and boast that her status is commanded by God, and has the right, pure, and honest word of God, and pleases God from the heart. Therefore, their works are good fruits, so that we may judge and judge, not according to our own conceit, but according to what God says and calls good. Stay with it, and you will not fail as they must fail. For there is the judgment that they cannot teach right fruits. Thus God also holds that they must preach nothing else but loudly invented juggleries. And because they despise the right fruits and works, which have no special appearance, he also despises their rotten works, which they put on with great appearance and presume to do better than he has done.
There is a saying invented by the priests, and I think that the devil himself has mocked them with it: When our Lord God made a priest, the devil watched and wanted to imitate him, and made the plate too wide, so it became a monk; therefore they are the devil's creatures. This is ridiculous and mocking, but it is the truth. For where the devil sees that God gives obedience and love among one another, and makes a fine spiritual
- "a" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Erlanger: from.
642 Erl. 43, 328-331. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. vrr, 928-^930. 643
He cannot leave it, he must build his chapel or Kretzmer by the church, and also teach his monasticism, poverty, gray skirts 2c., so that the monks are always the devil's priests. For they practice the devil's doctrine (as St. Paul also calls it 1 Tim. 4, 1.), made out of their own conceit, and want to outdo God's work and make it better.
For this reason Christ says: "If you want to know and judge them, keep to the pure word of God, so that you may be sure what the right fruits are, and see how they agree with them, you will certainly find that they teach and do other things than God has commanded; therefore, you can certainly also test the tree, that it is not good. And gives it a crude, childish likeness:
- "Can one also gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles? Yes, very well (they think), shouldn't one be able to do that? Yes, one reads vain sugar from it. For such works are much more delicious than those which God has commanded. But look at the two kinds of trees, the vine or fig tree, and the thorn bush or thistle. 1) Thistles and thorns may blossom beautifully before other trees, but who is comforted by their fruit? 2) But the fig tree is such a simple tree, it does not boast or brag about its fruit or leaves, it does not put forth leaves before 3) the fruit is present, but before it is seen, it bears fruit. So also the vine, which is as without appearance and glory as no other tree, a mere dry, weak wood; nor does it bear the very sweetest grapes above all other plants, since more arid trees bulge and boast with leaves and blossoms, so that one would think they would bear pure sugar; and yet give nothing everywhere, but such sour fruits, which are of no use.
134 So here, too, these have the appearance, and make a noise with their boasting of special works, as if they wanted to do it.
- Jenaer: "or".
- Erlanger: "may also bloom, but what fruit do they bear?"
- "beats... Blättern" is missing in the Wittenberger.
alone. And when it withers away, it becomes like hawthorns, which are full of stones and neither nourish nor feed anyone, or thistle heads, which only sting and scratch when they are attacked. For if one contrasts God's commandment: whether God has commanded and commanded such works, and they are done for the service and benefit of the neighbor, it is found that 4) it is not suitable for anything, and only hinders the right good fruits. Again, that which is of the other classes has no appearance, shines and glitters not, and yet brings forth the very finest, best fruits, and creates the greatest benefit on earth, but in the sight of God, and in the sight of those who are enlightened with spiritual eyes, that they may view and judge it rightly.
- Therefore he saith, Can grapes be gathered of thorns, or figs of thistles? 5) As if to say, "It may blossom as a delicious thing, but wait a while and see when the time comes to gather and remove the fruit from what you find growing. For nothing more comes of it than to deceive people who have waited for great, delicious fruit, and yet find nothing of which they or others can take comfort and enjoyment. or others to comfort themselves and enjoy; and that even the highest reason is deceived and seduced by such a spectre, caused by the devil, who does not have God's word and right understanding, but follows his own conceit and devotion, and thinks that if it pleases him, If it pleases God, then it must also please God, when it should be the other way around, that I let myself like 6) what I hear that pleases Him,^7^ ) even though it is a displeasing thing in all of God's states, and in addition there are many evil people in it, who corrupt such fruits, like the evil worms.
136 And now he concludes such a simile with a common saying, which he usually likes to use: "Every good tree brings good fruit, and a rotten tree brings bad fruit" 2c. But what is the need to teach this with so many words?
- Erlanger: da.
- Erlanger: "Can figs also be read from thorns?"
- Wittenberger: "that we should put up with".
- From here to the end of the paragraph is missing in the Wittenberg.
644 Erl. 43, 8S1-S8S. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 16-2l). W. VII, 930-933. 645
Who does not know this before? Should a blind man grasp it by the sticks, and take us for fools who do not know? Well, let him who knows it know it; but let us learn it and remain Christ's disciples. For it is (as has been said) not so easy an art to judge in this matter, since Christ speaks of it. But this saying serves to comfort and strengthen those who are in such states, contrary to reason's feeling and reputation, that it is a vexatious being, and much evil happens in it, which makes many people suspicious, that they are considered dangerous, as if one could not well serve God in it 2c. So that St. Augustine himself was very broken and tormented, even since he was already a great doctor, that he would have liked to see everything right, and to separate the evil from the estates, and the Pelagian heretics gave him a lot of trouble with it. How almost all heretics wanted to make such things pure, and 2) (with leave) even pelted.
But why should one look so far? It is stated here finely and in short words: The state that God has created and ordered, and the man who walks and lives in such a state according to God's word, can bring nothing but good fruit. With this you can comfort your heart against such thoughts: "Oh, if this or that one has brought me into this state, there is nothing but unpleasantness and misery in it! Which has often challenged me about my ministry, and still does, that if it were not for God's word, I would have long since conspired to preach a sermon, and also have given leave to the world, as the monks did in former times. But this is what the wretched devil does, that he makes each one's position so difficult, and blinds the foolish reason so that it cannot recognize the office and work that God lays out for us, and which is heartily pleasing to him, as a good fruit of a good tree, and thus spoils even its position and fruit. For it would be a good tree and a good estate; but it does not see it, and is itself in the way, that it cannot bring forth good fruit.
138 Therefore, learn to look at his status according to this saying, so that you can
- Wittenberger: good.
- Wittenberger: "and just with it".
conclude: Now I know, praise be to God, that I am in a good, blessed state that pleases God; even if it is annoying to the flesh, much trouble and unpleasantness, I will gladly bear it all. For here I have the consolation that Christ says: "A good tree brings forth good fruit", of all classes, put into God's word, even though they are 3) despised and held in low esteem by the world and the special saints. Again I hear the judgment that every rotten tree brings forth bad fruit: that when I see the most holy Carthusian, I see a shameful rotten tree, though it seems delicious, and has not so much unpleasantness and repulsiveness. For the devil does not make it so sour and difficult for him as he does for the right, godly estates. That is why they are so well pleased with such states and works.
139 But as little as I can see in my state that my fruit is good, so little can he see that his state and fruit are rotten and of no use. And so this saying must be reversed in their case, and thus be called: A rotten tree brings forth good fruit, and a good tree brings forth evil fruit; so that, in short, reason cannot judge here, nor see the goodness of their state and its works, nor have joy and pleasure in it, but praises and extols the contradiction. For if it could be seen, we would go in vain rejoicing, and suffer and bear with a cheerful heart all that God lays out for us, certain that because such a tree is good, its fruits must also be good. So that a pious carter, when he leads a cartload of dung into the field, leads a cartload of delicious figs and grapes; but before GOD, not before our eyes, which we do not believe. Therefore every man is weary of his position, and gapes at another.
(140) This is what Christ means by concluding so aridly and straightforwardly, "A good tree bringeth forth good fruit," and again. And that he might make it still stronger, he adds, as for abundance, and says: "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, and a rotten tree cannot bring forth good fruit."
- "equal" is missing in the Erlanger.
646 <crl. 13, p33-33S. Interpretation of 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. vn. [ss-935. 647
How can a servant or maid not be a rogue? a man or woman break marriage? a prince a tyrant, a preacher a seducer? as you said yourself above § 100 ff. Where else would one find knaves and husks, but in all kinds of estates and trades? Answer: Yes, that is, alas, true; but so no one is a good tree any more, for he steps out of his estate and lives contrary to God's command. But if he remains in his tribe or office, and does what the same requires, he cannot be an evil tree. Therefore he says, "Watch and remain a good tree, and I will promise you what you do, so that it cannot be evil. For the works that God has commanded must have the price that they cannot be called evil.
What could we desire more blessedly than to have such glory and testimony from Christ Himself, against all the evil spirits and misfits, that we know that we are in such a state that we cannot do evil, if we live according to God's word and do what we are commanded to do. Yes, even though something evil comes along, if we do too much not out of intent and courage, but ignorantly or out of weakness, that must also be good and given. Summa, you cannot spoil it, because you are walking in the divine office and word, only stay in it, so it cannot be evil; or if it would be sin otherwise, it shall not be called evil, but covered and forgiven, 2) so abundantly 3) you shall be blessed by God's word. Even as a fig tree or other tree, though it sometimes bears a wormy fruit, yet it is a good fruit according to its kind, without thorn or prick. Yes, before it should be without fruit, it must rather have worm-eaten fruit, but 4) without their fault; so also all the works of a Christian are good in kind, because the tree is good, and lives in such a way that it would gladly bring forth vain good fruit, although sometimes, through weakness of the flesh, or other hindrances, something evil runs along with it.
- Wittenberger: will.
- Wittenberger: "or even if something sinful is involved, it should be covered up and forgiven."
- Erlanger: honest.
- "doch" is missing in the Erlanger. - Wittenberger: "doch ohn seine".
On the other hand, those briars and thistles, if they break, they cannot bear good fruit, which is called a good apple or fig. And no Carthusian or barefoot monk, if he tortures himself to death and prays, nor can he say an Our Father that is good in the sight of God, nor do any good work, but the more he does, and the more he is afraid to do good works, the worse he does it. For it is decided that a thistle bears no figs, 5) and a thorn hedge no grapes. And in short, an evil tree cannot bear good fruit. This means that we are harshly and severely punished, and deterred from all self-chosen orders and ranks, so that they cannot do a single good work; and again, we are wonderfully comforted that we, who live according to God's Word, cannot do evil.
- Then he decides: "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. There you have set the judgment that 7) finally should go over all, 8) who teach and keep their own work, without God's word, who think they want to carry it out, and bring it to the point that their thing should last forever, and think God must spare them, as of the delicious trees and plants, and fence them and cherish them, and wait for the best; but do not see what judgment has gone over them, that he has already taken the axe and set it on the tree, as Christ says elsewhere Matth. 3, 10. and nowhere to serve but to hellish fire. For it is written Matth. 15, 13: "All plants, which my heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted out" 2c.
He has now spoken this by similitude, and as in parabolis or dark words. Now he continues, and wants to explain what he meant by it, and adds the right gloss with light, dry words, and speaks:
V. 21. Not all who say to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of my Father in heaven.
- Wittenberg and Erlangen: not.
- Erlanger: the.
- ^o" is missing in the Wittenberg.
- Wittenbergers: all that which.
648 Erl. 48, 335-S37. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 21-23. W. VII, 9S6-938. 649
That is, those who serve me and praise their work as the highest service of God, and who earnestly strive to enter the kingdom of heaven, and think that they have it before all others, I will shut heaven against them. This is a terrible judgment, that no one is lower in hell than the great ministers of God, that is, the most holy monks. As the devil also made a proverb, and mocked his own saints as a mischievous one, who could not even conceal his own evil, that one said: Hell is paved with the vain plates of priests and monks. 1) This is just what he says here, that those who want to be the greatest saints shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Why is that? Because they say, "Lord, Lord! (he says) but they do not do the will of my Father in heaven. How is it that they do not do the will of God, since they serve God day and night, and even perform miracles? Where would the rest of the common people be if they were not to be saved? Answer: You hear that he says no to this, and makes a distinction that there are two things: to say, Lord, Lord, and to do his Father's will. And saith, I like not them which cry out: Lord, Lord, and come with their great devotion, as if I should lift them up to heaven; but I will have them that do my Father's will. They hope and presume that they will not only go to heaven, but will also bring other people in with their merits, and will sit on top and receive special crowns 2c. As they then defiantly boast: Should not a Carthusian earn more and have a higher rank in heaven than a poor layman or a wife? What was he doing in the monastery with his austere life? 2c. But it is said that 2) not Carthusians or God's servants 3) go to heaven, but those who do God's will.
146 For this does not mean doing God's will, putting on caps or gray skirts, and running from people into the monastery, 2c. for there is no word written anywhere about this, but that which Christ preached and taught, namely, that one should believe in Christ and let himself be found.
- Erlanger: "vain plates".
- Wittenberger: it is decided.
- "who boast of being God's servants" in the Wittenberg.
in such a state as has the word of God, and do therein what he has commanded. Take the ten commandments before you, and see how St. Paul teaches all classes from them, how those below are to be faithful and obedient to the superiors, and how the others are to love and serve one another, and how each one is to faithfully maintain his office. There you will find nothing of priesthood and monasticism, gray skirts, or other peculiarities. Whoever lives according to this, does the will of God, which he himself has testified to. These are the ones who belong to heaven, not the ones who have neglected God's word, and yet want to serve God with great earnestness and devotion, so that they say twice, "Lord, Lord," when the rest of us hardly say once. For these are always much more diligent and fervent in their worship than the true Christians; but because they have done their own will, they may also seek another Lord, who will hear them and shut out heaven from 4) them.
- Therefore he warned us once again to beware, and not to be deceived by those who pretend to great and excellent worship (though they also do miracles), but to keep what he says is good, that all things may go and be done according to his commandment, though it seem not, nor be pleasing to reason; because we have the sign that no spirit of the wicked abideth, nor can teach or do any good fruit, but goeth about with his own thoughts, spun out of his own head. 5) Now these are the first whom Christ rejects, who come and make the world full of godliness; as he declared of them Matt. 24:23, 24: "Many false Christs and false prophets shall come, saying, Lo, here is Christ; and shall deceive many." Then others come, who not only say, "Lord, Lord," but also perform great miracles and signs. Now he speaks further of this:
V. 22. 23. Many will say to me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? have we not cast out devils in your name? have we not cast out devils in your name? have we not prophesied in your name? have we not cast them out?
- "them" is missing in the Erlanger.
- The words: "with" and "bypasses" are missing in the Erlanger.
650 Srl. 48, 337-339. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chap. Matthaei. W. VII, S38-94I. 651
have they not done many deeds in thy name? Then I will confess to them: I have never known you; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity.
These are first high, excellent people, and yet they will be shamefully deceived and go to hell quite unawares. For the others, of whom he has now spoken, go in as good fellows, if they are not converted at the last end; as I hope that nevertheless many of them have been saved at the deathbed, saved from such error. 1) But these, wanting to be sure of heaven, begin to reason with God, saying, "Shall we not be saved? After all, we have preached in your name and done so many miracles 2).
How can they do signs and wonders in Christ's name and still be counted among false Christians and damned, evil people? I meant, as it is true, that God does not give signs or testimonies to confirm the lies, as Moses also says in the 5th book, Cap. 18, 20-22: "If a prophet is presumptuous to speak in my name, which I have not commanded him, 3) and you would say in your heart: How can I know which word the LORD hath not spoken? If the prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, and nothing comes of it, and does not come, that is the word which the Lord has not spoken." And yet here is the contradiction, that they do signs in his name, and yet are false, wicked men.
(150) First, this may be an answer that they were true Christians before, and true preaching and signs. This may be an answer that they were true Christians before, and did true preaching and signs, but then fell away. For this is the grievous devil (of which St. Paul also warns his Corinthians), when a Christian begins to feel that he is something above others, and has special understanding, wisdom, and other gifts, that he pleases himself and becomes proud, and becomes such a man, who cuts himself out of the grain, and remains a noisy empty shell; 4) thinking nevertheless that he is pious and well off; as many such people have been, and are now. For it is
- Erlanger: converted.
- Wittenberger: and a lot of Wundexs.
- "him" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- "empty" is missing in the Wittenberger.
It is a very dangerous thing when God graces a person with high, wonderful gifts, so that he does not become proud and remains humble. Therefore, one reads about an old father in the desert, who had a special grace to cast out devils, and helped many people, so that all the world followed him and almost considered him a god. 5) Then the vain doctrine also began to challenge him, and when he felt this, he asked God to protect him and not to let him fall into hopelessness. Then God let him be possessed and afflicted by the devil for four weeks, so that he lost all his good 6) cries, and everyone said, "Behold, he has helped other people, now he lies there and cannot help himself! So he got rid of the temptation and remained in humility. I say this as an example, to show how it is a yearly thing about great, high gifts, and how arrogance always wants to hang on to them. As is also seen in gross, outward things, even in the begging of temporal goods and dominion. In sum, God's gifts are so exquisitely noble, but we are so blighted that we cannot let them go; we must become proud and defy them when we feel them, and again despair when we do not have them.
151 This (I say) would be an answer, but we do not want to do it here, although it is right. For this is the noblest mind, that he speaks of false prophecy and miracles, as he also says Matth. 24, 24: "There will be false Christs 7) and false prophets, and they will do great signs and wonders, so that even the elect will be deceived into error. And St. Paul 2 Thess. 2, 9. 10. of the Antichrist: "Who cometh with all manner of lying powers, and signs, and wonders, and with all manner of seducing unto unrighteousness 2c., for that they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." Thus, false signs must certainly occur in Christianity, and false Christians must consider them to be real, true signs.
152 This has now been done by force, especially in the papacy, although also in the
- In the old editions: "begund".
- "good" is missing in the Erlanger.
- "false Christi" is missing in the Wittenberg.
652 Srl. 43, SSS-S4S. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 22. 23. W. VII, 94I-Ä4S. 653
There are many such priests and special saints in Turkey. Just read their books and legends, especially what the monks have written, what an ulcer it is, full, full of vain miraculous signs, that nevertheless everything has been nothing but 1) lies and deception. How have people in our times been mocked with so many pilgrimages, to Grimmethal, to the oak, to Trier 2c. And I myself have seen some monks, shameful bad boys and wild people, who cast out the devil and played with him, just as with a child.
Who could tell what devilish things were done under the holy name of Christ, Mary, the holy cross, St. Cyriax 2c., all of which the monks did by force, and all the world fell for it, and no one was allowed to protest against it. There was neither a pope nor a bishop who would have preached against it, but everyone helped. And even if someone opposed it, he was deafened and forcibly driven in. As shortly before these times Bishop Ernst of Saxony, once such a devil's field church collapsed; but it got him bad, that he fell over it in illness, and was glad that he rebuilt it. With such a ghost has now arisen and confirmed the purgatory, masses, all saints' service, pilgrimages, monasteries, churches and chapels. Yes, many have also prophesied of future times, as the Lichtenberger 2) and others; 3) but it all happened through the devil, that he confirmed his abominations and lies, and bewitched the people, and held them captive in error, so that no one would escape from him.
For this is a small thing to the devil, that he can be cast out if he wants to, even by a bad guy, and yet remains undefeated; but just so that the people are the more strongly possessed and tricked with the shameful deceitfulness. So he can also well guess future things, as a clever, experienced spirit: although he commonly mocks people with his prophesying, and so
- "louder" is missing in the Jena.
- Cf. Luther's preface to Johann Lichtenberger's Weissagung, 1527. Walch, old edition, vol. XIV, 231.
- "is" is missing in the Erlanger.
He has made a joke of it, so that it can be interpreted in many ways; and as it happens, he has succeeded; as he also did in the past through his pagan priests. So people are mad, and plump: 4) Oh, God dwells here! Here one sees and grasps the miracles and signs! They cannot reckon that the devil does it for this very reason, to deceive and seduce people; nor do the fools think that Christ clearly foretold all this and faithfully warned us of it through Himself and His apostles. But it had to happen this way, and it happened to us rightly, because we despised God's word and did not consider that we had to lose Christ and accept the devil's signs. And it has been quite a game for the devil, so that he ruled with full power in Christianity, as he had sought.
Because we have seen these things, and unfortunately have experienced all too much how much harm the devil has done through such lying spirits and false signs, we should be shrewd, and not (as they did before us) leave Christ's word, and be spoken in vain, lest it happen to us as it happened to them. For it is a preaching, yea, a prophecy, written for a warning, but, alas, too slow for them that were before us; yet soon enough for us, if we will accept it; that we turn not to what they boast of signs and wonders, which Mary and other saints have wrought, and excellently use the same to lead us from the word, but be so wise, because we have this warning, that such false signs must come to pass, that we believe no mere sign.
For he faithfully and earnestly warned when he spoke of such miraculous signs Matth. 24, 25: "Behold, I have told you before. As if to say, "Watch now and keep my warning; if not, you will surely be deceived. For ye have my word, that ye know what my Father's will is. The two hold one against the other. Here you have my teaching, which instructs you how you should live and do; there you see the signs contrary to this teaching.
- Wittenberg in.
654 Srl. 43, S4S-344. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthäi. W. vn, S4S-S46. 655
so that you can conclude: Because I see such excellent signs there, and here I have the teaching and warning about them, I want to see where the signs want to go, and grasp in the place where they are to be grasped, whether they also serve to strengthen my faith in the word, namely, that Christ died for me, that I may become godly and blessed before God through him; after that, that I should lead my state, and wait for it faithfully. So I find the contradiction that they want to strengthen and confirm their deeds with this, and so teach: Run to this or that saint, 1) go into a cap or desert 2) 2c., there so many miracles and signs happen daily, there is such a holy order 2c. That is, led by Christ, out of my church, chair, baptism and sacrament, in which I should remain, in addition to my status and commanded works.
157 Therefore I will not hear nor know, though an angel come down from heaven and wake the dead before my eyes. For Christ has taught and warned me thus: Hold fast to my word, preaching chair and sacrament: where this is, there you will find me. Stay there, do not run nor seek any further; I will not come near you, for where my gospel, baptism, preaching office is, by it I will come into your heart and speak to you. Item, that he saith, Be thou father or mother, prince, lord, subject, and obedient 2c., and abide in thy estate. Then thou hearest him speak, and thyself presently. Why then runest thou, as a senseless man, to the sticks and stones, when no word of God is preached, and yet by the devil's signs thou openest thine eyes, as if Christ were there, when his word is not?
See, this is how 3) the papists should be beaten back, 4) who with their custom, fathers, conciliarities, and so many signs and miracles, flock here, by which they want to have their thing confirmed. And only briefly answered: Well then, let us hold both things against each other: I have the word of Christ, of which I am certain,
- Erlanger: an.
- "or desert" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Wittenberger: should.
- Erlanger: "so shall one have done against the papists."
and has already been confirmed in the most powerful way by all the world: on the other hand, you show me your teachings and signs, which lead me to rosaries, pilgrimage, holy service, masses, monasticism and other specially chosen works. There is nothing of Christ, nor of faith, baptism, sacrament, nor obedience and good works, which I should practice in my position toward my neighbor, as Christ teaches me, but just the opposite. Therefore they cannot be true signs, but both doctrine and signs are the devil's deceit.
So we could know and judge all false signs and saw: Signs or no signs, I will not turn away from them, even if you wake up the dead before my eyes. For all these things may be false, but the word of God is not false to me. For the devil is able to deceive and charm people, so that he thinks a man is dead for a while, and then lets him come back to himself as if he had been raised from the dead; or he can ruin an eye or another limb, and then make it well again, so that people think it was done by miraculous signs. God also decrees that true miracles take place, for the punishment of those who do not respect the truth, as St. Paul says 2 Thess. 2, 10, and as a warning to others. For they are so overbearing in their contempt and ingratitude for his word, that there is no wrath sufficient to punish them. As it will be for us again, if the world is to stand long, which has sinned so greatly that it must become much worse with all kinds of error and signs.
Because the world despises the word and does not listen to it, and looks for other things, he also wants to send enough to it so that it will be seduced into the abyss of all error. As it has been until now, when nothing else has been preached and taught in all churches, monasteries, and schools, and all books have been full of such lying signs, and there has been no other reason than that such signs have happened; as if it had not been proclaimed enough that this should happen, and that people should be deceived by it, so that even the elect should hardly be delivered from error. And it serves them right who allow themselves to be seduced so deceitfully, and do not want to
656 Erl. 43, 344-34S. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 22. 23. W. VII, 946-948. 657
accept such warning. For he has given the word how one should believe and live, and has confirmed it with signs enough. He will leave it at that, and keep it, and do no other; so they will raise up other, new doctrines, and better estates, against God's word and the right signs.
161 Therefore saith Christ, I will not turn back, though they boast: Lord, we have done many wonders and deeds in your name, but I will pronounce judgment on them, that is, I have never known you; remove yourselves from me, you workers of iniquity. 2c. How so, dear Lord? are the signs and wonders there, that one cannot deny it? Yes, he will say, why then have you forsaken my word, confirmed by my signs, and brought up other things, of which I know nothing, and ruled the world according to your head, and followed that? Because ye have despised my word, nor done 1) my Father's will, neither will I know yours, nor have mercy. They are not now on earth, 2) thinking that they will be next in line with God; but they will know it all too suddenly. Now this is the right understanding of this text, that it speaks of such signs as the false teachers do to confirm their doctrine, which he does not want to know, neither with their signs nor prophecy 2c.
- Now about this is a sharper disputation, I do not know if it belongs here: that God sometimes lets true signs happen through evil people, which God does through them; like Caiaphas, the high priest, prophesied, Joh. 11, 50, and Balaam, 4 Mos. 24, 15. ff, who preached the most beautiful sermon about Christ; as Moses himself says that the Holy Spirit came into him and had to prophesy against his will, as did Caiaphas. And it cannot be denied that Judas, as Christ's apostle, also performed many signs, as well as the other apostles and disciples. What shall we say to this? St. John himself answered this when he said about Caiaphas John 11:51: "Because he was high priest in the same year, he know-
- "yet" - "and not", which put the Wittenberg in the text.
- "on earth" is missing in the Wittenberg.
- Erlanger: GOttes.
he said." For it may well happen that such a person, who is in public office or a ruling person, prophesies or performs miracles, and does much good and great benefit, brings many people to God; and yet the person for himself is not pious and goes to the devil. A preacher is in a public position and an official person, and if you want to look at it right, such a person does the greatest works, signs and wonders that happen on earth. For by his ministry, word and sacrament, which he gives you, he brings you to faith, saves you from the devil's power and from eternal death, and leads you to heaven into eternal life; which is far above all outward signs and wonders, and yet even a faithless, wicked man can be.
Therefore, one must always look to God's word and judge by it, not by the person. Now you have heard above (152 ff.) of such signs that occur to confirm other things than God's word, of which there is nothing in Scripture. Here, however, are such signs, which go to show that God 4) has spoken and confirmed. The prophecy of the high priest Kaiphä was that Christ should redeem the world with his death 2c. That was a right, delicious prophecy, whether he meant it poisonous and evil. So also the prophet Balaam, though he was a mischievous man, yet he prophesied rightly, as a prophet, about God's people and Christ, and God spoke through him. Wherever a preacher conducts his office properly and performs signs in the power of his office, he is to be heard. But if he were to step off the track and go another way, to do other things besides his ministry, he would no longer be a true prophet, but a false prophet. So even if the apostle Judas preached and did miracles, who was of the devil, as Christ says, it was still by the power of the apostle's office that he confirmed Christ, so that people believed in him.
164 After this, judge all those who have an office in Christendom. For they are not all Christians, nor are they all pious people who hold office.
- Wittenberger: GOttes Wort.
658 Erl. 48, S4S-348. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. VII, V4S-9S1. 659
and preach. God does not inquire, but the person, as he wishes, the ministry is right and good, and not of man, but of God Himself. As, Caiaphas prophesies, not as Caiaphas, a murderer and wicked wretch, but as a high priest. So, the pastor or preacher baptizes and brings to eternal life, not as He Johann Pommer, but as a pastor. For to honor and confirm the office, God allows this to happen. Because Judas is in the right, public office, which Christ has ordered, therefore the office in him is honored, not the person.
For so it is also in worldly matters, as Solomon says, Proverbs 16:10: Divinatio in labiis Regis, "the king's mouth prophesies"; that is, everything that the authorities decree is right, and God confirms it. Therefore, when they judge evildoers and punish them according to their office, this is God's judgment, which He speaks up in heaven and wants to be kept, even though it is otherwise forbidden, except for the office.By me they reign, kings," that is, their law and judgment is my law and judgment, 1) and all that they do by virtue of their office, if they reign rightly; and yet they are not the less the great peelers among them in the world, who confidently abuse the law and their power; nor, if they remain in their office, and do as the law demands, is it all God's business. It is the same when a prince or lord gives orders to a servant or sends out his envoys, that they are heard and honored, even if they are bad boys; not for their own sake, but for the sake of their lord, which office and order they bring 2c.
Because God does this in the temporal realm, He wants much more in the spiritual realm, so that His ministry and service will be active and powerful. Therefore, as
162] said, vain miraculous sign when a
- "is my .... Urtheil" is missing in the Wittenberg.
A priest preaches or baptizes if he allows the gospel and baptism to remain true, otherwise he may be pious or wicked. And even if he, as an unchristian, does not have the treasure himself, he who accepts the word and believes receives it. If such signs and wonders are done through the ministry of preaching, so that souls are delivered from sin, death and the devil, how much more can they be done with other minor, outward miraculous signs in the flesh, which do not help the soul?
For this reason the two things, the office and the person, must be distinguished, so that the office is not rejected because of the person, as is commonly done, where one is pious, twenty are evil to him, but see whether the office and the sign are for the purpose of praising and confirming the doctrine, that one believes in Christ and is in harmony with what he has spoken, commanded and established. When thou seest these things, say, This preaching is right, though the person be no good. I will accept the sign, but I will not inquire of the person 2c. If this is not so, you must not accept it nor believe that the signs are so great, and the person so holy and so 2) delicious as he wants. But here are also many bishops, preachers, and in other offices, who think that God must look at their person, and thus are deceived, as I said above §148. Therefore it will not help them, even if they want to boast at the last day and say, "Lord, we have done many signs in your name." For God did not give them these things for their person, but for their office, and not for their person, but for their office, to confirm the same. This is what is said of public officials, through whom signs and wonders are performed, some of which are pious, some evil; which neither takes away from nor gives anything to the office.
- but what do you say about those who do miracles and prophesy, and yet are not in ministry? as it is read Luc. 9:49, 50. about some who did signs and yet were not Christ's disciples, that the apostles did these things.
- "so" is missing in the Jena.
660 Erl. 43, S4S-SS0. Interpretation of Matth. 7,-22. 23^ W. VII, 951-954. 661
We denounced Christ and said, "Master, we saw one casting out devils in your name, and we resisted him, because he did not follow you. But he answered, Resist him not: for he that is not against us is for us" 2c. This was indeed a single person, who was not commanded to the ministry by Christ, and yet says that he should not be resisted; and sets up cause, Marc. 9:39: "There is no man that doeth a deed in my name, and may soon preach evil of me." Answer: This is true, as I 163 ff] that God does not allow any sign to be done by evil people, unless they are in public office, because God does not give signs to their person, but for the sake of the office. But where true signs are done by a single person, that person must certainly be pious. As there are some who have special revelation through dreams and visions, 2c., but these signs must also be directed to praise and promote Christ and the gospel.
169 Thus you have two kinds of signs, which are good and righteous. First, they come from pious persons who are Christians; then also from evil ones, but those who are in office and teach rightly. But that you always judge according to this certain test stone, which is to go through all kinds of people, God giving them, whether they are pious or unpious, in office or out of office, whether the signs are directed so that Christ is praised with it, and your faith is promoted by it. But if you feel that they are pointing you elsewhere than to go on pilgrimages, call on saints, release souls in purgatory, and all in all, rely on your works and establish your own righteousness, then say: If you do all the miracles for me, so that I have to see it and grasp it, I will not believe you, because Christ has warned me enough about it.
- this rule also God Himself has put in Moses, Deut. 13, 1. ff.: "If a prophet or dreamer shall arise among you, and give thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder come, of which he hath told thee, saying, Come, and let us walk after other gods (which ye know not), and serve them; then thou shalt not obey the words of such a prophet or dreamer.
Dreamer" 2c. There he also set the causam finalem, so that one should recognize them and go right. If they want you to establish other worship, that is, not to stay with the one, pure doctrine, but to start something else besides, then you should not believe it, even if it is accompanied by miraculous signs. And he himself interprets it further and says: "For the Lord your God is trying you so that he may know whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul" 2c. As if he should say: He wants to prove to you how firmly you hold on to the doctrine that has already been established and is going on.
Summa, it is said that against the confirmed doctrine one should not accept miracles or signs, however great and many they may be. For we have God's commandment, who commanded from heaven: Hunc audite, "the Christ alone ye shall hear" Matt. 17:5. We also have this warning that false prophets will come and do great signs, but will lead everyone away from Christ to other things Matth. 24, 24. Therefore there is no other counsel for it, but that the doctrine should be well understood, and always kept before the eyes, so that all things may be finely judged, whether it be the gospel, or thy faith that teacheth thee, when thou prayest every day, which is, I believe on Christ alone, who died for me, 2c. or whatsoever is otherwise.
Well, we have been warned enough, whoever wants to turn to it. But it doesn't help much with this large crowd, just as it didn't help before. And I certainly believe that if someone appeared here today and did just one sign, everything would fall into place with a heap. For so the mad mob, when something new is brought forth and its eyes are opened, is wont to leave everything, word and doctrine, and gape at that, whether one cries out to death against it; as it has hitherto let itself be fooled and led by the nose with coarse, palpable lies and impudent deceit, where only a knave has appeared and lied about a new sanctuary, new pilgrimages, 2c., and thereafter run like the nonsensical. This is the result of the shameful arrogance and overindulgence of our flesh and blood, and the evil devil, that the signs and wonders, especially the false ones, are always being performed,
662 Erl. 43, 350-353. interpretation of the 5. 6. and 7. chap. Matthaei. W. VQ, SS4-9S7. 663
more than even the righteous. For that Christ and his apostles and others have done miracles is not seen or respected, but that anyone casts out a devil is beyond all. Well then, whoever does not want to be warned and willingly deceived must not blame us.
vv. 24-27 Therefore, whoever hears these words of mine and does them, I liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. And when the rain fell, and the waters came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, is like unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sound. When the rain fell, and the waters came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house, it fell, and made a great tumble.
This is the beginning and the end of it, and that is what it is all about: He who does not hear this sermon with his ears alone, but does it, is a wise and prudent man. For the doctrine is good and precious; but it is not preached for the sake of hearing, but that it may be done and brought into life. And especially because we are always in the way of false prophets and miracle-workers, that one should think and accept such teaching 1) and warning, because we hear it and have it, both teacher and disciple. For if we wait until the hour comes, and death and the devil come rushing in with their downpour and gale-force winds, we have waited too long. Therefore, it is not only a matter of hearing and being able, but also of doing and fighting.
They also hear it, who say, Lord, Lord; as the pope, bishops, kings, and all the world have heard, and the ministers and monks have daily read, sung, and sounded; but none have done it, neither have they preached it; but have continued in their false worship and false signs, and strengthened other men therein. Therefore, even though they heard many things, and also miraculous signs
- "Doctrine" is missing in the Wittenberg.
they have not done God's will. For they do not abide by the doctrine of Christ and right good works, but fall on their own works, done without faith and love, so that not one righteous work is found among all monks and priests. For they do nothing to serve or help their neighbor, but seek only their own interests, and so are without faith, love, and patience. Therefore nothing is done among them, as Christ says, even though they hear the right doctrine; for it does not stick with them, for their hearts are nothing but vain sand.
Nevertheless, they have much to do and teach (as said § 172), even more than the right preachers and Christians', so that they also make a nose at the people. For a forest friar or a Carthusian seems to do much more with his strict, spiritual life and deeds than St. Paul or a right preacher and Christian. For the outward appearance of special works and worship fills the eyes, so that a common Christian life seems nothing in comparison. Therefore they are not lacking in deeds, teachings and faith. But there is a difference (says Christ), that they hear my teaching, but will do nothing unless they have devised it themselves; I cannot keep them in the way, that they should do what I teach them. If we Christians were as diligent in our works as they are in theirs, we would be pure saints. But nothing comes of it on either side. We are lazy and industrious, so they do too much; but of the right works they do none at all. So we (praise God!) still have the advantage that we are beginning to believe and love a little, and are on the right track, however weak it may be.
He now concludes this with a beautiful simile of how both of them will finally fare: He who hears my teaching and does it is a fine, clever builder who does not build on the sand, but first seeks a strong rock for a foundation. When he has it, he builds on it, so that it may stand and last. When the weather comes and the rain falls on the outside and on top, and the waters below and the wind in the middle, they want to soften the foundation and tear it down.
664 Erl. 43, svs-svö. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 24-27. W. VII, S57-SÜ9. ' 665
it stands immovable, as if it wanted to defy them all. But if you put the building on a sand, it will stand until the rain and water wash it away, and the wind tears it down, 1) so that it lies over a heap, or probably collapses of its own accord.
177 With such a likeness he faithfully warned us to watch and hold fast to his teaching and not to let Christ go from our hearts as our one, certain foundation and cornerstone of our salvation and blessedness, as St. Paul Rom. 9, 33 and St. Peter 1. Epist. 2, 6 from Is. 28, 16 call him. If we are founded and built on it, we will remain unshaken, and let the world and the devils, with all false teachers 2) and the spirits of the wicked, rain down locks and cinders, and all kinds of trouble and distress.
Those wretched, foolish people cannot have defiance and security. For they do not stand on the rock, that is, on the doctrine of Christ, but on the quicksand of their own conceit and dreams. Therefore, when the need arises that they have to fight with the devil and death, they feel how they have put their trust in a loose sand, and their stands and works cannot stand. As I myself have experienced and seen many such poor people, especially in monasteries, who have felt this well, that they have finally gone mad from terror and stupidity of conscience, and some have remained in eternal despair. This means that they had built on their own nature, devotion and good opinion, and knew nothing of Christ. This was quite a room and scaffolding for the devil, which he could tear down with pleasure and throw everything into a heap.
179 St. Bernard himself had to feel and confess this, who led an exceedingly strict life with prayer, fasting, casteism 2c., 3) that he lacked nothing, and set an example to all others, 4) that I know of no one among the monks who wrote better than St. Bernard.
- Jenaer: tears away.
- Erlanger: Teachings.
- "rc. that he lacks nothing" is missing in the Wittenberg.
- "vorgesetzt" is missing in the Wittenberger.
and lived. Still, when it came to him in deathly distress, he himself had to pronounce such a judgment about his completely holy life: O, I have lived damnably, and spent my life shamefully! How so, dear St. Bernard? Have you been a pious monk all your life? Is your chastity, obedience, your preaching, fasting and praying not a delicious thing? 5) Is it not? No (he says), it is all lost, and belongs to the devil. There comes the rain and wind, and tears the ground, the soil and the building, everything over a heap, so that he would have been eternally damned by his own judgment, if he had not steered himself around, and, being shrewd at his harm, had stepped out of monasticism, and had taken up another cause, and had attached himself to the Christian, and had been preserved in the faith, which the children pray, since he says: I am not worthy of eternal life, nor am I able to obtain it by my own merit; but 7) my Lord Christ has two rights to it: first, as a Lord and heir of it from eternity; 8) second, acquired by his suffering and death. The first he keeps for himself; the other he gives to me.
180 Thus all monks and priests, and all who have wished to be holy, who have become blessed, must crawl out of their habit and all their works, and cling to Christ, even though it has become very sour for them. For it is very hard for a man who has spent his whole life in such holiness and relied on it, to swing out in one hour and throw himself on Christ alone. Therefore he warns and admonishes that we should approach and do such his teaching, because we have time before the distress and the last moves hasten us. So our dear Lord has finished this beautiful sermon. Now the evangelist concludes, as all the world must testify, that it was taught much differently than they had heard before and were accustomed to.
- Erlanger: because.
- "and" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: because" instead of: but.
- "From eternity" is missing in the Wittenberg and Erlangen versions. Instead, in the Erlanger: vom Vater erlanget"; in the Wittenberger: "das selbige vom Vater erlanget".
666 Erl, "3, 355-357. Interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th cap. Matthaei. W. VN, MS-S62. 667
V. 28. 29. And when JEsus had finished this speech 1) the people were astonished at his teaching. For he preached powerfully, and not as the scribes.
With this, he shows what kind of preachers and teachers the scribes have been, namely, that they have been vain cold, loose, idle chatter, and that they have not pushed God's commandment with any seriousness or force and have crossed it out. Just as our rag-washers have so far drooled in the pulpit about nothing but purgatory, indulgences, caps, rosaries, and candle-lighting. But he took a different approach, which they had not heard before, showed the right doctrine and life, and punished the vices; so that they all felt that the man had the doctrine by force, and everything lived and sounded as if it had hands and feet, and had to say that it was preached by force, since the other was vain, empty, yes, a mere dead drivel. That is why our papists now do wisely, that they are ashamed even of their lazy rags and keep silent, and also start to preach a little to us, according to and from our books, about faith and good works. Yet they pervert and corrupt it, as they are not in earnest to preach rightly, nor have the grace to be able to understand it.
- at the end there remains a question to be dealt with, because we have heard in this sermon that Christ presses so hard on the works, since 4) he says Cap. 5, 3. 7.: "The poor shall have the kingdom of heaven"; "The merciful shall obtain mercy." Item v. 12: "They shall be rewarded in heaven that suffer persecution for his sake." And what is more in the end of the 5th chapter, v. 46: "If ye love them that love you, what reward shall ye have?" And in the 6th chapter, v. 4, about almsgiving, fasting and praying: "Your Father, who sees into the secret, will reward you publicly" 2c. From which sayings do the unintelligent, false preachers conclude that one can enter the kingdom of heaven through our work and deeds?
- In all German editions: "Lehre". Latin: serrnonss.
- "vain" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: "could".
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: that.
and be saved, and build their founders, monasteries, pilgrimages, masses 2c.
Although this question is a little sharp, and belongs more to the school of scholars than to the sermon seat for the simple, common man, nevertheless, because it occurs so often in the text, we must not pass it over and say something about it. For it is necessary that every man should know a little difference between grace and merit. For the two do not go together. Where grace is preached, merit cannot be preached; and what is grace cannot be merit, otherwise grace would not be grace, says St. Paul Rom. 11:6. There is no doubt about it. Therefore he that mixeth the two together maketh men to err, and deceiveth both himself and them that hear him.
. 184 Now, let us leave the sharp answer in order and talk about it in the most coarse way, if we like. And first of all, let us hold fast that there is a great difference between faith or Christianity and its fruits, as I have often said. For according to the Christian name and nature, none is different from another, having all the same treasure and goods. For St. Peter has no other, better baptism than St. Paul, and a child born yesterday no less baptism than St. John the Baptist, or St. Peter and all the apostles; so they have no other, better Christ than the least Christian.
When one looks at this, there is no merit or difference. For the least Christian also receives the same body and blood of Christ in the sacrament, and when he hears the gospel, he hears the same word of God that St. Peter and St. Paul heard and preached. Item, so also no saint can pray no other nor better Pater noster, nor speak and confess other faith and ten commandments, than I and every child pray daily. This is so clear that everyone can understand it and grasp it well; so that in the piece, from which we are called Christians, there is no inequality or preference of persons at all, but one like the other.
668 Erl. 43, 357-359. interpretation of Matth. 7, 28. 29. w. vn. S62-S64. 669
others, man, woman, young, old, learned, unlearned, noble, ignoble, prince and peasant, lord and servant, great or small saint, as 1) only Christ and faith are one. Just as the sun in the sky is the same for everyone, shining on a peasant as well as on a king, on a blind man as well as on a sharp-sighted one, on a sow in the street as well as on the most beautiful woman of the earth, and shining as soon on a thorn as on a rose, on a dung as on a purple, and is the same sun that shines on the poorest beggar and on the greatest king or emperor.
But after this, when we begin to come to the outward nature and our doings, that I, being a Christian and baptized, am also a preacher, if I could be a Christian without this, then it becomes unequal, and there are many differences among Christians; not as Christians, nor according to the Christian nature, but according to the fruits of the same. According to this, I am a preacher, that is, such a Christian, who is to preach the word to the people, comfort the afflicted, instruct the erring and ignorant; so is this one a householder or craftsman, who is to rule his house and attend to his craft, nourishing wife and child. There is already another man than I and you; nor must I say: This one is both a Christian, and has just as much of baptism, God's grace and eternal life, as I and all the others, and is nothing less in Christ than I am. And there is no difference here between woman and man 2c. Nor does the woman do other works that the man does not do; and again, 2) a servant other than the Lord, a preacher other than citizens. Thus, a child against the father, a disciple against the master, each of whom has his own work or fruit, and thus there is a difference everywhere in the outward nature, which are all at the same time Christians, and according to the inward nature one; for there is no more than one Christian state, as only one natural nature is of all men. This can also be seen in the sky
- Wittenberger: when.
- Wittenberger: "Works then the man, a servant" and so on.
(says St. Paul 1 Cor. 15, 40. ff.), that there are many stars, and they are not equal to each other, one is large, the other small, one shines clearly, the other darkly, and yet to me there is one sun and one heaven. In this they are equal, that they all stand in one heaven and have one sun; and yet they are unequal according to size and clarity. So also of the earth (St. Paul continues in v. 38) all flesh is not one flesh; but there is one flesh of men, another of cattle, another of birds. In that they are flesh, they are all alike, and one has both its members, head, heart, stomach, 2c. and the others; nor is there even a distinct nature among men, beasts, birds, and fish.
187 If you want to speak of a Christian or paint him, you must paint him in such a way that he has no difference among the others, and one is all the same as the other. For then you must not paint him as being a man or a woman, a preacher or a layman, a prince or a beggar, a craftsman or a 3) Carthusian monk. For he goes in the differences of none, 4) but remains in the comparison and some essence, that he is equally as good and holy as St. Peter and Paul, and none is more and better than he. For if St. Peter were better than I, according to the Christian nature, he would have to have a better Christ, gospel and baptism. But since the good that we have is one in all things, we must all be equal in it, and none must be exalted above the other. It may well be that one does more and greater things than another, as when St. Peter raised the dead. But because he does miracles that I do not do, he is a greater and brighter star than I am in the heavens, but no other star has another heaven. St. Paul did more and worked more than all the apostles, but for that reason he did not have a better apostleship, nor did he preach a different and better Christ.
So now we say about the merit. When talking about it, which concerns the Christian essence, according to which we are all equal,
- Wittenberger: one.
- In the old editions: "in der Unterscheid keiner", because "Unterscheid" is feminine.
' 670 Stt. 43, 35S-36I. Interpretation of the 5th ch. and 7th cap. Matthaei. W. VII, svt-967. 671
how to become godly before God, how to obtain forgiveness of sin and eternal life, all our merit is purely cut off, and we shall neither hear nor know anything about it. For you did not earn the gospel, nor Christ, nor baptism, but it is a pure gift, given freely, so that we may be forgiven of sin freely, become children of God, and be seated in heaven without any effort on our part.
(189) And here we fight against the abominations of the sophists, who exalt our work so highly that one thereby attains a gracious God and earns heaven. Yes, they may impudently say that a man, even in mortal sins, is able to do so much of himself, and to create a devotion, or to accomplish good works, so that he may put away and atone for God's wrath. That is, the roof has fallen to the ground and the foundation has been turned upside down, salvation has been built on pure water, Christ has been cast out of his throne, and our work has taken its place. For from this it must follow that we are not allowed to have baptism, nor Christ, nor the gospel, nor faith anywhere, because 1) even in mortal sins I have so much good and power with me that I can work my way out of them by my works, earn forgiveness of them and eternal life. From this you see that it is blasphemed and blasphemed to God, all that they slander about merit, in the piece about which we are now discussing, how and by what one comes to God's grace and eternal life. They have not yet had enough to teach such 2) shameful blasphemy, but still advocate it, and have condemned us to heresy over it.
190 Everyone can now well reckon and understand that both of these must be false: either that we do not deserve grace through our actions, or that Christ with his baptism must be in vain and nothing. And Christ must have acted like a fool, to let himself be martyred, and to shed his blood so expensively, and to spend so much on acquiring and giving to us, which is not at all necessary, and which we have beforehand in ourselves. Therefore, whether they call us heretics for this, that we do not take it from such merit of works.
- Wittenberger: so.
- "Such" is missing in the Wittenberg.
If we hold them, we will gladly call them heretics and give God home to our judge; but only stand the more firmly against them and tell them again that they are not heretics, but the worst blasphemers that the sun has shamed, who most shamefully deny and curse Christ; as St. Peter prophesied about them. Peter 2. Epist. 2, 1. 2. prophesied of them; and as the Epistle to the 3) Hebrews Cap. 6, 6. Cap. 10, 29. says, to strike Christ fresh in the mouth and trample him underfoot with his baptism, sacrament and whole gospel, and what God has given us through him.
191 And I would gladly hear what they might say to this, the wretched people: If they suppose that by our work we can do so much as to obtain grace, and if the same is done, and so much is earned, that above the first grace (as they call it) we deserve the kingdom of heaven and eternal blessedness in addition; but what is earned by the other works that follow? For I will say that a pope has done his mass or other work in grace, and thereby deserves the kingdom of heaven, as such a precious work worthy of eternal life, which they call meritum de condigno; what then does he deserve by the works and masses which he does tomorrow and afterwards in the same grace? Then they looked at (because they know nothing to say) and make essential and accidental praemium; and say: such following works, which help to earn something in addition, as a little gift for the addition, which God gives us about eternal life. If this is true, I can hear that the first works are the best, but the others are not so good. Otherwise they would have to deserve that; but the following works are usually better, because they are now well practiced.
Since the last works do not deserve the kingdom of heaven, the first works do not deserve it either; or, if they are equal, and every work can deserve it, God would have to build many a heaven, if many a good work is done. And where, in the end, would our Lord God take so many heavens to pay for every good work? The
- Erlanger: zun.
672 Srl. 43, 3S1-3S4. Interpretation of Matth. 7, 28. 29. W. VII, S67-S69. 673
are sharp people who can measure everything so evenly and precisely. But what can one say? What they pretend is a lie and a deception, for there is no truth in any of them: first, that grace is obtained by some works, much less when a man is in mortal sin; then, though a man be in grace by works (as they lie), that such a work, done in grace, should be so delicious as to be worthy of the kingdom of heaven. For there Christ stands, and says the contradiction in dry, bright words, Luc. 17:10: "When ye have done all that ye are commanded, then say, We are unprofitable servants."
Therefore, we should keep our doctrine firm, so that we leave no work anywhere to attain God's mercy and grace, to be freed from sins, and to enter the kingdom of heaven. In short, my merit should be nothing. And if it is needed for this, I should only trample it underfoot and condemn it to the devil in hell, as this would hinder my faith and deny Christ. For this alone shall be said: that God has given all these things freely out of pure grace, so that he sends Christ, his Son, and lets him die for me, and proclaims these things to me and gives them to me, only means that I believe in them and am baptized into them. None of my works are involved, but it is a pure gift, given from heaven and brought to me through Christ. Therefore, let all merit be purely cast away, and let it be decided that grace, the forgiveness of sin, cannot be obtained by any other way, manner, or measure than by hearing God's word from Christ and receiving it through faith. And that God may honor us, what shall we boast of our merit, since they themselves and all the saints must pray daily in the Lord's Prayer as long as we live: "Forgive us our trespasses" 2c.? And the desperate saints may impudently say that a man, even if he is in mortal sins, can prepare himself for grace, and after that also earn eternal life.
194 But what sayest thou to this, that there are so many sayings concerning wages and earnings? To this we now say for the simple-minded,
that they are vain consolations for the Christians. For if you have become a Christian and have a merciful God and forgiveness of sins, both past and present in you, you will certainly have to do and suffer much for the sake of faith and your baptism. For the wicked devil, together with the world and the flesh, will cling to you and torment you everywhere; as he has shown enough through these three chapters that the world may become too narrow for you. If he should leave us in it without word or comfort, we should despair and say, "Who will be a Christian, preach, and do good works? But we see how they are, and how the world tramples them under foot, blasphemes and disgraces them, shows all shrewdness and deceitfulness, and finally takes away their honor, body and goods; and he calls me nothing else but poor, afflicted, hungry, meek, peaceful, suffering and persecuted; shall it then last forever, and not even change?
- Then he must go forth, comforting and strengthening, and saying, Ye are now in grace, and the children of God: though ye suffer these things in the world, be not dismayed; but hold fast, and be not weary, nor be moved by those things which come under your eyes; but do every man what he ought to do; though he suffer these things, they shall not hurt him: and know that the kingdom of heaven is his, and that it shall be abundantly paid for him. But how shall we be paid? for we have it before, through Christ, without and before all our works. Thus, as St. Paul says, God will make of you a great and bright star, and give you a special gift, even in this life. For a Christian, even here on earth, can gain so much from God through his prayer and good works that he can save a whole country, take away wars, precious time, pestilence 2c. It is not that the work is so precious because of its dignity, but because he has promised it for our strength and comfort, so that we do not think that our work, plague and misery are lost and forgotten.
- since 1) there is now no merit by which we should receive grace, or our baptism, Chri-
- Wittenberger: that.
674 Erl. 4g, 364-366. interpretation of 8. 6. and 7. cap. Matthaei. W. VII. WS-972. 675
stum, and earning heaven (of which they speak when they say merit), but it all goes to the fruit of Christianity. For Christ also (as we have seen) in this sermon speaks nothing of how we become Christians, but only of the works and fruits which no one can do except he who is first a Christian and in grace; as the words show that they must suffer poverty, misery, persecution for being Christians and having the kingdom of heaven 2c. Now when one speaks of such fruits as follow after grace and forgiveness of sin, we allow it to be called a merit and reward; but then we contend that such our works are not the main good, which must first be there, and without which they do not happen, nor please God. If we only 1) keep the piece pure, that it is not merit, but only grace, then we do not want to dispute whether the following fruits are given the name; but only that such sayings are not falsely interpreted, and drawn contrary to Scripture to our merit of grace, but are rightly interpreted, where they belong, to comfort Christians, especially in suffering and opposition, when it feels and seems as if our life, suffering and deeds should be in vain and accomplish nothing.
197 As the Scripture comforts everywhere where it exhorts to continue in good works, as Jer. 31, 16: Est merces operi tuo, "Your work is not in vain. Item, St. Paul 1 Cor. 15, 58.: Labor vester non est inanis in Domino, "Your work is not in vain in the Lord". For if 2) we did not have the consolation, we could not bear such sorrow, persecution and misery, that we should do so much good, and let our teaching and preaching be paid for with vain ingratitude and shame; and would have to desist at the last from such works and sufferings, which we find under our eyes. But God wants to awaken us and make us firm through such a beautiful promise, so that we do not look at the ingratitude, hatred, envy and contempt of the world, but look at Him who says: "I am your God. If the world will not thank thee, and take from thee
- Jenaer: well.
- Wittenberg and Erlangen: where.
If you have honor, property, life and limb above it, then stick to me and take comfort in the fact that I still have a heaven and so much in it that I can well repay you, and ten times more than can be taken from you now. That we may have defiance against the world: If it will not have mercy on us, 3) let it have it, and go away with its mercy and all that it has; for its sake I have not begun anything, nor will I henceforth do or leave anything for its sake. But for this cause I will do and suffer all things, which he so abundantly promises me, saying, Though thou hast before, without, through Christ, all the treasure that is in heaven, and more than enough; 4) yet I will give thee more, for an addition, that thou mayest manifestly have the kingdom of heaven, and visibly behold Christ, whom thou now hast in faith, in everlasting glory and joy, as much as thou now sufferest and labourest.
198 Hence the fine sayings and admonitions, such as Hebr. 10, 35: Magnam habetis remunerationem etc., "Do not forfeit your trust, which has a great reward. And Christ Matth. 19, 29.: "There is no one who leaves house, or brother, or sister, or father, or mother, or wife, or child, who does not receive again a hundredfold, now in this time, and in the world to come, eternal life" 2c. So he also speaks here: Merces vestra magna est in coelo, "It will be well rewarded you in heaven". So that he shows that they already have the kingdom of heaven, and yet shall have it all the more gloriously when it is now revealed.
See, when these 5) sayings are directed to this, they are rightly directed, that they do not go to the trust of our works against faith, but to the consolation of Christians and believers. And where the sophists would have drawn their thing, from merit, it would have been fine. But they have built their own sanctity and monasticism on it, so that God should thereby regard them as special saints, and sell heaven for it as a dawdler, and should put them above the other common Christians.
- That is, it does not want to be merciful to us.
- "hast" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- Erlanger: the.
676 Erl. 43, 366-388. interpretation of Matth. 7, 28. 29. w. VII, 972-975. 677
would be far from being equal. And they have not done it unwisely, for they have not borne poverty, misery, mourning, persecution, but money, goods and honor, and no order has been founded to practice Christ's word, sacrament, faith, love and patience in it, but only to be respected and exalted before God with their caps and strict, special life, as those who should neither have Christ nor faith.
In this way we allow Christians to have merit and reward with God, not to become God's children and heirs of eternal life, but to comfort the believers who already have it, so that they know that he will not leave unrewarded what they suffer here for Christ's sake, but that if they suffer and work much, he will adorn them specially on the last day, more and more gloriously than others, as special great stars before others. So St. Paul will shine brightly and clearly before others in the most beautiful way. This does not mean forgiveness of sin nor deserving of heaven, but retribution of suffering with all the greater glory.
But we will not suffer them to put it there (for that is Christ, God and the Holy Spirit profaned and blasphemed, and all that God has given us through him, and would rather be called heretics and scoundrels, and be burned with fire, than forsake or deny such treasure), but will also keep this comfort, though we must suffer all plague, reproach and persecution because of it. For nothing else will come of it; the devil will not grant us such things, nor become one with us; but wants to preserve the Pope's teaching, and make us believe as he believes. And because he sees that we do not want to, he opposes us with all his might. For he well knows, when the article is written, that the forgiveness of sins and Christ is a pure gift, that every one may well reckon and conclude by his fingers that the
Pabbacy with its masses, monasticism, purgatory, saint service 2c. must be nothing, and everything falls there of itself.
(202) Learn therefore to answer such sayings, where it is said of merit and reward: I well hear Christ say, "Blessed are the poor, for they shall have the kingdom of heaven"; and, "Blessed are ye, if ye suffer persecution for my sake; for great is your reward in heaven," 2c. but in this he does not teach me the ground of my blessedness, but gives me a promise of what comfort I shall have from it in my suffering and Christian life. You do not have to make me a mixture and brew the two together, nor do you have to make my merit from that which God gives me in Christ through baptism and the gospel. For it is not written here that I can earn these things, and that I must not use either Christ or baptism, but that those who are Christ's disciples, to whom he preached here, and who must suffer all kinds of things for his sake, know what they have to comfort themselves with, because they do not want to suffer on earth, so that they will have everything all the more abundantly in heaven. And he who works and suffers the most shall also have the more glorious recompense.
For though, as I have said, all things are equal in Christ, and grace is even with one another, and brings to every one all blessedness, as the highest and most common good, that he indeed has all things who has Christ, yet there will be a difference of clarity and glory, that we may be adorned and shine. Just as now in this life there is a difference of gifts, that one works and suffers more than another; but in that life all will be made manifest, so that all the world will see what each one has done, and will have all the greater glory, that the whole heavenly host will rejoice. That is enough of it now. May God keep us in His grace, shown in Christ, Amen. 1)
- The last sentence is missing in the Erlanger.
678 Grl. (L.) 20", 46S f. Two sermons on the 3rd chapter of Matthäi. W. VN" S7S-S79. 679
C. Two sermons on the third chapter of the Evangelist Matthew,
at the baptism of Prince Bernhard, son of the Prince of Anhalt, Johannes, held at Dessau.*)
April 1 and 2, 1540.
The first sermon.
Since we have come together for holy baptism, let us also ring a bell for it, that is, let us speak something about this holy sacrament, to praise God and to instruct ourselves, and take before us the third chapter of Matthew, about the baptism of John and Christ.
Text: The third chapter of Matthew.
At that time John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of the land of Judah, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And he is he of whom the prophet Esaias spake, saying: There is a voice crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight. But he, John,
had a dress of camel hair and a leather belt around his loins. His food was locusts and wild honey. Then went out unto him all the city of Jerusalem, and all the land of Judaea, and all the countries that were by Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sin. When he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them: Ye vipers, who hath shewed you that ye shall escape the wrath to come? Watch, do righteous fruits of repentance. Only do not think that you will say among yourselves, "We have Abraham for a father. I tell you, God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. The axe is already laid at the root of the trees. Therefore, whichever tree does not bear good fruit
*) Prince Bernhard of Anhalt, son of Prince Johann II of Anhalt, was born on March 17, 1540 (Joh. Christoph Beckmann, Historie des Fürstenthums Anhalt, Theil 5, Buch 2, Cap. 16, S. 178 f.), and after his baptism (which took place on the first day of Easter, March 28) Luther, who was also among the godparents, preached these sermons. In the same year they were published in Wittenberg (Walch, Vol. VII, Preface, p. 8), and again in 1541 by Nickel Schirlentz under the title: "Zwo Predigten l). Wart. Luther on the infant baptism of the young Herrlein Bernhards, Prince Johansen von Anhalt son, in the presence of the same brothers and the Bishop of Brandenburg, at Dessau, Dornstags and Fridays in Easter fl. and April 2, 154(Z happened. Item, a beautiful sermon on the following Sunday Quasimodogeniti D. Mart. Luth. on the saying of John on the 20th As the Father has sent me, so I send you, etc. Wrttemberg 1540." (Dietz, Wörterbuch, p. DXXX.) In Collections: Wittenberger (1553), vol.IV, p. 359; Jenaer (1568), vol.VII, p. 394d; Altenburger, vol. VII, p. 430; Leipziger, vol. XU, p. 161; Erlanger, first edition, vol. 19, p. 52; 2nd ed, These sermons were translated into Latin by Johann Freder from Köslin, who was then preacher at the cathedral in Hamburg, and were accompanied by a letter to the princes of Anhalt, Johann, Georg and Joachim, brothers, dated February 1543. There is a mistranslation in the title: I'sris Quarts st Quinta k'nssdas instead of: Vsr. V st VI. The sermons are dated with the wrong year (1541 instead of 1540) in the Jena and Altenburg editions and in Seckendorf, nist. Dmtb, Ud. Ill, § 93, p. 380. The translation is found in the Latin Wittenberg edition, Dona. VII, toi. 367b. We give the text according to the Jena edition, comparing the second edition of the Erlanger and the Wittenberger. The first edition of the Erlanger Ausgabe is only a reprint from Walch's old edition. Compare our notes on s 2 and s 5 of the second sermon.
680 Erl. (2.) 20", 470-472. Two sermons on the 3rd chapter of Matthäi. W. VII, 979-982. 681
will be cut off and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is stronger than I, to whom also I am not sufficient to bear his shoes. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. And he hath a shovel in his hand; he shall sweep his threshingfloor, and gather the wheat into his barns: but the chaff shall he burn with everlasting fire.
This is the text that should be preached and diligently held up to the Christian people, teaching and instructing them where baptism comes from, who instituted and instituted it, so that it may be held and praised all the more highly and gloriously for the sake of the founder.
First of all, we want to talk about the baptism of John. The baptism of John was instituted and confirmed by God just as the baptism of Christ was. For Luke 3:2 is written: "The command of God came to John son of Zachariah in the wilderness" 2c. and John 1:33: "Who sent me to baptize with water" 2c. Otherwise it would not have befitted him to do something new in the people of Israel, which both, with its kingdom and priesthood, had been chosen and established by God Himself.
Now John was called and his ministry was directed to preach (as Lucas writes Cap. 3, 3.) the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And he was to preach this, not to godless Gentiles, or only to public sinners in the Jewish nation, but in general to the whole nation of Israel, which at that time was God's only nation on earth, to whom he had entrusted his word, Ps. 147, 19. 20. To those who often went out to him in the wilderness, from all surrounding towns, cities and countries, he said: All of you, whatever your state and name, repent; that is, turn from your ungodly ways and sinful lives, repent and amend your ways, and prepare the way for the Lord, who promised and has now been sent to bring you all grace and blessedness; otherwise you will escape God's wrath and judgment, and have a share in the kingdom of heaven, which is now at hand. Such earnest and hard
John preaches from God's command that the people should be baptized and hear and believe God's judgment about them, namely that they were all sinners before God and condemned because of sin, and had nothing that could help them, neither circumcision nor the law, none of which was given so that they would or could be justified by it. For the more Moses pursues his ministry, the greater and more powerful sin becomes.
(4) John also came at the time when they also did this about their inherent sin, that they not only boasted and exalted that they were Abraham's seed, but also wanted to be praised as righteous and holy, that they were called God's people and were circumcised, kept the Sabbath and worshiped God. In particular, the Pharisees wanted to be the nucleus and the paragon of this people, because they led an outwardly strict, holy life and did something special in front of others, which they had chosen for themselves out of good opinion and their own devotion, almost like the monks in our country. Such delusion and presumption made them, as all hypocrites and works saints do, put their abominable sin out of their minds and hearts, even considering it great holiness and defending it, and afterwards persecuted and strangled Christ and the apostles because they punished them for it; thinking that they were doing good by it, and that they were doing God a special service. 2c.
John comes to such a people and preaches to them that they should repent or know that they are condemned, if they were still once called 4) Abraham's children and God's people. He especially speaks harshly to the Pharisees and Sadducees, because he also sees them coming to his baptism, who had a great reputation because they were the rulers and governors of the people, although these were Epicureans who believed nothing, but those were hypocrites who outwardly led an unpunishable life, and with such an appearance of holiness deceived the common people, who did not know otherwise, because they were pious, faithful shepherds, who rightly fed their flock and showed the way to salvation. That is why he scolded them so severely,
- still once - once again.
682 Erl. (L.) Lüa, 472-475. Two sermons on the 3rd chapter of Matthäi. W. VII, 982-985. 683
they are called snakes and poisonous worms, where the others are bad frogs and oxen.
(6) Moreover, he also takes away their word of defense, so that they could boast and adorn themselves gloriously. We are (they said) God's people, whom he chose before all the peoples of the earth and gave circumcision; so we have and keep the law, visit God's temple at Jerusalem, and practice the holy service that God himself established. In sum, we walk in the spiritual and temporal regiment, as both were established and ordered by Moses out of God's command, and are of the blood and lineage of the holy patriarchs: Abraham is our father 2c. What can we lack, then, that we should not be pious and holy, pleasing to God, and blessed? All this, he says, does not matter. For God does not care that you know how to boast much and highly of the law, the temple, the fathers 2c. He wants you to fear him and believe his promise, to obey and accept the one he promised you and is now sending you. If not, then he will reject and cut you off, with all your glory, with which he himself has gifted and adorned you until now, before all nations. He will see to it that he raises up another people in your place. Yes, I tell you, he is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones that lie scattered here in the wilderness (as no one respects them); that is, from Gentiles, whom you consider despised, rejected people and damned sinners, like stones, because they are uncircumcised 2c., he is able to choose and accept a people for him 2c. And even if you argue that it is impossible, because God made a covenant with Abraham that he would be God forever and that his seed would be God after him, Gen. 17:2 ff, it does not help you. For the time is now at hand when Moses' reign, with all its glory, must cease and have its end. Which, in God's opinion, was not instituted to last and remain forever, but for a time, until Christ. When he comes, Moses, the servant, should leave and give place to his Lord, as he himself prophesied, Deut. 18:15: "A prophet like me,
the LORD your God will raise you up, and you shall obey him" 2c.
- But now you should know that Christ, the Lord, who promised Abraham, is near; yes, he is already in your midst, and yet you do not know him. He will accomplish and give what God promised to Abraham, namely, to bless all the world, that is, to redeem it from sin and death and to make it righteous and blessed. He will abolish Moses' rule and bring and establish a different doctrine and worship than before; he will not force people to circumcise, nor urge them (like Moses) to keep the law, but he will preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name, and baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
(8) And if ye will know it, I am the voice that calleth, and the angel sent before the Lord, to proclaim unto you that ye should prepare the way for him, the Lord, who followeth my foot. Now therefore, put aside everything that may hinder his way. Put away both the gross, public, but above all the spiritual sins, which have a semblance of holiness, which most hinder him from coming to you, and receive him with joy, obey and believe in him, and be baptized: if you do so, you are blessed before God, have forgiveness of sins, are now truly God's people and true children of Abraha, holy and blessed. But if you do not let yourselves be told, but want to stand and persist in your old ways, then it will soon be over with you, for the time is coming when the beautiful, glorious tree that God Himself has planted (that is, you, together with your kingdom and priesthood, most beautifully arranged and ordered), shall be cut down, and so cut down that it shall be thrown into the fire. And this will happen sooner than you think. For the axe does not lie under the bench, nor does it hang on the wall, but it is already laid at the root of the tree 2c.
(9) Even so the man of whom I testify, and point you to him, is not so weak and contemptible as you will look upon him. Yea, I say unto you, he is stronger than I; even so great and holy, that I am not worthy to undo the thongs of his shoes. For he is
684 Erl. (2.) 2V", 475-477. Two sermons on the 3rd chapter of Matthäi. W. VII, S8S-S88. 685
the Lord himself. Now he comes to you with grace, to help you out of all distress, to make you righteous and blessed. If you accept him, farewell! If not, he will make short work of you. For he already has the shovel in his hand, and he will winnow and sweep you who are in his threshing floor and who, as you say, belong only to his barn; and he will separate the wheat, that is, the pious among you who obey, from the chaff and gather it into his barn. But the chaff, that is, the great ungodly multitude, which remaineth obstinate, and suffereth not to be told, shall he set on fire, and burn with everlasting fire. This much is said: If you want to obtain forgiveness of sins and become righteous and blessed before God, and thus escape the future wrath, that is, such horrible punishment and eternal damnation, repent, be baptized and believe in Him of whom I testify. He alone is the one who forgives sin, baptizes with the Holy Spirit, brings righteousness, life and salvation 2c. Nothing helps to be Abraham's seed and circumcised, to bear the name of God's people. "Therefore, do not think long about whether you are sinners, but confess in all seriousness that you are overflowing with sins and need help, and that you desire and seek it with all your heart, so that you may be counseled and helped.
(10) And such help (he says) is already available. For I am sent to preach unto you, not of a baptism that purgeth away filthiness of the flesh only (which are many and various things commanded in the law of Moses), but of such a baptism as shall be called and be a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Therefore, if you wish to receive such help, repent, confess your sins, and be baptized for the remission of sins 2c. If you persist in the delusion that you are pious and holy for yourselves, for the sake of circumcision, law and worship, which you are commanded to keep, all help and counsel is lost on you.
(11) So we also must say to our people, "It is not good, dear man, for you to think of attacking yourself hard, becoming a Carthusian, or otherwise accepting a hard order, and to give up your life and limb.
with watching, praying, fasting 2c. woe, then God will look at such hard repentance and blood scourging, forgive your sin for it and take you to heaven. You err and deceive yourself. It is far too small a thing that your and all men's deeds, be they what they may, and be they what they may, should take away the very least sin. For to be freed from sins and to be justified must be done in a more arid way, namely, that they are forgiven you out of pure grace of God, for Christ's sake. Now, if you are to escape God's wrath and the eternal punishment that you have earned through your sin, you must come to it through that way, and no other.
- Therefore repentance means that man knows and confesses from the heart that he was conceived and born in sins, as the Scriptures say, and is therefore a child of wrath by nature, guilty of eternal death and damnation; and that all works here are lost, and only make evil worse, because it is thought to be due to Christ alone, the one mediator between God and man, who sacrificed himself for us all, so that we might have forgiveness of sins through him. If you believe this, you have it; if not, you will never get rid of it, even if you torture yourself to death. For it is called forgiveness, not payment for sins, a gift, not merit. But what God gives you out of pure grace, for the sake of Christ, you poor maggot sack cannot pay, buy or earn from Him. This is what Lucas means Cap. 3, 3. when he says: John preached the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
So Saint John, with his preaching and baptism, overthrows the Law of Moses with his worship, as it could not take away sin, nor cleanse the conscience and satisfy it before God, nor is it given to do so, but that it reveals sin and, if it touches the heart, only makes it greater and more powerful, showing man his condemnation, and thus inciting vain wrath. He also chides the Jews, not only as transgressors of the law, who have never kept most or the least of it, but also as not understanding anything about it. For they stood up
686 Erl. (2.) 20", 477-479. Two sermons on the 3rd chapter of Matthew. W. VH "988-M). 687
under the delusion that if they kept the law and worship outwardly, slaughtered and sacrificed much, they would be pious and holy, and God would have to give them heaven. This was not the opinion of the law. He severely punishes this error, false delusion and presumption of theirs, and makes the great saints condemned sinners, saying that they should repent, confess their sins and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, and believe in the one who will soon follow him, the one who baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. But if he should come to them, they must leave off their false confidence, arrogance and presumption, otherwise he could not come to them with his grace and help.
(14) So also now the gospel rumbles and rumbles among monasteries, convents and the whole priesthood, saying: If you want to escape the wrath to come, do righteous fruits of repentance. Only do not think that this is the end, that you let it become sour for you (I am talking about the best), do not live, eat and give like other people, keep chastity, wear hard clothes, sing, pray, watch, fast a lot. (This) is vain work forgiven and lost. For God has neither commanded nor ordered you; indeed, you yourselves have chosen it, without and against His word and command. Therefore, either let go of presumption and trust in your own righteousness, crawl to the cross, and recognize yourselves from your heart as poor and damned sinners who cannot help themselves; and believe in Christ, God's Lamb, who bears your sin and the sin of all the world, died for it, and has done enough, and comfort yourselves that you were baptized in his name, and in baptism put on him with all his goods; Or else hear the terrible judgment upon your necks, that you are vipers and evil, poisonous worms, who with orders, caps, plates, masses, and what is more of the brazen armor, so that you intend to beat the devil, shall be cast into the abyss of hell, and burn there in the eternal fire.
- but they will not and cannot hear (as little as the Jews in those days) that they are sinners and condemned; much less that they are serpents and poisonous worms.
should be, who poison both themselves and all who follow them with their false doctrine and help to damnation. For this reason, they have hitherto had the name and fame among all the world (like the Pharisees among the Jews), that they were holy people, who lived in a spiritual, perfect state, in which they could accumulate so much good works and merits that they did not need them all for their person, and could share the rest with the common Christians (whom they called laymen and worldly people), and thus earn heaven for them also. For they pretended that because the laity were burdened with the care of the house and other business, they were in a wretched state in which they could not serve God. The world believed this, bought the rest of their earnings from them, and in return not only filled kitchens and cellars abundantly, but gave them heaps, until they were granted lands and people, and became great lords (like mighty princes and kings), and held the best part of Christendom; but under the pretense, as said, that they were the spiritual, chosen people, so that the others would plead against God, and help them to heaven 2c. Thus, instead of the holy gospel and the sacraments of Christ, they have proclaimed their false lies of 1) caps, plates, purgatory, invocations of saints, pilgrimages 2c. to all the world. And finally they brought it to the point that the faith in Christ was completely extinguished, and the dear baptism was not only unknown to the Christians, but they also did not know otherwise, that it was no longer of any use when man falls into sins. Thus they have caused a much more horrible mess in Christianity than the Pharisees and scribes among the Jewish people.
16 But now that the holy gospel reveals and punishes their blasphemous lies and abominations, and threatens them with eternal hell fire if they do not repent, they do not care, indeed, they surely despise it. They go about it, blaspheme and condemn the dear truth, burn and strangle, as much as is in them, all who adhere to it. They dare not only to maintain their doctrine of the devil by force, but also to consider it right and proper.
- Erlanger: "and" instead of "of".
688 Erl. (2.) 20", 47S-481. Two sermons on the 3rd chapter of Matthaei. W. VII, 99p-993. 689
to divinely defend themselves. They also know how to magnificently boast that they are God's people and the right church (like the stubborn Jews in Christ's time), and cry out against us as against arch-heretics and the worst enemies of the church, blaming us for forbidding good works, disrupting all His order, breaking up the unity of Christianity, and destroying the beautiful church services. 2c.
(17) Well then, how shall we do? They are not the first to blaspheme God's word and persecute His servants. We preach the same thing that John preached to the Jews: one should repent, and if one wants to be rid of sins, one should believe in Christ and let himself go 2c. John had to be scolded and blasphemed for having the devil; what he spoke was a lie 2c. Therefore it is no wonder that we have to hear such things now. But soon afterwards it was 1) found who was right. Those who believed John's sermon and were baptized, accepted Christ and believed in Him, were the true church in the sight of God, from which the gospel was planted and spread throughout the world. The other, blind, stubborn, great multitude, who would not hear, nor recognize the time of their visitation, but kept the rule of the law by force, had to go to the ground (as John had threatened) with law, temple, worship, kingdom and priesthood. The Romans came, were our Lord God's axe, cut down the tree, and set fire to the chaff, when the wheat was threshed and gathered into the barns 2c.
Now God did not spare His own people, whom He Himself had chosen as His own, trusted His word, established their kingdom and priesthood, and from Abraham's time until Christ's kept them so wonderfully over them, and protected them against all the heathen's bitter hatred, raging and ravings; who, in addition, had their coming from high, holy people, to whom Christ was promised; from whom also the most excellent, holiest people (patriarchs, prophets, kings, apostles 2c.) who ever lived on earth are descended, and Christ the Lord himself, according to the
- Wittenberger and Jenaer: "find". Erlanger: "findt".
He will much less spare us, who are Gentiles, and will not have such honor and advantage, if we will not accept and believe John's testimony and sermon, which is now, before the other and last coming of Christ, again on the scene, and confidently cries: "Repent. .
(19) Therefore, the preaching of repentance before God condemns and condemns all the world, not only those who are public sinners, but much more those who want to be pious and holy for the sake of their works and their own righteousness; tell all men at the same time, no one excluded, whether they are Pharisees, scribes, priests, Levites, 2c, 2c. that they should repent and know that all their deeds and lives are not fit before God, indeed, that they are vain sins, and must become different. From this it is easy to notice that repentance cannot be or be called if I want to do enough and pay for sin by my work (as the papists teach about repentance). For since I am a sinner and a child of wrath by nature, as the Scripture says, I will not wipe out sin with sin, but only make it more.
(20) But this is called repentance, when I believe God's word, which tells me and accuses me that I am a sinner and condemned before God, and am heartily afraid of the fact that I have always disobeyed my God, that I have never really looked at or considered his commandments, much less kept the greatest or smallest of them, yet do not despair, but let myself be directed to Christ to seek mercy and help from him, and also firmly believe that I will find it. For he is God's Lamb, eternally provided to bear the sins of all the world and to pay for them by his death. So John does both: first, by his preaching, he shows us all our ruin, and then he shows us where we can find help.
(21) And such preaching is not without fruit; it always finds disciples who are converted and corrected by it. For the evangelist Matthew says that many people from all the surrounding cities and countries came to John in the wilderness and were taught by him.
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were baptized in the Jordan and confessed their sin. As also St. Lucas, Cap. 7, 29, reports and says: "All the people who heard John and the tax collectors agreed with God", that is, they believed his words, which John preached to them, that they were sinners and damned 2c. "But the Pharisees and scribes (says St. Lucas further v. 30.) despised. God's counsel against themselves, and would not be baptized of Him." For they thought that they were pious and holy enough beforehand; therefore John's sermon was none of their business; indeed, they thought that they knew much better beforehand than he could tell them. Therefore they despised God's counsel, which He had decided and commanded to proclaim, that they should accept such preaching and baptism of John, and in this and no other way obtain forgiveness of sins and be saved, except by repenting and being baptized, believing in Christ (whom John preached) for the forgiveness of sins.
At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. But John refused him, saying: I have need that I should be baptized of thee, and thou comest to me? And Jesus answered and said unto him, Let it be so now: for so it behoveth us to fulfill all righteousness: and he suffered him to do it. And when JEsus was baptized, he came up straightway out of the water: and, behold, the heaven was opened upon him. And John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And behold, a voice from heaven said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
22 Therefore, as John preaches and baptizes (Matthew continues), Jesus comes to him from Galilee at the Jordan and desires to be baptized. This is strangely reversed. The Pharisees and scribes, who are full of sin and condemnation, do not want to have sin, do not want to know about repentance, and do not want to be baptized. On the other hand, Christ, who is without sin, and who alone has the rhyme and title of never having committed sin, and all his words and works are blameless, yea, holy and wholesome, for this reason
he who has no need of repentance, baptism, or forgiveness of sins, comes and desires to be baptized by John his servant. The rest all were conceived in sins, born and live in them, therefore they ought to repent and be baptized, and John also is there for their sakes; yet there are many of them, especially the Pharisees and scribes (as I said), who will not; and he who is innocent and holy does so.
(23) But why does he come to baptism, since there is no sin or uncleanness in him that baptism should take away? This will be a blessed baptism. John gets a sinner here, who has no sin for his person; and yet he is the greatest sinner, who has and bears the sin of all the world. Therefore he is baptized and confesses with this act that he is a sinner. But not for himself, but for us. Because all, especially the trustworthy saints, do not want to be sinners, he must become a sinner for all; he takes on the form of sinful flesh and, as many psalms testify, laments on the cross, in his suffering, over the burden of the sins he bears, and says Psalm 40:13."My sins have taken hold of me, that I cannot see; theirs is more than the hair of my head." And Psalm 41:5: "Lord, be merciful unto me, heal my soul: for I have sinned against thee." Psalm 69, 6.: "God, thou knowest my foolishness, and my debts are not hid from thee"; item v. 10.: "The reproach of them that revile thee fall upon me."] And Psalm 22:1: "My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
(24) In these and other psalms Christ speaks in a sinful person. With what then has he sinned, or how does he come to be in sin? So he comes to it, as Isaiah 53:6. says of him, "The LORD cast upon him all our sin." For when we (says the prophet) were all going astray, like sheep, God found this counsel, took away all. Men's sin, and laid it on his neck (who alone was without all sin). So he becomes the great, yes, the very greatest and the only sinner on earth, and no one else. For the text says: the Lord has
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All our sins were cast upon him. Because he has now become such a sinner, who has all our sin on him, he may truly be baptized and must be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. Not for his person, which is innocent and undefiled, but for our sake, whose sin he bears. He puts them into baptism and washes them away from himself, that is, from us, in whose person he is baptized, so that they must perish and be drowned in his baptism.
(25) So John is ordained to bring people to the baptism of repentance, but his ministry is primarily and most importantly to testify of Christ and baptize him. Therefore he is actually and truly called the Baptist of the Lord Christ. For if Christ were not baptized with us, even for our sake, we are lost. Since God the Lord has placed the sins of all men on him, so that he must bear them and be sufficient for them, he comes to John and is baptized by him for the benefit of me, you and all the world, so that he may cleanse us from sins and make us righteous and blessed. So he also sacrificed himself on the cross, becoming a sinner and a curse, when he alone is the blessed seed through whom all the world must be blessed, that is, redeemed from sin and death. But that he hangs on the cross between two evildoers, is counted equal to them, and there dies an ignominious death, he does this for the good of the whole human race, that he may redeem it from the eternal curse. He is therefore both the greatest and only sinner on earth, for he bears the sin of all the world; and the only righteous and holy one, for no one is righteous and holy before God except through him. So also John himself testifies of Him John 1:29, "Behold, this is the Lamb of God." That must be holy, pure and innocent. But what does he say further of him? "Which bareth the sin of the world." If he bears the sin of the world, he is certainly a sinner, yes, a sinner alone. For the Holy Spirit is not joking when he says through the prophet, "The Lord cast upon him the sin of us all." And through John: "Behold, this is God's Lamb, who bears the sin of the world."
(26) Whosoever therefore believeth that his sins and the sins of the whole world are upon the dear Lord, and was baptized therefore, was crucified.
And there he shed blood for us at a high price, so that he, the bearer of sins and the penitent, cleansed us from sins and made us holy and blessed, who has forgiveness of sins and eternal life, and Christ's baptism, cross and blood become his own. For since He is pure and innocent in Himself, He could have been superior to be neither baptized nor crucified. But in this way he has served the whole human race. He who believes it, has it.
27 Therefore St. John the angel, of whom Malachi prophesied, was sent before the Lord to testify of him and to baptize him, that we might be cleansed from sins by his baptism. And those who were baptized by John into Christ, who would soon follow him and bless the whole world, have been saved. Just as from the beginning of the world all the saints have been redeemed and saved by the same faith, that they should be washed from sins and cleansed through Christ.
28 The prophet David speaks of such washing and cleansing from sins in Psalm 51, v. 4: "Wash me well from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Item v. 9: "Sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop, that I may be clean; wash me, that I may be white as snow." "For I know (saith he v. 5.) my iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. In you only have I sinned, and done evil in your sight," that is, I am nothing but a sinner in your sight, and what I do is evil, and can find nothing in me that can stand blameless in your sight. I say these things therefore v. 6, "that thou, O Lord, mayest be justified in thy words, and not be punished when thou art judged." That is, if I would not confess and say that I am nothing but a sinner before you, then I would give the lie to your word and condemn you, as the hypocrites and works saints do. Therefore I will not, like them, be so presumptuous as to say that I am not a sinner. For that would be to deny you, O Lord, and to give the lie to your judgment, which you have pronounced against me, and thereby to condemn all my doings and being. Therefore I confess myself a sinner and a reprobate, that thou mayest be justified.
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and that your word remains true and unchallenged, even if it is challenged and persecuted. For the hypocrites want to make themselves self-righteous through their own work, and forcibly carry out their thing against God, punish them with lies and thus condemn his word. But it is said: Ut vincas, cum judicaris, thou shalt nevertheless remain before them, finally being justified and subject to judgment, and destroy them in their sins 2c. ,
(29) As happened to the Jews, because they would not believe John's preaching, nor repent, nor be baptized, but despised God's counsel. John must have had the devil, and what he preached on God's account must have been wrong and false. Therefore they had to be overthrown, go to the ground, and perish in body and soul; but God was right. For as far as his word and judgment are concerned, he alone shall and will be right. Now his word is that all men are sinners before him. So the verdict soon follows: that they are also guilty of death. Do not punish him; give him right and you wrong. But if you want to be right, seek it in other things. Go into the worldly regiment, there you may well be right, against your enemy, who does you harm, takes what is yours 2c. There you may appeal to the right, seek it and demand it. But if you are to deal with God and stand before his judgment, then only think of no right, but give yourself wrong, and him right, if you want to find mercy otherwise. This is what you do when you say with David and all the saints: Dear Lord, I confess, feel and believe that I am a condemned sinner; therefore I ask you to absolve, wash and baptize me for the sake of Christ, so that I know that you are merciful to me, that I have forgiveness of sins, and that I am pure and white as snow.
(30) Now John's baptism is not far from Christ's baptism, and he himself shows the difference when he says, "I baptize with water; but he that cometh after me shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire." As if to say, "I am not the man who forgives sin and gives the Holy Spirit, but I baptize the same who does, who will soon come after me.
will be. Therefore, those who were baptized by John and died before Christ's baptism were saved. For they believed that Christ would come with his baptism and baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire, that is, that he as the true lamb of God, sacrificed on the trunk of the cross, would die there for the sin of the whole world, so that all who believe in him would have forgiveness of sins and receive the Holy Spirit, who would enlighten, sanctify, comfort and strengthen them 2c. Just as the holy fathers (David and others) before them also believed.
(31) Therefore there is no other difference, except that they believed in the Christ who is to come, and we believe in him who is to come. Both they and we have one Christ, who is yesterday, today, and forever, Heb. 13:8, but the time is different, that they are before, but we are after. Whoever then believes with us the testimony of Saint John that he is the Lamb of God who bears the sins of the world and baptizes with the Holy Spirit 2c. will be blessed with us, God granting that he comes before or after, it is one faith. For what those who were baptized by John believed about the future Christ, we now believe about the same one who has come, and both have received the same grace.
(32) But there is great power in our believing that he is now come. For the Jews, and we Gentiles also, always want to have a Christ who is yet to come. The Jews do not believe that this one who has come is Christ, but firmly believe that he is yet to come; they make a mockery of our faith and baptism. So also the pope and his crowd say that Christ has come and died for our sins, but in the bottom of truth both of them, with their doctrine and life, do so as if no redemption had ever taken place through Christ's death and bloodshed, nor as if no baptism had ever been given by him; in sum, as if he had never come. For they teach that by their own works they atone for sin and do enough for it 2c. Therefore (I say) there is great power in whether one believes in the Christ who has appeared or in the Christ who is to come. So David
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or other fathers in their time had believed that Christ had come, they would have been condemned just as now the Jews, who do not believe that he has come, are lost and condemned.
- Further, the evangelist describes the glorious revelation (the like of which has never been heard nor seen before) that visibly took place at the baptism of Christ, namely, that all the divine majesty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit appear at the same time, and such a great miraculous work and divine clarity is saved for the very time when Christ is baptized; over whom heaven opens, and the Holy Spirit descends upon him in bodily form, like a dove; and God Himself lets Himself be heard from heaven, saying: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"; and he, Christ, stands there in his holy humanity.
(34) All this was done and written for our sake, that we should esteem dear baptism highly and praise it gloriously, because we see here that Christ the Lord not only instituted and commands it to be administered, but also accepts it from John his servant himself, lowers himself into the water, and touches it with his holy body, so that he not only confirms baptism with it, but also sanctifies it and makes it full of blessing. Therefore we should not doubt that where and when baptism is administered according to Christ's command, heaven is open and the whole holy Trinity is present and baptizes itself 2c. The text is rich and delicious, of which much could still be said; but the hour is now over. Also, it was preached more before and has gone out through the printing. Whoever wants to, may read it; now we want to leave it at that, and call upon God for His grace.
The other sermon.
Text: Matth. 3, l3-l7.
At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. But John rebuked him, saying: I have need that I should be baptized of thee, and thou comest to me? And Jesus answered and said unto him, Let it be so now; for so it behoveth us to fulfill all righteousness: and he suffered him to do it. And when JEsus was baptized, he came up straightway out of the water, and, behold, heaven was opened upon him. And John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And behold, a voice from heaven said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
- yesterday we began to speak of Christ's baptism, that he had received it from John for the cause that he might take our place, yea, enter into our person, that is, become a sinner for us, and lie upon himself.
the sin which he had not done, washed away, and drowned it in his holy baptism, and that he had done this according to the will of God, the heavenly Father, who cast all our sin upon him, that he should bear it, and not only cleanse us from it by his baptism, and make atonement for it on the cross, but also clothe and adorn us with his holiness and innocence.
(2) Is not this a fine and glorious change, since Christ, who is all innocent and holy, not only takes upon himself strange, that is, my sin and guilt, but he also clothes and adorns me, who am all sin, with his innocence and purity? He dies an ignominious death on the cross for my sin, by which I have earned eternal death and damnation, and gives me his righteousness, so that I may live with him forever in glorious and unspeakable joy. By such blessed change (which the heart grasps by faith alone), that the dear Savior may live with
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If the Lord's will be with us, and nothing else, we are freed from sins and death, and receive His righteousness and life for our own.
(3) When these things are preached and recognized, it is safe to judge and conclude that all those (be they and be called what they will) who teach or do anything else (than what has now been said) to get rid of sin and thereby acquire God's grace are mistaken, and with their devotion, good 2) opinion, strict life, hard and great works, if they did any more of them, they would be lost and damned. For they believe that through their own righteousness and merit they can atone for God's wrath and acquire grace and salvation. This sufficiently shows that they know nothing at all about this blessed change, but think: "Even though I am a sinner, there is no need, I can well advise on the matter, I will do this or that, to the praise of God, he will look upon it. 2c. But it is said: What is our own thing, let it appear as good and holy as it can, it does not exist before God, it must come to nothing and be badly dead. For if we could atone for sin and banish death through human powers, it would have been unnecessary for Christ to become man, come to baptism, and die for our sins.
4 Therefore, if you do not want to perish or be lost, believe the Scriptures, which testify that all men are sinners, that no living person is righteous before God. But if they are to be justified, it must be through Christ, the blessed Seed, who was promised to Adam, Abraham, 2c. that he should crush the serpent's head and deliver all the world from the curse. He did this, took the sin of all the world upon Himself, became a curse for us, and thus redeemed all those who believe in Him from the curse, Gal. 3:13, 14.
- such knowledge and faith makes a
- Wittenberger and Jenaer: "beut", that is, beutst, beuten - exchange. In the old edition of Walch and in the first edition of Erlanger: "heuet". Such printing errors irrefutably prove (along with many other errors taken from Walch) that the first Erlanger edition bat reprinted from Walch. Cf. § 5 of this sermon. The second edition does not contain this error.
- Erlanger: good.
Happy heart that can say with certainty and certainty: I no longer know of any sin 3), because they are all on Christ's neck. Now they cannot be on him and on us at the same time. Therefore no one can say that his own righteousness or order is enough for sin. For the atonement and expiation of sin belongs to Christ alone. But Christ is neither my work, nor yours, nor the work of all men. Neither are they his body and blood, which he sacrificed for our sins, but he is true God and man, who bears the sins of all the world; but he goes to them, drowns them, and strangles them in baptism and on the cross, and preaches to you that he gave his body for you and shed his blood for the remission of your sins. If thou believest, thy sins are forgiven thee, thou art righteous and just, thou hast received the Holy Ghost, that thou mayest henceforth resist sin. And if in weakness you are overtaken by it, it shall not be imputed to you, if you continue otherwise in such faith.
6 This means forgiveness of sins, which is not without payment or satisfaction. But such payment is not yours, but it costs Christ his body, life and blood. Here it does not help if you, indeed, all the world sacrificed its body and blood, for no sacrifice is valid before God to pay for sin (says the Scripture), but the one sacrifice of Christ. That he now sacrifices himself for your sin and the sin of all the world, and gives you his innocence and righteousness, this comes to your rescue and drowns your sin and death. And if you are baptized in such faith, you put on Christ, who washes away your sins in baptism and gives you the Holy Spirit 2c. So you see that such forgiveness does not come through our repentance, but that Christ bears all our sins, and strangles them in his body, and we take hold of this through faith, and are baptized according to his command.
7 This is also what St. John means when he says to the Lord, "I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me? As if to say, "I am a sinner; therefore
- Here the first edition of the Erlanger reprinted from Walch's old edition: "not" instead of "more". This error is also corrected in the second edition.
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I should receive baptism from you, O Lord, and thus be cleansed and absolved of sins through you. For he understood well that Christ had no sin, and yet was the one who bore all the sin of the world, and alone brought forgiveness and gave the Holy Spirit. Therefore he says, "I need to be baptized by you. But Christ says, "Let it be so now; for thus it behooves us to fulfill all righteousness." As if to say, "My baptism is for the washing away and drowning of all the sins of the world, that all righteousness and salvation may be accomplished thereby. Therefore also is baptism for the sake of Christ. Therefore, baptism for the sake of Christ is primarily ordained by God; then also for the sake of all men. First of all, he must sanctify baptism through his own body and thereby take away sin, so that those who believe in him may also have forgiveness of sins. Therefore, baptism is not a useless thing, as the critics blaspheme, but in it all righteousness is accomplished 2c. Therefore repentance (as John preaches for the forgiveness of sins) stands most of all in that you do right by God and confess that His judgment is true, in that He says that we are all sinners and condemned. If you do this from your heart, repentance has begun.
What more can I do? Stoop down and be baptized. For I (says Christ) have ordained with my baptism, that whosoever believeth on me, and receiveth such baptism, should have remission of sins, and that my Father, with me and the Holy Ghost, should dwell with him. For here you see, as we also said yesterday, that after Christ is baptized, from that moment on (the like of which was never seen before at St. John's baptism) the heavens are opened (and afterwards the earth, graves, hell, and all things are open), and the Holy Spirit is seen in the form of the deaf, and the Father's voice is heard over this baptism, saying: He is heartily pleased with it. For this Son, who stands and is baptized by Johanne, is so pleasing to him that if he had a thousand sins of the world upon him, they would all be drowned and destroyed in his baptism. But because he is well pleased with him, he is also well pleased with
those who believe in him and are baptized according to his command.
(9) Thus in baptism not only is sin forgiven, but we are also made sure and certain that God is pleased to be present with Christ and the Holy Spirit when it is administered, and to be baptized Himself, even though such a glorious revelation of the divine majesty does not visibly take place as it did at the same time at the Jordan. For it is enough that it has happened once for a testimony and a sign. Therefore, we should be accustomed with all diligence to look at these things with the eyes of faith, and to interpret such a glorious revelation and divine clarity and splendor, which took place over the baptism of Christ, to ourselves. For all this was not done nor written for Christ's sake (for he himself was not baptized), but for our consolation and strengthening of our faith, for which he also received baptism.
(10) Therefore we must be sure, if anyone is baptized according to Christ's command, that God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are present, and that in heaven there is great pleasure, joy, and gladness, that sins are forgiven, that heaven is eternally opened, and that there is now no wrath, but only grace. Not that we may obtain this by our repentance or satisfaction, but for the sake of this Son we come to this grace, who bears all our sins on his neck, of whom the Father testifies, "This is my beloved Son, 2c. therefore he is well pleased to be baptized, and to drown sin in water, and afterward to die on the cross. For his sake sin, death and condemnation must perish and cease, and righteousness, life and blessedness must spring up in their place. And that which was condemned in us before God is now in Christ all good, even that which is still defective and infirm, for his sake it must not hurt.
- It is also to be noted that here above the baptism of Christ there has not been such a terrible sight as at the
- In the editions: one such.
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Mount Sinai, when the people of Israel received the law, when there was a great, thick and dark weather, and cruel lightning and thunder, and the sound of the trumpets was terrible; item, the whole mountain smoked, and burned up to the middle of heaven, so that the people drew back, and could not hear God's voice speaking out of the fire, 2c. but there everything is lovely, comforting and joyful. The Father lets himself be heard in the most friendly way, that he is well pleased with the Son; the Son stands there in humanity, and lets himself be baptized for our good; and the Holy Spirit descends like a dove. There was no terrible or majestic figure to be seen, nor was there any harsh, unpleasant sermon to be heard, in which God would have shown Himself and let Himself be heard; but everything was lovely and comforting to behold.
Let us also talk a little about our baptism. First, we are to learn from God's Word that every Christian knows what baptism is. For there have been, and there always will be, many heretics 4) and sedevacantists who have challenged holy baptism. This comes from the fact that baptism is seen in no other way than (as the eyes show us) as nothing but water. A man cannot judge otherwise after such a great face, nor can he know more about baptism than a cow. Therefore, a Christian must be told about it differently and better. Now God's word teaches us, as I have often said, that to the sacrament of baptism belong three parts.
(13) The first is quite natural water, which the rats alone look upon, and say that water cannot wash the soul. After that, they make a purely unadulterated sign out of it, just like the sheep draw 2c. But this is far too little for holy baptism. For it is only one, and the smallest piece. We also say that it is water; but there is something more to it, which makes such water glorious, holy, and proper for baptism, namely,
14 Secondly, the word of God, beside and by the water. Which we have not invented nor dreamed, but the word of Christ saith, Go ye into all the world,
- Erlanger: much of the Rotten.
and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Because these words come to the water, it is no longer bad, like other water, but holy, divine, blessed water. For where God's Word is, by which He created heaven and earth and all things, there is God Himself with His power and might. But what such a Word creates and does with the water, we will hear hereafter. And this is to be noted above all things, that the water is not to be regarded as bad water without a word; but to know that the word with and by the water power is the essence of baptism. As St. Paul clearly says in Eph. 5, 26, that Christ washed and cleansed His bride, Christianity, through the water bath in the Word 2c. Which is a different bath and washing than by natural water or human washing and bathing is done in the tub. For here is (says St. Paul) the living word of God, which says, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: which is, that not a man, but God himself baptizeth. For if it is done in His name, it is said to be done by the Holy Trinity Himself.
(15) Thirdly, there is another part to it, that it be a sacrament, namely, the institution, or such word as institutes and ordains baptism. For there must be two words for it to be a baptism. One, which is spoken at the water or baptism; the other, which so baptizes, that is, dips into the water and speaks such words, ordains and commands. Now when these things come together, namely the command and appointment to do this, and the word with the water, which is used according to such appointment, and practices and performs the same, then it is called and is a baptism. This is the most important thing to look at and ask about, namely, who is the founder who ordered and commanded such baptisms. For this makes a great difference between baptism and everything else that is devised by men and considered as if it should be valid and useful before God. As an example, the sorcerers and devil-whores, the weather-makers, also need a sign or creature, as, seasoning and
704 Erl. (2.) 20", 495-498. Two sermons on the 3rd chapter of Matthäi. W. VII. lois-ioiö. 705
Herbs, and speak over them the Lord's Prayer, or other holy words and names of God. They say that this is not an evil thing, but both God's creation and precious words and holy names; therefore it should have power and accomplish what is needed. Just as the pope with his Chresem, holy water and salt performs magic and conjures.
(16) But here look for the third part, and ask, Where and who is the founder who has named these things? Do you also have a word or command from God that says, "You shall do this, you shall consecrate salt or water, and speak such words about it? Where there is no such word, there is and is not anything that is needed for signs and words. That even baptism without this would not be a sacrament, even though both water and word were spoken over it. How the papacy deceives with such false false baptism, that they consecrate and baptize the dead bells, since both, water and word, are also used, as in the right baptism. What is lacking in this? Nothing else, except this, that there is no God's foundation and command, who has ordered and ordained such things, but men have done so at their own discretion. Just as the entire papacy is vain human doctrine and their own trumpery. Therefore, such baptism is not a sacrament, but a loud perversion, yes, a mockery and blasphemy of baptism.
(17) Behold, this is the most necessary thing to learn and know about baptism: that it is the Creator from heaven who gives and gives both the command to baptize and also the form and manner. For first of all, God Himself must command it. After that, he himself must name the creature or element, and also set or prescribe the words that are to be used for it. That it all goes by his command, not by human choice or devotion, which the Holy Spirit condemns in Scripture everywhere, and calls idolatry and sorcery, and speaks of it in the prophet Jeremiah in the 7th chapter, v. 31: Quod non praecepi, neque ascendit in cor meum etc., that is: "I have never commanded such things, nor taken them into mind." Therefore he does not want us to accept anything other than what he himself has commanded.
and orders. Which is also the best and most useful thing for us, that we must not be in doubt and hover, but can say with certainty: I know that the baptism I have received is not man's, but God's work and baptism (even if it is administered by man), because it is His own foundation and order.
(18) Where there is such an understanding of baptism, one can beware and defend oneself, both against the mobs who consider baptism bad water and a human thing, and against all sorcery and abominations of the priest, who misuses both creatures and God's word without God's command. For where God creates and establishes something, it does not have to be a bad human sign, whereby one can recognize and distinguish one from the other; but a wholesome, holy, divine thing, which is powerful and serves for salvation. Wherever there is water with the Word of God and from the command of God, hearts can be sure that this is a true, divine baptism, even though there is no outwardly great splendor before the eyes. For such a thing, though it be most glorious, yet it does nothing for baptism.
(19) For here a man is stripped and brought naked, and nothing more happens than that he is immersed in water by God's command, or the water is poured over him, and the word is spoken, "I baptize you. When this happens, do not doubt that it is a true, perfect baptism, nor ask whether the one who receives the baptism is pious and believing or not. Let him be godless and unbelieving (for what he is for his person is none of the baptism's business, and shall not harm you!), if he only holds the institution of Christ, and does not take wine, beer, lye, or any other thing, but water with it! According to God's words, it is called and is one holy baptism. For here is everything that belongs to the essence of baptism, namely, water with the word, of course, from God's gift and command. Therefore it must also work and accomplish that for which it is ordained, namely, as St. Paul teaches Titus 3:5, "the regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit." For as we were born of Adam and Eve to this life, so the same old man, born before.
706 cf. (L.) so3, 4S8-506. Two sermons on the 3rd chapter of Matthew. W. vu. 1O1S-1018. 707
in sins and to death, to be born again and anew unto righteousness and eternal life, by the power of the Holy Spirit. And yet nothing more is added outwardly, nor is felt of it, but "water and word," which alone is seen with the eyes and heard with the ears. And yet has such power that man, so conceived and born in sins, is now born anew before God, and who before was condemned to death, now truly becomes a child of God. Who could attain such glory and power of holy baptism with human senses or understanding?
20 Therefore, do not look at the servant's hand and mouth, who takes water poorly and speaks few words (which is a small work that only fills the eyes and ears, and does nothing else, as blind reason would have it), but at God's word and work, from which command baptism was instituted, indeed, he himself is the baptizer. Therefore it has such power, as the Holy Spirit testifies through St. Paul. Paulum testifies that it is a bath of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, which has purified our impure and damned birth from Adam (in which we are all born in sins, and therefore so full of filth and leprosy that our heart and all the highest powers of reason strive against God's command and His will, from which we cannot cleanse ourselves) shall be made different, and such hereditary disease shall be cleansed and taken away, and we shall be set in innocence, that we shall rise without sin and death at the last day, more beautiful and pure than the sun, righteous in body and soul, and alive for ever.
21, Therefore, baptism is not to be held in low esteem, as the devil's fools do, who make a bad, empty sign out of it, but to be highly honored and praised as our highest and most precious treasure. Although we see nothing of it but water, nor hear but the words spoken by the Baptist, of whom we cannot know whether he himself believes or not. Which, as I said, does not take away from baptism nor harm you. For I should not and will not dare or put my trust in what the minister is or believes, but that I may be sure of my baptism, I will look to the founder, and hear what his word and command are. The servant must indeed be there, but his hand and
I shall not be directed to the visible Baptist, but to the invisible Baptist, who instituted and ordained baptism. To him I shall look, God grant, the servant be what he will. So I also hear that these words, which are spoken, are not thus: I baptize you in my name, or St. Peter's, or Paul's, or any man's name, but in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Moreover, I see that the person to be baptized is immersed in water or watered with it. Therefore I know that this is a true baptism. For the Scripture clearly testifies that "where these three things are added, it is a true baptism, which makes a new man; and where he abides, he is holy in body and soul.
(22) Thus, I say, we should both speak and think gloriously of holy baptism, so that it may be far distinguished from other washing and bathing. For God Himself is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who baptizes and bathes; therefore, the work must be so powerful that it makes a person completely new. Therefore, St. John the Evangelist likes to speak of baptism as being water mixed with the blood of Christ. When, John 19:34, Christ was crucified and died, and one of the soldiers opened his side with a spear, "immediately blood and water came out." And confirming this with great words, v. 35. says: "And he that hath seen these things bears witness, and his testimony is true, and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye also may believe." Likewise in his first epistle in the last chapter, v. 6, he speaks of Christ: "This is he that cometh with water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with water only, but with water and blood." Thus he always wants to mix the blood into the baptism, so that the rose-colored, innocent blood of Christ may shine and be seen in it. To human eyes there seems nothing but white water, that is true; but St. John wants to open to us the inner and spiritual eyes of faith, so that we may see not only water, but also the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why is this? Because this holy baptism was obtained for us through the same blood, which he shed for us.
708 Erl. (2.) 20L, 500-502. Two sermons on the 3rd chapter of Matthew. W. VII, 1018-1021. 709
and paid for sin. The blood, and the merit and power thereof, he put in baptism to be obtained therein. For he that receiveth baptism in faith, it is as though he were washed in the blood of Christ, and cleansed from sins. For we do not obtain forgiveness of sins by our works, but by the death and shedding of blood of the Son of God. He puts and puts such forgiveness into baptism.
(23) This is what St. John saw when he mixed water and blood together. For in it is that which is obtained by the blood. And so St. John estimates the man who is baptized, bathed in the blood of Christ. This blood is not the blood of a sinful man, or of a dead goat or ox, but it is innocent, righteous and holy, and the blood of life. That is why it has such sharp salt and soap, that where it comes upon sin and uncleanness, it bites and washes it all away, eats and wipes out both sin and death in a moment. Thus St. John models to us the dear baptism, that we should not regard nor look at the white water alone. For "Christ (saith he) cometh not with water only (as the Anabaptists blaspheme, that it is nothing more than water), but with water and blood." By such words he wants to admonish us to look with spiritual eyes in baptism at the beautiful, rose-colored blood of Christ, which flowed and was shed from his holy side. And so those who are baptized are called nothing else but bathed and cleansed in the same rose-colored blood of Christ.
24 Therefore also St. Peter says, 1 Petr. 1, 2, that those who are baptized are sprinkled with the innocent blood of Christ. How are they sprinkled? Who has ever seen anyone so sprinkled? In the Old Testament there was a lot of sprinkling, as commanded in the 4th book of Moses 19, 2. st., from the water of sprinkling, from the ashes of the burnt red heifer, so that those who were unclean had to be cleansed. But the sprinkling, of which St. Peter says (and is signified by that), is nothing else than preaching. Consecrating or sprinkling water is the holy scripture. The preacher's or Christian's tongue is the sprinkling water.
wedel. He dips it into the rose-colored blood of the Lord Christ and sprinkles it on the people, that is, he preaches the gospel to them, which reads: Christ has purchased forgiveness of sins through his holy blood, which he shed on the cross for all the sins of the world. Whoever believes it is sprinkled with it 2c.
(25) Therefore to preach and baptize in this way is just as much as if the blood of Christ Himself were sprinkled upon us. Only that it is done spiritually (for bodily sprinkling would not do), that we believe and say, "I am washed from sins and death by the blood of my Lord Christ. From where? From the preaching of the Gospel. Then I hear that Christ died and shed his blood for this reason, so that everyone who believes in him may have forgiveness of sins and be justified and saved. 2c. Just as we believe that through absolution the sins of those who have fallen are forgiven. Not because of the laying on of hands, for my laying on of hands alone does nothing, but because Christ commanded it and said, "What you shall loose on earth, that shall be loosed in heaven"; item: To whom you forgive the sins, they shall be forgiven. On such words I accept absolution, as which God Himself instituted and commanded 2c., and know that in such I am also sprinkled with the innocent blood of Christ, so that He has dyed the absolution, baptism and sacrament.
(26) By this sign, that Christ came with water and blood, St. John meant to show that baptism is such a glorious and powerful thing that it washes away sin, drowns and strangles death, and heals and purifies all infirmities. We do not see these things with our eyes, but Christians are such people who neither see nor want to see, but keep the word and believe. Nevertheless, God is so careful for us: so that we do not go astray, nor grope in vain after Him, He has given us outward, visible signs, on which we should hang our eyes and ears. Otherwise, we might claim that we do not know how or where to find him, or that our thoughts might stray and flutter now and then. As has happened so far in the papacy, since one here at St. Ja-
710 Erl. (2.) 20 ", 502-504. Two sermons on the 3rd chapter of Matthaei. W. vu. 1021-1023. 711
kob, the other has gone to Rome 2c. Therefore he gives us such signs, that one may not look for him here or there, and says: Look at the word, baptism, sacrament, key. These are all outward things, but they are necessary and useful to you, so that you may have a sure image by which you can take hold of me. For in mere majesty you will not attain me. Therefore, I must present myself to you in such an outward image that you can grasp me.
(27) By such an image and sign, given to us by Himself, we shall remain. Otherwise, we will be like all the monks who forgot their baptism, went to the monastery, put on a cap, and made such signs for themselves, in which they wanted to find and meet God, and pretended that this was the right way to serve God and attain heaven. After that, they put off the laity to their other merits, and gave as much and as great power to the invented, consecrated salt and water as to holy baptism. This is all God's fault, yes, God is tempted, and idolatry is prepared for the right worship of God. For there is a lack of the word that should establish and be called such.
Therefore let us esteem our dear holy baptism great and valuable; first, because it is a true and certain image and sign, set up by God Himself, in which we can surely find and meet Him with His grace. Secondly, that we learn to avoid all other images and signs that have been devised and erected by men, glittering as beautifully and holy as they can, and know for certain that we will never meet or find God in them, but that they will only lead us further away from Him.
(29) Yea, saith thou, I see not such great and glorious things in baptism as thou sayest of them. I said the other day, Christians are people who believe, not see. Also, although God visibly manifested how the Holy Spirit and the whole Trinity works in baptism, as said above 22, and all the angels are present, you could not be there for a moment and suffer such majesty. Therefore he must cover and veil himself in such a way that you may suffer it, and thus say, "I see nothing in the baptism but water, in which the Baptist dips the infant, or waters it;" and
Nor do I hear anything but the words he speaks about it: "I baptize you in the name" 2c. Both eyes and ears testify to this, but the Word and faith tell me that God Himself is there and does such a work. Therefore, it is also such a powerful bath of discipleship that it gives birth to man anew, washes away all sin in him and drowns him.
Thou shalt therefore take it for a special grace that he makes it so friendly that no one could make it more friendly. For he badly represents a man, to whom he does not give a sword, guns, or some other 1) weapons in his hand; but commands him to take a little water with his bare unclothed hand, and to speak these words: "I baptize you in the name" 2c. So he also does not lay anything heavy or infallible on us, nor does he burden us with any unpleasant food like the Jews, who had to be circumcised, slaughtered much, sacrificed 2c., but, as said, commands us to take a little water, which is common to everyone else, and so necessary that we cannot do without it for an hour, and to say the words: "I baptize you" 2c. So also, in the Lord's Supper he commands us to eat and drink, and to do so in remembrance of him 2c.
Whoever has such an understanding (as indicated) of the holy baptism, knows what it is, creates and benefits, and whoever is the founder and true baptizer, will also experience the power of the same in his heart and be improved by it. He will thank and praise God for His great grace that He has delivered him from the realm of lies of the end-Christ, since such teachings of baptism are completely silent and unknown, and he will know how to judge from all kinds of teachings whether they are right or wrong. He will also not usurp anything from his neighbor, or otherwise be burdensome to him, but show all friendship, advise and help him with what he can, and gladly suffer and bear the holy cross. Such fruits will surely follow. If not, it is a sure sign that he has no understanding of either faith or baptism, even if he can wash much of it. Let us therefore leave it at that, and earnestly beseech Christ our Lord to keep us in the pure understanding of the Word and the holy sacraments, and to guard us from all error. Then grant his grace, amen.
- In the old editions: one and the same.
712 Agricola's adaptation of Luther's Vater-Unser. W. vn. ios" fs. 713
D. Agricola's adaptation of D. Martin Luther's interpretation of the Holy Lord's Prayer,
Matthaei Cap. 6, 9-13. *)
Beginning of 1518.
(Agricola's preface.)
To the excellent and highly learned Mr. Christoph Blank (Plangk), > the well experienced licentiate of both rights, his patron and master, > Johann Sneider wishes Heil!
Highly learned licentiate! Since I have already observed your irreproachable and holy way of life for some years, prompted' by the blamelessness of your life, but then also by the fine Christian behavior in daily intercourse (in which you have become everything to everyone): so I love, respect and admire you most highly. You no doubt believe that the Stoics assert with full right and in a godly way that men are born for the sake of men, so that they may benefit one another, one to the other. For that is where the Greek poet's word comes from: the
Man is a god for man. For the ancients (vetustas) believed that the deity is nothing else than useful for the people. Therefore, as Lactantius testifies, they began to call men gods. For it is said that mortals imitate the gods the most when they are benevolent to their brethren. This has been proclaimed by the prophets in countless prophecies; this has also been confirmed by the founder (dux) of our religion, Christ, namely, that we should love one another and do good to one another. Therefore
whoever behaves in this way is a Christian, but whoever behaves otherwise is rightly called a scourge for Christians (christianomastix). But you, esteemed Christopher, are the model of a Christian life, chaste in soul and body, and have this as something innate and special, that you come to the aid of the oppressed and lacking not only with advice, but also with action, which in this earthly life is above all the best, noblest, most excellent and most pleasing to God. That is to build the living temple of God, which (as Paul testifies) we are. And (to say nothing of others, it is an expert talking to an expert) you have not only been generous to me, but even exceedingly generous, for there are hundreds (trecenta) of benefits that you have done to me. You have been my benefactor in a kind and friendly way and have taken care of me, a person still unknown to you for a while, and still you are my benefactor and take care of me. When I consider this and do not find that I have anything with which I could prove my gratitude to you, my spirit is shattered and my mind frightened. But I am comforted by both your goodness and your willingness, since it is not hidden from you that he who gives what he is able gives enough, and that even the good will in great things (in magnis voluisse) is considered something quite beautiful. Therefore hand over and
*) During Lent in 1517, Luther preached a series of sermons on the Lord's Prayer. One of his students, Johann Agricola from Eisleben, copied them, added his own explanations in part, and had them printed by Melchior Lotther in Leipzig without Luther's knowledge and will (cf. the introduction to the 20th volume of the St. Louis edition, p. 41 f.) under the title: "Auslegung und Deutung des heiligen Vaterunsers durch den ehrwürdigen und hochgelehrten Herrn Martin Luther, der heiligen Schrift Doctor, Einsiedler reformirter Augustiner Orden, in Sachsen Vicarius, zu Wittenberg. In 1517. year preached in the fast and his disciples put one together. He added a Latin dedication to the licentiate Christoph Blank (klan^L) to this writing, which is dated January 13, 1518, and signed himself as "Joannes [neider". In the same year, three new editions were published in Leipzig, one by Valentin Schumann, another by Martin Landsberg, the third without indication of the printer; another edition was published by Martin Landsberg in 1519. It is first included in the Hallische Theil, p. 90; then it is also found in the Leipziger, vol. IX, p. 327, and in Walch's old edition. The Latin dedicatory letter is found in the Hallische Volume, p. 90; in the Leimiger Edition, Vol. XI, in the Preliminary Report, p. 20 (the Weimar edition, Vol. II, p. 76, erroneously says: "without the Latin dedicatory letter"); in Walch's old edition, Vol. VII, Preface, p. 10. We have translated it into German and placed it before the text itself. We reproduce the text according to Walch's old edition.
714 Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. W. vn, 1028-1030. 715
I dedicate to you, you who are my protector, this booklet I have prepared as well as possible, an interpretation of the Holy Lord's Prayer. I have collected it from the lectures and public talks of the incomparable man Martin Luther (Luderi), my teacher, who should not be called without a superior title of honor, who has as many hearts as Ennius is said to have, partly collected, partly copied, also added and added a few things that seemed to be useful, and managed that it can be read in German. Now I am publishing it under your name, as what I am able to do according to my very small talent (for luck is stepmotherly towards me), instead of my thanks, and hand it over to you, as it were, as a pledge and a kind of monument of my love towards you. Farewell, most esteemed benefactor. Wittenberg, January 13, 1518 AD.
1 When Christ's disciples asked him to teach them to pray, he said, as Matthew 6:7, 8, 9 writes: "When you pray, do not talk much, for no one is heard in many words. Yet your Father knows well what you need before you begin to ask. Therefore you shall ask:
Our Father, who art in the heavens" 2c.
2 Because this prayer has its origin in our Lord Christ, who taught us, Matt. 10:38, that we should deny ourselves and take up his cross and become his disciples, it will undoubtedly be the highest, noblest and best prayer. For if he had known a better one, the pious schoolmaster, he would have taught it to us.
Division of the prayer.
In this prayer there are seven petitions. It may also be called seven teachings or instructions to govern human life. Also, as the holy bishop and martyr Cyprian writes, there are seven indications of human poverty and destitution, with narration of human frailty, how man is even found in a dangerous state here on this earth, because he is called nothing else but a blasphemy, mockery, mockery of God's name, as follows:
The first request:
Hallowed be your name.
The second:
Come to us your kingdom.
The third:
Thy will be done, as in heaven, and in earth.
The fourth:
Give us this day our daily bread.
The fifth:
Forgive us our trespasses. So and we forgive our debtors.
The sixth:
And lead us or lead us not into temptation.
The seventh:
Special deliver us from evil. Amen.
Our Father, who art in the heavens.
4 First of all, no one should be offended if he hears one praying differently from another. For there is nothing wrong with it, if only the meaning remains, even if the words are changed. According to this, everyone who reads this booklet must keep to it.
If a man begins to pray, "Our Father, who art in the heavens," and does this with his heart and mouth, he confesses that he has a Father, and the same in the heavens, recognizes himself abandoned in misery. And he who prays in this way stands with a lifted up heart to God. And this then is a high prayer, that it is not possible of man's nature to ask, except the spirit of Christ be in the heart. For if one wants to seek it inwardly, no man here is so perfect that he can say with truth that he has no father here; that he has nothing, for in God he hopes; that he has nothing of his own, but that he is a complete stranger, and that nothing belongs to him. For our nature is so poisoned that it always seeks its own.
When I look at the way of the dear old bishops, who were eleven hundred years ago, how they so with great work, effort and diligence attracted the people to the other life and to Christ, I wonder and deceive myself, how it is so complete.
716 Agricola's adaptation of Luther's Our Father. W. vn, 1030-1033. 717
deviate. Alas! God be lamented that nothing else is done now, except to lead the people into works, and Christ is left behind. So nowadays one prays many rosaries, crowns, psalters, and little prayers written with red ink, solely on the opinion that God will grant us health of the body, long life and goods, and to redeem sin through the indulgence that is given for it. I do not reject them, but it would be much better if you prayed a few Our Fathers with an inward, heartfelt desire, with attention to what the words contain.
(7) If the opinion is: O Father, O God, how am I your disobedient son! You are in heaven, I am on earth; how far am I from you! I realize that I am here in misery, in foreign lands, while my father and his dwelling place are in heaven. Now, dear, pious father, I am not with thee; thou art in joys, I in affliction and constraint; thou in peace, I in peril. From this now arises in the heart a hope to God. For he recognizes that no one among all creatures can help him to heaven, except his Father. As it is written in John 3:13: "No one ascends to heaven except the one who descended, the Son of Man. In his skin and on his back we have to ascend; then man will be able to love God. But we put our comfort, our blessedness, only in much crying, babbling, singing and singing, which Christ forbade when he said Matth. 6, 7: "No one is heard in many prayers.
(8) If anyone should say, "It is also written in Lucam, Cap. 18:1, that you should pray without ceasing. Answer: With the heart, and that the heart may always be open to God. For He does not want to have great splendor with sacrifices or songs, Isa. 1, 11, but only the quiet secrecy of the heart, as the 51st Psalm, v. 8, says 2c. Some heretics have interpreted the saying of Luke to be said only of the prayer that is done with the mouth. This was not Christ's opinion. For he gives a prayer briefly, and that leaps into the heart, so that the man starts up: O Father, where am I? who am I? and where shall I go, if I am not there where I ought to be? Oh, dear Father, lead me and guide me, for I will hope in you as a child should hope in his faithful father. Ah, what hast thou seen in me, that thou hast chosen me to be a son? Do you then learn to know yourself and despise yourself, to love God, and to completely submit to him?
9 So let all working people pray this prayer, even if they themselves do not know what they are praying. 1) And I think that this is the best prayer when the heart goes out to Christ. And this I consider the best prayer, when the heart flies to Christ. Meanwhile another is standing in church, turning over the leaves, counting the paternoster grains, and rattling them very much, and thinking with his heart far from what he confesses with his mouth. This means nothing prayed. For to him God speaks through Isaiam the prophet Cap. 29, 13: "The people worship me with their labia or lips, but their heart is far from me." Item, the priests and monks, who are supposed to pray their tides 2) and are limp about, without all attention, go on one part and without all shame, say: Ei, now I am happy, I have paid our God; speak to that: Now I have not driven a goose across the path of God; and they become hopeful, and think that they have done enough. But I tell thee, and admit it, that thou doest enough for Christendom; but God will say, as said above, "The people worship me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."
(10) For the sake of greater proof, all the teachers of Scripture conclude that prayer is nothing other than the lifting up of the mind or heart to God. From this it follows that no thing is called prayer, be it song, murmur, speech, writing, or the like, unless the heart rises up to God. He who prays heartily prays, and not he who turns over a lot of leaves and rattles a lot with the paternoster stones.
(11) The holy and worthy Father Jerome, in the book he wrote about the lives of those who lived a solitary life, writes among other things about a man who carried a stone in his mouth for thirty years so that he would not speak. But with what did this man pray 2c.? Undoubtedly inwardly in the heart, in which God has the greatest power, and of which he alone is a knower and investigator. Ps. 139, 1. ff.
(12) But it helps much to hear the words and to seek what they want. No one should presume to pray with the heart, except those who, by divine grace, are accustomed to abstain from all sensual things. And these are the perfect ones. Otherwise the devil will mock and deceive you. For this reason, let each one be aware of the words he utters with his mouth.
- Meant is: "all who labor", according to Matth. 11, 28. in the Vulgate: gni taboratw. We also encounter this expression in Luther's Scripture, 815 of the following number.
- d. i. horas canonicas.
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(13) And let every man take heed, when he hath received a little grace, and feeleth devotion, lest he come forth with the hidden serpent, the hope, and say, Oh, I pray with my mouth, and with the Gentiles, and have such devotion, that I think there shall scarcely be another that doeth it so rightly as I; for this hath the devil inspired in thee.
14 Now it is to be noted how properly Christ sets this prayer. For he does not allow each one to pray for himself alone, but for the whole assembly of all men, saying, "Our Father," not, "My Father. See how highly God esteems the love that He Himself is. If he is the Father of us all, he wants us to be friendly and brotherly to one another, John 13:34, and to pray for one another as much as for ourselves, and even more.
The first request and its interpretation.
Hallowed be your name.
15 O a great, exuberant prayer, if it be prayed with the heart! though of short words; and there is none greater among the seven petitions, than that we pray, "Let thy name be hallowed. God created all things and gives all things, only that His name may be honored. He has no need of our goods; but He wants us to give Him glory, and to ascribe to His name all that is wondrously wrought by the creatures. For he cannot suffer us to write his name on our foreheads; he wants to do it, not we. Therefore, here, in the Lord's Prayer, mine must be changed into ours, if we ask for another, and ours into his, because it belongs to God.
(16) It is a wretched thing that we are of such perilous estate here. For if we ask that his name be hallowed in us, it is not yet hallowed. From this it follows that while we live, we profane, mock, defile, blaspheme the divine name. Now in all Scripture I know of no teaching or indication that more subtly reviles and destroys this life in time than this prayer. Who would not desire to die, if he loved God otherwise, so that he might come out of this world, in which nothing is done but blasphemy?
Two things are honored and blasphemed by us, the holy divine name.
- all that Christ suffered, endured, and bore in his life, and what they gave him
We are truly in our souls, because we have falsely put on the cross, its scratching, chastisement, crowning, and all that the pious, faithful Christ received for us. 1) Therefore it would be better a thousand times that we wept more for ourselves than for Christ; as Christ Himself says to the women who were sorrowfully following Him to the cross, Luc. 23, 28."Daughters of Jerusalem," that is, all you my daughters, all souls, "weep not for me, but for yourselves and for your children," that is, learn how you are skilled in yourselves, by yourselves, know yourselves rightly; and so you will see why I suffer this bitter death and mockery, then you will weep for yourselves. So Christ was accused by Annas of being a blasphemer and tore his robe, Matth. 26, 6. ff. To this Christ did not answer; as a sign that, speaking in a human way, no man is able to do anything but blaspheme God. But if we were not, God would have answered for it. And it is the same with this that we ask, because we profane God's name, that He may give us grace, so that He may be sanctified and honored in and through us.
To the first.
- first, the divine name is honored in and by us, if we do not take his divine word or name for our piety, benefit, and improvement, but for a misuse, as we are forbidden in the first and second commandments; that is, if we use it for sorcery, or to fortify our lying speech, and in sum, if we do not live thus, as God's children are natures.
(19) A pious child is one who is born of pious, honest parents, and is conformed to them in all respects; and then he may rightly possess and inherit the goods of his parents. So also we are children of God, if we have the virtue, nature and quality of our father in us. Our Father is merciful, as Christ says Luc. 6, 36.: "You shall be merciful, even as your heavenly Father is merciful." Kind, as Christ says Matth. 11, 29.: "Learn from us, for I am of a humble heart and kind," patient, just, chaste, truthful, strong, obedient, simple and bad. And these are vain names of God, which are all included in the little word "thy name". For the names of all virtues are the names of God. Now it follows that the children of God are also
- The opinion will be: The sin and punishment that lay on Christ is in truth ours.
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as Matthew writes in the fifth chapter, v. 9: "Blessed are the peaceful and kind, for they shall be called children of God." And so much is said in the summary: Children of God are kind, friendly, patient, peaceful people, chaste and pure, compassionate, merciful, of a kind heart to their neighbor. And that they are so, they have not from themselves, but from their Father Christ, who so purified, adorned, and adorned their hearts. But because we do not feel in ourselves that we are kind and friendly to our neighbor, helping him as much as we can, we are in a dangerous state and children of the devil. For Christ says, and is the test of the children of God: "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them", or begin to do it, Matth. 7, 12.
- to note: God's name is so holy in itself that it needs no sanctification from us, but we ask that it be sanctified in us. Now we sin against God and dishonor His name when we do not live as children of God, but as children of the devil. If he recognizes himself as a scoffer of God, then all hope, arrogance and conceit will lie low.
(21) It is to know how in this God shows us our meager life and testifies that we are blasphemers of His name. On the other hand, he lets us see his goodness. For if we know that we are no longer able to do anything, he wants to be our helper; only that we start to ask him. He will forgive us when we complain of our distress: "O Christ, I know in myself that it is true that I can and cannot do anything; therefore, my crucified Christ, I call upon you for help; help me, for otherwise all help will fail me.
God, our salvation, came for the sake of sinners. For He Himself says Matth. 9, 12: "The healthy have no need of a physician, only the sick". He also calls His disciples orphanos, that is, abandoned, desolate people; He wants to help them. Also in the Psalter, Ps. 10, 14, the prophet calls Christian souls pupillos, orphans, that is, little children who are deprived of their parents, who have no comfort, when he says: Pupillis ego er<? adjutor, "of the forsaken I will be helper." Therefore there is nothing better, for if a man goes into himself and sees what is wrong with him, he will not find counsel or help in or through all creatures. So he will have to seek Christ. And this is what St. Augustine calls: compelle intrare. One finds many a person who, without the help of God, intends to
or, if it already needs God's help, it does not keep the right measure and order; as, with the decision, where it did not please God that he would leave it standing and lying. The work that he had begun goes back; he does not cease to seek various means, but everything is left behind. And so, he sees that all good counsel is too little for him, his reason does not help him, he lacks wisdom, understanding, wit, and so he starts: Oh, my God, I see that all is lost, do help me; thus says God, "I would have liked to hear this song for a long time, for I have let it be shouted out by all the prophets, who publicly said with a loud voice: Ecce, Deus vester, "Behold, this is your God, who wants to help you", Isa. 35, 4. Also in the New Testament John the Baptist testified of me, who marked me with his finger and said, "Behold the little lamb of God, which bears and takes away the sin of the world," John 1, 29. Whether he should say: If there is anyone who is in need, who lacks counsel or anything else, run to this man; he is the one who has come to help you. He also says himself Matt. 11:28: "Come unto me, all ye that are troubled, and suffer pressure, or constraint, or vexation; for I will give you rest." So Christ our Father also teaches us here that if we dishonor his name, we should pray daily that he will give us that he may not be honored; for he alone can and will do it, and no other.
On the other hand.
In the first part, it is decided that those who recognize their infirmity and thus desire help from God. This part will now affect the hopeful, who believe themselves to be pious and holy. And there are many of them, God be praised, most of all among the clergy and the worldly, who always say, in all that they do, Oh, I have such a good opinion; I mean it so sincerely well; such and such a one will not follow me; I would have shared his heart in my body; and I will not suffer the unrighteous, the wicked, or have fellowship with them, lest it be said, Oh, if he had dealt with such, I would have thought him more pious. Seeking only their name, honor and rumor, they forget Christ's name. Also in everything they start, they put first: I will do this in honor of the Almighty God 2c., for the benefit of common Christianity, and the like. But where their exquisite conduct does not go on, they are so insufferable, and become so impatient, that no one can get along with them. Thus one sees
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because how they meant it. Of them Christ says Matth. 7, 15. 16.: "Take heed, and beware of false prophets, which present themselves in the garments of sheep, simple, pious, holy, and in their hearts are as full of rage as wolves. Say, if you want to know them, be careful what fruits they bring.
(24) Thus, when it is said to them, We have all things from God, as from a pious father; they say shamefully, O who does not know? and think they understand well what it is. But when it comes to a meeting, and one speaks to them of their honor, despises them, holds them in low esteem, one takes something from them, or if God sends them something disgusting, they retreat and stand like fools. And if they think they have been wronged, when it is right, they raise their voices: Oh God, look down from above, you know that I am wronged; and they fall into such foolishness that they may say that they are wronged before God. O you hopeful saints! Where is your understanding now, since you said before that everything is from God? Now, if that which is taken from you is not from God, why do you ascribe it to yourself, and say: Oh God, have mercy on me, that I am so wronged? You poor man, if it is God's, and they do it to you, where does it rhyme that they should do you wrong in that which is not yours? God says through Job, the pious prophet, Cap. 41, 2: Omnia, quae sub coelo sunt, mea sunt, "All that is under heaven is mine," I have made it and created it; why do you claim yours and that you are wronged? If they touch your honor, your reputation, your good name, your property, and what you have, they touch Christ's property. For if Christ withdrew his help and hand, the devil would soon devour you. But he stands and waits for us, the pious God, and when he lets one fall, he does it out of vain kindness, so that man may see where he is and where he has been. Otherwise he stands and watches, he has not forgotten us; "he is also not far from us," as the Scripture manifoldly indicates, Acts 17, 27. 17, 27. When also Stephen said, Apost. 7, 55: "I see heaven open, and the Son of man standing at the right hand." John also speaks Revelation 14:1: "I have seen the little lamb (that is, Christ) standing on the mountain," 2c. so that he looks like what we do: He is our watchman on the watch or spikel 1) Sion. Oh, how comforting this is to us!
25 Therefore, it should be noted that no more powerful teaching or instruction can be given to the
- d. i. sxsoula - wait.
Yelpers and afterkosers, for if they are told how they do all this to Christ, which they show to their nearest man with scorn, with cutting off their scent. Who then is forgotten that he may do wickedly against God?
- But a child of God, even if all adversities come to him, says in everything he begins to do, it is also the very best according to his own discretion: "Oh, dear Father, I intend to do this, let me think it is good; but if you do not like it, do it as you will. Do it only that your praise, honor and glory may come from it. If this does not follow, dear father, let it go back.
27 And so all our works must be directed solely to the honor and praise of God's name. For the Scripture says Ps. 111, 9: "His name alone is holy," and He alone is a Lord, holy and high; it follows that our name is profaned, unholy, unworthy, and we are servants and subjects. God also cannot and will not suffer His honor to be taken from Him; neither can we, according to our ability, ask for more, nor does He ask for anything but the praise of His name. But if we want and should praise him, we must disgrace ourselves: Our disgrace, and that we invent ourselves unfit, is his praise. For as soon as this knowledge is in us, we run, as said above § 22, to Christ 2c. But how God alone wants to have the glory, I have said enough in the sermon on Zachaeo. We also see it well with ourselves. If a famous painter had painted a beautiful picture, and someone else came and wanted to say that he had done it, and wanted to praise him, it would make the painter very angry. So also and much greater God, our painter 2c.
Epilogus, a short term of this request.
28 Now this is the opinion and sum of the whole petition: Oh, dear Father, let your name be sanctified in us, that is, give us grace to live in such a way and to be so pious that your divine name will not be honored by us in our lives; otherwise, without your help, we will defile and dishonor your name.
- From this understanding the other prayers are also understood, and it will be necessary here to tell from this, that God's name alone is to be sanctified in and through all our works, be they of whatever circumstance they may be, which is the manner and quality of right prayer; and set such a decree.
Conclusion.
- where not finally, primarily, modestly, especially, divine name and his praise in and
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is sought by all our works, first of all in our prayer, then our works and prayer are unclean, blaspheming God and His holy name.
The prophet proves the conclusion in the 111th Psalm, v. 3: Confessio et magnificentia opus ejus, "God's work is nothing else but praise and greatness. There the prophet calls human life a praise of GOD. Now God's praise stands in our desecration, if we are abandoned, go alone in ourselves, close all senses. And is also the opinion of St. Paul to 1) Timothy, 1 Epist. 5, 5. Why the widows are caused to pray daily, is the opinion that if we ask, we shall be all widows, that is, forsaken in ourselves. So Augustine says: Asking comes from necessity and accident of danger and temptation; therefore the mind must be withdrawn from the senses. Otherwise we can ask, but we cannot ask well, for that we have only through the saving grace.
- Note: All the prayers that have the appearance of being for this or that disease, do those who pray for it firmly believe that they will get what they ask for. And this foolish holiness is now so rampant that I cannot keep quiet about it, I must say something about it and warn all those who are Christ's children. People now think more of a prayer written in red ink than of the Gospel. First of all, there are St. Bridget's prayers, and many people are found who completely believe that if they pray these prayers daily, they cannot be damned, and thus want to make a certainty of blessedness, and also want to plead with God with our prayer, which he does not like to suffer to the ground. After this are eight verses Bernhardt; if you pray these, you will earn as much as if you had prayed out the whole Psalter. I will say more: If you pray from the heart alone, "Let your name be hallowed," it is more than if you pray a hundred Psalms without a heart. There are also other prayers, perhaps invented from behind the stove, that God will not let us fall ill, that He will protect our goods, possessions, fields, meadows, than those of Sancto Lamperto, Sanct Annen, and the like. All these supplicants should know that they should take good care not to regard any other prayer as greater than the one that God has taught us. And they should recently take this as a lesson: If they do not find Christ in prayer and praise of His name, they should not look at red ink, but let it go. This is also shown by the mother of the children of Zebedee, who asked the Lord for two sons.
- In the old edition: to the.
sitting, one on the right and the other on the left, as Matthew writes, Cap. 20, 20. 21. 22, the Lord, chastising her, answered, "Woman, thou knowest not what thou askest." For by the right hand is understood in Scripture, as Augustine says, the human effect wrought by Christ; by the left hand temporal goods. So Augustine says about the Psalter, as he introduces the saying Canticorum, Cap. 2, 6: Laeva ejus sub capite meo, et dextera ejus amplexabitur me, "The left hand", that is, all goods, honor, wealth, pleasure, and what is perishable, "he will put under my head, and his right hand will encompass or grasp me", that is, he will lead you into his life. Proverbs 3:16: "In the right hand of God is life eternal." Also Christ says, Matth. 25, 33. how all those who stand on the right will be blessed, those on the left, damned. For there is all evil, sin and wickedness, the devil with all his company. On the right are all pious elect and angels, all virtue. From this we learn that all the prayers that are made for temporal goods, honor, wealth, health, and the like, where Christ is not present, are on the left, and are condemned by God; but where God is sought, they are on the right, and are given by God, and restore Him, as it is written Luc. 1:48: Your saints will praise You forever from world to world.
The second request and him interpretation.
Come to us your kingdom.
(33) In this other petition we are admonished of our poverty, sickness and misery. For while we pray: Oh Father, let your kingdom come; but what is yet to come is not now; we confess that his kingdom is not here. We are in misery, affliction and sorrow, even among the enemies; therefore, dear Father, give grace that your kingdom may come, that we may come out of the unknown land and power of the enemies into your kingdom. So this is the other indication of human frailty, as stated above § 3, which Cyprian, the holy bishop and martyr, thus calls. Since there are enemies, it is necessary that we must fight them, defend ourselves, if we do not want to be slain by them. We are also always under the power of the devil, as long as God's kingdom does not come into us, our flesh and the world; for something of ours or of the devil always wants to rule in us, and desires
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with great diligence, to rule alone and have the upper hand. The law of the members, or of the flesh, compels you, by command of the devil, to sin and to unmistakably weigh down your conscience. Hic enim jugum oneris, et virga humeri, et sceptrum exactoris sentitur, Is. 9, 4.
(34) For no tyrant has ever so treasured, so oppressed, so weighed down and subverted his subjects, as the devil, through the lust of the flesh and of the world, weighs down and challenges the conscience of man. Oh God, how many are those who remain under this power of the devilish tyrant forever, if they want to, because it seems funny to them. For this reason they gather innumerable goods, build such a dwelling place, as if they wanted to dwell here forever, when we have no lasting place here, as St. Paul says Hebr. 13, 14. And all these or the like pray this prayer without heart. For if they did it with heartfelt desire, they would say: Father, deliver me from this life, that we may live in your kingdom. St. Paul prayed in this way when he said Phil. 1:23: "I desire to be delivered from this life, that I may be with Christ." But this they do not prove by their works, which after all tend to be according to the heart. And are like a silver pipe that blares and shouts, 2c. without soul and heart. Therefore, God mocks us. But let it be lamented to God that our holiness, which we hold in high esteem, is likened to organ pipes.
Of two kingdoms, God's and the devil's.
(35) The devil's kingdom is the realization of all sins, wrath, envy and others, such as deceit, forgery, betrayal of one's neighbor, slander. In it dwell all those who follow their desires, the world and the devil's counsel, and to whom this life is pleasing: and if it were their due, they would live here forever. And so the kingdom of the devil belongs to them.
The kingdom of God does not come before, for where there is peace, humility, discipline, chastity, love, and other good virtues, there is beautiful tranquility, without anger, without hatred, without favor, without deceit, without deceitfulness, all sweetness, kindness, truthfulness, simplicity, gentleness, kindness, goodwill; it begins here in this time, but in that life it will be accomplished.
- Would anyone like to say, "How can I tell when the kingdom of God is coming to and within us, or is about to come? Answer: Christ says it himself in Luc. 17, 20. 21. when he was asked by the spiritual Jews, when the kingdom of God should come? Yes, he says, "the kingdom of God will not come until
come with a sensual evaluation", with the great splendor; "neither will they say, Behold, or there it is. Perceive, the kingdom of God is within you." In the same way Christ admonishes all his elect, telling them how many future false prophets there would be, Matth. 24, 23. 26.: "Beware, if they tell you that he is (hear Christ) in the wilderness, do not go out"; you must not look far for it, you have it with you.
And this is knowledge.
Take diligent note of yourself, whether you are more inclined to good or evil. If you find in yourself that you have the love to do good and to be kind and gracious to your neighbor from the bottom of your heart, if you know yourself to be completely inferior to all creatures, if you are willing to help the poor, then the kingdom of God has risen in you. Thus man becomes more and more virtuous, until we die; so in that life it is accomplished.
(39) Now many of them, when they hear that we must come to God's kingdom by dying, would rather do without it that they might live. And they pray this prayer without heart. But if you do not find this in yourself, you have the devil's kingdom in you, and you are in a dangerous state, since the adornment and decoration of the devil's kingdom are sin and wickedness.
40 So it is nothing else said, "come your kingdom", because: Dear Father, let us not live here long. Or: If it pleases thee, give us thy grace, that we may become skillful servants, in whom thy kingdom may take its rise; and all this according to thy divine good pleasure; as follows:
The third digit and its interpretation.
Your will be done as in heaven and on earth.
The first request, as mentioned above H 15 ff, demands divine praise from us, glory and honor for his name. The other is our piety, that divine grace may make us pious here. The third wants to have our will broken and divine will established. For it will be necessary, if God's will is to stand, ours must perish. For they are contrary to each other; as Christ clearly shows when he asked his heavenly Father in the garden to take from him the cup of torture, yet he says: "Your will, and not mine, be done," Matth. 26, 39. If there was such a will in Christ after mankind, what do we poor worms want?
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How can we be sure that our will is good? That is why St. Bernard says about the Gospel of Mary Magdalene: We can will, but we cannot will well. For to will well is to make perfect, which is God's alone; to will evil is to suffer 1) wrongdoing, which is ours. We may also of our own nature do nothing else, but fall, and lie, and be sick. Here Bernard throws down the teaching of Aristotle, since he says: A man is a master of all his works in the beginning, in the middle and in the end. But how can and may this exist, since the will, to which Aristotle gives the greatest power, is not able to will anything good? As soon as we follow our will, we become ours, and then the devil's. Therefore, he who does good does not wander freely according to his will, but freely gives himself and all that is his away to the will of God. For this reason, no one can do well or want to do well except through the saving grace.
(42) So we pray: O Father, I find in myself that my nature is inclined to evil, that it always seeks its own, its rumors, benefits, piety in worldly or external things and in internal or spiritual things. I beg you, break my nature, my will, let it be as it pleases me, that it may please you alone. But how this is to be understood will follow clearly afterwards.
Follow how these three petitions intertwine.
Now it is a strange thing that God calls us to ask things that are against us. For if his will be done, our will must be broken. But if my will is destroyed, and divine will alone prevails, then my house and the devil's kingdom are also broken, and the kingdom of God begins to come within me. But if this happens, there is nothing else in me, but greatness, sanctification, praise, giving, praise of the divine name, and all this by the pure grace of God. Therefore, since in heaven there is nothing else but one will, for all the saints say: O God, here is nothing but your will, we also pray that such a union of human and divine wills may take place on earth and in us. And these three prayers approach Christ, honor Him, and disgrace us, because we do nothing but what displeases God. But from all this, nothing else arises, except God's praise, which stands, as said above § 31, in our desecration. Our goodness must be nothing,
- Breakdown - infirmity, sin, as in Ps. 103:3.
until such time that Christ has his good. But who is he that desireth to live with his Father in displeasure, when we must, and cannot do otherwise? For his will is not done, neither do we; therefore we ask his help.
44 And the more deeply human nature is defiled, the more comfort it has. For Christ says Matth. 5, 17: I did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. And in the Gospel he expresses the depth of the law, that is, that it is impossible for us 2) to fulfill it, but we seek one who will help us to do it. This is the comforting message (gospel) that shows us Christ, that we run to him and ask him. For it is he who has come to our comfort, help and assistance. So God teaches us that we should know ourselves, who we are, and that we are entitled to help. This is how humility grows, and man receives hope, trust and love for his pious God, who has allowed himself to be helped, so that he may be released from his poverty, thus acting miserably 2c.
(45) Come out now, O you who are worthy of hope, who boast of your good will, and say, if it is not to your liking, Well, I meant it so heartily well, I wanted to have helped a whole city, but the devil will not yield; and they think their will is right and good. Oh, that's it, that's it for you. Do you not hear that our will always strives against God? But thou shalt say, O God, I thought it should be good; but if thou wilt not, I am well content. 2c.
Now, unfortunately, it has come to this, that one says to the people from the pulpit, unashamedly and publicly: O man, have only a good opinion, will and intention to do as much as you can; do what is in you, so you cannot be lost. Oh God! how we have gone astray, if there is no good will, thought, intention, opinion in us; and if we do what is in us, we do nothing but sin.
(47) Thus they say: God is so kind that he does not lay upon man that which is too heavy for him to bear. Answer: Yes, he puts on man that which is too heavy for him of himself, for the sole reason that he may see that he is unable to do anything of himself, and call upon Christ, as stated above § 21; for by his help he can do it, and not otherwise. Item, God's will is the most noble will, and our will is wretched, poor, evil, bad and inept. Therefore, the best will we may have is of no account against God. Even if you had the good opinion that you wanted to convert the whole of Christendom and bring it to its blessed state, you would not be able to do so.
- In the original: useless.
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However, if you were able to raise the dead, you must not trust in it, but freely surrender it to God alone, saying: "My dear God, I think it is good; if it pleases you, let it be done; if it does not please you, let it remain behind.
48 Thus you say: Why then has God given me a free will? Answered Augustine: The will of man, outside of grace, is a servant, and not free, it is a servant; but it is free when it is judged by grace. For grace makes us well-disposed. The Scriptures are full of this, which would be too ludicrous to recount.
49 But you say, "Aristotle taught that reason always guides man for the best. Answer: Human nature is so poisoned with all its powers that it can do nothing good of itself. Therefore, if man's reason and understanding are not purified by divine grace, it is more inclined to evil than to good. Therefore, Aristotle's probation out of the dark hole will have little place. But it is enough for us to know that in all laws of all popes, emperors or others, where God's will does not prevail, human reason is not able to do anything.
(50) Now the Sententionarii say that when a man has repented of his sin and confessed it, he is in grace, and what he does afterward is good, if he has a good mind and intention; and they think that the mind, which they call bonam intentionem, is in evil alone, when it is in good and best, as it seems to us. Therefore all this is very unlike the truth; for they dreamt it thus from Aristotle. But Augustine and Ambrose give it a much different form, and say: If I am in grace, grace does not remain, but Christ gives a greater one; so that the latter recedes, and so long, until a perfect man becomes. Therefore, when a man feels a reluctance in his purpose, it is one of his teachings that he should not stand still for God's sake; he should let it go and say: O God, let your will be done and not mine.
But if we want to see what arises from the good conduct (as they call it), we notice, and it is in broad daylight, how nowadays one bishop fights with the other, one church against the other, monks, nuns, priests in all places in honor of God and for the benefit of the church, quarreling and warring, which are nevertheless vain devilish incitements, and specimens of devilish inspiration, thoroughly found in the truth.
Finally, it follows that we do not come to the kingdom of God unless our will is broken, so that man is led and says: O my dear God, there is hell, there is heaven, chastity, holiness, good works, in this I have the opinion, but, dear God, I set it free to you, do with it what pleases you, for my will is not as good as yours; therefore, let your will be done and go ahead. And so man must be calm, so that even if it pleased God, he would go to hell for his own sake. But when this happens, the kingdom of God comes within us. For Adam is now dead, and Christ reigns; and in the house one does nothing but praise God; as the faithful prophet David says Ps. 84:5: "Blessed are they, O Lord, who dwell in Your house," for from the beginning to eternity they will praise You. Therefore the first petition is the greatest, and may not come true in us unless the other two petitions that follow have first come true in us.
Term of this request.
Therefore it is said nothing else than: O Father, give us grace, so that we may break our will, so that we may freely trust in you, patiently letting your will be done, whether it be evil or good. O God the Father, your will be done, and then your kingdom will come, and so in us will be honor and glory, and also the sanctification of your divine name.
The following request indicates the order to ask. For in the first three, God alone is sought. And if God has His own, we may well ask for our needs. He also gives it Himself. This is what Christ means when he says Matth. 6, 33: "First seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all necessities will be thrown to you.
The fourth request and its interpretation.
(55) Up to this point we have used the little word thine, thine, in which we give glory to God. But now we begin to ask for our needs.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Man is composed of two natures, the body and the soul. The body must have its food to sustain itself, and without it it cannot live. But the soul must not be deprived of its food either. From this we learn that there are two kinds of food for the human being, the body and the soul.
732 Agricola's adaptation of Luther's Our Father. W. vn. ioss-ios8. 733
Spirit and body, internal and external, as St. Cyprianus says.
(57) First, in a bad sense, we ask for the bodily bread in which all bodily needs are met. For we know that when all fruits are dear, and only bread is cheap, it is called a good time; but when bread is brought, everyone says it is an evil, evil time. Nor is it, at my discretion, without special grace that we grow weary of eating all food but 2) bread.
Now let us notice the order of the words. First he says: Ours, that we forget not our neighbor, as touched above § 14 in the beginning. Then he says: hodie, id est, hoc die, to this day; not from tomorrow, but today. For Christ says Matth. 6, 25. ff: "You shall not be careful what you eat or drink, what you put on, wherewith you clothe yourselves. Look at the birds of the air, which neither sow nor reap, neither do they gather grain into the barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them. Also look at the flowers of the field, the lilies, roses 2c. They work not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, that Solomon, the mighty and rich king, in all his glory, was never so adorned as one of these." The Lord then said: "If this is true, that your father keeps and feeds the grass which grows today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, what care will you have? Are ye no more than grass and birds?" When in another place he says, "Neither be ye careful what ye do tomorrow; for the morrow bringeth with it its own soxge." The opinion of all these is that we should seek our need, and so strive to do it, with the attachment, if it is pleasing to him, and not contrary to him. But if it is against him, we should let it go, hoping and trusting in him above all things. For he will not leave us. So David says in Ps. 37:25: "I have been young, I have been old, and I have never seen the righteous forsaken (but he is righteous who firmly hopes in him through faith), nor his children seek bread.
59 But now we are shown in what condition we live here. We are without food, and we would not have it if he did not give it to us. Look at our poverty and destitution, misery and wretchedness. We are and dwell in this dear time; we also are pilgrims, as the
- d. i. Deficiency.
- alone -except.
Another petition says, in a foreign land; remembering our Father Christ who dwells in heaven; but we cannot go that way unless he gives us bread that we may not break. And while we walk among the enemies, he must lead us and guide us, and not lead us in. He must also keep us from evil. Otherwise, if he turns his hand away, man is in the power of the enemy, in evil and all misfortune. But if our meager life is defiled, and God gives us the bread of His grace, then we walk in His strength, that is, while we live, until we come to Mount Oreb (1 Kings 19:8), that is, to Christ.
The other and spiritual mind.
The other request in the spirit that Christ wants from us. (For if we are devout, we must not worry about what will be lacking in our bodily goods for our need). Therefore, according to the true Latin interpretation, it is written in Greek: (Panem transsubstantialem) give us a substantial amount of bread. And here, because I see that it is necessary, because the Easter feast is approaching, 3) we want to stand still for a while and say something about it.
61 Thus it is to be noted what food the spirit or soul has, what its food is, and how, in what form and manner, or by whom it is satisfied.
What is the food of souls.
(62) Just as the body, when it hungers, has a desire for bodily bread until it is satisfied by it, so the soul's hunger demands food when it desires it, and the desire is the soul's hunger. As is found in an example, where the stingy man hungers without ceasing for gold and silver, the hopeful for honors, and the like, in which we seek a desire, pleasure, or popularity. But the soul's food is called, when it forms in itself that which it desires, and does not cease to have it. The pleasure then in acquired beloved thing is called its food.
Now our soul may not find enough food and satisfaction in any worldly, perishable good. For the miser may not be satisfied by money, yet he desires much more, and so each in his own state. Therefore their desire of the soul, in what is now mentioned, becomes wider and wider. The Scriptures call all miserly men money and honor, unchaste men, and those who are worthy of hope, fattening pigs,
- Easter fell on April 12 in 1517.
734 Interpretations of the Evangelist Matthew. W. vii, loss-imi. 735
And with them Christ acts in such a way that they become much more bitter, stingy, unchaste, hopeful, because their lust grows from day to day, and becomes greater and greater.
But if the soul, which is a spirit, is to be nourished and satisfied, it must also enjoy and need spiritual food. For Christ says in Matthew, Cap. 4, 4: "Not only does man live in bad bread, but in every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Here Christ clearly indicates that the food and sustenance by which the life of the soul is sustained is in the hearing and meditation of the divine Word. Likewise in John, through a whole chapter Cap. 6. he says of this life, which goes and is sustained by the bread that came down from heaven, which is Christ; when he says [v. 53. 1: "The bread is my blood and flesh." V. 48.: "I am the bread of life." v. 35.: "He that cometh to me shall not hunger, but shall be filled: and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." And by this alone may we be satisfied; for this is [v. 33. 1 the bread that gives life to the world.
Therefore, the opinion is brief: The food of the soul is in the words, works, life, suffering, death, bloodshed, coronation, scourging of Christ, Our pious God. If you make the 1) soul imagine this 2), it will be spread out and made fresh, infected and stimulated to devotion, love, chastity, penance, piety, and other such things. For this reason Christ is called in Scripture a fattened calf, Matth. 22, 4. So now our soul is fed by all the words and works of Christ. Also, every drop of Christ's blood, every thorn that pierced his tender head and skull, every blow on his cheek, every taunt and mockery that they manifoldly put on our pious Christ, every tear or tear that he wept, is a judgment by which the food of souls is prepared. This is also the opinion of the Scriptures, of all the prophets and apostles, especially of Paul, and also of Christ himself, that men should now come to know Christ, who he is, and for whose sake he suffered such manifold persecutions and tribulations. Thus we find ourselves, 3) that we find those for whose sake he did all these things.
(66) And if we take this to heart and consider it, we will undoubtedly do good.
- "the" put by us instead of: "the".
- In the original: this one.
- In the original: in us.
very excited. For why? It is impossible for the soul to rest if the work or suffering of Christ warms in it; and it will now be necessary to teach the people how they should unlearn the virtues, and Aristotle's teaching and art must remain behind. But now one does not teach, God be praised, how one should only do many good works, what and how much indulgence or other good one should get from it. From this arises our own good pleasure, and measurement of how much reward God should give us for it. The devil enters all this, lifts up our hearts, and with such a pretense, which we consider holy and good, alas! introduces us into the sorrowful hopefulness with a great cunning, and in the end completely takes it over. But that it is true, listen to what Christ says in John 6. When he told the Jews and his disciples how they should do godly works, they asked, v. 28, how they should do them, Christ answers, v. 29, "This is God's work, that you believe in him whom God has sent," that is, in Christ. St. Paul also says this in all his epistles, especially to the Galatians Cap. 2, 16: "The righteous man does not live in the multitude of works, but in faith." And this is how it goes: "If I find in myself nothing but poverty and wretchedness, sin, wickedness, unrighteousness, unchastity, arrogance, impatience, hatred, and all uncleanness, I take comfort in the fact that Christ is rich, powerful, without sin, pious, righteous, chaste, humble, patient, peaceful, pure, and true, and believe that his good works, torture, bloodshed, death, and all such things have become mine. Therefore, even though we do not have it, even though we do not fulfill the least of the law, let us comfort ourselves that Christ has it, who alone has fulfilled the law. Let us hold fast to him, on whose back and in whose skin we will ascend into heaven, for he is the way. And he who seeks another way errs, as it is written in John Cap. 3, 13: "No one ascends to heaven except He who descended, the Son of Man."
(67) So also the Christian Church, our Mother, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has ordained that the Gospel should be read daily in all masses, even in a high place, so that everyone may hear it, that all devout Christians may draw and receive nourishment for their souls from it; also that those who, because of their work, do not otherwise have to do so, may see Christ for a little while and hear His Word, so that they may be preserved in their souls for the day from a fall into sin, and resist the devil.
736Agrieola 's adaptation of Luther's VateEnser. W. vii, Mi-um. 737
Form and manner in which the feeding and saturation of the soul may take place.
(68) Now all pious Christians weep over themselves and their wickedness, that they are so impotent, miserable, and so poisoned and wounded in their nature that they do not want to be healed and made whole, but God sends His beloved Son, Christ, from the high, heavenly dwelling place to comfort us and make us whole; and this out of mild kindness and love. This they firmly form in their hearts. When they hear a Gospel reading, as an example of how Christ went up a mountain from his disciples and prayed all night, Luc. 6:12, the soul thinks: "Oh, how my most sweet God, who is so innocent, just, chaste, pious, and without all sin, has done this; how am I so lazy, how do I sleep day and night? Up, up, call on him, I will also do something for his love. For he has done it for our sake. And if the soul is tempted to be conformed to Christ; or if it hears how Christ of Pilate is hard-bound to the pillar, wretchedly, miserably torn, cut to pieces, that nothing is left whole in his body, that he has also fallen down with weakness and faintness, and is comforted by no one, then the soul says: "Oh, how my pious Christ lets himself be torn to pieces for my sake! behold, how he stands so naked and bare! oh, how warmly and how much he takes care of me, and all without guilt! how I walk in pleasure, in peace, in rest, in health, in beautiful clothes, and he is bleeding and dripping with blood! I would have deserved it ten times more! I should be scourged more 2c., I also want to do something to my God's will. And so think of doing something greater afterwards.
It is also impossible for the soul to stand still when it is thus stirred. Therefore, we see that love, righteousness, repentance and other virtues flow from the wounds of Christ; and it is certain that what does not flow from Christ's wounds is unfit and displeasing to God. So the bride in Canticis says to Christ, her betrothed: Thou hast breasts overflowing with shame, adornment, and fragrant herbs Hohel. 4, 10. So we must suck what is ours from the wounds of Christ, repentance in particular. If God so loved me, and I so forgot Him, and sinned against Him, why did I do it? For then the blood of Christ must work in thee, and warm thee; so shalt thou come to a right newness of heart, when thou hast the food. The heart is immediately torn apart, and says, "I am filthy, say, what have I done?
and to love God. Then the soul is fed and feasted, and the love of righteousness and hatred of sins always increase. And this is a certain argument and sign of the grace of Christ, when the hatred and unwillingness of sin increases and is increased, and the love of righteousness. And whoever does not feel this sign in him certainly has a dead stomach. For he cannot digest this food. And therefore the soul remains hungry, and is not fattened, that is, his heart does not become kind, gentle toward another, does not become humble, patient, loving, kind. And therefore he does not cease to ask that God will give him the same, and waits when God will make him ask; for this is done by grace alone. And if this food is kept in us, our heart is in continual motion and without rest.
And in remembrance of this, God has given us His precious, tender body, and His innocent blood, commanding His disciples in separation, as often as they do this, that is, as often as you say Mass, and sacrificing My body and blood, you shall do it in remembrance of Me. Oh, good God, what a beautiful last thing it is that the essential bread we ask for here is with us daily, by which our soul is fed. In this it is given to understand how the preparation for it is to be done. Christ does not say: "As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you should fast as much and pray as much, 2c., but: Remember me only through this. Not that fasting and praying are evil, but that there is nothing noble in them. Therefore, let every priest, or every one who wishes to receive this sacrament, take care that he does not think, if he has confessed, fasted, or prayed, that he is then pure, and so go safely to it; but rather go to a secret place, and take before him the passion of Christ, or a piece of his life, 2c., form it in his heart as deeply and heartily as he can; and where it would otherwise be too short for him, he would rather have a part in the prayer than omit it. For he who thus prepares himself is safer than if he had prayed a thousand psalms. St. Paul also says this to the Corinthians, 1 Ep. 11, 26: "As often as you eat this bread and drink the blood, you will proclaim the death of the Lord."
It follows that we should not take before us every day the whole passion, life, or work of Christ, but every day a part; now, how he is executed; now, how he is crowned, mocked, scoffed at, 2c., after which man finds more devotion, by which he may be provoked,
738 Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. W. vn, um-ross. 739
and so go into his heart, chewing that itself, so that it may warm up with him, and strength and sweetness enter into the man. But, dear God, how much is ours, who do not know ourselves, and throughout our lives hardly one, or never go into our heart and investigate who we are; only think that if we pray with the crowd, go to church, and live according to the common way, fasting 2c., then it is enough; deceive ourselves, then, if we do not investigate and know our heart. That is why it is called a supreme bread, that there is another life, which is above our common nature.
We are all born from Adam and Even naturally, and everything we have from them must be suppressed and put down. For it is unclean and poisoned, and belongs to hell. Therefore we pray, O Father, give us another bread, which may lead us into another nature; from the natural life, which is sinful, into the life of grace, which is meritorious; not to wickedness, but to godliness; from fornication to discipline, from hope to humility, from unchastity to chastity, from impatience to patience, from anger to gentleness, kindness, love, friendship. And all this is given by Christ, not as Aristotle says, but as we accept Christ in his life, works, death and suffering, 2c., and that we share in ourselves his sorrow, lamentation, misery, persecution, poverty, affliction, anguish, his wounds, his drops of blood, and all his members, considering why he suffered these things. That is comedere Christum, to eat Christum, and to be fed by him. And so he introduces, above our being, another, higher being. For he makes of the children of wrath children of reconciliation; of the children of nature children of grace; of sinners pious, kind, righteous men; of the children of the devil children of God. And so much is said for this time. The other, how to receive this sacrament of the body of Christ, I will tell at another time.
From all this it follows that we can render no greater service to God than to abandon ourselves, our powers, and all that is within us, all creatures, having no rest in them, in no work, be it as it may, placing our hope, comfort, in God alone. And this does not happen before, because when man is outside of him, abandons himself completely, takes no comfort in anything, because of his own unrighteousness, takes comfort only in knowing one who helps him, who for his sake has borne all this torment and torture mentioned many times. This is what St. Ambrose says: He who is close to God is far from himself. But he who is close to him
himself is near, is far away from God. For our Adam and Christ cannot dwell with each other. But while we seek our own, Adam dwells in and with us. Therefore, if Christ is to come in, Adam (that is, all the covetousness of creatures, the desire and impact of nature) must go out. There is also nothing good in us, God who builds it. He must create it anew, so that man may stand idle and empty of all created things, as in the 46th Psalm, v. 41: "Behold, and be idle, or rest; for I am God." The bow he will crush, and will break the weapons 1) of the old Adam, and his shield he will burn with the fire of his divine love. O man, forgive thyself of power and might! For if you turn your weapons to Christ, you will accomplish nothing. And this must come to pass, as Augustine says, that thou hearest the voice, "Let it suffice thee only that thou hast my grace," 2 Cor. 12, 9. Jeremiah also says Cap. 32, 39, 40, 41: "I will give them a new heart, and new ways: lest they turn aside from the fear of GOD, I will give them, and will rejoice in that which I have given them." Whether he should say: If I do not give them all these things, they can do nothing but turn away from me. Neither will I rejoice in them, nor in their works, but in them which I give them. So also Augustine speaks in the person of Christ: I am your God, who created you, and must create you anew. David also asks this in Psalm 51:12: "Create a pure heart within me, O God." For if he does not make it new, it is unclean. Jeremiah, Cap. 17, 5: "Blessed is he who puts his hope in God, but he is lost who puts his hope in man and lifts up his arm or the power of his inability," David, Ps. 146, 3: "You shall not put your trust in the children of men, for there is no salvation in them." "The Spirit must make us alive," otherwise we are dead, as Christ says John 6, 63.: Spiritus est, qui vivificat, caro non prodest quicquam.
(74) What then do those say who set dispositions de congruo, ways and means, so that we may obtain grace, when clearly Christ says John 15:5 f.: "I am the vine, and you (that is, all Christians) are the branches of the vine. But which is cut off, it bringeth no fruit." How then shall we go before Christ and open the door? If he says through John, "It is true that I have given you many laws, but without me and my help you will not be able to fulfill them John 15:5.
- In the old edition: "Wapen".
740 Agricola's adaptation of Luther's Our Father. W. vu. 1068-1071. 741
75 You say: Well, so I hear, I must become desolate and abandon myself? I answer you: Yes, yes. If you say again: Well, then I despair. No, no, dear companion, the right consolation will only come now. Listen to what God says in Deut. 27:26: "Let all those who do not abide in all those things which are written in the book of the law be damned, that he may do them. Now no man can do this of himself. Should he therefore despair? St. Paul answers the Galatians, Cap. 3, 13. f.: Although all men are outside of grace in the malediction of God, "Christ hath redeemed us from the malediction of the law, having become for us a malediction. For it is written: For it is written, Let every one that hangeth on the tree be forsaken, that the promise of the abbaha might be ours in JESUS CHRIST, and that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Since Christ has become a promise for us, why would we not hope in Him alone? And the opinion is in a nutshell: Christ, the friendly little lamb, who hung on the wood for us in a maledictory way, is just, pious, chaste, pure, strong, healthy, vigorous, cheerful, peaceful, humble, rich, benevolent, lovely, kind, merciful, patient, compassionate, gentle, sweet, cordial, friendly, blessed, gracious, mild and full of all good. Therefore it will have an unjust, wicked, unchaste, unclean, unfilial, weak, sick, invalid, miserable, afflicted, unhappy, hopeful, poor, proud, despised, stubborn and cantankerous, unkind, unmerciful, impatient, insufferable, hardhearted, bitter, angry, unkind, meager man, and full of all sin. For He says Matt. 9:12, 13: "I am not come for the righteous, but for sinners: for they that are whole have no need of a physician." O a comforting word is this to us, all sinners! How then would you be more comforted, if you could find and know such a helper? So St. Paul says to the Romans Cap. 11, 32. and Galatians, Cap. 3, 22: "God hath concluded all men in sin, that he might have mercy on them all," and that the promise might come true in all men. If then Christ has been made a sinner for our sake, he has accepted that which we are: We are all made perfect. This is also the angelic greeting, Luc. 1, 42: "Give the fruit of your womb." For all other fruits of other wives are vermaledeiet. If you could have done good for yourself, Christ should not have died, for he died for the cause alone. 2c.
76 But now you say, "If Christ does it, we must not do good, because our doing good is evil and unworthy. So let us be good companions, and so let us live in sins, and let us do evil, that God may give us good; for he will have sinners, and will give his grace to them that seek him not, as St. Paul says to the Romans in the 10th, v. 20, 21, introducing the prophet Isaiah in the 65th, v. 11.: "I was found of them that sought me not, and appeared manifestly, and made myself known to them that asked me not"; and to the children of Israel, v. 2. : "All day long I spread forth my hands unto the unbelieving people, who daily contradicted me." Answer: If you know that God wants sinners, take comfort in the fact that you know yourself to be a sinner. For if thou judgest thyself in thyself, and findest in thyself an unfit, unclean heart, it is clean in the sight of God; for then saith he unto thee, Ps. 51:8, Loos Ecce veritatem dilexisti, "Behold, thou hast loved the truth."
If you also realize how you are so poor and meager, see, as said above § 65. 66, what Christ did for your sake, divine love will not let you rest, and then you will do everything out of love. Hence a man surrenders his will to live according to the commandment and will of another, as do the clergy who live in monasteries. For when he looks at Christ's goodness and love, he says: "Why do I persevere, since this is what my pious God has done, I will give my will to another for his love. And this is the reason from which our works should spring, For thus good wine flows from the branches that have grown on the living vine, Christ, John 15:1. Therefore we must finally rest nowhere but in the Lord Christ. As eternal wisdom also says: I have sought rest in all things, but I alone will dwell in the inheritance of the Lord (in haereditate Domini), that is, in that which is purely God; to which man must merely give himself, as Ambrose interprets. This is the opinion of Luc. 10, 41. When Christ was sitting at the table in Martha's house, and Martha was serving the Lord, and Mary was sitting at his feet and listening to his word, Christ says to Martha, when she complains about her sister, that he should tell her to help her: "Martha, Martha, you are sorrowful and careful in or about many things. But I tell thee, there is one thing needful." Whether he said, All works must be done away, and Christ we must keep, and be content with; and the one thing Mary had chosen. Therefore he says in v. 42: "Mary has chosen the best part, and this will be the best part.
742 Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. W. vn, 1071-1071. 743
not taken from her." So also the Church sings of the Ascension of Mary, and in Canticis is spoken of the Bride of Christ: "Who is she," say the angels, "that ascends through the wilderness, as a rod of incense of myrrh and aromatics?" Hohel. 3, 6. This is, as Gregory says, a diminution of us and our works. In the same way, if one wants to sacrifice, one must pound the myrrh and the aromatics, and then they are set on fire. Thus, if our works are to be pleasing to God, they must be crushed and diminished by us; and then God comes and sets them on fire so that they smoke and rise.
- is now recently the decision: What God does not build, create, make, set on fire, that does not please Him. Therefore we must not undertake to do anything on our own. And this is the excerpt of this petition.
Now let us begin again, since it has remained. We ask: "Father, give us our daily bread", bodily and spiritual, so that body and soul may be preserved. Whoever wants to read more about this among the scholars, should read Hieronymum on Matthaeum. The Lord Christ gives here, and I also ask that you remember in this request all priesthood, prelates and rulers. For we ask for the bread that must be given to us through the priests. Therefore, one should honor them and not speak ill of them. God has highly forbidden it in Deuteronomy: "You shall not speak evil of your gods", that is, of your prelates and priests, Ex 22, 28. Also God says to Mosi, Ex 7, 1: "I have made you a god of Pharaoh." St. Paul to the Romans, Cap. 13, 1. ff., highly approves it, and is his opinion that we should do the evil prelates equal as great honor as the pious ones. And the reason is: We must not look at the prelates as men alone, but as God sits and rules in them. And this requires a sharp face and a cunning mind to separate one from the other. Thus the 122nd Psalm v. 3. 5. says: "Jerusalem is built as a city, and the chairs sit in judgment." Who has ever heard such a strange thing as the city being built, and we do not see the builder? Item 5: "The chairs (that is, the prelates) sit in judgment," and he who sits in the chairs we do not see. But it has now come to pass that no one is so much persecuted as the chiefs. The devil makes it possible that one speaks of the high estates.
80 Thus you speak: Yes, shall it not be said of the priests, they do it, and it is their fault,
they live that it is sin and shame. I answer thee, It is true that we monks and priests deserve to be deceived; but so all estates live evil, and therefore estates are not evil. In the conjugal state there are many adulterers and adulteresses, but marriage is not evil. A common woman wears gold and silver, but the silver and gold are not evil. So also in all ranks, and especially in this one, which is the highest of all, and in which one sins most grievously. I tell thee also that God is thus a whimsical workmaster, that He governs most the good by wicked rulers. For the prophet says, God will not be moved in the means of the rulers, be he good or evil. Also Joh. 10, 13.: "I am a good shepherd"; whether he said: Ask and do not respect what the hirelings do; I will not be far from you, because I work through them. Therefore, we are not to persecute them, but ask God: "O Father, send laborers into your vineyard," as Christ teaches us Matth. 9, 38. The Lord of the vineyard is Christ, the laborers are the prelates, the vineyard all people.
(81) Neither shall you speak after your prelates, for it is not fitting for you, but only after the preachers in the pulpit. And where they would do it otherwise, they also sin. This is the meaning that Christ was baptized by John. John is the preacher of Christ by which all preachers are understood. John washed the head of Christ with water. Thus the prelates and governors of Christ suffer and are punished by the preachers. Therefore, take care that you do not remember them badly in beer pubs.
Therefore, O dear God, give us such rulers and priests who preach Christ to us. And if I should ask and desire, I would only desire that they govern the people through the divine word. For you know that if this state were right, we would also do well. They are carters, and we are horses; so we are bound together. One blind man leads another; if they fall, we go badly. For Gregory says, "When the shepherd and shepherd go through the broken rocks, it is certain that the sheep will fall into the deep. Therefore this is the greatest prayer of all, because of our need, the middle one among the seven, and is the one that governs the others. Therefore, when we see our prelates fall, we should say: O God, grant that the poor man may rise! For if the chiefs were good, we would smite the devil a little crib 1) and say: In spite of you.
- In § 94, the form is: "clippings".
744Agricola 's adaptation of Luther's Vater-Unser. W. vii, 1074-1077. 745
The fifth digit and its interpretation.
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
First of all, let us notice the kindness of our Father, how briefly he puts the pardon on us, puts it in our hearts, and says: You are a blasphemer of my name, you are in danger, you do and do not do my will, you are a wicked man; but if you want to do everything enough for that, then forgive only your neighbor, and that is more useful than ten thousand letters of indulgence. Therefore the poor, or any race of men, may excuse themselves, that they cannot all manage their hearts. He does not say, So fast much, so pray much, or do this or that, but rather, pardon from the heart. Augustine says: "If you forgive your neighbor from your heart, in the same way that you forgive him, God will also forgive you. God desires nothing else from us than that we love one another as brothers, that we be helpful, friendly and kind to one another, that we bear a kind heart towards one another. As He Himself says John 13:34, "This is My commandment, that you love one another." For when love is present, all other works of friendship follow after it, and "love does not rest," as St. Paul teaches 1 Cor. 13:8.
- Now there are some who may openly and insolently say: He has done this and that to me, I will and can never forgive him, I will never hold him. O a devilish voice and speech is this from a Christian! Listen, dear man, tell me, what has he done to you? Do you answer: Alas, he has hurt my honor, he has gone along with me falsely 2c. Think carefully, dear brother, what you are doing. I ask thee, all that he hath done unto thee, how is it, temporal or eternal? So you say, they are temporal. Why then art thou foolish, and wilt give thy soul, which is eternal, and the image of God, for a corruptible thing? For it is immediately said: I will not and cannot forgive him; I will give my soul to the devil, and I will take it from God. Remember back, dear brother mine. You also do as a noble young lord did. After the death of his father, who had left him much good, God sent him to distress and persecution, so that he became poor. Out of desperate courage he said: "Well then, if you have taken my goods, I will take your soul. Then he became a usurer and was condemned forever. And God be lamented, as one now prays punishment and vengeance upon oneself, with
Corals and crystals, golden and silver paternosters, saying: O God the Father, O Father, do not forgive me; never again give me heaven, for I will not forgive. Look around you, O man! what you ask, how a harmful enemy you are to yourself. See how you curse and maledict yourself. And these are the first to sin against it.
- secondly, those who sin against them, but think they do not sin, are the trustworthy saints. They are known to talk about and judge everything that another does, and they are not silent because they know something about their neighbor, and so they know how to adorn themselves finely: "Yes, I do not repeat it to him in harm or in evil; I grant him everything good. And so they speak with a good appearance with the mouth, when the heart is much more skilful. O thou gleaner and hypocrite, what dost thou boast of? Inside your heart you are full of hatred and envy. For if everyone were silent and your neighbor's sin were covered, you would reveal the secrecy of your friend, as you falsely say. Therefore you cannot be his friend. For a friend warns his other friend, punishes him amicably in private. But you do not mean it warmly, you speak behind him, before him you are kind. But you should always say, if your brother falls: O God, forgive him for falling today; tomorrow it will be my turn. Then you will paint the devil over the door, and make yourself white and excuse yourself, if you are an enemy: Yes, I am a little enemy to him; he also does it; if he would do it, I would give him my heart in my body, I would do much to him. You see that he has fallen. But if you fell, what did you want? Certainly, that everyone would keep silent about you, and no one would remember and forgive you. Well, do likewise to him. You must also grant him all good from your heart. Not as some do, who say: "I am not hostile to him, I grant him everything that God grants him. 2c. For there is still resentment in the heart.
How would it please you if God did to you as you do to your brother? O God! I have a wrinkled nose toward my neighbor; do the same to me, my God. Therefore, if you want to stand before God, he must close his eyes. So you also cover the sin of your neighbor. The prophet says, Ps. 143:2: "Thou shalt not enter, O God, into judgment with thy servant; for in thy presence no living man shall be justified." So make your neighbor be with you in your heart, lamenting and punishing him.
- In the original: "to GOtt" instead of: o GOtt.
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fraternally, asking God for him, not to judge. For then our prayer becomes pleasant. But if it is not, it is sin. It is a terrible thing that prayer is a malediction and cursing of ourselves, which should be a resolution of our sin. It should help us to grace, but it prevents us from it. Recently, the rule that Christ gives in the Gospel is to be noted, as he says Matth. 18, 15: "If your brother has fallen, take him to a secret place alone"; admonish him: "Brother, this is against God, stop it; why do you want to anger your pious God? Keep to yourself, and if you know anything, tell him, and otherwise let it be buried with you in your heart, and tell no one until you come to him yourself. And if thou shalt do so, when thou shalt fall again, God saith, Eh, he hath covered his neighbor's fall; come near, all creatures, and cover this man his sin. For we would have it so, therefore shall we do it, by the law of nature. For he that hath pleasure in the sins of another is guilty of them, and is more defiled than he that hath committed them. This I will prove: The greater the pleasure in sins, the greater the sin. But if the one who has done it immediately thinks, "What have you done? It is wrong," he is ashamed and does not want anyone to know about it: But the barker goes and plays with it, and would not that it had not been done, and so stains and rolls in the filth of his neighbor.
(87) Now you say: Is it true, why should I not say it? and it is so: I have seen it, and know it truly. I say, Thou dost deny; and answer thee, That every one that speaketh the truth, when he ought not, and where he ought not, and when he ought not, and not in season and out of season, doth deny. Thus it is forbidden thee severely of God; therefore thou shalt forbear it, if thou knowest it to be true. Be silent and complain to God, pray for him to rise again. This is what Christ says, all the prophets, all the apostles, and all the Scriptures 2c. For the reason of all Scripture is: "Love GOD and your neighbor. And what you want done to you, do to another."
88 Thirdly, it is to be noted, as is shown here again, the poverty of our wretched life. We are in debt, in a sinful state up to our ears; our score is cut full of crosses, our record keeps inside that we are guilty of everyone, and we ask not only that he forgive sin, but our sin, which is now ours, in which we are drowned.
That is why the holy bishop and martyr Cyprian says: "It is a useful prayer that teaches us that we are sinners, and that before Christ none of us is found pure and innocent.
(89) No one can be saved except he who prays this prayer daily. And even though we begin to become pure here, it does not happen completely, as in that life. Therefore, this prayer must also be prayed, as Augustine says, by all pious, righteous people and those who live in God's grace. There is always something to do that they do not do. It is written Ecclesiastes 7:21: "There is not a righteous man upon earth, that sinneth not in that which he doeth good." But unjust and foolish are those who say with the gleaner, of whom the gospel says Luc. 18:11, "I thank thee that I am not a murderer, unchaste. "2c. I do not know anything that I do; I do not steal, I do not take from anyone what is his 2c. So they reckon the outward works, and leave the heart standing, not seeing how it is so full of envy and hatred toward their neighbor, how they seek their own alone, persuading another, since the greatest power lies with them. Listen, are you holier than St. Paul, who says 1 Cor. 4:4: "I know no sin that I have committed, yet am I not justified in it"? Job also says thus. We all have in our poisoned nature an affection of evil inwardly, which God looks upon, in our hearts, according to which we are sinners before God; and if He would not out of kindness and mercy let us go and forgive us, we would all deserve hell. Therefore we pray daily: O Father, give mercy! O Christ, mercy! do not punish. And therefore, O man! Judge thyself, speak of thyself: Behold, who thou art, and thou shalt forget thy neighbor's evil, that thou hast both thine own hands full.
- From all this it follows, according to Augustine's teaching, that no man is, he is a guilty man. For no man is so pious, so righteous, as to be excluded from this plea. For every one finds displeasure in his neighbor, for which he bears a grudge, and there is none so holy who does not. Therefore beware, all of you.
- say thou, The scripture saith of Jeremiah and Job, how in their days they sinned not with their mouths, nor with their lips. Item, Lucas praises Zachariam and Elisabeth, the parents of John the Baptist, how they were righteous before God and men; and there are many more of them in the Scriptures. Augustine answers: "Scripture praises the saints as much as it wants, but it always does so in the opinion that they are still sinners. David saws Ps. 14, 3: "They have all become useless, there is also none who does good," only
748Agricola 's adaptation of Luther's Vater-Unser. W. vii, io8o-iv84. 749
one, that is Christ. Also John says 1 Epist. 1, 8, and are the words of Christ, "If we say that we are without sin, we are liars, and the truth is not in us."
The sixth putty and its interpretation.
And do not lead us into ridicule.
Here, for the sixth time, is the paucity of our life. For it is a loud challenge and temptation, and he who desires peace and security here is foolish; he may not bring it about. And though we all desire it, yet it is useless to us. Therefore he saith not, Lead, or take away from me the temptation; but: Lead us not into it. Whether he said, "We are surrounded behind and before us with temptation and temptation, and may not escape them; but, O my God, make us not to be overcome and oppressed by them. We have to stand here before the opened jaws of Satan, the devil, and wait when he devours us, as St. Peter says, 1 Epist. 5, 8: O dear brethren, "be sober and watch, for your adversary the devil, as a fierce, ravening lion, goeth about and about, seeking whom he may tear and devour." Behold, our householder and bishop, Peter, saith, "Our enemy seeketh us," and not in one part, but in all ends, "round about," seeking all cunning, needing all guile, that he may bring man to him. And if we feel this, we should run to God and ask: O Father, see how we are surrounded on all sides? O let us not be overcome by all of them.
Two types of examination.
The first is that which is dangerous to the body, such as sickness, poverty, having one's honor cut off, or other such things by which we are provoked to patience. If this comes to pass (learn for God's sake), let no one be surprised. For this is the way of this life. Some say, "I would not be angry if I had my way, and would not have to suffer this or that. Yes, dear fellow, you cannot pass by, it is so ordered, it must be so, as the pious Job says, Cap. 14, 1: "A man born of a woman lives a little, short time - is filled with poverty." But whoever feels it, let him run to Christ and ask: -.
- In the old edition: "mir mirs".
O Christ, do not leave me without your grace; I will be drowned otherwise. And say with the prophet, Ps. 123:1, "Unto thee have I lifted up mine eyes, thou that dwellest in the heavens"; and Ps. 121:1, "Mine eyes have I lifted up unto the mountains, from whence also cometh my help." When I am in trouble and my brother is in pain, I run to Christ: "O Father, help me, keep this tentatio from working in me anger, hatred or envy against my brother; do not lead me into it, O Christ, so that I follow it. But those who follow the temptation give themselves freely to the devil, and all wickedness grows in them. Because our life is called a temptation by God Himself. Why should we be surprised? If something offends us, we should bear it kindly and say: Well, it is the quality of life. What shall I make of it? No one can be above this, but one can certainly advise it. Thus an old father, when Jerome writes, says to a young brother who asked him to give him advice on how to get rid of his thoughts, temptations, etc., which troubled him very much, and so that they would not come again: "Dear brother, how can you prevent a bird from flying in the air; but you can still prevent it from making a nest in your ear or on your head. So you cannot prevent the thoughts from coming, but you can be careful, by calling on God, that they do not nest with you. And this temptation is bitter.
The other is sweet, but more dangerous than the first. It makes happy people, and in them it does great harm, making hopefulness, unchastity, affection of all sin, especially fornication. For when the devil blows into our flesh, especially of a young man, he sets on fire all his bones, marrow and inner members. Thus says Job, Cap. 41, 12: Halitus ejus prunas ardere facit, "His breath makes the coals glow." So say thou, O father, quench; O let it not burn. Behold, a dead man comes to life from it, from the secret movement into the heart. So whoever feels this and does not cry out must fall, for he follows him and agrees to it. Therefore it is necessary that we groan to Christ, for this is the most dangerous temptation. For it makes man not call, but rest and be merry. So David the prophet says, "In the great sea of this world there are many things, that is, many temptations, temptations and resistances. Now we have come to the point where if one strikes a cliff, he wants to strike it
- Thus, who - the one who.
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and sting, do not want to suffer it at all. Now our life is nothing but condemnation, misery, disobedience. Fasting, misery, sin, temptation, evil, woe, misfortune, pain, woe, heartache; therein stands our doings.
The Seventh and Last Request.
But deliver us from evil; that is, from all that harms us.
95 Here we ask that he deliver us from the painful evil that is hell and everything that is against our body and may trouble us, also from the original evil of sin, as the teachers speak, so that we will not want anything else but evil; that he release us from it, so that the lust of the flesh does not take the spirit captive, as St. Paul says to the Romans, Cap. 7, 23.
Now let us notice how we have asked so far. In the first three petitions we have given God His glory; in the others we have asked for our need, what we need in body and soul, that He may forgive us our sin; and now, at the very last, we ask that He may save us from evil. And this may well be asked at the last.
Now we are here, and take this against the order of Christ. First, we do not honor God and his saints in any other way than to protect us from temporal poverty, dishonor and dishonor; we do not even think of the other requests that should go before, without which this last request cannot be accomplished. For health, good peace we may ask, but for the last. We now take many letters of indulgence, that we may be safe. But I tell you, it is dangerous where it happens that the divine name is not honored and praised. For where this does not happen,
we would rather be condemned ten times over for the sake of Christ. And he who feels and confesses Christ is willing to suffer anything, only that his divine name may be honored.
Order of all said.
First, pray that God may be praised in and through us. Second, that we may live without sin. Third, that we may be delivered from evil. So the first three are for God, the other three are for us, to be freed from sins, so that we may become godly. And when all these have been done, we should pray: Now deliver us from evil. So all prayers and needs are concluded in this. Therefore, if we call upon the saints to deliver us from evil, it is not right for us to seek the glory of God rather than our own benefit, nor the washing away of our sin (for we do not live by it); therefore it pleases neither God nor the saints. The Scripture says Ps, 85, 11: "Righteousness and peace have kissed one another." Our righteousness is Christ, who must be in us first; then comes peace. Therefore, when thou art sick, thou shalt say, When I am well again, I will be so godly, I will take up another way of life. O fool, thou knowest not what thou sayest. Say then: O God, give me strength, give me power, so that I do not fall into impatience 2c., and keep still, keep your back closed, and bear it willingly. But now we want to go to heaven in the cradle and in downy feathers, when Christ, our pious bishop, had to climb up on the cross through much pain and torture. Alas, we poor people, what do we undertake, if it is all in vain? In conclusion, God grant us all His grace, that we may live in such a way that we do not anger Him! Amen.
752 Erl. 21, 158-1SV. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the layman. W. VII, 1086-1093. 753
E. D. Martin Luther's German Interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the Simple Minded Laity
April 5, 1519.
Preface.
It would not be necessary for my preaching and words to be misled in the countryside; there are other books available that would be worthy and useful to preach to the people. I do not know how by God's fate I come into play, that some have seen and are driving my word to friendship and some to enmity. Therefore
I caused to omit this Pater noster, which went out earlier through my good friends, again, so that I explained myself further, whether it would be possible to also show a service to my opponents. For my sense is ever that I would be useful to everyone, harmful to no one.
(1) When Christ's disciples asked him to teach them to pray, he said, "When you pray, do not say many words, as the Gentiles do who think they will be heard if they say many words. Therefore you shall not be like them. For your Father, who is in heaven, knows what you need before you ask him. Therefore you should pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name" 2c.
2 From these words of Christ we learn both word and manner, that is, how and what we should pray. And these two things are noth to know.
First, the way we are to pray.
3 The way is to make few words, but many and deep opinions or senses. The fewer words, the better prayer; the more words, the worse prayer. Few words and much opinion is Christian, much words and little opinion is pagan. Therefore he saith Matt. 6:7: You shall not speak much when you pray, as the Gentiles do. Item Joh. 4, 24. To the pagan woman he said: "Whoever wants to worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth"; for the Father seeks such worshipers.
4 Now, "praying in the Spirit" or praying spiritually is opposed to bodily prayer.
*Luther was not pleased that his friend and student Johann Schneider (Agricola) of Eisleben had edited the previous scripture without Luther's knowledge and will and let it go out in print, and was thereby "caused (as he says in the preface) to omit this paternoster again, in order to explain himself further and whether it would be possible to do his opponents a service. Since he now wanted to deliver a popular writing "for the simple-minded laymen, not for the scholars", he took the holy Lord's Prayer once again in evening devotions before children and common people. (Weimar edition, Vol. II, p. 74.) In December 1818, he began his editing, but because he was busy in many ways, he could only proceed slowly, so that a finished copy could not be sent to Spalatin until April 5, 1519. (The letter to Spalatin, Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 627, ? 3, and De Wette, vol. I, p. 252, refers to our writing, not to the "short form of the Lord's Prayer," as De Wette assumes. Cf. Luther's letter to Joh. Lang of April 13, 1519, De Wette, vol. I, p. 256: Orationeru Oominiearn in8tauratam nuoqus initto, I also send you the "revised" Lord's Prayer; where Walch, vol. XV, appendix, no. 44, A 13, erroneously offers: "I also send you dm beginning of the Lord's Prayer."). This interpretation was first published by Melchior Lotther in Leipzig under the title: "Auslegung deutsch des Vaterunser für die einfältigen Laien Doctoris Martini Luther, Augustiner zu Wittenberg. Not for the Scholars." In 1519, six other editions appeared: with Valentin Schumann in Leipzig, with Martinus Herbipolensis in Leipzig, two with Silvanus Otmar in Augsburg, two with Adam Petrr in Basel; in 1520, four new editions: one by Melchior Lotther in Leipzig, one by Melchwr Lotther in Wittenberg, two by Silvanus Otmar (and Ottmar) in Augsburg; with
754 Erl. 21, 160-162. Interpretations On the Evangelist Matthew. W. vik, 1093-1095. 755
and called "praying in truth" against prayer in appearance, because prayer in appearance and in the flesh is outward mumbling and chattering with the mouth, without all attention. For this appears to people, and is done with the bodily mouth, and not truly; but spiritual and true prayer is inward desire, sighing and longing from the bottom of the heart. The first makes hypocrites and false, secure spirits; the other makes saints and fearful children of God.
(5) But there is a difference here, for outward prayer is done in three ways: First, out of pure obedience, as the priests and clergy sing and read; also those who say imposed penances or vowed prayers. In these, obedience is almost the best, and close to another bodily work of obedience (otherwise such is done out of simple obedience opinion, not for the sake of money or honor and praise), for so much unspeakable grace is in the word of God that it, even spoken with the mouth without devotion (in obedience opinion), is a fruitful prayer and hurts the devil.
- secondly, without obedience, or with displeasure and unwillingness, or for the sake of money, honor or praise. Such prayer would be better left undone, but here they are given their reward for it, good or honor in time; as God rewards the servants, not the children.
7 Thirdly, with devotion of the heart, the appearance is drawn into the truth, and the outward into the inward; yea, the inward truth breaks forth and shines with the outward appearance. But it is not possible for him who prays spiritually and thoroughly to make many words, for the soul, when it becomes aware of what it is saying, and in the same consideration thinks of the words and senses, must drop the words and cling to the sense, or again, it must drop the sense 1) and think after the words. Therefore such oral prayers are not to be accepted further, than as a stimulation and movement of the soul, that it thinks after the sense and the desires, which the words indicate. Thus in many psalms the superscription and title is: Ad victoriam, ad invitatorium, that is, that the same prayers, although they are fewer words, are nevertheless an incentive and movement for the heart to think or desire something good. Also, some psalms are distinguished with the word "Sela" (that is, "rest"), and are neither 2) read nor sung; to admonish that, where a special piece occurs 3) in prayer, that one keep still and rest, to consider the opinion well, and to let the words go so long.
- Thus taken from Walch's old edition. In the Weimar and Wittenberg editions: "dem Sinn muß sie fallen"; in the Jena edition: "den"; "lassen" is missing. Latin: postpositis reinig.
- So the Jenaer. Wittenbergers: "still". Weimarsche:, "after."
- euget - to appear before the eyes, to let oneself be seen.
The latter a new edition in 1522 and in the same year a printing by Valentin Curio in Basel. This writing was also translated into several foreign languages. Mathesius reports (in his 15th sermon, St. Louis edition, p. 299) that it was translated into Italian in Venice, but "Luther's name was omitted; as he sees it, from whom one must have permission to print, he says: Blessed are the hands that have written this; blessed are the eyes that see it; blessed are the hearts that believe the book and thus cry out to God. In a letter to Spalatin of February 3, 1521 (Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 748, § 5; with wrong date "Quadragesimä" instead of "Sexagesimä^) Luther writes to Spalatin that his Lord's Prayer had been translated into Bohemian. Already in 1520 the writing had been translated into Latin and appeared with Melchior Lotther at Leipzig under the .title: Dxplanutio Dominions orationis in Dntinnni vsrsa, 86<I a Rsvsrsnäo putrs Nnrtino Dutüsro sivj vsrnnonlo pro simplicnorihns luisis sompositu st asäitn. From this edition Michael Hillenius printed in Antwerp and had two editions published. In the Wittenberg Latin edition (1558), this translation is found in Dorn. VII, col. 99. The German scripture is first found in "Martini Luthers mancherlei Büchlein und Tractätlein," in the May 1520 edition, then also in the October 1520 edition; then in the collective editions of Luther's works: in the Wittenberg (1553), vol. VI, p. 33d; in the Jena (1564), vol. I, p. 67; in the Altenburg, vol. I, p. 76; in the Leipziger, vol. IX, p. 346; in the Erlanger (torn apart), vol. 21, p. 159, and (the "short term") vol. 45, p. 204, the former part provided with the year 1518, the other as from the year 1520, while both parts are closely connected with each other in all individual editions, thus also belonging to the same time. Finally, in the Weimar edition, Vol. II, p. 74. According to the latter, we give the text. Recently, namely in 1844, an English translation of our writing appeared in London under the title: iVI. Dntksr's Exposition ok tks Dorä's translatsä, sts.
756 Erl. 21, 1S2-1S4. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. VII, 1095-1097. 757
On the other hand: the words, and what we should pray.
- the words are: "Our Father, who art" 2c. For since this prayer has its origin in our Lord, it will undoubtedly be the highest, noblest and best prayer, for if he had known a better one, the pious, faithful schoolmaster, he would also have taught it to us. This, then, is to be understood, not that all other prayers are evil which do not have these words. For before Christ's birth many saints prayed who did not hear these words, but that all other prayers should be suspect who do not have or understand this prayer content and opinion before. For the Psalms are also good prayers, but do not so clearly express this prayer property, although (they conclude the same) completely in themselves.
Therefore, it is a mistake to compare or prefer some other prayers to this prayer, especially those inscribed in red ink, on the sole opinion that God will grant us health and long life, goods and honor, or even remission of chastisement, and the like, in which our will and honor is sought rather than God's honor and will. The wise St. Brigitten's fifteen prayers, rosaries, coronas, psalters and the like have become prevalent and are more respected than the Lord's Prayer. It is not that I reject them, but that the reliance on these oral prayers is too much, and thus the right, spiritual, inward, true Our Father is despised. For all indulgences, all benefits, all bestowals, and everything that man needs in body and soul, here and there, is understood to be superfluous in this. And it would be better for you to pray 1) An Our Father with heartfelt desire and opinion of the words, from which the betterment of your life would arise, than that you should gain the indulgence of all prayers.
Now this prayer is divided into two parts. The first is a preface, beginning and preparation; the second is seven petitions.
- Weimarsche: betest.
The beginning.
Our Father, 2) who art in heaven.
(11) The best beginning and preface is to know how to name, honor, and act the one you want to ask, and how to show yourself to him so that you make him gracious and inclined to listen. Now there is no name among all names that makes us more skillful towards God than "Father". This is a very kind, sweet, deep and heartfelt speech. It would not be so sweet or comforting if we spoke "HErr" or "GOtt" or "Richter". For the name "Father" is innate and naturally sweet. For this reason it pleases God most of all and moves us to hear it most of all. Likewise, in the same 3) we confess ourselves as children of God, thereby moving God inwardly, for there is no voice more sweet than that of a child to its Father.
(12) It helps that we say, "You who are in heaven. These are words that we may declare our miserable affliction and misery, and that we may be moved diligently to pray and to have mercy on God. For whoever begins to pray, "Our Father, who art in heaven," and does so with a deep heart, confesses that he has a Father, and that he has Him in heaven, 4) recognizes himself in misery and abandoned on earth. From this must follow a heartfelt longing, like that of a child who lives out of his father's country among strangers in misery and distress. As if he said, "Oh, Father, you are in heaven, I am your wretched child on earth, in misery, far from you, in all danger, in misery and distress, among devils and the greatest enemies and many dangers.
- He who prays in this way stands with a right, uplifted heart toward God, and is able to ask and move God's mercy. And is this therefore a high word, that it is not possible to speak it out of man's nature, except the spirit of Christ be in the heart. For if one wants to seek it inwardly, there is no man so perfect who may say with truth that he has no father here, that he has
- "our" is missing in Weimar's.
- Weimarsche: the same.
- Wittenberg and Weimar: erkennet.
758 Srl. 21, 164-166. Interpretations On the Evangelist Matthew. W. vn, 1087-1100. 759
nothing, he is completely alien, and has only God for a father. For nature is so evil that it ever seeks something on earth and is not satisfied with God in heaven.
(14) But the word points out a confidence in God, which we should have in Him alone. For no one can help us to heaven but the one and only Father, as it is written John 3:13: "No one ascends to heaven but He alone who descended, the Son of Man." In his skin and on his back we must go up.
(15) So let all working people pray this prayer, 1) even those who do not know what the words mean. And I think this is the best prayer, because the heart speaks more than the mouth.
16 Meanwhile another is standing in the church, turning over the leaves and counting the paternoster grains, almost clattering them, and thinking with his heart far from what he confesses with his mouth. This means nothing prayed. For to them God speaks through the prophet Isaiah Cap. 29, 13.: "This people worships me with their mouth, but their heart is far from me." Thus, one also finds priests and clergymen in part, who have lapped up their tides 2) without all inward desire, may nevertheless say without all shame: "Well, now I am happy, I have now paid our Lord; they think that they have thus done enough for God.
(17) Now I say to you, and admit it, that you may do the commandment of the church enough; but God will say to you Matt. 15:8, "The people honor me with their mouth, but their heart is far from me." And it is to be feared that they will rely on the same prayer, and will never again offer a prayer to God. And so those who pray the least seem to pray the most, and again those who pray the most seem to pray the least.
18 But now we put our comfort and confidence in much crying, shouting, singing, which Christ forbade when He said Matt. 6:7, "No one is heard by many words." This is what the un-
- Matth. II, 28. in the Vulgate', qul Iskoratis.
- That find the hour prayers or Korse eanonLeae.
Skillful sermons, so that the people are not led to the right reason and inner prayer with work and effort, as the dear fathers did in the past, but to the outward appearance and only to oral prayer, and most of all, since their own benefit is sought.
19 If any man say, Is it not written, Luc 18:1, Ye shall pray without ceasing? I answer, See the words aright. He saith not, Ye shall turn over leaves without ceasing, ye shall draw paternoster stones, ye shall make many words, and the like; but, Ye shall pray without ceasing." But what praying is, is said enough above §3 ff.. So there were heretics called Euchites, that is, prayers, who wanted to keep the word of Christ, and prayed (that is, they chattered with their mouths) day and night, and did nothing else, find did not see their folly; for when they ate, drank, or slept, 3) they had to refrain from prayer. Therefore the word of Christ is said of spiritual prayer, which may be done without ceasing, even in bodily labor; though no man accomplish it wholly. For who can always lift up his heart to God? Therefore, by 4) the same word, a goal is set for us to judge ourselves by, and when we see that we are not doing it, to recognize ourselves as weak, frail people, and to be humbled and ask for mercy for our frailty.
20 Thus all the teachers of Scripture conclude that the essence and nature of prayer is nothing other than an elevation of the mind or heart to God. But if the nature and manner of prayer is the lifting up of the heart, it follows that everything else that is not the lifting up of the heart is not prayer. Therefore, singing, talking, whistling, if the heart's elevation is not there, is equal to prayer as the cleaning 5) in the garden people are. The essence is not there, but the appearance and name alone. This is also proven by St. Jerome, who writes 6) about a holy father Agathon, that he lived in the desert for thirty years.
- Wittenbergers and Jenaers: "that they that".
- "through" schlt in the Weimar.
- d. i. Scarecrows.
- According to § II of the previous scripture: in the book he made of the life of those who lived a solitary life."
760 Erl. 21, 166-168. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. VII, IIW-II02. 761
carried a stone in his mouth, so that he would learn to be silent. But with what did he pray? Undoubtedly inwardly with the heart, which 1) is most dear to God, and also looks at and seeks the same alone. It helps, however, if one hears the words and thus has cause to strive and pray rightly. For, as stated above 7, the oral words should be held no differently than a drum, drums, or organ, or other shouting, so that the heart may be moved and lifted up to God.
(21) Indeed, no one should rely on his heart to pray without words, unless he is well trained in the spirit and has experience in rejecting strange thoughts; otherwise the devil would completely seduce him and soon disturb his prayer in the heart. Therefore, one should stick to the words and soar on them as long as the feathers grow, so that one may fly 2) without words. For I do not reject verbal prayer or words, nor should anyone reject them; indeed, they should accept them with great thanksgiving as especially great gifts from God. But that is to be rejected, that one does not use the words for their function and fruit, namely, to move the heart, but in false confidence relies on the fact that one has only mumbled or babbled them with the mouth without any fruit and improvement, yes, with annoyance of the heart.
(22) Also, if anyone feels a little feeling and devotion besides the words or otherwise, beware that he does not follow the old serpent poison, that is, the murderous hope, (3) which says: "Oh, I pray with my heart and mouth and have such devotion that I think it will be hard for anyone else to do it as right (4) as I do. For the devil has given you these thoughts, and you will be worse than all those who do not pray; indeed, such a thought is not far from blasphemy and malediction. For not you, but God you shall praise in all the good that you feel or have. 5)
- to the last is to note how even or-
- Wittenberg and Jena: da.
- Weimarsche: flyhen.
- Weimarian: "the murderous arrogance".
- Wittenberg and Jena: thue.
- Weimarsche: habst.
clearly Christ set this prayer. For he does not allow each one to pray for himself alone, but for the whole gathering of all men. For he does not teach us to say, "My Father", but "Our Father". Prayer is a spiritual, common good, therefore no one should be deprived of it, not even the enemies. For if he is the Father of us all, he wills that we should be brethren one of another, loving kindly, and praying for one another as for ourselves.
Division of the Father-Unsers.
There are seven petitions in this prayer.
The first:
Hallowed be your name.
The other:
Come your kingdom.
The third:
Your will be done as in heaven and earth.
The fourth:
Give us this day our daily bread.
The fifth:
And leave us our debts, as we leave our debtors.
The sixth:
And lead us not into temptation or contestation. 6)
The seventh:
But deliver us from the evil. Amen.
24 These seven pieces may also be called seven good teachings and admonitions. For, as the holy bishop and martyr St. Cyprian touches upon, they are seven indications of our misery and poverty, by which man, led to his own knowledge, may see how miserable and annual a life he lives here on earth. For it is nothing else 7),
- "Anfechtung" is written in the margin of the Jena edition.
- In the old editions: not different.
762 Erl. "1, 168-170. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. W. VII. IIVS-UOS. 763
For a blasphemy of God's name, a disobedience to God's will, a rejection of God's kingdom, a hungry land without bread, a sinful being, a yearly walk, and full of all evil, as Christ Himself calls it in this prayer, as we will hear later.
The first request.
Hallowed be your name.
(25) O great, exceeding, deep prayer, if it be prayed with the heart, though of short words, and there is none greater among the seven petitions, than that we pray, "Thy name be hallowed.
26 But notice that God's name is not holy in itself alone, and is not sanctified by us; indeed, He sanctifies all things and us also; but (as St. Cyprian says) that He is to be sanctified in us. For in this God sanctifies all things, and man becomes nothing at all. The other six petitions also serve this purpose, that God's name be sanctified. When this is done, 2) all things are well done, as we shall hear.
- But that we may see how God's name is sanctified in us, let us see beforehand how it is profaned and defiled in us. And to speak plainly of this, he is defiled in us in two ways. First, when we abuse him for sins. In the first place, when we use it not for the service of God, but for the will of the flesh; in the second place, when we steal and rob it.
So to the first
- if the name of God is profaned in us by abuse, as when we put it on or use it, not for the benefit, betterment, piety of our souls, but for the accomplishment of sin and harm to our souls, as happens in various ways, with sorcery, blessings, lies, swearing, cursing, deceiving, as the other shows
- "against" is missing in the Weimar.
- Weimarian: is.
Commandment of God: "You shall not take the name of your God uselessly 3)." And is recent in the summa, if we do not live as 4) God's children.
How God's children are born.
(29) A pious child is one who is born of pious, upright parents, follows them in all measure and is conformed to them. The same child rightfully possesses 5) and inherits the goods and all the names of its parents. Thus we Christians are born again through baptism and have become children of God, and if we follow our father and his kind, all his goods and names are also our inheritance forever. Now our Father is and is called merciful and kind, as Christ says Luc. 6, 36., "Be merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful." Item Matth. 11, 29.]: "Learn from me, for I am gentle, and humble of heart." So also God is just, pure, true, strong, simple, bad, wise 2c. And these are all God's names, which are all included in the little word "your name". For the names of all virtues are God's names. Since we have been baptized in these names, and consecrated and sanctified by them, and they have now become our names, it follows that all are called children of God, and are to be kind, merciful, chaste, just, truthful, simple, friendly, peaceful, of a sweet heart to every man, even to his enemies. For the name of God, in which they are baptized, works all these things 6) in them, or should ever ask that the name of God may be in them, work and be sanctified.
(30) But he that is angry, unpeaceful, envious, bitter, unkind, unmerciful, unchaste, cursing, lying, swearing, betraying, and speaking evil, does dishonor, blasphemes, and profanes the divine name in which he was given, baptized, or called, not being numbered among the Christians, and gathered together among God's people. For he honors the name of the devil under the title of the divine name. For the same
- Weimarscheunnütz.
- Weimarsche: so.
- Weimarsche: rightly owns.
- Weimarsche: "als" instead of "alles"; likewise in several other places.
764 Erl. 81, 170-172. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. VII, HOL-1107. 765
is a liar, unclean, afterreder, ugly 2c. He is followed by (saws the wise man Weish. 2, 25.) those who are related to him and are his comrades. Behold, these do nothing else than when a priest gives a sow to drink from the sacred cup, or scoops rotten dung with it. So they take their soul and body, in which the name of God dwells and has sanctified them, and serve the devil with it. All this is to the shame of the holy, divine name in which they are consecrated.
Behold, now you understand what "sanctify" means, what "holy" is. For it is nothing else, but a separation from the abuse to the divine custom, as a church is consecrated and ordained only to divine service custom. . So we are to be sanctified in all life, that there be no custom in us but of the divine name, that is, goodness, truth, righteousness 2c. Therefore, the name of God is sanctified or sanctified not only with the mouth, but also with all the limbs of body and soul.
On the other hand
- if God's name is profaned by robbing and stealing, and although it is understood by the perceptive under the first, yet it is too subtle for the simple to notice it. For this is the case with those who think themselves pious and holy, and do not think that they blaspheme God's name, like the first ones, and give themselves the name that they are righteous and holy and true, robbing and stealing away God's name freely without any fear. And these are the most prevalent, especially where it seems that pious, spiritual people are. For they pride themselves, and accept their words, works, wisdom, and good fortune, and want to be famous and honored for them; but if this does not happen, they become furious and raging with anger. And these are called in the Scriptures profundi corde, of a deep heart; so that God alone must judge and know them, and have very much to do with them. For all things they can adorn so exceedingly that they themselves do not know otherwise, it fei all basic good with them. And the same is their own pleasure and inward boast,
To show off and to praise is their greatest, most dangerous harm; and that they may be recognized, and that every one may save himself from such an accident, let us speak further of it.
Which are the most harmful and evil people in Christendom.
First of all, they always use the word in their mouths and boast about it, saying: Ah! I have such a good opinion, I mean it so heartily well, he and this one will not follow me, I wanted to share his heart in the womb. O beware, beware of the wolves that wander in such sheep's clothing. They are thorns of roses, but no figs grow there, but vain thorns. Therefore, as Christ says Matt. 7:16., "By their fruits know they." But what are the fruits? Prickles, spikes, scratching, tearing, licking, and no good word or work. How does this happen? Note: If they have decided that they are pious, have a good mind, and live their lives in such a way that they pray more, fast, and do other good works, and have more understanding and grace from God than other people, they are not able to measure themselves against those who are higher and better, but rather against those who seem worse and lower than they are. They soon forget that God's goods are all they have. So they too must immediately judge, judge, promise, after-talk, despise, and exalt themselves above everyone; and so they go on in hope, and harden themselves without all fear of God, who 1) do nothing more than carry and cheat themselves in their hearts and mouths with other people's sins.
(34) Behold, these are the fruits of thistles and thorns; these are the jaws of wolves among sheep's clothing. Behold, this is stealing God's name and honor, and attributing it to Himself. For God alone is to judge; as Christ says Luc. 6, 37. Matt. 7, 1., "Ye shall not judge, that ye be not judged." Also God's name alone is to be holy, pious, good; we all at the same time sinners before God, one as the other, without all distinction. And so someone
- "the" is missing in the Weimar.
766 Erl. 21, 172-174. Interpretations On the Evangelist Matthew. W. VII, HV7-IIIV. 767
If a man has something before another, it is not his, but God's everything. He shall also have the name, the pleasure, the praise, and the judgment of all His own 2c. And therefore, whoever uses it not for service, but for the contempt of his neighbor, the same is a thief of God's honor, and wants to be and be called that which is God's and God's, and not his.
(35) Behold, the world is now full of harmful, free, sacrilegious, and ungodly spirits, who by their good life profane the name of God more blasphemously than all others with their evil life. I call them the hopeful saints and martyrs of the devil, who are not like other people, like the gleaner in the Gospel Luc. 18, 11. They, as if they were not sinners and wicked, do not want to suffer the wicked and unrighteous, or to have anything to do with them, lest it be said, O deal with such, I would have thought him much more pious! They do not realize that God has given them more grace before others, that they should serve with the same graces, and at the same time again distribute and usury with the same grace, that is, they should ask for them, help, counsel and do to them just as God has done to them, who gave them grace in vain, and did not despise them nor judge them. So they go on, and not only keep the grace unfruitfully, but also persecute with it those whom they should help with it. These are cum perverso perverteris, the perverse.
- Secondly, when they hear all this and say that God alone deserves the name and honor, they pretend and deceive themselves even more with their pretense, and say: in the only thing they do, they want to seek God's honor alone; and they may well swear to it, they do not seek their own honor. So spiritually, thoroughly, deeply they are evil. But look at the fruit and works, and you will find that if their intentions do not proceed, there will be lamentation and wonder, so that no one will perish with them. Then it will come out that they do not do well who
- "yet" is missing in Weimar's.
- "the" is missing in Weimar's.
They hinder, and cannot forget such suffering, that one has prevented God's honor, and contradicts the good, which they have sought and meant; and therefore cannot leave their cursed judging and after-talking. Thus it is seen how they meant it, that they are not angry because the good and God's honor is prevented, but that their good judgment and opinion has not gone away 3); just as if their good judgment could not be evil, and was so good that even God would not reject it. For if they themselves did not attribute such goodness to them, they would well suffer their opinion to be hindered. But the deep hope does not want to be evil nor foolish, therefore all others must be fools and evil to it. See how deeply blasphemy is hidden in these spirits, who ever want to be and have that which is God's alone, that is, wisdom, righteousness, name and honor.
37 Thirdly, when it happens that someone says or preaches that God deserves the glory and the name, that he creates all things and all things are his, they are more learned than all preachers, even than the Holy Spirit himself, they can teach everyone, and they are no longer allowed to be disciples, they say: "Oh, who does not know that? and they believe it, they almost understand it well. But when it comes to a meeting, that one speaks to their honor, holds them in contempt, takes something from them, or otherwise encounters an objection, behold, immediately the art is forgotten, and the thorn bush brings forth its fruit, the thorns and spikes. Then the ass peers with his ears through the lion's skin; then they lift up: Oh God from heaven, look down, how I am so wronged! fall into such great foolishness that they may say they are also wronged before God.
- Where then is your great mind, since you say that all things are of God and from God? O poor man! if it is God's alone, why should he not take it from you unhindered, give it, toss it back and forth? If it is his, then you should stand still, and let him create in it as he would. For if he
- Weimarsche: fuergangen.
- "them" is missing in the Weimar.
768 Erl. SI, 174-176. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. VII, IIIO-1112. 769
If you take what is yours, you are not wronged; as St. Job said, when he had lost all his goods and children Cap. 1:21: "God gave it, God took it away; as it pleased God, so it was done, let God's name be given." Behold, this was a right man, from whom no man could take anything; for he had nothing that was his. For God says Job 41:2: Omnia, quae sub coelo sunt, mea sunt, "All that is under heaven is mine," I created it. Why do you claim to be yours and that you have been wronged? If they touch your honor, your good name, your goods and what you have, they touch not your goods, but Christ's. And if he teach thee the same, he addeth that what thou thinkest thine may be taken from thee, 1) That thou mayest know that it is not thine, but his. Behold, thus it is always found that God's glory and name are not truly sought, and especially the trusting saints also want to be and have something that belongs to God alone.
Thou sayest thus: If this is true, it follows that no one on earth sufficiently sanctifies God's name; nor would they all be unjust who deal with one another in court for goods or honor, and other things.
40 I answer the first. That is why I said above § 25 that this first petition is exuberant and the greatest of all, encompassing all the others. For if someone were to sanctify God's name sufficiently, he would no longer be allowed to pray the paternoster; and whoever would be so pure that he would not take on any thing, any honor, would be completely pure, and God's name would be completely sanctified in him. But this does not belong to this life, but to heaven.
Therefore we must pray and earnestly desire, while we live, that God may sanctify His name in us. For every man is found to blaspheme the divine name, one more than another, though the trustworthy saints will not believe it.
- I have also said that this prayer is not only a request, but also a salutary teaching and indication of our
- Weimarsche: it be yours.
He is the only one who has a wretched, condemned life on earth and casts man down to his own knowledge. For if we ask that his name be sanctified in us, it follows that he is not yet holy in us, for if he were holy, we should not ask for it. From this it further follows that, while we live, profane, blaspheme, dishonor, profane, profane God's name, we testify with our own prayer and mouth that we are blasphemers and will never be perfectly sanctified in this life]. 2)
Now I know of no doctrine in all of Scripture that more powerfully and more reviles and destroys our life than this prayer. Who would not gladly die soon, and be an enemy to this life (if he were otherwise in favor of God's name), if he heartily considered that his life stands in such an essence, in which God's name and honor are blasphemed? Even he who understands no more than the Lord's Prayer would have enough teaching against all vices, especially against hope. For how can he be happy or hopeful who confesses in the Lord's Prayer such great, cruel infirmities of himself that he dishonors God's name and acts daily against the other commandment of God, uselessly tarnishing His name?
44 Secondly, I answer them: That there are court cases is not the best; it would be better if there were none. But to avoid greater evils, they are left for the sake of the imperfect, who may not yet let go of all things and reappropriate God.
- Nevertheless, a mark 3) is set for us to work towards, that is, to learn and practice from day to day to sanctify God's name, to restore to Him His glory, goods, and all things alienated from us, 4) and thus to be sanctified completely. For this practice we are given this prayer, that without ceasing we should desire in our hearts that God's name be hallowed.
- The bracketed words are found in the Wittenberg and the Jena.
- Times target.
- So in the Wittenberg and Jena editions, also in Latin. In the Weimar edition meaningless: "and practice that God's name, honor, goods and all things are alienated from us, and so we" 2c.
770 Erl. si, 17S-178. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. vii. 1112-ms. 771
ligt werden. 1) And although a Christian man would be deprived of everything, good, honor, friends, health, wisdom, 2c., this would not be surprising; indeed, it must finally come to pass that all his things would be destroyed, and he would be set apart from all things, before he is sanctified and sanctifies the name of God. For while there is a thing, there is also a name. Therefore nothing must remain, that only God, and God all things and all names remain. Then it will be true that the righteous are called in the Scriptures the poor and the fatherless, who have been deprived of their parents and have no consolation.
- But do you say: If we all do not honor God's name, are we therefore in mortal sin and condemned? I answer: It would be mortal sin and damnable if God were to act with severity; for God does not suffer sin, however small it may be. But there are two kinds of people: some who recognize and complain themselves that they do not sufficiently sanctify the name of God, and earnestly ask for it, and consider it great that they are so wretched. To them he gives what they ask, and because they judge themselves, God absolves and remits what they do not do enough. The other free and frivolous spirits, who disregard their infirmities, throw them to the wind, or 2) do not even see them and do not ask, will find in the end how great a sin it is that they have disregarded them and are therefore condemned, because they thought they would be saved; as Christ says to the sinners Matt. 23:14, that they would have all the greater condemnation for their long prayers.
Behold, the Lord's Prayer teaches you for the first time to know your great misery and ruin, that you are a blasphemer, so that you must be terrified of your own prayer when you consider what you are praying. For it must be true that you have not yet sanctified God's name. It must also be true: He who does not sanctify God's name, that he may profane it. Then it must also be true that dishonor to God's name is severe.
- Weimarsche: God's name be sanctified.
- In all German editions "aber", in Latin aut. This "aber" may have arisen by reading out "ader".
sin, and guilty of eternal fire, so God's justice should judge. Where then wilt thou go? Thy own prayer punisheth thee, and is against thee, testifieth thee, lamenteth thee; there lieth thou, who helpeth thee?
- Behold, then, when thou art thus smitten with thyself, and art humbled in the knowledge of thy misery, the consoling doctrine comes, and 3) restores thee; that is, prayer teaches thee that thou shalt not despair, but desire God's mercy and help. For you are sure and should firmly believe that he has therefore taught you to pray in such a way that he will hear you. And so prayer makes it so that God does not count sin against you and does not deal with you harshly. And only God considers good those who earnestly confess that they dishonor God's name, and constantly desire that it may be sanctified.
- But those who rely on their certainties, and do not consider that they dishonor God's name, it is not possible for them to be kept. For they are still too free, secure, hopeful and unfaithful; neither are they yet among the multitude, when Christ saith, Matt. 11:28, Come unto me, all ye that are troubled and weary, and I will refresh you. For they do not understand the paternoster, they do not know what they pray.
Decision.
50 Now is the opinion and summa of this petition: Oh, dear Father, let your name be sanctified in us; that is, I confess that, alas, I have often defiled your name, and even now, with pride and by my own honor and name, blaspheme your name. Therefore, by thy grace, help me that my name may perish in me, and that I may be destroyed, that thou alone, and thy name and glory, may be in me.
(51) I hope that you have understood sufficiently that the little word "your name" means as much as your honor or praise. For a good name is called honor and praise in Scripture; an evil name is called disgrace and evil rumor. So that this prayer wants nothing else, but that God's honor before all
- Weimarsche: recket.
772 Erl. 21, 178-181. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. VII, 1115-1117. 773
and be sought above all and in all things, and that all our life eternally be for God's glory alone, not for our benefit, nor for our blessedness or any good, whether temporal or eternal, except as finally decreed for God's glory and praise.
Therefore, this is the first prayer. For God's glory is the first, the last, the highest that we can give him, and he seeks and demands nothing more. Nor can we give him anything else, for he gives us all other goods, but the glory he reserves for him alone: that we may know, say, sing, live, work, and all our actions and sufferings testify that all things are God's; so that the saying Psalm 111:3 may stand: Confessio et magnificentia opus ejus, "Praise and great glory is his work, and his righteousness endures forever." This is what is said: In whom God dwells and lives, the works of that man do nothing else than to give great praise and glory to God, and to ascribe everything to Him. Therefore, the same man does not consider that he is dishonored and despised, for he knows that this is right. And if no one will despise him and dishonor him, he does it himself, and may not suffer his praise and honor. And therefore he is righteous, giving to God what is God's, and to himself what is his, to God the glory and all things, to himself the shame and nothing. There is the righteousness that abides forever, for 1) it pleases not only temporal men, like the foolish virgins' lamps and the seeming saints' piety Matth. 25, 1. ff., but the eternal GOD, before whom it also abides forever.
(53) Now you see that this prayer is against the evil of hope, which is the hanpt, life, and whole essence of all sin. For at the same time, just as no virtue lives or is good where hope is dead, so again no sin lives or does harm where hope is dead. And as a serpent has all its life in its head, and if that is dead, it does no harm to anyone, so if hope were dead, all sins would be harmless, indeed, greatly beneficial. Therefore, as no one is without hope, and avarice of his own name and honor, so there is no one to whom this prayer is not highly necessary and useful.
- Weimarsche: "wan".
The other request.
Come your kingdom.
This other prayer, like the others, does two things: it humbles us and it lifts us up. Humiliated in that it forces us to confess with our own mouths our great, miserable misery. But it lifts us up by showing us how we should be in such humiliation. Thus every word of God is such that it terrifies and comforts, strikes and heals, breaks and builds, tears up and plants again, humbles and lifts up.
To the first
It humbles us to confess publicly that God's kingdom has not yet come to us. Which, if it is seriously considered and thoroughly prayed for, is terrifying, and should sadden and almost make every devout heart miserable. For it follows that we are still outcasts, in misery and under cruel enemies, deprived of our dearest fatherland.
(56) Which are then two grievous, lamentable damages. The first, that God the Father is deprived of his kingdom in us, and who is and should be a Lord in all things, is prevented from such power and title by us alone; which not a little leads to his dishonor, as if he were a lord without a country, and his almighty title becomes a mockery in us. This must undoubtedly grieve all those who love God and favor Him. It is also terrible that we are the ones who are fighting and hindering God's kingdom, whom he, if he wanted to judge severely, would condemn as his kingdom's enemies and robbers.
The other pity is ours, that we lie captive in misery and foreign lands under such great enemies. For if it would be terrible and miserable if a temporal prince's child or a whole country had to suffer much shame and suffering under the Turks, and finally also the most shameful death, how much more miserable is it to lament that we are among the evil spirits in this misery, and face all kinds of danger to body and soul, and finally also eternal death every moment.
774 Erl. 21, 181-183. Interpretations On the Evangelist Matthew. W. VII, 1117-1120. 775
that one would be more afraid of one's own life than of a hundred rages 1) if he looked at it rightly.
On the other hand.
- When such misgivings have humbled us and opened our misery to us, then follows the consolation, and the kind Master, our Lord Christ, teaches us that we should ask and desire to come out of misery, and not despair. For to those who confess that they are hindering God's kingdom, and piteously ask that it may come, God will grant their suffering and pleas for this, which He would otherwise justly punish. But the free spirits, who do not care much where God's kingdom remains and do not heartily ask for it, he will indeed judge with the tyrants and disturbers of his kingdom according to the severity.
For since everyone must pray this prayer, it follows that no one is innocent of God's kingdom. To understand this is to know that there are two kingdoms.
The first empire
If there is a kingdom of the devil, the Lord calls him a prince or king of this world in the Gospel John 16:11,1, that is, a kingdom of sin and disobedience. This should be a great misery and prison for the pious. As is illustrated by the children of Israel in Egypt, who had to build the same land with great labor and misery, and yet got nothing out of it, except that they thought to kill them by it Ex. 1:10. So he who serves the devil's servants in sins must suffer much, especially in conscience, and yet in the end earns eternal death with it.
(60) Now we are all in this kingdom until the kingdom of God comes, but with a difference. For the pious are thus that they daily fight with sins, and constantly and firmly resist the lust of the flesh, the temptations of the world, and the devil's indulgence. For, as we are pious, so will
- In the editions: "Todten". The Latin word confirms the reading taken by us from the old Walch edition.
But ever the evil desire in us with rule, and would like to rule alone and have the upper hand. So God's kingdom sees with the devil's kingdom without ceasing. And they are kept and saved because they fight against the devil's kingdom in themselves to increase God's kingdom. And these are the ones who pray this prayer with words, hearts and works. So the holy apostle Paul says Rom. 6, 12. that we should not allow sin to rule in our bodies, to follow its desires. As if he said: You will certainly feel and have evil desires, love and inclination to anger, to avarice, to unchastity and the like, which want to draw you into the devil's kingdom, that is, to sins, since they originate and are themselves also sin; But you are not to follow them, but to fight, and to force and restrain these leftover traitors of the old devil's kingdom, as the children of Israel did to the Jebusites and Amorites, and thus increase God's kingdom in you (which is the right promised land).
The others, however, are in it so that they have air to it and follow all the desires of the flesh, of the world, of the devil, and also want to remain in it always, if they want to. These concede to the devil, and also wrestle with and destroy God's kingdom. Therefore they gather goods, build magnificently, seek all that the world is able to give, just as if 2) they wanted to stay here forever, not thinking that we have no place to stay here, as St. Paul says Hebr. 13, 14. These pray this prayer with the mouth, but with the heart they contradict it, and are like the leaden organ pipes, which almost blare and shout in the church, and yet have neither word nor sense. And perhaps the organs of the same singers and worshippers are figures and indicators.
The other realm
- is God's kingdom, that is, a kingdom of righteousness and truth, of which Christ says Matth. 6, 33.: "Seek first of all the kingdom of God and his righteousness." What is God's or His kingdom's righteousness? That is, when there is no more sin in
- In the Weimar: "as it were". -sam - as if.
776 Erl. 21, 183-185. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. VII, 1120-1122. 777
but all our members, strength and power are subject to God and in his use, that we may say with Paul Gal. 2:20: "I now live, but not I, but Christ in me"; and 1 Cor. 6:19 f.: "You are not your own, you are bought with a precious treasure, therefore you should honor God and carry him in your body." As if he said: Christ baptized you by himself, therefore you should be his and let him live and reign in you. But this happens when no sin reigns in us, but Christ alone with his graces. So God's kingdom is nothing else than peace, discipline, humility, chastity, love and all kinds of virtue; and that there is no anger, hatred, bitterness, unchastity and all the like.
63 Now let each one try himself, if he finds himself here or inclined to it, then he will know in which kingdom he is. Now no one, he finds nevertheless 1) something in him of the devil's kingdom. Therefore he must ask: "Come your kingdom." For God's kingdom is well begun here and increases; but it will be accomplished in that life.
(64) Thus it has recently been said, "Let thy kingdom come:" Dear Father, let us not live long here, that thy kingdom may be perfected in us, and that we may be delivered entirely from the devil's kingdom; or, if it please thee therefore to leave us longer in this misery, give us thy grace, that we may raise up thy kingdom in us, and increase it without ceasing, and diminish and destroy the devil's kingdom.
Now notice:
There are two great errors in this matter. The first: Those who run to and fro to become pious, to come to God's kingdom and become blessed, one to Rome, the other to St. James. But they do not want to reach the right point, that is, to give themselves inwardly to God and become his kingdom; they do many such outward works, and shine almost prettily, but remain inwardly full of evil malice, wrath, hatred, arrogance, impatience, unchaste 2c. Against which speaks Chri-
- So the Wittenbergers and the Jenaers. Weimarsche: "find according to".
stus, when he was asked when the kingdom of God would come Luc. 17, 20. 21.: "The kingdom of God does not come with an outward gesture or appearance. Nor will it be said, 'Behold, or there it is.' Perceive that the kingdom of God is within you," as he also says Matth. 24, 23. ff.: 2) "And if it be said unto you, Behold here, or there it is; believe it not. For they are false prophets." As if he said, "If you want to know the kingdom of God, you must not seek it far, nor walk over land. It is near you, if you will. Yes, it is not only with you, but in you. For discipline, humility, truth, chastity and all virtue (that is, the true kingdom of God) cannot be fetched by land or sea, but must arise in the heart.
(66) Therefore we do not pray thus: Dear Father, let us come to your kingdom, as if we should run after it, but: "Your kingdom come to us. For God's grace and his kingdom, with all its virtues, must come to us, if we are to overcome it, we may never come to it; just as Christ came to us from heaven to earth, and we did not ascend from earth to him in heaven.
The other error is that many who say this prayer are only concerned that they may be saved, and understand nothing else through the kingdom of God but joy and pleasure in heaven, as they may think out of carnal sensuality, and are driven by this to fear hell, and thus seek only their own and their own benefit in heaven.
- They do not know that God's kingdom is nothing other than to be pious, chaste, pure, mild, gentle, kind, and full of all virtue and grace, that is, that God has His own in us, and that He alone is in us, living and ruling. This is what one should desire most and first. For this is what it means to be blessed, when God reigns in us, and we are His kingdom.
- In the German editions, also in the Weimar edition, the two sayings from Luc. 17. and Matth. 24. are mixed up, which must have resulted from the transposition of a line in the original edition. In the Latin translation, this error has been corrected and we have also changed the text accordingly.
778 Eri. si, 185-187. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. vn, 1122-1125. 779
are. But the joy and pleasure and everything else that one may desire, one should not seek nor ask nor desire, but it will all find itself and follow the kingdom of God. For, as a good wine may not be drunk, it brings of itself, unsought, its pleasure and joy, and may not be hindered, so much more, when the graces and virtues (the kingdom of God) become perfect, so must, without our doing, naturally and unhindered follow joy, peace and bliss, and all pleasure. Therefore, turning away the false and selfish eye, Christ does not call us to ask and seek the consequence of the kingdom, but the kingdom of God itself. But they seek the last and the hindmost first, and the first they esteem nothing, or esteem it only for the sake of the last. Therefore they will not get it; they do not want the process right, so the result will not be for them either.
The third request.
Your will be done as in heaven and on earth.
- This petition also practices the two things that are said in the past petition, namely, it returns and raises up, makes sinners and pious. For the two pieces, judicium et justitiam, judgment and justice, the word of God works at all times, as it is written [Ps. 106, 3.): Beati, qui faciunt justitiam et judicium in omni tempore, "Blessed are they that do judgment and justice at all times." Judgment is nothing else than that a man recognizes, judges and condemns himself. And this is true humility, and self-abasement. Righteousness is nothing else than when a man thus recognizes himself, asks and seeks mercy and help from God, by which he is then lifted up before God.
These are the two pieces we want to see in this prayer.
To the first
70 Let us judge ourselves, and accuse ourselves with our own words, that we disobey God, and do not his will. For if it were so with us, that we should
If we were to do God's will, this prayer would be in vain. Therefore, it is frightening to hear us say, "Thy will be done." For what could be more terrible than that God's will should not be done, and that we should despise His commandment, which we clearly confess against ourselves in this prayer? For it must be true that we do not do or have not done God's will, since we ask for it in the first place. For in the sight of God, it does not help to pretend or to falsify; rather, as one asks, it must also be thoroughly true.
Because we must pray this prayer to our end, it follows that we will also be found guilty to our end 1) as those who disobey God's will. Who then can hope or stand before his own prayer, in which he finds that God, if He would deal with him according to righteousness, would in all fairness, as one disobedient, known and persuaded by his own mouth, condemn and reject him every moment? Thus this prayer works a thorough humility and fear of God and His judgment, so that man becomes glad that he only escapes God's judgment, and is kept out of pure grace and mercy. This means judging oneself and exercising judgment before God's eyes, thoroughly recognizing and lamenting oneself, as this prayer shows.
On the other hand.
(72) Righteousness is when we have judged and known ourselves in this way, that we do not then despair of the judgment of God, of which we find ourselves guilty by the evidence of this prayer, but have recourse to the grace of God, and firmly trust in Him and ask Him to 2) deliver us from disobedience and from not doing His will.
For he is righteous in the sight of God who humbly confesses his disobedience and sin, even the judgment he deserves, and warmly asks for mercy and does not doubt that it will be given to him. Thus the apostle teaches Rom. 1, 17. Gal. 3, 11. that a righteous man is not to be counted by others except by his own self.
- Weimarsche: "geschuldigt", in the other editions: beschuldigt.
- "und bitten" is missing in the Weimar.
780 Erl. 21, 187-18g. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. VII, 1125-1127. 781
n faith and trust in God, and therefore not his works, but the mere mercy of God is his comfort and confidence.
(74) Behold, this prayer gives a valiant slap to this transitory, miserable life, that it is nothing but a disobedience of divine will, and thus a certain state of eternal damnation, preserved only by our recognizing it, lamenting it, and heartily praying for it. And whoever would consider this prayer and the others, would have little desire for this life. But he who has a desire for it shows that he does not understand the Pater noster and the perilousness of his life at all.
What be: God's will done, and not done.
Without a doubt, "doing God's will" is nothing other than keeping His commandments. For by his commandments he has opened his will to us.
Now here one must know what God's commandments are and understand them. This is a broad speech. In short, it is nothing else than killing the old Adam in us, as the holy apostle Rom. 6, 4 teaches us in many places. The old Adam is nothing else than what we find in us, evil inclination to anger, hatred, unchastity, avarice, honor, pride and the like. For such evil deeds and pieces are inherited from Adam, and innate from our mother's womb, from which follow all kinds of evil works, killing, adultery, robbery, and suchlike transgressions of God's commandments, and thus through disobedience God's will does not come to pass.
The old Adam is killed in two ways 2) by which God's will is done. 3)
To the first:
- by ourselves, when we press and hinder our evil inclination, with fasting, watching, praying', working the unchastity
So in the Weimar and Latin. Wittenberg and Jena: "through which".
- Weimarsche: "tzweher".
- In the Weimar: "und somit gottis willen geschehen."
We must force ourselves, break the hatred and displeasure of our enemies with alms and friendly service, and recently, in all things, break our own will. For where a man has no master and teacher, the lesson is to be remembered and practiced, that he may prove to himself what he wills not to do, and what he does not desire to do, but always does against his will. For this he must freely hold, that his will is never good, it may seem as pretty as it likes, but it is forced and compelled, which he 4) would rather indulge in. For, as
70] said, if there were a good will in us, we should not have this prayer.
- And so a man should train himself to have an over-will against his will, and never be more uncertain, 5) than when he finds that there is only one will, and not two wills against each other in him, and thus get used to following the over-will against his will. For he who has and does his will is certainly against God's will. Now there is no thing so nearly dear to man 6) and so hard to leave undone as his will. Many do great good works, but they follow their will and all inclination, 7) and yet think they are well off, and do no evil. -For they think that their will is good and right, and do not allow this prayer to do anything, and are also without all fear of God.
On the other hand:
- by other people who are against us, disputing, making trouble, and opposing us in everything to our will, also in good, spiritual works, and not only in temporal goods, as those who promise our prayers, fasting, good works, consider them foolishness, and recently in no things leave us in peace. O that is delicious in principle
- Thus the Weimar one. In Latin correctly: nisi coherceatur et compellatur ad bonum, quod libentius omitteret. In the Wittenberg and in the Jena: "dass ers".
- Thus the Wittenberg, the Jena and the Latin. Weimar's: "and never be uncertain. For if he finds" 2c. The editor of the Weimarsche did not take the form "unsicher" as a comparative and thus missed the point.
- Wittenberg and Jena: loves.
- Wittenberg and Jena: follow completely.
782 Erl. 21, 18S-1S1, Interpretations On the Evangelist Matthew. W. VII, 1127-1130. 783
Thing! Such tempters should be bought with all good. For the siud that work this prayer in us, by which God breaks our will, that his will be done. That is why Christ says Matt. 5:25: "You shall be one with your adversary in the way," that is, we should let our will go, and let the adversary's will be right, and our will will be broken. But in breaking our will, God's will is done. For it is His good pleasure that our will be hindered and destroyed. Therefore, if someone promises you and wants to make you a fool, you should not oppose it, but say yes to it, and let it seem right to you, as it is right in the sight of God. If he wants to take something from you and harm you, you must let it happen as if it were right in your eyes. For without a doubt it is right in the sight of God; even if he does wrong, it is not wrong for you. For it is all God's, who may take it from thee by one that is evil or by one that is good; there thy will shall not resist, but say, "Thy will be done." So in all other things, bodily and spiritual. "He that taketh away thy skirt, to him add the cloak," says Christ Matt. 5:40.
80 But if thou sayest, If this be God's will, who shall be saved? Who can keep the great commandment, that he should leave all things, and have his will in none? I answer, Therefore learn how great and needful, and with what earnestness and heart this prayer must be prayed, and how great it is that our will may be done, but God's will be done. And so you must confess that you are a sinner who cannot do God's will, and ask for 1) help and grace, so that God will forgive you for what you do too little, and help you to do it. For it will be necessary, if God's will be done, for ours to perish, for they are against each other. Notice that in Christ our Lord, when in the garden he asked his heavenly Father to take the cup from him; yet he says Luc. 22:42, "Not my will, 2) but thine, be done." Had to
- "um" is missing in the Weimar.
- Weimarsche: mine.
What do we poor little worms want to do with our will, which is never without malice and always worthy of being prevented?
- To understand this, notice that in two ways our will is evil. First, manifestly, without all appearance. When we have a will and are inclined to do something that is considered evil in the eyes of everyone, such as anger, lying, deception, harming one's neighbor, unchastity, and the like. What will and inclination there is in each one, 3) especially when he is provoked to it. And against him one must pray that God's will be done; he wants peace, truth, purity, gentleness. On the other hand, secretly and under a good appearance, when St. 4) John and James Luke 9:54 ff said against the Samaritans, who would not admit Christ, "Lord, if thou wilt, let us command fire to fall from heaven, and burn them. And he answered, Know ye not of what manner of spirit ye are? The Son of Man came not to destroy souls, but to redeem them."
(82) Of this kind are all those who, for the sake of injustice or foolishness done to themselves or to others, want to go through with their heads, and what they do must go out. And they lift up and lament, saying, Eh, I meant so heartily well; eh, I would have helped a whole city, but the devil will not suffer it; and think they are guilty, and do right in that, that they are angry and become whimsical, and thereby displeasure themselves and other people, and straightway make a tumult of it, that their good will is hindered. And if they looked at it in the day, they would find that it was a mere pretense, and they sought nothing in the good will but their benefit or honor, or their own will and pleasure. For it is not possible for a good will, if it is otherwise truly good, to become angry or unpeaceful if it is prevented.
- i.e. lets himself be seen.
- As a curiosity, we note the form "Sand" instead of "Sant" or "Sanct" in the Weimar.
784 Erl. 21, 1S1-1S3. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. VII, 1130-1132. 785
83 And remember: it is a sure sign of an evil will when it does not suffer its hindrance. Impatience is the fruit by which you should recognize the seeming, false, treacherous good will. For a basic good will, when it is hindered, speaks thus: Oh God, I thought it should be so good; but if it is not to be, I am satisfied, it be thy will. For where there is strife and impatience, there is no good, be it what it may.
Over these two evil wills is a righteous good will, which must not be done; as 1) David's will was, when he wanted to build God a temple, and God praised him for it, and yet did not want it to happen 2 Sam. 7:2 ff. Item, how Christ's will was in the garden, when he refused the cup, and yet the same good will had to remain Luc. 22, 42 .. So, if you want to convert the whole world. You should not want any of these, because you would have preferred God's will, and would have subjected your will to it and made it null and void, and you would have said: My dear God, this and that seem good to me; if it pleases you, let it be done; if it does not please you, let it remain behind.
And God often breaks this good will in His saints, so that the false, treacherous and evil good will not break in through the good appearance; also so that one learns that our will, however good it is, is immeasurably less than God's will. Therefore, a lesser good will is to give way, or ever 4) to be destroyed, against the immeasurable good will of God. Third, also for this reason the good will in us should be prevented, so that it may be improved. For surely God prevents a good will only so that it may become better. But then it becomes better when it becomes subject to and conformed to the divine will (by which it is hindered), as long as 5) it does not become better.
- Weimarian: thus.
- the same" is missing in Weimar's.
- In the original: "boßguter".
- Weimarsche: "yr".
- Weimarsche: so.
Man will be left completely alone, without will, and will know nothing more than that he is waiting for God's will.
Behold, this is true obedience, which, alas, is quite unknown in our day. Now, therefore, the useless talkers, who have filled the whole of Christendom with chatter, and seduced the poor people with their teachings, almost shout from the pulpit how one should have and make a good will, a good opinion, a good resolution; and when this is made, that they are then sure, and everything they do is good; by which doctrine they create no more, for self-willed, obstinate men, free and sure spirits, who always fight against God's will, do not break nor subdue their will. For they think their opinion is good and should prevail, and what is contrary to them is from the devil and not from God. Behold, thus grow and hence come the wolves among sheep's clothing Matth. 7, 15., the hopeful saints, the most all-harmful men on earth. Hence it comes that one bishop against the other, one church against the other, priests, monks, nuns fight, quarrel, war, and 6) in all places there is strife, and yet every party says that it has a good will, a right opinion, a divine intention, and thus in praise of God and in honor of God they do vain devilish works.
But they should be taught rightly that they have a godly will, and trust nothing at all in their will and opinion, even casting far from them the accursed presumption that they think they may have or make a good will or opinion. For one should freely despair of anyone having or making a good will, good opinion, good intention. For, as said above 77 ff] said, there is first of all good will where there is no will. For where there is no will, there is only God's will, the very best. That is why such yelpers know a lot about what is evil or good will, and they go in freely, and make us say with our mouths, "Thy will be done," but with our hearts, "My will be done," and thus mock God and ourselves.
- "and" is missing in the Weimar.
786 Erl. 21, 1S3-19S. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. VII, II32-II34. 787
(88) Thus one says, "Surely God has given us a free will. Answer: Yes, of course he has given you a free will; why then do you want to make it your own will and not let it remain free? If you do with it what you will, it is not free, but your own. But God has not yet given you a will of your own; for your own will comes from the devil and Adam, who have made their free will, received from God, their own. For a free will is one that wants nothing of its own, but looks only to God's will, by which it also remains free, nowhere clinging or adhering.
Decision.
Now you notice that in this prayer God calls us to pray against ourselves, teaching us that we have no greater enemy than ourselves. For our will is the greatest thing in us, and against it we must ask: O Father, do not let me fall 1) to do my will, break my will, resist my will; let it be as it may, that 2) it may not be according to my will, but according to your will alone. For so it is in heaven, there is no will of my own; that the same may be so on earth. Such prayer or story 3) is very painful to nature, because our own will is the deepest and greatest evil in us, and nothing is dearer to us than our own will.
Therefore, nothing else is sought in this prayer, but the cross, torture, adversity and all kinds of suffering, which serve to disturb our will. Therefore, if the self-willed people thought about it right, as they ask against all their will, they would become hostile to the prayer, or ever be afraid of it.
Now let us draw these first three petitions together. The first is that God's name be honored, and His glory and praise be in us. But no one may come to this unless he is pious and in the kingdom of God. For the dead and sinners may worship God.
- Weimarsche: not there.
- Weimarsche', mir.
- "Geschicht" is well rendered in Latin as: rsi ipsiiiZ eonditio.
Now no one can be pious unless he is free from sins. 4) We are free from sins when our will is rooted out and only God's will is in us. One becomes free from sins when our will is rooted out and only God's will is in us. For if the will, which is the head and supreme of all members, is no longer ours and evil, then all members are also no longer ours and evil. Therefore, this prayer attacks wickedness at the head, that is, not at the hand or foot, but at our will, which is the head of wickedness, the right main limb.
The fourth request.
Give us this day our daily bread.
So far we have used the little word "your", "yours"; now we speak henceforth "our", "ours", "us" 2c. We want to find a reason for this. When God hears us in the first three petitions and sanctifies his name in us, he sets us in his kingdom and pours his grace into us, which begins to make us godly. This grace soon begins to do God's will; then it finds a stubborn Adam, as St. Paul complains in Rom. 7:19, that he does not do what he would like. For his own will, innate in Adam, strives with all its members against the good inclination; so then grace cries out to God in the heart against the same Adam, saying, "Thy will be done." For man finds himself hardly burdened with it.
When God hears the cry, he wants to come to the aid of his dear grace and increase his kingdom, beginning with it, and with earnestness and force he lays hold of the main shawl, the old Adam, inflicts all misfortune upon him, breaks all his nobility, blinds him and disgraces him all around. This happens when he sends us all kinds of suffering and disgust. And evil tongues, evil, unfaithful people, and where people are not enough, also the devils, must serve for this; so that our will is ever strangled with all its evil inclinations, and the will of God thus
- Weimarsche: from the.
- Weimarsche: "so" instead of "alsdann".
- I.e. this is the kingdom he started.
788 Srl. 2, 195-197. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. VII, 1134-1137. 789
that grace may possess the kingdom, and only God's praise and glory may remain.
When this happens, man is in great distress and anguish, and considers nothing so little as that this being means that God's will has been done, but he thinks that he has been abandoned and given to the devils and evil men, that there is no God in heaven who wants to know or hear him. This is the real hunger and thirst of the soul, it longs for comfort and help, and this hunger is much more severe than the physical hunger. And there we lift up the "our", that we desire our need, and say: "Give us this day our daily bread".
But how does that happen?
- God has left us many misfortunes on earth, and no other comfort than His holy word, as Christ promised us John 16:33: "In the world you will have tribulation, but in Me you will have peace. Therefore, whoever wants to surrender to God's kingdom coming in him and God's will being done, should not make many extractions, should not seek evasive ways, because nothing else will come of it: God's will is done, if your will is not done; that is, the more you have repugnance, the more God's will is done, especially in dying. It is decided, and no one will change it, that in the world is peace, in Christ is our peace.
In this scrum, the bad and the good now separate.
The wicked, who soon fall away from grace and the kingdom of God, do not understand God's will, nor do they know what such a crowd is good for, nor do they know how to keep themselves in it. Therefore, they return to their own will and throw grace away again, like the evil stomach that cannot bear food. Some fall into impatience, reproach, curse, blaspheme and become quite angry. Others run to and fro, seeking human comfort and advice, so that they may only be rid of their misfortune and overcome and suppress their adversaries, and recently, being their own helpers and redeemers, wait.
not until God redeems them from the cross. These all do themselves unspeakable harm, because God had attacked them to kill their will and to build His kingdom of grace in them, to establish His name's glory and honor in them, to have His will there; so they do not want to suffer His divine, healing hand, they fall back and keep their will, the old scoundrel. Yes, like the Jews, they let go of the evildoer Barabbam and kill the grace of God, the innocent son of God, who had begun to grow in them. Thus Psalm 78, 10 Ps. 106, 13 speaks of them: Non sustinuerunt consilium Dei, they did not want to suffer what God intended to do with them.
The pious, who are wise, understand well what the divine will is good for, that is, all kinds of misfortune; they also know well how they should do it and keep themselves in it. For they know that no enemy has ever been driven away from a fugitive. Therefore, let no suffering or hardship or death be overcome by impatience, flight and seeking comfort, but only by standing firm and persevering, yes, by facing calamity and death head on. For true is the saying: He who is afraid of hell goes into it. So, he who fears death, death swallows him up forever. He who fears suffering will be overcome. Fear does no good; therefore, one must be free and bold in all things, and stand firm.
But who can?
This is what this prayer teaches you, where you should seek consolation and bring peace to such strife. You shall say: O Father, give us our daily bread; that is: O Father, comfort and strengthen me, a suffering, poor man, with your divine word. I do not like your hand, and yet I am damned if I do not suffer it; therefore strengthen me, my Father, that I do not despair. So God does not want us to run or look anywhere in his will, that is, in our suffering, except to him, not desiring that we be loosed, for that would be harmful and a hindrance to divine will and our benefit, but that we be strengthened to endure such will. For it is true that no one is able without
790 Erl. 21, 197-199. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. vii. 1137-1140. 791
If he suffers fear or dies (which is what God wants), he will be strengthened for it. Thus no creature can strengthen; indeed, all creatures, and especially man, when he seeks comfort and strength, make him more weak, loose 1) and soft. Therefore only the word of God, or our daily bread, must strengthen us, as He says through Isaiah Cap. 50, 4.: "God has given me a wise tongue, that I may strengthen all who are weary." And Matt. 11:28: "Come unto me, all ye that are troubled and weary, and I will refresh you." And David Psalm 119:28: "Lord, strengthen me with thy word." And Psalm 130:5: "My soul hath kept upon his words." And of this teaching all Scripture is full, full, full.
Now, when and through which one does the Word come to us?
This comes in two ways. First, through a person, when God lets him hear a comforting word through a preacher in church or otherwise through himself, which strengthens him, which he feels in his heart (2 Tim. 2, 1.): Confortare et esto robustus, "Encourage yourself and be bold". For such sound the word of God certainly makes in the heart when it comes röcht. Therefore, women and feminine babbling should be driven far away from the sick and dying people who say: "Dear Godfathers and dear Hans, it is not yet necessary, you will probably get well again, blessed and rich. With these words one makes stupid, soft, loose hearts, when it is written of the word of God (Ps. 104, 15.): Panis cor hominis confirmet, "Bread strengthens the heart of man. Therefore I say again: Dear godfathers, eat your rotten porridge yourself, I am waiting for the daily bread that strengthens me. And so the sick should be strengthened only to death, and the suffering only to more suffering. And if they say that they are not able, hold this prayer before them, that they may ask God for it, for He wants to be asked for it.
- In the Wittenberg and Jena: "mattlose". Weimarsche: "matt, loose". In Latin: maZis 6ssotationsm st srnoUitas virss meutere. Even in the original Weimar edition, "matthlose" is in one word. For "tose" compare the following 99th paragraph.
On the other hand, through Himself, as when God pours out His word to a suffering person so that he becomes strong to bear everything. For God's word is almighty (Rom. 1, 16.).
But what is the Word, since they are the Word of God?
Answer: No one can say for sure. For as the afflictions and sufferings are manifold, so are the words of God manifold. For one word must be spoken to the fearful, and another to the hard-hearted. The latter must be frightened, the latter 2) must be strengthened. Since we are now speaking of those in whom God's will is done, that is, those who are in suffering and distress, we must take the words that strengthen, as Paul does to Hebrews 12. But since the word of God is not in man's power, neither to speak nor to perform fruitfully, but only in God's hand, therefore it is necessary that we ask that he himself give us the holy word, through himself or through a man.
Now it is true that he who has never been tempted in suffering, and has not experienced the power of God's word, how mighty it is to strengthen, does not even know what this request desires; it cannot taste good to him either. For he has only known and tasted the comfort and help of the creatures and himself, and has never suffered anything or become desolate.
Now let us act one word at a time, seeking the thorough understanding of this request, for it is a deep request.
The first one is called: Ours.
- This means that we do not ask for the common bread in particular, which the Gentiles also eat, and which God gives to all men without asking, but for our bread, which we are the children of the heavenly Father. Therefore, not as from an earthly, but as from a heavenly, spiritual Father, not an earthly, but a heavenly, spiritual bread, which is ours, and appropriates to us heavenly children, 3) with 4) necessity is to be asked. Otherwise there would be no need
- Weimarian: those.
- Latin: vodisaus eostegtidus tUÜ8 attivst.
- Wittenberger (wrong) "one" instead of "and".
792 Erl. 21, 1SS-L0I. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. VII, 1140-1142. 793
would have been to say: Our daily bread. For the bodily bread would have been sufficiently designated by the word: Give us this day our daily bread. But God wants to teach His children to be more concerned about the food of the soul, yes, they should not be concerned about what they eat or drink physically.
The other is called: Daily. 1)
104 The little word "daily" is called in Greek έπιούσιον, which has been interpreted in many ways. Some say that it means an essential bread; some, a chosen and special bread; some, according to the Hebrew tongue, a morning bread, not as we Germans call a morning and evening bread, but which is ready for the next day, in Latin crastinum. This diversity should not mislead anyone, for it is all one understanding; only that one expresses the nature and kind of this bread correctly.
First of all, it is called an eternal bread, because the word of God does not feed a man according to the body and the natural in his mortal state, but it feeds him to an immortal, eternal and far beyond this being; as Christ says John 6:51, 58: "Whoever eats this bread will live forever. Therefore it is said so much: Father, give us the superessential, immortal, eternal bread.
Secondly, it is called a choice, tender, sweet bread, as one that is full of delight and sweet taste; as it is written of the bread of heaven, Wis 16:20, that it tastes to each one as he wills. So our heavenly bread is much more noble and tender, more sweet and full of all virtue and grace, compared to the natural bread. One would also like to understand chosen bread, that it is a special, own 2) and only given to us children of God. For this is also called egregius, peculiaris, proprius, as the apostle Hebr. 13, 10. says, that we have a separate altar, from which no one may eat,
- From the previous Scripture, § 90: "Dieweil sich jetzund nah das österliche Fest", we see that Luther preached about this shortly before Easter 1517. ,
- Jenaer: - "own". Wittenberg and Weimar: "own", which will probably be as much as "actual way". Latin: xroxris.
than we alone, and thus have a special bread of our own.
107 Thirdly, in Hebrew, the morning bread. Now the Hebrew tongue has the way that, just that we Germans call "daily", that they call morning. For in German "täglich" means that which one has daily at hand and in readiness, whether one does not need it without intermission; as one says: This or that I must have today or tomorrow and daily, do not know what hour it is necessary for me that it is then available. The Hebrew tongue expresses the same meaning by the little word cras, or crastinum, tomorrow. As Jacob says to Laban Gen. (30, 33.): Cras respondebit mihi justitia mea; that is, today or tomorrow, or when it comes, my justice will answer for me and do enough.
(108) It is our opinion that we ask God to give us the essential, our own special, daily bread, that is, daily, so that we may have it at hand in our supply when hardship and suffering (which we must await daily) come upon us. May we be strengthened with it, so that we are not hurried, and by infirmities of it despair, perish and die eternally.
Note how we Christians should be rich and have a large supply of this bread, and be so practiced and taught that we have the word of God ready at hand daily in all temptations to strengthen ourselves and other people. As we see in the epistles and (the biographies] 3) of the dear holy fathers that they did. But it is our fault; we do not ask God for it, so we have nothing. Therefore we must also have unlearned bishops, priests, monks, who can give us nothing; so we go to them and make them worse, and hate, promise and despise them. Behold, this is where God's wrath leads us; therefore, this prayer should be considered right. For in it God teaches us to pray for all spiritual prelates, especially for those who are to give us the word of God. For it is not given to them, because we are worthy of it, and we pray for them.
- We added this addition from the Latin, which offers vitis.
794M . si, 2oi-2v4. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. W. vn, 1142-114s. 795
GOlt therefore. Therefore, if you see unlearned and unskilled bishops, priests or monks, you should not curse, judge or promise, but look upon them as a cruel plague of God, so that He may punish you and all of us for not praying the Pater noster and asking God for our daily bread. For if we prayed the Pater noster and our daily bread properly, God would hear us and give us fine, skilful, learned prelates. The blame is ours much more than theirs. But now one finds people whom God so highly afflicts and obdurate that they not only do not recognize the unlearned priesthood as a plague, but also take pleasure in despising it, and make a mockery of such excellent plagues of God, so that they should weep with drops of blood if they would) that God inflicts such a serious, heavy plague on us.
For you should know that God has never punished the world more severely than with blind, unlearned rulers, through whom the word of God and our bread must fall short, and we perish. Let Turks be Turks; this plague is greater. Woe to us that we do not recognize and abjure it!
Again, God has never been more gracious to the world than when He has given learned and discerning prelates, through whom His Word is brought into great supply and daily use. For Christianity and every Christian soul is born in and through the Word of God. Therefore, it must also be nourished, preserved and protected by it, or it must perish, much more miserably, because the body perishes if it does not need its bread.
The third word is called: Brod.
The holy word of God has many names in Scripture because of its innumerable virtues and works, for it is truly all things and almighty Heb. 1:3, 4:12. It is called a spiritual sword (Eph. 6, 17), so that one can fight the devil and all spiritual enemies with it. It is called a light [Ps. 119, 105.), a morning rain, an evening rain [Jac. 5, 7.), a heavenly dew Hos. 6, 4., gold, silver Ps. 119, 72., medicine, clothes, taste, and many such things.
So it is also called bread, because the soul is nourished, strengthened, grown and fattened by it. And not only the mere bread is to be understood in this. For in the same way as the Scripture expresses by the bodily bread all the food of the body, how delicious it is; so also by the spiritual bread all the food of the soul, which is innumerable. For there are many souls on earth, and each one in particular does not always have the same need and skill; and yet the word of God satisfies all, and every need abundantly. For if all the food of kings that ever were ruid were in one heap, they would not be little compared to the least word of God. Therefore the Lord Christ calls it in the Gospel Matth. 22, 2. ff. a royal feast 2c., and by Isaiah Cap. 25, 6. a delicious, exquisite and splendid meal.
Now what is the bread or word of God?
The bread, the word, and the food is no one but Jesus Christ our Lord Himself, as He says John 6:51: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven to give life to the world. Therefore, let no one be deceived by words or appearances. All sermons and teachings that do not bring us and model Jesus Christ are not the daily bread and nourishment of our souls; nor may they help in some need or challenge.
The fourth little word is called: Give.
The bread, Jesus Christ, no one can have from Himself, neither by studying, nor hearing, nor asking, nor seeking. For all books are too few to know Christ, all teachers too few, all reason too dull; only the Father Himself must reveal Him and give Him to us, as He says John 6:44: "No one comes to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. Item v. 65: "No one can receive me or understand me, unless it be given him from the Father." Item v. 45: "Every one that heareth me of the Father cometh unto me." Therefore he teaches us to ask for the blessed bread, "Give us this day."
796 Erl. 21, L04-20S. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. VII, 1145-1147. 797
Now Christ, our bread, is given to us in two ways.
First, outwardly through men, as through the priests and teachers. And this also happens in two ways: First, through the word; 1) second, in the sacrament from the altar. There would be much to say about this. Recently, it is a great grace where God gives that one preaches and teaches Christ; however, it should be in all places nothing else but Christ's preaching, and only this daily distribution of bread.
In the sacrament one receives Christ, but this would be in vain if he were not also administered and prepared 2) with the word. For the word brings Christ to the people and makes him known in their hearts, which they never understood from the sacrament. That is why it is a difficult thing in our times, that many masses are said, and only masses are hurriedly said, and unfortunately, the most important thing, for which the masses are appointed, is left out, that is, the preaching; as Christ says and gives 1 Cor. 11:25: "As often as you do this, you shall do it 3) in remembrance of me." And even if one preaches, the mass is from Christ, and the sermon from Dietrich of Bern, or else a fable. Thus God afflicts us, that we do not ask for daily bread, and in the end the reverend Sacrament not only comes into a forgiven, unfruitful custom, but also into contempt. For what does it help that he is there, and bread is prepared for us, and yet it is not given to us, and we cannot eat it? It is as if a delicious meal had been prepared, and there was no one to give the bread, to bring the food, or to give the drink, so that they might be satisfied by the smell or the sight. Therefore one should preach about Christ alone, draw all things to him, and in all the Scriptures show him, for what he has come, what he has brought us, how we should believe in him and keep ourselves against him; so that the people may grasp and know Christ through the word,
- Weimarsche: through words.
- Latin: distributiv et institutio.
- Weimarsche: "you". Wittenberger: "so shall you remember me."
and not come from Mass so single that they recognize neither Christ nor themselves.
On the other hand, inwardly through God's own teachings. And this must be with the outward, or the outward is also in vain. But if the outward goes right, the inward does not remain outside. For God never lets His word go forth without fruit; He is there, and teaches inwardly Himself, which He gives outwardly through the priest; as He speaks through Isaiah, 55:10, 11: "My word that goeth forth from My mouth shall not return void; but as the rain drencheth the earth, and maketh it fruitful; so shall My word proceed, and shall accomplish all things that I send it forth." From this come true Christians, who recognize Christ and taste Him with sensitivity.
Speak:
What then is knowing Christ, or what does it bring? Answer: To learn Christ 4) and to know is to understand that the apostle 1 Cor. 1, 30. says: "Christ is given to us by God to be to us wisdom, righteousness, holiness, redemption. You will understand this when you realize that all your wisdom is damnable foolishness, your righteousness damnable unrighteousness, your holiness damnable impurity, your salvation damnable condemnation, and thus you will find that before God and all creatures you are a fool, a sinner, an impure, condemned man; and show it not with words, but with all your heart, even with works, so that no comfort and salvation remain for you, except that Christ has been given to you by God, in whom you must believe and thus enjoy, so that his righteousness alone may keep you, so that you may call upon it and trust in it. And faith is nothing else but eating this bread, as he says John 6:32: "My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven."
So you say:
- Who does not know that we are sinners and nothing, but are kept through Christ alone? Answer: It is a great grace,
- In the editions: "leren", but in Latin: disevrv.
798 Erl. 21, 206-SV8. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. W. VII, 1147-1150. 799
That they may know the same, and so speak and hear it with outward words; but few there be that understand it, and say it with the heart. This experience proves. For if they are despised as fools or sinners, they 1) do not like it, and find wisdom and godliness outside of Christ, which is their own; but especially when conscience punishes them in time, or in death, they no longer know that Christ is their righteousness, and seek to and fro how they may comfort or strengthen their conscience with their good works. But if this does not help (as it may not help), they despair.
See, there is much to be said about this, and all sermons should be about 2) these things. For when Christ is preached in this way, and the dear bread is distributed in this way, souls take hold of it and exercise themselves with it in their sufferings, which divine will inflicts upon them. Therefore they become strong and full of faith, so that they fear neither their sins, nor their consciences, nor the devil, nor death. 4. Now thou seest how it is about this daily bread, that Christ is truly this bread; but he is of no use to thee, neither canst thou eat his; God then make him words, that thou mayest hear him, and so know him. For that he sitteth in heaven, or is under the form of bread, what profit is that to thee? He must be given, made ready, and made words by the inward and outward word. Behold, this is truly the word of God. Christ is the bread, God's Word is the bread; and yet One Thing, One Bread. For He is in the Word, and the Word in Him; and to believe in the same Word is to eat the bread; and to whomsoever God gives it, he lives forever.
The fifth little word is: Us.
Here every man is exhorted to spread out his heart to all Christendom, and pray for himself and the whole company of all men, especially for the priesthood, who are to perform the word of God.
- Weimarsche: "mugens" instead of:, "they like it".
- Walch and the Erlanger: "Preacher".
- Weimarian: "the".
- "Neither", "nor" is inserted after the Latin.
For just as in the first three petitions we seek the things that belong to God, that He may bring about His own in us, so now we pray here for Christianity. Among all things, there is nothing more necessary and useful to Christianity than daily bread, which is that God would make a learned priesthood and have His Word preached and heard in all the world, for if the priesthood and the Word of God are in its essence, Christianity will flourish. He also commanded us to ask this when he said Matth. 9, 38: "Ask the householder to send workers into his harvest" 2c.
Therefore, according to the right order of love, we should pray most of all for Christianity, doing more than we pray for ourselves. For, as Chrysostom says, whoever prays for all of Christendom, Christendom prays for him. Yes, in the same way he prays with Christianity for himself, and is not a good prayer, 5) since one prays for himself alone. [And God grant that I am not mistaken, that I do not put up with the various brotherhoods in the best way, especially those that almost strike at themselves, 6) as if they wanted to go to heaven alone and leave us behind. But you remember and realize that Christ did not teach in vain that no one should pray "my Father," but "our Father"; not, "give me my daily bread today," but "give us our daily bread today"; and so henceforth "our debt," "us," "us" 2c. He wants to hear the heap, not me nor you, or a runaway, segregated Pharisee. Therefore sing with the multitude, and you will sing well; and even if you sing badly, you will go with the multitude; if you sing alone, you will not remain undirected.
The sixth little word: Today.
The little word teaches, as said above § 101j, that God's word is not in our power. Therefore, all false confidence in wit, reason, art and wisdom must fall away. For in the time of temptation, God Himself must promise us, and with His
- Weimarsche: "beet" instead of: Prayer.
- i.e. those who trust so much in themselves. Latin: xrnsssrtirll nxuä sos, Hui 8i kirnet eonüsi.
800 Trl. S1, L08-LI0.' Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. VII, N50-N52. 801
words comfort us and sustain us. For even though there is a great store of Scripture that one might teach the whole world while he is at peace, if God Himself does not come when the storms are going, and tell us by Himself alone or by a man, soon all is forgotten, and yet the little ship goes down; as it is written in the 107th Psalm, v. 27. Psalm, v. 27, it is written: Turbati sunt, et moti sunt sicut ebrius, "They are terrified, and stagger like the drunken, knowing not whither"; all their wisdom is swallowed up; so much so that they know nothing more.
Therefore, since we live in danger here, and must always await all kinds of suffering, as well as the hardships and pain of death, we must stand in fear and pray that God will not spare His word for long, but will be with us today, now, and every day, to give us our bread and, as St. Paul says in Ephesians 3:16, 17. 3, 16. 17. that Christ may appear in us and dwell in our inner man. Therefore, not the day after tomorrow, as if we wanted to be safe and fearless today, but "today". It is even more appropriate to say "today" and not tomorrow, when it is clear that God's will wants to be done in us, and our will goes down with anxiety; indeed, he would want the bread to be given not only today, but also this hour. The word "today" in the Scriptures also means this whole life on earth; I will leave that aside now.
Resolution of this request.
- Is now the opinion of this petition: O heavenly Father, since no one may suffer your will, and we are too weak to tolerate our will and old Adam's killing, we pray that you will feed, strengthen and comfort us with your holy word, and give your grace that we may hear the heavenly bread, We pray that you will feed us with your holy word, strengthen us with your holy word, and give us your grace that we may hear the heavenly bread, Jesus Christ, throughout the whole world, and heartily recognize that shameful, heretical, erroneous, and all human teachings will cease, and that only your word, which is truly our living bread, will be distributed.
(126) Do we not also ask for the fleshly bread? Answer: Yes, the bodily bread may almost be included here.
but first of all the spiritual bread of souls, Christ. Therefore he teaches us that we should not be careful about bodily food and clothing, but only about today's needs; as he says Matth. 6, 34: "Let one day's care be enough, and do not worry today about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. And it would be a good exercise of faith if one learned to ask God for today's bread only, so that afterwards he could trust God in something greater. Not that one should not work for temporal goods or food, but that one should not be diligent, as if we could not be fed, because we worried and feared; so that the work should be done more to serve God in it, and to avoid idleness, and to do His commandment sufficiently, since He says to Adam [Gen. 3, 191: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread", than that one should worry and fear how we will be fed. For God will manage this, if we work single-mindedly according to His commandment.
The fifth request.
And leave us our guilt, as we leave our debtors.
Who thinks that this prayer affects so many people and is guilty of so much? First of all, what do the great saints want to pray for in our times, who consider themselves quite pious, especially when they have confessed, absolved and done enough, and now live in such a way that they do not pray for their sin, like the old right saints, of whom David says Ps. 32, 6: Pro hac orabit et., "Every saint will pray for mercy for his sin," but only accumulate great merits, and build a delicious palace in heaven, even near St. Peter, with many good works? But God help us, let us try if we can make them sinners and count them among our poor sinful clan, so that they may learn to pray this prayer with us, not only before confession and penance, but also after the great indulgence of pain and guilt, and after all guilt forgiveness say with us: "Lord, forgive us our trespasses".
- for since one is not in God's sight
802 Erl. 21, 2I0-2IS. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. VII, 1152-1155. 803
- If he may lie or scold, then truly, truly, there must be a serious, yes, much more serious guilt, which no indulgence has or may put away. Therefore indulgence and this prayer will not be one. If all guilt is gone through the indulgence, then cancel the prayer and do not ask for false guilt before God's eyes, so that you do not mock Him and get all the misfortune for yourself. But if the prayer is true, then God help the poor indulgence, which still leaves such great guilt, since God condemns a man justly for it, if he is not asked for mercy. But I do not speak too much, because I know the subtle glosses well, so that one is used to make a waxen nose out of the holy scripture.
This prayer may be understood in two ways.
(129) First, that God forgives us our trespasses secretly, and we do not feel it, just as He imputes and retains the trespasses of many people, which they do not feel or respect at all. Secondly, publicly, and that we feel it; as He imputes guilt to some, that they feel it, as, through punishment and terror of conscience. The first forgiveness is always necessary. The other is sometimes necessary, lest a man despair.
What is it?
(130) I say, then, that God is gracious to many people, and forgives all trespasses heartily, and yet says nothing to them about it, but deals with them inwardly and outwardly in such a way that they think they have an ungracious God who wants to condemn them temporally and eternally. Outwardly he afflicts them, inwardly he terrifies them. One of them was David, when he said, Ps. 6:2: Domine, ne in furore tuo arguas me etc., "Lord, do not punish me in your anger." So again, some he keeps their guilt secret, and is hostile to them, says nothing to them about it, but deals with them so that they think they are the dear children; outwardly they are well, inwardly they are happy and certain of heaven; which are described Ps. 10, 6: Non
- i.e. to play a joke.
movebor a generatione etc., "I know that no one will throw me around forever, I will be without any misfortune. So he sometimes gives conscience comfort, and feels a cheerful confidence in his grace, so that the man may be strengthened thereby to hope in God even in the time of anguish of his conscience. Again, he sometimes causes a conscience to be frightened and distressed, so that man will not forget the fear of God even in the joyful time.
The first forgiveness is bitter and difficult, but it is the noblest and most loving. The other is easier, but the lesser. The Lord Christ shows both of them in Mary Magdalene. The first one, when he turned his back on her and yet said to Simon Luc. 7, 47, "Her sins are forgiven much"; she was not yet at peace. The other, when he turned to her and said, v. 50, "Your sins are forgiven you; go in peace," she was satisfied. So the first makes pure, the other makes peace. The first works and brings, the other rests and receives, and there is an immense difference between the two. The first is only in faith and deserves much, the other is in feeling and receives the reward. The first is used with the high people, the other with the weak and uplifting.
- Now let us see the most powerful letter of indulgence that never came on earth, and it was not sold for money, but given to everyone for free. Other teachers put the indulgence in the bag and the box, but Christ puts it in the heart, so that it may not be put nearer; so that you may not go to Rome or Jerusalem,
- The section M132-135 of this writing is specially printed in a small collection of Lutheran writings (compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XIX, Introduction, p. 35 f.) under the title: "Christi Ablaßbrief. This piece was first included as a special writing by Aurifaber in the Eisleben Collection, vol. I, p. 147d; from there it passed into the Altenbnrger, vol. II, p. 344; further into the Leipziger, vol. XVIII, p. 456; into Walch's old edition, vol. XIX, 957 and into the Erlanger, vol. 29, p. 43. In the 19th volume of our edition, we have omitted this alleged writing, but printed from the Erlangen edition the incorrect information about the sites, which are to be corrected in the introduction to the 19th volume, p. 36, according to the evidence given here. (Cf. Weim. edition, vol. II, p. 117, note 1.).
804 Erl. 21, L12-214. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. vn, 1155-1157. 805
The letter of indulgence reads as follows: If you forgive your debtors, my Father will also forgive you. And the letter of indulgence reads in German thus: If you forgive your debtors, my Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive, my Father will not forgive you either.
This letter, sealed with Christ's own wounds and confirmed by his death, has faded away and decayed by the great downpour of Roman indulgences.
Now no one can be excused for not having his sins forgiven, or for having an evil conscience. For Christ does not say: You should fast so much for your sin, pray so much, give so much, do this or that, but if you want to do enough and pay your debt, take away your sin, listen to my advice, yes, my commandment: Do no more than that, let all things go, and change your heart, since no one can hinder you, and be kind to the one who has offended you; forgive only you, then it is all bad.
Why do they not preach such indulgences? Don't Christ's word, counsel and promise count as much as a dream preacher's? Yes, such indulgences will not build St. Peter's church (which the devil may well like), but Christ's church, which the devil may not like at all. For wood and stone don't nearly touch him, but pious, united hearts do him heartache. Therefore one does not like this indulgence in vain; that one does not get full for all the food. Not that I reject Roman indulgences, but that I want every thing to be held in its dignity; and where good gold may be had for nothing, that copper be not counted more dear than gold is worth. Just beware of the color and the glitter.
There are two kinds of people who do not pray this prayer and do not obtain the same great indulgence. The first, almost grossly, who forget their own guilt and make their neighbor's guilt so great that they may even impudently say, "I will not and cannot forgive him; I may not ever hold him. These carry the beam, yes, much beam in their
Eyes, and do not see their own, but they may not forget the small stick or rod in their neighbor's eye; that is, their own sin, which they have done against God, they do not regard, and weigh so great the guilt of their neighbor; and yet they want God to leave them the great guilt, if they do not leave the small ones unsmelled. And even if they had no other sin or guilt, the guilt would be great enough in their eyes that they would disobey God's commandment in that they would not forgive, but would avenge themselves (which belongs to God alone). And indeed, it is a strange God in His justice and judgment that he who does not forgive is more guilty than he who has done harm and suffering.
Therefore this prayer becomes a sin to the same, just as Psalm 109:7 says: "His prayer will be a sin before God", by which man misrepresents himself and turns the prayer completely around, so that he should obtain mercy, but acquires disgrace. For what else is it said when you say: I will not forgive, and yet stand before God with your delicious paternoster, 2) and proclaim with your mouth: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us," for so much: O God, I am your trespasser, so I also have a trespasser. Now I do not want to forgive him, so do not forgive me either. I will not be obedient to thee, though thou hast already called me forgiven; I will before forsake thee, thy heaven, and all things, and go to the devil for ever?
Behold, thou poor man, if thou hast or wouldst suffer such an enemy, who shall malign thee before men, as thou malignest thyself before God and all the saints with thine own prayer. And what has he done to you? A temporal damage. Why do you want to lead yourself over the small, temporal damage into an eternal damage? Behold, O man, not he that afflicteth thee, but thou thyself, which hast
- Weimarsche: "yr".
- According to the Latin translation, "paternoster" here means the rosary or a string of prayer stones (cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XXII, 1333). - "proppeln" --- fast herplappevn.
806 Erl. 21, 214-ri". Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. VII, IIS7-1I60. 807
If you do not forgive, you will do yourself the right harm, which the whole world does not want to do to you.
- The others are more subtle, who are spiritually offended by their neighbors, that is, that nothing is done to them but to displease them in their hearts, before the great love (as they dream) of righteousness and wisdom. For sin and foolishness do not like the tender and delicate saints. And these are they who are called serpents and poisonous worms in the Scriptures, who are so deeply blind that they never know, nor can they be persuaded (as can happen to the first and coarse), that they are they who do not forgive their neighbor, yea, esteem that for merit and good works, that they are enemy to their neighbor. They are known to talk about, judge, and judge everything that another does, and they do not keep quiet because they know something about their neighbor. In German, they are called Asterreder, 1) in Greek, Teufel, in Latin, Schmäher, in Hebrew, Satanas; recently, the 2) vermaledeiete Rotte, which promises everyone, despises, vermaledeiet, and yet everything in good appearances. What diabolical, infernal, damned plague now, alas! reigns through Christendom more gruesome than ever no pestilence, and approaching poisons all tongues, and, lamented to God! one of the same miseries has neither hat nor care. These are the ones who, if someone does something bad, not only do not find mercy with them, that they pray for him (as Christians should), teach him amicably, punish him brotherly; but, where an evildoer suffers only one judge, one court, one accusation according to divine and worldly law, then one must suffer as many judges, courts, accusations from these poisoned, infernal tongues, as many ears meet them, whether they met a thousand during the day. Behold, these are the wretched saints, who cannot forgive nor forget their neighbor's trespasses. And their way is, that they never find a man's heart pleasing, that they may ever be worthy, that God may not only not forsake their iniquity, but also shew them disgrace, that he may never make them know their iniquity.
- In the Latin translation: teutonies aeüterL^Weunarsche: "to".
After that they adorn themselves and say: Yes, I do not speak this to him to harm, nor in bad opinion, I grant him all good. Behold, how soft the hair of the little cat is; who would think that such sharp claws and tongues were in the smooth skin? If you were his friend, you would keep silent, and not spread your neighbor's misfortune with such delight and pleasure; yes, you would turn your damned displeasure into a pity and mercy, excuse him, cover him, and keep others silent, pray to God for him, warn him fraternally, and help him up, at last also receive a reminder and admonition, remember your own infirmity with fear, that St. Paul says. St. Paul says 1 Cor. 10, 14: "He who stands, let him see that he does not fall", and say with the holy old man: This yesterday, today it is up to me.
Think also, how would it please thee if God did unto thee again as thou doest unto thy neighbor, according to the sound of this prayer, and forbear thee, spreading thy sin abroad? Or, how would you suffer another to cry out your wickedness? You would undoubtedly want everyone to be silent, to absolve you, to cover you and to pray for you. Now you are doing against nature and its law, which says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" Matt. 7:12.
And do not think that a slanderer, slanderer, or a vicious judge will be forgiven for his sins, even the smallest or the greatest.) Judge his sin, nor the smallest, nor the greatest forgiven; yes, that he may do some good work, he then leave and change his evil tongue. For thus says St. Jacob fCap. 1, 26]: "Whoever lets himself think that he is a pious Christian man and does not bridle his tongue, his piety is nothing.
- But if thou wilt ever do anything by thy neighbor's sin, keep the noble, precious, golden rule of Christ, when he saith Matt. 18:15, If thy brother sin any thing that offend thee, go and punish him between thee and him only." O mark, tell not other men, but thou and he alone; as if he should say, Wilt thou not tell him?
- In the editions: freveler. Latin: tsrnsrario fuäwi.
[808 Erl. 21, 216-218. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. vn, iiso-ii2. 809
alone, keep your mouth shut, let it be buried in your heart; for it will never burst your belly, 7) as Ecclesiasticus says Sir. 19, 10..
(144) Oh, whoever commits the noble work, how easily he may atone for his sin, though he does not do much else! For if he sins again, God will say, "This man has covered and forgiven his neighbor's sin! Come near, all creatures, and cover him up again, and his sin shall never be forgiven him. But now they seek in every way and manner satisfaction and repentance for sin, and neither see nor hear our daily prayer that atoning for sin, doing enough, acquiring indulgence is best of all "forgiving our debtors. The great pomp of indulgences and the anguish of confessional essays lead us into such forgetfulness and ignorance.
But they come and paint the devil over their doors and burn themselves white, saying, "Well, if it is true, why shouldn't I say so, if it is so?
- Answer: If it is true that you have sinned, why do you not speak your wickedness, if you are commanded to speak all truth? But if thou wilt keep thine own silence, then, according to the natural law, do the same to another.
- item, if it is true, you do nothing better than the traitors and the sellers of flowers, because the 3) often say all too true to many a poor man.
(148) For this thou doest contrary to the rule of Christ Matt. 18:15 ff, which commandeth thee, that thou tell it not, save to him alone; except he will not hear thee, thou shalt take two to thee, and tell him again. And if he still does not hear you, you shall accuse him with the same witnesses before the whole assembly. But the rule has now expired. This is what it is all about, as it should be for those who slacken God's word.
149 Item, the widespread vice of after-talk and respect for other people's sin is almost the most common.
- Weimarsche: "auff bresten".
- "aufgehaben" here in the meaning: moved up, held out.
- Wittenberg and Jena: they.
The most wretched sin on earth. For all other sins stain and corrupt only the one who commits them, without the wretched, damned yapper, who must be stained and corrupted with other people's sins. Notice from this: The greater and more lust and pleasure there is in sin, the greater the sin is. But if the self-guilty man so often, for the sake of the sin he has committed, wrongs himself, is ashamed and punishes himself, wanting no one to know, and has thereby almost reduced the sin, then the barker comes and falls into the same dung as a sow, eats it, rolls himself in it, not wanting it not to have happened; for he takes pleasure in talking about it, judging it and laughing. Therefore I have said § 139, that he who loves to yap and to talk, is not favorable to any man; yea, he is a common enemy of human nature, like the devil. For he has nothing dearer than that he may hear, say and do the sin and shame of men, and rejoice in their evil. But he that loveth and hath pleasure in these things, may not indeed grant any good thing to men, but all unhappiness; and this shall be his reward in the end.
150 Therefore, to warn us, we are to learn that every man is a sinner against God, and he in turn has a sinner or guilty one against himself.
151 First, we are sinners in gross, wicked pieces. For few are those who have not fallen into great and grievous pieces. But even if a man were so pious that he had never fallen into great pieces, he always does too little according to God's commandment, because he has received much grace in the sight of other men, and yet he has never done so much that he has fully thanked and paid for the smallest gift; indeed, he cannot sufficiently praise God for his daily garment or coat, let alone for life, health, honor, goods, friends, reason and countless benefits of God. Therefore, if God should be right with him, it would be as Job says Cap. 9, 3, that he would not be able to answer a thousand, and would be glad to ask a merciful judge. So also David says Ps. 143) 2: "Lord, do not come.
- In the issues: to.
810 Eri. Li, 218-220. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. vn. ne2-n65. 811
with your servant in judgment; for before you no man is found right who lives." Also because no man is so pious who does not still have in him the old Adam's taste and yeast, for which God would justly reject him. Therefore, humility alone contains even those who live in grace, and their guilt is not reckoned to them, so that they may avenge it, 1) ask for mercy, and forgive their debtors.
On the other hand, we also have guilty parties. For God ordains that we should suffer in goods, honor, or whatever, so that He may give us cause to atone for our sins and forgive our debtors. And even if someone does not have to suffer much from another (which is not a good sign), he nevertheless finds in him a dislike for some of those he is suspicious of and bears a grudge against; so that it is recently true, as St. Augustine says: "Every man is indebted to God and has a debtor; but if he does not have one, he is certainly blind and does not see himself rightly.
Now behold what a wretched life this is, where there is no food, consolation, or strength for the soul, other than that which is indicated by past prayer; in addition, a sinful state in which we would be justly condemned, if this prayer did not sustain us through God's pure grace and mercy. So the Pater noster makes this life completely sinful and disgraceful for us, so that we become tired and weary of it. Now, you barker, judge yourself, talk about yourself, see who you are, reach into your bosom, and you will forget your neighbor's evil; for you have both your hands full, yes, over and over full.
The sixth request.
And do not introduce us to temptation or temptations.
If the little word "temptation" or "confession", 3) were not so mean, it would stand
- avenge, i.e. condemn. In Latin: yuoä illa judiesnt ipsi.
- In the editions: same. Latin: ipss.
- Wittenberger: "bekerung". The form "bekörung" found here in the Jena was, as Luther wrote in the
much better, and would be clearer to say: And do not lead us into temptations. In this prayer we learn what a miserable life on earth is like, for it is a louder temptation. And whoever seeks peace and security here does it unwise; he may never get it; and even if we all desire it, it is still in vain, it is a life of temptation and remains so.
(155) Therefore we do not say, Take away my temptation; but "lead us not into it. As if he said, 4) We are surrounded behind and before with temptations, and may not escape them; but, O our Father, help us that we enter not into them, that is, that we consent not to them, and so be overcome and oppressed. For he that trusteth sinneth, and is made a prisoner of sins, as Paul saith Rom. 7:23.
So this life, as Job says Cap. 7:1, is nothing else but a quarrel and constant strife against sin, and the dragon, the devil, is always attacking us and devouring us in his jaws, as St. Peter says 1 Epist. 5:8: O dear brethren, "be sober and watch, for your adversary the devil, as a fierce lion, is going about and about, seeking whether he may devour any man." Behold, our dear father and faithful bishop, St. Peter, says: "Our enemy seeks us, and not in one place, but in all places, all around; that is, all our members and senses, inwardly with evil inspiration, outwardly with evil images, words and works, provokes, moves, hinders, through men and all creatures, to unchastity, wrath, hopefulness, avarice and the like, needs all cunning and mischievousness, that he may lead man into captivity. And if you feel the same, you should quickly lift up your eyes to God: O God the Father, behold, how am I moved, provoked to this and that vice, and hindered from this and that good work; defend, dear Father, and help me, do not let me succumb and fall into it. O who needed this petition and
large catechism (Concordienbuch, St. Louis edition, p. 331; I. T. Müller, p. 480) says, the one in use among the Saxons from time immemorial.
- In Latin: ua si diesrst.
812 Erl. 21, 220-222. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. VII. 1165-1167. 813
how blessed he would be! For many are those who do not know whether they will be challenged or what they should do in the challenge.
What is Anfechtupg?
157 Two kinds of temptation: One on the left side, that is, which provokes anger, hatred, bitterness, unwillingness, impatience, as are sickness, poverty, dishonor, and everything that hurts one, especially when one's will, authority, discretion, counsel, word and work are rejected and despised. For these things are common and daily in this life, and God inflicts them through evil men or devils.
When one feels this movement, he should be wise, and not be surprised, for it is the way of this life, but draw out prayer, and counting the right grain, say, O Father, this is certainly a temptation laid upon me; help me not to be deceived and tempted by it. 2)
In this temptation one is deceived twice. First, when one says, "Yes, I would be pious, and not angry, if I had peace. And some do not give our Lord God and his saints peace, so that he takes away the temptation from them. He must heal this one's leg, make him rich, and give him justice; and they 3) do as they please, even to strangle themselves out by themselves and others. And so they remain lazy, yes, fugitive, poor knights, who do not want to be challenged nor to fight. Therefore they are not crowned; indeed, they fall into the other contest on the right side, as we shall hear. But if it be right, it shall be so, that he shall not pass by, neither shall the temptation be put away, but he shall overcome it chivalrously. Job speaks of the same [Cap. 7, 1. 1: "Man's life is a strife" or temptation.
160 The others, who do not overcome the temptation, nor is it taken away from them, they go into wrath, hatred, impatience, give themselves free to the devil, accomplish
- This refers to counting the stones on the rosary or paternoster.
- beguile --- challenge, attempt.
- According to the Latin, this sentence is to be understood as we have completed it here.
Word and work, become murderers, robbers, blasphemers, swearers, after-enders, and cause all kinds of misfortune. For they have overcome temptation, and follow all evil will. The devil is powerful, and his prisoners do not call upon God or his saints. But since our life is called a temptation by God Himself, and must be such that we are offended in body, goods and honor, and injustice must befall us, we should wait for it kindly, and wisely receive it, saying: "Well, it is the quality of life, what shall I make of it? it is a temptation, and remains a temptation, it will not be otherwise; help, God, that it does not move and overthrow me.
Behold, thus no one may be overtaken by temptation. But one can defend oneself, and advise all4) with prayer and call upon God's help. Thus one reads in the old father book that a young brother desired to be free of his thoughts. Then the old father said: "Dear brother, that the birds in the air fly over your head, you cannot prevent, but you can prevent that they do not make a nest in your hair. So, as St. Augustine says, we cannot resist the impulses and temptations, but that they do not overcome us, we can well defend ourselves with prayers and invocations of divine help.
The other temptation on the right side, that is, the temptation to unchastity, pleasure, pride, avarice and vain honor, and all that is good, especially when one has his will, praises his word, counsel and deed, honors and thinks highly of him.
This is the most harmful temptation, and is assigned to the time of the end of Christ, as David says, Psalm 91:7: "Where a thousand fall from your left side, ten thousand fall from your right side"; and now it has taken over. For the world strives only for good, honor and pleasure, and especially the youth now learns nothing against the carnal lust and temptations, fall there, that there is no longer shame, but all the world is full of fables and songs of fornication and whoredom, as if it were well done. This is all the
- In the issues: everything.
814 Erl. S1, 228-225. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. vn, US7-U70. 815
cruel God's wrath, who thus lets the world go into temptation, because no one calls upon him.
(164) It is a grievous affliction to a young man when the devil blows into his flesh, setting fire to his marrow and bones, and to all his limbs, and by heart irritates him with his face, gestures, dances, clothes, words, and pretty pictures of women or men; (1) as Job says (Cap. 41:12): Halitus ejus prunas ardere facit.]: Halitus ejus prunas ardere facit, "His breath makes the coals glow," and now the world is all nonsense with irritation of dresses and adornments; but yet it is not impossible to overcome who is accustomed to call upon GOD, and to utter this prayer: "Father, do not lead us into temptation." Now this is what is to be done in the temptation of hope, when someone is praised or honored, and great goods come to him, or other worldly pleasures 2c.
Why does God allow man to be so tempted to sin? Answer: That man may learn to know himself and God. To know that he can do nothing but sin and do evil. To recognize God, that God's grace is stronger than all creatures, and thus learn to despise himself, and to praise and glorify God's grace. For there have been those who have tried to resist unchastity with their strength, with fasting, with works, and have broken their bodies, and yet have done nothing. For no one can quench evil desire, except the heavenly dew and rain of divine grace; but fasting and labor, watchfulness, must be there, but are not enough.
Decision.
(166) If God has forgiven us our sins, nothing is so great as not to fall again. Because, as David says Ps. 104:25, in the great sea of this world there are many storms, that is, many temptations and impulses that want to make us guilty again, it is necessary for us to say with our hearts without ceasing: "Father, do not lead us into temptation. I do not desire to be free from all temptation, for that would be terrible and worse than ten temptations.
- Latin: psr speciositntsrn mulisrum ant viroram.
I have no more temptation than temptation is to the right hand, but that I fall not, and sin against my neighbor or against thee. So St. James says Cap. 1, 12, "O brethren, when much temptation is thrust upon you, consider it great joy." Why? Because they exercise man and make him perfect in humility and patience, and GOtte comfortable, as the very dearest children. Blessed are those to whom such things go to the heart; for, alas, now everyone seeks rest, peace, pleasure, comfort in his life. Therefore, the regiment of the end of Christ is approaching, if it is not already here.
The seventh and last request.
But deliver us from evil, amen.
- Note that the last thing that should be aborted is evil, that is, for 3) strife, evil, wars, pestilence, plagues, and also hell and purgatory, and all painful evils of body and soul.
168 For these things should be asked, but properly, and last of all. Why? Some and many are found who honor God and His saints and ask, but only that they may be rid of evil, and seek nothing else, not even remembering the first requests, that they put God's honor, name and will first. Therefore, they seek their will, and turn this prayer completely around, start at the last, and do not come to the first; they want to be rid of their evil, 4) whether it is to honor God or not, whether it is His will or not.
(169) But a righteous man who says thus: Dear Father, I am oppressed by evil and torment, and I suffer much misfortune and complaint, and I am afraid of hell. Deliver me from it, but not otherwise, if it is honest and praiseworthy to you and your divine will; if not, then not my will, but your will be done. For to me 'thy divine honor and will is dearer than all my rest and chamber, temporal and eternal. Behold, this is a pleasing and good prayer, and will surely be answered.
- Jenaer: "in him the"; Wittenberger: "in him the". Weimarsche: "in yn", which is corrected in the note there.
- "for strife", that is: that one please Against strife 2c.
- "his" is missing in Weimar's.
816 Erl. rr, LLS-227. Luther's interpretation of the Lord's Prayer for the laity. W. VII, II7V-H73. 817
If it is prayed for and meant otherwise, it is unacceptable and will not be heard. Since this life is nothing else but an unholy evil, from which certainly also temptations arise, we should therefore desire to be rid of the evil, so that the temptation and sin cease, and thus God's will be done, and His kingdom come, to the praise and glory of His holy name.
From the little word Amen.
The little word "Amen" is of Hebrew or Jewish language, and means in German "fürwahr" or "wahrlich", and is to be considered almost well, that it expresses the faith, which one should have in all requests. For Christ said Matt. 21:22 "When ye pray, believe firmly that ye shall obtain, and it shall surely come to pass." Item, in the other place Marc. 11, 24.]: "All things whatsoever ye ask, believe, and ye shall receive." For so the Gentile woman received, which she asked, because she did not cease, and firmly believed, that the Lord also said unto her Matt. 15:28, "O woman! how great is thy faith, let it be done unto thee, as thou wilt and hast asked." St. Jacob also says in the first chapter, v. 6: "He who asks of God should never doubt in faith that it will be done for him. For whoever doubts in faith, let him not think that he will receive anything from God." Therefore, as the wise man says Eccl. 7:9, "The end of prayer is better than the beginning." For at the end, if thou sayest "Amen" with hearty confidence and faith, surely the prayer is established and answered; and where this end is not, neither beginning nor means of prayer is of any use.
Therefore, a man who wants to pray should examine himself and find out whether he believes it or doubts that he will be heard. If he finds that he doubts it, or sets it in uncertain delusion, and dares it on adventure, the prayer is nothing. For he does not keep his heart still, but tosses and turns. Therefore God cannot give anything certain; just as little as you can give something to a man, if he does not keep his hand still. And think, how would you like it if someone had you?
and in the end he would say to you: But I do not believe that you will give it to me; and you would certainly have promised it to him. You would take the prayer for a mockery, and revoke everything you had promised, and perhaps punish him for it. How would it please God, who certainly promises us, if we ask that we should have it, and by our doubt punish Him, and in prayer act contrary to prayer, insulting His truth, which we invoke with prayer?
Therefore the little word Amen means "truly, assuredly, certainly"; and it is a word of firm, heartfelt faith, as if you said: O God the Father! these things which I have asked, I do not doubt, they are certainly true and will come to pass, not because I have asked them, but because you have asked them hotly and assuredly: so I am certain that you, God, are true, cannot lie, and therefore not worthiness of my prayer, but certainty of your truth, makes me believe it firmly, and there is no doubt in my mind that it will become an amen and be an amen.
(173) There are some who err exceedingly, who destroy their prayer, and pray much with their mouths, but never with their hearts, because they do not want to believe beforehand that they have been heard, because they know or think that they have prayed worthily and well, and thus rely on themselves, on the sand; they are all condemned. For such a prayer is not possible that it be sufficient of itself, and worthy to be heard before God, but it must rely on the truth and promises of God. For if God had not called prayer and promised an answer, all creatures would not be able to ask for a grain with all their prayers. Therefore look on it: Not the prayer is good and right, which is much, devout, sweet, long, for temporal or eternal good, but which ballet firmly and trusts. It is heard (however small and unworthy it may be in itself) for the true vow and promise of God. God's word and promise makes your prayer good, not your devotion. For the same faith, founded on His words, is also the right devotion, without which all other devotion is mere deceit and error.
818 Erl. 45, 203-206. interpretations^on the evangelist Matthew. W. VII, II73-U76. 819
1) Brief concept and order of all prescribed petitions.2)
- the soul. 3) O Our Father, who art in the heavens, we your children on earth, separated from you, in misery, as there is a great middle between you and us, how shall we always come home to you, to our fatherland?
- God. A child honors his father, and a servant his master. Am I your father; where is my honor? Am I your Lord; where is my fear and reverence? [For my holy name is blasphemed and disgraced among you and by you, Isa. 52:5.
The first request. The soul. O Father, this is, alas, true, we know our trespasses; be thou merciful Father, and reckon not with us, but give thy grace that we may so live, that thy holy name may be hallowed in us. Let us never think, speak, do, have, or undertake anything except your praise and glory in it; that your glory and name, and not our own vain glory and name, may be sought in us above all things. Grant that we may love, fear and honor you as children love a father.
- God. How can my honor and name be sanctified among you, when all your hearts and minds are inclined to evil, and lie captive in sins Gen. 8, 21., when no one can sing my praises in foreign lands? Ps. 137, 4.
- The other request. 4) The soul. O Father, this is 5) true, we feel that our limbs are inclined to sin, and the world, flesh and devil want to rule in us, and thus drive out your honor and name. Therefore, we ask, help us out of this misery, let your kingdom come, that sin may be cast out, and we may be made godly, acceptable to you, you alone may reign in us, and we may become your kingdom.
- The following is a part of the preceding writing, but printed in Walch's old edition as a separate writing, but in the Erlangen edition (as already noted in the note to the superscription to E) completely torn apart with the remark (vol. 45, p. 203) that it is "an appendix added later (1520)".
- "Bitten" is missing in the Weimar.
- What is printed here in smaller type is in the margin of the old editions.
- "Please" is missing in the Weimar.
- In the Jena and Latin: "alas!"
May the obedience of all our powers, inwardly and outwardly.
- gov. Deut. 32 v. 39. Whom I shall help, I destroy; and whom I shall make alive, blessed, rich, pious, I kill him, reject him, make him poor and nothing. But you will not suffer such my counsel and action, Ps. 78, 10. 11. How then shall I help you, and what more shall I do? Isa. 5, 4.
The third request. The soul. We are sorry that we do not understand nor suffer your healing hand. O Father, give us grace and help us to let your divine will be done in us; yes, even if it hurts us, continue to punish, stab, cut and burn, do everything you want, so that only your will is done, and never ours. Resist, dear Father, and let us not do anything according to our will, will and opinion. For our will and yours are contrary to each other; yours alone is good, though it may not seem so; ours is evil, though it may seem so.
God. It has happened that they have loved me with their mouths, and their hearts have been far from me Isa. 29:13, and when I have attacked them to correct them, they have run back and fallen away from me in the middle of the work, as you read Ps. 78:9: Conversi sunt in die belli, Those who were all caught, and moved me to deal with them, have turned back from me, and again fallen into sin and my dishonor.
- the fourth request. The soul. Oh Father, it is ever true that "no one can be strong in his strength", 1 Sam. 2, 9. And who can remain before your hand, if you yourself do not strengthen and comfort us? Therefore, dear Father, take hold of us, accomplish your will, that we may become your kingdom, to your praise and glory. But, dear Father, strengthen us in such dealings with your holy word; give us our daily bread, form in our hearts your dear Son, Jesus Christ, the true bread of heaven, that, strengthened by him, we may cheerfully bear and suffer the breaking off and killing of our will and the accomplishment of your will. Yes, give grace also to all Christendom, send us learned priests and preachers, who shall teach us, not the marbles and spoutings of vain fables, but thy holy gospel and JESUS Christ.
820 Erl. 45, 266 f. Luther's interpretation of the Father-Unfer for the laity. W. vii, 1176-1179. 821
10**. Jer. 5 and often elsewhere.** It is not good to throw the holy things to the dogs and the children's bread Matth. 7, 6. 15, 26. You sin daily, and when I preach to you much day and night, you do not follow or listen, and my word is despised Jer. 5, Isa. 42, 20.
The fifth request. The soul. Oh Father, have mercy on us, and do not deny us our dear bread because of it; but we are sorry that we do not do enough for your holy word, and we ask you to have patience with us poor children, and to leave us our guilt, and not to judge us; for no one is justified before you. Behold thy promise, that we may heartily forgive our debtors, to whom 1)thou hast promised forgiveness. Not that by such forgiveness we are worthy of thy forgiveness, but that thou art true, and hast graciously promised forgiveness to all them that forgive their neighbors: upon thy promise we rely.
- I often forgive and redeem you, and you do not remain or endure Ps. **78, 8.** You are of little faith, you may not watch and persevere a little with me, you quickly fall back into temptation, Matth. 26, 40. f.
The sixth request. The soul. We are weak and sick, O Father, and the temptations of our
- In the Wittenberg and the Weimar: "den", which (also according to the Latin) is to be resolved with "denen", mcht with "denn", which the Jena offers. The sense is: to those who forgive their debtors, you have promised forgiveness.
great and manifold in the flesh and in the world. O dear Father, keep us, and let us not fall into temptation, and sin again; but give us grace, that we may persevere, and fight valiantly to the end of our days; for without thy grace and help we are able to do nothing.
- Ps. 11, I am righteous, and right is my judgment; therefore sin must not go unpunished. Therefore you must bear the evil. That you are afflicted by it is the fault of your sins, which compels me to punish them and ward them off.
The seventh request. The soul. Because evil gives us temptation and tempts us with sins, deliver us from it, dear Father, so that we, delivered from all sins and evils according to your divine will, may be a kingdom to you, to praise, glorify and sanctify you forever, amen. And because you have thus taught us and commanded us to pray, and promised an answer, we hope and are certain, O most loving Father, that you will graciously and mercifully give us all this in honor of your truth.
(16) At the last someone would say, How then, if I could not believe that I am heard? Answer: Do as the father of the possessed man did, Marc. 9, 24, when Christ said to him, "Can you believe? All things are possible to him that believeth." Then the same father cried out with weeping eyes, "O Lord! I believe, help my faith where it is too weak."
Soli Deo honor et gloria.
822 "rl. 45, 203-2W. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. W. VII, 1178-1180. 823
F. D. Martin Luther's brief interpretation of the Holy Lord's Prayer, before him and behind him.*)
Beginning 1520.
- the prayer of our Lord and Savior, that is, the holy Lord's Prayer, is said and prayed before and behind. Before you, then: The petitions in this holy prayer are thus ordered one below the other from beginning to end. The very first and greatest is the sanctification of the name of God; when this is accomplished, all things are accomplished.
Secondly, the name of God cannot be fully sanctified unless this life, which is not lived without sin, that is, without dishonoring the divine name, has its end, and the kingdom of God comes. Therefore, so that we do not desire the kingdom of God for our own sake, the sanctification of the divine name is set first, so that in this opinion we should ask to be saved and to enter the kingdom of God; not so that it may go well with us, but so that the name, honor and glory of God the Lord may be praised and honored. For when God's name is praised, it follows from Himself that we are well and blessed.
Third, the kingdom of God cannot come unless the will of God is done. Now the will of God is this, that we be sanctified from sins, crucifying our sin and vices through the cross and death of Christ our Lord, and that we be sanctified from our sins.
Therefore, in this life, one prays that this will happen.
Fourth, because we strive to do the will of God and work against sin, we need special help, that is, the Word of God and the Sacrament of Christ. For the Word of God is our daily bread, with which the spirit is fed and the flesh is killed. Although by the daily bread also the bodily bread may be understood.
Fifth, since we are not without sin during the time we are working in this life and words, and even though our sins are forgiven before God, we do not know it firmly and completely; therefore we ask for assurance of our conscience, by which we may be sure and certain that our sins are forgiven, and thus with a joyful heart accomplish the will of God in words and deeds.
(6) Sixthly, when we have obtained the assurance of our conscience that our sins are forgiven us, it is necessary that this assurance be constantly maintained. For since we are challenged with many temptations, and stand in them according to the will of God, we do not yet ask to be delivered from such temptations and to be forgiven.
- Jenaer: dem.
*This small writing is found, attached to the previous writing, in three editions by Silvanus Otmar in Augsburg under the title: "A short useful interpretation of the Lord's Prayer, in front of it and behind it". In the first of these there is at the end the indication: "completed on the 23rd day of the Jenner in the 1520th year" (thereafter our time determination); likewise in the last, but the last has in the title the year 1521. Furthermore, our writing is found attached to three Augsburg editions of the Sermon of Prayer and Procession in the Week of the Cross under the title: "Brief Interpretation of the Lord's Prayer, Before Him and Behind Him." The first two of these editions were also published by Silvanus Otmar, the last one presumably by Hans Fxoschauer in Augsburg (not, as Weller No. 1555 assumes, by Jörg Nadler, which the Erlangen edition, 2nd ed., vol. 16, p. 68, No. 8, has recorded. Cf. Weim. Ausg., vol. II, p. 173, G.]. Finally, as Walch indicates in the preface to the 7th volume, p. 14, and the Erlangen edition, vol. 45, p. 208, as an appendix to an edition of the aforementioned sermon, under the title: "Kurze Auslegung des Vaterunsers hinter sich und vor sich," which is said to have appeared in Leipzig in 1520. In the collective editions: In the Jena one (1564), Vol. I, p. 358 d, under the heading: "Kurze und gute Auslegung des heiligen Vaterunsser, vor sich und hinter sich gemacht, von Doctor Martins Luther. Then in the Altenburger, vol. I, p. 544; in the Leipziger, vol. IX, p. 374, and in the Erlanger, vol. 45, p. 208. We give the text according to Walch's old edition, which differs from that of the Jena edition only by one variant. The text of the Erlanger is worse.
824 Erl. 45, sio f. L.'s short Ausl. of the V.-U. before it and behind it. W. vn, 1180-1184. 825
but we pray that we may be entertained, blessed, and not led into temptation.
(7) Seventh, when we have sought all that is God's, and have done nothing else in ourselves but that is God's, let us then be careful for ourselves, and finally pray that we may be delivered from evil, so that we may put God first and ourselves last, and so exalt God and humble ourselves, that we may be first and exalted in God.
- The holy Our Father is also prayed behind oneself, as it is prayed by people who pray only with their mouths and not with their hearts. The same people seek more their own honor and glory, and a name in themselves, subordinating the glory of God. First of all, they want to be free from evil and to be free from it, so that they alone may live in bliss and have pleasure in themselves.
(9) Secondly, when the same people come a long way, they desire that they also be not led and guided into temptation,
but want to be without evil and not worry whether it is the will of God or not.
(10) Thirdly, after this, the same people ask forgiveness of their sins not from the heart, 1) or perhaps never.
Fourth, much less do the same people ask for the bread,
Fifth, for the sake of God,
- sixth, for the kingdom of God.
(14) And the seventh, for the glory of God these men ask from afar, but desire and covet first of all their own glory, their own kingdom and authority, and their own will.
15 Therefore it is to be noted that in the first three petitions the word "to whom" is written, and in the following ones these words "us" and "our" are written, for an instruction that we should first seek and desire God's glory, kingdom and will, and after that ours; but yet not otherwise, except in and with the things that concern God's glory, kingdom and will, amen.
- Added by us.
*G. D. M. Luther's sermon on the text Matth. Cap. 11, 25-30. )
Held on the day of St. Matthew, February 24, 1527.
This is a comforting gospel, in which the Lord first comforts Himself, and then comforts us in Him. Which comfort is of great need to us who are still under the devil's kingdom. Lucas says Cap. 10, 21 how the Lord rejoiced in spirit and leapt up for joy. The reason for this gospel is that the Lord had been preaching in Galilee for almost three years, and
The wise men considered it foolishness and a mockery, as it is according to this day, and so it shall be, that the wise men of this world shall despise, mock, and condemn the preaching of the gospel.
2 Therefore Matthew writes here before how the Lord punished and scolded the cities.
*A single edition of this sermon is available under the title: "Interpretation of the comforting words of Christ Matthäi 11: I praise you, Father', to the end of the chapter. By Mart. Luth. at Wittenberg in 1527." No place or printer. Quarto. Another edition in octavo is in the library at. Berlin No. 5101. In the collective editions: in the Eisleben one, vol. I, p. 401; in the Mtenburger, vol. Ill, p. 679; in the Leipziger, vol. XII, p. 431; in the Erlanger, 1st ed. vol. 16, p. 275; 2nd ed, Vol. 17, p. 268, According to Aurifaber's statement in the Eisleben edition, this sermon was preached "on the fifth Sunday after the holy Epiphany," that is, on February 10, 1527; but more probably on the day of St. Matthew, February 24, since the text of it is prescribed for that day. We give the text according to the second edition of the Erlangen edition, which provides a reprint of the single edition given above. Seckendorf, List. I^utU. in the third register under the year 1527, urtheilt that this is one of Luther's best sermons.
826 Erl. (S.) 17, 269-S71. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. VII, 1184-1186. 827
preached therein, and did miracles, and yet wrought nothing among them, and said thus v. 21 ff, "Woe unto thee, O Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If such deeds had been done to Tyro and Sidon as have been done to you, they would have repented before times in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, that Tyro and Sidon shall fare worse in the last judgment than you. And thou Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be cast down to hell. For if the deeds had been done in Sodoma, which were done in you, they would still be standing today. But I say unto you, that it shall be worse for the land of Sodom at the last judgment 1) than for thee."
(3) These words are now followed by today's Gospel, in which Christ first says to God, His heavenly Father:
V. 25. I praise you, Father and Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and have revealed them to babes.
(4) Behold, whether we must not also do as Christ does here, and like him take the words out of his mouth, praise and glorify God, that he now also reveals his word to the wise and prudent, to the pious and holy, in this world, and reveals it to babes and sinners. We preach and cry out that Christ alone is our salvation, redemption and satisfaction, and that faith alone makes us blessed. The wise and holy people dispute this, and the more we give cause to our preaching and bring the truth to light, the more angry they become. If one threatens them with the judgment of God, they despise it; their heart is harder than an anvil, which does not ask for a blow, one can beat it as much as one wants. So do the wisest, the most learned and the holiest in the world, and so do the enthusiasts. If a man has a conceit in his heart, he will not be driven by it; deal with them as you will, and they will remain on their heads.
But what does Christ do here? He lets them go, and turns away from the temptations.
- We have given the text of the Bible. Erlanger: "Sodomites" and "go more tolerable.
praise and glorify God, his heavenly Father, and yet have joy enough that he reveals it to the little ones. He does not want us to rely on men, nor to rely on ourselves, but to stand on God alone and trust in Him alone. If our God laughs, what do we fear from men? Why do we ask that people be angry? Do what Christ does here, praise the Father, and preach forever; let him who takes it take it. It is God's work; to whom He gives it, he has it; to whom He does not give it, he must not agree with Him about it. For he is not obligated or indebted to anyone. God, in short, does not want to leave his way for the sake of the wise. His way is to make something out of nothing, life out of death, righteousness out of sin, honor out of dishonor, wealth out of poverty. And Summa Summarum, what is small, with it he wants to have to do Psalm 113, 6. ff.. We have such a God. But the devil does the opposite, makes death out of life, sin out of righteousness, dishonor out of honor, and summa summarum, what is great before God, he wants to make small.
Now that we know that our God wants to help those who need help, why should we worry? Why are we not confident and joyful? For if He would have all wise men, angels, saints and pious people, where would we poor fools and wretched sinners be? For this is God, even according to the word of the Gentiles, who is able to help us in our troubles. 3) If this is God's way of helping, then it must follow that he helps when there is no help. The wise and prudent in the world do not know this.
(7) But the wise and prudent are called by the Lord here, who are fine and skilful men, who know how to govern, to acquire money and goods artificially, so that they rely on their wisdom alone; they will not depart from their prudence a hair's breadth, even in divine things and spiritual things; they will have their thing evil undamned, and they will not be condemned.
- ichts ---- something.
- In the Eisleben edition: "Heathens, where there is fear and accident, who can help out of these distresses."
828 Erl. (2.) 17, 271-273. Luther's sermon on Matth. 11, 25-30. w. VII, 1186-1189. 829
not at all unwise in the sight of God. For they think that they alone are wise according to their wisdom, and summarily they do not want to be fools, but wise. God alone wants to be master and remain just. So they rise up and run after one another; they do not want to be disgraced, so they do not come to the Lord.
(8) Thus says Christ: "Father, I praise and extol you, for you alone are wise, and you alone are a good God. For if ever wisdom perish, let her wisdom perish. It is better that you accept the poor, who let you alone be wise, and let the wise go , whom you can never make comfortable. 1) O father, you do right by them, that you do not praise their thing and let it be considered as if it were right and well done; you also hide this secret from their wisdom. This is very comforting to us, as I have said, for otherwise where would we fools and ignorant people remain? Paul also says this in 1 Cor. 1, 21. 22: "Because the world through its wisdom did not recognize God in His wisdom, it pleased God through foolish preaching to save those who believe in it. Because the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks ask for wisdom." This is their cover, the same wise and prudent, pious and holy people: they gape up and open their mouths and ears, would gladly hear the gospel, if God preached to them that their thing was also valid and right; as the papists do, they would gladly let their caps and plates, masses and other juggleries also count for something. These are the wise.
(9) But again God comes and will accept only the poor, the miserable, the underage, the foolish and the unintelligent. This then becomes an iron wall before their eyes, that they cannot understand such things. So did the heretics Axiani, and now our enthusiasts also; they have their own conceit, that they say, Eh, should Christ's body be eaten in bread, and his blood in wine? Should Christ be in the bread and wine? How does it rhyme
- The words in brackets are in the Eisleben edition.
this? What is it necessary? And such pointed, venomous, hateful words more. So they go about in their opinion, and are not worthy to see or understand the words of Christ. Therefore, if they are condemned because of the stubbornness of their goodness and stubbornness, because they will not let anything be said to them, we should do nothing else about it, except what Christ is doing, and we should command God, praise Him, and say: He is right to have revealed this mystery to the lowly, the foolish, and the underage, and to have hidden it from the wise and prudent of the world.
(10) There are two things here in which Christ rejoices. The first is that God has hidden such a secret from the wise and prudent. The second is that he has revealed it to the little ones, the foolish and the underage. As if Christ wanted to say: The wise and prudent do not want it, but the foolish and underage do. These are the children and babes who do not speak against the word of God, who do not grumble against the will of God, but as He works and does with them, so it pleases them. These are all those who are not wise in themselves, nor have understanding, nor do not fall with reason into God's work and word. They are not talkers and scrubbers, as is the way of the gushers, who drive themselves to preach, uncalled and unsolicited, then say that the Spirit drives them. 2) This is certainly a sign that they are not wise nor understanding, nor do they fall with reason into God's work and word. This is surely a sign that the devil calls them to preach; and if you find one of them and want to teach him and show him the right way, they open their mouths and speak a hundred words before you speak one.
(11) But a true preacher is not so loquacious, does not burst in as if he were full of art, presents himself as if he could do nothing. As he certainly thinks he does, as if he knew and could do the least. Here the Lord calls them minors. For they would much rather listen and be disciples themselves than preach to others; they do not want to be wise, like washers, who only turn their hearts and minds to teach other people, but they do not want to teach anyone.
- Thus the Eisleben. Erlanger: drives.
830 Erl. (L.) 17, 273-275. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. VII, U89-NSI. 831
And even though they sometimes show themselves lowly before people, they still have an adamantine head and a defiant spirit that will not yield to anyone; in short, their opinion is the best, and no other. But those who are righteously lowly gladly yield, and let themselves be guided into the right understanding; indeed, they are glad and thankful that they have come to the right understanding. Thus 1) St. Augustine was dragged out by force, would much rather have remained a minor and a disciple, than that he should teach others; but he had to come forth and preach to the congregation. That is why he was the best doctor in his time, and also accomplished something with his teachings and sermons, more than anyone else has done.
(12) But the talkers and the ignorant cannot agree. The lowly and unintelligent are despised and bitterly persecuted by the wise and prudent. But how shall we do to him? There is no other consolation nor defiance, but to know that it pleases God to hide such a secret from the wise and prudent, from the chatterers and well-wishers.
13 Secondly, we are also comforted and rejoiced to know that our preaching is not without fruit. The underage gladly accept it, because the Father reveals it to them. So we do not learn in our hearts, but God is the Master of all, who reveals it to whom He wills, as and when it pleases Him. But he does this through the outward word, which he has ordained for this purpose, as a means and as a reed, through which he brings this into the heart. Now there is not much to it, if you do not see the disciples or hear them speak much about things; here you hear that they are minors, do not soon break forth, do not throb greatly with their spirit and great art. God has well reserved his disciples for him; he also knows how to find them. As he said to Elijah, who thought that there was not a pious man in all Israel, and that he alone remained: I have left me (said the divine answer) seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee.
- Taken from the old edition of Walch, Erlanger: war.
before the idol Baal, 1 Kings 19:18. 2) Romans 11:4: So God still does today, when we think that it has happened for the gospel, when so many mobs rise up: Dear one, do not be afraid, do not be dismayed; God has scattered His disciples in many places that we do not see or know; therefore we should only sincerely take the matter home to God, and say as Christ says here:
V. 26. Yes, Father, for it has been well pleasing in your sight.
014 As if the LORD would say, O Father, this is the only cause that pleaseth thee. But what kind of God is this? is it pleasing to him that people should be blinded? Is he a God who does not want the death of the sinner? Ezek. 33, 11. Yes, it is true; but the Scripture says Ex. 33, 19. Rom. 9, 15.: "Whom I am gracious to, I am gracious to him, and whom I have mercy on, I have mercy on." God is not indebted to anyone; therefore He does not wrong anyone if they remain in their hardening. But God's way is to help the lowly, and He does not inquire much about the great and the wise, no matter how much they rage about it; He lets them remain in their hardening. Therefore, if you see them angry, raging and furious, command God and say that it is God's good pleasure who, out of pure grace, without merit and without any works, reveals this secret to the poor, despised little crowd; as Christ also said to His disciples Luc. 12, 32: "Do not be afraid, little crowd, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
(15) But these are not the little ones, who outwardly are lowly and poor in life and walk, or who are ignorant of the Scriptures. For if they were to remain rude, unlearned, and pretend to be unlearned for the little ones, the lowly, and the underage, despising even those who are learned in the Scriptures, it would be nothing. Yes, these same hopeful, proud bullies are the right wise men,
- In the first and second editions of the Erlangen edition, as well as in Walch: "19, 8."
- Erlanger: forst.
832 Erl. (2.) 17, 275-277. Luther's sermon on Matt. II, 25-30. W. VII, 1191-1194. 833
Those who inwardly exalt themselves and think highly of themselves, despise others and think that they alone know it. And that is why God hides it from them and does not want to reveal this 1) secret to such arrogant bunglers. For it may well be that a beggar in a granite felt and long beard can have a more hopeful 2) spirit than ten princes in golden garments.
God looks at the right, inward, humble heart, which considers itself condemnable, and desires God's help by grace alone; God also opens his will to these. But those who want to be wise before God and do not want to have their things condemned, he rejects them and shows great power against them, so that such a poor, small group should not fear him. For if he hardens the heart of the prudent and holds it in his hand, he can much more prevent their fist and all their attempts. For God does not want to praise their works and wisdom, he does not want to leave them any glory. There has never been a saint who has done a miraculous work for the sake of a human work; but it is always written that he has called upon God and believed 2c. Continues in the text:
V. 27. All things have been given to me by my Father.
(17) This is a real great glory that Christ does here, that he is truly God and a natural son of God, since he says that all things are given to him. Here he excludes nothing. In short, whatever is not God is under him. Our faith also teaches us this, and nothing is excluded here, neither angels nor devils, neither sin nor righteousness, neither death nor life, neither shame nor honor; everything that can be called anything is all under Christ, and everything must be subject to him. Now if Christ is set over all things, and all things are his, he must be something higher than a creature or a created thing, otherwise all creatures could not be his own, and he could not be a creature.
- Thus Walch. Erlanger: "the".
- Erlanger: highly colored.
- Erlanger: des.
lie under his feet. No creature may appropriate this to him, for only this Christ, the true Son of God, has been given all things, even after humanity. For according to the Godhead he was beforehand a Lord over all things, and all things were beforehand his. This is the glory that is equal to God's glory, which he gives to this Christ; therefore he is truly God, and a natural son of God. For thus says God in the prophet Isaiah 42:8: "My glory I will give to no other." So God's glory is nothing else than to be over all creatures, to give life, to cast the devil under his feet, to trample death and sin underfoot. These are true divine works that belong to God alone. He has the honor; he also wants to keep it alone and not share it with anyone. But to whom he gives it, he must also be truly God. The devil is indeed the master of death and sin in the ungodly and unbelievers, but he cannot bring anything to life.
18 Although Christ had all things under Him from eternity, yet He was not a man from eternity, but in due time He became man Gal. 4:4, 5, as promised in the prophets, and was manifested by the Holy Spirit, full of all things for our sake Eph. 1:21, 22. The word is for us, for I must know a place where I will find God and all things. So Christ says to me: If you want all things, seek them in me; for in Christ are all things Col. 1, 17. f., and they are all subject to him, and all good things are in him; also in him dwells the Godhead bodily, Col. 2, 9. and in him you will find all good things. All believers must be justified and saved in the one Christ. Therefore the Lord speaks further in the Gospel:
And no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it.
- O Lord God, who would have thought that this despised Christ should be the Son of God? For with this little word "no one" he excludes all things that are not the Son of God.
- Erlanger: him.
834 Erl. (2.) 17, 277-279. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. VII, 1IS4-1197. 835
Christ is. Reason cannot understand that all things should lie under this Christ, and yet he should die so shamefully and contemptibly on the cross. What kind of a Lord of life and death is this? Does he let himself be looked upon, as if he could not preserve life itself, that he should die so ignominiously? (Matth. 27, 50.) Slips 1) into the jaws of death, so that all the world thinks that he has devoured him and that it is now over with him. He is still the Son of God, who alone knows the Father, and no other creature, so let the Son reveal it to him. To whom the Son does not reveal it in his heart, no work, no merit, nor any preparation will help him in eternity. It is only God's way and work that he has mercy on the miserable and teaches the unintelligent.
- The Christian faith and the Christian life stand in the one word: revealed by God. For where this is not present, no heart will ever truly know this mystery, which has been hidden from the world [Eph. 1, 9. 3, 9.^2^ ). Now God reveals it only to His eternally chosen saints, to whom He will have made it known; otherwise it will remain hidden from everyone and remain a secret. What good will the free, yes, the servile, captive will say about it? Where will it come to this light and secret from its own resources? If the almighty, strong God hides it from him, he will not be prepared for it with any good works. No creature can come to this knowledge, Christ reveals it to him only in the heart itself. There all merit, all powers and reason come to nothing, and count for nothing before God; Christ alone must give it. Now continue in the Gospel:
V. 28. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
- egg, how strange a store is this? Why does he not call the strong, rich, healthy, scholars, kings, princes and lords? What does he want the poor, troublesome
- Erlanger: Schleust.
- In the first and in the second edition of the Erlangen edition, as in Walch: "3, 3".
and burdened people? Nothing else, but that it may please him. If your unbelief, hunger, poverty, shame, or other afflictions afflict you, where will you go? Christ said before that he has all things in his hand; now he calls you wretched to him. He promises here, as he can do it, so he will do it gladly; to you, he promises it, you only come to him.
(22) Fie on the great sin, it is shameful and sinful that the sun should shine, that we should pass over such sweet, fatherly, comforting words, and look elsewhere, where there is neither understanding nor good. All good is to be sought in Christ alone; for in Him God has superfluously poured out and hidden all the treasures of all wisdom and all good. We should run on shear blades after such a kindly helper, who only calls and lures the weak, afflicted, and troublesome people to Himself. We should hurry to him without exhortation and demand, so he himself must first lure, call and demand us miserable, weak, wretched people to him.
(23) What is the cause that we throw such words to the winds, and do not look to him for help, nor run to him alone, who has all things in his hand, and will give all good things sufficiently? This is the reason: The person of Christ is too small, no one believes it, no one trusts him to be able and willing to give such things. Our cursed unbelief does not do him this honor, that he believes he can do it; therefore we also gain nothing. And it serves us right that we remain poor bunglers, both in body and soul. God has placed all good things in the flesh, including the true Godhead, as I said, in this Christ Col. 2:9, so that whoever has need of anything, whether in body or soul, let him come to him; he will find it much more abundantly in him than we can ask or think. Whoever then despises Christ, and wants to seek forgiveness of sin, or a good conscience, eternal life, health, righteousness, blessedness, or whatever that is and may be, in the monastery, in Rome, to the holy grave, or elsewhere in his works, denies Christ as an impotent Redeemer, and mocks his blood, death and
836 Erl. (2.) 17, 279-281. Luther's sermon on Matth. 11, 25-30. W. VII, 1197-1199. 837
He is not helped either here or there. For he putteth Christ out of the way, that we alone might and should come unto the Father, and unto all good.
(24) Therefore, only because of this ingratitude would it be good for God to make us scratch and scrape day and night in the sweat of our brow, and yet in vain, so that the earth would yield nothing but thistles and thorns; as He will surely do, not only in bodily food, but also in words. Let each one of us look at himself and see how we act so wildly and despondently when we are supposed to give a penny for God's sake into the common box, or otherwise bring it into the house of a poor person; it does not want to come from the heart at all, much less from the box. What is the cause? That is it, money is our idol; that is why the heart always lies there. If the eternal, true, natural God were in us through faith, oh how an oven full of Christian love would burn in us!
(25) If we believed that Christ, who is mild, kind, rich, and powerful, is not able to do this alone, namely, to help us in all our concerns in which we call upon him, as he said above v. 27, "All things have been delivered to me by my Father," but also wants to share it mildly and abundantly with us and gladly give it to us, it would soon become better for us. For he saith ever, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you." As if he should say: Come here for nothing, without merit, therefore do not fast much, or work, do not do much work, or bring much merit with you Is. 55, 1., go to me only with the faith of the heart, consider me such a kind, gracious Savior, as I speak to you, then there is no need. Come, I will refresh you, it shall soon be better for you. It will not be hypocrisy, I will make your heart and spirit brave against hell, sin, death and the devil, so that you will feel it. You are now lying in an evil conscience, completely despondent and pining away; you are miserable, poor, weary and troubled; there is no one who can or may give you advice, comfort or help. God's wrath is too powerful against sin, before his
Righteousness must bend heaven and earth, and no one can be justified before him but by me alone. Therefore I show you the next way, only come here, recognize your miserable, evil life, that you are damned and sinners: such disciples I desire to have, such people I demand to myself; with the healthy I have nothing to do, with the righteous and pious I have no fellowship, my kingdom is a hospital of the sick, there I am a doctor. Therefore, whoever desires health, a peaceful conscience and a quiet heart, let him not wander far to this place or that; let him come to me, for he is a right guest in my hospital who recognizes his illness and feels the compulsion of sins. To the other, who desires help and comfort from my heart, and believes that I want to help him; whom I also want to cheerfully and constantly refresh, so that he will never die of death, Joh. 8, 51. And further says in the Gospel:
Take my yoke upon you.
This is the reason why one does not run to Christ; he puts a yoke, that is, the cross and many tribulations, on the neck of the old ass, so that the old Adam grumbles and does not want to be spurred on, nor does he tolerate the killing of his will. Yes, if Christ would give him a bag of red florins and promise him a chest full of money, he would willingly and gladly run to Christ. But Christ says here: Do not be distressed by this, do not worry about it; take my yoke upon you, and I will help you out of your misfortune. Let it suffice you 1) that I take away your soul's toil and labor, plus an evil conscience; only be patient while I armor the old donkey; he must be killed if you 2) are to be refreshed by me in any other way. This is the way and manner of my kingdom, that those who are in it, or want to be in it, must always die to the lusts of the old Adam, and be renewed in spirit through the increase of faith Gal. 5:24. This also holds baptism in itself.
27 And is it not said here of the yoke, that Christ made us a lesser law?
- Erlanger: you.
- Erlanger: foll er.
838 su. (2.) i7, S81-S84. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. vn, iiss-1202. 839
because Mosi's law has been. The yoke here is called Christ nothing else than the strangling of the desires of the old man. If we only let it suffice that we are cleansed in conscience and satisfied before God through Christ, then the yoke of the old Adam will not hurt us. If the prince or emperor wanted to cut off our heads, it would be of little use to us. (For in Christ there is life, even in the midst of death.) Yes, we would gladly do that, and accept death with joy, if we thought that Christ was such a man as this gospel portrays him to be. That is why he continues in the text:
V. 20. And learn from me. For I am meek, and of candles humble. So shall ye find rest for your souls: for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,
28 This is a sweet and very comforting text, that we must not excuse ourselves and say: Yes, I would like to come to Christ, I do not know how I can please him, I do not know what he wants from me? Listen, here he opens what he demands from his pious disciples. He does not present you with a heavy, long, great, incomprehensible lesson; you can only believe him, use only so much of your reason here. For this is the right art, if we learn in this way, as he reproaches us there, namely, that he wants to be with the least and most despised, who build nothing good on themselves, but trust in Christ alone, and if we learn from him to be gentle; not like some who are outwardly gentle, but inwardly they are biting, poisonous, envious and the greatest husks. Beware of the hypocrites.
29 Christ teaches differently about meekness, which is not to give evil for evil Rom. 12:17, 1. For Christ's yoke is such in him that our enemies take from us what is ours, so that we become angry and resentful, wanting to avenge ourselves, to curse, to rebuke, and are impatient about it. But Christ says: "Here, learn from me not to be angry or revengeful when you are angry, when you are deprived of what is yours.
- In the first and in the second edition of the Erlangen edition, as in Walch: "12, 19".
Do not be angry or impatient until you are meek and of good courage. Do as I do. For I let myself be reproached and despised, and yet remain cheerful; do likewise to him. Because you have me in faith, you will have joy and peace enough. It does no harm if the old Adam does not have his way. For so I must dampen his reason and make his prudence foolishness; him whom I love, I thus, like my dear child, use to cut off Heb. 12:6, Rev. 3:19. I take away the creature from him, that he may learn for certain that there is no continuance in creatures; therefore also not to rely on them. There is one more thing that makes the world restless: that is hope, that one will rise above the other, because he is ordered by God. Therefore Christ teaches here the other little piece, and says:
Learn from me, I am humble.
(30) Do not learn from me to walk outwardly in contempt, in gray skirts and a long beard, for I ask nothing of such things; but learn from the heart to be humble inwardly, not to exalt thyself above others. For as I cast thee into a state, so shalt thou also outwardly know how to walk rightly in humility, and not exalt thyself above thy neighbor, but shalt always esteem thy neighbor better than thyself. Therefore you will grant him from your heart what God grants him, and what you would have granted yourself from everyone. The world cannot do that, it always wants to rise, it does not allow itself to be satisfied with what God gives it. If a man is a burgher master, he wants to become an earl; if he is an earl, he wants to become a prince; if he is a prince, he wants to be a king; if he is a king, he wants to become an emperor; if he has a country, he would like to have two, three, four more; and so there is neither satisfaction nor sufficiency in the world.
(31) But Christ teaches here, saying, "If anyone desires to receive refreshment from me, let him be meek and humble in heart; however he may be offended, let him bring it home to God, and he will avenge it in his time. As Christ himself has done
840 Erl. (2.) 17, 284-28". Luther's sermon on Matth. 11, 25-30. W. VII, 1202-IMS. 841
In his suffering and disgrace he was quiet and gentle, and did not speak a word against it, yet in the end he achieved great honor and was highly praised Phil. 2:9. We must also become like Christ, be gentle and humble in heart, so we will be refreshed and find rest for our souls. As St. Peter exhorts us to follow this example and model of Christ, since he says in his first epistle in the other chapter, v. 19 ff, thus: "This is grace, if someone for the sake of conscience bears grief to God, and suffers with injustice. For what price is this, if ye suffer strokes for iniquity? But if you suffer and endure for the sake of good deeds, 1) that is grace with God. For to this you were called. For Christ also suffered for us, and left us an example, that ye should follow in his steps. He who has not committed sin has not been found guilty in his mouth. He who did not rebuke when he was reproached, nor grieve when he suffered. But he brought it home to him who judges aright. Who himself offered up our sin in his body on the wood, that we might be without sin, and live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye would have been as sheep going astray: but now are ye converted unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."
But those who do not want to suffer according to this example and model of Christ, nor let themselves be despised, nor have any satisfaction in their position, will be eternally restless and never satisfied, and no sorrow, nor revenge, nor raging, nor raging will help them. That is why the world cannot bear Christ's yoke and burden; it is angry and unpeaceful in itself, does not allow itself to be satisfied with what comes before it, wants to climb up forever; that is why it cannot be satisfied, nor have good courage. For this reason, she does not want to accept the yoke of Christ, despises Christ with all that he has and all that he offers her.
- Erlanger: tolerated.
- Erlanger: at peace.
- Erlanger: for hands.
- Erlanger: des.
have peace here nor there. For Christ alone can and will make the conscience peaceful and joyful, and refresh the sorrowful spirits.
3.]. So now we have three things and three main things in this gospel. Firstly, what Christ was given to us by the Father for, and what we are to expect from him, namely, that he draws us to himself and brings us, not with bold witnesses, nor with armor and swords, but with kind and gentle words, as the 47th Psalm says.
34 Secondly, he shows who the disciples are whom he calls and entices, namely, the weary, poor and burdened sinners, whom their conscience and God's wrath oppresses, and who would gladly be rid of sin; whom he calls to himself here, and calls those blessed who thirst and hunger for righteousness; but those who are full and full, he does not call to himself at all. Now if thou wilt be satisfied and refreshed, know thy sorrow, thy trouble, and come to Christ, believe him; for he calleth thee not in vain, he will help thee greatly, as he saith, he will refresh thee; fear not, he is able and will do it. Do not think that he will first send you to Rome for absolution, or that he will push you over and strangle you. Nor does he want to impose a heavy penance on you, with fasting, praying, almsgiving, going to prayers, making pilgrimages, giving your money and goods to churches and monasteries. No, he does not; but he says, "I will refresh you, I will make you joyful, your soul will have peace, and be of good cheer, calm and freed from sins.
Third, we are to learn only from Christ, not from men, not from your reason. But what shall we learn? Not that which the world exalts; not that which has been esteemed of old. For Ezekiel 20:18 says, "Walk not in the steps of your fathers, which shall defile you: but this shall ye learn of me, to be meek, and lowly in heart, not in outward conduct only. Let every man abide in the estate wherein he is called Cor. 7:20, waiting for it, until I have given him a
- Erlanger: him.
842 Erl. (2.) 17, 28" f. 19, 318. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. VII, 1205-1208. 843
interpret others. And do all this in a lowly spirit that does not exalt itself in my gifts, seeking its own glory, despising others.
36 If any man then would find rest for his soul, let him learn this lesson from Christ, that he may be meek and lowly in heart. For he himself says Matt. 5:5: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Strife does not gain much land or people, nor does it last. Even if it lasts for a while, it soon goes to the ground, what is conquered with quarreling and strife, or with the sword. Blessed are the meek, gentle and peaceful. God also says in Isaiah, Cap. 66, 2: On the humble and bruised spirit that accepts my word with trembling and fear, there will I dwell. As also David says in the 51st Psalm v. 19: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and bruised heart you, God, will not despise."
(37) Whoever does not want to learn these two things, but wants to be revengeful, to give in to no one, to be proud and insistent, to be arrogant, insolent, and celebrated, and to be
He rejects Christ's sweet yoke and light burden, which are easy and sweet for the pious. For if they willingly surrender to it in faith, and break their will, it is easy and sweet for them, and they gladly bear it. For Christ helps them to bear such a yoke and burden; indeed, he bears the heaviest and greatest part, for he has fulfilled all that they should do and fulfill. Whoever has such a helper, even a great burden is easy for him; and as they say, "It is good to walk with a good companion, for one helps the other to bear his burden. But he that will not accept this helper shall have misfortune, anguish, trouble, and strife, and distress of conscience. Therefore Christ says: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened," seeking only help and comfort, you shall be refreshed; you shall not come from me unreconciled and unrequieted, but even in the midst of death and the cross you shall be refreshed and 1) remain joyful. Let this be said of this gospel. God give us his grace that we may learn to grasp it and believe it, auras.
- The bracketed words are in the Eisleben edition.
*H. A Sermon by D. M. Luther on the Words of Matthew Cap. 21, B. 23. When the Jews asked Christ, "By what authority are you doing this. )
1537. (?)
Matth. 21, 23. And when he came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said: By what 2) authority doest thou these things? And who gave you this power?
- In the original: "waser".
The gospel puts to shame the wisdom of the whole world. Whoever does not recognize his foolishness, this gospel will not be useful to him. De duabus justitiis, externa et interna. Nos autem tantum inspicimus externam, non curantes internam. Ideo Christus crasse arguit eos, et praefert meretrices Pha-.
*This sermon is among the twenty-one sermons which l>. Caspar Güttel, pastor of St. Andreä in Eisleben (he died in 1541), bequeathed to his church. These are, according to Kawerau, Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte, vol. 5, p. 449 ff, transcripts by Agricola of Luther's earlier sermons. The year 1537, which is given in the manuscript, will hardly be the original date (cf. Köstlin, Martin Luther, vol. II, p. 437; p. 673 p. 437, 2); p. 731), but the sermons belong to an earlier time. With respect to the 21st sermon, Schlegel, vita I-anAori, p. 130, Not. 2, has already expressed the assumption that it was preached in 1530 (i.e., on April 20, 1530) at Coburg. Cf. Erlanger Ausg., 2nd ed., vol. 19, p. 379. Cf. the appendix to this volume, no. 6 and no. 7, which confirms the year 1530 for the 20th and 21st sermons. They were first printed in the Halle part, p. 371, then transferred to the Leipzig edition, vol. XII, p. 589; further in Walch and in the Erlangen edition, 1st ed., vol. 18, p. 26; 2nd ed., vol. 19, p. 318. We reproduce the text according to Walch, comparing the Erlangen. On the nature of these sermons, see the preface to this volume.
844 Erl. (S.) 1g, 318-sso/ Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 23. W. VII, 12V8---I210. 845
risaeis. Is it not a disgrace to reproach the holy people? There is nothing more dishonest in men than to seek their own gain; than the tax collectors, who sought their own with other people's harm; that is the greatest shame in the world, to practice usury.
A woman shall receive wit, rule and discipline from man, for man is her head. Now it is a great shame that a man makes himself a servant of money. Therefore the male gender is highly reviled when they are called tax collectors and usurers. For there is a root of all evil and blasphemy. Those who love money have no good in them; they are the worst, most harmful, most shameful people on earth. A woman has nothing more on God's ground than honor, which God wants to preserve. Whoever breaks her honor, God will avenge him. For if she loses her honor, she has lost all that is good. Now if you want to rebuke the world to the highest degree, you call the man a tax collector and the women prostitutes. When these two things are gone, when a man loses his head, his Christ, and his reason, then no government can go: when there is no more discipline, then everything in the world falls to the ground.
- Even above this worldly disgrace, Christ says that much greater, more shameful and harmful 2) people are the Pharisees, blasphemers, who take His name in vain; there He pushes all the world's wisdom and piety to the ground. Therefore, God Himself concludes the judgment that tax collectors and harlots may come to mercy. For repentance is the best repentance. They recognize in their conscience that their finances are wrong. So even the poor wretch can see that it is evil. The Pharisees, however, do not recognize themselves as sinners, but as righteous; therefore they are worse, because they do not desecrate people, like whores and tax collectors, but God and his name.
4 So Christ teaches this righteousness of heart, that we recognize ourselves as sinners before him, and he will graciously forgive sin. This teaching penetrates, the poor consciences gladly accept it. But the high
- Walch: human. The contrast here is "man" and "woman".
- In the Erlanger: harmful.
Priests, who have the prestige, rebuke Christ, saying, "Why do you submit to the ministry that is not commanded to you? We have authority to teach; you have not; we sit on the throne of Moses, we have the order of the whole law, and have pious men among us, as Zachariam, John's father. Therefore they do not soon fall away from the law. That is why Christ punishes them as the stiff-necked. The Pharisees think nothing else, because Christ could not give them an answer. But he asks them again and says: "Give me credit for one word. John baptized among you. Did he receive orders from men than from you, or did he receive them from God? Ye ever commanded him not, nor refused him not to baptize; yea, ye asked him much why he baptized. For God sent him as a sign to point to the future Messiah who is already walking among them. God does nothing secretly that he wants to be public. That is why Christ sees them in a trap, they cannot pass by. They know in the Scriptures that there is to be a baptism; therefore Christ seizes them to lead them out and confess: We are rude asses.
Therefore do not speak much to the stubborn people; let God rule, they will be disgraced by themselves, as here the Pharisees pass judgment on themselves, saying they know nothing of the Scriptures. Therefore they find themselves blind, and let heaven and earth pass away before they should confess the truth. If we say that baptism is from God, he says that we do not know God. If we say it is from men, they will fall away from us. So they are caught in the heart, and cannot pass. Impietas enim confunditur, non convincitur. They do not follow the truth. As the Magi did all the signs, without only the Cinifes 3) they could not do; they are caught, their heart is decided, that they must say, Digitus Dei est, there is something new and higher in it, than we grasp. But nevertheless they want to keep their splendor and not be lost; for they do not want to know, the devil has even possessed their heart. If a tiny spark
- In the original Vulgate 2 Mos. 8, 16.
- 18.: 86inip1i68 - gnats or, as Luther translates: lice. Hebrew, Lxoä. 8, 12. 13. 14.: O'lp.
846 Erl. ls.) 19, 320 f. 326. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. Vll, 1210-1213. 847
of reason in them, they would say: We want to hear both parts against each other 2c. Then they will not comply with the little bit of truth they have in them until death comes.
The main part of Christian doctrine is to heal the conscience, and to stir the heart, to strengthen the faith. No gifts are more conducive to the improvement of faith than prophecy and the interpretation of Scripture. The pagans have written more about outward morals and honesty than the apostles themselves.
- Some people are outwardly pious and Christians, 2) inwardly they are boys. 3) Works are innate in us; 4) therefore we cannot judge otherwise, for whoever does pious works, makes offerings, prays, gives alms, is said to be pious; whoever does something unskilful is said to be evil. The judgment lets the world
- Perhaps to read: irritate (Erlanger).
- Walch and the Erlanger: Christian.
- In the original: "Some people are outwardly pious and boys, inwardly they are pious and Christians."
- The meaning will be: that we seek to base our righteousness on works, which is innate to us.
do not depart from it. But the gospel is to do nothing but build consciences, and stir hearts, and strengthen faith; the other doctrines are nothing but heathen statutes over the body.
8. he that is pious doeth much good; and not he that doeth much good is pious. Therefore Christ says v. 31, "Harlots and knaves" 2c. Let the doctrine go pure, let it offend whosoever will. Electi non offenduntur etc. To the others Paul says: Quorum damnatio justa est. Paul teaches it to be and says: Solum Dei fundamentum stat, God's seal is, Dominus novit suos. If you have one Christian, preach to him, strengthen him, all devils and men will stand against him, you have enough to do with him. Those who are not Christians, let them be angry; let them go. It does not help: We mean well with the statutes. You must always be on the point about righteousness, namely, "He who believes in Christ, having sinned against all the sins of the world, shall be blessed. If he does not believe, no good work can help him, for he is not built on the foundation.
I. Sermon by D. Martin Luther on the Ten Virgins.
Matth. 25, 1-13.*)
**1537. (?) )
Matth. 26, 1-13.
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. But five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish took their lamps, but they did not take oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels, with their lamps. When the bridegroom left, they all became sleepy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom cometh to meet him. Then these virgins stood
They all arose and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish said to the wise, "Pray for us with your oil, for our lamps are going out. Then the wise answered and said: Not so, lest both we and you be broken: but go ye to the merchants, and buy for yourselves. And as they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. At last the other virgins also came, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. And he answered and said, Verily,
*This sermon also belongs to the twenty-one sermons mentioned in the previous number. It is first found in the Halleschen Theile, p. 384; then in the Leipziger, vol. XII, p. 592; in Walch and in the Erlanger, 1st edition, vol. 18, p. 33; 2nd edition, vol. 19, p. 326. We reproduce the text according to Walch's old edition with comparison to the Erlanger.
KK) Compare the note to the heading of the previous number.
848 Erl. (2.) 1S, 326-328. Luther's sermon on Matth. 25, 1-13. W. VII, 1213-1216. 849
I tell you, I do not know yours. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man shall come.
The Gospel is very rich in miraculous words that we should wait for his future. Virginibus simile regnum coelorum. Is a sermon of the gospel, where Christ proclaims his goods, there is made the way to eternal life. Where these are, there are found five, that is, which are rational creatures 1) than man. There are five on both sides, and are virgins, 2 Cor. 11:2: "I trusted you to a man to bring you a pure virgin to Christ."
- virgin means purity. A virgin does not free herself, but one frees her. So God courts such souls, offers them his goods, and frees them. A bridegroom, when he loves a virgin, is only concerned about the virgin, not about how rich, pretty and poor she is. So Christ also looks at them only because they are virgin souls, and does not look at their infirmities. For here the gospel alone says of the souls born in the gospel'.
3 Secondly, when they have become virgins, they take the lamp afterward, and have a vessel, not empty, but oil in it. 1 Joh. 2, 27. This oil is Unctio Spiritus Sancti, with this oil one lubricates. This ointment is a certain clientele of God that burns, they live in fear, worrying that God will be angry with them and take away their gifts. Therefore, they lie in the ears of the bridegroom, asking him for mercy when they stumble; when they are afraid of the terror of death, of God's wrath, they ask and cry for help. While they are crying out, their lamps are burning, so that they may pray to God for the best in all distress. Even when they fall into fear again, they cry out to their bridegroom. Thus the virgins come to God their Father and Bridegroom Christ.
4 Third, of these ten, some are wise, some are fools. The Scripture calls the fools who do not let them sing or say anything. Sapientes, who submit to the gospel, let fall all that is great in the world.
- In the original: "reasonable creatürlin".
is to them. Evangelium est obedientia fidei Rom. 1, 5. If it be an obedience of faith, it is not an obedience of works; therefore they are active. 2) For they hear the gospel, but they do not follow it; do they want to let their own conceit count for something great? Therefore they are not pure virgins, but stained with their own conceit, and stink before God, so that they will receive their judgment when they are sleepy and safe. They want to disturb their traffic light; but the oil is full of water of human madness, therefore it does not burn, it is stained. Here, those who have the highest gifts of God see themselves well and are in the Gospel. It does not speak of evil, godless Turks or pagans; it speaks of those who call themselves evangelical, and yet still cling to Adam's conceit.
The groom consumes.
(5) For we fall into sin at times, having a good thought of the bridegroom at one time, but I am not always burning with good thoughts toward God. But here is the answer and comfort: do not despair! There are people in the kingdom of heaven who are sleepy; they are not therefore rejected, who at times do a great sin. The bridegroom is not always with us; he hides himself, and makes them sink into a fall; but they are soon brought again.
At midnight there is a cry: Behold, the bridegroom cometh 2c.
If it were not for this, all men would have to despair. For we do not always cling to the bridegroom, living in flesh and blood, sins, evil thoughts, ingenuity and cunning. But this is the consolation, the bridegroom lets a good cry go before, and calls us to him. Let no one despair, let no one look at his poor life. Where the desire is pure for this bridegroom alone, we are still pure virgins and white souls. Who wants to distinguish between the foolish and the wise? No man on earth. The world reproaches those for fools, whom Christ calls wise, and again. For the appearance is greater in those who wait not purely for Christ, but for their own conceit, than in the wise.
- Perhaps: foolish? There seems to be a gap here.
850 Erl. (2.) 1S, 328-330. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. W. VII, I216-12IS. 851
Give us 2c of your oil.
7 Tortor^1^ ) conscientiae is when we seek help only when the bridegroom comes, and must deviate from our good judgment; only then do they see where they are lacking. There is revelatio peccati, that one then shrinks from God, since one should run to him for the best.
HErr, HErr 2c. Vox timoris.
- Non omnis, qui dicit mihi, Domine, Domine Matth. 7, 22, soll sed qui ait, Abba pater, sicut oramus, Pater noster, qui es etc.. Where we take him alone for a Lord, there is no comfort nor 2) salvation, but fear alone. The bride shall not say alone, Lord, but Bridegroom, from whom I have all honor and good. The fools are silent about this comforting name, for they have no certain knowledge in their hearts of God. Why do they not cry out to the Bridegroom, they have no oil? Why do they run to the people for oil? Is the cause that they have never known the Bridegroom; otherwise they would run to God, their Bridegroom. But then they see where they lack, and see how the others have it, and they have never really loved the bridegroom before, and they leave him, and go, and seek it among men. Sicut Lucä 16, 24. the rich man also cries: My traffic light is gone out, with Lazarum etc.. This rich man seeks with Lazaro, therefore he does not find it. He has never sought and known God rightly, therefore the verdict comes: You shall never have good days 2c., like all those who do not seek help from God, but from men, and forget the bridegroom; therefore he does not know them, because they do not respect him.
Go to the merchants 2c.
- so it must go to: Justi ridebunt in interitu impiorum, when evil comes to those who despise GOD. Q. d. As if he wanted to say: Why do you not seek it, since you should seek it rightly, namely with the bridegroom? Go to the merchants 2c. You will not buy it. You have missed it. Therefore, I cannot help you. We thank God,
t) Instead of tortor (the martyr) should probably be read tortio (the martyrdom).
- Walch: and.
that we have it; we do not know you. These wretched virgins go about seeking all kinds of help from men; therefore they have no peace and rest. But the wise have great joy, John 3:29. At the voice of the bridegroom, whose goods they all have. The bride lets go her name and goods, and gives them to the bridegroom, and takes everything, name and goods, from her bridegroom. This is the highest joy of the wise virgins, to hear God's friendly voice; as Nathan once woke David up from sin, he trembled violently: Spiritum sanctum ne auferas a me, Spiritu principali confirma me Ps. 51, 13. 14.. With desire and love, without compulsion to follow thee, this is the cry to come to the Bridegroom. But the foolish have no training to seek all help from the bridegroom. Therefore all creatures mock them, Wis 5:1 ff. The living message is not right in them; therefore their cries to God do not help them: "Lord, open up for us. They should have cried out thus if they had rightly known the Bridegroom: O Lord and dear Bridegroom! But because they did not cry out thus, the LORD says, "I do not know you." Discedite etc.
(10) Wise virgins let them be told and are willing to follow God. Where they cannot, they cry out to God for help. The older ones are foolish, they do not seek all help from the bridegroom. They do lift up, but they do not hold it high, they want to add something of their own. So Esau knows God and his goods well, is a fine man, has the first blessing of right; but he is reviled to the highest degree, only that he does not hold these goods high, but low, despises them, 3) sells them for a red lentil purse; therefore he is counted among the foolish virgins. He cries out to his father, and also wants a blessing, but none is granted him, for only a temporal blessing. Jacob gets the blessing in rore coeli, Esau in in pinguedine terrae; there it has waited too long, has respected it little Gen. 27, 18. ff. So God says here: While you have the preaching of the kingdom of heaven, do not be lukewarm, do not despise it, do not hold it in low esteem. The time will come when you will not have it.
- Despisers - despise them.
852 Erl. 44, 1. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 1. 853
K. Sermons of D. M. Luther Who Matthäi Cap. 18 to Cap. 24.*)
From July 1537 to September 19, 1540.
Sermons on several chapters of the Evangelist Matthew.
First sermon^1^ ) on the eighteenth chapter.
Early July 1537.
At that same hour the disciples came to Jesus and said: Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
This sermon, which the Lord Christ preaches to his disciples with great earnestness, is frightening to those who are obsessed with sorrowful hope and want to be something before others. For to them the Lord Christ earnestly forbids and reproves that in the Christian faith one should be
- In the first fourteen sermons, we find no indication in the original of where the individual sermons begin: the designations "First Sermon" etc. are our conjecture. Since Luther preached on Saturday, the
Church shall not be exalted. For he did not make his kingdom a worldly rule, as the pope and the heretics abused it, who exalted himself in the name of the devil and raised himself above all emperors and kings on earth, even though Christ, our dear Lord, did not shed his blood to make his Christians great lords and nobles in the world, to give them good days, and they only sought money and goods here. Such would have
If we assume that the sermon on the Gospel of John, which began on July 7, 1537, began either on the Wednesday before or on the Wednesday after (i.e. either on July 4 or on July 1, 1537), then we can assume that the sermon on the Gospel of Matthew began either on the Wednesday before or on the Wednesday after. Only the 15th sermon (which is the sixth on the 19th chapter) has the date "Wednesday afterouanium sanetorum", i.e. November 7, 1537. Therefore, the first 14 sermons (namely nine sermons on the 18th chapter and the first five on the 19th chapter) are to be distributed over the period from the beginning of July to October 31, 1537.
*Just as earlier Luther's sermons on the 5th, 6th and 7th chapters of Matthew were prompted by Bugenhagen's longer absence from Wittenberg, in that Luther stood in for him as a "stopgap" (cf. note Col. 346 of this volume), so too these sermons on the 18th to 24th chapters of Matthew. Bugenhagen had left for Denmark in July 1537, in order to organize the church there, and remained there until 1539. Luther still preached quite a number of these sermons after Bugenhagen's return home (Köstlin, Mark. Luther, Vol. II, 437), namely the sermons which were no longer preached on weekdays, but on Sundays, after the 14th Sunday after Trinity, September 7, 1539 (Erl. Ausg., Vol. 45, p. 30 ff.), are to be counted among them. Köstlin rightly says: "Whoever wants to get to know Luther's way of preaching or to be edified by the depth and fullness of his word, must not put it and especially the one about John next to his postils and other sermons about the ecclesiastical pericopes." These sermons are printed for the first time in their entirety, from the manuscript available in the library at Wolfenbüttel, in the Erlangen edition, vol. 44 (in its entirety) and vol. 45, pp. 1 to 202. This manuscript was bought by Duke Julius of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel from the widow of Johann Aurifaber and brought to Wolfenbüttel. Later it came to the university library in Helmstädt, then to Göttingen and finally back to Wolfenbüttel. In 1796, the last university librarian at Helmstädt, P. I. Bruns, had a part of it printed under the title: "Ungedruckte Predigten Dr. Martin Luthers über etliche Kapitel des Evang. Matthäus" ("Unprinted Sermons of Dr. Martin Luther on Several Chapters of St. Matthew"), which the local pastor, 1)r. G. K. Bollmann, published in 1817 once again, increased by 13 sheets. A continuation of this was delivered in 1847 by the library secretary Dr. Höck at Wolfenbüttel under the title: "Or. Martin Luthers ungedruckte Predigten" (Martin Luther's Unprinted Sermons), First Volume, Sermons on Joh. 3 to 4, 10. and Matth. 23, 37-24, 34. Berlin 1847. The manuscript, which has the title: "Predigten D. M. Lutheri über etliche Kapititel Matthäi vom 18. bis in das 24. Kapititel. Have not been printed", is written from sheet 1 to 272 by Aurifaber, then to sheet 338a by another and from there to the end, sheet 347, by a third. We reproduce the text according to the Erlangen edition. The indication on the title of the 44th volume of the Erlangen edition "Ch. 18. v. 24. to Ch. 23. v. 23." is a printing error, because the sermons begin at the first verse of the 18th chapter. We have not included the variants of the printings given in the Erlangen edition and the notes on the deleted passages, nor the marginal glosses, which neither come from Luther nor contain anything essential. The time when the sermons were preached has been determined by us for a large number of them more precisely than this has been done in the Erlangen edition.
854 Erl. 44, 1-4. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 855
God could well have used reason and human wisdom, as the world does, and should not have given us such a high treasure as his dear Son, who suffered many a bloody sweat, died for us, and persecuted and killed his dear disciples, as well as all other Christians who believe in him, if it were not for something greater and higher.
Therefore Christ did not acquire such a kingdom for us, where we should rule and reign in the world, and where the pope, the devil's head, lets him kiss the feet, and wants to be the head in the holy Christian church, because Christ does not want to have a foreign head in it. He wants to be and remain the only one, and all Christians should be equal, one having as much as the other. He is not concerned with money and goods or temporal honor. He does not ask for this dirt (as gold and silver are nothing but dirt). In this sermon he wants to present an image to his Christians, so that they should be afraid of it and not think of becoming great lords or seeking dominion through the gospel. For he cannot and will not suffer any headship or lordship in his church, nor will he tolerate that one man should be higher and better than another, or that one should exalt himself and trample all others under him. Christ wants to be and remain alone.
This is how he wants to distinguish his kingdom from the world kingdom. In the world there must be a difference of people, that some sit on top and rule, but the others let themselves be ruled. So also in one house there are various people and offices. The wife is subject to the husband, the daughter to the mother, and the son to the father. Servant and maid shall honor their masters and wives, and the countryman shall be subject to his lord. This is how the world must be governed.
But in the kingdom of Christ it does not take this form. For it the church is not founded and built on the world, but on the blood of Jesus Christ. There is one like another. For there is one Master and Lord, who is called Christ. Therefore whosoever will be greatest, let him be the servant of the Lord, that we all may have Christ and his
Treasure, which we have acquired, at the same time. For there shall be one Lord, one baptism, one gospel, and one sacrament; yea, we shall all have one Christ. In the sight of the world it is a different thing with the people. A priest or preacher starts from the top, but he has no better baptism, nor is anything better than the least peasant. I old fool have no better baptism than the young child lying in the cradle and baptized. For such a child, who still eats milk and porridge, is as well washed from sins by the blood of Christ in baptism as I am, indeed, that same one is often more pious than I old fool. For it knows nothing of the wickedness in which I am old. There it is that we are all equal, equally noble, equally highborn. For we are all called Christians at the same time.
Therefore the Lord Christ does not want to have any dominion in his church, but all our work should be directed to this end, I with preaching and you with listening, so that we may learn to know Christ. For we all have one Christ, just as we all have one baptism. So let us also make every effort to have one word of God, and to be all alike in the knowledge and all things 1) that are of the Lord Christ. But that we are outwardly rich in the sight of the world, and poor in the sight of the world, this does not belong to the kingdom of Christ, and therefore sets before our eyes an image or mirror of his kingdom or of the Christian church, that he may separate it and separate it from the worldly government, and that we may also learn to divide these two kingdoms from one another, and take heed which is the right church or not. For the devil always wants to boil and brew these two kingdoms into one another. Thus the pope has also mixed the secular kingdom and church rule, and has become emperor and king in the world. And all the fanatics and the spirits of the pagans would still like to have a worldly rule; they start the thing with great holiness, that they want to be more pious than other people, as also all those do who think themselves good evangelicals and let themselves dream.
- Erlanger: everything.
- Erlanger: Evangelical.
856 Erl. 44, 4-6... Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 1. 857
But Christ does not want us here in this text to seek one rule, and one to be papal, the other otherwise to make an 1) attachment to him. And for this reason, 1 Corinthians 3, S. Paul scolds the Corinthians for causing such strife among them, and if one wanted to be better than the other, each boasted of the one he was taught or baptized by. The one said he was Petrine, the other Pauline, the third Apollonian. Then said S. Paul: "What do you call yourselves Peter? what do you call yourselves Paul or Apollo? Did Peter or Apollo suffer for you? Did I Paul die for you, were you baptized in Peter's name? Neither Peter nor Paul nor Apollo is valid here, but only the one Lord and Master, who shed his blood for you, and from whom alone you were called Christians. You are not called Petrists, Paulists or Apollists, but Christians.
The pope has also led us away from Christ, and instructed us to call upon the Virgin Mary, to rely on my holiness and yours, and to defy the intercession of the saints, and to seek all kinds of saints who have never lived on earth, such as S. Barbara, Catharina, Margaretha, S. Christopher and S. George, who are only imaginary saints, so that nothing would be taught about Christ.
But let every Christian learn to make a right distinction between the church, which is the true Christian church, and to separate it from the one that has only the mere name of church and deceives all the world with its appearance. The true church knows of no other Lord and Master than Christ alone. In him she believes, as Christ himself says: "My sheep hear my voice," and John says in his epistle: "He who confesses that Jesus Christ came in the flesh is of God; but he who does not confess that he came in the flesh is not of God." In this church, Christians are all equal. Here no one is better than the other. No one is to exalt himself above the other. Even if one is a little child, it still has its adornment and wedding garment and lordship.
- Erlanger: one.
I am not to be proud that I am a doctor, nor another that he is a prince or lord. I should not be proud that I am a doctor, nor should another be proud that he is a prince or lord, but I must say: In that life a child is just as much as I am. For it is not at all fitting that in the Christian church one should want to be higher than the other. It means both, namely: When this little child is born, bring it to the mother, the Christian church, and if I am a great or old man and am admonished by the church, then I should be brought to rights. This shall be the emblem of the church. Where this happens, there is the true Christian Church.
Since the true church knows nothing but Christ, it follows that the church of the devil is the one that leads us from Christ to something else, as the pope and his crowd do. If they want to do it in the best possible way, they say with their mouths that Christ died for our sins, but then they teach us that we should call upon the saints, of whom they have gathered so many, that they have been worshipped and celebrated for saints who were never born, like St. Anne, St. Margaret 2c, who were yet to be born. Here the pope appears and says: You should consider me as the head of the Christian church. He only points the people to the invocation of Mary and says: If you do not believe in the saint I have raised, and if you do not celebrate him, then you are of the devil and eternally damned. For I have power and authority to forgive and to retain sin, to open and to shut heaven. Whoever then is a sinner, let him do this or that which I call, go to Rome for indulgence, go on pilgrimage to St. James. This does not mean to bring the people to Christ and to subject them to him, but to the wretched devil. And a Christian will answer and say: I hear well here that you are a devil's head. For you do not want to make me a Christian, but a Romanist, Jacobist, Papist and such fools. I, on the other hand, want to stay with the bunch, since they tell me about Christ, my Lord and Savior, apart from whom there is no other helper. You Pabst with your bunch may stay where you can. I can see that you are a good man.
858 Erl. 44, 6-s. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. 859
You are a great lord, and subject to much authority; so my Lord Christ was not. Neither did he want his own to rule in the world and be great lords. You are not the right church, because you want to persuade us otherwise, against Christ's teaching and commandment. Though you and yours call yourselves the Christian church, yet you are a house of fools, wearing pointed hats and greased plates and flasks, 1) and I find nothing of this written in my dear Lord Christ's word and doctrine.
If salvation were based on the pope and his statutes, as if one had to be a Romanist or a Jacobist, how should the Christian be saved who is in India or at the end of the world, who knows nothing of the pope at Rome and of his foolish work alone? But as he who is at the end of the world shall be saved, so shall I also be saved, through the knowledge of Christ, in whom I believe, whom I confess, in whom I have been baptized, whose word and gospel I have, as well as he who dwells at the beginning of the sun, at noon, or at midnight. There no one has any advantage over the other, but there is one faith, one Christ, one baptism, and if one came from India or from Moorland or wherever he came from and said, "I believe in Christ," I would say, "So I also believe, and so I also will be saved," and in faith and confession the Christians agree with one another, whether they are otherwise scattered from time to time throughout the world. For it is not called a Roman church, nor a Nuremberg church, nor a Wittenberg church, but a Christian church, into which all who believe in Christ belong.
In the world, it is right, and shall be so, if I say: I am a citizen of Wittenberg; therefore I am Saxon and Elector. Another says: I am a Bavarian; therefore I am Bavarian or Palatine. The third says: I am a Hessian; therefore he is called landgraviate. That is right, because the subjects are also called after the lord of the land. But here in this regiment, where Christ is a Lord, neither Palatine nor Saxon applies,
- Erlanger: träget.
neither young nor old, neither rich nor poor 2c., there it is all one cake and one dough. Whoever is baptized and believes in Christ, may God grant that he is from the east or the west, no one has any advantage over the other. Therefore, why do we pride ourselves and perform many miracles, as if one were better than the other? 2) Just as the red spirits do, who separate themselves from the common Christians, and want to make them their own in the face of great wisdom. It should make me humble when I consider that I have nothing more in Christ, nor am I better before God than a little child lying in the cradle. There is no merit or advantage.
All here is One Lord, One Master, One Father, as Christ says in the 23rd chapter, v. 8: You shall not become masters or fathers, and 1 Cor. 8, 5: There are many gods and many lords. We Christians have no other Lord than Christ alone, who is the most certain Lord. For he is ordained by God to be our Lord. He alone is our Father and Master in heaven. But we are brethren one of another, and have one gift as great as another. For we have one Christ, one baptism, one inheritance, and are all heirs of Christ at the same time. This is the color by which the Christian Church can be recognized.
From this we conclude against the pope that the papacy cannot be the Christian church, but is the church and bride of the wicked devil, or Christ would have to lie, because Christ says we should not rule. But the papists want to rule not only worldly, but also spiritually, and the pope wants us to believe what he gives us, namely that he is the head of the church, the holy Roman church and chair is a mother, teacher and master of all other churches in the world. Therefore, the pope wanted to be a master and doctor also over Christ. Should I grant him that? These are masters and teachers of the church, who alone preach Christ, in whom we all place our comfort and confidence. I also want to recognize these for masters and teachers, not those who say: Become a monk or nun, keep the three vows, poverty, chastity,
- Erlanger: better.
860 Erl. 44, 9-ii. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 1. 864
Obediently, call this or that saint, but say: There I do not hear the right mother, the dear church, nor the Master Christ, but the cuckoo, namely the devil, who calls out his own name, and does not let the dear nightingale sing. This bird is known by its beak and song; one soon hears which is the cuckoo or the nightingale, the devil or the Lord Christ.
The Lord Christ says: My church hears my voice and believes in me, as S. Paul also says to the Corinthians: "No other foundation can be laid than Christ. Item: "There is none other name under heaven given among men for salvation, but the name of Christ." And the church has no other Lord, Master, Father, or Head, except Christ Himself; there is no other, as is preached and believed everywhere. On the other hand, the Pope says: "Christ is not only the Father of the Church, the Master of the Church, and the Lord of the Church, but I am also the Head, Master, and Lord of the Church. Therefore believe that there is a purgatory. Call the saints, as I raise. But say thou, Thou art a devil's head, a destroyer, an enemy, and an abominator of the church, not a lord, father, or master; else haste another lord, who saith what shall be preached, let him be heard, and follow no other 1).
Says the pope, "The apostles did not teach and preach all these things; the Holy Spirit is in the church, and the Holy Spirit has reserved many things for him, which he has subsequently revealed through me, the pope. To this you answer: Where is this written? In the smoke hole, there read it, because it is dark, in the night. The papacy is a great misery. I can testify to it; and thank God, you young people, that you have not lived in it, nor have you been in this mire and abomination in which we have been brought up. You are still like a clean, unpolluted and unsoiled piece of writing paper, like a beautiful white piece of paper, in which one can write and record something good about the pure, wholesome teaching of Christ. You have a great advantage over us old people. We are a sullied, crumpled piece of paper or a crumpled, crumpled
- Erlanger: no other.
- in which the papal filth is rooted, and can hardly be swept out and eradicated with great effort and work. Therefore be grateful to God, and see to it that you stay with the pure teaching of the divine word, and do not let yourselves be torn from the Christian church back into Pabstism or into an angry error.
In this text, the Lord Christ also gave his disciples a good chapter, because they were even in carnal and worldly thoughts. When they had heard of the Lord Christ, that he would suffer and die, and that until now he had been among them as their Master and Lord, then they thought that they also had to see who, after his death, should be the most noble among them, to whom they should give the rule and the mastery. The poor wretches know nothing else than that Christ would set up a worldly reign, in which they would be made great princes and lords in the world, and would be free from the power of the Romans, and would bring all kingdoms under themselves; they are under the delusion that if Christ were gone, a strife and discord would arise among them over the reign: to which they now want to come forward as with wise counsel, and get a judgment or report about it from the Lord Christ, because he is still present. For otherwise each would want to have an advantage, and see his advantage in presuming to rule.
S. Peter would say he was the first to be called to the apostleship. Andrew would not want to be the last, because he was Peter's brother and the other one who was called to the apostleship. S. Philip was the smartest and the chancellor of the Lord Christ. For he said to Christ, "Show us the Father, and it shall be enough for us." And when Christ fed many people in the wilderness, and asked him 4) how he would have the people satisfied, he soon calculated that there was not enough bread among them for two hundred pieces of silver. He is the Lord Christ's counselor.
- Maculature - paper unusable for printing.
- In the original: too seen.
- Erlanger: them.
862 Erl. 44, 11-13. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 863
This clever and wise man of the regiment would not have wanted to forgive himself. Likewise, John would have said that he was even closer to him, because in the Lord's Supper he would have been sitting at the Lord's side, even lying on his chest. What would the brothers and cousins of the Lord, S. Jacob and others, have done? Every one of them would have had something so that he would have wanted to be better than others.
Just as the Corinthians also quarreled about this, that some said: S. Paul baptized us, others said: We were baptized by S. Peter, they disagreed with each other about the person, as if S. Peter was better than S. Paul. But S. Paul answered, "Why do you disagree? Have you not all been baptized into Christ? and he takes away Peter and Paul, and puts Christ in their place, into whom they were baptized. The apostles also have such dreams here. They think: When our Master Christ is dead, then it will be called S. Peter's kingdom, S. Philip's kingdom, S. Andres' 1) kingdom. Therefore we want to prevent this quarrel, discord and great trouble, and let the Lord himself order and set one who is the greatest among them. This is wisely considered, but it is a childish and foolish thought.
To this the Lord Christ answers and goes straight through and says: You foolish apostles, you have only Jewish thoughts of my kingdom. But always away with them. They do not belong here. Why do you magnify yourselves? Here one shall not be greater nor smaller than the other, and whoever wants to be greater, I will not suffer him in my kingdom. It shall be quite equal here and one shall have as much part in it as the other. I alone shall be in charge of the regiment. For into my hands the Father has given everything. I alone am Master, Lord and Teacher. You shall not be called Master, as he says in the 23rd chapter: "For one alone is your Master and Teacher, who is Christ; but you are all brothers. Neither shall ye call any man father on earth. There is One your Father, who is in heaven.
So the dear Lord Christ takes his
- Erlanger: Anders.
He pushes them back and gives them a completely negative answer, saying: "You should not set your sights on ruling, nor should you ask who should be the greatest. I do not want to have great ones, and I do not want to know any master or lord but me alone. No one can help but I alone, but you shall serve one another as I have served you. Majority and glory cease here. One must have respect for the word and teaching of the Lord Christ and be governed by it. The word must do it; otherwise we are all equal. What Paul believes, Peter also believes, and what Andrew and Philip preach, John and James also preach. That John alone lies on the breast of Christ and not also S. Peter does not hurt. The word must do it. For if the church were to be governed, instructed and preserved by our thoughts and words, the devil would have turned and devoured it in a moment. For we are too small, and our adversary, the devil, too great. Therefore the doctrine of invoking the saints does not hold the sting, but deceives us. For men cannot do it. Christ alone must do it. Therefore he also says, "I give you my word and the Holy Spirit, which I have from the Father, that through me you may rule other people and be my kingdom. This is the difference of Christ between his kingdom and the kingdom of the world. In the world there is a difference. The imperial law is a different law than the law in France or in Turkey and Persia. But in the kingdom of Christ, the right of the smallest child is different from the right of the greatest child, or from the right of Saint Peter, or from the right of any other Christian living in the Orient. For the Christian who lives at the end of the world believes just what I believe, and the Christian in India, who hears me praying the Lord's Prayer and recounting the articles of faith, believes just what I believe, and if I heard him speak such things again, I would have to say: This is also my faith. So Christians soon recognize each other, even though they are all the same.
- Erlanger: them.
864 Erl. 44, 13-16. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 1. 865
are scattered in the world, so that they have only one Master and Teacher, the Lord Christ.
On the other hand, the pope says: It is not enough that you believe in Christ, but if you do not consider me to be the head of the church, 1) you are condemned. If I or any other Christian who lives in India or Moorland, or otherwise is at the end of the world, hears this voice, we do not believe it. For the pope is the enemy of the Lord Christ, and the persecutor and adversary of his word. He knows nothing else to teach, except: Go to St. James, run to St. Peter in Rome, do this or that. But it is decided that Christians come from there, if one believes in Christ, the Lord, Father and Master, and it is not important that one is at home here in the evening or there in the morning, because the church is scattered in the world from time to time, but the Christians are nevertheless all the same and bear all one name, and have all the goods of Christ in common. It is One faith, One baptism, One Christ, One hope, love and kindness, to Ephesians at the 4th chapter. Thus Christ instituted and commanded it, and preceded the pope and all the mobs in this, that they should not mix their filth into it, and set a worldly rule in the church, but preached to the Christians that this is the church, where Christ the Master is heard, whoever believes in him, hears him and worships him, is a member of the church.
From this there is a certain difference between the true Christian church and the papist church, and it is quite easy to conclude which is the true Christian church, namely, the one that knows of no other Lord nor of any other head but Christ, and throws itself under the protection and protection of Christ alone. On the other hand, it is clear that the papal church is the church of the devil and not the church of Christ, for it does not consider Christ to be its head, nor does it teach anything about him, but even persecutes the true church. I say all this so that one may learn to recognize the papal whore and beware of her. For she now has all her
- Erlanger: holds.
- Erlanger: them.
They have lost the words of defense with which they thought they could protect themselves. They now see for themselves that all their articles lie in ashes, and confess that much error has come into Christendom, and that the pope's division does not agree with the holy Scriptures, and must themselves reach into their own bosoms and smell their error. Now great rulers must say it themselves: "We know well that there is much infirmity and error in the church. But it is not for us to start and change something, and say: There are a lot of loose boys in Wittenberg who teach differently than the pope. Oh, that does not matter. But if a common council were assembled, and the whole Christian church came together and decided what should be done, then the matter would be settled. They still cling to this and cry out concilium, concilium, church, church; they make do with this, and do not think who the church is. For if one asks them: What is the Christian church to you? they answer: the pope, his bishops and cardinals, point to the pointed hats and plates, and thus insist on the name of the church.
Therefore, in this eighteenth chapter, we will see whether they are also the church. For this is not the Christian church, when asses come together who know nothing of Christ, nor understand his word, but blaspheme it and persecute it as heresy. The church is not called the Babylonian or Wittenberg church, but the Christian church, and it takes its name from Christ. It has in common the Word, the faith and all the goods of Christ. This is not found in the papacy; therefore, the papists must be stripped of their hammer and armor and thrown out of their hands, since they boast that they are the Christian church, so that in these annual times people may see better, and not be deceived by the great appearance of the false church, nor be offended by the small, miserable form of the true church, of which kind and actually painting it is otherwise (as it conterfects Christ here 3), and that it believes in Christ 2c.
- Extenders: conterfat.
866 Erl. 44, 16-18. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. 867
This admonition was given by D. M. L. in the common prayer in the first 1) sermon:
It seems as if a terrible punishment could not remain outside for long because of the shameful ingratitude in which we are up to our ears. You go along so safely and do not inquire anywhere, and yet you see that the punishment is at the door, and you feel it every day. Our Lord God has let us spoil half of the fruits of the field by the water. How soon he has taken the other half away from us, and we are not getting any better. We act as if we don't care, so we don't even 2) feel any punishment anymore. When our Lord God hits us on the head so that it works, we still say that: We feel nothing. Are these not harder 3) than iron and stone heads? Well then, let us continue, let us see to it that God does not again visit us horribly and deprive us again of the divine word, since the devil becomes Abbot. The pagans even held in high esteem a pestilence, a theurge, a war or wild animals, and wanted to counsel such 4) plagues with all kinds of penitent life, and we Christians have become so stony-faced that we neither ask for God's benevolence nor for the punishment, but the punishment will one day become so great that we will have to feel it. Therefore it would be better if we turned back and became more pious, and because the time of grace and the day of salvation are still present. Follows:
Second sermon on the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
V. 2-5. 8) Jesus called a child to him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. He therefore that humbleth himself, as this child, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives such a child in my name receives me.
- This remark of the writer shows that this still belongs to the first sermon.
- Erlanger: even.
- Erlanger: hard.
- Erlanger: such.
- The text of the 4th and 8th verses is added by us.
This answer of the Lord Christ shows that he did not come because he wanted to start a worldly kingdom, as the Jews were under this delusion and the world already had such a kingdom, which God ordered, appointed and sufficiently provided for, as well as it could be, and gave to the world kingdom the authority, the marriage state, father and mother. These two estates can rule well, if they only want to. Father and mother have orders to raise and feed the children well, to do their trade and to feed them; they also have rulers to punish and educate the children, and to prevent bad behavior. They have enough to do with this, and they have reason and understanding for this, as well as God's commandment, which they can follow in their state. They would have plenty to do if they only wanted to. God has given the secular authorities wealth and power, and in their hands the sword, so that they may govern the land and the people, punish evil and help the pious, and protect them against violence and injustice. If they do enough for their status, they can do it well, for they have the sword and enough money and goods to do so. God either gives princes and lords wisdom and understanding himself, as he did to David and Solomon, or gives them other people who have a special understanding.
And the world is well enough ordered and arranged in its regiment by our Lord God, that it is not necessary for God to send His dear Son down into our miserable flesh into the world, that He had to shed His blood for the bodily, worldly regiment. For the same kingdom was established beforehand by the. For this kingdom was previously established by the spouses and the authorities. Therefore Christ the Lord wants to strike out this carnal and coarse sense from his disciples and all Christians by placing a child in their midst, to show that his kingdom is such a kingdom, in which children are received, and since one must also become a child inside, as the Lord Christ says: "Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. And this word is well to be remembered, which the Lord Christ says: "He that receiveth such a child in my na-.
868 Erl. 44, 18-so. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 2-5. 869
he receiveth me. This does not rhyme with the rule that princes and lords have in the world, who have more to do than to deal with children, or to deal with those whom Christ calls and who believe in him 1). The worldly authorities and the spouses do not know much about this kingdom of Christ if they are not godly.
With this image, the Lord Christ depicts both himself and his Christians, as he (as Marcus says in the 9th chapter) kindly calls the child to him. He takes the child in his arms, embraces it as his greatest and best treasure, as if it were better than he himself is; he sets it beside him, as he was a kind man; he tells the apostles to see who is greatest in heaven; he makes himself low; he calls to himself a poor, despised, unintelligent child; he sets it with him; he embraces it and considers it his treasure, as if it were almost like him. I mean, I, your Lord and Master, am like this little child. So shall ye be, or shall not be my disciples and Christians.
With this he admonishes the apostles to let the world have its way, and to know that this kingdom is much different than they think, and that they should separate Christ's kingdom from the world's kingdom. For Christ's kingdom is the kingdom of the humble, or of children, as here the Lord makes himself a child, and kindly loves the children, holding them for his treasure. For he also came for their sake and shed his blood. This image should strike them in the eyes, that they may remember: Behold, the great Lord of heaven and earth is like a little child. Why doesn't he caress a great man, a king or any other saint, but he takes a child, a little child, who still has little understanding, and caresses it. But with this he shows that his kingdom belongs to the children, and that he, the Lord, is a duke and prince of the children, and wants to be found among the children, and wants to say, "If you want to know who is the greatest, I will tell you: If you hear me, you are great, because I am all; and whoever hears me, he is great.
- Erlanger: them.
receives the Father who created heaven and earth, yes, he receives heaven and earth at the same time. He receives God with all His heavenly gifts and glories.
Oh, dear Lord God, would someone like to say, how do I come to the great honors that I should have Christ and his heavenly Father and all his goods in heaven and earth? So one comes to it, that one first accepts the little child Christ and through him also gets the Father in heaven. For you will not see me for and for with bodily eyes. Therefore I will set another thing before your eyes, which you shall esteem the same as me; namely, He that receiveth such a child in my name receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth my Father. Compare yourselves to a poor little child, who is not a king, nor has much honor or authority or great wisdom, nor does anything special; for when he is called by his father and mother, he comes and is led and guided. He makes himself like such a child.
So the Christian church is depicted here as a group of children and lowly, humble people, who are not able, know or able to do anything of themselves, except what the Father calls them to do. They hear the father and go where he leads them. That is it. So also the head is Christ. He knows nothing else to advise nor to do but what he hears from his Father. All Christians are like this. They know nothing else to speak and to do than what they hear from their Lord, the little child Christ. This is what the holy Christian church is called, finely painted and also comforted, when we see that Christ Himself wants to be a little child, and does not take a great man before Him, hugging and kissing him, but a simple, miserable little child, and says, "Thus I am formed, and so are all my Christians. He that seeth the little children seeth me, and he that seeth me seeth my Father also; as if to say, The little children are my best treasure; they are my dwelling, my house, and my tabernacle. 3)
- Erlanger: him.
- Erlanger: Herwerge.
** 870** Erl. 44, 20-S3. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 871
where I will dwell. As often as I see Christians and children who have been baptized, I often look at Christ, and I also have Christ and in Christ the Father. As often as I would, I could find and take hold of Christ. For even if Christ were torn away from my bodily eyes, he would still have left me an image behind him by which I should learn to recognize him, and I could see him according to all my desire when I look at the children who have been baptized. For here the world is full of the Lord Christ. Therefore it is also said in Proverbs: A man can earn heaven and be saved in his own children; not because it is his natural child, but because it is baptized, and because it is a Christian child or Christian man. And here is the saying of Christ: Whoever receives a child in my name receives me; that is, whoever shelters, clothes, feeds, teaches or carries such a child receives me.
What may I now seek far from Christ or run to heaven? I should not wander through the world and go to St. James, or travel to the holy land of Jerusalem and there 1) be knighted, and on such a journey be annoyed by great food, and there see nothing but earth, wood and stone. For Christ no longer preaches in Jerusalem. He has gone to heaven and no longer performs miracles there. Why should I dare to do so much useless tasting, since I have so much more advantage at home? For there I see so many Christian children and Christian people, who are the mirror and dwelling place of my dear Lord Christ, and if I see them, I see Christ; if I hear them, I hear Christ; if I give them a drink of water, I give it to Christ; if I feed them, I feed Christ; if I clothe them, I clothe Christ, and thus in the Christian church I have the world only full of God and full of Christ. Wherever I look around and there are Christian children, I often have Christ, if only I could believe it. For Christ does not lie to us when he says: "The Christian church is where there are children, and where one receives the other as Christ Himself.
- Erlanger: himself.
scold the same heretical and the devil's bride or not.
But the pope boasts that he is Christ's church, but hold him 2) against the church, since Christ speaks here of, you will see that he asks nothing about the gospel, also respects the children and other Christian people nothing, that he should teach them God's word. And if he would receive the little children, he would honor Christ. But he does not want to be a child, he does not want to receive Christ or a child in his name, but he wants to be a great emperor and king, yes, a lord over all. He reaches for the crown and worldly rule and power. He does not look at a child, let alone receive it. And if you look through all the papal law, you will not find even once in his teachings that you should believe in Christ, but his books are full of the fact that you should consider him alone as the highest Lord and accept his commandments.
Now hold the pope against this, and you will see that God speaks there, but here, on the pope's side, the devil. But where Christ is, and where his word is heard and the little children are taken up and baptized in his name, then I conclude that the Christian church is there, let the pope and Turk say what he will against it. And ask further: Dear pope, who is greater and higher, you or Christ? There is no doubt that Christ is greater than the pope, even than all kings and emperors on earth, and a Lord above all the angels in heaven, for he is God himself; and the pope himself must confess this. Since he calls himself Christ's governor and vicar on earth, the governor is in no way above the one whose place he takes, and has all power and authority from the one who uses him as governor.
Let us now see how it rhymes with each other that you, Pope, with your cardinals and bishops, say that you are the Christian Church because it keeps what you command. Now I hear nothing else from you, but how one should not eat meat on Friday,
- Erlanger: them; also further on, almost throughout, "them" for "him" therefore we will not note it anymore.
872 Erl. 4t, 23-25. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 2-5. 873
how to celebrate such and such a day, how to wear a cap and disguise oneself like a carnival larva, how to see sourly and live without a wife, and what else is foolish. With this, one should do God a special favor. But what does the Lord Christ say about this, who is more than you, the pope? I hear nothing of this kind from him, for he does not say, "Whoever receives meat or fish, whoever receives a cap, whoever receives a Friday, is a Christian;" but he says, "Whoever receives me and then receives all the children in my name. So then I will obey Christ here, who is more than you devil-headed Pabst, yes, more than the Turk and all devils; and ask nothing of you Pabst anywhere, though you curse me so much. For what do the children know of Pabst, whom one carries from baptism? The child is baptized into Christ and not into the pope. After that he learns to pray his Lord's Prayer; he has prayer and faith; he knows nothing about the pope, but only about Christ. Christ calls this child to Himself and caresses it, so it will be blessed. So must I also be blessed, for I am as much a child as one lying in the cradle and bound in swaddling clothes, and I have Christ; he is my own. For Christ's kingdom is nothing else 1) but a child's kingdom.
Let the pope, with his servants and crown, go back to where he came from. I do not want to know anything about him, even if they call themselves the church. For I do not hear anything special from them, but only about food, drink, clothes and shoes; on these they build their church. That should be a fine church for me! If the pope condemns me as a heretic, I will not ask anything about it. For, if I do not know what the Persian, the dodderer or the Turk believes, it does me no harm either, if I do not know what the pope's faith and doctrine is. A child lives and dies without the pope, because he lives and dies in Christ.
Therefore this is the Christian church, which has Christ and receives him and also receives the children in his name. The papists do not know that whoever accepts Christ
- Erlanger: not Anders.
The church is the church, and he who receives Christ receives the Father, and he who does good to the least of these does it to Christ; which is quite another thing from the kingdom of the pope, who does not consider this treasure; and also the pope, the cardinals, the tarter, the Turk, the magistracy, and the married state are not the church, but only corporeal, worldly estates. They are estates that belong to this life alone and not to the life to come. The status of princes and lords, men and women does not make one a Christian, just as clothes and shoes, food and drink do not.
This should be distinguished. The Christian church is where Christ is the head, and where his word is, also where he calls children to himself; and those who are called become his brothers, sisters and joint heirs. Therefore, in every parish, where children are baptized and the Gospel is preached, and Christ is presented to the people so that they may receive him, there is the Church. Therefore, our church here in Wittenberg is also the right, true, Christian church. The Roman church of the pope, the cardinals, even the bishop of Mainz is a boys' school. For Christ does not say: Whoever receives the pope, cardinals and bishops, receives me. This is how we can recognize the true church: where the word of God is preached correctly and people are baptized, there is a piece of the church. And what we believe here, the Christians in Constantinople also believe, under the Turk or Tartar.
It is true that Christians may be married and married to men, for worldly rule and marriage should not hinder Christianity. For the married state must be so that the human race may be preserved and nourished, and especially so that our Lord God may fill the number of Christians and children may be begotten. Thus, princes and secular governments must serve for peace, so that God's word may be taught and people baptized, which cannot happen without peace. Marriage and secular government should serve so that more Christians may become and remain; for children must be fed and protected, and must also eat.
874 Erl. 44, S5-L7. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 875
and drink, must have clothes, shoes, house and yard. But that does not make one a Christian. Such statuses do not promote the Kingdom of God or Christianity, for the reason that they are worldly statuses and do not belong to the Kingdom of Heaven. They also do not prevent, as the pope and the unholy monks have taught, that married couples who are baptized and have accepted Christ live in a carnal and sinful state that is not pleasing to God; they are not the right core. This is blaspheming Christ. The priests and monks want to be something higher and better, so they pretend that they do not eat meat on Fridays; that a Carthusian does not wear a common garment all his life, but disguises himself as a fool, looks sour and lives differently from married couples and worldly rulers, wears special clothes and uses special food, abstains from marriage and worldly rulers, has nothing of his own; boast that these are holy people, and such make perfect people.
But a prince can remain a prince and still be a Christian. He can be baptized, hear the gospel and absolution, and go to the sacrament; and can be a Christian even if he is not a monk or a priest. So also husband and wife can be a Christian, hear the gospel, use the sacraments. For Christianity has a different origin than from the worldly rule or from the marriage state. We Christians may eat and drink what we like, and if necessity demands it; and the Christian church does not build itself on eating and drinking, on clothes and shoes, and does not say: whoever takes up meat, eats clothes, calls on saints, and chooses special days, that this makes one a Christian; but first looks around for Christ, and points to the living children, whom one takes up in Christ's name. This may well be believed, for Christ, the chief and only Master, teaches thus, saying, Whosoever shall receive such a child in my name receiveth me.
The pope and the monks speak of it much differently, and say: The Christian church has it
- Erlanger: beautiful.
- Erlanger: one.
thus ordered. Here ask: which? of the pope? as S. Franciscus, S. Benedictus, S. Dominicus and Bernhardus? But say thou: I hear another church teaching, which saith, He that receiveth me in the name 2c. and after that: He who receives a child in the name of Jesus Christ is the Church. Nevertheless the papists conclude: they are the right church, and the forbidden eating of meat, that is right. But give me one letter from the pope's books, decrees and laws, also one point from all lawyers' law, where they taught that one should receive Christ. Therefore they do not point to the right Christian church, do not teach that one should believe in Christ and be lowly and humble of heart, nor receive us one among another, but all say: Consider the pope to be the head of the world, and to have power and authority over all kings. Well, say thou then, what is that to me? I shall not become a Christian by it; but I must hear what Christ says and how he says it, and keep my ears open to it. I have learned it well, you young people know nothing about it yet. But read the whole spiritual law of the pope, there you will find it well inside. Christians and preachers are not commanded to govern the German land, or how else one should build houses, eat, or clothe oneself; for what is that to do with us? who also commanded the pope to concern himself with such things, and to gape at who might be the greatest? Does it do anything for the glory of God? No one ever becomes a Christian from knowing how princes are supposed to govern the land and people and settle all matters. In the worldly regime and in the married state, people deal with it. But we are commanded to hear the gospel, where Christ alone is to be heard, and where it is preached how he calls children to be baptized and to believe in him, and that the people receive the Lord's Supper and, if they have sinned, hear absolution. The other things, how they should take up fields and meadows, they may learn from their parents. But from us preachers they should learn how to believe in Christ and hold up the children,
876 Erl. 4t, 27-30. Luther's Prebigt on Matth. 18, 2-5. 877
and know that in Christ I have God the Father Himself and in the little children I receive Christ Himself.
But the pope says, "Well, you don't have to eat this or drink that. Then you answer, "My father and mother know this beforehand, and it would not have been necessary for you to teach me. He says, "If you do not eat meat, you are a good Christian and better than other people. Others are like geese to you, or like poor worms. O, that is a delicious thing! surely a maid in the house knows how to clothe the child. For when it is too hot or too cold, she takes off or puts on its clothes, so that it does not suffocate or freeze to death. In the same way, if the child is hungry, the mother knows to give him food, or if he is sick, she can soon judge him and say, "Dear child, you should not drink wine now," or, "When you get better, you may drink it again. A mother can know that well. What in the name of the devil does the pope come here and want to teach me that the maid in the house, even father and mother, can do? yes, the secular government and the married state know? and he wants me to consider it a special holiness, a perfection and the highest and greatest thing.
In the same way, one may speak of other papal statutes, such as holidays, pilgrimage, monks, rules and the like. For those who keep these things are the best people in Christendom in the eyes of the pope. The other common people, who live in the married state or in the secular regime, they hardly consider as footcloths in the kingdom of heaven, and the married couples must live badly in the grace of the 1) clergy. But it is true that husbands and wives and worldly authority must be here in this life, but in that life they are not needed at all, there they will cease altogether. These two things do not make anyone a Christian, but husbands and wives must be godly and become children and accept baptism. Then they become Christians; that is what it does, that we preach the word of Christ, our head, listen to it, let ourselves be baptized.
- Erlanger: spiritual.
call from him and believe in him. Therefore Christ also says, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." But if he falls into sin, hurry again for absolution, and heaven will be opened to him.
Thus, in this text, the Lord Christ goes through the marriage state and the worldly government, and does not ask anything about the household or the worldly government. John 2, at the wedding in Cana, when there was a lack of wine and his mother interceded, he says to her, "Woman, what have I to do with you? and Luke 2, he says to his parents, who were looking for him in the temple because he was lost, "Why do you look for me? must I not be in my father's house? And when one said to the Lord Christ that he would first go and bury his father, and then come again and follow Christ, he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead, and follow me." So he also rejected him who asked him to divide his goods with his brother, saying, "Who made me a judge over you?" 2c. So he always refused the affairs of the worldly state and conjugal life, and waited for his profession.
But this is what Christ does, that he calls to himself both the country and the house; he wants the rulers and the spouses to recognize him and to hear his word, for then they will learn what they otherwise did not hear in the house or in the country, namely, that these are the Christian church, which hears God's word and believes in Christ JEsum, and receives him and in Christ the Father; also receives himself among them. Whoever teaches from another church and makes Christians in a different way than the worldly wise do, is a deceiver; just as the pope and the monks have been such fellows, who do not want to be in the married state nor in the regency state, and yet may boast of being Christians. But has this also been taught and preached by Christ? They are doctrines of the devil; in addition, they tell gross lies, that they have vowed chastity and obedience and want to be poor beggars, for who has been richer than they? I mean, they suffer great poverty, that an-
878 Erl. 44, 30-32. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 879
The monasteries were built in the middle of the country, and the other people gave them as much as they wanted, and they were able to build churches and houses from it as if they were castles, which no prince would be able to build now. How many thousand guilders did a field monastery have to earn annually? If they were poor, the abbots would not have to wear such beautiful infuls, would not have so many fields, meadows, villages and peasants. How beautiful poverty is that to me? We would also accept this poverty of monastic life. None of us would be so rich if he could be fortunate enough to have everything for free, food, drink, clothes, shoes, money and goods, if he did not leave his fields and everything, and reward others for their toil and work and accept this poverty.
The pope has been a crude fool, but there will be other more subtle spirits who will pretend, as the Anabaptists did, that one should not have one's own goods, and other things. And such spirits have been from the beginning of the world, therefore also the disciples say in the Gospel: "We have left everything" 2c. But what thinkest thou, who doeth these things, that for this cause he should become a Christian? We teach that one does not become a Christian because of this, if he is poor or rich, married or a widow, living in the household or in the world. For something else belongs to Christianity. It does not help you there if you are married or illegitimate, but only if you receive Christ and receive the Father Himself in Christ, and then love your neighbor as Christ Himself. And Christ says: Through me and through my word one becomes a Christian. The rest, which is in the worldly government and in the marriage state, does not belong here.
Thus the Lord Christ paints the church, that he may give us armor and defense in our hands against the mad, nonsensical cries of the papists, when they speak: The church has said it, set it and ordered it. But say thou: I hear it well; but where? In this or that concilio. Are they also the Christian Church? Yes. From where? Because they are in office. Oh, so the Turk and all the wicked may also be Christians! But even if a hundred thousand concilia were held, they would not be Christians.
my Lord Christ is greater than they; but so say the Christians, if ye receive Christ.
But the arch-heretics of Rome speak thus: that whoever does not consider the pope to be the Lord Christ's governor, does not accept and keep all his laws concerning clothing, food, drink and other things, and does not believe that a cardinal is greater than a bishop, is not a Christian. Oh, that works out very well! We know much differently where the church is, than when one teaches God's word purely, has baptism and sacrament. Therefore we say that the pope's teaching (since he leads me to eat and drink) is vain doctrine of the devil. For if the pope and his cardinals with their pointed hats pretend to be the Christian church, and make such things a Christian, then the swine, asses and dogs would have it good; one would also put pointed red hats and caps on them and say that they were also Christians. Therefore, where there is a crowd that does not hear Christ's voice and does not receive the children in Christ's name, I should conclude that this is the devil's church, for this is the true color of the false church.
This beautiful comforting speech and sermon is preached by the Lord Christ about the church or true Christians, that is, about those who receive Christ, and through Him also receive the Father, and then for His sake also receive all little children and new Christians, for such is the kingdom of heaven. And the great treasure of the church is so close to our eyes that we can find Christ in our own homes and among our brethren and neighbors, and must not go to Jerusalem or to St. James. And the Lord Christ wills that all right-minded Christians also have the children's way. And the Lord Christ wills that all true Christians also have and follow the manner and simplicity of children, for children abide in the truth, and a child is drawn with hearing, and there is neither wisdom nor disputing in him. It does not ask whether what is said to it is right or wrong, but believes it all. Christians should therefore hang on the word alone, and not argue whether God is lying or telling the truth, but believe it because Christ says so. Follow:
880Erl. 44, 3L-35, Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 6. 7. 881
Third sermon on the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
V. 6 But whosoever shall offend one of these least of these that believe on me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the deepest part of the sea.
He said above, "Whoever receives such a child in my name receives me. But here he contradicts this, saying, "Whoever offends one of these least ones who believe in me and does not receive Christ not only does harm, but also becomes a devil in the church and drives Christ away. Therefore the Lord Christ speaks terrible things about him and says that it would be better for him if a millstone hung on his neck and lay in the sea where it is deepest. This is a fearful word, for if it is so bad for him who offends one of the least of Christ's children, how will it be for those who offend not one or two, but a whole multitude, or even the whole Christian church?
And the Lord Christ has well seen what the pope, the heretics, the red spirits, monks and nuns would do in future times for an abominable being, so that the world would become full of trouble and especially from those who would sit in the apostle's place. For this reason the dear Lord is so hard on the apostles, and is so hard on all pastors and those who sit in the apostles' place, that they may beware of the trouble; for it is a dreadful thing about trouble, since not only one person is annoyed, by pushing Christ and inviting the devil as a guest, but also a whole church and congregation are annoyed; so that it is not an easy sin.
But in order that the young people, who do not know what "trouble" is, may understand such a word all the better, we will speak and act a little roughly and clearly about it. Anger is called by us what is otherwise called an evil example, so that one brings another down by words or deeds and makes him evil. Now this is a gross annoyance, from which people, but especially Christians, are still afraid.
can guard. As when in a city there is a public adulterer, fornicator, or usurer who goes unpunished; he sets an evil example, so that others say, "If he goes unpunished, he can go free; why should I not do the same? Item, if one is a thief or murderer, and is tolerated, that is a case or offence, at which others run and are angry, because they think: Does he do it, why would you not also do it? Such an outrage occurred in the papacy in the past, when the priests had whores with them and led a boyish life; then they said: If it is permitted to the priests, it shall also be permitted to me, why will I not also do it?
This offense can still be easily resisted, for the world knows it, and can reprove and punish it, for it can punish the case; and the heathen have abolished such offenses, much more should we Christians refrain from such offenses. Therefore, such offenses do not do great harm in Christendom, for there are none of such offenses among those who are Christians. And Christ does not speak primarily here of this offense, where people are brought down by outward evil examples; but he speaks of another offense, which is the real offense, by which one is against God and his word with unrighteous doctrine and life, and with a pretense or cover of the divine name deceives simple-minded people, and under this pretense sells the devil, and makes such offense idolatry.
As in the prophets, idolatry is everywhere called vexation, as the prophet David says in the 140th Psalm, v. 6.He also says: "Those who hope put ropes on me and spread me ropes for nets, and set traps for me by the way"; and he complains that they have put and set an evil image beside his way, that is, by false doctrine and evil examples they have caused him to stray from the right way to salvation and to go astray or into the woods.
Such a thing is a spiritual nuisance, and causes one to get off the right track, military road, and country road onto crooked paths or byways, 1) as is said in the common proverb:
- Erlanger: gerieth.
882 Erl. 44, 35-37. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 883
Where our Lord God builds a church or temple, the devil soon sets up a chapel next to it, and where there is a church, there is also a chapel, that is, where God's word is preached purely and loudly, the devil comes and sets up byways, both to doctrine and to life, and must still have the name that it should be a service of God.
This is how it has been in the world from the beginning. How long did Adam have the right worship? As long as he was alone with his Eve. As soon as the first son Cain came, he separated himself from his father and set up a different service and church for him in the name of the devil, so that the devil ruled so powerfully in the world that in the end there were no more than eight people left before the flood who served the right God. So you may go through and through, from the beginning of the world to our time, you will find such trouble enough of the doctrine and worship, by which people are annoyed, that is, seduced, that they worship and honor the devil for God.
And when the devil wants to cause trouble against the right doctrine and faith, he does not do it through little people who are of no account before the world, but through those who are the very best, the wisest, holiest and most learned; they do great harm here, as it is said, "No little man causes heresy, but great men. Item, great, high people commit great folly, and fool gross works. For if a public adulterer, a murderer, or the like, were to appear and do something special in matters of faith, he would not accomplish much; but great and noble men in the sight of the world cause the trouble of which the Lord Christ speaks here.
When Jeroboam the wicked, who was king in Israel, would not suffer his subjects to go to the feast at Jerusalem to worship in order, for he feared that if his people, the ten tribes, were to rejoin the tribe of Judah, he might lose the kingdom: therefore he left the true worship and the word of God at Jerusalem (for God alone would dwell there), and built separate
He consecrated priests, set up two calves of gold, two idols in Beer-saba and in Dau, and said, "Behold, your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt"; he did not take this service out of the temple in Jerusalem; just as Ahab, the king of Israel, also established the Baal service in Samaria and set up his own service against the one in Jerusalem, 1) which was commanded by God Himself.
First of all, the reputation of the person, because Jeroboam was king in the land and well kept - for they had chosen him as lord against Solomon's son, Rehoboam, 2) after that Jeroboam said: Here are not idols and devil services, but here is the God of Israel, who led our fathers out of Egypt. Then his idolatry was adorned and decorated with the name of GOD, so that his priests cried out, Here one teaches rightly, here one sacrifices to our LORD GOD, and then the people also ran to him with heaps, for it was the right color, so that he should paint the devil, so that he would be sold for GOD, that he should be painted white, otherwise one knows the devil when he remains black; and GOD wanted to be recognized know and called by this sign (that he had led them out of Egypt): Therefore the people were soon deceived and led away from the true God, sacrifice and service, which God alone had placed in the temple at Jerusalem, and then ran to the idols, since they had arranged their own service, their own priests and Levites.
Such things are called snares, blocks, and vexations put in the way of the people, that they should fall away from the right way, from the faith, and from the service of God; so the vexation becomes an offence and a fall.
There are many examples of this kind of offense not only in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament. How many heresies arose in the time of the apostles and much more after that, besides the divine word, by which the Christian church was so miserably torn apart and torn apart that it was finally almost wiped out. And that the other aversions should be left aside, because whoever
- Erlanger: those.
- Erlanger: Roboam.
884 Erl. 44, 37-39. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 6. 7. 885
wanted to tell them all? How much trouble has the pope and his monks caused in the church in our time, and led Christians away from the right way, which is Christ Himself, now to this saint, now to another saint, all (as I said) under the pretense that it was God's word and the right way to heaven; when otherwise the right way was that Christ speaks: "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved"; item, he who receives a child in Christ's name, that the same receives Christ himself; item, that one alone believes in the one Savior Christ, and thereafter does good to his neighbor. This would still be the right road, one could perform this service without much effort, one would not have to run to Jerusalem afterwards, one would only stay at home with wife, child and neighbors, there one would have Christ and the church. But then S. Gregory came, who caused a lot of trouble with his purgatory and mass, which is the basic soup of all the trouble that had been under the papacy. After that S. Franciscus, S. Benedictus and Dominicus came and also caused trouble, and pretended that one had to vow chastity, poverty, obedience, and established new rules that made the way to heaven closer. Such new doctrine was then puffed up and seriously practiced, and thus the whole world was filled with monasteries, churches and hermitages.
But it is a different doctrine than that of the Lord Christ, if one pretends to accept the rule of Francisci, not to live like other people, but to do something new and own, and then affirm this with the name of God. In the Holy Scriptures, this is actually called annoyance, because the pious souls are annoyed, who otherwise are born anew and live righteously, and then fall back to humanity, becoming more annoyed than they were before. The pope caused much such trouble, and the monks and cathedrals helped him, and he had to be a living saint who ran to Rome or to the holy land and vowed to become a saint. No one else could break this vow, but only the pope. But what devil told him to teach this, that whoever went to Compostela would be a saint?
in Hispania, he would find forgiveness of sin. It is a horrible annoyance and shameful case. For Christians have in their churches the Lord Christ and in Christ God the Father. But the pope says: "This is nothing, where baptism and the preaching seat are; 1) there in Rome and Compostel, there is the perfect forgiveness of sin. And with such a false and forged indulgence at Compostel he opened the mouths of the people, so that the people ran to the pilgrimages as if they were mad and nonsensical, because it all happened under the appearance of the divine name.
The pope made S. Franciscum a saint and gave indulgences to those who called on S. Franciscum and celebrated on his day. Franciscum and celebrated on his day. For it is said that shortly before he died, he asked God to be merciful and forgive the sins of all those who came to Assisi in the church where he was buried. If S. Franciscus did this and in his last end was not otherwise minded, but thus: I do not hold it with him and I would not like to change or prey with him 2) although I am not as holy as he; and may have been blessed, but in such a way that he kept to baptism and communion at his last hour. Gregory may also have been blessed, but not through his diabolical mass and purgatory, but that he clung to Christ.
Thus the pope has set and commanded one idol after another and led them astray from the right way, and commanded and taught something else than Christ has done. For he instructs me that I should not seek forgiveness of sin from Christ, item, not from baptism and the Lord's Supper, not from the church, where Christ has placed it, but from elsewhere. Young people know nothing about it, but we old people know, who have bathed in the bath and sweated quite a bit.
What do you think the Sacramentarians, Anabaptists, and other red spirits have done? They all bring a different way and hang all the
- In the Erlanger falsch interpungirt: Ei das ist Nichts; wo die Taufe und der Predigtstuhl ist, dort u. s. w.
- i.e. exchange.
886 Srl. 44, 39-42. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 887
the name of God. This means trouble, cases, harm, ropes and offences, when people are seduced by idolatry and are led astray and misled from Christ, the one and right way. For if I am to place my comfort in S. Francisci's merit, and I keep S. Francisci's rule, which the pope has confirmed as a great sanctity, I find nothing at all in it about faith in Christ. For so it goes, as it is said in the proverb: Where there are many ways, there is none good; none of these ways has led us to Christ, but have only thrown trees, ropes and blocks in our way, over which people have fallen and broken our necks in two.
This is what the Lord Christ prophesied in the 24th chapter of Matthew, that false Christs and false prophets would arise and perform great signs and wonders, and that even the elect would be led astray (if it were possible). Therefore, no one is to make an example of his holiness and wisdom, so that one would want to follow him, be he Ambrose or Augustine or whatever else he is called. I consider S. Gregory a pious man; yet his teaching is full of error and trouble, and if God did not give it to him by grace, then he is not from the elect number, but from those who may be brought into error. For it is of no avail to say, This is what the fathers said, this is what the Roman see commanded; no, says Christ, look at me, and not at the harlots of Rome. For there shall come strong errors by the mightiest, wisest, and holiest men, and whatsoever else is great in the world. And the pope has the devil before and for his own good, who is the head, yes, God of the world. For this reason we are not excused for going ahead, as the fathers said; Christ did not command us to believe in the pope, fathers, Jerome, or others, but in him of whom the Father says, "Him I am well pleased to hear, even in Christ. For if thou art apart from Christ, thou hast lacked God; and if thou hast lost Him, what is the use, though the Pope, S. Augustine, S. Bernard and others stand with thee? For
Whoever seeks God apart from Christ falls into error and trouble. Therefore, without Christ, all high doctrine is nothing but error and darkness.
V. 7: Woe to the world because of trouble. Trouble must come. But woe to the man through whom trouble comes.
Here the Lord Christ prophesies and proclaims how great calamities will come, but we live safely as if there were no need; and the papists do not consider it a calamity or error to teach how to call on the saints and not to eat meat on Fridays. But the Lord Christ alone wants to lead us to Himself and show us that He is the head of the church, item our Master and Father. For to put on the church, concilia, fathers, will not help, and is nothing else than to put on the devil's neck. But this is the true Christian church, which believes in Christ who suffered for it, and through him alone one obtains forgiveness of sins. Then they are baptized and go to communion, live and die on it. The true church knows of no purgatory or invocation of the saints.
On the other hand, a false doctrine and evil living is taking the wrong path or side road over the right path, which is called Christ, or going to chapels that the devil has erected and going to a monastery and leaving his parish church at home. This is called Christ's trouble, because it leads from Christ to the devil and makes a mistake or offence, so that one does not stay on the right path, but falls there. And this is a spiritual case, because one leads a shem and name of God, his word and holy Christianity.
In the papacy, the painters painted the Virgin Mary to show the Lord Christ her breasts, which he sucked, and to gather emperors, kings, princes and lords under her mantle, to protect them, and to plead with her dear Son to drop his wrath and punishments against them. That is why everyone called her and honored her more than Christ. Is therefore the
** 888 Erl. 44, 42-44.** Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 6. 7. 889
Virgin Mary to an abomination or an idolatrous image and annoyance (but without her fault). This has been confirmed by the pope. That is why he is the founder and father of all the ailments that go against Christ. And I believe that the time has come when our dear Lord Christ prophesied in the Gospel of Matthew 1:13, where he says: "The Son of Man will send forth his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all offenses, and sweep his threshing floor; and they that do iniquity will cast them into the furnace of fire, and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For God has sent preachers, and is still sending them daily, who will remove such a nuisance and draw people to the true religion, and sweep out the pope with his filth, which he (speaking with leave) has shat in our way. Praise God, the papacy is a good part and in many places it is almost swept out by the angels that God has sent, and will send more until the last day, who will also sweep out the rest. I mean, we have swept out the dirt here in Wittenberg, that we had not a little, by which we and others are deceived with us; and have cleaned up the holy service, the masses, pilgrimage, monasteries, and what else of trouble more was present, and have put such aside, so that now the teachings of Christ go purely in the Schwang. For he intends to sweep his church clean of trouble, and to bind the hearts to him alone. For he is the only right way to live and die. The other troubles are gone, because a false, evil doctrine has been adorned under the name of God; but it now has no more power.
But we also pray against the anguish when we say in the Lord's Prayer: "Hallowed be your name. For God's name is profaned by false teaching. And the pope does nothing less than sin against the first two commandments, and leads people from God to the devil, and makes all his devilish teachings and commandments appear as if they were all divine, when in fact they are devilish, lies and devilish teachings. For he says: Run to Compostel; this must be a
have divine name and are called God's name sanctified. So it goes with all heresies. Against this we pray. For no one is rightly called by the name of God except the one who is holy, the Lord Christ. He alone is righteous and holy, and his word is also holy; his sacraments, as baptism and the Lord's Supper, as well as absolution, are also holy, and there is given that which truly makes holy.
Therefore, the church, which is God's people, does not have to be brought upon itself. The pope and the red spirits boast that they are the church, but they are the school of the devil. The name of God is blasphemed atrociously by the desperate boys. They regard us no differently than heretics, and must also bear the name that we are children of the devil, who nevertheless rely on Christ and boast of His true goods, such as the holy divine Word, Sacrament, Holy Spirit and other gifts and goods. But before God we have another name, and actually know that they are the church of the devil, even though it does not appear so to the world; everyone considers them to be children of God, even though they are an abomination before Him. Therefore it is highly necessary to pray diligently for the sanctification of the divine name, and to distinguish the true church from the false church, who only take the title of church to themselves and sell their merits and good works to others, thus deceiving the world. But we place our blessedness in Christ, the Son of God, who has given us his gospel, baptism, and the Lord's Supper; we abide by this.
But the Lord Christ has been very angry here, that he cries out for trouble and woe against those who offend someone, that is, who use God's name and the title of the church, but deceive the people with it; As the pope and all his bright crowd, cardinals and bishops, also monks and priests, have not vexed one Christian, but have almost made the whole world full of vexation, and have snatched away Christ, baptism, the Lord's Supper and the gospel; and yet the pope has had the name before the world that he is God's people and the true Christian church, and has condemned the rest of us. There are simple-minded people who take the name of God and the
890 He". 44, 44-47. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 891
Church, and do not think otherwise than that it is all right, deceived by the devil very soon.
But how is it that people are seduced so soon? The reason is that Christians are children. For the Lord Christ likened them above to little children, which children obey their parents, hearing them only, believing what they say, and obeying their commandments. If then the pope says, "Oh, where there is a council, and where many good, holy, learned men come together and conclude something in matters of religion, there is the church, and there is the doctrine right; just as a child is deceived and led away by a beggar with a piece of bread, so simple-minded Christians are very soon deceived, seduced, and grievously vexed by heretics through the appearance of a divine name.
Therefore, one should get to know the rogue, the devil, who adorns himself and sells himself under the name of God. For all false teachers and heretics bear the name of God, as you see in the pope, in the Sacramentarians, in the Anabaptists and in all the red spirits. But the Christians are not excused with it that they let themselves be seduced. Christians should be childish, but in Christ and not apart from Christ. For the Lord Christ has warned them enough that they should beware of the false degenerates who would come, for they would deceive them under the name of Christ. So also S. Paul warns that Christians should not always be children, but should grow and become strong until they become men and reach a perfect old age, and says to the Ephesians in the 4th chapter that they should not let any wind of doctrine blow them now and then, as happened under the papacy. Here S. Franciscus blew away one heap, and there S. Dominicus and Benedictus blew away the other heap. Here one blew away with pilgrimage, there the other with masses, invocation of the saints and other things, until one finally lost Christ and honored and held Mariam for the most high. For other winds and spirits of doctrine are always blowing, so one should not let oneself be blown now and then, as the reed is moved by the wind.
This has been Pope's trouble and his various winds of doctrine, against which Christians should be prepared and take good care, and be children as far as Christ is concerned, so that they may hear the word of Christ with simplicity and hold fast to it. . But apart from Christ they are not to be children everywhere, but wise and understanding men who are not easily persuaded and seduced like children. Thus we are easily preserved against all the vexations of false doctrine and life, when we alone hear the voice of the Lord Christ.
Although children have the nature and manner to know their father and mother by their speech, even though a child does not see them. For if a hundred women address my child and say to it, "Dear child, dear son or daughter," it will not speak to them again: Father and mother. But if his natural father and mother say to him, "Come here, son," he will follow. So we Christians also shall hear the voice of the Lord Christ alone, and if any doctrine be not his voice, say, Thus speaketh not my father. We are not to be children who are moved, but we are to be men and stand firm, not weak nor humble here.
But here the world cries: O, should Christians not be humble! You are stiff-necked, obstinate, stubborn, gnarled, stoici; and complain that you do not want to hear the pope, the concilia, ancestors and fathers. Now it is true that humility is a fine virtue, above all virtue, and holy Scripture also says that he who humbles himself will be exalted; item, S. Peter says that God gives grace to the humble, but resists the hopeful 2c.: for this reason we should be humble toward God and all become children in Christ. But against the devil we are to be as proud, stubborn and gnarled as we ever can. I should not look at anything, because it is apart from Christ. Here it shall not be said: This one suffers nothing; he is not humble. Let all humility here be condemned to the abyss of hell. In Christ and for his name's sake, one should do and suffer everything that is to be endured and suffered.
- Note by Bruns: Something seems to be missing here.- The addition is added by us.
892 Erl. 44, 47-49. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 8. 9. 893
and to be humble, even to let ourselves be trampled underfoot. But if we are to practice humility in another's name, let us trample it underfoot, as it is written in the 91st Psalm, v. 13: "You will walk on lions and vipers, and trample on young lions and dragons."
Fourth Sermon on the 18th Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
So we know what is the trouble, that is, false doctrine, which corrupts and leads astray from the right way to the wrong way, taking sin for righteousness, or vice for virtue, and deviating from the truth and the right worship of God to falsehood and idolatry. Now this is a great case. For other sins are judged and punished by reason, such as theft, adultery, fornication, and such other sins as are known. But this adorned sin sees it no other way than as pure holiness. Therefore the Lord Christ is very angry with them and speaks so vehemently against these future devils, who would deceive the church, that he cried out against them and said: Woe to the world because of trouble! It would be better for those who cause trouble to have a millstone hung around their necks and to be drowned in the deepest part of the sea.
That they might not be astonished at the astonishments, he declared them here before, and told the apostles so, that he might indicate that those who would take their place would not be fathers of the house, masters or teachers of the church, but popes, cardinals and bishops, who would have power, authority, authority, the ministry, the preaching chair and baptism, and yet do the greatest harm to the church; as in the 8th chapter of Matthew, the Lord Christ also warned against these astonishments, saying: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing. [7. chapter of Matthew, the Lord Christ also warned against these aversions, saying: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves"; there he also indicates that false apostles will come, and in the 24th chapter of Matthew he says: "They will say, 'I am Christ,' and will deceive many: I am Christ, and shall deceive many." Therefore, it is not strange that such astonishments will come.
men. For the world remains the world and prays for and for the devil for their God. And just as God does not cease to preach and teach the truth and faith, so the devil does not cease to preach lies and trouble under the cover and appearance of God's name and the church. For tares want to be among the good seed. So also mice droppings mingle with pepper, and next to the temple of God the devil always builds a chapel.
And that the Lord Christ is angry about it shows what an abominable thing false teaching is. For it teaches another way than Christ is, and deceives those who otherwise believe in Christ. For they say, the heretics: I am Christ, and under this name the whole papacy and all monasteries are also founded. But woe to those who are like this and misuse God's name for this purpose and make the saints of the Lord Christ into devils. And so the people are sufficiently warned. But they have despised the mouth of the Holy Spirit and have accepted the laws of the priest, and the saints have become devils.
Therefore, Christ cries out, "Woe is me!" that the world is such a shameful kingdom and can do nothing but cause trouble. It wants to be very clever. But S. Paul says: It lets itself be seduced by the fact that the spirits of the wicked say: I am Christ. For that is what it does. If the devil said that he was, and turned himself black as he is, who would follow him? Now he practices his poison and false doctrine under the name of God and with a greater appearance than the true doctrine is practiced. That is why S. Peter, in his other epistle, says of the pope and his hordes that they lure poor souls with good words to seduce them who had barely escaped them.
Christ and Belial are completely against each other. So it began in paradise, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, and the serpent would bite him in the heel. And so it is. What our Lord God corrects, the devil annoys, and does it all under the guise of the divine name and the Christian church. No defense nor punishment will help. But God must intervene with His final judgment, or else.
894 Erl. 44, 4S-Ü2. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 895
The scandal is too finely adorned, it blinds people so that they swear an oath that it is the truth. Therefore one must wait until God takes the judgment and the sword in his fist. Reason cannot judge that it is unjust, as it otherwise defends against and punishes other outward aggressions. For if a man has beaten a man to death, she strikes off his head again; if a man has stolen, she hangs him on the gallows; if he has broken his marriage, she punishes him. But she cannot prevent this trouble, for she does not stand for it; indeed, she helps to strengthen it, and she draws her sword to defend it, as in the time of Arii. Not only did his heresy become a great fire, but many of them poured oil on this fire, protecting and defending his error as true doctrine, until our Lord God came with his judgment and wiped it out. This is what happened at that time, that the terror was protected, since the emperors at Rome were Christians, nor was the sword drawn, not against Arium and his mob, but against the right teachers and preachers.
Learn to be prepared for this, and do not think that you will have good peace and vain security, and that the true doctrine will always be preached, even if you have God's word pure and righteous. For many of them will storm against it and teach the opposite. See then that you are not deceived by them. For we must not think that everyone will believe what we believe, but if you are in the church of God, and God's word is pure and righteous, know that the devil is after you, and goes about as a roaring lion day and night, so that he may cause trouble and put a stumbling block in your way. For the spirits of the wicked do not go among the Turks and the deputies to establish new doctrine there, but where God has begun to build a church and the right worship, the devil soon sets his chapel by its side, and the spirits of the wicked endeavor to bring forth their false doctrine and to draw the people away from the right doctrine. Therefore, when you have heard God's word, do this also, namely, pray diligently so that God's
name be sanctified, and say: Dear God, keep me in the pure doctrine. Keep us that such doctrine may not be falsified, and that thy kingdom may not disturb nor hinder the heretics. For the two things always go together in the world. As God continues with the true and righteous doctrine, so the devil also continues with his doctrine, which he puts forth and sells under the appearance of divine name and word.
But the world does not go out so freely that it annoys the Christians in this way; and the false teachers, who cause trouble, should not bear it in this way, they should not remain unpunished. For if they are not punished by those who rule, God will punish them with the eternal hellish fire, which is threatened by the Lord Christ here, saying: "Woe to the world because of trouble! Trouble must come, but woe to the man through whom trouble comes. 2c. Those who give trouble and take it away from Christ, who were otherwise brought to him, will get the hellish fire; as S. Peter says in the other epistle in the 2nd chapter, vv. 1-3., also says: "There shall be false teachers among you, which shall bring in corrupt sects, denying the Lord that bought them, and shall bring upon themselves swift condemnation, and many shall follow their destruction, by whom the way of truth shall be forsaken, and by covetousness with fanciful words shall they deal with you, upon whom the judgment of long time is not abated, and their condemnation shall not sleep," that is, they shall be punished as they deceive others. For they lure to themselves the poor souls who had barely escaped the world's impurity through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, in that they had been baptized and redeemed from all sins, death and damnation through baptism and the blood of Christ, and, having escaped from the devil, had now been made children of God again: they are again wrapped up and entangled in the world's uncleanness, and are overcome in it, fall seven times deeper into it, and with them the last is worse than the first. The same then say: There is nothing wrong with the ministry or with baptism,
896 Erl. 44, 52-54. .Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 8. 9. 897
One must be obedient to the Roman Church, what it says, believe it. One must go on pilgrimage to St. James, praising the saints' merit, so that God will be merciful to us through their intercession. These, who before had truly escaped the devil and were brought to Christ, are now led 1) to Compostel 2c. These are not apostles, but real highwaymen. Therefore I shall not hear them, for the Lord Christ reproves such errors and aversions under the penalty of damnation.
So now the devils creep along, since 2) the gospel is preached purely, and since people come to Christ, the Savior and Shepherd of our souls; and since He Christ has made everything pure, improved and edified, they want to change and improve it; and the devils do nothing against the pope, but act straight against ours. The devil does not roll into the wilderness, but sits down hard at the door of the Lord Christ. Therefore we must take care that we preserve our blessedness and do not allow ourselves to be wrapped in sin again, from which we have escaped and been cleansed. 3) For it is not in vain for us to be saved. For it is not a vain word that the Lord Christ saith, Woe to the world because of trouble! For trouble does great harm in Christendom. It distorts the doctrine and draws people away from Christ. The world cannot punish this damage caused by it. Another punishment belongs here, namely the hellish fire. Murderers, thieves and adulterers can be defended with the sword and punished with judgment and justice, but who can punish the seduction and damnation of a single soul? The sword and the punishment of the world are too small. Therefore woe belongs to it, that is, the eternal hellish fire.
So we see that the Lord Christ warns us with great diligence, and grievously afflicts those who do harm. For there must come a great trouble. Someone might say that God could well forbid it, so that it would not be
- Erlanger: "fuhren nun" with the note: "In Orig. added: man."
- In the Erlanger wrongly interpungirt: "dahin. Da "rc.
- Erlanger: derer.
He would be a pain in the neck and kill all the heretics. Why doesn't he do it? Well, I certainly cannot tell you why he does not do it. But it is also true that because these two kings and potentates, the Lord Christ and the devil at the same time, have two armies at war against each other on earth, there is no other way to suffer, and there is no paradise or kingdom of heaven here, but in this temporal life and being there is evil and good through each other, and the devil is not yet locked up in hell. He still reigns mightily in the world and is God's enemy and the enemy of all God's children. We, who are born in this world, are not all blessed from the beginning. There, in that day, it will be said: Here heaven, there hell. But here on earth it is so, that some are evil, some are good. Because this is still the case, the devil and the world can do nothing else but cause vain trouble, and the devil keeps on by force, so that he deceives people from the pure word of God through his trouble and false teachings. This battle will remain until the last day, when the devil and all of his members will be well resisted, so that they will leave the Christians undisturbed. However, let us beware of the devil and pray to God that he will keep us steadfast in his dear word until the end.
We Christians have to suffer the upsets about which Christ cries woe, and the devil and the world are not excused if they cause upsets; they shall not have done it in vain. But they shall not do much harm to the true Christians, for S. Paul also says: "Error and heresy must come into the world, so that the elect may be proven and revealed. It is for the good of the Christians, if they do right; and St. Augustine, who has been sufficiently vexed by the unholy,: red spirits, says, that when heresy and trouble come, it only creates much benefit in Christianity, because they cause the Christians to read diligently in the holy Scriptures, to follow them diligently, and to stay with them 4), which otherwise might well be called "error" under the "heresy".
- Erlanger: "may" and shortly before: "the same".
898 Erl. 44, 54-56. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 899
If they were to leave the Bible on the bench, they would be sure and say: "We have God's Word and the text in our hands, we do not need to read the Holy Scriptures. But then they are made lively and courageous by the heretics and the trouble and understand God's word better than before in the quarrels and fights. That is why this warning is given to us, so that we may follow it and not be frightened by it. We have to suffer, but those who put us through the hardship of having to suffer the adversity should pay the price.
By the word world do not understand the common man, Lord omnes, the common rabble, who are burdened with gross sins; for from silly and unlearned people one must not take any trouble, as it is also said in the proverb: It is a simple good man, who does not cause heresy. But the world is called the best who are in the world, as the most learned bishops, the greatest and wisest rulers, the leaders of the people, who have much following, and they are considered to teach the way to heaven rightly; and as they lead the people, so it goes afterwards. The poor people do not cause trouble, but they suffer trouble. Christ therefore grievously dreads them that cause such vexations: for they cause the name of Christ to be blasphemed, and deceive them which are redeemed by the death of Christ.
Follows further in the text:
V. 8, 9. 2) But if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to enter into life lame or crippled, than to have two hands and two feet, and be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, than to have two eyes, and be cast into hell fire.
Here we hear what the Lord Christ calls woe, namely to be thrown into the hellish fire, and that the Lord does not want to excuse anyone.
- Maybe: carousal?
- The 9th verse is missing here in the original.
It is a common speech nowadays to say, "How can I do it, I am a layman and not a doctor, I do not understand religious matters, how do I know who is right or wrong? how can I beware of trouble? I go to church and listen to what my priest tells me, and I believe him. Item, one says: I would like to be with the Gospel, but my father refuses me, my prince and Lord is also there, and wants to force me to believe something else, because of God I must be obedient; then they say: I am excused, because I hear my priest and obey my parents and authorities. Now, when the princes forbid both forms of the Lord's Supper, those who obey the secular authorities are excused. Item, they say: My parents want to disinherit me, if I use the Lord's Supper in both forms, shall I then become a beggar? what is God helped by that? then say: I will be obedient to the authorities, God will not impute this sin to me. Yes, if you had seals and letters for it. We also preach that one should obey parents and authorities. We also preach that one should be obedient to parents and authorities, yes, we preach something more about that, that we should be obedient among ourselves, one to the other and serve. That is something more.
But what does the Lord Christ say here? If thou seest that thine eye, foot, or hand offend thee, pluck out thine eye, cut off thy hand and foot. Here you must not roughly understand the bodily members, the bodily eyes, feet and hands, when Christ says: It is better that you go to heaven with one eye, with one foot 2c. than with both to hell. For it is certain and clear that in that life we will not be blind, deaf, lame or crippled as we were here in this life, but will have all our limbs whole and healthy. There we will have a beautiful, transfigured, holy body, like the sun, and much more beautiful. There will be no limping or crippled person in heaven. Therefore, it cannot be understood from the bodily eyes, arms and legs: of our own body; unless one would want to say per hyperbolic: If I am the
900 Erl. 44, 5S-5S. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 8. 9. ' 901
If I should have one, I would rather be blind or lame and hunchbacked in heaven than go to the devil with all my limbs, or, as they say, it is better to be crippled in heaven than to be healthy in hell; item, it would be better to give an eye, hand or foot, so that one could escape from hell, as they also use to say in the proverb: it is better to have red eyes than to be in a pit; that is, it is better to have evil eyes than to be blind.
But the Lord Christ speaks allegorically here, and in the holy scripture the eye is called the one who teaches or preaches, who should lead and guide others, as a preacher, master or bishop who preaches. Then the pastor is my eye, he should lead me to salvation. If the same priest now says: You may well receive the sacrament under one form, as the desperate boys in the land of Meissen teach, and also say: If it is not as I say, then I will pledge my soul to you. Then the good people think they have just enough that their pastor says it, who is their eye, whom they should follow and obey for God's sake, think they will be excused with that. Yes, whoever has a letter and seal over it would not be in a bad position. But who will make me certain that I am excused before God if I follow my pastor, who teaches against God's word, angers and deceives me? Yes, he gives me his soul as a pledge. Then you say: Put it together with the body at the top of the gallows in the name of the devil! What can I dare on his soul, which is the devil's own? I shall hear and believe God's word in these matters alone. So you say to me: I give you my soul as a pledge; that is why the devil speaks out of you. Here you are to preach God's word and say: Listen, brother, do not believe me in this matter, but believe my God and your God, who calls me to the kingdom of heaven by his word. Nor do we have to listen to them swearing, saying: I pledge my soul to you 2c., and the common man then says: Ei, he is my eye, my priest and pastor. Yes, where is Christ, who is certainly my pledge, and here says, "If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it away? It is better that
you go to heaven with your eye, but go to hell with your eye"? If you cannot go to heaven together with the priest, let him rather go, that you may be saved, and let the priest rather go alone to hell to the devil, than with you, where he also belongs. Therefore, let your bishop put his soul in hell.
They do it now so roughly that one can notice the annoyance. For, that we remain with the single example of the sacrament, they themselves freely confess that Christ has ordered it in both forms. Nor do they say publicly: Although Christ has thus ordained it, and it is thus right, yet it shall not be right, for the popes, fathers, and conciliar authorities have commanded it to be given to the laity in one form only; for this reason they forbid the laity to use both forms; they blaspheme it and call it heresy, and they also strangle the people to death over it; And what Christ has commanded they forbid, and do not leave it at that, but they blaspheme it and revile it in the highest way, and call it heresy, strike Christ freely in the face, and are not satisfied with it yet, but persecute it publicly, drive it out, strangle and torture the people over it, which is a sure sign that the last day is not far off, in which Christ will hold judgment with such public rejecters of God.
Then men may say, Verily I see it, and take hold of it, that they deceive men, because they speak against the right eye, the Lord Christ, who is the true light and the right sun; and in him, as he teacheth rightly, I have my two eyes; and therefore shall men say unto false bishops and teachers, Thou art mine eye that vexeth me; therefore I cast thee before the devil, and follow the Lord Christ. But the commandments of men are not to be obeyed.
And he will not be excused who pretends that the bishops, fathers and concilio have thus ordered it. Because it is an annoyance, you are not excused. But say: God is above all, Apost. 5, and one must be more obedient to God than to men. If the two of you are at odds with each other, parents and God, you should say, "Dear parents, I owe it to you to cherish you;
902 Erl. 44, 5s-"i. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. 903
But if ye will set yourselves above and against God, I am bound to pluck out mine eye, and in short, Father, I will see no more through thine eye. That is why the Lord Christ says in another place: I have come to make strife between the Father and the Son. Then one must judge oneself to be more obedient to God than to all men, called parents, authorities, preachers, yes, even the whole church, if it were possible for them to oppose Christ. I let alone that one should not wjder one bishop, who would be in addition a rough ass. Such an eye should always be plucked out. But whoever follows authorities, parents and pastors, who command, call and teach trouble, it happens to him that he goes with his eyes and with everything into the abyss of hell.
So also what follows is to be understood by the hand and foot. Hand means every good friend who protects, nourishes and helps me, by whose advice and help I do my advertising, feeding and handling, and I have my being under him, as there are princes and lords, father and mother and other such friends. Nor shall the excuse of those be valid here who say: How shall I do to him? It is my lord, my authority, it is my father and mother. God wants me to be obedient to them 1). Now they force me with loss of their favor, my goods and food: I shall take the sacrament under one form. If I am not to disobey them, I must do it. It is God's command. But if I act against them and do not do what they want me to do, my food and handicrafts will be reduced. The prince drives me out of the country. We also teach that one should be obedient to the authorities; we also teach that one should honor father and mother, and that one should serve and help the other in whatever way he can. But you must also remember that your father and mother, your ruler and lord, are not above God. God has not given so great a power to the authorities and what is higher in the world that they should be God, and God should be a fool. Here it is said: You shall obey God more than men.
- "them" put by us instead of: "him".
otherwise you will go to the devil. Therefore say, You are my hand. It is true that I cannot do without thee, neither can I do without thee, even as the hands of man cannot be lacking, for they must work to feed him. But because you rage against God and provoke me and force me to do what is against my conscience, I will cut you off. But if you are not against or above God, I will gladly obey you, and you shall not put too much on me. Otherwise God shall be the supreme Lord, who teaches me and you to be obedient to him; and we also shall gladly do all that he commands us, and shall not forbid it.
Feet are called the members that bear the body, or that which is among us. As when a lord says, I cannot accept the gospel before my subjects or people. I must do as others do. He that doeth as other men doeth not err, saith the Proverbs. Therefore, by the feet are understood all kinds of people with whom we do our business and trade. One is the foot of another. But if the foot, the common man, also wants to act against God, then say: I will cut him off with my eye and hand, that is, with the preachers, princes and parents, because it is better that I go to heaven with Christ than go to hell with the doctors, parents, authorities and common men. For one must be more obedient to God than to men, who are called preachers, father and mother, big Hans or little Hans. For it is not a gray skirt or a bushel of grain, or two, a healthy body or anything else, that counts; but it is a matter of either burning eternally in hell or being saved. Now, you shall say, for your sake I will not cast my soul into the abyss of hell. But the pope and the bishops still want me to keep an eye, hand and foot against God. I do not want to do that, that I should keep a water bubble, a mortal man for a friend, and leave the Almighty God. Is it not enough that for the sake of a man I am willing to do everything I can, and for the sake of my sovereign, to bargain for life and limb, to go to war, to kill my wife and child, and to kill myself?
904 Erl. 4i, si-63. Luther's sermon on Matth. i8, 10-14. 905
and goods and serve him with them? Yes, they say, you shall also go to hell to please me. God has forbidden me that, and he wants me to go to heaven, even if it has to be without eye, hand and foot. Well, they say, you are not going to hell, but to heaven. The devil thanks you that you can decorate the hellish fire with the divine name.
I have said this about both forms, and it can also be applied to all other articles of our faith. Now one does not leave it at that, that one forces one to receive only one form, but both forms must also be badly wrong: thus one is deprived of the other part of the Lord's Supper and must also bear the sin that it is heresy and wrong to use the Lord's Supper under both forms, one blasphemes it and desecrates it in addition. Here, for the sake of a bishop, prince or father, one should bear the sin that our Lord God, His Word and Sacrament are heresy. But a Christian does not let himself be burdened with this. For it has become not only an offense, but also a prohibition and a blasphemous word; before which one's heart would burst. We must hear this so that our ears ring with it.
Our adversaries say: We know that your teaching is the Word of God and is founded in the Gospel, and yet it is not to be considered right. They call it heresy, and God says it is right. This is the last time; it cannot get any worse. They say it is false and heresy, and yet it is God's word. It is not an annoyance to them. One should also say publicly that it is not an offense, and yet it is a great offense, and even more a public blasphemy. I hope that the last day is not far off, as we have an example of it under the cross of Christ. When the blasphemy of the hag on the left side, also of the chief priests, Pharisees and warriors, went against Christ, the sun became black and darkened. So after this blasphemy will also follow what the Lord Christ says: "You will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven.
Therefore let us only hold fast, and not vex eyes, hands, and feet. Say to them: If you do not want to go to heaven, I must go. I would rather go to heaven without a hand, without a foot, without an eye, that is, without a preacher, without authorities, and without father and mother, than with a pastor, princes, father and mother into the hellish fire. If we cannot have them with us in heaven, we should also let them go. This is what the Lord means by this similitude, when he preaches so harshly against the abominations that happen in the world that he also curses them with eternal woe, that is, with hellish fire, because it follows that it is such people who destroy the church. But he means false doctrine and heresy, which by a great and glorious appearance departs from Christ and leads into the abyss of hell.
Fifth sermon on the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
V. 10. See that you do not despise any of these little ones. For I say to you: Their angels always see the face of my Father in heaven.
This text has been interpreted in two ways, firstly when Christ speaks of little ones that he means the humble, as there are the Christians who believe in him. This is not an evil interpretation, for it is true that all believers are humble and obey the word of God. These are also like children, of whom the Lord Christ says, "He who humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. But we want to stay with the simple mind, as the words are, that he speaks of the little ones, who are half children in age; that he thus wants the little children to be understood first of all. For above he set a little child in the midst of the multitude, and said, "Take heed that ye offend not one of these little ones." Therefore the dear Lord Christ is still concerned about the same little children who are young, whom he has commanded the old men to bring up, teach and instruct, so that they may know Christ and walk in the right way, and not by false doctrine or false teachings.
906 Erl. 44, 83-os. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 907
They would be seduced by carelessness before they would come to strength and the right knowledge of God, because this is easily done. Thus it is the youth that is most needed. We old people are not worthy that the earth should carry us, or that bread should grow out of the earth; it has been best with us. But if God is to preserve His Church and Word, it must be through the youth that grows daily and is born into the world, for whose sake God still does good to the world. This same youth God places in our bosom; it is commanded to us by God that we should teach them to fear God, as is earnestly commanded in the 78th Psalm. And that the youth may be educated, so that God may yet do good to the world, and when grain grows, there must also be peace in the land. Otherwise, as for the old fools, God should not let the sun or the moon shine, nor should a grain grow in your field. But that it should happen, he does it so that the dear youth may be educated and nourished and brought to his kingdom, for otherwise they cannot govern themselves: so he commands us old men the youth, that we should neither vex nor seduce them, but instruct them, so that they may know and fear God, and not fall away from baptism, but may also raise up others in the fear of God and honorableness. For it is easy with the little children. We, who are now grown up and a little practiced in the Word of God and faith, cannot be deceived so soon. But if the youth does not get proper schoolmasters and teachers, the devil will soon win the game with his mobs. For this reason, the little children are strictly commanded to all, especially the pastors and preachers, and they are urged not to let the children be deceived.
And the Lord here looks upon baptism and praises it, that through it the children become believers. For he speaks clearly: "of these little ones who believe in me". This was a very little child, standing there in the midst of the disciples, yet because it was circumcised and had come into the number of the elect, the Lord says, "It believes. And how else could the children of the Turks and the Jews be recognized and distinguished from those of the Christians, for their children do not find Christianity.
children, because they are not baptized. And God has therefore poured baptism into the world, that those who are baptized should be His own, and woe to those who fail to do so; we are commanded to speak the word that our Lord God will find faith well. Teach them to pray. He says: The children believe in me, I command them to you, see that they are not deceived. Take good care of them, that they may be instructed aright, and brought to the true knowledge of God.
So let these words be a simple speech, for we are also children and believers, if we stick to them, and then it is all the better. But if we are deceived with false doctrine, it is said: Beware that you do not despise one of these little ones, for know that they 2) belong to me, therefore do not despise them; as if to say, See to it, you preachers, parents, and authorities, that you all do this, that the children learn to pray and to know Christ. For this is your office; you are to bring up such little children for me, and I entrust them to you.
But the Lord Christ adds another cause to the first, that the children who believe in him should not be offended, for, says he, their angels always see the face of my Father in heaven. From this saying I once had a special sermon printed, 3) in which the ministry of the angels is discussed. But the Lord Christ wants to say here: God the Lord has such great diligence for the little children and for the believers, he loves them so much that he does not let anyone be kept with guns or spears, but he gives them great lords and princes as escorts, who are to wait for them, as the dear angels, who look upon the child against the devil, the evil angel. These pious angels are mighty spirits, since all emperors, kings, princes and lords are nothing compared to them; and these angels always see, not the face of a king or emperor Carl the Fifth.
- Erlanger: Learn.
- Erlanger: me.
- This sermon is found in Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, 1020. Cf. the appendix to this volume, No. 11.
908 EU. 44, [s-88. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 10-14. . 909
but of the great Lord God in heaven, the high divine majesty. Therefore, if you will not be afraid of the children, be afraid of their guardians.
So the world does not look at a child, although also the pagans and philosophers said, who did not know anything about the angels, but as in the dream slurred and talked about it, every man is governed in particular by a good or evil genius. They may have heard ringing, but not beating together. But we Christians have a certain knowledge of this from the Word of God; therefore we should not regard the children so badly and lowly, but open our spiritual eyes and see how the little children have such excellent great princes and lords around them, who if we could see them with bodily eyes, I would be much more afraid of a child than of a great emperor; which should ever move us, that we do no evil in their sight, nor speak evil, that they may be deceived; and if thou shouldest see with bodily eyes a child's guardian, an angel, thou wouldst be more afraid of the child than of a king.
Beware, therefore, of trouble, especially lest the little children be vexed, for they are more easily seduced than the aged; and if the youth be seduced, I would not care much for the aged. If a good government is to be established, the youth must be well instructed and brought up, who can serve the world in the church, worldly government and housekeeping. Therefore, everything depends on the youth being well educated. It is a great lament and unfortunately all too true that the youth is now so wild and wild, and no longer wants to be drawn. How little they now ask of their parents, schoolmasters and authorities; they know nothing of the Word of God, baptism or the Lord's Supper; they go about in a foolish way, have been brought up wildly and wildly, and grow up in their own fashion and will to be brave. It is not a good sign, for when they come to rule, war, bloodshed, misery and distress will result; and when war comes, all the more all discipline will fall away and one with the other will fall to the ground.
goes. And if only the body would be damaged, it would still be forgettable, if only the soul would not be lost. For what do you learn now for discipline and honor in wars? The people of war are like wild, unreasonable cattle, stabbing and strangling each other to death. It follows from this, when one grows up so raw and savage, that one does not want to let oneself be drawn. So one dies like the cattle. This is what happens when one despises God and when one blasphemes God as soon as he praises him; when one grows up not in discipline but in indulgence, eating and drinking, then such people come out of it who could not govern a sow. When peace and discipline have been established, a very fine character will emerge, as cannot happen otherwise when wild, naughty youth comes to rule. Therefore, if great cities, kingdoms, countries and people are to be governed, parents should bring up the children with all diligence and preside over the youth well, so that they are not deceived, so that the terrible and horrible cursing and clamor, which is spoken here about those who annoy the youth with false teachings or lewd life, does not come over them. If the children will not let themselves be instructed and pulled, nor obey their father and mother, then they must finally obey the executioner, or perish in wars or other misfortunes; for God will not let this will of courage go unpunished, should we become mad and foolish about it.
So then one cries out: Oh, there is war, theurge, pestilence, and evil everywhere. But look behind you at your record, and see what you have done in youth. You did not let yourself be drawn into it, nor did you let the mercy of God, held out to us in His word, entice and provoke you to repentance. So you may go and die and perish without mercy; and if God does not punish you, the executioner or the soldiers will.
For this reason, we old people (who are called to both the secular government and the household, and even to the church office) may fear God and raise our children rightly, for God wants us to do this and has therefore created all the need for this.
910 Erl. 44, 68-71. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. 911
Life is given so that the children may know God. If the parents are lazy and indolent, and let the children go unruly, they must answer for it and expect the curse to be pronounced on those who offend the youth; and the parents must be careful that the children are not deceived. Again, the children are also told to be obedient and to let themselves be guided and drawn, for thus says God: "Honor thy father and mother, that it may go well with thee." Follows:
V. 11: For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
There the Lord touches another reason why he is so angry with those who despise, annoy and deceive his Christians, the baptized children, or let them stand in line, so that they are not brought up in discipline, that the dear Lord should cry alas and woe over them ten times over; for he says: I have come into the world to help. This is my office, that I have come to earth for their sake, to redeem them with my blood. So the devil's heads come with their false teaching and do the opposite. For since God the Father sent me out of great grace and mercy to be the Savior and Redeemer of those who are lost, the devil's spirits follow the devil and destroy what I have redeemed and tear away from me what I have purchased with my precious blood. Item, which I have barely brought to myself through baptism, and which I have bought with my suffering and death, they destroy and corrupt. Therefore he would like to cry out one more thing: Woe to the world for its trouble! For the world is not only evil and wicked in itself, but also willfully destroys the sheep of Christ, whom he redeemed with his blood. Then he says: I am come to be a Saviour; they are the sorrowful devil that teareth all things asunder. Is it not sin enough that you are ungodly and wicked for yourself and do not believe in this Savior, but also want to destroy others and lead them with you to hell? As the Lord Christ also says to the Pharisees in another place Cap. 23, 13: "Woe to you Pharisees, you do not want to go to heaven and also prevent others from going in." These are unspeakably great sins.
If one now looked at the world in all seriousness, it is no wonder that he would die of pain in a moment; for the pope and the bishops now not only live godless and damnable lives, but also force and coerce their people away from Christ by force; and the pope does nothing else but teach that the world cannot be saved, unless it keeps his statutes and commandments; He paints and blows his filth upon the people, so that they remember neither Christ their Saviour, nor baptism, nor sacrament; yea, he makes Christ an angry judge, who can do nothing but punish; and then he directs the people to the intercession of the saints, and causes as much trouble as many raindrops fall from heaven: His kingdom, therefore, is nothing but trouble. For he is idolatrous in himself, full of blasphemy and contempt of divine word, but not satisfied by it, but he also forces the whole world to his godless nature and to eternal damnation; and if you look at this aggravation, the papacy is a horrible sight. I do not like to think about it. Therefore we should ask God to keep us in the right path, so that we will not be caught and deceived by them, as such heartache, which would be caused in the church, S. Peter in the 2nd epistle at the 2nd chapter [v. 20.He lamented that the little children should be deceived, because he says that those who escaped 1) escaped and were caught up out of the uncleanness of the world through the knowledge of Christ, will be caught up again into the same 2) and thus overcome.
Then S. Peter confesses that the little children who have been baptized and have been made blessed by the blood of Christ, and are still young and new can easily be deceived; 3) immediately, when they come to their years, understanding and reason, the pope chews his cud and puts his filth into their mouths, and says: You cannot be saved unless you believe that I am the head of the church; item, that you call on the saints and do good works. Then it shall be told thee of Christ, or that thou
- Erlanger: escaped.
- Erlanger: the same.
- Bruns suggested this addition. '
912 Erl. 44, 71-73. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 10-14. 913
He does not say a word about being baptized into him or being redeemed from sins through him, but teaches plainly how he alone is lord and head of the world. This is what a boy of fifteen had to learn. How can a boy of fifteen resist? For they can remember neither baptism nor Christ their Savior. God has therefore earnestly commanded the preachers, the authorities, and the parents to educate the children in the pure teaching of the divine word and to keep them in it.
"The Son of Man is come to save that which was lost. Christ wants to say, "My office is to save"; and he can also speak exquisitely and gloriously of his craft as a master, for he who learns well can also speak properly of his craft, so that everyone must say that he is a good master. Again, whoever speaks unformally of something, one soon concludes that the master is not at home. So Christ is also the right master. He speaks quite comfortingly of his office and says: "I have come to help all who are lost. This is my craft and my office. I am not to bring a new law, as the pope and Mahomet do, to burden the world with it, even though they preach a different law than Moses taught. There are enough laws in the world, more than people can do. So also the worldly government, father and mother, schoolmaster and disciplinarian, is there to rule by laws. But the Lord Christ says: "I have not come to judge, to bite, to murmur or to grumble and to condemn people, for the world is already too condemned, for it is under the power of the devil and hell; nor do I want to rule over it with commandments, as the pope does, but I have come so that with my future and death I may help those who are lost, and also free and set free what is overloaded with laws, judgments and condemnation.
This is a very comforting saying, in which the Lord Christ portrays Himself sweetly and lovingly, and agrees with the saying of John in chapter 3, where the Lord Christ says: "God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be judged.
The world will be saved through him," as if to say, "The world has been judged and condemned enough before, if it does not believe. I am coming into the world that was condemned before, that has enough judgment and judges, that is, has many false spirits, but I will even remove the judgment, so that the condemned may be saved.
We must have such sayings for our need, not only against the pope and the fanatics, but also against the devil. I was more afraid of Christ in the papacy than of the devil. I did not think otherwise, because Christ would sit in heaven as an angry judge, as he is also painted sitting on a rainbow. I could not call upon him, indeed, I could not hear his name called, and I had to take refuge in our dear women and crawl under their mantle, call upon my messenger of twelve, S. Thomam, and then I thought: Oh, I will confess, keep my measurements, and satisfy God Himself with my good works. The desperate pope has torn our dear Savior Jesus Christ out of our eyes and taken him away, and painted his friendly and lovely color with a horrible black color, so that we were more afraid of him than of the wretched devil; and such a clear text, which a child can now understand, did not help, because the false teaching and poison goes and penetrates through marrow and bone, as an oil, as David also complains about it in the Psalter. But woe to the teachers, so with subtle strong poison the 1) hearts have forgiven!
S. Bernard also taught that the saints should be used as emergency helpers and the Virgin Mary as mediatrix. She should be called as the mother of the Lord Christ, so that she would show her breasts to the Son and he would be merciful to us 2) and let go of his wrath. No, it is not directed with breasts, it must do something else. Therefore we should be well aware of these sayings, since Christ portrays himself as coming not to judge and condemn, but to save those who are already lost and condemned. If we now understand this wholesome, true teaching of the
- "the" put by us instead of "the". - forgiven - poisoned.
- Erlanger: was.
914 Erl. 44, 73-75. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 915
When we hear the Gospel, we are refreshed again, and now we no longer ask anything about the saints. But I also feel that I do not pray to God with the same earnestness and diligence now as I did to the saints a long time ago. But has it not been a great and abominable heresy that we have all put our trust in our dear Lady's mantle, since she has not shed her blood for us? and even if she had shed it, she is too enough to redeem the world with her blood. It is idolatry to put people full of Christ under the mantle of Mary, as the preaching monks did. They painted the Virgin Mary in such a way that the Lord Christ had three arrows in his hand, one of which was pestilence, the other war, and the third was the time of the world, so that he would punish the people. Here Mary held out her mantle so that the people would not be hit.
S. Francisci's brothers also preached a great lie full of the Virgin Mary, that Franciscus had a dream of entering heaven, and Mary uncovered her cloak, but he found none of his brothers under it. When he was very frightened and did not know what this meant, Mary said to him: "Your brothers are in a more perfect state than the others, therefore they do not belong under this cloak. To this the pope laughed into his fists and had his joke about it, and confirmed it for the truth. But (as said above) whoever could look at it with spiritual eyes, it is a terrible, horrible error, so that the devil has led us away through the pope and monks full of the glorious comforting sayings of the holy scriptures, that we have had to consider Christ badly as a judge, wishing only that Christ had never been born, and have fled in fear to the saints, and thereafter have martyred ourselves with scourging, hair shirting, fasting, and praying, all of which is derived from false doctrine.
But the Lord Christ will appear as a judge on the last day, so that he may help us. But now he comes through his gospel to serve us. Whoever does not want to serve him and be helped, he will send him body and soul to the grave at the last day.
But in the papacy they paint the Lord Christ with this terrible image, that he should judge us, since he died for us and shed his blood for us. Why does one make him so terrible that one would not like to see him? All this was done by the wretched devil, who took away the beautiful colors of the Lord Christ from our eyes and painted black colors over them. But praise be to God that we now know that the Son of Man has no other office than that which is fully commanded to him by his Father, namely, that he should save what is lost.
Let us therefore sweat out again the poisoned oil, which we have drunk into us from the pope; and you young people, if you are not yet so corrupt, and still have something of this idolatry, and are pure scribes, take care that you stand firm against the pope and the devil, and defend yourselves, for they deal in corrupting what Christ has acquired, and the devil sends ravening wolves in sheep's clothing. But Christ is come to redeem and save that which the devil hath devoured. Therefore he says: "Woe to them, they do not want me to be their savior, to help them. Let the wretched and miserable life of our elders be an example and a warning to you, young people, and fight against the devil and the spirits of the mob, and see to it that you can make good use of this right article of our Christian faith, that Christ has come to save sinners, when you are in mortal danger.
These texts belong to it, if one wants to recognize Christ correctly. In the papacy, one only acted that the pope was the head of the church. Whoever did not believe this was condemned in all books, chapters and sheets. But should not the pope rather lead the preaching of Christ, that he is our Savior and without him we are nothing? Truly, he should teach such things above all things. Thus he points to himself. Therefore, young people, who still have simple hearts, learn to grow up in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, so that, when false prophets come, you may remain in Christ, the true light, and darkness may not take hold of you, and, as S. Paul says,
916 Eri. 44, 75-77. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 10-14. 917
that we have not received the grace of God in vain, that we also send ourselves to the pleasant time and to the day of salvation, and that we do not let the light shine and pass us by in vain. We now have the blessed light, but the devil does not celebrate it, but thinks about it, how he raises up the spirits of the devil, which again darken and suppress the teaching of the Gospel. Then say, "This is my faith, that the Lord Christ is God and man, and is not a judge or a punisher, but came into the world to redeem sinners from the death into which we had fallen. With this you can easily repel what the devil teaches wrongly through the pope and his fanatics. For this teaching must remain. Here also see what harm has been done by the Sacramentans and Anabaptists, for they have not kept people on the right path, but have led them to damnation.
The parable of the lost sheep and the penny, which the Lord Christ uses to pour out His great love for us, is based on this. It is abundantly deleted from the fifteenth chapter of Luke, and otherwise preached on the third Sunday after Trinity, when the Lord says thus:
V.12-14. What think ye of any man, if he have an hundred sheep, and one of them go astray, doth he not leave the nine and ninety upon the mountains, and go and seek the one that is strayed? And if he should find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more over it, than over the nine and ninety that are not gone astray. So also it is not the will of your heavenly Father that any of these little ones should be lost.
Here the Lord goes through briefly and says: "This is my office and work, which the Father commanded me to do, that I should seek for one that was lost, for we are so dear to the Father that he does not want one 1) of the little children to be lost; and if I fetch one and find it, God is more interested in it than in ninety others; and in the fifteenth chapter of Luke it is said that the angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner and one child.
- Erlanger: One.
He that repenteth more than nine and ninety righteous.
Know from this what the will of God is, that he says: "Let the little children be content with me, for the Father does not want one of them to be lost, for he sent me to help them. For this reason my Father will not suffer one of them to perish. He will save those whom the devil has corrupted and lost, and will say to the devil and to all heretics, "You are not doing this against me, but against the Father who sent me.
These words are said to those who are in temptation, because they are not in the number of the sheep, item, more to the feeling of their heart, even to the false prophets than to the Lord Christ. Let them know that the Father's will in heaven is not that any of these little ones should be lost; and if one Christian should say to another, "Why do you trouble yourself with your thoughts, as if God did not want you? He does too much for this, because he wants you to be lost. He lets it cost the very best, namely his dear son, who sheds his blood for you. The devil wants you to be lost, he puts such thoughts into your heart through the spirits of the wicked that you should despair of God's grace; which will of the devil is contrary to the will of God. For God does not want anyone to be lost, and that is why He made you come to His baptism, brought you to His gospel, and made you come to the Lord's Supper, so that you would hear the divine word daily, so that He would make you sure and certain that His heartfelt will and good pleasure was that all who were lost would be saved.
This glorious and comforting saying must be diligently remembered, not only against the false apostles who falsify the doctrine, but also against the devil and against the evil conscience that says, "How do I know that God wants me to be saved? so that one can answer it: Hear, behold baptism; item, the gospel, the Lord's Supper, the power of the keys, and that God has given me His Son. These are true
918 Erl. 44, 78-8o. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 919
Witnesses of his fatherly will. This should be the office of the pope, this is what he should teach, so that these innumerable abominations and errors of the pope would not come to pass. Our dear Lord God still leads his sheep out, as he has given us his word for this purpose, also faith and his knowledge, so that we should not be lost.
Sixth sermon on the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
Follows on:
V. 15-17. If a brother sins against you, go and punish him between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have won your brother. If he does not hear you, take one or two more to you, so that the whole matter may rest on two or three witnesses. If he does not hear them, tell the community. If he will not hear the congregation, count him a heathen and a publican.
In this text, the Lord Christ precedes his disciples and answers a secret question, which does not happen, because his disciples and disciples would have asked him such a question at the first sermon and would have said: Dear Master, if there were such a stiff-necked one among the Christians, who would not seek nor be found, but despised the gospel, and would be unattached, and go astray, as to this counsel? how then should we do to him? To this the Lord answers, for he will have his church well kept and sufficiently instructed in all things, and says: "If thy brother sin against thee, go and punish him between him and thee alone. If he hears you, you have won your brother," that is, if he wants to be a sinner, punish him between you and him alone. Now you must realize what sin means. For if anyone sins, he does not sin against my person alone, but he must also sin against God and his word. For every Christian is guilty of being obedient to the divine word. But if he has not sinned against God and his word, he has not sinned against me.
- In the original: the.
sinned. Therefore, the Fathers, as Augustine and others, described sin correctly and said: peccatum esse dictum, factum et concupitum contra legem Dei, that is, sin means to speak, think or do something that is against God's commandment.
Otherwise, if I act and argue against the pope, it is not a sin, because his statutes are not the commandments of God, for he says: I want you to abstain from eating flesh on this day, which he has devised from his own head and did not devise from the word of God. Therefore, what is to be sin must be contrary to the divine word. But if it is not contrary to it, it is not sin. As the pope, the Antichrist, makes sin out of that which is not sin, and God has otherwise left it free. That is why S. Paul calls him a man of sin, because where there is no sin, he makes sin; item, that he barks at us (against God's command) to do something that is otherwise left free to us, and frightens people with sins, where there is no sin.
Therefore, sin is called transgression against God's commandment, as because I do not obey my father and mother, do not honor the authorities, that is sin, because it is against God's commandment. The fourth commandment is to honor my father and mother, which is not the word of a man, but the word and commandment of God. But if parents make me do something that is against God's commandment, I do not sin if I am not obedient to them. So also, if I am not obedient to my authorities, I sin, for God has subjected me to the authorities and commanded me to do what they tell me to do. For it is the will of God that the sword shall be for the protection of the pious and for the punishment of the wicked. So it is right. But if they want to tyrannize and force people to do something against God and his commandments, then there is no more sword, and I do not sin if I am not obedient to them. Otherwise, because the sword punishes vice and protects virtue, be obedient, for you obey not men but God.
So Christ says: "If your brother sins against you", that is, if he lives publicly against God and His word. For this also shall be against thee and all
920 Erl. 44, so-82. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 15-18. 921
Christians are called sinners if anything is done against God's honor, or if anything is done or sinned against God, as if someone despises God, blasphemes His word, or sins against the other table, as if he steals, robs, hurts, lies and deceives. If this comes to your attention, punish him between you and him. Do not shout at him in public, in the marketplace or wherever you are, in front of everyone, but remember that he is still your brother, and shut up with others and go to him, take him alone in front of you, admonish him kindly and punish him, saying, "I have heard this from you; see to it that you refrain from it, so that God does not punish you. Then it may well happen that he will hear you gladly and you will win him over and bring him back on the right track. If he does not want to accept these words of comfort, then you should still be patient with him and take one or two witnesses to you who can testify that you have admonished and punished him and told him so. And if then he still will not hear you, and this admonition to him is of no avail, then say: I am now innocent, I must publicly do my part in the pulpit, and name him before everyone, so that the whole congregation may know what to hold him for, and he himself may know that he is not of the little group called the holy Christian church, which, though it has weakness in it, does not sin against God and his word knowingly and out of malice. Then one should say, "This sin he has committed, and no one wants to hear about it yet;" and here everyone should condemn this vice and pronounce the verdict that it was not done right by him, so that such a public sinner will not be deceived and think that he is nevertheless a Christian, and thus remain stuck in sins. If he still does not listen, he is to be condemned and let go, and held as a Gentile and a tax collector, and as one who is not a sheep, nor one who wants to be sought, but remains lost. First I shall preach, forgive, seek. If he will not, then I have this rule: What will be lost, let it remain lost; keep him as a Gentile, that is, as an exile.
The papists and decretists have two kinds of ban, the small and the great. They call it the small ban, which Christ means here, which He Himself has established, that you consider a public sinner to be a tax collector and a pagan, to whom heaven is closed and hell is open, and he goes as one who is no longer in the congregation of the saints, because he does not want to listen. The Christian church considers him to be not in the grace of God and the fellowship of the saints, but to be under the disgrace and wrath of God, and also to be in the devil's kingdom and power.
This is what they call a small ban, but it is probably the most severe and greatest, for it corrupts the soul: if I forbid a man to be a godparent at baptism and to carry children to baptism, or to be admitted to the Lord's Supper, or to enjoy the common prayer of the church, or to have any other office in Christendom; but he may go to church and hear a sermon, whether he may be converted. But if he does not, I deny him all that the holy Christian church has, as the forgiveness of sins; item, that he also shall not partake of the suffering, death and bloodshed of Christ, deny him the fellowship of the saints and eternal life, that he must renounce heaven and Christianity and be deprived of all graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit, all of which S. Paul calls to Corinthians in harsh words: given to the devil. For it is said to the exiled that he no longer belongs among the multitude, since Christ with his Word and Sacrament is the Lord, but that he has been smitten from the Christians to that multitude, since the devil is a lord.
And in the time of the apostles and afterwards, our Lord God insisted that the ban had power, for the devil got into such people that they became mad and insane, and they had to be bound, as the devil also got into Judas Iscariot; item, S. Ambrose, the centurion Stilliconis' scribe, also put them under ban, and he became furious. They were also soon taken by the devil; and the Christians then prayed to God for them, who were possessed by the devil, that they might be loosed again,
922 Erl. 44, 82-85. Interpretations On the Evangelist Matthew. 923
regained their sanity and were brought to repentance and correction.
In this way, we are to stand up to hardened and hardened sinners and tell them that they are condemned before God and the church because of their sin, and that they are the devil's own and hell's fires. This is the ban of the Christian church, which Christ himself instituted, and which is also mentioned in the 16th chapter of Matthew. It is called the ban, so the pope called it. But in truth it is the greatest and eternal ban, for whoever is in it has received baptism and the Lord's Supper in vain, and is not redeemed from sins and death by the blood of Jesus Christ. God protect everyone from this spell.
After that is the great ban, as the pope called it. It is nothing else, when seen in the light, than the emperor's eight. For since some wild, rough, stubborn, and wilful people have been found in Christendom, who have been put under the ban, and have asked nothing of it, they have not been frightened with God's wrath, though they have been forbidden baptism, the sacrament, and one with another, they have remained in murder, hatred, envy, and other sins, and have not respected the ban at all. In sum, they had no conscience at all. Then the pope devised a trick and a harder ban (as he thinks), so that he also controlled the same rude fellows, and imposed such a punishment on them that they would have to ask for it more than for the first ban. For he forbade them the streets, the food that 1) goes into the belly, so that they did not have to stay in their house, neither eat nor drink, and made that they had to be expelled from the country. Thus the pope has interfered with the secular authorities. For the emperor has the power that if he deprives a person of the market, kitchen and cellar, he is not allowed in the city, country and empire; that is, in German, the country is forbidden to exclude a person from the bodily assembly, and he does not have to use the city and country law. That is, banished, so that he would leave the city, the country and the whole world.
- Vyn us supplemented.
So the world's ban and the emperor's watch had to serve to keep the people in check when the Lord's ban would not help. Now, I do not put the small ban, which the Lord Christ gives to the church here, because Christ himself has instigated and caused it. Nor do I want to inflict the other, great ban, for this belongs to the secular authorities. But when the princes and lords became sleepy and careless in their punishments, the pope fell into their hands and made a mess in the church, so that the sows would not have eaten it. The pope is guilty of this, as he was subject to a foreign regiment. The secular princes helped with their negligence. If, however, they had faithfully resisted public sins according to their office and diligently maintained their regiment, the tyranny of the pope would not have been so far off. But the pope did not do right, it was not due to him; and did not use the ban to punish adultery, fornication, murder and other vices, which sins he even despised and considered as no sin, when God had forbidden such sins, because they are against God's word; but because one owed another and could not be paid by him, they cited the debtor before the official for the sake of the debt, so they put the debtor under ban, which brought them a good roast in their kitchens. This usually belongs to judges, mayors and princes, that those who did not pay, the city servant and district judge were sent to the Hans, and rushed with them to the hole. But they even took the secular punishments to themselves, that the ban of the Pabst and the bishops was nothing else in the Pabstthum, but only to Loche, and drove the ban only that they lived splendidly, had a full cellar and kitchen.
And if the world were still to be made pious, it would be right to forbid a rogue to walk the streets and not to suffer or tolerate him anywhere in the country. With this, one can chase one to the choir and subdue him, for the belly wants to have food and drink. But the authorities should lead such a construction and not the clergy. There the pope is admitted...
924 Erl. 44, 85-87. Luther's Sermon On Matth. 18, 15-18. 925
and has made the belly dry with the ban of the world. This means that the temporal authorities were lazy and did not wait for their office. Therefore the pope has taken the ban to himself, and has done so well with it that it is sin and shame; and is the fault of both the pope, as he has thus abused the ban, and also of the secular rulers, who have not waited for their office. If both had done what was their due, the pope would not have been allowed to intervene in this way.
The great ban banished the belly alone and did not punish the soul. He has not passed a sentence against the soul, for the emperor does not take care of souls, but says: "You shall not be in the city, in the country, in my empire and kingdom, nor have a morsel of bread or drink in it. The spiritual government alone shall rule the soul, that it may come to baptism, and come to the sacrament, gospel and right faith, over which emperors and kings have no power. They have no power to cast my soul into hell or to raise it to heaven. So we clergy have no command to take people by the head if they do not want to listen, but leave it to the secular authorities in their court; if they do not want to punish, they can leave it, and give an account for it once.
Now where there are narrow consciences that let them be told, they can still be frightened with the spiritual ban, that one says to them: This danger is before your hand; then one thinks: "Shall I be eternally damned? I will mend my ways; I will do it no more.
But we are to learn to separate the spiritual and temporal government as far apart as heaven and earth, for the pope has made it very dark and intertwined, so that no one has known which is the right construction; item, which is the pope's sin, or sin against God's commandment. The small ban seeks the conscience and frightens it, and says: "The church passes its judgment that your sins bring you to death, hell and eternal damnation, because you have fallen away from God and come under the power of the devil; therefore a public judgment has been passed against you, so that you will be condemned to death, hell and eternal damnation.
you could not carry a child to the sacrament of baptism, nor could you yourself be partaker of the church's prayer.
The Pabst's ban is an imperial punishment, as when one is forbidden the land, that is a secular ban, since one is put in the eight. It does not concern us. We are not commanded to rule over physical things. The spiritual ban, so that Christ has to preach and to create, belongs to us. We are not to step over this ban, nor are we to arrogate to ourselves the ban that belongs only to the authorities and Master Hansen. They shall keep their ban and their sword. For diligence must be taken so that they are not mixed together, as has happened under the papacy. The emperor cannot condemn souls, but he can pass judgment on a thief that he be hanged on the gallows. Item, he can punish a person for a hundred guilders or expel him from the country, all of which goes to the stomach. For the belly, body and goods are subject to the emperor.
Therefore says the Lord Christ: He is to you as a pagan. Tell him this sentence and judgment, that he is separated from the church, and deprived of all the graces God has given to the church, and what more shall the Christians have. But if he despises this and gives nothing in return, shall I take him by the head? No, the emperor shall do it. But if the emperor falls in his office, then keep your fist quiet and let the emperor rule the belly, and you, preacher, rule the soul. If the emperor does not do it, then I should not ask anything about it and let him answer for it; only that I should nevertheless admonish him where my office requires it.
Where then did the church ban get this power? All these words that follow in the text:
V. 18. Verily I say unto you: Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
As if to say, "Let yours be one binding on earth, and mine in heaven. What you bind on earth I will not loose in heaven, and what you loose in heaven I will not loose.
926 Erl. 44, 87-89. Interpretations On the Evangelist Matthew. 927
On earth, that shall never be bound with me in heaven above. This shall he know that is hardened, and respecteth not the ban, saying, Thinkest thou that thou canst take me from our Lord God, and give me to the devil? You say that I am of the devil; who gave you authority to condemn me? You are not right to judge me in this way. But you say: Dear fellow, I do not take you away from our Lord God, but I tell you from Christ's words the judgment that you are taken away from God by your sins and given to the devil. These same sins make you a tax collector and a Gentile. It is your fault. And hear what power and authority Christ has given to his church and to the preaching ministry, saying, "Truly whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven"; as if to say, "If you have punished one, and he does not respect it, but murmurs against it, saying, "Who gave the priests the power to bind and banish me? and even if they do, God will not be ungracious to me in heaven for their sake. If I am well with that, why do I ask for the ban? Then Christ answers and says: "Those whom you consider to be condemned on earth and to be the devil's own, I will also consider to be such in heaven. For whatever is bound by you on earth shall be bound by me in heaven. For thus have I confided in the church, that whatsoever is bound among you shall be bound also among me. There shall be one binding on earth below and in heaven above. Here God binds Himself to the judgment of the holy Christian church, if it uses it correctly, so that the judgment of the church is God's own judgment. Therefore, it is not valid for someone to say, "My dear, no one will tear me away from God here on earth and give me to the devil," as many such speeches are now heard, both among the nobility and from others. They are so strong on their feet, in the name of the devil, that they may say: Yes, what do I ask about what the priest washes? 2c. You hear here that the Lord Christ establishes such a fine regime in the church, that he and they are in public.
He does not say that he wants to reserve something for him, but what the church closes, that shall also be closed with him. This and no other. What you speak, that I also speak; what you loose, that I also loose; what you bind, that I also bind, for your word is my word. Therefore he does not say, "Whatever I bind or loose in heaven, that shall be bound and loosed in your house, for then we would not know what and whom he would bind. But we know that the Christian church is in his esteem, that its binding is as much as if God had spoken it Himself in heaven. For in another place He says, "He who hears you hears Me." What I say, that God says in heaven; and here He says: What you bind and loose on earth, that shall be bound and loosed with Me in heaven. A hardened sinner may not take comfort in the fact that he is not rejected, even if the church has banished him, as many say today: "Yes, one may not tell me what I should believe. I have learned so much that I know in my heart how I will be saved, even though my pastor puts me under a spell. Yes, you can count on it, the Lord Christ will not judge differently than the Christian church judges.
This goes against the stubborn minds that accept neither punishment nor admonition, but despise everything. Let it be proclaimed to them that Christ has confirmed this judgment. And there are examples of it this day, and these examples, though they be grievous, are not to be rejected, for many of them who have thus despised the ban have fallen to the ground in terror, for Christ is above his word and above his bond. Therefore know how to deal with him who will not be found anywhere, but still defies and insists with words when he is put under ban.
The other piece is about absolution: if the sinner is frightened by the ban and is converted, should he be accepted again? Of this S. Peter will ask afterwards, saying, "How often shall I forgive my brother? is it enough seven times?" 2c.,
928 Erl. 14, 89-92. ' Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 15-18. 929
And such a piece is out of all measure comforting, because Christ teaches that he and the Christian church do not so bind and banish that it should last forever, but if a man is converted by such a terrible sentence and banishment, he is sick of sin, and seeks forgiveness of sins through Christ, and desires another sentence and sentence: Let him be taken from the devil again; let him not be cast out at all, as if he could not be made right again, but let the door be opened to him, and let him be loosed from his sins; and when this is done, and he is loosed on earth, he shall be loosed also in heaven. Then he who is absolved from the church shall be sure that he shall also be absolved in heaven before God.
Thus the Lord Christ has finely established the Christian church out of measure, so that what it does with binding and loosing on earth, it says yes to above in heaven. For this reason, this is a beautiful and comforting chapter for all poor consciences that are troubled by their sins, so that they may know: God in heaven, who sees everything, approves and accepts as right his church's sentence and absolution over a poor sinner. What could be more comforting than that God says yes to absolution when a man speaks; and God wants men to speak absolution? When this happens, you, the sinner, are again partaker of all the graces of God and His sacraments. In the papacy, people did not have this consolation, but when the pope made the world full of sin, and burdened the people with that which is not sin, and they immediately desired to be absolved from sins, then a new plague and torture began with the satisfaction, so that the people were not helped. But we hear here how the Lord Christ lays down the absolution and forgiveness of sins with my brother, since I should and can get it; and when I hear it, I shall be sure that God has forgiven my sin up in heaven, and will never remember it, laugh at me too.
Let us therefore be diligent that no sinner be condemned, but that they be converted. But if they despise it,
Do as the Lord Christ taught, but see to it that he loses the kingdom of God without your fault. You have sought him out, admonished him, punished him, and passed judgment on him; again, if he repents and seeks mercy and forgiveness of sin, Christ commands that his sin be forgiven him; and he who receives forgiveness must surely believe that his sin is forgiven him in heaven.
So this text tells us, first of all, what sin means, namely transgression against God's commandment; as if one disobeys father and mother, even the authorities, that is a sin, because it is against God's commandment. God wants you to honor your father, mother and authorities, unless they command something against God. Then parents would not be parents, but devils, and the authorities would not be authorities, but devils; and if I disobey them, it is not a sin, because they tell me to do something to serve the devil. Then I am not guilty of obedience.
And here one must distinguish between sin that goes against God's word and commandment and sin that men forbid. For the pope condemns God in his commandments and teachings, doing the opposite of Christ's teaching. Christ wants Christians to be free to eat and drink what God gives them, as he also says to the apostles: "Wherever you go, eat what you are given. If it is not fish, [let it be meat. If it is not meat, let it be milk. If it is not milk, let it be cheese, all the same. God has made it free by his word; everything that enters the mouth is pure. Then the priest says, "No, it is not the same, but whoever eats meat on Friday shall be condemned, he sins mortally; so strike our Lord God on the mouth. In other things, too, he wanted to make a distinction and forbid what Christ had left free and made sin out of it, as in clothing, in caps, in plates, and whatever else is filthy. Christ says that one should not trust in works, but the pope gives the opposite. Therefore he weighs down and fills the world with sins, as a flood of sin.
930 Erl. 44, 9s-s4. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 931
He teaches nothing else, but that is strictly against God, and what he teaches has no testimony from God's word. This misery would have remained, if one had understood what is sin and what is not sin, and if the pope, the devil's head, had not been granted so much. Therefore, one must speak definitely of things and describe correctly what sin is, namely, that a deed, word, desire, thought and lust is against God. Then one should say to the pope's commandments: I will not do it, because you have commanded it. If this difference had been taken into account, the world would not have become so full of abominations and idolatry; and the bishops would have slept soundly, and would not have asked what was rightly sinful.
On the other hand, this text keeps us from two kinds of banishment, that we should distinguish between the small and the great banishment. The small ban is the ban of the Lord Christ, and belongs to the spiritual regiment. The great ban is the pope's; if some are so stiff-necked, stubborn and knotty, and even without conscience, that they ask nothing of it, they are to be ordered into the emperor's custody, and punishment and master Hansen. This is the worldly punishment, when a prince or judge punishes a person's property and honor. Such is the abdominal ban, and it applies to the great heaps, to the multitude of the people, whom otherwise an emperor should have governed; and the pope has taken the same ban. If the difference between spiritual and secular government had been maintained and practiced in the church, the papal essence would not have been torn down so much, in which the pope had made such a mixture and concoction that it was a disgrace; but the secular authorities and the spiritual estates would have reached out their hands to one another and governed themselves among themselves.
Seventh Sermon on the 18th Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
V. 18: Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.
Christ gave the keys to the apostles and the Christian Church, leaving behind such glorious text of the Church for comfort. On the ground stands the holy Christian
church. For the Lord Christ did not build it on straw or on fur, but on a firm foundation, that it should not stagger or falter, or be uncertain how it should relate to poor sinners. Then he wills that the church keep his command, and hath kept it carefully, that it may be sure of that which it doeth, on both parts, both he that bindeth and looseth, and he that is bound and loosed; and shall therefore say, Thou that hast 1) the keys of the church, if thou seest a public sinner, thou shalt say, I bind thee not; thou hast bound thyself with thy sin, and art departed from the communion of saints; therefore I say unto thee, Thou shalt have no more part with her. This is a true Christian ban or binding, which is based on these words. Again, if one of the Christians sins and would like to rise again and know whether God would be merciful to him or not, and he would like to live and die on it, he also has this comfort in the church: What you will solve on earth, that shall also be solved in heaven; as if he should say: You shall be sure, if you forgive your sin, that I myself will do it in heaven, and if you are absolved from sins on earth, you are also absolved from sins with me in heaven. Here one must not gape at perfect works, merit and satisfaction, but since you are sorry for sin and believe in Christ, be sure of God's grace, favor and atonement, and let the church pronounce absolution or judgment for you, and know that God in heaven Himself absolves you of sins.
And it is fitting that Christ has given this certain command to the church, so that both the absolver and the one who is absolved may know this. For if this were not so, we would have to begin to pray, fast, fast and do penance, as one asked in the papacy, and yet be and remain quite uncertain of the forgiveness of sins. 2).
Therefore, this text is full of comfort.
- In the original: "da". Bruns had already changed it to "du". Erlanger:- "da".
- "remain" put by us instead of: remained.
932 Erl. 44, 94-s". Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 18. 933
If I see one who does not repent and is a reprobate, I shall know: if I put him under ban and bind his sin, then God Himself has bound it. If he then does not hear me and the church, I will let him go and consider him a pagan, and say that he is excluded from Christ and baptism, and God will hold over it as if he had said it himself, so that you are sure that you are not doing injustice to the despiser of divine commandment by binding him. If he then says, "What do I ask about that?" then let him go, you are excused, he will find it well.
The secular ban should be reinstated by kings and emperors, because we cannot reinstate it now. But we have been commanded to put a ban on anyone who sins against God's commandment and does not want to hear that his sin is bound. But if he is restored, it shall be said unto him, Thy sins be forgiven thee. But the world (praise God!) is now so pious that one is not allowed to banish it, even though it is flooded with sins. For it is full of avarice, hatred, envy, deceit, yes, full of shame and vice. There is still no sin that can be banished. Everything is now called honestly and truthfully acted, food sought, everything must be holiness, and in the devil's name all have become pious. Therefore, for the sake of life, this ban of ours no longer takes place. We cannot lift this ban. But if we cannot banish and punish the sin of life, we banish the sin of doctrine. We have nevertheless kept the ban by saying that Anabaptists, Sacramentans and other heretics should not be heard; banish and separate them from us. This is the most necessary thing. For where doctrine is evil, life cannot be helped. But where the doctrine remains pure and is preserved, life and the sinner can still be well advised. For there one has absolution and forgiveness when it comes to doctrine. But if the teaching is gone, then one goes astray, and one finds neither 1) banishment nor redemption. Then all is lost. If the authorities then let him go.
- Erlanger: ref.
I don't ask anything about it. I am excused and have admonished her; she may answer for it.
But now that we have laid this foundation, we must also refute what is contrary to it, so that one may not be deceived by the right understanding of the words and command of Christ. For one must not despise the slightest error against God's word, let alone where a whole flood of error is in one heap, as has happened in the papacy, so that it has flooded and drowned the world; and here especially the doctrine of the keys has also been misused and falsified. Therefore, we must keep the doctrine of the power of the keys right and pure.
You should now notice the first abuse that the pope takes from this text. He presumes in his decrees that he is the head of Christendom, and that he has the keys and power to bind; for Christ says to S. Petro: "What you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven"; therefore roars in his decrees as a lion that the Christian church is built on the chair of Rome; that the keys to the kingdom of heaven are given to S. Petro and his descendants who sit on his chair; speaks that the Christian church is built on the chair of Rome; says that the keys to the kingdom of heaven are given to S. Petro and his descendants who sit on his chair. The keys to the kingdom of heaven are given to S. Petro and his descendants who sit on his chair; he says that the Christian church is built on the chair of Rome, and says that no other man, priest, preacher or bishop, nor anyone else should have any authority to do or not to do anything in Christendom, because he has it from him: He therefore snatches to himself alone this power of the keys, which belongs to the whole of Christendom; steals it from the church, as a desperate villain, thief and robber, and says that no one can use it, because he has received such power from him; says: I alone have the keys, that I may forgive and retain sin; and if another also receives this power from him, then he may use it rightly. There he sins not only against God and the Holy Spirit, but also against his conscience. With what does the devil's head want to prove that this power belongs to him before all other Christians? With this shameful lie he snatches the keys to himself and gives them to no one, so that he can get them from him, since he is the one who has the right to them.
934 Erl. 44, 96-99. Interpretations On the Evangelist Matthew. 935.
The Lord Christ said here in general and to all at the same time: What you bind and loose, not: What you Pabst loose and bind. Item, to whom ye remit or retain sins; and after the resurrection the Lord Christ blows upon his disciples, saying, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them."
But here the pope says: Yes, I came in the place of Saint Peter, and the keys were given to Saint Peter alone. Listen, Pope, S. Paul was not present when this command was given, because he did not see Christ in the flesh: nor does he have the power of the keys, and S. Paul has done more in the gospel, preached more and planted more churches than the other apostles. The pope knows all this well, that the new apostle S. Paul does not take the power of the keys from S. Petro, since he is the apostle of the Gentiles, as he boasts and writes, he has his apostleship from no man, but without means from Jesus Christ, and yet he is the most noble apostle. For he has done more good than all others. It follows that the keys are not Peter's alone, but the other apostles have the same power and authority to forgive sins with Peter. The pope knows this well. How can he boast that he alone has the keys?
Nowadays the churches under the Turk in Greece also have the power of the keys to bind and loose sin, and yet they have not received such power from the Pope, but have it from the Lord Christ, as the text reads Matthew 16: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven", so that S. Peter did not give the keys to the other apostles. Therefore the words of Christ spoken to S. Peter have a different meaning. For Christ does not say to Peter alone, "Who do you think I am?" but to the whole multitude, "Who do you think I am? Then S. Peter also answered, not for himself alone, but for all the apostles, saying, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Yes, they say, S. Peter answers all alone here. No, all the fathers have said it like this.
Augustine also says finely that what Peter answers alone is to confirm the unity of the church, and that he answers all instead of the others. For this reason, the Lord gives him the power of the keys for the sake of the confession, and to all who have such a confession.
But the pope says: "All the churches of the world are under me. To this I say no. For the text in the same chapter belongs to all at the same time, since he says: "To whom ye remit sin" 2c. Item after his resurrection he says to all apostles: "Receive the Holy Spirit" 2c.; and the highest apostle, S. Paul, did not receive it from S. Petro, but he says to the Galatians that he received it from Jesus Christ himself. Why then does the Pope say that he alone must give me the power of the keys, and no one else? He does not have the keys, the pope, if it were true that he sits in S. Peter's place, but he sits in the place of the wicked devil, as a liar and murderer, as his father, the devil, is also, from whom he has the Dieterichs or keys, and not from Christ. Therefore he also wrongly carries the two keys in his coat of arms. He should have a mud or a devil's head in it, because the keys belong to the Christian church, as he, the pope himself, must confess that they are called the church's keys, and not the pope's keys; and yet, with this lie, he has brought the Christian church into all misery. For it is not because he wants to have a lot of trouble and work, but that he is a lord and sits on top in Christianity, when the Lord Christ has said, as we have just heard in the beginning of the 18th chapter, that whoever wants to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven should become the servant of all 2c. But the pope has reached for violence. For who would do it for the sake of money, and take such trouble upon himself, that by comforting, scolding, and banishing, he thus troubled himself with the people? It is a very annoying office. I would rather learn a ministry for it than incur such disfavor for the sake of money, which is otherwise inflicted on a preacher.
- Instead of "office" would probably like to read "craft".
936 Erl. 44, 99-101. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 18. 937
selleth. He must be like an owl on which all the other birds sting. But they did not take it to themselves, because they wanted to have much trouble and work, but sought the regiment.
The other abuse is this: After the pope has placed himself at the top, and thought that he alone has full power to do and not to do anything in Christendom, and interpreted the keys in such a way that he may banish and solve whatever he wants: So he now takes it further, and will exercise his power according to his pleasure, and makes one law and statute after another, as much as he wills, and what he wills, and says: whoever does not keep these his commandments, he shall be banished; but whoever keeps them, he shall have so much and so much indulgence. As: one should celebrate St. Francis' day, and before that one should fast one day; on Fridays eat no meat, eat no butter nor cheese, go on pilgrimages, satisfy the poltergeists with masses; and the pope says: I have power to do this; if you do not keep it, then I say to you by divine power, which is given to me from above: You shall be under ban; for it is written: "What you shall bind on earth, that shall be bound in heaven" 2c., and what he knows how to use for great, mighty thunderbolts more (as everyone may read it in Pabst's law books). Yes, dear Pabst, one should shit on you and put you in the sun and let you become dry again.
This does not mean binding and loosening. You may order laws according to your liking and add to them: I give this authority, for I am God on earth. Item, if he sold butter letters, no one could persuade him. Yes, dear, if a poor weak conscience, which is not properly instructed, hears such excellent words, should it not be frightened and do what it can according to its body's ability? Would that one could run from it through a fire! For there one hears nothing, because: God is called, or God wants to be angry. But one should put glasses on one's nose, and talk finely about what sin means, and also about what binding is. That is what it says, namely, that sin is called such a deed that is done against God's commandment. From this, then, I can easily conclude that the
it is not a sin if I act against the pope's laws and do not do what the pope tells me to do. For it is not God's commandment that I should abstain from eating meat on Fridays, or save souls from purgatory and dissolve brotherhoods among the monks; but it is the pope's filth, so that he has shat in the church. His laws are not God's commandment and word, so that he (praise God!) does little. He has other things to do than to teach the Ten Commandments; but he does what he can against them, because he is the Antichrist, who sets himself against God.
Therefore, it is right to condemn such laws of the pope outright, for they are not God's laws, therefore no one sins who does not keep them. I once burned the pope's decree here in Wittenberg, and I probably want to burn it again; And so should the laws of other bishops be done, who want to follow the pope's example, and put them in the sun with the pope and all their laws and throw them on the ground, because they have thrown their filth (with leave) into Christendom, in which we are up to our ears, and which is so deeply rooted in us that we cannot yet get it out of our hearts. For we poor fools have thought that it is God's commandment, and we have been tormented and troubled by it, so that I have seen many die miserably because of it.
You can't bring people back to you now, because I don't want to go back to them myself. But it is sour and difficult that one should fall away from the mass, calling the saints, purgatory and other things. So deep his inland has gone. For he said: "If you do not respect my binding, you do not respect God's binding. But here you easily know what binding and unbinding sin is, as banishing sins that are done against God and his word. But to loose is when you are absolved and absolved from the sins you have committed against God's commandment. The other keys you shall not accept, for they are the keys of the devil, who is the god of the pope. For God has given the keys of comfort to His Church. Thus, the pope uses them to terrorize and terrify, namely, to corrupt and oppress the Church and
938 Erl. 44, 101-104. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 939
the key. For the pope saith, I can smite a commandment upon thee, and make it sin, if I will. No, you see, it is not sin to eat meat on Friday, but the priest says, "I want it to be sin," so he has flooded the world with sin, like a flood of sin. Is this the right use of the key? No one is to be banished or bound, unless he is in fact a sinner against the law of God. God does not want sin to exist, since the pope makes sin. But one cannot sin against the pope, because his power does not extend into our church. If one already burns his decree and dirt with fire, and also treads on it with feet, then it only serves him right. For he uses to make sin, since God does not want sin, but we had sin enough before.
Just read his Decretales, and you will find how he boasts: I am the supreme and have power and God's dispensation, therefore I may command whatever I want; and finally he says: God has commanded him the power, and out of his power and command he commands all his laws to be kept. If you do not do this, you fall into God's disgrace and are eternally damned. Who would gladly sin against God's commandment? and who would not be terrified by such thunderbolts? But say you to the pope: Where is it written that you boast so much? In the smoke hole. If you give what you want, I will let it go, and do against it what you forbid; and shall the Pabst's commandments be as valid as if the parents command the children something that is against God, since all obedience also ceases.
So the Lord Christ gave the keys to his church, and not to the pope, to make laws and sin according to his pleasure, and to abuse the power of the keys. Therefore he also had two keys in his coat of arms, so that he, as a robber and evil-doer, put terror and fear into the whole world, and thus he also became the Antichrist; and therefore also S. Paul makes him the man of sin, not indeed for his person, but that he is a causer and founder of all sin.
in the world, and makes people to be condemned because of it. For when men hear him and follow him, they do sin, when there is no sin. That is why he is called the child of perdition.
It has done the pope good that the whole world has been so stupid and fearful of his threat, and has had to live only by his grace; and here the power of the key has been forgotten. But it is not a human error and a small pity, but the devil himself is there; he could not make it worse, as he is a murderer and liar with the pope. Therefore, look at this comforting text here, and let the pope have the heartache; and know that Christ has given the keys for this reason, so that one has power to redeem sins that are done against God's commandment, and not other sins.
The third abuse of the keys (so that the pope has done it so crudely that I am surprised that one has let it be good for him; but God has wanted to punish the world with it) is: When Junker Pabst now brought the game so far into his hand that he placed himself on top in the church of Christ, and became a supreme lord in Christendom, and had full power with making sin and releasing it again, and threw the people into the flood of all sin, and thus came to power that the whole world trembled before him: Then he approached the emperors and kings and grabbed the crowns and kingdoms in the worldly regiment, and led the keys against emperors and kings and pretended that he had the power to bind and dissolve even in worldly matters and estates, whatever he wanted. Therefore, whichever king he did not like, he commanded that he should cede his kingdom, and deposed them and restored and confirmed others. Thus he deposed several kings in France and England, and also played with the emperors in the same way as with dice, as one may read in the chronicles, and got to know the devil's head, how he dealt with emperors and kings under the pretense that Christ had even handed over the temporal rule to him, since the laudable emperors often had more holiness and piety in their smallest finger or toe.
940 Erl. 44, 104-I0S. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 18 , 941
The same is true of all the popes and cardinals in the whole of their bodies. Therefore it is blasphemy that he pretends to have power and authority not only in heaven, but also on earth to bind and loose; and thus wants to be a lord over the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of earth. I do not find a word in the Bible that the pope should have right and power over heaven and earth. It is written that the Lord Christ does not want his disciples to be worldly lords, but to become like children. They shall not take anyone's 1) own, nor exercise any power against anyone. But according to God's word they shall bind those who want to be Christians and yet lie in public sins.
The pious emperors and kings had no understanding before the times of our Christian teaching. If they had understood, they would not have suffered. It was God's wrath over the world at that time, otherwise it should be impossible that he would have brought it there. He lies so horribly that all devils could not lie more horribly; and, what is even more, the arch-villain of Rome was allowed to command the angels as his day laborers that whoever of the pilgrims died in the golden year on the way to Rome, they should carry him from mouth to heaven. For he spoke thus: Angels, I command you because of Christ, that you carry these pilgrims from the mouth up to heaven. How could he climb higher? It is such a frightening thing that I do not like to speak of it. For the devil himself could not make it worse, if he were sitting in Pabst's place, nor could he hold our Lord God in more contempt. It is horrible to hear that a poor sack of maggots should rise and ascend above all the angels in heaven, where Christ sits and reigns, and make himself completely equal with God, and want to be Christ's governor, and also want to have the power to command the angels, which Christ alone has over them. That is, to rise above God. It would be no wonder that the earth would rise up and engulf the evil one in the abyss of hell, which will be his reward in the end.
- "His" put by us instead: Yours.
This must truly be known from the pope, so that one will no longer be afraid of the bogeyman 2) who misuses the name of God and the Lord Christ in this way; for he is not a lord of the earth, so he should not drive peasants and citizens out of their houses and take something from them, much less depose emperors and kings. How could he command the angels in heaven? It is not called having power over goods, body, life, angels, heaven or earth, but over sins that have been committed against God. Sin is not called heaven or emperor, but an evil deed done against God; that one says to the one who has sinned: Thou hast sinned and afflicted thy soul with sins, thou hast deprived thyself of the Lord Christ and of all his goods and graces; over this thou art not at all better, but is still sure: therefore I proclaim to thee the wrath of God and eternal damnation, even the punishment of hell. One does not pronounce such a judgment on him that one forbids him the house, field, skirt or food, as the pope did to the kings; that belongs to the worldly regiment, to the princely office. The secular authorities have this ban, that if a citizen or peasant steals, he is taken from the house of his wife and child and hanged on the gallows; if someone has 3) murdered, his head is cut off again. But no preacher shall dare to do this to any man, let alone to kings and emperors. For Christ speaks much differently about the office of preachers; he also has not ordained his keys to take wealth, dominions, body and goods, but to those who sin; and here we also have the right, true reason for the keys, so that we may know how to beware of the 4) devilish threats and lies that the pope has devised.
This third abuse of the keys has made that the pope has snatched over the worldly power still also an angelic dominion to himself, and has happened, as S. Paul in
- Nutze (Putze, Potze) - Popanz, scarecrow.
- "someone" put by us instead of: man.
- So put by us instead of: "dem ... Dräuung", because "Dräuung" is always feminine gender in Luther.
942 Erl. 44, 106-108. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. 943
in his epistle to the Thessalonians prophesies that he has set himself above God and against God's word 1) and fills the whole world with sins. Therefore we call him the Antichrist, that is, the Counter-Christ, and his lies can be easily resisted, if you stay with the word sin and with the true knowledge of the power of the keys, but if you lose the right understanding of the word sin, as what sin is, you will soon lose the keys. But if you know what sin really is, then you can bind and loose it, and say to the sinner that he condemns his soul as long as he persists in sin. If then they say, What is thy judgment to me? know thou that here is the sentence, What ye shall bind on earth 2c. shall be bound in heaven also." If you absolve someone of sin and proclaim God's mercy to him, saying, "Let your sins be forgiven you and go in peace," know that in heaven he will also be absolved and have a merciful God.
The Lord Christ left this comfort to his church behind him, that we might know what the power of the keys is, how sin should be bound or kept, forgiven and loosed, and that those also might know whose sins are loosed or bound on earth, that it should also certainly be loosed and bound in heaven, and thus the church might know what it should do and accomplish with the keys. But the pope and his patrons have shamefully misused and lied about this glorious text and consolation in three ways: first, that he alone wanted to have power to loose and bind; second, that the pope has made sin where there was none; third, that he has also bound and banished emperors and kings, and thus caused so much misery that no one can excuse it. You young people, if you bring a pure heart from all devilish and papal idolatry to the Gospel, thank God and take care that you are not deceived, as we are. For we old people feel well what
- Here we have erased "themselves".
it costs to expose the Pabst's flesh, for the whole world has been drowned in these abuses of the keys that the Pabst has wrought.
Eighth Sermon But the 18th Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
Now he will divide the keys into each house, saying:
V. 19, 20. Further I say to you: Wherever two of you are made one on earth, why it is that they should ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Here the Lord Christ extends this comfort further, but in such a way that he does not leave the community of Christians. For he said above that sin should be punished and banished in the church, and that forgiveness of sins should be preached, so that people may know what sin is. Now he says that he does not want it to be like this in the church alone, but that this right and this freedom should also be given to two or three of you who are gathered in his name, so that they can proclaim and promise comfort and forgiveness of sins to one another; So much more abundantly pour out his Christians, and fill them every corner with forgiveness of sins, that they may find forgiveness of sins not only in the church, but also at home, in the field, in the garden, and where only one comes to another, there shall he have comfort and salvation; And let it also serve me, that when I am sorrowful and sad, or in affliction and infirmity, that I lack any thing, what hour and time it may be, and there be no public preaching in the church at all times, and my brother or neighbor come to me, then shall I complain of it unto him that is next unto me, and pray him to comfort me: Whatever comfort he then gives me and promises me, that shall also be yes with God in heaven. Again, I should also comfort another, and say: "Dear friend, dear brother, why don't you leave your sorrow? it is not God's will that some suffering should befall you. God has set his
944 - Erl. 44, 108-110. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 19. 20..., 945
Son die for you, not that you may mourn, but that you may rejoice. Therefore be of good cheer, and be confident that you will do God service and favor; and kneeling down with one another and praying one Our Father will surely be heard in heaven, for Christ says, "I am there in the midst of them. He does not say: I see it, I hear it, or I will come to them, but: I am already there. So if you comfort me and I comfort you, and both do it for our betterment and salvation, then I should believe you and you me, that God the heavenly Father will give us why we ask and what we lack. How could the Lord Christ shower us more abundantly and provide for us better?
This should apply so that the special spirits, such as the monks and Anabaptists, are not admitted, who have taught that one should separate himself from the people, run into a desert or monastery, sit in a cell, and also withdraw from his neighbor, to whom the Lord Christ is pointing here, and one should gape and wait for God to give him a special revelation, which others do not have, item, God should send them an angel who comforts them and talks to them. God does not want to have such corner saints, who do not want to be in the community and with the church, but hide themselves away in a corner. For no one should stand on his secret comfort. He has provided for us abundantly enough; do not require that we wait for a revelation from heaven and tempt God. He has said: What you will solve on earth, that shall also be solved in heaven. Those who are with the Christian Church can learn abundantly what God's will is; and when one hears the preacher, one hears God Himself. What need have you to crawl into a corner? Item, if brothers comfort one another, this is also God's will and word. The whole world is full of comfort, and every corner is full of revelation; and if God speaks to me from the pulpit, he speaks to me through my neighbor, through my good friends and companions, through my husband, through my wife, through my master and through my servant, item, father and mother 2c. My word and your word shall be as powerful as if it were
God Himself had spoken to us. Why then will I despise such great and abundant grace of God, and in the name of all devils run to S. Jacob or to Rome and Jerusalem, and without command and word tempt God, or else seek in the wilderness and corners that which I may have in the church, in the house, in the garden, and wherever I am?
Well, what is it more? they say, and so they throw to the winds the glorious consolation of absolving in the public sermon. But Christians should not do this, but hold fast to the consolation that you have in your house, as if a brother or a devout Christian came to you, not for the sake of money and goods, but in the name of Christ, and heard this consolation from you. Here the Lord Christ says, if he secretly desires forgiveness of sins and comfort from you, then it should be yes. Therefore it is not necessary to run to St. James for your comfort, but if you have an affliction, go to the priest or to your neighbor, if you have one, and say, "I am in pain. Then he shall comfort him, saying, Christ will have cheerful servants, and therefore he died not for thee, that thou shouldest hang thy head and frown, but give thanks unto God. Then you hear God Himself speaking to you.
But the devil plagues other people, as monks and Anabaptists, that they hate God and want to seek special revelation and enlightenment without and apart from God's word. For there he gets them without God, unless they handle God's word and pray. That would be another. But if they leave God's word, as the same miracle spirits or special spirits do, who seek revelation apart from God's word, and wait for it in corners alone, they find what they want, that is, the devil, in the form of an angel, who leads them into the abyss of hell. For there belong all those who tempt God, which is the devil's way.
Many journeymen have come to me in the past, boasting of these things, and when I asked them where they got them, they said: The Holy Spirit revealed it to me. When I then asked, Where? they answered: In my closet or in the corner. That is
946 Erl. 44, 110-113. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 947
tempt God. But it serves them right that they are thus blinded, and the devil gives them such thoughts in their hearts, which they take for the certain truth, because they have let go of God's word.
Thus one reads in the legend of St. Martin that he had a brother in his congregation, who ate and walked with him; for at that time there were not yet monks. He also wanted to lead a holy, contemplative life, and hid from the people in his own chamber, from which he had not come for several days, and in which he sat without eating or drinking, silently silent. For there was a saying: If you like to stay alone, your hearts will be pure, which is a good saying if it is understood correctly. The same brother asked God to appear to him and to give him a special revelation. Then the devil came and put thoughts into his heart that he was in paradise and in the kingdom of heaven, and that he was wearing a beautiful garment, much better than any silk, and that no one had ever seen such a beautiful garment. When the other brothers came to him, and found him sitting alone in great devotion, and saw that he had such a beautiful garment on, they asked him where he got it. He said, "The angel of God spoke to me and put on the garment himself. Then they thought it must have been the devil, and ordered him to go before the bishop S. Martinum. When the same brother heard this, he said, "Oh no, our Lord God has forbidden me to do it," and when he resisted, they dragged him by force before St. Martin. As soon as he got there, the dress disappeared. Thus the devil had deceived him, that he did not want to go to his ordinary bishop and hear God's word from his mouth, but sought his own revelation. For such enthusiasts mean no other than that they alone are wise, but the whole world is wrong.
Similarly, one reads of a nun who had locked herself in her cell and stayed there for some time without eating or drinking, did not come to the other nuns, and fell into these thoughts as if the Lord Christ were coming to her in the chamber. Now that the other
When the nuns came to her cell and knocked, she said, "Silence, silence, Christ the bridegroom is with me and is talking to me. Since she did not want to open the door, the same sisters looked in through the castle and saw that she was wearing an old, torn, dirty fur, and (to speak with leave) a cow dung on her head. When they asked her what she was doing, she said, "Don't you see how my bridegroom Christ has adorned me with a golden crown and beautiful clothes? Thus the devil deceives with visions and dreams. And that is right; those are worthy of such adornment and costume, who want to try God and find Him, since He does not want to be, and despise Him, since He does want to be, as in the church, and with every man who is baptized, who knows the Lord's Prayer and has the Christian faith. He does not say that he wants to be in Compostel, Rome or Jerusalem. He may have been there and been crucified, but here, he says, he wants to be, as with every Christian who has his word and baptism. But if I seek him in a different way, as the special spirits and the pope teach, then I am lacking God. He does not want to have a special one, he says that I should seek it among the people, among my brother, who has one baptism, one faith, one Our Father and Gospel with me. I cannot thank God enough for that.
We have the right light, that we come together in the name of God and seek his word, item, that I come to my neighbor, and lament my distress to him and seek comfort from him. Whoever then comforts me, even if he does not have as much art in one finger as I or another scholar, comforts me in God's stead, and God Himself speaks to me through him, and often my neighbor finds a saying and tells it to me for comfort, which otherwise I would not think of. Therefore, one should be glad to be with one's dying neighbor; one should not become a monk and seek desolation or a corner, but should admonish the dying to surrender willingly to death and to trust their soul to Christ. That is to seek God's glory and Christ's praise. But when one comes to the dying, and asks about the
948 Erl. 44, 113-115. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 19. 20. 949
Testament, saying, What will ye humble us for? that is, to come into the devil's name.
Therefore, this text also proves the emergency baptism, which is done by nurses or wives. When children who have recently been born are in danger of life and want to die, the women baptize them; this is also a true baptism, because it is done with the right words; and so the women are not gathered there to dance, but that they would gladly help the child, so that it would not be lost, but would come to Christ, because they are also the Lord's Christ 2c.And even if the women who baptize are not pious or godly, the baptism is still right, because they are not offering their own baptism, but that of the Lord Christ. This is well and rightly done. For God does not want His word, consolation and sacrament to be spoken and administered in vain, but to be communicated to everyone. But if someone wanted to baptize in a corner, and despised the revelation and comfort that is in the Christian church, he would do evil.
Therefore, children who have been baptized in this way are not baptized again. One reads about St. Athanasius, who was the finest bishop that Christianity ever had after the time of the apostles, and who did a lot. He was baptized young and often watched his bishop and pastor. Now he once came to pagan boys who were walking and playing by the sea, for at that time the children of Christians and pagans were walking and playing among themselves. Then Athanasius sows a game with pagan boys, and baptizes the pagan boys, just as he saw his bishop baptize the children in the church, as children are accustomed to do everything they see, and then the word is spoken to them: Go and play by the water. Then he tempted and enticed the children of the Gentiles to be baptized, poured water on them, and used the same form and words that he had seen and heard from the bishop in the church. When the bishop went out of the window
- "sähet" put by us instead of: "sehet", because we assume that in the original "sehet" will stand. On the matter, compare Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1274, §117. '
When he saw the game and became aware of it, he brought all the children before him and asked what Athanasius had done, he answered: I baptized all the children. When the bishop heard that he had used the right words, as: I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit 2c., then he decided that it was a right, true baptism, and pronounced the pagan children to be baptized correctly.
It is almost a child's play, but an innocent one, since there is no injustice inside; therefore, God also counts it as a true baptism. So richly does God distribute His gifts that, although they are given to us in a joking and playful manner, He makes a serious matter of it, and He does not care by what people such gifts are given to us, if it is only done according to His command, and it is serious to the people who receive them.
One also reads that at one time an emperor in Rome had a fool of a stick who was to be baptized, and this was made a mockery of the Christians by some courtiers, for they said how the Christians were such great fools that they drank water over each other and considered this to be great holiness. If this means holiness, then let us bathe ourselves, and we will be greater saints than they. When many people came together, they prepared a baptism in mockery of the emperor, and each one wanted to do the best in this mockery. One stood who was to baptize, the other who was to be baptized, the third held the book, the fourth the water, some of them were godparents. The joke was meant to ridicule baptism and to show what fools the Christians were, that they wanted to be holier and better than the pagans by baptizing with water and bathing. What happens? When the jester was baptized, an angel appeared and held a book before him, in which were written the words of S. Paul to the Ephesians in the 4th chapter: "One God and Lord of us all, One faith and One baptism. Then he, who before had been a fool with a stick, was frightened and went to it, accepted the joke baptism for a real baptism and said that he had been baptized correctly, and the joke turned into a loud seriousness. Then the other people started to laugh
950 Erl. 44, 115-117. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 951
And they thought that he had spoken the words to make a mockery of baptism, to make a mockery and a mockery of baptism: and he said again that he had been baptized aright, and had become a Christian. Then the emperor starts and scolds the crowd, asking what they were doing, whether they thought he was a fool, because he was there to mock such baptism, and they were all there, too, and wanted to mock the Christians with this baptism. So the jester thought it was a right baptism and mocked him, the emperor, and the emperor accepted it as a great mockery, because the jester wanted to think the baptism was right for his shame and dishonor. When the emperor asked the others if they also wanted to become Christians, they pulled their heads out of the noose and went before the emperor: They began to rebuke him, even to the point of depriving him of life and limb, cursing and blaspheming him, and saying, "The fool of the stick is mad and foolish. Finally, the fool was seized and put in prison, where the emperor had him severely tortured, but he died in the confession of Christ. Our Lord God calls him to salvation in the gospel baptism.
Such history is not unlike faith, but agrees with it. For God wants His word and work to be unnoticed. He keeps it up so that he makes even mockery and jesting, as I have said, serious, so that he may also make us certain that the person is as he wishes when his word and command go, so that we then do not doubt that it is a true sacrament. Even a priest who is drunk can nevertheless administer a true and proper baptism; and it is wrong that it was once said that if a child was baptized by a drunkard, the child would become restless, would not be able to sleep at night, and would climb onto the roofs, because the baptism had not been administered properly; therefore such children should be baptized differently. Know that baptism is not attached to the baptizer, but to God's order. God does not build His sacraments on men or on their holiness, for then we would never be sure of them, but on the word and command. Therefore let the priest be drunk or commit fornication, but his baptism is right, if the words of baptism are spoken rightly, as: I baptize you in the
Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 2c., then it is right; I also suppose that the baptism would be given by a woman, a virgin, and a drunkard, or by Athanasio, who was still a little boy, but that you would not make a joke out of it: so it is all the same, let whoever wants to absolve you. If it is God's word, we can be sure that our sins are forgiven.
Therefore, God has abundantly provided us with strength and comfort. Even when we are in our homes, the wife in distress can be comforted by her husband, and again the husband by his wife. For here is the text: If two are with one another and ask anything, it shall surely be heard in heaven; especially if we are in the congregation and in the company or assembly, where we can have comfort from priests openly and secretly; and there is no need at all for us to become erring spirits or vagrants who sought such comfort in Compostel or Jerusalem, for we have this comfort in our churches and homes; and God says to us: If you want to seek me, do not go to the desert, but to your church, and listen to what is preached or read. Where you have baptism, you have me in it. What you hear in the: Pulpits from: Preacher, that you hear from me myself. The preachers are only servants, I am the speaker and baptizer. And if you cannot come to the pastor in a hurry to get comfort from him, you have your neighbor, your wife and your servant to give you a kind word from God's word, and you are not allowed to go anywhere on the journey to Rome, so that people may go up to heaven from their mouths, as the pope, the prankster, has invented, and by such a way want to lure people to heaven. No, those who are in the city and in one house, and have baptism, also hear the word of God, use absolution and the Lord's Supper, that is where the right Christians are found.
Then comes the pope and cries out: Here, all Christians, if you want to be saved, go to Rome, do this and that, you say: That is, torn from the faith to the work, and the most glorious sayings, which are full of consolation, put under the bench, and gave us his dirt for it. And the same, so him
952 Erl. 14, 117-120. Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 21. L2. 953
can never find comfort, because they come from Rome just as holy, pure and pious as they went. For there they have no word of God or faith, but there everything is done against God's word and faith, so there is no foundation for it. But here one has the certain consolation that the Lord Christ says: "Whatever you forgive and redeem, that shall also be forgiven and redeemed before me in heaven. This is not a floating log in a body of water, but a certain hard rock. It is not as the pabst's muck, since some may think that it has something certain about it, and that it has a good ground on which one may set foot; but it is a log that floats in the water and looks out a little, but if one wants to step or jump on it, or seek safety on it, so that one may be preserved on it in water distress, such a log then goes under the water and one must drown.
Therefore be absolved, and when thou art absolved, Christ saith, Ye have no more sin before me: and as the Christian church saith, I absolve thee, so saith Christ in heaven. So also go to thy neighbor and seek counsel and comfort from him, and so it shall be in the sight of Christ, for he saith, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them; there am I, and there will I be and have my dwelling. And, that is much more: every Christian soul is the dwelling place, palace and temple of God the Father, of the Lord Christ and of the Holy Spirit, as S. Paul says in the 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians in the 6th chapter: "You are a temple of the living God, sanctified and consecrated for this purpose, that God wants to dwell among us. He wants to be the father of the house of the believers, to teach, to name, to create and to forbid. If we have His Word and Sacrament, He is our Father and we are His children.
But S. Paul says that the Antichrist sits in the temple of God, that is, in the holy Christian church; since Christ says: "Listen to me alone, look at me as I comfort and rebuke you by my word, and whatever else I do, judge yourself by it, for you are my temple, I will dwell in you. Against this
The Pope cries out: Come to me, go to Compostel and to St. James, there you will have forgiveness of all guilt and pain. This means that he actually sat down in the temple of God, that is, in the hearts of the pious Christians, and ruled there with his lies; he filled the souls with Christ, because with the Pope, the Gospel, baptism, and the Lord's Supper are not valid, but he who is obedient to the Roman chair is a true Christian. But we are to expel the pope from the church, and let Christ teach again among us alone, so that we may be and remain his church; and if we hear his word, we are also his children. For he gives us his sacraments, that he may preserve us, and that all things may be done according to his will and command. Wherever you see God's word preached and the sacraments administered, that is where Christ dwells, that is where he gives the consolation of the keys, that is where prayer is heard, and that is where you walk the right path to life without error. Follows:
Ninth Sermon on the 18th Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
P. 21. 22. Then Peter came to him and said, "Lord, how often must I forgive my brother who sins against me? is it enough seven times? JESUS saith unto him, I tell thee: Not seven times, but seventy times seven.
Until now, the Lord Christ has given a way and measure how the church should deal with loosening and binding, and how it should deal with sinners; and he has abundantly instructed and provided for the church in this matter of doctrine. For he has well seen that because we live here on earth in the flesh, sin always accompanies us, and Christians can never become so pure because they live here that they no longer need forgiveness of sin. So the devil does not celebrate either, so that he may tear us away from faith and salvation; and so the Lord Christ knows well that it will not happen with us without sin. For this reason he also established his kingdom in such a way that the Christian church knew where it stood and what would loosen and bind it, so that Christ in heaven would also let it be loosed and bound; and I
954 Erl. 44, 120-122. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 955
I have admonished you above with all faithfulness that you keep this text of the evangelist in the right understanding, namely, that it is to be understood of the sin that goes against God's law. For the pope has made sin where there is none, and forgives sin where there is none, as when he spoils the food and then dispenses and permits to eat meat again. Therefore, it is necessary to know what sin is, and what it means to remove and bind sin.
Now the Lord Christ continues and expands the forgiveness of sins, makes it even more extensive, does not put it into a number or end, as he has expanded it above, as wide as the world is, does not want to have it bound to a certain place, as the Pope has done, but in all corners and places, where only people who are baptized are, there one shall find forgiveness of sins; as then S. Peter also wants to deal with it quite wisely and make a certain number out of it. Peter also wants to act quite wisely with it, and to make a certain number out of it, stands up and says: I hear that one is to forgive, and to loosen and bind sin. If therefore one sinned three or four times a day, should he be forgiven all the time? would it not be said, I will no more loose or forgive, because thou fallest and sinnest the longer? thought, if one would always sin, whether one would also always leave the door open, and be ready to forgive sin: is thus S. Peter hastens wise man, and wants to master the Lord Christ, wants to grasp it and bring it into a certain number, whether it is also enough that he forgives three times or seven times. Christ answers, "Yes, you should forgive him as often as he comes back after he has sinned and seeks forgiveness. For to forgive seventy times seven times is as much as to forgive without ceasing. As often as your brother desires it, you shall be ready to forgive him.
This is an annoying text, and all wise and prudent people are offended by the sermon, because it reads thus: that a man may sin four times in one day, and hereby everyone is left free and given room to sin incessantly and to do what he desires. Thus all discipline would be abolished. For when they hear that everything should be
If they are forgiven for what they do, they will live according to their will without any shyness. And many fine bishops, and especially the Novatians, have resented it. For that is where Novatus, the heretic, came from, a Roman canon who followed these beautiful thoughts. In order that a discipline and respectability would remain in the world among the people, he taught this opinion: If a man after baptism falls into mortal sin in haste, then the church does not have power and authority to forgive sin, and closes heaven without all mercy; for whoever is baptized should think that he remains in the holiness which he received in baptism, if not, then sin would not be forgiven; and he used the saying from the epistle to the Hebrews in the 10th chapter. Chapter, which reads thus [v. 26. f.If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, we have no more sacrifice for sin, but a dreadful waiting for judgment"; and to Hebrews, chapter 6 [vv. 4-6.It is impossible that those who have been enlightened once, and have tasted the heavenly gifts, and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, should fall away, and again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and hold him up to ridicule, that they should again be regenerated unto repentance." From these sayings they have concluded this error, that whoever sinned after baptism would have no forgiveness of sin. In baptism he would have forgiveness of sin, but not after the fall.
This must be known, so that one could beware of such spirits rising again. For when the pious bishops opposed it, and Novatus and his followers were resisted, and his error was cast down, and Novatus and his followers were driven out of Rome, and they themselves saw that it could not be as they had prescribed, then they softened their doctrine a little, and made it much worse. For they then began to say that it was true that sinners could not be barred from heaven, but that if one had sinned after baptism, they had no power to put away the same sin.
956 Erl. 44. 122-124". Luther's sermon on Matth. 18, 21. 22. 957
But the sinner would repent for himself until God might be merciful to him and obtain forgiveness of sins from him. But they could not obtain forgiveness of sins from the bishop because of the power and authority of the keys, so they took away the authority of the keys and deceived many with it. The pope still teaches today that in baptism no more than original sin is forgiven. But what a person sins after baptism, he must do for himself with his works, with the help of the priests and nuns.
So the Novatians and Papists wanted to grasp these things, because they saw that it is not good and useful to give people room to sin. For if one does not compel, the people become desolate and wild. Therefore so many laws of fasting and so many little prayers have been made, which afterward have become vain snares of the consciences, and the pope has filled all the books with them. Therefore it is a difficult thing to preach God's grace and forgiveness of sins, and yet keep the people in discipline and punishment; and yet the sinner should be free, when he returns, to have his sins loosed.
These lead people far away from the keys, and even nullify Christ; and one may see, if one follows the Novatian and Papist doctrine, as, weep and repent, until so long that one has forgiveness of sin, whether one is then also certain of the forgiveness of sins? I cannot follow this doctrine, for Christ set the keys so that we would not doubt His will, but would be sure that when God was angry, He would then also be merciful again, and that we could surely die on this forgiveness of sins. They have done very well and wanted to find relief from their error, but we do not want to accept them, but rather avoid such false teaching.
But if you want to preach comfortingly to someone, send yourself in such a way that he who hears you may be sure that he is pleasing to God, or else keep silent. For it is better for you to be completely silent than for you to preach a doubtful, uncertain
Preach. As the pope says: If you do this or that, you are in the right, if not, you sin against God and the Church. Yes, how do you know? Did God say so? No, he says, but I say it. How do you know that God is angry with me and that I can reconcile God with my repentance and satisfaction? He cannot prove it from God's word, but leaves me in doubt and uncertain delusion. But, dear, tell me, what kind of life would it be if a man did not know whether he pleased God or not? If in the household the man said: I do not know if the woman is mine, and the woman said: I do not know if the man is mine; item, if the child, this house, this field, garden or meadow is mine? What kind of a being would it be if one did not know who he was and what his possessions were? But it is highly necessary that he knows it, and can say: This woman is mine, and publicly given to me. For one must not stammer or doubt here, but also be able to say before God that God Himself has given me this wife and house or other goods 2c. Therefore, all preachers who make you doubt are useless, because in the kingdom of God you should be sure whether you have a merciful God, forgiveness of sins and eternal life. I had toiled for fifteen years in the priesthood with masses and fasting, and when I had already done everything, I knew just as much as before whether God would be merciful to me, because I was pointed to my works. Christ should be of no use to me after baptism. Thus, the pope had forbidden the certainty and assurance of divine graces, and still used as a pretense and cover the saying from Ecclesiastes: Nescit homo, utrum amore aut odio dignus sit, etc. The devil was supposed to be baptized. So the pope should preach to the devil, and not to me.
God does not like sin; for example, if I am an adulterer, God will not have it. Item, if I steal another's goods, that also displeases God; and if servant and maidservant are unfaithful, that also God will not have. If you also sell yours in a fair purchase, he is pleased with you. So you can be sure here that I am
958 Erl. 14, IS4-IS7. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. 959
either ask for forgiveness of sin, or know that my sins are kept. For if a brother or a servant of the divine word promises you a consolation that God will forgive me the sin, if I want to stop sinning, then know that God Himself is talking to me. That is why it was right and just that the Novatians were condemned as having the certainty of the keys, and only brought to despair, as the Pabst's kingdom was a mere uncertainty.
I have seen many who, because of uncertainty and doubt, have gone mad and been deprived of their senses. There was no one who said, "Dear brother, God has commanded that you be forgiven of your sins; only hear the same word from your brother or your preacher, and believe that God is your merciful God and Father, as He Himself says, "Truly, what you will redeem on earth, that I will redeem and forgive in heaven. For God Himself speaks through the mouth of the preacher to him who is in need of forgiveness of sin. Therefore, if the preacher forgives your sins, know that they are also forgiven you in heaven.
But many more foolish questions have been raised here. For the power of the keys has been so trampled upon that in all schools and churches nothing at all has been known about it; and we have allowed ourselves to be absolved from sins that were not sins at all, and have bought the letter of butter and indulgences, and had mass said that we were free of sin. But the Lord Christ has certainly established His Church; it really knows where it stands, is certain of the forgiveness of sin, and that it has a God. For this reason God's Son became man and died for me; and we also confess in our articles of Christian faith the keys of the church, namely, that in the church there is forgiveness of sin', and that the forgiveness of sin should come to me not once or twice, but as often as I have sinned. Therefore, this most powerful text remains before the Novatians. For Novatus is not yet as pious as S. Peter, who nevertheless asks if he can be forgiven seven times.
Novatus wants to forgive the sin only once, and whoever wants to be forgiven the second time should try with his own repentance to see if he could obtain God's grace, thus wanting to deny the sinners absolution altogether. Such a teacher should be banned from his office, who wanted to teach people to despair and despair.
Yes, they say, it is nevertheless written in the 6th chapter of Hebrews: "It is impossible that those who were once enlightened 2c., when they fall away 2c., should be renewed again" 2c. If you look at this text carefully, you will find that it is nothing against us, for it teaches: "If anyone has fallen away from Christ, who is the true sacrifice for sin, and seeks another way or means of salvation and going to heaven, he will never come to it; he will accomplish nothing. For if we are brought to Christ, we must not lose sight of him again. For if one loses sight of him and climbs up to heaven in another way, it is impossible for anyone to come to forgiveness of sins, for he runs away from the doctrine that alone gives us forgiveness of sins. He speaks here of doctrine and not of works, and we also teach in this way, as if I said: "The Turks believed in Christ before, but they have allowed themselves to be seduced by their Mahomet, and have fallen away from the doctrine of Christ and the forgiveness of sins, and have turned away from Christ to their works: just as the Turks lead a hard, strict life, and do more good works, so that our monks are all sinners against them. Therefore, because the Turks have denied Christ and thrown Him behind them, who alone is the way, the truth and the life, it is impossible that they should be saved, for without Christ not the least sin is forgiven. Therefore, in the same text, it soon follows that the Hebrews would have no more sacrifice for sin, but would receive hellish fire.
So we should stay with the Lord Christ when we have sinned and not turn our backs on him, otherwise we will lose the forgiveness of sin. When I was in the monastery in the cap, I was so hostile to Christ,
960 Erl. 44, 127-130. Luther's sermon on Matth. 19, 1-9. 961
that when I saw his painting or picture of him hanging on the cross 2c., I was frightened by it and cast down my eyes, and would rather have seen the devil. For my heart was poisoned with this papist doctrine, that I had defiled my vest shirt, lost Christ and baptism, and would now have to help myself, as they still preach in the papacy today: Christ has only done enough for original sin, but whoever sins after receiving baptism may do enough himself, and has only become a devil from Christ the Savior. That is why people crawled under the mantle of Mary, went on pilgrimage to the saints, did this and that; but it is not called going to heaven, but to the abyss of hell.
Therefore, the Novatians are really blind people who take this text to mean that after baptism there is no more forgiveness of sin, and Christ is no longer of use to those who have fallen after their baptism, even if they repent. You should be warned of this, and prepared with this 18th chapter of Matthew, whether the devil wants to drive new Novatians again, as he always seeks out the old heresies again, so that you may beware of them; and although the Novatian heresy is condemned, the pope has nevertheless brought it back on track, as he has gathered all heresies together and scattered them over a heap 1). But think of Christ as gracious and merciful, who forgives your sins, if you desire otherwise. If your brother has fallen and rises again, seeking mercy, then Christ the Lord should be presented to him as the one who carries the lost sheep and seeks the lost penny. For Christ has instituted forgiveness of sins in his church, and has established such a kingdom, which is called forgiveness of sins. The church is such a multitude that where a sinner lets him be told and punished, he has forgiveness of sin, and this forgiveness is valid as often as he desires and seeks it.
But here it is said, "Shall we do nothing but always forgive and shower people with forgiveness of sins?
- i. e. scraped.
then the world will be full of rascals and ruthlessness, and in the end there will be no more discipline in the world. What may the wise people of these worries? 2)
[First sermon on the nineteenth chapter of the Evangelist Matthew.
V. 1. 2. And it came to pass, when JEsus had finished this discourse, he arose out of Galilee, and came into the borders of the land of Judaea, beyond Jordan. And much people followed him, and he healed them there.
This belongs to the legend of the Lord Christ, for you know well that the Lord was born in Bethlehem and brought up in Nazareth, and lived there with his mother Mary until the thirtieth year, and always remained there, without traveling three times every year from Galilee up to the Jewish land to Jerusalem according to the law of Moses, For every boy who was the firstborn had to appear before the Lord at Jerusalem every year for the three feasts, which journeys the evangelists have not described, except for one, which he made in the twelfth year of his age, when he debated in the temple with the scholars and was lost from his mother, as is reported in the second chapter of Luke. Chapter such is reported. After that, when he was thirty years old, he went into the Jewish country to the Jordan to John, by whom he was baptized; and immediately he went again to Galilee, accepted apostles and disciples, preached and did the first miracle at the wedding in Cana, turning water into wine. Then he went with his mother to Capernaum and lived there for the next three years. There he began his ministry and preached for the next three years. This was his bishopric and parish, which is why Capernaum is also called his city. From the same city he traveled to Galilee and passed through that country, terminating there, preaching the gospel everywhere and healing many diseases.
- The section of the 18th chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew, v. 23-35, is the pericope for the second and twentieth Sundays after Trinity; Luther's sermons on it are found in the postils.
962 Erl. 44, 130-132. Interpretations On the Evangelist Matthew. 963
He did not enter the Jewish land without coming to Jerusalem according to the law of Moses, but did not preach there until the fourth year; as S. Peter, Acts of the Apostles, chapter 10, also testifies that Christ did not begin to preach and perform miracles in Judea, but only in Galilee.
When the three years were over and the fourth year was present, during which he was to suffer, Matthew the Evangelist says in this text that Jesus rose from Galilee and came to the borders of the Jewish land; He preaches the last sermon in Galilee, full of the forgiveness of sins, and also wants to preach in Judea, and remains in Judea for this half year, and when the half year was over, he was crucified, as this text indicates, that after these speeches the Lord arose from Galilee, and came toward the middle of the day to the borders of Judea, and passed through Jericho, as it is written in the 18th chapter of Luke. After that he went to the Mount of Olives, and then to Jerusalem. This is the journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, where he will do what he did in Galilee. And many people went with him, especially many women followed him, who served him and gave him food and fed him; who also went to the tomb and anointed him, as Mary, Joanna [Luc. 8, 3. 1, Salome and Mary Jacobi Marc. 16, 1., who will be rich widows, for they endured the Lord in Galilee and also in the Jewish country with their goods, which they will have sold and made into money; and after His resurrection and ascension they moved out of Judea again into Galilee. With these women went many other people, especially those who were sick and infirm and wanted to be healed. During this journey the Lord Christ healed all of them; he cleansed the ten lepers and gave sight to the blind man in Jericho. Otherwise, he did not perform many more miracles described by the evangelists, but only the sermons of the Lord, which he had preached for half a year in the Jewish country, are mentioned.
The Lord's words were spoken in the land of Judea and Jerusalem before and after His passion, for Christ was almost vainly 1) preaching and teaching in Judea.
Now when he comes to the Jordan, where the border of the land of Judah was, since he has not yet been over the Jordan, this is what happens:
V. 3-6 Then came the Pharisees unto him, and tempted him, saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for any cause? But he answered and said unto them: Have ye not read, that he which made man in the beginning made that there should be one man and wife, saying, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall be one flesh. So they are not two, but one flesh. What God has joined together, let not man put asunder.
Because the future of Christ could not have been hidden with such a great tramp 2) into the Jewish land; for since he had given the last in Galilee, and did not want to come back again, the more people hastened after him: then the Pharisees became aware of it, and meet him in the border, want to test him and prove their masterpiece on him. For it did not turn out so badly. They must have heard a lot about his teaching and miraculous works that he had done in Galilee, because many considered him to be an excellent man and a prophet. Therefore they meet him at the border and want to ask him a question, about which they will have quarreled in their schools and quarrelled among themselves, and one will have thought this, the other that man and woman should separate so easily. They would have liked to be right on both sides. Then they would ask the Lord Christ, and they would seize him finely, so that he would be caught, God granting that he would say yes or no, as they also do with the nest egg afterwards. If he had said yes here, they would have said, "What kind of a prophet is this?
- Erlanger: eitelm.
- Dragging - entourage.
964 Erl. 14, 132-134. Luther's sermon on Matth. 19, 1-9. 965
If every man, as often as he wished, could let his wife go. They would soon have let the door fall shut behind the Lord, if they could cast a grudge against him, especially with the wives, if he would approve the letter of divorce. For they would gladly have decorated their hypocrisy and error with his displeasure. If he had said no, he would have been condemned again, as if he wanted to teach against Moses. So they could have taken both, yes and no, and brought the Lord Christ into disgrace. But he not only precedes them and proves himself to be a master, but also gives them a good beating, so that they pull in their pipes and go their way.
Moses had given a law Deut. 24:24 that if a man found a grievous affliction in his legitimate wife, he should give her a bill of divorcement and put her out of his house, as it is written in the fifth book of Moses, chapter 24, in these words Deut. 24:1-4: "If a man take a wife and marry her, and she find no favor in his sight for any grievance, he shall write a bill of divorcement, and put it in her hand, and put her out of his house. If then she has left his house and goes to be another man's wife, and that other man also becomes angry with her and writes a letter of divorce and puts it in her hand, and lets her out of his house; or if that other man dies who took her as his wife, her first husband who left her out cannot take her again to be his wife, because she is unclean. For such is an abomination in the sight of the LORD." The same was Mosi's law of the bill of divorcement, and the Jews made good use of this law, taking wives and putting them away again, taking others, and not keeping the marriage and the taking of wives otherwise than as an exchange of horses. If a man took a wife and did not like her, he put her away; and when he had put away the first wife, 1) and did not like the other, because he was disgusted with the change, he would soon have another, or would desire his first wife.
- Erlanger: has.
They did a lot of divorcing. Then Moses put a stake in front of it, forbidding such a man to take the first wife again, to prevent them from divorcing so easily; and because of this annex in the law, the first wives kept many of them. For they thought: If you get a worse one, you must not take the first one to yourself again. Because the Jews were a very hopeful and wicked people, and because they did not want to kill their wives by strangulation or poison, Moses gave them a letter of divorce, and the divorce became so frequent that they even stumbled at it themselves.
The Turk still has a lot of divorce today. If a woman is not obedient to the man, nor does she do the man's bidding, he soon chases her out of the house and takes one, two, three or four wives at a time, and makes do with Moses; have taken out what is soft and does them good; force the wives hard in the Turkey, so that which does not want to stay, they soon push away; play with the wives, like dogs with a lapping. When they are tired of a woman, 2) they quickly beat her into the grass and take another. But Moses did not say so. I also hold that there is no marriage among the Turks, but only whoredom. It is a great tyranny, especially because of God's blessing that they beget children, and yet the mother is divorced. That is why it is not a proper marriage among the Turks. The Turks are now, in my opinion, all whores' children.
So Christ wants to interpret the law here, even though he is a preacher of the gospel, who is to preach about the forgiveness of sin and God's grace; and he did not come to establish the marriage state. Nevertheless, if the law is wrongly understood, it belongs to an evangelical preacher to interpret it and give good instruction, so that people may understand the law correctly. For a preacher is to do good to everyone and to serve and be useful according to his office, so that the people may understand the law and know how
- Erlanger: be.
966 Erl. 44, 134-137. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 967
one should live. The same is done here by the Lord Christ. He clearly expresses the opinion of the law, and says that there can be no divorce, for only one cause, namely adultery, which, if it has happened, is the penalty that the woman should not take another, or there should be no marriage. In this case it is not good that the man should have toil and labor, and the woman should consume his sour sweat, and in addition lay strange eggs in the nest 1) and inherit this man's property. Therefore, only away with such whores, if they ever have no desire to live as married women and honest matrons with their husbands.
They say to Christ, "Is it right?" as if to say, "It is so with us that each one pushes his wife away and chases her for all kinds of reasons," when 2) even Moses does not permit this. For Moses says only because of an evil affliction or other unpleasant cause. So they made the divorce often from envy and hate, also sometimes father and mother to spite, and made thereby the hole, that it would be slack in the law of Moses. For this is the way it is: if a shawl is given a finger's breadth, it takes a span; if it has a span, it takes a cubit's breadth. Therefore it seems as if they wanted to get into him, so that he would pronounce a judgment, whether it is right or not. But he truly comes and enters the game as a master, yes, as a lord. They think that they want to catch him. If he answers: No, then he acts against Moses; but if he says yes, then he tears up the marriage, so that the people run away from each other, and then the land becomes full of fornication: they want to clip him and catch him, but he tears through as a master and lord.
They reproach him with Moses, but he anticipates their reproach and says: "How do you read in Moses?" How did God command in the beginning? namely, that from the beginning of the world God's creature and order is much more delicious than what Moses says afterwards, and writes a law for the sake of your hardness of heart;
- Erlanger: Nehest.
- Erlanger: Ifs.
- Erlanger: Yes but.
I want to say: Put glasses on your noses and look at God's word, what God spoke in the first creation and when he ordered the marriage state; I want to say: Have you scholars not also read what he did who created man and woman? Do you also know him? Do you know who he is and what his name is, namely God? Do you also think that his command and order also have power? Is it not true that when he created man in the beginning, he created them male and female? And he said afterward, "Man shall leave father and mother, and cleave to woman," and woman to man, "and they two shall be one flesh. If they have become one flesh, they cannot be divided. What then do you ask about divorce? God says: It shall be undivided and, what is more, man and woman shall be one flesh, therefore they cannot be two, but only one body. This was said by Him who created everything from the beginning, by God Himself this is spoken: "The man is no longer powerful of his body, but the woman, and the woman also is not powerful of her body, but the man". Item, "a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave unto his wife." This word was spoken by Adam when God brought Eve to him, saying, "This is one leg of My legs and flesh of My flesh, and shall be two in one flesh." But it is not Adam's words alone, but also GOD's words. God Himself speaks them through Adam's mouth. Adam was full of the Holy Spirit before the sin. Therefore, what he spoke was spoken by the Spirit of God, and was just as much as what Adam spoke, as if it had been spoken by God Himself. His heart, tongue, mouth and all his members were holy, therefore everything he spoke was holy. Therefore God spoke through the mouth of Adam; this is what is to be noted in Moses.
There is no example found in the holy Scriptures of righteous men and saints who have separated or cast off their wives, but they have kept themselves in such a way that husband and wife are one flesh. Therefore the Lord Christ confirms here
968 Erl. 44, 137-139. Luther's sermon on Matth. 19, 1-9. 969
the marriage state, just as a preacher of the gospel does, that he teaches about external things, if there is any unrighteousness of the law or abuse. Thus, with the work of creation, he confirms and concludes both that God created man and woman, and that he forbade that man should not separate. For it is not Mosi's thing, but God first created the husband and wife and then joined them together, and also forbade that they should not divorce.
And add to this Christ speaks:
What God has joined together, let not man put asunder.
As 1) he shall say, Thou, man, shalt not divorce thee from the woman, for he that created thee, man, hath made thee a woman; and he that created thee, woman, hath given thee to man to help him 2c., and will have no divorcement. Because it is so, that what God puts together, no man shall separate; man and woman God puts together, He makes you a man, and makes you a woman, and by His order man and woman become one body: therefore this order of God no man shall separate, let God call him Moses, or whatever he will; but here it is said: If you have taken me, you must be separated from me by death alone. If ye be angry one with another, and be divided, be ye reconciled again, as Paul saith; but there shall be no separation among you.
I do not want to say any more about this text here, because it is often repeated and acted upon.
But there the Pharisees come with Moses and want to catch him, as follows in the text:
V. 7. 8. Then they said: Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorcement, and to divorce her himself? He said to them: Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts. But from the beginning it was not so.
- "As" put by us instead of "so".
As if they should speak: What sayest thou? shall not a man divorce? will reprove and rebuke his words which he hath spoken hitherto; say: Why then did Moses command that a woman should be given a bill of divorcement and let go, that she might have a testimony that she had not run away from her husband as a harlot, but had honestly divorced her husband? Oh, how one has played under the law here as under a little hat! Every man has wanted to adorn his wickedness with it; every pious and honest woman here has had to be wicked and disobedient. If a wicked man did not like his wife, because he liked another better than her, he soon found a reason to push her away; and if a man liked another man's wife, he could teach her and advise her that she would do her husband no good, until he had cause and opportunity to give her a bill of divorce, and she would come from him and he would have her. That is where this law came from. But the devil on the head, it has to be this law of all Büberei shame lid.
The Lord Christ answers and says: Moses has allowed you to separate because of your hardness of heart; as if he should say: What Moses? he goes through as a Lord; says: Moses to, Moses to, God is over Moses. Because ye are wicked Jews, wicked and desperate wretches, and cannot keep that which God hath commanded; that there be no evil, neither that ye smite your wives to death, nor that ye forgive them with poison: Moses hath not commanded you these things, but hath permitted you to do them: Moses hath not given you the law for your righteousness, honor, and godliness, but hath permitted you, and looked upon it through the fingers, for the hardness of your heart. It is not commanded of him, but Moses thought, This people is such a proud and wicked people, that they would commit murder one upon another. If they will not keep God's commandment, let them separate, that murder and poison may remain. If any man will not have his wife with him in goodness, let him put her away, lest an evil man come to him.
- Erlanger: them.
970 Eri. 44, 139-141. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 971
If you do not want to be married in God's name, then you are harlots and knaves in the devil's name. You are such pious, stubborn, shameful and hard-hearted people that no hammer can soften you.
Thus, in the secular regiment, one must often look through the fingers of a bad boy in a city and not punish him, otherwise his head would be cut off. But one cannot justifiably do this, lest, if one punished him, other twenty innocent people should come to grief and suffer harm; as it commonly happens that a wicked man cannot be punished without harming many poor people. Therefore, it is better to spare one or two of the wicked than to put the whole city in danger.
It is said of Emperor Maximiliano that when the Frankish horsemen were causing a lot of trouble, he said: If I did not have the care of pious people, and if I did not spare other people, I would soon control them and punish them. It often happens that one has to give a wicked, desperate man a piece of malice, to let up a little, so that nothing bad happens, as if a rope were hanging from one's neck, and one wanted to cut him with a sword, one would certainly take the neck with him. Therefore, it must either be cut up gradually and neatly, or left uncut.
But he who is not punished in the world does not escape punishment. For even if the authorities do not punish, the devil punishes in the end. Now if you Jews are such a little herb, and have such a hard and hardened heart that cannot be led or taught, then Christ says let yourselves be divorced, and interprets the law so that Moses does not call it divorcing, but only allows it for bad boys.
So one should preach of divorce, and if they had looked behind them, they would have found that it was not so from the beginning, rather than Moses ever was. Neither did the prophets and the holy kings; they left no examples of divorce behind them to prove that they had left their wives. So the Lord Christ comes through in a fine way. For they think that they want Christ
He will tear through the ropes and nets as through a spider's web, saying, "Moses to, Moses to, God is more than Moses," and will excuse Moses for having had to give in to wicked men, so that no harm will come to those who are innocent. For it sometimes happens that one has to give in to a prankster, and, as they say in the proverb, to put on two lights for a prankster, otherwise one would only need one for a pious man 2c.
Now the Lord decides, and even knocks them on the head and says:
But I say unto you: Whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
What is this said? Moses said that a man may put away his wife, but Christ says here that whoever puts away his wife and takes another is an adulterer with the one he has put away, because the first one he put away is his. Moses said that they should be put asunder. No, says the Lord Christ, such a one has become not only an adulterer but also a fornicator. For this reason Christ not only completely abolishes the law of Moses, but he also says: Whoever takes another commits adultery; he is judged that the other is not his wife. If he takes another, he cannot have a marriage with her for the sake of adultery; and if they come into a public adultery and do not mend their ways afterwards, the devil has put a stop to it. For the woman was one body with the man, and he is her debtor; so he goes and cuts off her part, and gives it to another; thus he tears up the unity of the body. Item, God's will is that husband and wife be one body, but an adulteress separates herself from her husband's bed, and just as she tears herself from her husband and separates her body from him, so she wants to make the conjugal state a lid, and be a wife under the life of a whore. There may be a divorce, but by those who are in authority, and a man does not divorce himself,
972 Erl. 44, 141-144. Luther's sermon on Matth. 19, 16-12. 973
For God will nevertheless have prevented the whoredom. A whore drinks and eats with a man, and under the holy name, which is a wife, she still wants to be a whore, and then bring foreign heirs into the house and property. Always away with the whore, put her in a sack and throw her into the Elbe! She shall consume the man's goods, if she has not been angry to acquire them? and have the name that she is the wife? shall enjoy everything? shall have the man's money and body, and above that bring foreign heirs into the house? Such a one shall be divorced, and no one shall take her. If she wants to be a whore, let her hurry. Is it not enough that God has given her the grace that she may have a husband? otherwise he has created wives and husbands enough. If husband and wife are with each other, keep together, stay with each other, you may lie and live together; and that otherwise is a sin to others who are not husbands and wives, let it be holy to you, good work. And you do not want this freedom and glory, since God adorns this estate with it, and would rather be a stranger's whore with sins and shame, even incurring the wrath of God, than be a married housewife with a good conscience and honor? And if you do that, you have divorced yourself.
If a husband and wife become angry and disagree with each other, they should not divorce. The jurists draw other reasons for divorce from the spiritual law of the pope, such as if one of the spouses becomes a leper and the like. But it belongs to an evangelical preacher to interpret how this law of Moses should be understood. For the Lord Christ speaks here of the law or right, how God created the man and the woman, and that God gives them together according to it. For it is a divine order and foundation, which he does not want to be torn apart, but united until death.
This is the first teaching of Christ when he came from Galilee to the Jewish land, after he had risen from Galilee, preaching until the third year.
And follows:
Second sermon on the 19th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
V. 10-12 Then said the disciples unto him, If the case of a man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said to them: The word is not for everyone, but for those to whom it is given. For there are some who have been made asunder, born out of the womb; and there are some who have been made asunder by men; and there are some who have made themselves asunder for the kingdom of heaven's sake. Whoever can grasp it, let him grasp it.
This is not a funny sermon, but because the text gives it, and the Lord himself preaches about it, we must also speak about it.
Above, the Lord Christ has abolished the bill of divorcement, except when it had to be used for adultery, because that is when husbands and wives divorced themselves. Therefore, one should no longer follow the law of Moses, which was given to the hard, hardened people; and Christians and pious people, who think to be saved, should not follow the law of Moses, but Christ says here: If a woman commits adultery, she divorces herself, and is justly cast out by her husband; for she is an adulteress, and he who takes her again to wife is also an adulterer. This is said clearly enough that God wants husband and wife to remain together. For what God has joined together, let no man put asunder; this is God's commandment and will.
Now when the disciples hear that both the man and the woman are adulterers, and that they have no hope of dwelling with one another, they marvel, for they were not accustomed to such words from him before; therefore they ask, saying: Lord, would it not be better not to take a wife at all? For if one should be so hard bound to a wife with whom one could not get along, who had a strange and whimsical head, that would be hard for one. Therefore the apostles confess with this question first of all that the bill of divorcement was a very common thing among the Jews at that time: as it is still common among the Turks that if a man has a wife, he is to be married to her.
974 "rl. 44, 144-146. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 975
If a man does not like his wife, he pushes her away and runs to the market and buys another. So the Jews also put away wives, just as one puts away a 1) bad horse with a heart. Secondly, they confess that a good marriage is seldom found, just as the pagans complain about it, and the whole world also cries out about it, that when a couple of people come together who love and value each other, they say: This is a good marriage. They also say: It is a strange herb, a good marriage, and it is not so mean as the stones in the streets. So also the disciples of Christ consider it a strange thing, and therefore think that it is not good to be a husband: for he that taketh a wife may be in danger of catching a wicked wife, and after that cannot get rid of her.
And it is well ordered by the ancient fathers in the Church that common prayer be made for the new spouses, so that God may grant them happiness and blessing in marriage. For the devil is not pleased that there should be unity among the spouses, and that they should live in peace with one another, and bring up their children in the fear of God, discipline and respectability; and this is one reason why a well-married couple is a strange thing, for the devil does not like it that spouses should live well with one another, since otherwise harlots and knaves remain together longer in peace. On the other hand, original sin and our flesh and blood cause this misery and heartache among married couples, so that people soon get tired of marriage and are unstable in love. Our old Adam does not like what God gives, and what he does not give, he wants to have. S. Augustine also speaks of this and says: "The great lust of the man for the woman, and again of the woman for the man, is out of all proportion. The woman that is given to me I do not respect, there is no desire for her, and those whom God has forbidden me I want to have. So there is great disobedience in the flesh beyond measure, therefore it cannot stand. The man soon gets tired of the woman, and thinks: "If you had her, I would be content; and if he has her, I would be content.
- "Herzschlächtig" is the name of the fault of a horse suffering from shortness of breath. In the Erlanger: "haarschlächtig". Low German: .chartschlägsch".
the love and lust would soon be over and atoned for, and she would look for another. So also a woman soon tires of her husband whom God has given her, and throws her love on another, and if she had the same one, she would not put up with him for long either; for the natural evil and misfortune, which is called weariness (that one soon tires of a thing, becomes full and weary of it), does not remain outside.
I have often experienced that their two came together with great ardor and love, and with love one wanted to eat the other; but before half a year had passed, he was an adulterer and she an adulteress. Otherwise I have known her to be at enmity with her husband, who had begotten five or six children with each other, and not only was marriage one thing to another, but also the fruits of the womb: nevertheless they ran away from each other; and now one has more to do with matrimonial matters than with all other affairs. We cannot read, preach or study before it, which is a sure sign that the devil has a heartache with this state. For one comes together with ardor and desire, and when one has recognized the other for a while, then weariness sets in, and they run away from each other again.
We experience this every day. Therefore the apostles of Christ are also displeased when someone has a wicked wife, who is of a stubborn head, and not only wants to have the house rule in his fist, but also grows over the head of the man, although God says the opposite in the first book of Moses, where he says: "The will of the woman shall be subject to the man. Item, the man shall have vain displeasure in the woman, and the smoke in the house shall bite him. Therefore they ask: What should a man do here? Is it better for a man to remain unmarried or to become married? and conclude that it is much better for a man to remain alone, without a wife. For it is altogether too dangerous and not to be dared, and he can get one who leaves him neither peace nor rest; if then it should apply to vain beating and running, then it is not fine either. Now this comes from the devil's temptation, and after that also
976 Erl. 44, 146-148. Luther's sermon on Matth. 19, 1o-12. 977
From the evil that is called wantonness. Therefore it is not good to free a woman, but better to leave her, as the Turks do, who force the women to become pious, so that they stay in the house and have food and drink. This is a right way to make the wives humble and subdued. Because the Lord Christ preaches to the devout Christians that Christian women are honest matrons who fear God, he answers whether it is good to live without a wife or to have a wife, and says: "Not everyone understands this word. For Adam has caused a displeasure in paradise, that we soon get tired of one thing. Therefore it is not at all advisable to preach that it is not good to become married, for this gift is not given to everyone to live chastely, for it is a special gift; and if this gift is not there, that God has pulled you out of the evil heat, in which otherwise the human race is, and adorned with the jewel that you, woman, do not ask for a man, and you, man, do not respect a woman: Dare not, or thou shalt make thyself an adulterer and an adulteress, and defile thyself with dumb sins, and shalt not be pure, but shalt deal foully with thyself; and such also is found.
Many clumsy things were written about this a long time ago, which I am not allowed to tell here, and it also belongs to the secret confession. And Christ says to his disciples: You say it is not true. Yes, if anyone had the grace and gift of chastity. But if it is not there, the need to be married presses you. If then thou wilt say, I will not give myself in the bit; yea, thou shalt hereafter suffer the heat and evil air, that, 1) when thou seest a boy, thou shalt feel that thou hast not the gift or endowment of chastity. So then your heart is a whorehouse, which day and night intends to fornicate, and does not lack the good will, but only the space and place to fornicate, and then falls on you.
- Original: "das", which the Erlanger has changed in the text into "da", which seems to us not to be permissible. - We think that the text is incomplete here. Perhaps is to be supplemented in the following: "see, [you will desire his, 1 and will feel" 2c.
than a mad dog. Is it not better here that you lead an honest, godly being in marriage, and then would not have cause to be stuck in this rut and restlessness, than that you remain without a wife?
Thus answers the Lord Christ, and the same is said of widows by S. Paul, 1 Tim. 5:14 ff, when he says: "I will that the young widows be free, beget children, keep house, and give no cause to the adversary to reproach them, for some are already turned away after Satan. Therefore it is better that you live with your husband, and again you, husband, cleave to your wife, that you may be free from heat, evil desire, and harlotry. For the Lord Christ says, "The word is not for everyone," as if to say, "I exclude no one from this creation, since God made man and woman, but only those to whom grace has been given by God; and there are not many found who have this gift. I have also had it, although many evil thoughts and dreams have come with it. Outwardly I was pious and chaste, but inwardly I was full of evil desire, from which I was not removed. And where someone has the grace of chastity, he has the finest life and good rest than anyone may have. In sum, such a one has a precious jewel and ornament, and to such belongs the answer of the Lord Christ, which he gives to the apostles here. But I will not let it be said of all, unless he has this gift. It must be a gift over nature. In nature, God creates a woman and a man and blesses them, wanting them to be fruitful in marriage and to multiply. But if there should be unrest, strife and quarrels among them, let them live together in the fear of God, praying diligently; if they will not do this, let them quarrel, I will not separate them, says Christ here. It is Adä's fault who made this noise with his fall in paradise.
And saith, There are some that are cut off, which are so born of the womb. The word
- Here we seem to be missing a "not". Compare Luther's sayings, Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 691 f., § 54; idiä. Col. 724, s 143.
978 Erl. 44, 148-151. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 979
We do not have eunuchus in the German language. It is called a chamberlain or a chamber servant, who serves with an emperor, king, prince or lord in a chamber. The kings in the Orient invented this word, and they had eunuchos in their chambers. So that their queens and princes might remain pure and not become whores or sleep with the chamberlains, they made the chamberlains into cocks, for nature teaches that when a man is copped, he is not much good for a woman. Therefore the kings of Babylon and the kings of Persia and Egypt devised this wickedness against men.
But there are two kinds of cocks, the first which are born in this way, of which there are many, so that they are like stones and blocks against women, that as one is born blind, so one is born circumcised, that he is cold and frozen against a woman's image: this is a natural cock, he can be of no use either for service or for marriage. The other lunuodi are made with human hands, as they were used in the courts of kings for chamberlains. These are unworthy of women, but they love women very much, for they cannot enjoy women or be satisfied with them. For what is forbidden to us, we long for. What is not given to us, we want to have straight away, as the pagans also said: Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata.
The Turkish emperor is said to have one and a half hundred queens. There is also such a great Hanfe chamberlain; and because they are good for nothing, they love the women very much, and they serve faithfully, and wait for them most diligently day and night, so that the women could not have better guards than such cocks. But one should not do it, nor spoil the male images in such a way that one takes away their natural birth, and they are then unfit for marriage. Nevertheless, they love women out of all measure. The first are grudging against women, the others love them, and are forcibly cut off from men's hands. But it is not good. The Turk, the devil, has now brought it into the world, that it is again quite mean.
After that, some godly men in the church cut themselves off (because they felt that they did not have the gift of chastity, of which Christ says here), so that they would be overtaken by heat and evil desire. In the first church, this was so violent that the pope had to forbid it, even though he subsequently approved and confirmed the state of chastity, living without a woman; and it was a beautiful virtue in the eyes of the pagans that those who served the church lived in chastity. But after this the bishops went and held a concilium, and issued a mandate in which they commanded that all those who had made themselves 1) chaste should be put under ban, and should never again be fit for the church office; and. Origen, an excellent, learned man, and of an honorable and chaste life, when many women and virgins went to his preaching, and he was told that many of them did not go to his preaching to hear him and learn something from him, but for fornication; So that he might not give them cause for fornication, he cut himself off; and Origen was therefore put to death, for because he was a great man, others also wanted to imitate him, and his example was very dangerous.
Now the pope confirms that the servants of the divine word should not let themselves be cut; but he also forbade that they should not have wives. What followed from this, one can see that the priests became mad rutting devils and vain whoremongers.
I have known one who wanted to counsel him himself with a vow, and may well be, 2) by capping, and afterwards confessed that he had never felt such great heat as when he did this. Now we hear here that the Lord Christ does not like it; so S. Paul 1 Cor. 7 also says of it, "It is better to free than to burn," because burning and evil desire makes a troubled heart and life; and we do not cut ourselves off today, as they did in the old days.
- Erlanger: trimmed.
- The text seems to be corrupted here. If one deleted the words: "with a vow and might well be," it would be in accordance with Tischreden, Cap. 43, §133. Walch, St. Louis Edition; Vol. XXII, 1188.
980 Eri. 44, 151-153. Luther's sermon on Matth. 19, 10-12. 981
Even if we do it right away, we are not rid of the burning, but we get much more heat. Thus, when one wants to change or improve what God has made, it ends up being such a mess.
But the righteous Eunuchi are those who cut themselves spiritually, not with their hands, as those in the other degree do, for here no human hands come into it, but they are willingly chaste, and have this grace that they voluntarily remain virgins. It is also very good and fine for them to live chastely, but in such a way that they do not make a worship or pride out of it. They should do it, says the Lord Christ, for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Yes, they say, we also do it for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. There strike the infernal fire! We abstained from women in the priesthood and in the monasteries also for the reason that God should think more highly of us than of Abraham and Isaac. It was for the sake of their own hope and righteousness that a monk and nun wanted to be higher and holier before God than another Christian. This means to elevate bodily chastity above spiritual chastity, yes, to elevate it above faith. But if you cut yourself off in faith, so that you may serve the Christian church, the gospel, and your preaching ministry all the better, and abstain from womanhood, so that you may be of service to the kingdom of heaven, and have all the better rest, that would be remiss. For he that is an honest man, and hath not a salary of the church, and shall work his trade and study, cannot do both at the same time. For this reason kings and princes have provided for the preachers that they be paid their wages, so that they might have their food and entertainment without the labor of their hands, and so that they might be all the more diligent about the Bible. For God, in the Old Testament, took from the priests and Levites all care of food, and commanded that they should tithe, that they might study the better. Since it is thus done for them that they have to study, it would be well for him who wanted to serve the church, and would have all the more rest, to remain without a wife, for then he would have neither wife nor child to support, and
could say: I will let myself be used for the gospel and the kingdom of God; not as monks and nuns who want to acquire and earn the kingdom of heaven through the worthiness of chastity; for this is given through Christ alone, and if it is given to us, we should accept it with gratitude: but that we may study, pray and read diligently, and the church may be edified by it. S. Paul also says in 1 Cor. 7:34: "He who is single cares for what belongs to the Lord and how he may please the Lord. He cares nothing for the fields or meadows, but how he serves God; otherwise he would have to care for his house and servants.
Thus far we have dealt with this text, of which Christ himself also spoke, and heard that he who is chaste does not set himself higher than others who do not live without wives, but they should serve others with their gift of chastity. But this was not taught in the papacy, but chastity was praised as such a good work, which God especially rewarded with the Kingdom of Heaven; and at that time no one studied it in the Bible, they did not preach, nor did they visit churches, nor did they accept the Gospel or the Kingdom of Heaven. That is, to be chaste for the sake of hope, that one might be better than other Christians, that is, in a perfect state higher than the ten commandments and the gospel of Christ. Yes, if a bishop should keep five or ten harlots! For this reason they are devilish classes, the devil has raised them with this cap. But the Lord Christ says here that the true cappers want to serve the kingdom of heaven, not that they want to obtain a special crown in heaven, because they have heaven in a different and better way, namely through Christ. For many of the Gentiles have also lived without marital status, but they have not been saved by it.
For this reason the Lord Christ concludes and says: "Whoever can grasp it, let him grasp it. This word is good to remember. And say not, Christ saith this, therefore it is good. It means, if you can grasp it, and if grace is given to you. But if thou canst not grasp it, stay from it, for
982 Erl. 44, 153-1S5. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. 983
it is better to be free than to burn. For he who is in heat is not able to reason. This can be seen in the students and prostitutes. The monks have the heat and evil desires want to force with fasting, praying the rosary and with hard clothes; but the fire can not be extinguished.
S. Jerome speaks in this case of himself. I poor fool did not lie down in a bed, but slept on the hard earth, and smashed my breast with stones, as he is thus painted, nor, when I fell asleep, did I think otherwise, that I was in Rome at the singing dance; as S. Bernard and Franciscus also made children and women of snow and laid them beside themselves, that they might be rid of the heat. But it does not; for Christ, the very best teacher, does not present us with ropes or anything else, but places it on the gift of God. He who has the gift of being able to live without a wife is an angel on earth, and he has a quiet life. Whoever cannot grasp it, it is not good for him to be without a wife, but let him become a husband and take a wife.
Third sermon on the 19th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
Now a new question arises, as with the little children, so that the Lord Christ may also be tempted. But he makes his report and answers it, and the evangelist writes thus:
V.13-15. And little children were brought unto him, and he laid his hands upon them, and prayed; and the disciples came upon them. But Jesus said, Leave the little children, and do not hinder them from coming to me, for such is the kingdom of heaven; and he laid his hands on them, and departed.
S. Marcus describes this history in the tenth chapter with more words, which we usually also read in the baptism.
And this text is one that the devil and the heretics, but especially the Anabaptists, have harshly contested. Therefore, we must take a good look at the text, and give the blasphemers the
For they will not stop, and this and that heresy will stir up even more, and the Anabaptists go about in their great wisdom, saying: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved. From this they make such a conclusion:
He who has no reason cannot believe;
The children have no reason or intellect:
Therefore children cannot believe, and therefore they should not be baptized; and if any children were baptized, they must be baptized again when they come to their male age.
After that, the Anabaptists continued to slobber and worry even more about this text and interpreted it back and forth, and got into even greater foolishness, so that they would even want to abolish infant baptism, and pretend that in this text infants are not called natural children, and that they are half children in age, but called all Christians in general who are humble, and have a childlike, simple heart, and believe in Christ. Such unholy spirits are the ones who rumble along. But pious hearts see that such interpretations do not hold the sting. They are foolish and foolish people; they do not see that Christ is speaking here of those who are half children, and who are carried in the arms, for old people do not carry one another. Now the evangelist Marcus says that they carried children to him, and he took them in his arms and embraced them, and they were brought to him because they considered him a prophet. Therefore the text must be understood that great men carried the children, because otherwise one child does not carry the other, so the children were not so great that they could have walked by themselves. This stands quite clearly and brightly there, nor does it help anything, but Hans reason and Hans sausage comes along and says: Children are not called small children here, but grown humble people. But anyone who has a little sense sees that the Anabaptists are possessed by the devil, for they want to call the children unreasonable in the name of all hangers-on, and they themselves are not only unreasonable, but also unreasonable.
984 Erl. 44, 155-157. Luther's sermon on Matth. 19, 13-15. 985
They are foolish and foolish, because they do not want to be children carried in their arms, as this text clearly says: "They brought little children to the Lord, and he blessed them and laid his hand on them, and the apostles took them (men and women) as they carried them. Therefore we say: There were little children, which are not yet of sound mind, neither able to speak, nor to walk, neither knowing how to live. For in children of two years there is not much reason, there is not great wit and high sense, but reason is as yet buried, or scorched deep into the earth. Nevertheless, here the Lord Christ says: The little children should not be rejected, but they should be brought to him. Here the Anabaptists would say: "What is this? They have no understanding. Hear thou here, it is not for thy reason, nor for thy presumption, to judge how Christ may bless them and give them the Holy Spirit. He does not want to be mastered. Therefore, the text concludes that the children, who are not yet rational, will nevertheless be blessed and receive the Holy Spirit. He says, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for such is the kingdom of heaven." From this it can be seen that the Anabaptists did not have a good spirit, because they wanted to prevent children from being baptized.
So it is also clear from this text of the evangelist Marci that the baptism of infants is not to be despised, because there it is said: "Verily I say to you: He that receiveth not the kingdom of God as a little child shall not enter therein"; that is, he that killeth not his reason, and burieth it, and becometh as a little child, shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. If they bury their reason and have their eyes put out, and are carried and led to Christ, the kingdom of God is theirs. If Christ will not save anyone, if he becomes a child, how much more will he save those who were children before?
Yes, they say, the children do not believe. You deny this, because it does not follow that they do not believe because you do not see and feel it. It is enough that Christ sees and knows that they believe.
Item, they pretend: How can children believe, if they have not yet reason? and they put reason for faith. To this Christ answers, "For this very reason they are all the more apt to do and believe, since they have no reason, for reason is radically contrary to faith. Therefore reason must be abandoned, it must be killed and buried in the believer. But the Anabaptists make reason a light of faith, that reason should shine for faith wherever it should go. Yes, I mean, it shines like dirt in a lantern. Christ wants us to become children if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven in any other way; that is, just as in children all reason and understanding that can be reckoned is still dead, so in all believers in Christ reason should also be killed; otherwise faith has no place among them, because reason fights against faith.
When, for example, the Scripture says that there is only One God, and in the One Divine Being there are three distinct Persons, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, but One Being and Substance. Soon the Turk comes along with his reason and asks how it could be possible that one could be three and three could be one? they say that in One Hanse there must be no more than One Lord and Host, thus also in Heaven there must be only One God. This is all spoken from reason. But here you, Christian, must become a child and say: I can't rhyme it together, but I must become a child and let myself be carried, let Christ touch me and bless me, and believe, but close the eyes of reason and not see how it could be possible or impossible, but believe the simple simple word and accept it.
It is the same with all the other articles of faith. The heathen, when they hear that God's natural Son became man, say: It is not possible. Yes, if you ask reason for advice; but here you must abandon reason, and know nothing of it, and even kill it, or else.
- Erlanger: had to.
986 Erl. 44, 157-1S0. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 987
you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. These things cannot be grasped or understood by reason; you must believe the article that Christ was born a man when the time was fulfilled. You must be carried and led to Christ by the divine word, then you will be partaker of the kingdom of heaven. You must become children, little children belong here, little children are carried by the Lord Christ, he caresses and embraces them, and gives them the blessing, saying: "Such is the kingdom of heaven. If then I let myself be carried, Christ gives me his works and merit and the kingdom of heaven.
The Turk also says of the Lord's Supper that there is only bread and wine, item, in baptism there is bad water, which is poured over the hand, and says: "Shall this be called a bath of regeneration, as is written to Tito in chapter 3? This is a ridiculous thing to them, for one cannot wash a spoon white with this water, how should one bathe body and soul with it? Reason cannot comprehend the articles of faith, even the doctrine of the sacrament of baptism and the Lord's Supper. Therefore it is said, Thou shalt become a child, saying, I understand not; I see but water, and how the same is poured upon a child; but that he saith baptism hath power and authority of regeneration, and remission of sins by the word, in this will I believe, and will gladly be a fool and a child.
Why then do the desperate red spirits want to bind faith to reason, when it is impossible that faith and reason should agree with each other? For Christ says here expressly: If you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, become a little child, for I came into the world to make all children, and to make them fools. For those who see clearly and are wise and prudent do not need to become children. But we bring the little children to baptism and bring them to the Lord Christ. The preacher speaks the words of baptism and pours the water over the child; but God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are present and baptize themselves, as can be seen every year from Chapter 3.
Matthew preaches about it. At the baptism, it is the Holy Trinity that baptizes, as the words read: in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If the Holy Trinity baptizes, blesses and touches, why should not everything happen that is reported in the text? Especially since Christ says here: "Such is the kingdom of heaven.
Yes, say the Anabaptists, but I do not see how they are set free from the devil's snare and placed in eternal life; item, how they are blessed by Christ. Yes, what you cannot judge with your reason, faith tells you; it closes the eyes of reason and says that it is not a man who baptizes, but God who baptizes; item, there is the external water and also the divine word. Yes, I do not see God, so I do not feel His work; nevertheless it happens. If we were not to be blessed before, if we had understood everything with our reason beforehand, we would be blessed slowly; we do not have to brew faith and reason into one another. What happens to us old people who have reason and five senses, since we do not understand everything? Our life is not half in faith, according to the Anabaptist way. We do not spend the seventh part of our time and life remembering God and His Word. But shall you not be a Christian for this reason? What does man spend time with his childhood without reason! What time does a man spend sleeping, when he has neither reason nor wit, but lies there as a dead man and like a log? Man spends half of his life with sleep. If I suddenly die in the night, where do you think I will go? For, according to the judgment of the Anabaptists, there is no reason, therefore there must be no faith, for they want faith to be a work of reason. But if you lay down in bed, and command Christ, and lie there in bed like cattle, like a cow and a sow, or some other unreasonable animal, and there is no sign or token of faith and the Holy Spirit in your sleep, but lie there like a pig on the bed, should I not therefore be a believer, and
988 ' Erl. 44, 160-162. Luther's sermon on Matth. 1 fl, 13-15. 989
not be preserved in God's grace, or be a child of eternal life?
What does a craftsman spend time on his craft and handling, if he puts all his reason and thoughts into it and uses them for this purpose? For if a carpenter were to think elsewhere and hew with an axe, he should strike himself as soon as the wood. So it is with other crafts and trades also. Now if it were true that the Anabaptists say, "Reason must be with faith," then one would be lost and corrupt if he died at his craft or in his sleep; how many would be saved? No, my reason does not have to promote me to faith, and my faith remains, even if I do not have my reason with me. I sleep or wake, read in the book, and have my thoughts wherever I want, so faith is there and can be there, and God sees it, even if the Anabaptists do not see it.
Thus baptism washes my body and soul, although the Anabaptist says he sees nothing but water. So in the sacrament is the body and blood of the Lord Christ, although a sacramentarian sees nothing but bread and wine. If then thou wilt believe nothing but what thy mind teaches thee, thou must put away all articles of faith in one heap, for there is none so small, thy reason will say it is impossible. Therefore, even if I sleep and an Anabaptist does not see my faith, Christ sees it in my heart. If I think that this child does not believe (for I cannot see it), Christ who baptized it is standing there.
So it is also with those who are at their work, or writing some letter, or otherwise burdened with business, who are doing their trade, and do not remember Christ. Let reason be there," they say, "and let it give light to faith, how it should see. Then you must not say, This craftsman who cuts with his axe or works in any other way is not a Christian, for he is cutting and cutting with reason. Remember that we spend most of our lives sleeping, eating, drinking and working, because we are busy with reason.
If a man does not remember the Bible every moment, he is not condemned.
So they argue about reason, and become foolish and foolish about it. But the Lord Christ says the opposite, that these are the right Christians, who do not follow reason, and we must also become such people, that we are unreasonable most of our lives, and deal with things that do not belong to the kingdom of heaven. Even if one is very godly, and even if we are in church and hear God's word, we must still drop reason and hear God's word alone.
All heresy has flowed from and originated from the fact that reason wants to master and supersede the holy Scriptures. 1) But reason is far too blind to judge from the Scriptures, and if a man follows reason, he becomes a carnal man and judges all others to be carnal and unreasonable. But if the children are considered unreasonable by you, you are seven times more unreasonable; for the Lord Christ considers them reasonable. Go therefore with your reason to Babylon; Christ himself says: "Let the little children come to me," 2c. I will touch them, and by this they will be children of eternal life, and the kingdom of God will be theirs.
Yes, they cannot believe, because they are not so reasonable as an old man! Yes, not so great and foolish, as you, age, are. They can believe the better, if they are not so reasonable. I know, though I sleep, that I am in faith, and am compassed about with Christ, who loveth me, and calleth me to the kingdom of heaven: for faith is in the heart of him that sleepeth, though he die in a moment.
Therefore, the argument of the Anabaptists does not conclude: "A child is not rational, therefore it should not be baptized. Rather, Christ says, for this very reason that children are not rational, they should be baptized, for faith cannot hold nor stand where reason rules and reigns.
- Maybe: overclock?
990 Eri. 44, 162-164. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 991
Now let us say this for good measure: If it were true, if it were not, that baptism given to infants without faith is nothing, and if it were so that infants believed nothing at all, and were not rational, and could not grasp the word of God, should baptism therefore be unjust? should baptism be rejected when it is given to those who do not believe? How could baptism be more desecrated and blasphemed than that it should not be a truly good baptism given to an unbeliever? For how would God come to base His own work on my person and on my worthiness and unworthiness? Because I did not believe, should baptism be nothing? should the gospel be nothing? should the sacrament and the forgiveness of sin be nothing? indeed, should God Himself be nothing in heaven? What could the devil himself teach or preach that is more annoying and blasphemous? The Anabaptists and the red spirits are still filled with this doctrine. But if a Jew were to accept baptism (as is often the case) and did not believe, would you say that baptism is not right because he does not believe? That would not only be fooling with reason, but also blaspheming and desecrating God. But God's baptism is not like that, and God's work and word does not stand on our work, unworthiness or wickedness. As I preach the divine word, many who hear my sermon do not accept it and do not believe in it; so I hear that the word I preach is not true, because one or the other does not believe or understand: that would be an abominable thing. Item, I preach the ten commandments, that one should be obedient to parents; but there is some disobedient child that dishonors parents; therefore the fourth commandment is not true. But how can it be that because of some wicked people who do not keep God's commandment, God's commandment and word should be nothing? No, God's word and work should not be nothing because he who receives it does not ask for it, despises it, or does not understand it, nor does he believe in it.
So when it comes to common worldly things
- Erlanger: can.
If I were to buy beer, or bread, or a few bushels of grain from a man, and were to number him gold and silver coins, and give him good money for them, and he said, This is neither gold nor silver, I will not take it; and I said, Why wilt thou not have it? And he said, Because I will not take it; and if such gold or money should not be right or good for thy not taking it, should not every man carry a rope and chains, and bind him as a foolish man? How much more senseless and foolish then are the Anabaptists, who act in this way in the eternal and greatest things, in which they blaspheme and defile God to the highest degree, when they pretend out of pure malice: God's gifts and works are not right, so that people do not respect or accept them? They preach such impudent lies, and bring them to the people, that if anyone does not accept a thing, therefore it is not right. They do not do right by not accepting it, but nevertheless the thing offered to them is not evil.
What is this for an introduction: You don't see the sun in the sky and also don't want to see it, therefore so is no sun. The sun nevertheless remains a sun, if I would not believe it to be a sun and would be blind. So I also say that even if the infants do not believe, as the Anabaptists say, their baptism is still right, because it is not in the receiving, but in the one who gives baptism, who does it and speaks, which is God. Therefore his word and work is always right, whether a Christian or an ungodly person uses it.
If the foolish and foolish drops taught thus: This child did not believe when it was baptized; therefore, because you are now grown up, still believe and become a Christian. Therefore the child shall not be baptized again, but shall be taught the faith. For baptism, once given, is right in itself, and an eternal right baptism; therefore it shall not be repeated.
So we should teach: If God teaches, gives, baptizes something that affects a right or wrong person, it is the truth.
992 Erl. 44, 1S4-1S7. Luther's sermon on Matth. 19, 13-15. 993
If the sun shines, it remains and is the sun; let one die or sleep, let him see it or not. Your wife remains and is your wife. Your wife remains and is your wife, even if you do not want to take her for your wife. So the prince is your authority, even if you do not consider him a prince. Baptism and the gospel are right, though I do not believe it. Baptism is right, even if a Jew receives it for the sake of money, as often happens; then I, the preacher, will not say that it is the devil's baptism, if afterwards the Jew comes and says, "I have sinned by being baptized for the sake of money; now I will believe, teach and instruct myself in Christianity;" but he has received the right baptism. Therefore, in all ways one should distinguish God's work and the person. The person is ours, and be that as it may, it does not therefore make God's work and word unjust.
This should and must be known, not only against the Anabaptists, but also against other groups, such as those who pretend that the oral word is a dead letter; as Muenzer also said that the word was not right and true, because if one preached for the same length of time, the people would not become more devout, and few would believe in it; if 1) this should be true, then it would not be God's word. So they want to judge God's word according to the people, who will soon become devout when they hear it. But God's word is true, even though not all listeners believe it. On the last day, they will certainly realize whether the gospel they heard was not righteous, and whether it could not harm them, even if they did not believe it to be the true word of God, because the word will judge on the last day and condemn the unbelievers and the wicked, as the Lord Christ says: "I judge no one, but the word will judge them on the last day. If the word of God were not true, because I did not believe, then I could not be condemned according to their dream and delusion, and so I could not help those who believe.
- Erlanger: Ifs.
believe, nor condemn those who do not believe.
So the wretched devil fantasizes in the world, but distinguish God and the people. God is true, so God's word also remains true, likewise 2) baptism, the Lord's Supper and absolution are right. The fact that people do not accept them is not the fault of God or His gifts, but of the people. Therefore, distinguish them from God, do not judge God for not hearing, nor judge His word for not being accepted. On the last day we will hear whether God's word is not true, whether baptism is right, and whether the power of the keys is valid.
Reason has a pretense for itself, and says, "What good is baptism to him who does not believe? But faith says, "If the one who receives it does not believe, it does him harm, but it does not follow that baptism should not be effective because of this.
So the pope also taught about the keys of the church; he went to them and said that the solution key, the absolution, could sometimes err. This has been a right Anabaptist grip; taught thus: I absolve you from all your sins if you have sufficiently repented of sin, and then absolution is right; but if you have not sufficiently repented, then it is not right. Now who can say here that he has repented and sorrowed enough for his sin? and I shall not be absolved sooner, unless I have repented enough, and preceded by the confession of all sin, a sufficient repentance and contrition. I can never know that I have properly confessed and repented of everything. So the pope places the power of absolution on the repentance, confession and satisfaction of the one who receives it. Mau should hang the pope on the light gallows, and hang his keys to it on his neck. For why do you, priest, forgive guilt and punishment in the devil's name, if you do not know that the keys are certain and right? But this is what the money does, which he has taken out of the people's pockets. This
- Erlanger: the like.
994 Erl. 44, 167-169. Interpretations On the Evangelist Matthew. 995
does not mean absolved, but people thrown into despair and abyss of hell.
Let everyone know, then, that God's forgiveness is not to be relied on my confession and the new, as the pope and his doctors have done, and have been natural Anabaptists in this matter, for they have also said that baptism is not right unless the one who receives it believes. If an old man wanted to be baptized and said, "I believe," and yet I did not really know whether he believed or not, should he not be baptized because I was not sure that he believed? So I should not absolve either, because I know beforehand that one has confessed and repented enough? What kind of teaching is that? The pope still bleats and roars in all his books: Clave errante tibi remissa peccata, and still rules the whole world with it. That is, the keys and absolution nullified, because I cannot be assured of the forgiveness of sin, because I do not know when I have repented enough.
Learn this well, because the devil will come back through his enthusiasts and heretics. Against this you must be prepared and know what God speaks and does, that is certain. As when he says: Your sins are forgiven you in the name of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the power of the keys does not err. Therefore the word of the pope, errant keys, should be scraped out of the books and hearts, because there is nothing in it. And if you Pabst have such a key, you are the devil and not a pastor, and if you rule with this key in this way, you are the Antichrist. Christ does not know about any false key. Absolution is truly certain and eternal, even if you do not believe in it, just as the sun truly shines and glows in the sky, and is the right sun, even if you do not see it, or if you are in a cellar, so that you cannot see it, which is not the fault of the sun, but of you; God nevertheless considers it to be the right sun, which he created for the light of the world. It is his sun, you sleep or sit in a dark deep tower, or otherwise close your eyes, so that you do not see its light. So God also knows nothing about the wrong key
of the pope, but absolution is quite certain. If you do not believe in absolution, it is not their fault, but yours. Why do you not accept it? If I give gold or silver, if you accept it, you have it; if not, if you despise my gift and reject it, it still remains gold and silver in its essence and dignity. So God is not lacking, but we are lacking; we often receive absolution without faith, but it does not become ashes and dirt, but is God's gift. On the other hand, the ban or binding key will also judge me on the last day, and will not apply, so that I will say: "I have despised the key and have not believed in it, therefore the power of the key is nothing.
And even if in this matter the Anabaptists and the pope are right, that they do not know whether a child has faith or whether one has repented, they should not say that baptism and absolution are wrong, because baptism and absolution are right, even if you do not believe it. Therefore one should not be foolish and foolish to rebaptize the children; or that the pope would say: The forgiveness of sins or absolution is wrong, therefore I will absolve you again. Yes, the key has struck, even though you have not believed. Here you distinguish our unbelief and human wickedness from the mercy and truth of God, and we see from this that the Anabaptists and the pope do not know what God is and what he does, or what his work and word is; otherwise they would say, "Baptizing is God's work, therefore no one should be rebaptized; item, the key or absolution is God's work, therefore it is right and certain. But if one considers God's work to be man's work, then God's knowledge of His word and work is lost.
Secondly, we see here that the infants have faith, so baptism is right, because Christ says here: "Let the infants come to me, for such is the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, the first baptism should not be condemned. Even if one does not believe now, he can believe later.
996 Erl. 44, ISS-I7I. Luther's Sermon On Matth. 19, 16-22. 997
And let one stay with the first baptism and not blaspheme it, for it is God's work, who baptizes and administers the sacraments, therefore it is a righteous baptism.
The pope bases absolution solely on human repentance and confession, which he does not know, and yet he absolves; he says: If I meet, I meet; if I fail, I fail. But so he shall say, My forgiveness of sins, which I speak unto thee, is not mine, but God's; now if thou hast not repented enough, it is thy fault. So also when I preach, I shall not say, If one believes, the word of God is true; if one does not believe, it is false. No!
Fourth Sermon on the 19th Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
So far we have heard in these two chapters, as the 18th and 19th, how the Lord Christ has paid his disciples and the Pharisees some about many questions 1) which are nevertheless highly necessary to know in Christianity. For one must be certain of the doctrine, that Christians may have a reason to judge of all doctrine. For there is no doctrine so certain and strong that it does not grow with questions, and if Christ himself had not resolved these questions, much ghastly raving would have resulted, even though one has not yet stayed with it.
So the first question that was discussed was who should be bound and loosed, and that this should also be perfect in heaven, and whoever despises this binding and loosing, that he should be considered a Gentile and a tax collector. If Christ had not settled this question himself, no one would have been able to get involved. Therefore it is a necessary report; otherwise some heretics would have stood up and pretended that one should only redeem and forgive sin and not bind or punish sin: that would have been of no use at all everywhere, therefore it is a necessary report; and the Lord Christ wants to prevent such heresies, and to have that in his church not only the heretics, but also the heretics and the heretics of the church are to be considered.
- paid - put in the right direction, taught.
The sinner is forgiven his sin, but if there is anyone who persists in a life of public shame, it is an offense to the gospel that he should be forbidden everything that Christians have for goods from Christ.
The other question is about chastity, whether it is good to be married, or to live in virginity or widowhood, and the Lord Christ also gives his instruction on this, saying that there are three kinds of chastity: one is innate chastity, the other is man-made and forced chastity, and the third is willing chastity, since one has a desire for chastity of one's own accord, the better to wait for the profession. This answer served to control the heretics, who considered the conjugal state to be no other than adultery or other such sins, and wanted no Christian to enter or remain in the conjugal state, as does the pope, who is much worse than those heretics. For he confesses that the conjugal state is a good order of God and a divine thing, and yet he continues and forbids his clergymen, monks and nuns to marry, and condemns the state as a carnal and sinful state, which doctrine has caused much unhappiness in the church, as the pope still insists that one should not be conjugal; and the pious bishops in the church have had enough to do to preserve the married state, and have therefore made the married state a sacrament. For this reason, Christ provides his church with teaching and instruction on this question, and wants marriage to be forbidden to Christians, and wants those who cannot live purely outside of marriage to be counseled against unchastity through the marriage state. So this question is also answered.
The third question is whether children should be baptized, whether they belong to the church and to Christ, whether they should be brought to Christ. He also gives necessary instruction against the Anabaptists and against the pope and other red spirits, so that one may have a certain understanding of this.
Now in this 19th chapter a new question arises again, which causes a lot of misery and evil.
998 Erl. 44, 171-174. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 999
This is the question: Should Christians deal with temporal goods or should they leave everything and throw it away? The answer to this question is given to the Lord Christ by a young man, of whom the evangelist writes here, whom the Lord Christ tells to go and sell everything and follow the Lord Christ.
For so follows in the text:
V. 16-22. And behold, one came to him and said, "Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? No one is good except the one God. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. Then said he unto him, What? And Jesus said, Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, honor thy father and mother, and love thy neighbor as thyself. Then said the young man unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth: what lack I yet? Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come and follow me. When the young man heard the word, he went away grieved, for he had much goods.
The question caused much unhappiness among the works saints and superstitious people, until the Barefoot monks came and pretended that S. Franciscus had said that the Barefoot rule was according to the Gospel of the Lord Christ; item, the Barefoot kept only this rule of Christ, and therefore his rule also applies. But S. Franciscus was a good, rough fellow, and unlearned and inexperienced in the Holy Scriptures, for neither he nor his brothers kept this Rule of Christ correctly. There would be none of us who would not accept this condition, that he should have nothing, and yet find all corners superfluously full, as has happened with the monks. They think that they leave goods and come in the middle of the goods, because they have built large houses and had a need of all things; they leave a party at home and get everything in the monastery.
the abundance; who would not like that? I would accept it myself, if it could become so good for me, I would leave axe and hatchet, so that I would have had to feed myself before, and accept 1) a prepared table and a need of all things 2c. The fantasists have still fallen into this blindness, that they have been allowed to boast of the gospel alone, and said that they live according to the gospel, which says that one should leave everything 2c.
So the Lord Christ teaches here how one should be poor and not rich, item, how one should leave all things. This must be thrust under the noses of the unlearned rude spirits.
But it is clear from the foregoing that one cannot be given temporal goods, for if the married state is to be preserved, there must be goods, for Christ did not forbid the married state above, but confirmed it when he said: "Not everyone grasps this word" 2c. Item: "From the beginning it was not so, but God created them male and female.". God created man and woman to be joined together and to be married; so it is well known that children will follow from the marriage state; now children must eat and drink and have housekeeping, a little house, field, meadows and garden, and what more belongs to food, how can it be thrown away? and S. Paul says: "He who does not take care of his household is worse than an unbeliever", 1 Tim. 5, 8. You wives, be subject to men, and you husbands, love your wives, bring up your children in discipline and admonition to the Lord. This will never happen without goods, and that the wife runs away from the husband and leaves the children, since God Himself has joined them together.
Therefore, it depends on the right understanding of what Christ means here, and we should not dispute what S. Franciscus said, because Christ did not only preach to the barefoot monks, but also to all men, women and children, just as he did not die for the barefoot monks alone, but for all men, and let it be known to the Franciscans that he died for all men.
- "nähme" put by us instead of: "take" in the Erlanger.
1000 Erl. 44, 174-17". Luther's sermon On Matth. 19, 16-22. 1001
It is not good that they alone keep the rule of Christ, have Christ and the sacraments. It is the bells that hang around their caps and sound, that they draw the whole gospel upon themselves for the sake of a saying. Therefore it is wrong for them to draw this text on their corners, caps 1) and dirt, and exclude the gospel from all other ranks of men. Many martyrs have not only been driven out for the confession of Christ, but also suffered death, before St. Francis was born, or his order was.
The text says that there came to Christ one of the rulers, a young man who had lived a good life and was pious, who said, "Master. The good journeyman did not want to study and learn anything here, for he had already jumped far over all the arts; but his hump itched on his back, and he was looking for someone who could cure it. He thought Christ would praise and extol him, crucify and bless himself before him as a living saint, praise him and say, "You are righteous and have kept all the commandments. Therefore the world would be angry that Christ did not say, "Oh, what a good saint is here; that was his opinion, but he lacks the art; he does not find the man he is looking for here. With the Pharisees, this young man would have been better off, they also wanted to be very holy and pious; but with Christ no saint of works is pleasant, but he wants poor sinners, the weak, the infirm, and those who cannot boast of much good, such Christ wants. He does not receive the other saints with sweet words, but makes them ashamed and sinners, as here he does not let anything be good for this young man, and reads him a good chapter; although S. Marcus says in the 10th chapter that the Lord looked at this young man and loved him, because he was much better than the others, who only dealt with sacrifices and other ungodly works, but he took the commandments of God before him, and kept the ten commandments higher than everything else.
- Erlanger: "her angle caps".
For those who practice the Ten Commandments are better off than those who put on a gray monk's cap and tie a hairy rope around themselves, which is not strange to the peasants, but they hold the rope in such high esteem that they also tie cows and horses to it; And he that ruleth his house in the fear of God is better off than he that runneth to Rome to the golden year; which is much better of the two, as the Lord Christ commanded that young man in Marco to sell all, and to give to the poor, and to follow him, as if almsgiving were better than sacrifice. In the papacy, it was held in high esteem to redeem indulgences and to buy soul measurements in order to redeem souls from purgatory. But they do much better to give such money to their poor children than to give it to the monks in the monasteries, as my father once said when he was terminally ill.
Therefore, this has been a pious fellow who has not defiled himself with strange and useless works that men have invented, but he has above all let God's commandments please him and kept them. He has come close to the core, or to the purpose, and it is a fine degree when one can separate God's commandments from the statutes of men and say: What God has commanded must be better than all men's commandments, even if they were the most beautiful.
But the Lord Christ answers: "No one is good, but God alone. The young man therefore asks Christ, so that he may know that he has kept the commandments of God, and would gladly have heard that the Lord Christ would have said: "That is enough, stay with what you already are. But the Lord does not let him have one word of good, he snaps at him: "What do you call me good?" God alone is good, therefore he alone is wise, just and almighty. Here he gets a master who sees sharply and tells him that he is no more than a hypocrite and proud saint who has never begun to keep the law in truth, let alone accomplished it, as the fool boasts that he has kept the commandments of God, and that he has also heard about
- i.e. the nail, the center in the disc.
1002 Eri. 44, 176-178. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1003
of his youth. There the Lord does not want to suffer the word "good", because the Pharisee does not ascribe it to God. This is the first error in which he is stuck, that he regards Christ as a bad person and wants to call him "good". Soon he reproaches him and does not want to be praised; and that is almost as if Christ wanted to deny that he is God, for he does not want to be called "good," does not want to have the proper title.
The Arians have come here, and from this text or saying want to conclude that Christ is not God, as the devil can soon find a hole where he wipes through. But they do not look at the circumstances why Christ does not want to be approved. For this is the way in which the Lord Christ keeps, that he draws us to the Father through himself; so then he does not want to be separated from the Father in any way, and through him we are to come to the knowledge of the Father, just as Christ also says to Philip, "Whoever sees me also sees the Father"; and in the 5th chapter of John it is said, "Whoever hears me hears not me, but my Father." What is this? Are you drunk, dear Lord Christ? when I hear you, I truly hear no one else but your person, and you still say, "He hears not me, but my Father"? and, which is even more strange and foolish, he says, "My speech is not my speech"; what is this speech? for I truly know that when you speak and preach, you speak yourself. He speaks so absurdly, and bites his own cheeks and teeth, that in the eyes of wise men he would be considered a fool. But he speaks thus for our sake, that we may know that the Father and the Son of God are one, that he, Christ, is in the Father, and the Father is in him, and that we seek no other God in heaven but the Son. He wants to say: Do not take me for a bad man alone, nor do not follow me, as you would otherwise follow John the Baptist, but consider my words that come out of my mouth, so that the Father in heaven also speaks them; just as the Father also does all the works in me that I otherwise do. Therefore do not regard my words as the words of others.
phets; but that the Father speaks in me, the same word I also speak. So the Lord Christ draws all things home to the Father, for the Lord Christ's deity is shown here, that he was born of the Father in eternity. But here he distinguishes the persons in the Godhead, and yet he also wants them to be mixed; otherwise he would not be considered the one, right, true God with the Father. Therefore, what he speaks or does, he always refers to the Father, as he also says to John in the 8th chapter v. 19: "If you knew me, you would also know my Father."
Therefore he does not want to suffer the word "good Master" here, nor to leave it on him, as the Pharisee means it with his mad sense, since he separates and separates the Son from the Father, considers him only a man; and gives the Pharisee one over the muzzle, wants to say: You do not consider me good according to your carnal sense, do not consider me God, do not recognize the Father speaking and being in me. So the Lord Christ's divinity is not denied in this saying, but the blindness and misunderstanding of the Pharisee is punished, because Christ does not want to be separated from His Father nor honored alone. This is that Christ punishes, and does not deny that he is God. Now follows the other. You ask me what you should do to be saved? I will soon tell you:
"If you want to enter into life. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments. Then said he unto him, What? Jesus said, Thou shalt not kill.
This is the text on which all those who deal with works insist and defy, as if one must be saved by it; and this is the foundation on which the papacy, though not firm, is built and based. This text has the quarrel that has been from the beginning of the world, and still lasts to this day, until the end of the world; and this saying has been badly stretched, and the pope still says: See, there it is written. What faith? Faith? Christ says: Keep the commandments if you want to be saved. Therefore good works make us blessed. What do you think of that? Then they go on and become even more foolish and obstinate, and have not only taught in this saying, that
1004 Erl. 44, 178-181. Luther's sermon on Matth. 19, 16-22. 1005
They say not only that salvation can be obtained by works, but also that man has free will to do or not to do the Ten Commandments, as if Christ said, "It is in your power to do and not to do what you will, good and evil. For, they say, so are the words, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Therefore man has a free will to do or not to do what he wants. Item, if you want to enter life, do good works that you can do.
But if the mind be thus right, that we are justified by the law, and have a free will, say thou against it: What then hath Christ done, who suffered and pleaded for us on the cross, saying, All men are sinners and condemned, conceived and born in sins, and Christ must take sin upon himself and pay for it; how shall we rhyme this together? If we could do it, Christ could not do it; but if he has done it, we will not have been able to do it.
But the whole holy scripture is full of testimony that Christ has executed everything; as Isaiah in the 53rd chapter: "The Lord has thus crushed him, and laid all our sin upon him. The punishment is upon him, that we might have peace. We all went astray like sheep." Item: "He bore many sins"; and the Scriptures are full of these testimonies. Shall I then throw a single, dark and obscure saying, which is not properly understood, against all the other many, light and bright sayings of all the Scriptures and of Christ, which say that no one is justified before God by works or by his own strength? What is it, then, that one should inflate this saying in such a way as to prove that works deserve the kingdom of heaven and that man has free will?
This saying is the best reason and foundation of the pope's own righteousness, although the monks have risen above other common Christians, and taught that this saying belongs to the married couples, to the laymen who are in the state of marriage; but they can still do opera supraerogationis, because they can do much more, than in the ten
The world did not want to enter into this strict life. The world did not want to enter into this strict life; the laity should only practice the ten commandments. This filth still stinks, that the monks have done many more good works than a common Christian who keeps the ten commandments would do, and have had so many good works left that they have sold them to others for money and goods. This was the teaching of the pope and his followers.
But this text wants to indicate that God sent His Son into the world for this purpose, that He should merit everything. Therefore, since we did not keep the law, and no one could fulfill it in the world, Christ did it for us all, and paid for it, and by his holy blood took away our sin.
Therefore we do not have free will, except for evil. But that a man may resist sin and the devil by his own efforts does not happen, for man always falls from one sin into another, as if a man keeps himself chaste, so that he resists the evil heat, he soon falls into hopelessness or into other sin; and God's word and my own experience testify, when we are in mortal danger or other misfortune, that we have no free will to keep God's commandment.
After this, the other teaching here is also to be noted from this text, which follows just as little as the first, but that this saying does not say that the commandments of God are to be kept by us, but reads thus: If you want to enter into life, then keep the commandments of God. Christ does not say: You keep them, but: You shall keep them; indicates what we owe to God. If we do not keep them, let no one think that he will enter the kingdom of heaven. If they were not blind, mad and foolish, they should see that Christ does not say what I can do, or have done, but what I should do. It does not follow, if one says: Christ tells us to keep the commandments, therefore they can be kept by us. He tells me what I should do, and they say I can do it. Not by a long shot, journeyman, there is a great difference between "ought to do" and "can do.
1006 Erl. 44, 181-183. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1007
do". So, I owe a hundred guilders, I'm supposed to pay them, can I do it for that? how, if I don't have a hundred guilders? I won't be able to pay it for a long time. I ought to do it, alas! I know that well, but where to get it? the beggar's dance rises. They don't say here what I have done, whether I have paid it and given it, but what I should do, namely, pay the hundred guilders. Such words are also here, namely, that Christ says what I should do; but why do you say I can do it? Where did you learn to read from Christ's words that he did not teach?
But Christ says, "The law must be done, the commandments must be kept, if men are to be saved in any other way, that not one iota or dot be spared in that life, lest there come into it some wart, blemish or wrinkle, but that the law here on earth be fulfilled, or the kingdom of heaven be lacking. Truly, with sins, blemishes and wrinkles you must not enter, or you belong in the abyss of hell. No one will enter heaven who loves something above God, or who disobeys his father and mother, or otherwise sins against the law. But from this saying one cannot therefore enforce that one has kept the law.
Therefore it is 1) nothing with their loose talk, who pretend: Here you hear that one comes to the kingdom of heaven by works, and that one has free will; these two things are laced into the text, but Christ says that one should keep the commandments of God; if not, then you will not be saved. Therefore, a Christian can keep the commandments of God out of free will, but that does not follow from it by a long shot; for it is said as much as this: Man is not allowed anything by Christ and his death and redemption, for he has free will, which can lead him to heaven. It is a pity that this saying should not have been understood, but should have been set against the main article of our Christian doctrine, so that men might forget the Lord Christ and all his benefits;
- Erlanger: is.
and have even suppressed the teaching of the Gospel by saying that we have regarded Christ as an angry judge, and have crawled under the mantle of Mary, have called upon other saints as intercessors and helpers in need, have founded chapels, have gone on pilgrimages, and have pressed for the saints to reconcile us to Christ; and everything was still based on our works, so that God should be merciful to us because of our works. That is to say, I trampled the Lord Christ and the Gospel underfoot and buried nine cubits under the earth, because I did not take refuge in the Lord Christ, who redeemed me, but in His Mother Mary's mantle. May God grant us grace to be grateful for the bright light of the divine Word that now shines upon us.
And you say thus: I hear Christ say, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments of God. But I do not understand it in any other way than that Christ says I should do it, I should keep the Ten Commandments. I owe you a hundred guilders, and I have not to pay, where shall I take it? So also the law is there, requiring you to pay, but therefore you do not have it, nor can you do it. Therefore, I hear here what I should do, but where to take it? You have free will. Yes, you will realize that when death and an evil conscience find each other, and it won't help that I would then crawl under the mantle of Mary and call upon the saints. Your free will is nothing, so are your works. For if I could keep God's commandment, I should accept death with joy, praising God always; but I see that my heart is afraid of death, yes, even afraid of Christ. I used to hear Mary or S. Hieronymum mentioned rather than the Lord Christ. I only thought of the mace and his judgment seat, since I should have all confidence, heartfelt joy and comfort in him.
The Barefoot monks, when they had brothers in their monasteries who were struggling with death, joined together and said to them: "All the good works I have done in my order, I give to you for the austere life of my brother.
1008 Erl. 44, 183-185. Luther's Sermon On Matth. 19, I6--Ä2. 1009
judgment of God. Is it not surprising that one should stake his journey and death on another's works? That is, pointed to the abyss of hell.
Item, if one executed malefactors, whom one wanted to kill, then one presented them with a Crucifix, and then one said to them: O, you poor sinner, you have stolen and must now die on the gallows, the merciful God set this your shameful death for your sin. Where was Christ then? and yet they presented him with the image of the Crucifix. But so sis should have said: Before the world you have forfeited your neck, there you must do enough, but before God not; there look only at Christ, who has done enough for your sin.
This all came from the foundation that they understood this saying thus: a man can earn the kingdom of heaven by his good works and his free will, because he can keep the law of God. But do you say thus: I see the text well written, and look at the great register of what I owe, what I should pay, and what I should do, just as a usurer reproaches the debtor that he owes him a hundred florins; but he has not the hundred florins; now the law must be kept, for the text here says all that I should do. But if I have done it, Christ says much differently, namely, "If you had been able to purchase something for yourself, what would I have been allowed to die for you? 1) There is no satisfaction with me, for I cannot keep or fulfill the law.
This is what I say against the heretics who have misused this text, causing heresy and error, and have even obscured and hidden Christ; for this purpose God's Word must have served them, even though the text strongly insists on Christ, and does not want Christ to be suppressed, but points to Him alone to be sought, as the One who has done everything that was otherwise impossible for man, and has kept and fulfilled the commandments of God, and has given us the fulfillment.
But how Christ kept the law
- From the song: "JEsus Christus, unser Heiland". St. Louis Hymnal, No. 205.
have, that is often said and taught elsewhere.
At the word of Christ the Pharisee starts and says: "I have kept all these things from my youth, what do I still lack? Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you have.
The Pharisee thinks that he has done everything. Therefore he continues to ask, as if to say, "What Moses commanded, I have done all. Then Christ goes to him and shuts him up, bringing out the works of the other table, which were the easiest of all. But behold, what a fine simple-minded preacher Christ was, that he should give such a silly bad answer to the Pharisee, who asks of high things, as if he were a child; and this answer testifies what Christ means by his words, that he knows the Pharisee by heart and inwardly, that he does not understand the law in the least, much less keep it, since he stood in the proud! puffed-up thoughts that he had even kept the ten commandments of God. But he gives him to understand that he still lacks far, therefore he became master too early.
Now therefore learn these commandments; he saith first, Thou shalt not kill. If thou shalt do this, thou shalt be blessed. This commandment is preached every year on a special Sunday, and it depends on one to keep the commandments, for we must not only believe, but also love our neighbor. But what man can do this without Christ and the Holy Spirit? And whoever does not do it is a murderer, as S. John says in his epistle 1 John 3:15: "If anyone hates his neighbor, he is a murderer. Here no one can escape. Go into thine own heart, and ask whether thou lovest thine enemy; and if he hath hurt thee, and it be evil in him, whether thou canst be sad? and again be glad when it is well with him? Item, whether you feel no revenge in you, that you would not like to get into his hair again? There one finds vain anger, hatred and envy among us. But the Lord Christ says: He who is angry with his brother is a murderer. Whether it is not in deed, or in word and deed,
1010 srl. 44, 18S-188. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1011
so it is with the heart. So the whole world is minded, that it is full of sin in this fifth commandment; nor may the Pharisee say that he has kept the ten commandments.
"Thou shalt not commit adultery." A Christian who has the Holy Spirit does not commit adultery. But those who live apart from Christ do. But if adultery were a great honor, as it is a sin and a disgrace to commit adultery, who would live chastely? they would commit fornication. Who would keep marriage? How many do it otherwise, that they are chaste, have a pure heart and body? One can hardly control the heat, the natural evil, in the state of marriage. A husband always wants to have another wife, and when he gets her, he soon tires of her; so the heat is an evil evil, even though it is kept and forced by punishment and shame; and it is said in Matthew, Chapter 5, who is an adulterer. But such a one is not to be found in the world; therefore this holy Christian scholar thought that he kept the ten commandments, just as a barefoot monk thinks that because he has no wife he is chaste; item, he is poor and has no money, because he does not touch the money.
To this the Lord Christ says: Keep the commandments of God. But where to take them? Nowhere, unless I am a true Christian; then one begins to keep the law, and yet not perfectly. For one has not met it, if one keeps it only outwardly, but it also wants to have an inward obedience. The outward keeping is the least of it. The Pharisee still says, "I have done all these things. How can this be lacking? Let all the bells ring, the mother and the father have not been allowed to push this son with rods. Such husks and hypocrites come out of it, who are not only hopeful in outward holiness, but they also cover up their shameful vices, and do not want to know about any sins.
Christ saw this well; he knows the same fellows, therefore he gives the Pharisee a good carver, saying, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast 2c.; there it is found in the sweepings whose shoe it is. If thou
If you love your neighbor so much that you can sell and give to the poor, and then take up the holy cross and let yourself be martyred and crucified, then you are perfect. Let him try whether he will leave over goods and honor, life and limb, and follow him, that is, suffer and die. Yes, let the devil do that! The Pharisee still says that he has kept all the commandments, and wants to be perfect, yet he cannot bring so much upon his heart that he would sell temporal goods and give to the poor; and rather leaves God and the kingdom of heaven, and wants to go to the devil, and also lets his neighbor die of hunger.
To love your neighbor as yourself means to love him so that you put no art, good or honor into it, but rather seek the benefit and welfare of your neighbor and prefer it to your own benefit. A Christian must come to that point when necessity demands that he also lay down his life for the sake of the confession of Christ and love. If I live under a godless ruler and he drives me out of the country or banishes me, what shall I do here? Not only should I forsake my goods, my wife, my children, my father and my mother, but I should also risk my own neck on them: that is right beginning to keep God's commandment; but I will not do that unless I have Christ in whom I believe. Therefore he also tempts the high saint, the Pharisee, and says here that he should bear the cross for God's sake, and also lay down his life, or lay down his life for the sake of his neighbor, as is said in 1 John 4. Do you dare to do this? For we are not to look upon our lives either, that we may confess our faith unawares. But this Pharisee hangs his head over it, as follows in the text:
"When the young man heard the word, he went away grieved, for he had much goods."
Do goods and riches harm him? No, but that he does not love God, and steals from his brother, and does not do to him what he owes him; he does not keep the commandments of God. Outwardly, indeed, he has kept it well, but it is a hypocritical and loose keeping, but the right keeping is that you be ready 'not to run out of goods alone,
1012 Erl. 44, 188-ido. Luther's sermon on Matth. 19, 23-26. 1013
but also to leave father and mother, life and limb, property and honor. Before I let God go, I should rather put aside wife and child and everything. So the martyrs did, and husband and wife sooner parted, and husbands strengthened their wives in prison, and wives also comforted their husbands. Otherwise they are to stay together; but if it should happen that your wife, child, property and honor are to be left for Christ's sake, then it is said, "Follow me. O, they say, I cannot do that. It is too difficult for me. But one must get there and do it. But when it happens that one leaves what he has for the sake of God, it is not with joy and gladness, but with sorrow and trembling; but because they are under the cover and shadow of the Lord Christ, it is not imputed to them.
So far we have heard how the saying should be understood: "If you want to enter life, get the commandments of God"; namely, that we do not keep the law and commandment of God, but it is only held up to us that it shows us what we should do. For it does not follow, I ought to do it, therefore I can do it. But where we are to take what we are commanded to do, you will hear hereafter.
Fifth sermon on the 19th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
V. 23, 24. And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven; and I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
We have just heard how the young man asks the Lord Christ what he should do to enter eternal life, and the Lord answers that he should keep the Ten Commandments, for whoever keeps them will enter the kingdom of heaven. Then the young man burst out, saying, "I have kept all these things," and asked if he lacked anything else. Then the Lord decided that if he wanted to be perfect, he should go and sell everything and give the ark.
then he will have treasure in heaven and will come and follow Christ. If you do not do this, you have not yet kept the Ten Commandments, for it is a sign that you do not love God above all things with all your heart, because you cannot leave honor, goods, body and life for His sake. Then you will have to keep the Ten Commandments for a while; for you have a god in your heart called Mammon, whom you much prefer to the right, united God, and before you leave Mammon, you would rather abandon God and all his commandments.
This text, "Sell everything," has also been very much falsified in the papacy and interpreted to the effect that it is not a commandment that belongs to the Ten Commandments, but is only a counsel, and whoever wants to keep it would have a special treasure in heaven before other common Christians, to whom alone the Ten Commandments were due, if they wanted to be saved. But whoever wants to be something special and perfect, and do something else, for which a special crown would fall in heaven, let him keep this, as the Lord said here to the young journeyman. The monasteries are built on this delusion, and especially the mendicant orders, among which Franciscus founded the first. For of St. Francis one reads in his legend that he had come to a church at one time, and had heard this text: Go, sell everything, where you want to be perfect and enter into life. Then a special devotion and fervor should come to the dear Franciscus, so that he immediately threw off his belt and bag, skirt and everything, and gave it to the poor. So he started his order on this text, in which one should have nothing of one's own (because only, with leave, the filth that the brothers carry with them), therefore they would now be perfect and have a greater treasure in heaven than other Christians; and S. Franciscus and his brothers were not satisfied that they would have universal blessedness with us, but wanted to have something better in heaven. For this reason they did many more and better works than were commanded in the Gospel, and they still gave to others their
1014 Erl. 44, iso-192. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1015
The good works were sold to help them to eternal life, since they could not enter it themselves.
Thus the beautiful text had to serve the evil-doers, for which they wanted to have it, without its fault, but that they got into it with their desperate thoughts, and sucked the poison into themselves from the beautiful flower and rose, and built their monasteries from quicksand 1) and water. They have made this sentence the consilio, council or arbitrariness, and have set it above the ten commandments, that it is up to each one to leave it or to do it; if he did not want to be a barefoot monk, then he should accept another order and follow this council here. This has gone through the entire papacy, and I have also spent fifteen years in the thought that I thought I was in a state that far exceeded the ten commandments.
But we Christians know that the Lord Christ does not speak here of any advice that one might do or not do, and that would be at his discretion, but it is his serious opinion and commandment, as the words before and after testify. The Lord Christ truly takes it for a fault, as if he wanted to say: I still have a fault, that you cannot leave everything for God's sake; that he says: "If you want to enter", that is truly not arbitrariness. By this he shows that he still has a fault, namely, that he has not kept the ten commandments fully and correctly, since they must be kept fully; and so I must not leave it up to my discretion everywhere whether I want to be blessed or to be damned, to go to the devil or to go to heaven; but there is a commandment here that is to be kept strictly and harshly, that for the sake of God's word one should forsake everything, or thou shalt not think that thou hast perfectly and righteously kept the commandments of God; but if thou hast not kept them, then the judgment is already there: No one shall enter into life unless he has kept the commandments.
Keep the commandments of God. The law will
- Erlanger: Trub Sand.
The law is kept in two ways; first, that the young man may live so that the judge cannot punish him, as it is said in chapter 18 of Exodus: He that doeth the law shall live in it; as, if he be not an adulterer or a thief, he shall not be punished, slain, or hewn; the law helpeth him to live; these are not in Master Hansen's school, or in the judge's punishment. So the rogue, this youth, has also kept the law. Secondly, that God says: You shall not only keep my commandments before men, but also before me, that is, fully. So, if you want to keep the law fully and follow me, go and sell everything. This fulfillment is required of the whole world. The righteousness of God has a testimony from the law and the prophets, and the Lord Christ is also a teacher of the law here. The Law speaks what we owe to Him, and teaches us where to take it, but from the Lord Christ; therefore says to the Pharisee: You do not love God above all things, therefore you are not perfect. Thou shalt have nothing above all things rather than God alone. You do not do this perfectly. You sacrifice oxen and calves to me in the temple and give tithes, but by this you are not perfect, nor do you keep the first table, but in the meantime you have another god in your heart, Mammon, whom you hold higher than God. Therefore the first commandment is nothing in your heart. Gold and silver is your god, which I prove with this: If thou wert commanded to forsake all things for my sake, then thou art grieved: how then shouldst thou love GOD? Then he should have said: Master, you have spoken rightly. It is truly so. If I am to love God above all things, then I must dare mammon and strike at the entrenchment, for a pious heart says: God has given it to me; if I am to lose it for His sake, then He can give it back to me a hundredfold today or tomorrow.
In the history of Job it is shown that all his possessions were taken from him, his children were strangled, and his house and farm were burned. But when he was delivered from the temptation, God gave him everything twice over.
1016 Erl. 44, ig2-is4. Luther's sermon on Matth. 19, 23-26. 1017
He would have beautiful daughters again, and he would see the other children again on the last day. So a Christian heart should also stand and think that it loves God above all things. But no one does. That is why we are all condemned, for everyone is so minded that if he is not instructed otherwise by the gospel, he loves money and goods more than God. For the world has its idol, which is called Mammon, or money and goods. If God does not light another fire in the heart that says: I will use the goods of this life in such a way that I will not lose the kingdom of heaven over them, nothing will come of it. The light of the divine word must set the heart on fire, so that the desire to love God above all goods will arise; and so I begin to fulfill the first commandment.
Therefore it is not a counsel, but a commandment, when Christ says that we are to love God above all things; just as it is also said in the Gospel: Thou shalt love God above all things, which is the first commandment; therefore it cannot be a counsel. But Moses said what it is: you shall not have other gods, that is, you shall love God above all things, that you may have more pleasure, joy and love in Him than all that God has given you otherwise; therefore you shall not love His gifts and goods any more. This agrees with this text, "Go, sell all things"; just as I, Christ, have forsaken my Father, and am crucified. This means loved above all things.
Notice this because of the abuse of the papists, who taught that their status was higher and better than that of other Christians, and did not see what it meant: "I am the Lord, your God", and that one should love him with all one's heart. Soon they would have understood that there was no monk on earth who had kept this. Truly, the monks in the monasteries were tempted with anger, hatred, envy, greed, unchastity and all kinds of temptation, as they testify in their books, that their spiritual life was full of temptation. Now if they had loved God with all their heart, they would not have been plagued with such fleshly temptations.
Therefore, it is an unspeakable God
blasphemy, and establish orders that are much better than the Ten Commandments. Therefore it is all devil's work and ghosts, for we know that no man on earth keeps the Ten Commandments; and the young man here has rightly understood what the law requires, for when he hears this: "Sell everything and follow me," he is saddened by it, and hangs his head and goes away, for he realizes what a strict commandment this is, that blessedness should cost him all his goods, including life and limb. If he had understood it in the same way as Franciscus and his barefooters, one could well be blessed with the other commandments, this would only have been said as a surplus for those who wanted to be something special: then this Pharisee would not have had to worry about anything, but would have been satisfied that he would have been blessed. But it is no advice, but he considers it the greatest piece of the Ten Commandments, and sees well that a hard peg is set before it, and that he cannot come to keep this commandment, and yet knows no other way to be saved; therefore he becomes sad. But he ought to have been glad of it, and to have said. You say rightly, dear Lord, that the ten commandments are truly like this. I shall love God above all that is in me, and forego goods, life and limb, and all things with one another, rather than deny God. Thank you for reporting this to me. I see that I still lack the greatest thing. No, there stands the other god, Mammon, who sits so deep in the heart that the right God has no place. Therefore, the young man goes there and prefers his penny to God's, and will not be saved. Truly, this means no advice to me, without which one cannot be saved.
Now, if Christ meant it in the way that S. Franciscus would have understood it, that it would be a counsel, when it is not, the words cannot have the meaning that they, the boys, give him, that to sell goods means to run to the monastery; for if they want to keep the words straight, they must also sell their monastery, which is theirs, then also their caps with their shirts, and go naked, even the piece of bread that they wanted to eat,
1018 Erl. 44, isi-isr. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. - 1019
Yes, even sell their body, which is theirs, and it would follow that they would have to die of hunger at the end. That would become a fine order for me, that would not be called people, but stone and wood. So blind and foolish are the fools, that they interpret the text, where it is not possible to bring any man. They have their monasteries, their table and clothes, and have what they need. If they do not have it in the monastery, they have it with the townspeople and peasants, where they can get it; this is not called having, it is only called having robbed and stolen, What a poor man has acquired with his sour labor, and he and his children have to do without, these idle drops consume afterwards, and want to be called holier and more perfect than other people in the name of all the hangers-on; And even if they righteously forsake all, go naked, drink and eat nothing, and even if it were possible, and yet they do not do it, die of hunger, yet they would not receive their opinion, and it would not follow that they would thereby become blessed, much less that they would gain anything special for others. For a thief may be thrown into prison, stripped naked, and given nothing to eat or drink, and die of hunger; is he therefore blessed? Who would say so? How if he were impatient, blasphemed God, grumbled in his heart, cursed and would gladly be rid of, and desired to have better food and drink than any king would have? In this impatience the heart is impure and sins. Therefore it does not rhyme at all with blessedness, and great errors have been spun out of this text, and violence and injustice have been done to it. But we are to keep the right understanding that this text is a commandment, and wants that one should have nothing on earth dearer than God, and that one should leave everything for his sake, which is otherwise dear to us.
The Lord speaks of it modestly, namely, that not only "sell" should be there, but also: "Come and follow me". In this is the commandment that the Pharisee should follow Christ. If we could attain the kingdom of heaven by
If you threw away money and goods, it would not last long, you would throw away that you would no longer have food and drink. Christ did not do this; he did not sell everything, but ate and drank, had clothes, and what was given to him he kept. Judas was a master of coffins, and he also gave it to other poor people, and he kept bread for the necessities, and if this were the opinion of the Lord Christ, as S. Franciscus dreams, then one would have to say: Physician, help yourself, because if one should sell everything, why do you keep it all? Thus S. Paul was a craftsman, a tapestry maker, and went to the masters of his craft for lodging, and earned his bread with his hands; that would ever be vain foolishness.
Therefore the meaning of this commandment is to be understood and interpreted spiritually, firstly, that the heart should be separated from goods, that you should esteem God more highly and place Him above them; secondly, if the need arises, that you should not only sell everything, but also follow Christ, leaving body and life for His sake; as then follows in the text, that one should not only deny father and mother for his own sake, but also leave his life above them.
How, one might say, shall I hang myself from a tree, or cut my throat with a knife and kill myself? No, you shall love your life. But if God who gave life should be denied, or if life should be taken away from you, you shall deny life, for I shall love nothing so much as God, and shall say: Before I deny my God, I will rather leave my body and life over it.
This is the right understanding, that Christ speaks of the right and spiritual fulfillment of God's commandments, in which the godly are only abecedaries 1) and learn to spell it out, so that they turn their hearts away from riches and goods; with Christians it begins a little, and remains so until the last day; no one will be perfect sooner. Otherwise, husbands and wives should stay together, and father and son should stay together.
- d. i. ABC shooters.
1020 Erl. 44, 197-ISS. Luther's sermon on Matth. 19, 23-26. , 1021
and mother shall educate the children and shall not listen to each other; but if a tyrant comes and says: Deny God and His word, or have everything you have taken away from you; or that father and mother want to prevent their children from salvation, then let the tyrant, father and mother, and what may be more, let everything go and have a good year, so that one may keep God's grace and mercy, and say: God has given me father and mother, money and food; if I lose it for God's sake, let it go forever.
But if this need does not arise, and you can stay with your wife and child, father and mother, and your goods, and you must not deny God, then God will grant you your wife, child, goods, and also your life. I shall remain with my wife, and we two shall be one flesh, subject to the authorities. Item, I shall not go and take a knife and cut my throat, it is not of that opinion; but if the cause of God falls, that one should forsake father, mother, brother, sister (as the Lord Christ says) for my name's sake, that he forsake all these rather than me, and deny himself also: he is my disciple, and he shall take it again a hundredfold.
This is still lacking for this Pharisee, the master Hippocras 1) here does not want to do that, that he could do without his goods and lack for the sake of God, who after all had kept the ten commandments for a long time, but goes away sad, does not like the soup, it does not taste good to him. What is the reason? The reason is that he was very rich, he turns up his nose at it, it hurts him to leave everything. They say, "I know what I have, but I don't know what I'm going to get; you can't find money and goods in the street, so you have to throw them away. Yes, then go also, and go to the devil with your good, if it is dearer to you than your God and the eternal goods.
So far, we have wanted to say this about the text, which has been strangely twisted in the papacy. For all bishoprics and monasteries stand on the ground, and are built on this puddle.
- What is meant is probably k^poorita.
for it is not according to God's word; there never was such a one on earth who sold everything. Ei, they say, one must understand that he kept only food and drink. There the devil strikes, that I may have full where I come. This is a bad poverty, this is the game of the end of Christ.
When the young man goes away sad, thinking that he has kept everything, and yet he has honestly 2) done so much that he escapes the executioner and not the infernal fire, Christ lifts up and preaches a sermon about the rich to his disciples, in which are excellent words; he indicates what he thinks of the rich, that they will hardly be saved:
"Verily I say unto you, A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven; and again I say unto you, It is easier for a cameo! to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of GOD."
Now, a camel is very adept at going through the eye of a needle, especially with its hump on its back and large long neck, so that it can hardly go through a large city gate. The Lord Christ sets up an impossible thing, as if to say, "If you can make a camel with a humped back go through the eye of a needle, it is also possible for a rich man to be saved, so that you can bring him into the kingdom of heaven.
This is truly hard enough said, and is frightening to hear. Therefore the disciples are also frightened by it and say:
V. 25. Who then will be saved?
They hear that it is impossible, and think, "Behold, if it be thought that the rich do not enter heaven, no one can enter it; for our Judaism is to boast that when our Messiah comes, we will become great lords, and have the whole world under us, and all the goods of the earth will be ours; for we shall be rich when that happens. What kind of Messiah would that be, who would make us rich here, and we would lose our blessedness and eternal life over it? We Jews would have waited for the Messiah, but what is the matter with the Messiah's kingdom? Dar-
- "honest - hardly.
1022 Erl. 44, 1SS-L02. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1023
They conclude, "If this is so, the kingdom of heaven has been built in vain.
Otherwise all men, except Christ, have one God; if it is not the true God, it is an idol, since man puts his trust in it, and since he has his pleasure and play in it, and thinks that he can feed himself with it, and the pope and Turk are also servants of their god, Mammon. Who then will be saved, because all are attached to mammon?
To this Christ responds, and gives an account:
V. 26. With men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
Behold, what a kind, faithful teacher Christ is, says: With men no one can attain salvation, or keep the ten commandments of God, but by nature they consider mammon a god, and, as the evangelist Marcus says in the 10th chapter about this text, those who put their trust in riches. For in the same place we see whom Christ calls a rich man, namely, one who asks nothing of God, but sets his trust in money and goods, a godless man who prefers to let his penny be his own, and takes him for his idol and lord, honoring and celebrating him, as all miserly men do, who would rather let a poor man die of hunger than bring a penny to his heart to give.
Therefore the word rich man is used in the holy scriptures for an ungodly man, as it is written in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah about the suffering of Christ: "He was buried like the ungodly, and died like a rich man. There the prophet puts the ungodly, the rich and the thief as one; in the Scriptures they are the same people. For if anyone sets his date on his goods, God granting that they may be much or little, he has already 1) denied the right, true God: how then can he be baptized and called other than an ungodly man? Therefore the prophet wants to say: The rich are commonly all godless and of the devil, because they rely on their wealth.
Therefore, he who has a lot of money and goods is not called rich here, but he who has
- Erlanger: beautiful.
trust in his goods; for trust belongs to God alone, who has given life, goods and everything, as it is written in the first commandment. Otherwise your trust and comfort shall be in no one; in God alone shall you have your delight and joy. But men do not do this, for this reason they are all rich, that is, ungodly before God, and they are reprobates; they do not put their trust in God, but in money and goods.
Abraham, David and other fathers were also rich, and a prince, king and emperor can have wealth, land and people, yes, a householder can possess physical goods; for how can a household be kept without temporal goods? and it is important to the authorities that they have rich subjects and that they themselves are also rich; for without money and goods neither the temporal government nor some households can exist. Therefore it cannot be understood that all rich people who have goods are condemned. No man would ever be saved, as the disciples also say to the Lord Christ, but a rich man in Scripture is called an ungodly man, who would not lose a penny for the sake of our Lord God, and hangs on to wealth with his heart, which the Psalm also describes when it says: "If wealth, money and goods fall to you, do not hang your heart on them. For wealth is God's gift; one should not throw it away, but thank God for it and use it in a Christian way.
If the Lord Christ interpreted this commandment as a barefoot monk understands it, it would be difficult and impossible. But he does not want it to be understood in this way, because one must have food and drink; and in Matthew Christ says: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the rest shall be added to you. He does not say that Christians should not have and possess something of their own, but he complains that one should not set one's heart on it, nor make an idol out of it; and if one could do that, that one could use money and goods, fields, grain, house and yard, as God has given and created them, it would be without any harm to us.
And if I also enjoyed my good ones in this way, it would be fine. But we make
1024 Erl. 44, Los-rot. Luther's sermon on Matth. 19, 29. 1025
We make an idol out of it, and put our trust in the creature and not in the Creator; therefore we do not enter the kingdom of heaven. For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. For it is impossible for God and Mammon to be in man's heart at the same time. If God is within, then the idol must wander; and if you want to be saved, you must have only One God. Therefore the first commandment requires that you should not be a rich man, that is, that you should not dwell on riches, nor rely 1) on them, as this Pharisee sadly departs, yet shortly before he had said that he had kept the Ten Commandments; but the penny is his idol. For all the rich are of this mind: they would rather let a poor man die of hunger than give him a penny.
These rich people are idolaters and the most shameful people, because avarice is an unnatural sin. For other sins are still a little natural, as when a man is drunk with pleasure and falls into drunkenness, for there is still a natural pleasure in it; item, that a young boy loves a penny, and again a penny loves a boy, that is natural. But to become a miser, and to hold the penny so high that you do not allow yourself and others to use it, and forget God and your neighbor above it, against the first commandment, that is a shameful vice, and the devil calls people by it. It is impossible for such a one to become blessed if he remains so, for he is without God and has no part in the kingdom of God, for such a one puts God out of his heart and mammon in his place.
Sixth sermon on the 19th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
Wednesday after omnium sanctorum. 2) Nov. 7, 1537.
Next, we heard how the disciples were terrified when they heard that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.
- Erlanger: himself.
- This superscription in the original offers us the first clue to a closer definition of both the individual sections, which constitute a sermon in themselves, and also
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven; that is just saying, It is impossible for a rich man to be saved. Yes, who then wants to be blessed, they said, since the whole world does nothing but seek riches, which is all its care, toil and labor; everyone wants to bring something before him. The Lord looks at them as if to say, "You are good sheep to me, and a good simple-minded people who do not understand much about the secret things I am talking about. I am not talking here about those who have money and goods; I am talking about the whole race, which is so corrupted by original sin that it relies far more on temporal goods and other creatures than on its Creator. Man's heart must have a God, that is, something on which he places his comfort, on which he relies, so that it has its joy and play. Now it must have either the right God or a false God. Since nature is more attached to God's gifts and creatures than to God Himself, it is not possible to become blessed by human ability and strength. God's hand must come to this, and he must prepare the heart of man anew and take it in, so that he can say: I have, praise God! I have money, I have a healthy body, I have a wife and child, God has given them to me. But none of these shall be so dear to me that I should seek my comfort and joy in them. I will use it, as long as God grants it to me, 3) in His honor, in mine to determine the time when the sermons were preached. The first year we encounter in the original (Erlanger Ausg., vol. 44, p. 228), though only in passing, is: "Mittwochen nach k'udiuni [n. 38.", that is, January 23, 1538. Therefore, the word which stands there at the end of the preceding sermon is to be interpreted thus: End of the sermons which were preached in 1537. If this is correct, it follows that all the preceding sermons belong to the year 1537. The sermons that follow, Erl. Ausg., vol. 44, p. 228 to p. 358 ff, belong to the year 1538; the last of these was preached on Wednesday after Mauritii, September 25, 1538. Only on Wednesday po8t Viti, that is, June 18, 1539, did Luther continue with the Predi'gts on Matthew. The sermons, which are found in the Erl. Edition, vol. 44, p. 366 to vol. 45, p. 181, are to be placed in the year 1539. The sermons that followed were preached in 1540; the last one on September 19, 1540.
- In the original: 'gann'.
1026 Erl. 44, sot-Lva. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1027
But if not, I would rather be poor, I would rather suffer hardship and shame, and be without all God's gifts and creatures, than my Creator who gave them to me. If a man's heart is to be so minded, God must take a hand and give His word, so that the Holy Spirit may work, and give birth to us anew and make us fit; otherwise it is lost. As far as my and man's ability and powers are concerned, no one can tear himself away from the creatures. Therefore, it is impossible for a rich man, that is, one who has something apart from the right, true God, on whom he relies and prefers it to God Himself, to be saved; it must be God's power and might that do it. So it is just as much to say that a rich man cannot become blessed as: It is not possible for anyone to be saved out of his own ability and strength. For all the harm of original sin is spoken of, by which nature is more attached to creatures than to God; and if anyone is of this mind: if he has anything, he is happy and of good cheer, let God remain where He wills. If he does not have what he would like, he is sad and despondent. And this is best seen in the rich and the stingy, how a human heart is minded. He has no greater desire or joy than to have plenty of florins; he strives for them day and night, and when he gets them, he withholds them with all diligence. Before he would give a poor man one fl. [Before he would give a poor person a florin, he would go and hang himself, as you see often happens. If a loss occurs, that he comes by 100 fl. or two, there is misery and distress, then he does not sleep, then he does not eat, then he grieves ill. In this one sees how a man's heart does, which forgets God altogether, and has its idol in temporal goods, as St. Paul calls it idolatry; and such a miser and penny-pincher 1) cannot have the right true God in his heart, as the Lord also says: "It cannot be that you serve God and mammon at the same time. One must give way, nothing else will come of it.
- i.e. penny-pincher; synonymous with miser.
So, whoever seeks honor, and has his pleasure and joy in it, has an idol in it. But a Christian, even if he has honor, does not put his trust in it, but if necessity requires it, he can say: Go, dear honor, I will gladly do without you, and have all this shame, before I want to hand over my God. Yes, the heart is not born with us, but it is given by God. So go through other gifts of God, as there is painting, healthy body, wisdom and what is more, to which a man is attached and clings as a man: that cannot be beaten into the entrenchment by nature, but must be done by God's power and the Holy Spirit, if it is to be done otherwise from the heart and with earnestness.
For you can find people in the world who throw away their goods of their own will, as the Anabaptists do and the barefoot monks. Yes, it has probably thrown away with them. A monk leaves his father's party basket at home and goes to a good prepared kitchen, where he is idle. This is supposed to mean willingly poor, 2) since one gets a good roast for a party. Well, how well he threw away his parsnip! With one hand he has thrown it away, and then with ten hands he grabs it again, as it is written about the wind of Coecia, which blows from the corner between morning and midnight; it is said to be such a wind that it first blows the clouds away, and then quickly blows them away and brings them back to him. Just as the wind blows, so do the hypocrites; they pretend that they do not want any goods, blow them away, and do not resist for long; they quickly grab a rich prebend with ten hands and pull it to themselves. In this way, beautiful houses and monasteries can be hewn, and the world's goods can be brought to them with such willing poverty, since one has more guilders than I and you; it's a mess with them. So the Anabaptists are also peelers with their nature, they also pretend to leave everything for the sake of God. But it happens to some of them, as I have seen, that they are pulled away from their wives and children, and their goods are mown down.
- Erlanger: called.
1028 Erl. 44, LOS-208. Luther's sermon on Matth. 19, 29. 1029
The Anabaptists had taken the best of it and had given them what they wanted. 2) Now that the property had been eaten up, they came back and said that the Anabaptists were boys. Now that the property had been consumed, they came back and said that the Anabaptists were boys. But was it not right for them, and would they not have been mocked and laughed at? I would have it so with all of them. Why do they run away from the wife and child they should feed and raise? as God has commanded them, and has not commanded them to leave the same without necessity, out of their own will and courage.
So one also finds fools who forgive themselves all honor, 3) as they pretend, the hypocrites! They do not want to be called doctors, they want to be called brothers of Andre, 4) they put on a gray skirt, put on a gray hat, and yet their heart is full of hope and begins to strive for greater honor. They do not want to be called doctors, but they would like those who wear velvet and golden crowns to humble themselves before them and say: Dear brother Andres, good morning, you are a holy man to me, it is nothing with the others, there you have 20 fl., there you have 100 fl. There we want to go. If we have the honor, we want to become rich, for if we are so excellently humble, the rabble and the world open their mouths and noses against our holiness, and take what they have, Yes, that is the whirlwind, which acts as if it blows the clouds away, and then blows them away. Among the Greeks there was a philosopher named Diogenes, who was so excellently holy in the name of the devil that he did not want to live in a house because of his great holiness; he cut a barrel in two and carried half of it with him wherever he went, under which he lived. Under his belt he had a bowl, 5) so that he could draw water for him when he wanted to drink. Now he once saw a child pass by, and with his hand the
- "Moravia" put by us, instead of "mehren" in the Erlanger. Cf. Köstlin, Martin Luther (3rd ed.), vol. II, p. 440: "in Moravia also Anabaptism had found a particularly fertile ground."
- Erlanger: this.
- Erlanger: show.
- Allusion to Carlstadt.
- Erlanger: Rappen.
Draw water and drink from it. Then the holy man went away and threw the cup against God's ground, and cursed him himself for being such a good holy man, and did not yet know that nature had given him a cup from which he could drink, and could nowhere close the wooden cup. This made him such a clamor throughout Greece that even the great king Alexander, is it otherwise true, once went to him and offered him an imperial gift. Then the king attacked him, saying that he should not take what he could not give him. What would it be? He stood in front of the hole, so that the sun could not shine into the barrel. Such proud, hopeful drops are made of such hypocrites that they are allowed to throb and defy everyone, even kings and emperors; they want no honor and yet seek honor, and that all the world worships them for their holiness. God does not want such hypocrites, but leaves you your wealth, leaves you what you have, and wants you to use it for His glory, for your need, for everyone's benefit, for no one's harm, so long as you do not set your heart on it, as David says in the Psalm: "If wealth flows to you, do not set your heart on it. Therefore it is our Lord God's duty to keep your heart pure, to put all your comfort and confidence in him, and for his sake, if need be, to gladly put your life and limb there. This is called being willingly poor and is, as I said, only God's gift and work in us, that we know nothing with us and apart from us, on which we set our heart, but only on God. Therefore, S. Paul does not teach Christians to abandon or throw away their goods, but not to set their hearts on them. For so he writes to his disciple Timothy: "Admonish the rich not to become proud, and not to put their hope in uncertain riches; for they do not know how long they will have the money, nor does the money know how long it will remain with them; but teach them to trust in the living God. In this way, a Christian should also understand this text about the rich who put their trust in wealth, not those who throw it away. For the Lord himself had money, but he used it.
1030 Erl. 44, SV8-L1V, Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. 1031
He did not mind that Judas stole what he could from him. He was also obedient to his father. So a Christian can take a wife and also keep her, and beget children and nourish them, that is what God wants; but with the knowledge that he is not attached to them. So then, as Saint Paul says, a Christian has a wife as if he did not have one; he has money and goods as if he did not have them. Why? Because he does not build on it; because God leaves it to him, he needs it, and is ready to step aside for God's sake, if he is never to have it again.
From this it is easy to understand many sayings in the Holy Scriptures, such as those in Luke: "Woe to you rich, for you have lost your comfort. There the Lord also indicates what he means by the rich, who have their comfort not in God, but in their mammon; if not, they may well remain rich, that is, have goods, without harm to their blessedness. So also afterwards, to be satisfied, to laugh and be merry, and to have good praise among men, is punished by the Lord.
Shall one not eat and drink? Shall one not adorn oneself at a wedding, dance and be merry? Shall one then help oneself, that one should not say good things to others? Oh yes, that would be a fine life indeed; eat and drink what God provides, be merry with your wife and child, but do not let it remain so, as if that were your comfort. Do you think: Now I am full, I ask for nothing more, let God remain where He wills, then you will be granted the aches and pains, and will hunger and starve forever. But whoever is full, whoever is happy, whoever is rich, and does not set his date on it, and is ready to leave everything before he would anger God, is quite poor in the greatest wealth, he is hungry in the 1) great abundance, he is sad in the great joy. Therefore he is blessed: "Blessed are the poor, the hungry and the mourners.
For all the saints and godly have been like this. Look at the examples of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, David, who have goods to the full.
- Erlanger: in dem.
Especially the dear David, who wears a golden crown, has perhaps also golden chains on his neck, golden pieces even full, and under the jewelry, since everyone thinks that it is nothing but vain joy, vain jumping and dancing, there is a heart that gulps, weeps and howls without ceasing because of lamentation and heartache, and does not know where to stay because of misery. If you don't want to believe it, just read the Psalter, which is full of it. So it is with the pious Esther, who must also and must without her thanks be led to the king in her jewelry, which she did not have in her chamber all, and her heart was illdeß full of weeping and crying. Doesn't that mean to be poor over poor in the greatest wealth? Yes, that is how it is with all rich people; if they are otherwise Christians, and want to do right by their own things, then you should see what joy they derive from it. If you could look into their hearts, you should say, "Not to me, I will gladly do without the garments and the gold, I will gladly wear a gray skirt and drink coffee, take a flail in my hand and thresh so that I sweat. I can go to my field, I can work and sing a little song; when I come home, I taste a little bread in my heart, since a king or emperor does not taste the very best; I lie down and sleep a good night's rest, since great lords have nothing but weeping in their hearts. Dear lords, wear golden chains on my account! But if they are not Christians, and leave their office, seeking only their joy and pleasure in it, as the whole world seeks only goods, of them also the Lord says: "Woe to you, you have lost your comfort"; and: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Let the rich therefore see to it that they do not make a mischief when they hear that they may keep their goods, and that David, Abraham, and others also were rich; item, that seeking food is not forbidden to Christians: lest they conclude from this that they may scrape up for themselves what they can, and only gather money willy-nilly, for it is said to them, "Woe to you," and, "It is easier for a camel. "2c. Do they want to follow these words?
1032 Erl. 44, 2I0-S13. Luther's sermon on Matth. 20, 20-23. 1033
If they do not respect the law and take it to the wind, they will find out what they have done. Item, in other such things, eating and drinking and being merry is not forbidden to Christians. But if they do as the rich man does in the Gospel, and take pleasure and joy in it, so that they do not ask where God is, they will be like him. Enough of that now.
First sermon on the 20th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
Wednesday after Catharinae November 28, 1537. Propter infirmitatem capitis admodum breviter.
We have heard next 1) how the saying is to be understood, where the Lord says that one should leave father and mother, from which out of lack of understanding so many factions and sects have followed in the Christians; and is not the opinion, as you have heard, that we should therefore run away from ours of our own free will. This is God's command that I obey my father and mother, that I stay with my wife, with my husband, with my children, and feed them, which cannot happen without house and farm, without other goods. If, however, it is possible that I should either deny my Savior, or leave my father and mother, or even my own soul, that is, body and life, then I should say: Goodbye, good night, dear father, dear mother, dear brother, dear sister, dear lord and prince. I will gladly dwell with you and remain with you; but where you urge me to deny my Lord Christ, you shall no longer be my father; I would rather be separated from you here in time than there from my Lord forever. Here it is not good to exchange, to lose the eternal for the sake of an hour or two. Therefore, 2) necessity teaches us that we must do according to this saying.
- Here Bruns made the remark: "This sermon is missing", but we think that the next preceding sermon is meant, which deals entirely with the fact that "a monk leaves his father's party basket at home and runs to a good prepared kitchen" 2c. - The beginning of this sermon is only a recapitulation of the previous one and a transition to the first sermon on the 20th chapter.
- Erlanger: lernet.
If I have to do it without my gratitude and without my will, then it is right; not rolled up and spoken out of my own arbitrariness: Yes, it is written, one should leave father and mother, so it will come back to us a hundredfold, therefore I will do it. Then God's commandment, "You shall honor your father and mother," is left aside. Behold, this is one sin, after which comes the right one, that they thereby want to be something special, and let Christ be Christ, and think to become blessed by themselves; that is not following Christ, it is denying him.
Therefore the other saying will pass them over: "Whoever does not confess me before men, him again I will not confess before my 3) heavenly Father." But I should know that I should remain with my father and mother, with my wife and child, as long as I can have this, that I confess Christ. If anyone wants to drive me away from this confession, then I should risk everything, not only goods and friends, but also my life. For thus saith the Lord himself, He that loveth his life forsaketh it; but he that would keep it grudge it, and deny himself, and follow me."
You must keep this right and certain understanding, especially if you intend to teach other people in time. For even great people have fallen into the error of interpreting this saying like the monks and the spirits of the mob. Saint Jerome was a great doctor, but when a young man from Rome came to him and asked him for good advice, he freely told him to run into the desert and not to ask about his father and mother, and to run over them. Well, dear Lord, what kind of advice is that from such a great man! The man could have stayed in Rome and kept his father and mother; and if he had wanted to leave his father and mother and everything for the sake of Christ, the citizens and emperors of Rome and the executioner would have taught him much worse than what happened to him in the desert. Therefore be warned, and let the right understanding of this text be commanded to you. This is from the 19th chapter.
- Erlanger: mine.
1034 Erl. 44, S1S-21S. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1035
The Twentieth Chapter of Matthew.
V. 20-23. 1)
The parable of the laborers in the vineyard and what follows, how the Lord tells his disciples about his suffering, we want to leave, because they both come after Christmas; then we want to save it, and now take before us the text of the two sons of Zebedee, which 2) one used to preach in times past on St. Jacob's Day in autumn. Since we do not keep this feast, we do not preach about it, so we cannot pass by it now, because we come to this text. The two sons of Zebedee are John the Evangelist and the great S. Jacob. Jacob; they were close friends of the Lord, but how close I cannot know. For it was said of S. Anna a long time ago that she had three husbands, and from the first, called Joachim, she gave birth to Mariam, the mother of our Lord; from the second, Cleopha, to Mariam Cleophä; from the third, Salome, to Mariam Salome, although Salome is the name of a woman. Such coarse, impolite jokes they have made. These are vain lies and fables. For one does not find anywhere in the Scriptures which of our dear women was the father or mother, and yet they have done so much with St. Anne and Joachim that cities, such as Annenberg and Joachimsthal, have been built in their honor. If Anna has not been elected, the other account of her three husbands and of the family will also be wrong. Be it as it may, the two disciples are close or far friends of the Lord, we do not ask anything about it. But from this we see that they belonged to him a little closer in cousinship or affinity than the others, because they wanted to be something special with him. It says of their calling in the ninth chapter above that when the Lord called Peter and Andrew, he called them,
- This sermon was preached on the same day (November 28, 1537) as the previous recapitulation, because the next sermon falls just one week later, on Wednesday after St. Andrew's Day, December 5, 1537. - The beginning of this chapter is not interpreted here, because it is preached on the Sundays of Septuagesimä and Quinquagesimä.
- Erlanger: which.
When he finds Zebedee and his two sons mending their nets by the sea, he calls them. Now they had heard much and often of him, how he was a king, and would have a kingdom, which they had understood as good rough fellows of a worldly kingdom, as they are also still m the delusion, as it is written in the stories, after the Lord had risen. Therefore they also make a clever plot, are truly clever fishermen, and think that they must do it in time before others come and take away their honor; now they think how they would like to get ahead of others and become the next in bread. But if they think that they will stand with honor, they will persuade the mother to offer the thing, thinking that if we are lacking, he will say that the mother has acted foolishly, as a woman; but if it comes to pass, we will stand with honor. But he will not be able to refuse the mother, as it is common for women to ask for something more easily than men, because they can do it wisely. They go, the mother and sons, and make the request, as you have heard. Then the Lord gives them a blunt answer: "You are a good wife to me, you and your two sons, otherwise all three of you are fools. You know a lot of what you are saying. However, he takes this foolishness into account, because they do it not out of malice and pride, but like children out of ignorance. From this we are to learn for our comfort what we have for a Lord who deals with his own in this way. Though he strikes them a little on the forehead, he does not cast them away for it, but bears and endures their weakness and foolishness. As a father does to his children, to whom he must give much credit for being fools, so he does here to these poor fools, the two disciples, who therefore are foolish and foolish, and do not know where they are at home; then he says: Ye are good foolish men unto me, what shall I do with you? ye are full of rude things, and stumble: as it came to pass, even after the resurrection of the Lord. What happened before, that they denied him, and all ran away from him? Yea, when they had the Holy Ghost, about eighteen years after, Peter made a good gross fall at Antioch, and Paul and Barnabas were divided, that they stumbled from one to another.
1036 Erl. 44. 215-218. Luther's sermon on Matth. 20, 20-23. 1037
I think it is rough enough. All is still forgiven and forgiven. Thus the evangelists everywhere describe to us the dear Lord, who is kind and gracious, and able to do much for his own. Saint Paul calls it with fine words φιλανθρωπίαν and έπιείχειαν, because έπιείχεια means, that
One can see through the fingers, and does not act according to the sharpness, bears, tolerates. Again, when the Pharisees and the proud saints come before him, he is not at all the former man, and is so obstinate, so disruptive, so unkind, that enough is enough. He calls them vipers, and cries woe on their necks, and does not let them have a word; as they come to him, they have lost, and no one has mercy on them anywhere, unless they are converted; why then? They are his worst enemies, and cannot suffer him in any way, who are proud and hopeful, and insist on their own holiness and piety, and do not want to be wronged, even if they are baser in heart. With these he can have no compassion. But here he has patience with his own, who sin out of ignorance and rudeness, and remain with him, not setting him apart. Let every man therefore see that he sin not wilfully, and abide with his dear Lord; if he sin through weakness, let him take comfort in this example of the dear Lord here, who doth not rumble with his own, nor deal unkindly with them, now as little as before. For even if he were not so kind, we would come to measure badly. We are just the people who are the disciples here, have good rough clicks on us, ask also just as foolish things often as they ask here, that God must often say: If I gave you as you ask, I would be a fool as you are. We often ask like this when we pray the Lord's Prayer. But our dear Lord is so kind, so gracious, that he does not hold our foolishness against us, as he did not hold it against his apostles and other saints, who were the same flesh and blood as we are. So the dear saints are comforting to us, not like the monks paint their Franciscum, so pure and pure that they even make a wood, stone and iron out of him. However, this is not the opinion that we learn sins from the saints, but that we learn sins from the saints.
But that we may be comforted by their example; as their sin is forgiven them by grace, so shall they also forgive us, if we will but abide under this father of the house, who is called Christ, in his house; where only this is done, there is no need of our weakness and infirmity. For he does not become any the more hostile to these two disciples, even though they are good, rough fellows, and speaks to them again quite kindly, since he had made them a little ashamed before: You take care how you come to great honors, that same will be found by himself. The chair has long been made for you to sit on, for in my Father's house there are many dwellings; see how you get there. But you will come to it as I will come to it. I will have to suffer and die; now can you also drink the cup and be baptized with baptism? Yes, yes, they say, should we not be able to do this? Well, do not worry where you will stay, you will be well provided for. In the Scriptures, the cup is called suffering, which is given to everyone. Our Lord God, as it says in the Psalm, pours out to each his measure, which he must drink up. Each has his own, one less, the other more, often a woman more than a man. Others are physically afflicted and persecuted. We here have no outward persecution, but we have something else in the meantime, that the devil torments us in our hearts and consciences. This is a harder affliction than being outwardly afflicted. So each one will have his own, even if it is only in the last hour, that he must suffer and thereby confess his Lord Christ. That is his cup and also his baptism, in which he must bathe himself, until the old Adam is drowned in him and washed and cleansed. Every man therefore shall see, and bear his own, and not depart from his Lord and Saviour; and afterward take no thought where he shall abide; he shall well find his throne and crown in his time.
Second sermon on Matt. 20.
Wednesday after St. Andrew's Day. [5 December 1537.)
Next we have the pieces left standing, as the Lord says to the two disciples,
1038 Erl. 44, S1S-2Z0. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1039
The sons of Zebedee said that it was not in his hands to put them on the right hand or on the left hand. Then the pope goes on and says that the scripture cannot be understood without his gloss, because it is contrary to each other, therefore one should follow his gloss. Not yet, dear Pabst, you do not have to master the Scriptures, nor I, nor anyone else, according to our head, the devil bless us. We are to let the Scriptures govern and master us (not to be masters ourselves according to our mad head, and to set ourselves above the Scriptures, as the pope has done with them), 1) so I shall do to him here also. I find in one place of Scripture that Christ says: All that the Father has is mine; what the Father does, that do I also; the Father works until now, that do I also; here he says that he has no authority, but the Father alone; item, he did not come that he might be served, but that he might serve everyone. Now rhyme these and such sayings together for me from time to time. I will do this well, and only go into my faith 2). He preaches to me about Christ in two ways, that he is truly God and truly man. According to the Godhead, he is like the Father, eternal and powerful; according to humanity, he is inferior; and yet he is one person of Christ, inseparable, even though there are two natures in him. So my faith is: I believe in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God the Father; then the Lord is pictured to me according to His glory; then: He who was conceived, born, suffered, died, and was buried; this belongs to the human nature, which He took to Himself for this reason, so that He might serve us, and suffer and die for us, as He says here in the text; then: Who rose again, ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God his heavenly Father; which again is said of his glory, and yet the human nature is nnseparated from it, which now also sitteth at the right hand of God, for the deity of Christ is in humanity et contra, and now can never be separated.
- These brackets are set by us. The Erlangen edition has incorrectly interspersed: "As the pope has done with it, so shall I do to him all here.
2s "into my faith" i.e. I will refer to the apostolic, Symbolum.-Equally following, the Erlangen edition has: "sermon" instead of "preaches."
Now you have all such sayings to rhyme easily, although they seem as if they were against each other. So now the Lord speaks here as a man, he has no authority, he is a servant, and gives the disciples an answer, how they regard him. . They regard him as a man, therefore he also answers them and speaks as a man, so he has no authority, as they regard him there, to put them on the right hand and on the left hand. But when he comes in his glory on the last day, then he will honor his own as a mighty God; and now he is here, not to show his glory, but to serve everyone with teaching, living and dying, and finally to give his life.
Now it follows in the text that the other ten disciples become quite angry with the two, as if they alone wanted to be masters, and the others had to be their servants. The good, silly people stumble and are quite fed up with them, but the dear Lord still tolerates and suffers them, and is quite friendly toward them, even though they make good, lazy jokes, because they are only attached to him. He will make them well according to his pleasure when he sends them the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. We must not have such a Lord who snaps at us and throws thunder and lightning at us; we are afflicted enough without that; but who speaks to us in the kindest way, and does not ask whether we are poor, foolish creatures 4) who are lacking here and lacking there. But he is hard enough on others who do not keep his word and doctrine; he has no patience with them and cries woe on their necks: Therefore let us rather see that we are found among those multitudes against whom the Lord is kind, who do not set their trust in him.
He instructs them smoothly and says: "Oh, you good people, what do you think, that I want to lead and establish such a regiment as the worldly princes and lords have? The same is before established and ordered, as it should be, since Adam in Paradise the power over all that was created em-.
- Erlanger: again.
- i.e. fools. In the original: manure.
1040 Erl. 44, 220-222. Luther's sermon on Matth. 20, 24-28. 1041
For this purpose, those who sit in the regiment must have power and authority, without which they would not be able to carry out their duties, nor would they be able to fulfill their office. According to the appearance, trust, as it can be seen, so let them serve worldly lords, but if they want to maintain their office righteously, it would be the greatest service that is on earth. Such a rule, says the Lord, I do not want to outline, I let lords be lords; that is why I am not here, but I have come to serve everyone; and in my kingdom it shall be so: whoever wants to be a great lord, he shall only serve much, much, and whoever wants to come to great honors, he shall be everyone's servant; that's how it goes.
So now my ministry and that of every preacher and pastor is not in any kind of rule. Therefore, my and every preacher's and pastor's office does not consist in any rule, but in serving all of you, that you may learn to know God, that you may be baptized, that you may have the right word of God, and finally that you may be saved, and I am not subject to any worldly rule, which princes and lords, mayors and judges shall order and provide for. My office is only a service, which I should do for free, neither money nor goods, neither honor nor anything else. For if I should preach that I should be given much, that I should be made a king or emperor, I should not be brought into the pulpit with ten horses. I did not want to take a thousand florins for every 2) sermon, because I knew that I would lead to the devil if I sought nothing more from it than how I would become rich. For as soon as I preached for the sake of money, I would speak what people liked to hear, so that I would get money. Therefore I preach freely, for free, which I also owe to do, and seek neither honor nor good from it; otherwise I would just as soon have learned something else, become a craftsman or a merchant, I could even today still be a
- Erlanger-, im.
- Instead of "all" it should be read "for one". Cf. Tischreden, Cap. 22, K 127. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XXII, 684: "I did not want to take a thousand guilders for one sermon."
- Erlanger: "a SHreibers ampt."
I am commanded to teach you and whoever I can. But I am commanded to serve you and whomever I can with teaching, comforting, exhorting, with God's word. I am commanded to serve you and whomever I can with teaching, comforting, exhorting, with God's word, so that you may be saved, "so that I do not rule over you, but bring you together with me 4) under one Lord, whose name is Christ, and apart from service I seek nothing else.
But if I do this, you are then again obliged to feed me. For since I am to preach and serve you with it, I cannot wait for food; so you are obliged to feed me with it, even for nothing; for he who serves the altar, says St. Paul, should live from the altar. This is what the pious kings and princes of old did abundantly, and donated enough for the maintenance of churches and schools, because the common man, as now, would not do it. These have now stolen and robbed the devil's people, who devour the same goods in the cathedrals and monasteries in all disgrace, and there is no one who would think of preaching about it, yes, they persecute and blaspheme and disgrace those who do it in the highest way. We barely have the bark or the bread on our plates to feed ourselves, they have taken the best. But I would not gladly grant someone whom I loved to have the same goods as they do. The pious people who founded it did not only do it royally or princely, but also Christianly, that they thought for all their descendants to preserve the preaching seat and schools. The names of the founders still remain, as Scholasticus, Cantor, Prepositus, Decanus; they have dropped the offices. Well, they have it away. Now the audience, where otherwise the preachers cannot be preserved, is obliged to feed the preachers of their own free of charge, so that they both remain under one Lord, their Savior, who first served all the world by dying for them and redeeming them from sins and all heartache, and then also served us as an example, that we Christians should serve another free of charge, as he has done for us.
- Erlanger: "me" and immediately following: "except the service".
1042 Erl. 44, 222-224. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1043
Third sermon on Matt. 20.
Wednesday after Conceptionis Mariae. 12 Dec. 1537. Rediit ad principium cap. XX. de operariis in vinea
We wanted to have this gospel left over, because it is customary to preach it soon after the holidays 4) on one Sunday. However, since this church ordinance requires that baptism be preached on the same Sunday in order to preserve it in Christendom, and therefore this gospel must be omitted, we want to speak of it now, so that it will not be omitted, because it is a necessary and useful teaching.
First, however, we must learn to understand the language, because the number of hours, as they are counted here, does not rhyme with our Seiger hours. With the Jews the day had twelve hours, which they counted from the exit of the sun. In order that we may have a better understanding of the three, let us set the first hour at the time when we hear at 6 o'clock, the second at 7 o'clock, the third at 8 o'clock, and so on. According to this calculation, the first are hired into the vineyard at 6, the others at 9, the third at 12, the fourth at 3, the fifth only one hour. Shouldn't it make one's eyes cross that the wages are given equally for such unequal work? that seems unreasonable and unjust before all reason. If I had had to work a whole day, and should not have received more pay than the one I had worked one hour, and in fine, cool weather, I could hardly have left it, I would have grumbled. But grumbling does not help the workers to get more, it makes the father of the house ungracious to them, because they want to force him to give them more than the thing was done; as if one did not have the power to give what he wanted from his own. I can give ten guilders to one whom I am fond of; but if I give another scarcely ten guilders, 3) it is not unjust. A father gives a child everything he wants to give his child.
- Erlanger: "Care.
- Erlanger: first hours.
- d. i. pennies.
Leblang has acquired with great effort and work, although the child does nothing for it.
The Fathers, and Gregory in particular, have interpreted this equation in such a way that the first who were sent into the vineyard were Adam and Adam's children up to Noah, at the time of the flood; the others, however, from Noah up to Abraham; the third, from Abraham to Moses and Aaron; the fourth, from Moses to Christ; the fifth, who were only a few hours in the vineyard, those who came shortly before Christ and at the time of Christ, who were all saved at the same time as the others. Now I do not dispute this opinion; whoever wishes to hold it may do so. But I follow the Scriptures, which everywhere call the Jewish people a vineyard in the prophets now and then, as in Isaiah and others. The Jews were well accustomed to this, therefore in the Gospel it is written in another simile of the vineyard, that the Pharisees well understood that it was spoken full of them. In John 15, the Lord Christ calls himself the vine, and his Christians the branches. Therefore, we do not want to interpret the vineyard so broadly, but only to the people whom God has especially chosen for Him; this is His vineyard, in which He has sent His workers, that is, His prophets, far and wide, through whom He has restored the right word and the right service of God everywhere. After Moses and Aaron the word fell, after that it was raised up again by the judges, after that it went out again until David, after that it went down again until the time of Isaiah the prophet, but after that Jeremiah came, finally Haggaeus, Zacharias, who were the closest before Christ, until Christ himself finally comes, who sends his apostles and has his vineyard planted as far as the world is, and makes a vineyard out of Jews and Gentiles. As far as the teaching of this parable is concerned, this is the sum of it, that we should learn from it that God does not want to deal with us according to our work, according to our merit, but that by grace, God gives to each one at the same time, whether he has worked much or little, the promised penny, that is, His Son Jehovah.
1644 Erl. 44, 224-227. Luther's sermon on Matth. 20, 1-16. 1045
Christ, forgiveness of sins, redemption from death and all heartache, gives us his Holy Spirit, and finally eternal life. The penny he has promised by grace to all who are in his vineyard, that in his Christianity each one may do his work with all diligence and faithfulness. But for the sake of his work he shall receive neither more nor less; all shall have this penny at the same time. If God wants to do something special for you for your work, which you do more than anyone else, he will know how to reward you; but the penny that is promised, Christ and the forgiveness of sins, shall be given to all of us at the same time, there shall be no difference.
But our flesh and blood, to which it is innate, has a heartache: 1) it either wants to have its work and its honest conduct in Christianity rewarded, or it says it does not want to do anything at all, and looks with disgust and sourness when it sees that another, who has been in Christianity for barely a year or half a year, should have just as much in Christ and in eternal life as one who has had a lot of trouble and work his whole life long. At this time, since God has again let his dear word shine upon us, I have seen many, praise God, who have been Christians for half a year or a whole year, and who have happily died to their Lord Christ, who are certainly blessed. I have now endured twenty or thirty years of preaching, schools, and much more work and heartache, so I get just that, that those who have died in time and have only spent one hour in the vineyard. I would also like to look askance and grumble about what God is doing to me, 2) that he is making me work so long and endure so much sweat, for which I should have nothing more than a child that lives one or two days when it is baptized. Yes, if it would help to see or to grumble, I would do it easily; but I have to put up with the fact that God is so pious and merciful that he gives as much to the one who works little as to the one who has worked much. If he imposes more work on me than on a man
- Erlanger: "the heartache to which it is innate."
- "Ziehe" is imperfect from "zeihen" - to blame. Cf. Col. 486.
He will know how to reward me for it; it must be done now, but that is why I should have no more in Christ, nor should anyone else have less. Would not the angels also look askance and murmur that the high majesty, the Son of God, has not become an angel, which creature is so much higher and better than a man, and lets itself into our mud and filth, who are enemies of God by nature and kind. I think they would have reason enough to grumble and look askance, and to interpret this as if God had despised them and held them inferior to us. But the dear little angels are so pious that they let everything please them from the heart, as God does, and fall at God's feet, and worship Him who has become a man, and are heartily and exceedingly glad about it, as their singing at Christmas indicates: "Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, and goodwill to men. Shouldn't we be ashamed of ourselves, we poor mud sacks, who want to rise up as soon as we know a little more that we have done than another? and yet we should be pleased with ourselves from the heart, as God does. But the wicked devil strengthens us in our evil ways and nature, which wants to be seen; if it feels wavy that it has led an honest, upright life, which another has not done, or otherwise accomplished more good in the world or Christianity, it will hardly leave it, it wants to be right with God; so God is much too poor to reward its good works and labor, and resents it that another still comes to measure at its deathbed. I must tell a fable about this, which is written in vitis patrum, because I do not consider it to be a true story, but it is nicely and well-penned from the measure, it was done by whoever wanted it, and now rhymes very well with this simile. There was an old hermit who had fallen ill. Now another monk wants to go to him to visit him. He takes another young monk with him, so that he has a companion, but he is wiser than both old fools. It happens that at the same time a murderer comes out of the forest in front of the sick hermit's house. He was not allowed to dare to go to the holy father in
1046 Erl. 44, 227-229. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1047
He did not go into the cell like the others, but stayed outside and looked in from the front through a small hole, and said to the sick man: "Oh, Lord God, if it were as well with me as with you! The sick man answered: "Yes, of course, you may well wish it. Then the young monk started to cry bitterly, but he did not say why. Finally, as they were going home, the murderer hurried after them from afar, wanting to confess to them and ask for absolution from them. In his haste he jumped over a ditch and broke his neck. Then another hermit, who lives on the side, sees that the angels came down from heaven and took away the murderer. They came down and took the soul of the murderer and told these two what he had seen. Then the young monk laughed; the other scolded him for crying there at the hermitage, and here he laughed. The young monk said: "Shouldn't I weep there, when I saw that the other one had gone beyond his piety and was condemned, but this one, who was heartily sorry for his sins, has gone to heaven? Then the other brother, who had seen the face of the angels, said: "Why do I torture myself and toil all my life, if I could live according to my will and still be saved, like this murderer? and ran out of the forest and lived as he pleased. This is a very fine poem, I say, because it indicates just that, that all this likeness. The murderer also comes slowly into the vineyard, and gets his penny. The monk, who had worked a lot, loses the work with the penny. It was the same with the sick man, who took comfort not in his father's grace, but in his work, and went to the devil over it, for God cannot suffer us in any way to insist on or defy anything but His grace. Therefore he lets us see such examples that he is merciful to poor sinners who have done nothing good all their lives, when they cry for help, and gives them just what he gives to those who have spent their lives honestly and well, and worked hard. For even if he wants us to live a virtuous and honest life, for he does not send us to a tabernacle or a whorehouse, no work shall be done for him.
He will reward them with other gifts, both temporal and eternal, as he knows. If any man therefore murmur, let him see that he be not last, and that they which are last be first.
xims.r)
First sermon on the twenty-first chapter.
Wednesday after Fabiani Ao. 38. 2) January 23, 1538.
V, 1. f. When they came near Jerusalem to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them.
The beginning of this chapter has been left out to be interpreted, because the same text is preached twice else in the year. '
Then follows the life of the Lord Christ, what he did when he rode in and entered Jerusalem with his glorious splendor and stirred up the whole city. For when he came so powerfully, the people went out to meet him with multitudes, cutting down the palm branches and the olive branches, and carrying them to meet their king and Messiah, and scattering them also in the way. The simple children and people sang to him the beautiful Confitemini, in which Hosanna 2c. is written, shouting and calling for Christ, their Messiah, to come; and when he entered the city, there was a crowd everywhere, so that people ran to see what was available. The chief priests, scribes, councillors and elders of the people were furious that he was allowed to ride in with such splendor and did not ask them first. He did not greet them, nor did he ask for permission: the Pharisees, priests and councillors of Jerusalem did not like this at all.
- This should indicate that this is the end of the sermons preached in 1537.
- These words are in the margin of the original. - That this timing is correct is confirmed by what Luther says on February 9, 1538, in the 17th sermon on the Gospel of John, where he refers (in § 9) to this sermon. Walch, old edition, vol. VII, 1730: "nächst in der Mittwochpredigt." Buchwald, Ungedruckte Predigten, vol. 3, p. 212 erroneously places this sermon on [Saturday)! 26 January. He was not aware that the sermons on Matthew were preached on Wednesdays, those on John on Saturdays.
1048 Eri. 44, 2S9-S3I, Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 10-12. 1049
It seems as if it were a part of a riot that the Lord hangs the people on him, and asks nothing of the great lords who had the rule at Jerusalem; and if someone else had done it, it would certainly have been a real riot. But the Lord Christ is prepared here with a good answer, as will follow. For when the Pharisees came to him and asked him about it, asking him for what authority he had, whether he wanted to make a noise or a riot, he asked them again, saying, "I will tell you, if you want to know; first tell me, "Where is the baptism of John from? is it from God or from men? Then he shut their mouths, and they drew in their pipes. For John the Baptist's sermon and course were that after him the true Messiah would come; this had been sufficiently proclaimed to them, and John's testimony had recently come to pass. John had been dead barely a year, so they still had John's testimony in fresh memory, that when he was dead, they should pay attention to the one who would come after him, and who was already present, for whom they should wait. Therefore they should not ask who he was, as if they did not know. They knew very well that he was the true Lord and King of this people; therefore he also entered Jerusalem as his royal city. They willfully did not want to know. It is a very clumsy thing, since they had recently heard from John that the Messiah would follow him on his heels, so they should think: John proclaimed it, he will be the Messiah. But they despised John's preaching and voice, so Christ despised them again, because they did not ask anything about him, nor did they want to know anything about him, and he rode into Jerusalem, God granting that it would be good or bad for those in Jerusalem, as it greatly displeased the chief priests and the citizens; and he forcefully interfered with the chief priests. They should have accepted him with great joy and brought him into the council house and into the temple, just as little children accept him. Since they do not do this, he mocks them again with his answer; and they ask him the same question.
The poor and the young people rejoice in their king, whom John the Baptist had proclaimed to them and actually showed them with his fingers; and the Lord makes the Pharisees afraid, as there was a new fear that he rode into Jerusalem so powerfully, and it was seen as if a riot was about to break out of it. But the saying of Zachariah was fulfilled, for Christ was to ride into Jerusalem with such splendor and glory as the true Messiah. Therefore he did not greet Annam and Caipham. For they were supposed to have gone to John the Baptist at the Jordan and asked him what should be done with Christ. He would have told them, as he had told many others before. But because the people listened to him, and the temple and the city were his, he also went in as one called by God and announced to them by John the Baptist.
For this reason it is a shameful question that they say, "Who is this?" as if they did not know him, and as if the temple, the city and everything were their own. But then he asks them again, holding up John's baptism to them, asking them where John's baptism came from. The common people and the children give them a fine answer, saying: Have you not heard of the testimony of John? It is Jesus, the prophet from Galilee. Then they must be silent. Neither may they say here, in answer to the question of Christ, that John the Baptist's baptism was of men, for the people took him for a prophet; as they say here, The prophet cometh out of Galilee. They would rather have heard the people say, "Behold, here comes a rebel, a fool, who despises the chief priests and the council of Jerusalem. But when the people said, It is Jesus the prophet, as if they should say, If ye think him a rascal, ye may know it; we think him a prophet; and the very word prophet is to them a thunderbolt, they were not to be joked with, for there was a prophet among the people so held that he had the chief rule in spiritual things; what he ordered and wrought, of that they had to be sure.
1050 Erl. 44, 231-234. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1051
The name Prophet went over all kings; therefore they have to draw in their pipes, otherwise the people would have thrown stones very soon, if they had said that he was not a prophet; and that they also fear, although it would have had no need, because the Lord was not ridden in, that he wanted to cause a riot And take the regiment to himself, only the temple he wants to sweep and reform. That is why he only attacks those who are in the spiritual regiment, for which he was called; he enters the temple as the true Messiah and Lord, as follows in the text:
V.12. And he entered into the temple, and drove out all the sellers and buyers in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the changers, and the seats of the dovecatchers.
Regardless of how it pleases the Pharisees and the others, the Lord continues, and takes it even more violently, goes into the temple, and reaches in with his fist, rumbles inside, strikes, which he has never done before. For it is not read anywhere that he thus struck with his fist, and of course it must have seemed strange and evenly taxing that the man, who was otherwise so kind, gracious and merciful, has so completely forgotten himself here, because even his disciples are appalled by it. But the dear disciples excuse him afterwards, as John is clearly described in the 2nd chapter, and the cause is drawn from them, namely that he was moved by a holy and divine anger, because he saw in the temple, where one should honor and call upon God, such a shamefully desolate being. Therefore he violently beat buyers and sellers, moneychangers and pigeon-chasers, chased them all out of the temple, overturned benches and tables, scattered the money, and made them wonderfully full. But they were not so bold as to attack him before the people who had sung to him with the eighteenth psalm.
And this has been the cause of the deed of Christ. God had divided the Promised Land into twelve tribes, and the thirteenth tribe, Levi, was to wait on the temple and have nothing of its own. But in front of the cities they had gardens and stables, where they kept their livestock for sacrifice, and beside it butter and
They made cheese to feed them. Then God ordered the tithes to be given to the priests, and three high feasts were instituted by Moses: Easter, Pentecost, and in the fall the Feast of the Breasts of the Leaves, when they sat under the May trees. At the feasts, by God's command, they had to make special sacrifices in the temple, each according to his ability and good will. Whoever was not able to sacrifice an ox could sacrifice a calf; whoever was not able to sacrifice a calf could sacrifice a lamb, or whatever he wanted, for each one was free. Item, if a woman went out of the six weeks, if she was rich, then she had to sacrifice a lamb, or a few turtle doves, or other birds, as sparrows or otherwise, and about the sparrow it went out most; and all this was directed, so that the priests would have their entertainment from it, because they otherwise got no inheritance. They, the priests, had no part in the land of Canaan, but what was sacrificed belonged to them. Everything had to go to the priests and Levites so that they would be maintained, fed and provided for, and these were named and designated sacrifices.
Here the priests were so stingy that they finally did not stop at the sacrifices that God had commanded them to offer, but went on and offered other sacrifices to the people that God had not commanded, and taught the people that such sacrifices were the best service; And the people also put all their diligence into sacrificing, and sacrificed not only on the three high feasts, but as often as they pleased, and at last came to sacrifice every day, not only the time that God had commanded and appointed, and when the women carried their children into the temple after the six weeks, so that there was neither measure nor end to the sacrifice; They did nothing else, as if there were no other work that pleased God; and so the Ten Commandments, the love of neighbor, and all other good works 1) were forgotten. In addition, the priests had persuaded the people for the sake of their avarice, as the Lord Christ also reproaches them elsewhere, and scolds them for it, that with their commandments and statutes they had disobeyed God's commandment.
- Erlanger: all.
1052 Erl. 44, 234-S3S. Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 10-12. 1053
especially the fourth commandment, where God requires one to honor one's father and mother. They taught that if there was a poor father, a poor mother, or a poor friend in need of help, it would be better to put money, clothing, and food (to be given to parents and friends) in the offering than to give it to friends. For what was offered in the temple was given to God Himself, but what was given to father, mother and poor people was given to men; therefore it would be much better to offer it, and so they should excuse themselves against their parents and friends if they wanted something from them, and should say Corban, as it is written in Marco.
The Lord Christ is angry at this, and if he had not been so holy, he would have cursed that everything should be adorned with the name of God. Thus the devil is a master in that he can masterfully pervert the right service of God and turn it into idolatry, so that they walk in avarice and belly service and are led away from God's word in such blindness that they think they are doing God a favor and service by snatching the morsel of bread right out of the parents' mouths and offering it to the priests alone. That was a fine sacrifice, because they put God's commandment far out of sight, and people thought of their own convenience: One may well leave it to honor one's parents and to love one's neighbor as oneself; and all that God had earnestly commanded was to be obedient to father and mother, to serve, advise and help poor people, when one should have said to the priests: This is a voluntary sacrifice, which is not commanded in the law of God, I may well refrain from it, I have poor parents and friends, to them I will give it. But the priests made a great pretense of their sacrifices, and adorned them with the name of God, and snatched the morsel of bread out of the mouths of the poor, scanty people, and drew all to themselves; and the people gave the sacrifices into the temple, and smeared the fat sow's behind.
My father was once dead at Mansfeld-
- Erlanger: would.
When the priest came to him and admonished him that he should give something to the clergy, he answered out of a simple heart: "I have many children, I will let them have it, they need it better. So the pope also scoured and scraped the people, and brought all goods to himself, and whoever had unjust goods was taught that he should also give it to the church. So the devil perverts the right worship, and puts his filth in its place. This is what happened to the Jews.
Here the prophets go on, and rebuke in multitudes because of this false worship, and reject such sacrifices in the temple. When, in the first chapter of Isaiah v. 11 f., God says: "What do I want with the multitude of your sacrifices? I am full of burnt offerings of rams and of the fat: of the: Fattened:, and have no desire for the blood of farces, of lambs, and of goats. When ye come in to appear before me, who shall require such at your hands, that ye should tread in my court?" 2c. How shall not the prophet be put to death? for it is written in the law that one should sacrifice; if we come and sacrifice, he saith, Who commanded you? Why do they condemn us? And Jeremiah the prophet saith in the seventh chapter v. 21 to 23, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Put your burnt offerings and other sacrifices in heaps, and eat flesh. For I told not your fathers the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, neither commanded I them of the burnt offering, and of other sacrifices: but this commanded I them, saying, Obey my word, and I will be your God." Does Jeremiah mean to say, Take your scoops and eat your own flesh, I have not commanded you of this, that is, your chosen and self-willed devotions and sacrifices, but this I have commanded you, that you should obey my word and voice. I have given you my commandment that you should honor the parents and servants of the divine word. For God wants us to direct our lives so that each one may know his turn with God. He shall not of his own choice devise works to do, but shall live in such a way that if the neighbor is in need of you, God's word says I should love the neighbor. If I see a poor
1054 Erl. 44, 236-288. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1055
Virgin, God has told me to love my neighbor, and then one walks in the commandments of God and in His obedience. Otherwise, one will want to get indulgences, go on pilgrimage to Rome, and serve God. But how do you know that it pleases God? Well, it is a fine work, even a chosen work. Who ordered it? You leave your wife, child and neighbor at home.
Thus the devil delights to turn men away from the right worship and to make them choose their own works. So the priests in the temple were not satisfied to have the Paschal sacrifice, item, on Pentecost and the Feast of the Breasts, as God commanded, but taught the people that they should do nothing else but sacrifice, and so throughout the year there was a fair in the temple, and booths were set up where pigeons, sparrows, goats, lambs, calves and oxen were sold; and when the people came from the country and said: I would gladly sacrifice, but I have no cattle, then one said to him: Go before the temple, there you will find it for sale, there is a cattle market. There the priests got money for the cattle, and got the cattle also again. This was a sacrifice that served the priests for avarice. They took the meat from the sacrifices along with the money. For those who came from afar could not carry cattle with them, and Moses himself commanded that they should bring money, especially at the feast of Easter.
But they were not satisfied with this, for their avarice had neither end nor measure. If someone had neither money nor cattle, and wanted to have sacrificed, they said: Thou shalt not appear single before the LORD, even on the day of Easter, and on the day of Pentecost, and on the feast of Tabernacles 2c., and brought him into the temple, and said: There is a money exchange, where they will lend you money for a profit and interest, so that the sacrifice will not be lacking, or they exchanged the foreign coin, because they had to pay a premium, because otherwise the same coin would not be common and given in Jerusalem.
than as a department store where people traded, bought and sold.
The Lord was angry at this, and he attacked them and rioted in the temple, throwing everything into a heap and beating them out of the temple with the merchandise, overturning the tables and scattering the money. They were well worth it. For if they had left it at the order of the old sacrifices, the Lord would have granted them that. But they interpreted it, that whoever sacrificed daily, did such a service to God, which was pleasing to him; they led the people into the temple, and first deprived them of money, and then also of their souls. Should not Christ be angry at this?
Therefore Christ did not reject the sacrifices which Moses commanded and instituted, for when he cleansed the leper, he said to Matthew in the eighth chapter, "Go and show thyself to the priests, and do the sacrifice which Moses commanded thee"; which word he adds with diligence. But he does not confirm their stinginess, but the sacrifices commanded by the law, as when a leper was cleansed, he then did his sacrifice; item, the sacrifices for the firstborn, and whatever else there was, for everything had its statute and order. This is how it should have remained, for these were sacrifices that God had commanded, not those that men had chosen for themselves. They did not leave it at that, but made such a rich service, that the people laid on the sacrifice alone, because of their shameful avarice.
Therefore God chided and punished the sacrifices in the prophets everywhere, but no crying or preaching helped; They took one prophet after another by the neck and killed them, and then continued with their sacrifices, until at last there was a merchant and a merchant's business, and there was not room enough in Jerusalem for sacrifices, But wherever there was a fine piece of ground, a hill, a mountain, a meadow, a wood or a pasture, a pleasant tree or water, there they built a chapel and set up an altar, and the people ran there with oxen and sheep to sacrifice, as the prophet Jeremiah said on the day of the sacrifice.
1056 Erl. 44, 238-241." Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 10-12. 1057
Chapter 2 v. 20 complains about this, saying: 'There is not a corner where there is not an altar, nor a town so small, item, on all the hills and mountains, under the trees, where there should be no more than one place for sacrifice, namely the temple. This was the result of the greed of the priests, for they stole with power at Jerusalem, and then those in the countryside stole the sacrifices from those at Jerusalem, and there was no end nor measure to the theft and blasphemy; this is what false teachers do.
And what wonder that at the same time such a thing happened, since the priests took God's command from the sacrifice, and thus misled the people into an abuse, so that they filled their avarice, and the devil seduced the people under the name of God? The wretched pope has also taken advantage of this and has almost taken over the whole world with his error. There was almost no corner where there was not a monastery, church, hermitage or pilgrimage, where all the money, silver coins and other superfluous things were brought, so that in one or two years a church as big as a castle was built. The pope and the bishops were happy to see this, and who can tell all about the buying of indulgences, the pilgrimage, the calling of saints, the endowment of churches? all of which the pope did far beyond God's commandment and sold his stuff well enough and at a high enough price that, on the other hand, baptism, which the Lord Christ himself had endowed, and the ten commandments were nothing at all. The ten commandments belonged to the peasants and common Christians. Some abandoned their father and mother and ran away to a monastery without God's commandment, out of their own conceit; the devil of the oak tree 1) was more important than God Himself, and whoever would have said: Dear, you are now in a city and church, where you hear God's word, the sacraments, as baptism and communion, also have the absolution, it has in Rome the Pope or Mary to the oak no better, stay at home and keep your money, hear God's word from your priest, honor your parents and authorities, and you see poor young-
- "zur . Eiche" em place of pilgrimage four hours from Leipzig. Cf. silk
Wives, companions, friends, give your alms. What will you give to the light-whores at the oak tree? for she is the devil; but listen to God's word here, which teaches you 2) how to do good deeds: the pope would soon have struck you with the tree and lightning, and for this reason he has also put me under ban.
In Welsh land there is a chapel, named S. Maria de Lauretto 3), of which 'they lie that it floated, I do not know from where, on the sea into Welsh land. There have been so many pilgrimages to it that they have collected as much gold and silver there as three kings would have had in their treasures; and it is said to be the chapel where the angel Gabriel brought the greeting to the Virgin Mary'. This chapel was spoliated and plundered by Pope Clement, 4) and great goods were found inside. Now the pope did not know how to get the treasure, so he thought of this: he pretended that the church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome was the main church, or the highest parish church, so he wanted to keep the chapel of St. Mary of Lauretto in the parish church, because it belonged to the church; and he quickly went and got the unspeakable treasure out of it. Why did he not do the same to this church in Wittenberg, that he bequeathed it to the Roman church? This means that he would have brought less of it here, but there he lifts the great treasure, and I think that the king of France still gets it; God forgive me otherwise, if it is not true.
But are these not frightening things, that one collects so unchristianly much money by lies? For this reason, the pope has always set his date and all the proposals on money, and the devil, as a mighty lord, has blinded the people so that they can give enough, since now, when the eternal truth, God's word is preached, the citizens and peasants in towns and villages cannot well support a pastor and preacher,
- Erlanger: lernet.
- In the church of Our Lady of Loreto (in the Papal States) is the 6u8u suntu or holy house, supposedly the dwelling of the Blessed Virgin in Nazareth, which angels are said to have brought from Galilee to Dalmatia and from there to Loreto.
- The last time the extremely rich treasure of this church was plundered by the French in 1797.
1058 Erl. 44, 241-243. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1059.
Since we are commanded by God to feed them, and also to raise our children to be preachers, and to use what we have of goods to raise up people who will also receive the word of God after us, and who will be able to ward off heresies, for you see that it is a great need.
Before, when we were still in error, we gave with both fists. In my memory, the great being of S. Anna arose when I was a boy of fifteen. Before that, nothing was known about her, but a boy came and brought S. Anna, quickly she goes on, because there was everyone to it. That is why the magnificent city and church on S. Annaberg were built in her honor; and whoever wanted to become rich had S. Anna as a saint. Such saintly service brought the pope enough money. But now that Christ begins to overturn the banks of exchange with his word, and we are his whips and scourges, so that he destroys the Pabst's whorehouses, and teaches the people 1) how they should live a Christian and blessed life, also that we may know that we have such a Lord, who died for us, and thus Christ has begun to sweep and cleanse the temple again: then no one wants to give anything more for the entertainment of the service.
But the fair is destroyed for the pope. The pope could do no special harm to baptism, for it is given to a person only once; but with the mass, as the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, there has been bad housekeeping, and all kinds of sin have been fabricated, and only a fair has been made out of it; Even the absolution, that is, the forgiveness of sins, which the Lord Christ, the Son of God, purchased for us through his blood and gave us free of charge, was sold for money; the same has also borne much money, and has sinned a thousand times more than Judah the traitor. We have also laid hold on him, and now he is angry because of it; he may do this all his life.
The hermits have long ago moved to the deserts and the woods, and lived there, and have partly done so out of
- Erlanger: lernet.
Fear of torture, so that they would not deny Christ in torment. Others did it so that they would atone for their sins in the wilderness and desert with their austere lives. After that, the world became a fair, full of monasteries that sold their good works to the people and persuaded them that if the laity built churches and monasteries for them, they would thereby obtain remission of their sins. That is where the great monasteries came from. Isn't this the wretched devil? More than half the world's goods came to the monasteries and convents, all because the priests and monks had superfluous good works that they could sell and give to other people. Is this not an exquisite, well-fed, fat lie, that those who want to lead a strict and penitent life should be in a state of perfection? Is it not all the other way round? and on the other hand, where Christ is, and absolution, and the sacrament of the Lord's Supper is administered, and the office of the mediator is performed, this is said to be mere child's work.
There is nothing left in the papacy that is not an abomination, for even the forgiveness of sins or absolution has been turned into a department store and a fair. Such an impudent avarice the pope has practiced in the midst of the church, and yet it has had to have the name as if it were all indulgences, since he has bought money out of it; but he has to give away the indulgence of sin in vain, and if the last day does not come, I think he would gladly set it up again if we were dead, because we are now driving him out of the church with his filth. Therefore S. Peter said rightly in the other epistle in the other chapter, that false teachers would come, who would deal with us through avarice with fabricated words, they would be drowned in avarice, and their heart would be driven with avarice, and for the sake of it they would deceive the people.
Whoever looks at Rome sees what stinginess is. The stinginess of the Germans is child's work compared to this, although there is also great stinginess among peasants, citizens and those of the nobility that would make one's hair stand on end. But the popes can get the money out of the kings.
1060 Erl. 44, 24Z-S45. Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 10-12. 1061
The pope was able to bring out the chests and treasures through the indulgences and butter letters. I do not know how many tons of gold England had to give annually to the pope, so called St. Peter's penny; and what did he have annually from France to annals? 1) Also many hundred thousand crowns. So the German country had to give him much of the palliis and otherwise. Still it was all called forgiveness of sins. It is the pope far above Judas, the traitor, even a thousand times worse. But we have destroyed his theft and indulgences. May God grant us His grace to recognize Christ's good deed and to thank Him for having cast out the pope and restored to us pure baptism, His holy word, the sacrament of the altar, and absolution; may we see to it that we keep it and educate our youth in it. Whoever does not help to do this, and may well do so, so that people may be educated who, after us, could also receive the Word of God and resist the heresies, will cause the old nature, the abominable idolatry, the outrage and the abomination to be brought back to its feet.
Our forefathers did it, demanded parish priests, built churches, and gave a lot of alms and tax for it, and meant well. But it turned out badly. But whoever will not now give to the Lord Christ, nor help to promote and improve his kingdom, let him go and give it to the devil. But the ungodly being and this idolatry have been cruelly punished, and they well deserve it. For the sake of our ingratitude, a spirit of iniquity may soon come and do wrong what we have taught to be good and righteous, and again set up avarice.
Therefore, just as it is said here in the text that the Lord Christ rumbled in the temple at Jerusalem, and became so angry that he struck it with his fist, and forcibly expelled those who made the temple a storehouse, so God has also in our time with the papacy
- The one who received an ecclesiastical benefice had to pay half of the income of the first year to the pope; this tax was called annals. Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, 285, H 38.
God has now intervened in the Pabst's haggling through His loving word, by which He has begun to purify His church again from all the filth that the Pabst has led into it. But he now 2) pushes them out of the church and cleanses it again, and just as the Lord did not leave it there with words alone, but also reached in with his fist, so now we do not leave it with words alone, but also reach in with deeds, and throw in the idolatrous images that were worshipped and honored in God's stead, and throw them into the furnace, break down the altars. For what would it be to teach the pure word of God, if one let go of the works that are contrary to it, and did not put the offense out of sight? in time the devil would cause idolatry with it. Therefore it is right to take one idol here and another there, where special worship has been practiced, and put them in the furnace; and it would be good to break down all the devil's nests, where special pilgrimages have been made, so that the devil does not sow them again and make it seven times worse than before. This was to be done in order to prevent trouble and to get out of the way. This attacking does not happen any further than the abuse; otherwise the sword is left in place. For we sit still and do no harm to anyone; nor should we do it, nor should we do violence to anyone. But this is not done by the pope and his crowd; he leaves the word and the doctrine, and wants to preserve his avarice and idolatry, and wields the sword by force, strangles and murders us, and confirms his idolatry and abominations with the sword, so that he has made the dear temple of God the Most High a veritable pit of murder. But we do no harm, but give them alone with their abominations to the devil, and destroy their churches, or turn them to another use, lest idolatry be practiced therein again.
- Erlanger: stößets.
1062 Erl. 44, 245-247. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1063
Second sermon on the 21st chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
Held Wednesday, January 30, 1538. 1)
Follows in the text:
V. 13. and said to them: It is written: My house shall be called a house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
The Lord takes the saying from the prophet Isaiah, who says in the 56th chapter v. 7: "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations, says the Lord. For the temple at Jerusalem was also built and endowed for this purpose by King Solomon, as can be seen in the prayer that the king makes in the temple. Now that it was finished and he dedicated it, as is written in the eighth chapter of the third 2) book of Kings, the temple was built. When the temple was full of mist and the priests could not stay inside, Solomon said in clear words that he had not built this house because our Lord God needed it, since all the heavens could not understand him, but that he had the promise of God that he would be in the temple and live for the benefit of the people, so that they would be sure where to find God and present all their needs to him, and he would certainly answer their prayers; He then told of the dangers that one should ask God in the temple to alleviate and take away; and Solomon did not want the temple he had built to be a house of sacrifice, but God should hear there all who would call upon him.
That is why he called it a house of prayer, where people sought help and counsel, and God promised that he would help and answer their prayers, not only of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles who would call upon him in faith. This house of prayer is now a holy place where God wants to be found and thus show Himself as a common helper in need. Therefore, whoever prays here, will find the
- Buchwald, Ungedr. Predigten, vol. 3, 216, has given this sermon the date: "1, Februar", but erroneously. Compare the note to the heading of the previous sermon. He could not set it for Saturday, February 2, because the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated there. Cf. Buchwald, I. 6. p. 218.
- i.e. in the first book of Kings.
right GOtt, who can also help there. So God also paints from the 65th Psalm v. 2. 3.: Te decet hymnus in Sion, "To you all flesh will come, praise is due to you, God in Sion, for you are a hearer of prayer"; and gives it a name, that it is called auditor orationis, that this is the actual work of our Lord God, that he hears prayer and helps those who cry out to him, and therefore, he says, all flesh comes to you. There was no other house in the world that bore the name of a house of prayer, except the temple at Jerusalem. Whoever lived far from Jerusalem, or could not get there in a hurry, knelt down and turned his face toward the temple, and made his prayer toward Jerusalem, and it was heard; for their faith was that God had chosen that place, and would hear those who worshipped him, and though they could not get there with their bodies, yet they were there with their hearts.
This has been a great, mighty grace and mercy of God, that he lets say/he wants to be found in the place, and that he has thus bound himself to the certain place, since he wanted to be found for sure. Now whoever comes to the place in this temple, and if he has a need, whatever it may be, and presents the same need to God there, and asks him for mercy and help, he will hear him, whether he is a Jew or a Gentile; And this was not a chosen work, as we have done in the papacy, but God so ordained and commanded and commanded that the house should be built, and gave it a name, that it should be Solomon's house of prayer; and Solomon also said in his prayer that he had built this house that men might have a certain place where they might meet with God.
The temple at Jerusalem was built primarily for this purpose, not for sacrifice, although this was also done, but for prayer, so that this church would be a house of prayer, that is, a hospital for the whole world, so that whoever could not be there with his body could lament his distress in his heart and turn his thoughts to this place, for there he would find the Lord,
- Erlanger: those.
1064 Erl. 44, 247-250. Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, . 13. 1065
as to whom: God himself had promised that he would listen to all of them. But what happened? The temple stood there and was consecrated to be a house of help, a house of prayer and a house of comfort for all those who wanted to pray there. Then my beloved Jews could not enter the temple or the church, but only the smallest group; and first of all the tyrant Jeroboam, king in Israel, soon after the death of King Solomon, began to build his own chapels or churches in Samaria at Bethel and Dan, against God's command, and set up two calves, saying: Here are the gods who brought the people of Israel out of Egypt; and he sacrificed and drew the people of Jerusalem to himself from the house of prayer that God himself had established, so that he would dwell there, and he made a promise to the place that whoever sought him there would not make a false prayer. But when some of these examples came to pass, and people ran there and worshipped the golden calves, and Israel left the temple at Jerusalem standing, the true God was despised, and the Jews followed this example of Jeroboam, building churches everywhere on the mountains and in the forests, There was not a single city in the land that did not have its own worship service, and at last, wherever there was a beautiful and pleasant place, a fine oak or linden tree, they quickly went and took a priest with them, sacrificed and held a service there. There they gave money and goods with heaps, the same new service had to be right, because it pleased them. But the one God had established in Jerusalem had to be unjust; they did not inquire about it, because it was not pleasing to them. Then the land was full of idolatry, for the great multitude made a special thing of it, and built churches and chapels in every street and corner. 1) But in Jerusalem they left the right main church, the temple in Jerusalem, it was not valid, God sat there and waited in vain, as he himself complains in the prophet Isaiah at the 65th chapter, and S. Paul to: Romans at the 10th chapter v. 21., where God says: "All day long I stretch out my hand to the unbelieving people, who are waiting for the Lord.
- In the Erlanger wrongly interpungirt: "chapels at Jerusalem: but" 2c.
walks in an unrighteous way according to his liking."
Now God watched them for a while. He also sent prophets to them, who were supposed to lead them from such fictitious worship to the right worship in Jerusalem in the Temple. They did not want to believe them, and beat them to death, thinking that the heretics were trying to control the people of God. God had to be with them; because they were His people, they could not destroy them. Yes, they did it so well that God destroyed the true temple in Jerusalem and the false worship in the countryside, and had the Jewish people led away captive to Babylon because of their trust in the false, imaginary worship. After the Babylonian imprisonment, there is nothing special to be read, since the temple was rebuilt, that they built chapels now and then, but they were pious afterwards, and kept to the same temple alone. For the distemper and the rut had hurt them so much that they left the idolatry standing at the streams, woods, meadows and mountains, and found themselves at the temple until such time as avarice possessed the priests again, who remained at the same temple and did not go to the mountains, for they were still afraid of the former punishment; But they made the temple they kept so full of idolatry that the proper service of calling on God and giving thanks was suppressed, and it became a house of idolatry and a den of murderers, since they kept a public market and all kinds of merchandise and exchange in the temple, even though Solomon had made the temple a house of prayer by God's command; but they made it full of idolatry.
This is what the Lord finds when he comes, that people no longer came together in the temple to present any need to God and to pray, but that they worshipped an idol and idol of all idols instead of the right God, that is, avarice, and did nothing else in the temple, except for very few pious people, such as Hannah and Simeon,
- Erlanger: Den.
- Erlanger: not nothing.
1066 Erl. 44, 280-LSL. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1067
Zacharias, Elisabeth, and others like them, who came and still needed the temple, prayed there and served God. The other great multitude, forgetting to pray and give thanks, bought and sold a covenant, and the chief priests went and drove the people to sacrifice much to them, so that their avarice might be fulfilled, ordered the sacrifices before the temple, had oxen, goats, sheep, calves and pigeons for sale in public, made exchange bellies, and did nothing else in the temple but avarice; so that S. Paul also rightly says that avarice is idolatry. And it is true, a miser puts his trust in the penny, asks nothing of God, does not complain of his need to God, but has his idol in the 2) box. If a man puts his trust in money alone, which is due to God, he serves Mammon. Thus the chief priests, the miserly ones, have done, they have served mammon and have not asked anything for God's honor and man's happiness, therefore they have made of the temple a storehouse, a miser, a pit of murderers and idols, because they had put the idol, Squire Avarice, in it. The temple was not built or arranged for this purpose, but for the afflicted poor consciences, who had to suffer hardship because of sin, were sick, and were otherwise in misery and in need of God's help, so that there in the temple God comforted all the afflicted, heard them and helped them; not that they practiced their avarice there, but that all the afflicted and the afflicted prayed there and received help in body and soul from God.
Since the Lord does not find it so, he is justly angry that the house that was supposed to be a house of prayer has been turned into a pit of murder, in which the right faith and trust in God and the pure confidence in God's promise have been put to death in the hearts of the people, and they have been shown their hope by God's grace, so that they relied on their sacrifices and works, which they themselves invented. Then God's honor was stolen and robbed, and the people's souls were struck dead.
- Maybe: dieweil?
- Erlanger:, in.
- Erlanger: den.
So the pope has also made such a pit of murder out of the holy Christian church. For after that temple has been dug, and our Lord Christ has built him a church as wide as the world, and he himself has become the temple in which God wants to hear our prayer, the desperate evil-doer, the pope, has come, and has taken the Lord Christ out of our sight, and no longer let him be our Savior, but made him an angry judge, whom we had to propitiate with other mediators than the deceased saints and through living monks and priests, item, through his indulgences and our pilgrimages and other charms; and all this for money, so that it 4) could not be filled.
It is the same with us. God has given us His Son and all His goods, as, His Word, the Lord's Supper, baptism and absolution, and through baptism people should be washed and cleansed from all sins and obtain forgiveness of sins. The Lord's Supper was instituted so that those in need of consolation might be refreshed and strengthened in faith, and the forgiveness of sins might be better known from day to day, and the rest of sin and filthiness might be swept out of us. 5) The Lord's Supper was instituted so that those in need of consolation might be refreshed and strengthened in faith, and the forgiveness of sins might be better known from day to day. Thus also absolution and the other things more are all instituted that the Christian church might be strengthened thereby; for all this is a house of prayer, that our faith might be strengthened. Thus the devil's head in Rome, since all these things should serve the soul, makes a junk out of them all, seeking his profit and benefit, and sells the forgiveness of sins for money, takes money out of everything, as sacrament, baptism, preaching ministry and everything else that is endowed in the church. So he also made the Lord's Supper a sacrifice for the living and the dead. He forbade the priests to marry, nor did he ordain anyone without a lot of money; and since this could not fill him, because his heart, as St. Peter says, is smitten with avarice, he also made a sacrifice for the living and the dead out of his own desire and favor.
- "him", namely the pope. Here, too, the.Erlanger, as almost throughout, has "them" instead of "him".
- Erlanger: "übrigen".
1068 Erl. 44, 2S2-254. Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 13. 1069
He has set a law above the other, forbidding the third and fourth degrees in marriage, so that he could make money out of it if he dispensed with it; forbidding to eat cheese and butter, taking money, and giving out liberty to eat cheese and butter again; which is contrary to God's word. But this is even more shameful, that he sells his laws, binds and unbinds whom he pleases, thus playing with his own laws, like a rogue with the dice; has also forbidden some degrees, which are not allowed to marry together, but if one gave him money, he soon let it go, and if one gave him money, he gave out forgiveness of sin and indulgence. It was all about 1) the money that he had to do, whether it was in the things that Christ had given or that he had commanded in his laws. Whoever came to Rome and brought money received forgiveness of sins. I, as a fool, also carried onions to Rome, and brought back garlic. Because not all the people could come to Rome, out of great love and devotion he sent out his cardinals to all the countries with his stinking indulgences, and yet he was not concerned with indulgences everywhere, but with money. Is this not called hucksterism? It was nothing with the priests in Jerusalem, the pope has almost bought the world with princes and lords, kings and emperors to himself. Therefore, the pope is a real miser, and there has never been anyone in the world who has so shamefully made use of the sacraments, priestly ordination, as he has; he has made many laws on it, but everything for the sake of money.
And such a little bundle is not human, to sell everything for the sake of money, but devilish. This is how it was then with the Jews in Jerusalem, and this is how it is still in the church of the pope. He cannot get any profit from the teaching of faith, because there everything is given and given for free, otherwise he would have made a fair with it. But the right church is founded for prayer. We also have our temple here in Wittenberg, where we come together, hear Christ's word, and are baptized,
- Erlanger: umbs das.
And Christ himself is there, as he says in the 18th chapter of Matthew: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. And the Lord Christ is not to be sought anywhere, for where such a people come together, where the gospel is preached purely, and where the sacraments and the power of the keys are used in the right way, there Christ is certain. Otherwise he does not have a certain place, that is true, because the temple is now as wide as the world. For the word is also preached everywhere. For the word is preached everywhere and the sacraments are administered, and where these things go right, be it in a ship on the sea or in a house on the land, there is God's Hans or the church, there God is to be sought and certainly found. So one should preach.
But the papists cry out against it and say: If you want to find the church, run to St. James, go to Ach, to Trier, where the skirt of our Lord Christ is supposed to be, to Jerusalem to the holy grave, to Rome to St. Peter and Paul, to Loretta to St. Mary, or to Mary to Regensburg, or to the oak tree, as there has been no certain number of pilgrimages, all for the forgiveness of sins, which the pope has put in these places. But answer this: "Listen, you will not find a better treasure there than the one you already have at home in your parish church. Yes, everything in the pilgrimages there is falsified, and is the devil's religion; there is no baptism, no Lord's Supper, forgiveness of sins, nor gospel that teaches about these things. Therefore, it is the same game with the pope as with the Jews, when they built churches and chapels under the trees, by the waters and on the high mountains.
The pope has also consecrated us to the dead saints who are not there, for no one can say for certain that St. James is buried in Hispania, for those who know his histories say that he never came there; and let it be that he is buried there, what is it to me? what can he do for me? did he die for me? did he receive baptism, communion, and absolution?
1070 Erl. 44, 254-257. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1071
But he, S. Jacob, must stand beside me, and just as well have and receive from one Lord with me baptism, the Lord's Supper, the power of the keys, as I; if he has it, he is a joint heir with me of all God's spiritual goods. Therefore, you do not have to gape at whether S. Jacob is buried in Compostela, nor run to the oak tree of Mary, but say: I know better, God's word directs me to a savior, to the right bishop of our souls, to the Son of God, to whom we should run; he is found (as I said) where one preaches God's word, administers the sacraments, prays the Lord's Prayer, and speaks the faith, and worships before the man who says: Here you shall find me and not in Rome. Look only at the word of God, at baptism and absolution, where Christ is certainly found, for if he were not there, baptism and the Lord's Supper could not exist; but because they remain, it is a certain indication that he is present. Therefore say: I will leave the holy apostle S. Jacob lying, also S. Peter and Paul may remain in Rome, because the Romanists themselves do not know where they are buried; therefore I will keep to the place where Christ himself preaches, baptizes and absolves me; and even if you go on pilgrimage there, you will not hear S. Petrum or Jacobum, but to me the pope and his Romanist laws and statutes. S. Peter and S. Jacob are now dead; they cannot preach to me, nor administer the sacraments and pronounce absolution. Only a priest or monk appears, and tells me a dream, and then comes, holds mass before the altar and gives me the sacrament, but does not give it to me 2c.
But who can tell all the wickedness and lies of the pope, so that he has filled and flooded the church, and yet adorned everything with our Lord God's name; for who would otherwise have believed the evil-doer's insolent and abominable lies? and by his abominations and idolatry has torn the people away from the right house of prayer, and led them to his abominations. Is this not a desperately wicked piece of fiction? We may well pray that God will not let us fall again into these cruel errors.
I have also been to Rome. There the pope says: S. Peter and S. Paul are buried in Rome, the heads shall lie there, and the bodies in S. John Lateran; but it is an impudent lie, he does not know it to be true. They may well have been in Rome and martyred and killed there, but under the tyrannical nature they were rejected, so that no one could be so sure where they remained, God also hid it, so that one would not know where their bodies remained. The pope gives people wooden heads for this. But if it were true that they were buried there, let the dead rest there, and say to Ulan: I will let the dead saints sleep, they are where they want to be. I have the true living saint, the Lord Christ, my dear Savior, the fountain and source of all holiness, who speaks to me, whose baptism, sacrament and gospel I have. If I go there, I lose him and fall into the devil's jaws, because the pope has created a pit of murder and killed souls, as he still torments all those who do not want to follow his teaching.
But God has punished the world for its unbelief and contempt of the divine word, as S. Paul prophesied in the 2nd chapter of 2 Thessalonians, that since they did not want to believe the truth, they must now believe strong errors. Thus we in the papacy must believe the filth, of which not a word is thought in the Gospel. There is nothing written in the Gospel about the pilgrimage to St. James, but the pope thought it up so that he could give out indulgences and get money, and become lord of the world. Our forefathers deserved this with their ingratitude against the divine word. It is a grave error that I should run to Rome and get forgiveness of sins (yes, a dirt), since I had everything here before, as Christ's blessing and his sacraments.
The pope has made a great fuss about this and said: "Here is the holy city; why? because many martyrs are buried here. Oh, if there is no other reason why a place should be called holy than that it is a holy city.
1072 Erl. 44, 257-259. Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 13. 1073
that the saints are buried there, o then the place is much more holy, where God Himself dwells with all the chosen angels and distributes His sacraments. Otherwise, all other cities in the world are not holy to the Pope, but only Rome. But this is blindness beyond all blindness, if one wants to call a place holy, where Christ is not, and his Christians do not dwell there; and where he is, there is then no place holier than the other; for everywhere baptism is the same, also the divine word is the same. Therefore the pope leads the people from the true holy places to the false sanctities, and then the people are deceived with such bluster and pompous words. For that the apostles should lie in Rome has a much greater appearance than where baptism is administered, and here the true holiness and true baptism is obscured, and in contrast this filth must shine in the lanterns. Judge for yourself whether Christ alone with his sacraments is not better than the pope's pilgrimages and masses. Therefore, defend the pope, whoever can, so that we keep Christ and his gospel. For no one will bring it about that S. Jacob's church in Hispania is better than baptism. Therefore, where there is baptism, the Lord's Supper and the divine Word, there pray, for the church is a house of prayer, and Christ has made this house as wide as the whole world.
So the Jews of old also made the temple a murderer's pit, just as the pope has done now, because they have stopped praying in his church. He does not say in the Lord's Prayer: Hallowed be thy name 2c. Therefore he is a murderer, who leads souls away from faith to fictitious good works with lies and false preaching. He is the arch-murderer, and has made laws where one can practice idolatry under the guise of great holiness, and he also murders the bodies, sheds the blood of the Christians, incites the kings against each other, item, whoever does not want to believe in his idolatry, he banishes. That is why he first filled the world with avarice and idolatry against the right worship of God, and secondly murdered the Christians in body and soul. Whoever thinks about him would faint.
But it all happened because of our ingratitude. But let us not take this for a joke, but give thanks to God and be pious that he still speaks to us, for we only know that the ministry of preaching and baptism are not human; so we also know how we should behave toward our authorities and parents. Therefore we can say that Christ is in our churches, for we preach Christ and present him to the people, so that his name alone may be sanctified, and his kingdom come to us, his will be done, he also give us our daily bread, leave our guilt, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from all evil. It is vain need that we present to Him, and where Christ is, there He is as a hearer of our prayer. May God help us to remain in this house of prayer and not fall into the pit of murder again because of our contempt.
This is now the severe punishment of Christ, because he is angry with the chief priests and with those who suppressed the right worship and invented another for the sake of money, by which they led the people away from the right worship, and thus made the temple a pit of murder, because they sold the cattle for sacrifice, and turned the souls from faith to the statutes of men and their tradition. For God commanded that men should be taught His only saving Word, and not human wisdom; for human statutes do not keep the sting. In the sight of the world it may be a pretty, beautiful thing, but God's word is eternal, not man's statutes, as the Lord Christ says in Matthew: "Every planting that my heavenly Father has not planted shall be uprooted." Therefore one should stay with God's word, there alone one will be saved.
And it is a terrible judgment that Christ here passes on all the doctrines and statutes of men, that he calls them murder, and the place where they preach and practice theft of men a pit of murder. And so it is, nothing more is done there, but that one murders body and soul. For, dear Lord God, how can men give or promise life who are themselves mortal, and
1074 Erl-259-261. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. - 1075
not be able to resist death for a moment? Therefore, if we are to live, we must receive life from Him who lives Himself and has life in His fist, who alone is the true eternal God and Creator of us all, who has life and can alone give life, and to His word one should give glory, and believe that He is almighty and can save from eternal death. The rest is all vain dead things, vain murder, murder and a murder pit, as the papacy is full of murder pits and murderers. But God has shown us where life is, namely, in His Word. For in the statutes of men there is death and eternal murder, since under the appearance of great holiness souls are eternally murdered. Therefore, we should watch, pray and diligently see to it that we keep God's word in the church and in our homes.
Third Sermon on the 21st Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
Held on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 1538. 1)
Now follows in the text:
14-16 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the miracles which he did, and the children crying in the temple, saying, Hosanna to the son of David, they were indignant, and said unto him, Hearest thou also what these say? JEsus said unto them: Yea, have ye never read: Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou praised?
Here you see what the Lord Christ did when he rode into Jerusalem with such splendor that the people sang to him outside the city and in the city, and the people around him shouted, "Blessed be the Son of David! Matthew says nothing else about his sermons, but how he rumbled in the
- Regarding this timing, compare Buchwald, Ungedruckte Predigten, vol. 3, p. 226, who erroneously places this sermon on Saturday, February 16. For the correction, compare the notes to the superscriptions of the two preceding sermons. - This sermon is in Buchwald only in a short, insufficient version.
Temple, and cast them all out; even as the young children that ran after him sang until he went into the temple, crying out: Hosanna! This is the right Te Deum laudamus. And the others, who had seen his miracles before, were strengthened by this shouting, so that they shouted even more: Hosanna, happiness to 2c.; as if they should say: Here we have the King and the Lord. But he, the Lord Christ, was silent and let them sing as they had done before the steel. When the Pharisees saw him, they said that he should tell his disciples that they were silent, as if they were saying, "They are shouting at you as if you were the mightiest and most powerful king, and they thought that because he was a poor beggar, the praise was too great. But he says, If these should not cry out, the stones would cry out; as if he should say, If these children should not cry out, it would not be good for you; for there must be praise and singing, and even if the stones should do it, that is, the Gentiles, who are not God's people. So much does he like the praise. He accepts it and proclaims himself king in Israel, and that the kingdom of Israel is his own kingdom and people. This will make them mad and foolish, which the chief priests and great lords of Jerusalem could not suffer; this is what most offends them, that they cry out in the temple: Hosanna! They did not ask too much about miracles; they let him give sight to the blind. But that he should ride into the city with song and pageantry, and ask nothing of them whom he should have asked leave of before, that was no good at all everywhere. For all the spirits of the mob can easily judge others, they are poisonous people, they see the splinter in other people's eyes, but they are not aware of the beam in their eyes; they think that doing miracles is something, but that one should sing that he is a king and lord, that does not befit a prophet. If he had gone before to the chief priests and asked their permission, he would have gone; but that he does it without their permission, and the poor bungler and beggar, who had not his own donkey, makes himself so powerful against their will, and does not see them.
1076 Erl. 44, 281-264. Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 14-16. 1077
They are annoyed by the fact that he asked them for it.
Thus it goes: what God does is not right until the world says and commands it; then our Lord God takes pleasure in it, so that he must allow himself to be justified. One must also confess in the papacy that our teaching is the word of God; but since the popes, cardinals and bishops have not yet said yes to it, it must be nothing. But if one were to fall on one's knees before them and worship them, so that they would let us preach, that would be delicious, especially if we wanted to preach what they would like. But before I would preach from their commandment, I would not preach or write one letter. It is called preaching what God means and commands, we will not suffer nor accept their commandment, nor preach what the Concilium decides. Let the pope and the Concilium remain disciples, and all of us too. Therefore the Lord does not ask anything everywhere for their wrath, and helps them to wrath, if they want to, and says: If the children were silent, the stones would cry out.
They run him over the snout and read him a good lesson, what he shows himself; 1) speak: Do you hear? as if they wanted to say: You are a prophet and want to be held great; how do you then give such a great and evil example of ambition, that you presume such honors, and let yourself be called a king and Messiah? Thou wretched beggar and bungler, thou art from Nazareth, and comest thither to Jerusalem with such violence, as if the government were thine, and goest into the temple, and askest not the chief priests and counsellors? Where did you learn that you should be so trustworthy? Is it pleasing to thee that such great words should be sung of thee, that thou art the Son of David, the true Messiah, and King in Israel, and that the children and all the world should thus commend thee? What do you think you are? Should you be a prophet? Yea, hellish fire upon thy head! For this is the manner and nature of hypocrites, that they pretend not to desire glory, and are exceedingly
- i.e. what he takes for himself.
humble, do not give credit to anyone to whom any honor is done, who does not quickly say that he is not worthy of the honor, and reject people with bad words, and yet such are the most desperate peelings in the skin and the most hopeful drops.
The Lord answers them briefly, and meets them again finely; as they give him words, so he gives them back to them, piece by piece, nothing in vain. If they scold him deafly, as if he does not hear the cry, as they say, "Do you not hear what these say? or do you hear it and can you bear it? then he gives them another blunt answer, as if it were not necessary for them to ask him, and that he should keep the children silent and shut the people's mouths, that he is not therefore a rebellious villain; and approves the cry, and calls them blind against it, introducing a saying from the 8th Psalm. Psalm, which was much too high for them and did not rhyme in their ears, and says: "Are you then blind, that you do not see, as it is written in the Psalter: "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings you have prepared praise"? as if he should say: "You ask me whether I hear the children crying, and think that I am deaf and a fool. If I am deaf and a fool, then you great learned doctors are blind, for you do not read the Scriptures; or if you do read them, you do not understand them, and if you do understand them, you would not ask me about this, and say that I should silence the cry of the children and the people, for otherwise the stones would have to cry out, for there must be shouting, praising and singing here; If Abraham's children do not, then the stones, that is, the Gentiles, will have to praise and glorify God; this you will not understand, you who are blind, mad and foolish. 2)
And' here we see that the Lord Christ is portrayed and held up to us in two ways in the holy scriptures. First of all, he is so kind, merciful, gentle and gracious that nothing friendlier or more loving could be imagined; no one is too small for him, he helps and counsels, comforts and does the best he can, as we see in the Gospels everywhere.
- Erlanger: seiet.
1078 Erl. 44, 264-266. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1079
Here in the temple he is a servant of all servants. There is only kindness in him, especially toward those who desire his help. There is no lack, he is more willing than willing, and there is love and friendship. They get more from him than their hearts would have desired. Again, he is unkind, obstinate and, thus to be reckoned, almost tyrannical at times; if one condemns his office and blasphemes all his miracles and works, there is then no mercy with him, he calls them fools, hypocrites and viper-breeds, and does not do wrong. He pours it on them, for they do not come to him to seek his advice or to learn from him, for Christ is too bad and low for them, but they want to be his masters, he should be their disciple, but he does not want to do that, so they will never be one.
The Pharisees cannot do what Christ does, and yet they do not want him to do it. But he is the man who was sent and called to be the Savior of the world, and they will not suffer it. Let the whole world be judges, because he is sent to do this, and will help, and they cannot help that he does not do wrong, if he does not give them a good word, and let them go in all the devils' names. This strife and contention continues throughout the gospel. They speak evil words, and he strikes them again on the mouth so that it splatters; the longer they do so, the more they take offense at him, because he will not do what they want. He should advise them what he wants to do and what he doesn't want to do: he doesn't want to do that, if they get nonsensical about it; and one would also have to order the squires, as they would like it. They are not ordained to master and teach the man; they should be his disciples, but they do not want to do that; so they accept it as good, if he again does nothing that pleases them; and because it annoys them that the people and the young children are so happy and good-humored about him, he lets it happen all the more, otherwise he could have kept them quiet.
Then they cry out, "He who wants to be a true preacher must teach humility. This is what Christ truly taught. Whether he
Even though he is respected here, because he makes people like him, as if he were extremely proud and hopeful, he still tells people in other places not to say that he has helped them. As to the blind man, when he had given him sight, he said, "Go, tell no one. Item, to the parents of the deceased maiden he says, they should tell no one; and Marci 7, when he made the deaf and dumb to hear and speak, he also forbade the people that they should not repeat it. So the Pharisees also wanted to teach Christ that he should also do it here, and the people and the little children should be silent.
And it is true that a preacher should not be ambitious, as every Christian should be. For a Christian is not baptized and called to eternal life because he seeks his own honor, much less a preacher. Nevertheless, it is a common nuisance that the doctors and teachers of the church want to get out of the top and nowhere to be seen but at the mint and others. There is no greater poison on a Christian, yes, much more on a preacher, than when he seeks honor in temporal things, which honor is due to God alone. Ambition is a harmful vice, but nowhere so dangerous as when it comes among preachers. In other matters, too, it is yearly enough if one seeks nothing but honor. But God can easily overthrow this honor. A fair woman prides herself on her beautiful face and beautiful body, but soon a fever or pestilence may come, or death and some other disease, and make you hideous and ugly enough. A rich man defies and insists on his property, but once a thief, fire or water comes and takes it away from him, so that his house is burned down and nothing is left. God can soon control such a hopefulness and overthrow it. But here it is the devil who causes a preacher to fall into this temptation, so that he seeks his vain glory in the Gospel. For the devil makes his avarice greater the longer, so that he causes one misery after another. And such a desire for honor does not suit him. If he succeeds in inflicting it on God, then it is an unspeakable wrath; for God
1080 Erl. 44, 266-S6S. Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 14-16. 1081
He did not give his word to make honor, business and commerce out of it; and if a preacher seeks honor and riches, it is impossible for him to preach or believe rightly, as the Lord Christ John also says in the 5th chapter, "How can you believe, who seek honor among men? He who seeks honor in the ministry of preaching, and wants to be held great, learned and wise before the world, is unbelieving. If he himself is unbelieving, how can he preach rightly? He must keep silent about everything that may harm his honor and reputation with the people; and he will always mix his leprosy and poison into the wine and adulterate it; if this goes along with it, then the ministry is not pure. Therefore, there is no greater harm nor poison than vainglory, as St. Augustine says: Ambitio mater est omnium vitiorum, vainglory is a mother of all vices, it is the devil's bride.
This vice does great harm to preachers. For that is why people say, "Well, you have to preach something special so that people will talk: This one will become a fine man. He cannot preach the word in harmony with the others, but he brings something special and new, so that people open their mouths and noses and say, "This is a fine preacher, he knows how to do it; I never heard it like this from anyone before. So he puffs himself up and tickles himself with it, and thinks he is an ox, since he is hardly a toad. After that, he must do his best not to spoil things for the people, and because they praise him, he must praise them again. So they praise each other until one goes to the devil with the other. Then it has honored itself very well.
These are filii kenodoxiae, which are begotten by the beautiful Miss Eitelehre. They do not keep it with other people, but want to be something special and better. But we Christians, and especially the preachers, should let them be satisfied with the future honor, since they will hear this joyful voice on the last day: Come, ye blessed, into the kingdom prepared for you from eternity, and then they shall be with Christ in the air.
and then it is 1) not only emperors and kings, but also the angels or devils, who will hear our judgment, not as the children, but that they must be damned. If we could expect this, we would have honor enough. Therefore the petition of the Lord's Prayer, "Hallowed be thy name," should always be in our mouths, so that our name may not have honor, especially the preacher. But because it is not so, it is also a certain indication that we do not believe nor pray. But it is preached to us that we should sanctify and magnify the name of God, for in the 7th chapter of John v. 18 the Lord Christ says: "He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him." When he says with mouth and heart, Hallowed be thy name, and seeks not honor on earth, he is true, and there is no falsehood in him, for he gives honor to Him to whom it is due. So pious, God-fearing 2) preachers seek only that alone, as in the fear of God the Christians would be instructed. But where they seek their honor, they are lying people, and there is no truth in them, for they do not believe. Why? They are hopeful and seek only their own honor and glory.
One reads in the book of the Old Fathers about a man who was called to the office of preacher. Since he resisted for a long time, and was finally persuaded through pleading, for those who are called to such an office should be obedient and follow, he was afraid of kenodoxia, and said: because it could not be otherwise, and he would have to become a pastor and preach, then protect me, dear Lord God, that I do not seek my honor in it, and that this vice does not seduce me; I will do it gladly. (As I have asked the most against the same devil, God has graciously protected me from it until now; I hope that He will protect and preserve me until the end). Now the same hermit was told to reach behind himself. As he did so, he caught a black and gruesome monster.
- This intercalation is made by us to give meaning. Cf. 1 Cor. 6, 3.
- Erlanger: god-fearing.
1082 Erl. 44, 269-271. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1083
behind the neck, he pulled it out and threw it to the ground and kicked it to death with his feet. After that, the tender mutier kenodoxia, the vain doctrine, which has many children in the world, no longer challenged him 1).
This may or may not be true, but it is nevertheless the truth and a fine poem or poem invented by a wise man of some sort, that those who are in offices and professions, and especially in the preaching office, have the black ugly plaster 2) on their necks and do great harm, if they do not overcome it 3) and throw it under themselves. Therefore, a preacher and every Christian cannot humble himself enough for his own person, and beware of the shameful devil, the evil one, and pray: Hallowed be thy name. But now preachers are not allowed to say a word to anyone, but they usually go about with other thoughts and business, and are afraid that they will not come to harm if they have to punish the great Hansen or attack other vices. It has been my prayer daily since the beginning that I would not become hopeful, and God has heard me until now, and at times has humbled me more than I could bear. If you now hear those who seek their own honor, you have heard the filth and the poison.
However, honor must also be sought, and where it concerns God's word and honor, a preacher and a Christian should raise his head high and be only proud and hopeful enough. For if one is to be a preacher, he must say: This is the truth, that is the lie, and if he stands firmly on the fact that the pope has lied and deceived the world, then honor follows soon after from the listeners, namely the judgment of the God-fearing that such a preacher teaches rightly and Christianly, and has the truth for him. Again, of the Pabst's teaching they also judge and pass judgment that it is error and lies. We have nothing here to forgive nor to leave that is ours, but it is our Lord God's; who will hold fast to his word in such a way that heaven and earth will be more like it.
- Erlanger: have them.
- d. i. Popanz.
- Erlanger: overlorded.
must lie over a heap, for that one jot and the least tittle of his word perish. Therefore, we should not joke or be humble here, because the wicked devil takes away the humility that departs from the word of God.
But the adversaries interpret it to mean that we seek our honor with it. This is what happened to S. Agatha. When she was brought before the court, she said to the great Hansen: "Your worship is idolatry and foolishness. I believe in Christ, who alone is the eternal wisdom. Then she had to hear: O it is a loose, frivolous maiden, she still wants honor and glory from it. So it seems in the eyes of the world, when we seek God's honor, that it appears as if we are seeking our own. But where there is truth and righteousness, there must come the cry from pious hearts: "This is right, and we think much of it, we honor the word, and we also honor the preachers and ministers of the word. There we are praised by the pious, but otherwise we are scolded and condemned by the wicked, evil world as desperate boys. I cannot prevent the evil from scolding me and the pious from praising me, as St. Augustine also says: "If I am not praised, it is dangerous; but if I am praised, I am in danger. How it is done, it will not be good; if one is godly, one must praise it, then one becomes proud. Doctrine is like the head of a thistle; where you throw it, the thorn will stick to it forever.
When it comes to the point that I should preach and confess the word of God, one must stand confidently and say: Here is truth and there is falsehood, and then say: O heavenly Father, it is your word, you want me to confess it freely and say: Hallowed be your name. But if others say that I am ambitious and proud, they lie about it, for then I seek the glory of him who sent me, for the word is not my word, but God's. If it were my word that I preached, I would curse my honor. But it is God's word, therefore lift up and pray: Hallowed be thy name 2c., and is proud and hopeful.
Otherwise, one should not humble oneself for the sake of the people; if the emperors, kings,
1084 Erl. 44, 271-273. Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 14-16. 1085
Princes and D.octoribus do not like our doctrine, because they want me as a Christian or preacher to give in and give way in the doctrine, and shall humble myself here, there I shall say: Dear pope, dear emperor, and whoever you are more, you kiss me on the little mouth, I did not think up this word, I did not write it either, take glasses in your hand, and open the holy scripture, therein you will find it, I will not deviate from it anywhere, but you shall remain my pupil of this book and obey it, or go to the devil forever.
Yes, they say, you should nevertheless be humble. Yes, you answer, I am obliged to obey, not only the wise, prudent Doctoribus, but also a child, if it strikes my senses, for God can give a child the understanding he takes from me. Then I will obey Junker Pabst and his cardinals, emperors, kings, princes and lords, who desire such things from me, as from one who is called Martin Luther, and gladly say yes, and humble myself to the utmost, and only gladly fall at their feet. But if I am a Christian and a preacher who is commanded by the word of God, and they want me to humble myself here as well, and let the word of God go, then say: Here I cannot be humble and follow. The devil wipe the ass of this humility! God forbid that I should be so humble as to say: I will gladly hear the Council and the Pope, for I am a man who can err; but so shall I say: If it is my word, I will gladly hear it and follow it, and all shall be dirt; but if it is not my word, but God's word, then you must come and accept it, that and no other; if you will not with grace, then you must with disgrace; both forms of the Lord's Supper you must leave, or go into the abyss of hell.
Then, says the pope, do you want to teach me? I do not teach you, but I point out a teacher to you, on whom I trust, and tell you: You must listen to this one alone, and against it let go of your thoughts and laws of men, or be eternally of the devil. All here
- Erlanger: sollest.
I am proud, therefore, I am almost like a god, and judge the greatest power on earth, as pope, emperor, Turks, all heretics, and seek honor for the sake of the Lord Christ, whose word I preach; and every Christian must therefore be proud, but especially a preacher, because it concerns God's honor, there he should stand firm as a wall, and not move a hair's breadth away from it, otherwise he will stand cold, if he wanted to be humble there.
So every Christian is still a judge over the whole world and over the devil, because he leads God's word; that is the master, so everyone teaches and judges. There I do not seek my honor, nor do I trust in myself and my art, but in God, for I can say: God has given me the word, whoever does not obey it, goes to the devil. Well, they say, do you think that God has seated great kings and popes, and commanded you alone? Well, if you find the divine word with them, follow them; if not, let them go.
This is the reason why the Lord Christ resists as often as the Pharisees and the great saints want to put a bit in his mouth. Now judge for yourself whoever you will, whether the Lord is not right in not letting anything be good for them, and he also gives them one after the other on the snout, if they want to rule and govern him. God had commanded Christ to ride into Jerusalem as a king on a donkey, as the prophet Zechariah had proclaimed in the 9th chapter: "Behold, your king comes to you meekly, righteously" 2c. There is God's word, the entry is commanded to him, there he is obedient to the Father, rides in, and the word becomes true: "Rejoice, thou daughter of Sion" 2c. This he must do. But then they cry out, "Oh, you are a beggar, and you enter here as a king? why do you not humble yourself? Oh, there is no hope, so it is written. It says, "He who hears me hears my Father." The teaching is not mine, but my Father's. Now that the Father has commanded all these things to be done, you must also accept me as a king, and not only allow the children to cry out, but also recognize that I am the true Messiah and King of the Jews, if you do not do this,
** 1086** Erl. 44, L73-275. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1087
You will be given to the infernal fire; so the Lord Christ punishes the Pharisees, the great prelates, because they should have done with singing and shouting what this people and the small group of children do.
One must separate the honor of God from the honor of man. When it comes to God's honor, do not be humble. Do not listen to others who are greater and more learned than you. Let it happen that they have the same gifts, but still they are not more learned nor higher than the divine word, which alone is God's, for the same is a master of all masters. You are not greater nor mightier than this Word. You and I shall be under the Word. The word is not mine and thine, therefore say, I will not set thee above the word of God, nor let thee be right, because thou art wrong. They are still doing it to us today; we shall do as they wish. If we then say that we have God's word for us, let them speak: We have it too; ei, you are proud, you want to resist the emperor and the king. Now, if we serve God and confess His word, it is not pride, but great humility. But if it is a pride, it is a divine and Christian pride, and there let me not be sworn. Here I will not do what any man calls me, for I speak the word of a man who is another man than you are. But if it would affect my human temporal honor, then I would gladly be humble, every one of you.
maml hear, follow and yield, and fall underfoot 2c.
So the Lord here also rejects them quite bluntly and meagerly, if it concerns his office, and does not let him resist anything, is quite proud and hopeful. We are to learn to live up to this 1) pride, so that we hold fast to God's word, and be steadfast and not move a hair's breadth. This is what God wants, for there is no humility here. If the Pharisees say, "Do you not hear that these are crying out?" Christ answers, "Have you not read what is written in the Psalm? It is like this, when they cried out before the city, Hosanna 2c., and he answered and said, If these did not cry out, the stones would cry out. So he says to all of them: If you foolish fools will not praise me, let the children do it; so he still raises up preachers from the stones, as he makes singers and preachers from the children here. For God's word wants to be preached and Christ to be praised and honored. The children are fools and humble, but you are wise and hopeful. You do not want to, so let them do it. If they will not cry out who are of Abraham's seed and are living men, then the heathen or the stones must do it, for our Lord God will not let his honor perish for their sake; and Christ says, "I walk in my heavenly Father's obedience, therefore I suffer no master here.
- Erlanger: Diesem.
Here over three pages in the manuscript are left blank. (Note by Bruns.) - Missing here are the two sermons Luther preached on Matth. 21, 23-27. and Cap. 21, 28-32, probably on March 20 and 27, 1538. We insert them here (translated from Latin) from Buchwald's "Ungedruckte Predigten", Vol. Ill, p. 247 and p. 256.
Fourth sermon on Matth. 21.
Held on March 20, 1538. 2)
V. 23: By what authority are you doing this?
It is our reason exceedingly foolish, which wants to comprehend the wisdom of God;
- Buchwald places this sermon "between March 17 and 20. The last mentioned day is a Wednesday, therefore we have dated the sermon on this day. - Overwritten, printed in capital letters, this sermon by Buchwald has the following words: "Prayer must be done in such a way that one is quite sure of the answer and does not doubt it at all. With other Christian works, there may be some weakness, but with this one, there is no doubt.
She balks at it and breaks Isa. 8:15. There the most distinguished people of the people were present, both, the highest ecclesiastical authority and
one must be quite certain." These words have nothing to do with our sermon, but undoubtedly belong to the immediately preceding sermon on the Cananaean woman, which in Buchwald I. e. p. 247 concludes with the words: "follow the example of the woman who relies with full confidence on Christ." Should the above passage also be separated from the previous sermon in such a way in the manuscript, then we would dare to assert on the basis of this that this manuscript could not have come from Rörer's hand, which Erl. Bd. 65, p. 255 is claimed for the manuscript.
1088 Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 23-27. 1089
the worldly, or the elders, the mightiest.... Then they come along and try their horns on Christ. They have filled his heart with hope and presumption, they think they have won, they offer him horns: Who has given you the power? we are authorities ordered by God. But you do not have our permission, we did not give it to you; what then is this presumption? 1) Thus they rush upon Christ with full impetuosity. But he stands firm and is not moved by such thunderclaps: piece by piece, crooked answer by crooked words. You know that John baptized, you also know that he is a true prophet, as the people also testify. They cannot deny this 2) and stand there overcome. They cannot answer whether the baptism of John was instituted by men or whether God's word (ordered it); on both sides they are overcome. The people were present in the temple and would have stoned them if they had denied that John was a prophet. Immediately after John's preaching, Christ came as he had foretold, So they were convicted by the fulfillment of the prophecy and by the presence of Christ. I said John am not the bridegroom, but he has come quickly, I hear his voice John 3:29, therefore accept the other John 1:30, not me. All have heard that John said this. Moreover, the thing itself spoke. Here 3) they could not boast of their priesthood and their worldly authority. For if they had also said: We are God's people and the highest authority, they would have been overcome by this word: I admit that you are God's people. But now let us put it to the test. John, as a true prophet, proclaimed God's word. Why then did you not hear him, since you say that you are God's people? The Jews wanted to be taken for God's people, and yet they did not want to hear his word but
- Luther will probably have used the word "thurst" (audacia) here.
- "not" added by us. In Latin, von is missing - "nopulis" immediately before is probably a misprint instead of: xopuli.
- Instead of Koo, which does not seem to fit us, we have adopted the.
Luther's Works. Vol. VII.
They rejected it, killed the prophets, threw the true God out of their hearts, and yet they wanted to have the name that they were God's people. Therefore, God rejected them as well. What would that be for a housewife who wanted to live her pleasure and break marriage and disobey her husband: would he not reject her, like Ahasuerus his Vasthi, 5) who also wanted to be hopeful and disobey? So here we are taught that we should not look at the persons, but judge according to God's word. Where this is, there is the right people of God and the right church. Although the cry is raised: Church, church, God's people, God's people, one should not turn to them if they do not have God's word. In the law it was written: Whoever does not hear the priest shall be put to death, and he shall be damned. With this they defended themselves and thus deceived the people; and in this way they still deceive them today. Just as our pope (for these things also concern us), together with the emperor, praise themselves highly and want all reverence to be paid to them alone. If they also complain in such a way one should answer them: Listen, you lords, pope and emperor, is then 6) the Bible God's word or not? Here they must fall silent. They want to be the bride of Christ. With the bride in the sack and thrust into hell! This is not the church nor the bride, for she does not have Christ as her Lord and Head, indeed, she pushes Him from the chair. God has appointed them the pope and the emperor as authorities, therefore they should also obey God. The Church is the one that does what Christ has commanded it to do. Here the discord arises between the papists and us 2c. The church is the people who dwell under Christ and honor his word in truth, worship him and do according to his command. The Word of God constitutes the Church; where this is, there is the Church. Therefore, close your eyes and leave the appearance of persons or outward holiness alone.
- Instead of novum, which seems to us not to puff, we have adopted nomen.
- Vasthi" put by us instead of Lstüer, according to Esther 2, 1.
- In Latin: est onim, for which probably ostns should be read, because the first part of the sentence is also a question.
35
1090 Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. 1091
but only the word of God. Between the papacy and us it is not a question of who is to rule, but of whether they are the church or where it is. If it is with them, we want to join them, but not at all if it is not there. But this has been our complaint, that they are not the church, because they do not obey the bridegroom, forbid marriages, deny the use of both forms of the sacrament, and lead such fanatical teachings, which are completely contrary to the teachings of Christ. From this it is sufficiently clear that they are not the church, because they do not behave as a bride should, namely, that she obeys and submits to Christ and his teachings. Yes, they teach that the church, that is, the pope and the concilia, have the power to change God's word. Thus they open their infernal jaws. But we do not do this, therefore we hope that we will not suffer such punishment 1) on the last day, but that Christ will approve our teaching, which will not happen to them.
Fifth sermon on Matth. 21.
Held Wednesday, March 27, 1538. 2)
Bon to the two sons, one of whom is obedient but the other is not.
This happened three days before the Passion. sHe] gives them a sharp lye through four chapters, scolds the Pharisees harshly, that they are not worthy of the tax collectors either. Now the ram is in the hedges, that is, wicked men, and clashes with them with his horns, until at last they catch him and slaughter him. Nuterdeß he overthrows himself with the Jews. Here he Luther added a paraphrased explanation (paraphrasin) of the text, from
- Because here the relation is incomplete, also difficult to understand, we put the Latin here: 81" aperiunt tauoes Sans inksrnat^. No8 voro non Nos kacimu8. 8p6railiu8 i^itur in novi88irno die no8 non tali posna ".Meturn iri etc.
- Buchwald places this sermon "between March 26 and 29". We move it to Wednesday, March 27, because the Gospel of Matthew was preached on Wednesdays.
the two sons, one of whom is obedient but the other is not. 3) But we know that the Jews were the chosen people because of this, because they had God's word and His gifts, Ps. 103 v. 7. Ps. 147, 19. 20.: "He has revealed His rights to Israel" 2c. So the others had to get fire and warm themselves, otherwise they would have no fire. There was the right hearth, on which God had put fire. But they were always proud of this name: "People of God", despised the Gentiles, killed all prophets who said otherwise. Also Stephen punished them Apost. 7, 51: "Their uncircumcised heart" 2c. Even now they do not want to suffer this, but punish it and fight it (tollunt) as much as they can. So they are the other son, who promises that he will do it, and yet does not do it. The closer to Rome, the angrier Christians. More Christians go to heaven from the gallows than from the churchyard. It is mockingly said, but true. That is why Christ says here that tax collectors are more likely to enter the kingdom of heaven 2c. This is what we experience nowadays. What will be the end of this (accidet)? Look at our nobility, how hopeful they are, how they practice avarice and even go against the gospel. There is seldom a city in which the council does not oppose the gospel when it is in the city. But because we will not have it, God will also turn to the tax collectors. Jerusalem and Rome were the most beautiful churches; at Rome more than 20,000 martyrs. What is it now but a dung puddle of wicked boys and a den of the devilish empire? When God has gathered the grain, he pours it into the barn and the chaff into the fire; this is what happened to Jerusalem. After all the Christians were brought out and delivered 5) from destruction, there were also the Romans who destroyed it 2c. This is also what happened to Rome, which is now a pit of devils, where all devils shit.
- This sentence is an inserted relation of the writer. v
- "ers" he them.
- Latin: [seotl st Ndsrati irute. One sees that not always the most appropriate expressions were chosen. The hurry of the next writing is to blame for it.
1092 Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 28-32. 1093
Therefore, 1) we exhort you not to forget the grace of God, likewise: Use the light while it is there. The devil is trying very hard to eradicate the gospel. In Rome he does not bother much anymore, because he has defiled it so much that he no longer cares about it, so he takes up the cause here and elsewhere. Therefore let us make use of the word, so that we do not lose it. If an Anabaptist comes along, he can mock the people and seduce them with his powerful speech, because the people go out to the church and gossip: I have not heard such preaching. So the right word goes away, and frenzy comes into a city that is not protected. Therefore let this be said, lest we also be so, lest we also be the other son, which feigneth to do it, and yet doeth it not. "To come in more easily" v. 31 means: You will never come in. What? Are we not to teach works? The Jews have nothing but what God has instituted: shall not this be taught and kept? Christ answers: Yea, ye shall teach it, but ye keep it not. The Jews were of this opinion, that they attained blessedness through these laws, just as our papists, monks, do. This certainty comes from looking only at the law and one's own powers. They have become proud of this: Everything that the Lord tells us, we will do. Hence comes the stiff-necked head, that they are not to be converted 2) nor do they want to be sinners, as it is said here: that the publicans rather enter the kingdom of heaven 2c. For these are convicted by public vices, they cannot cover it up, for they are gross sins. Therefore they must confess themselves sinners. Secondly, they also recognize their depraved nature. But when they hear that such people can become blessed, they can easily be led to the
- Here is in Latin only what we have resolved with xropttzrea.
- In Buchwald: "zuberen". That the reading we have given is correct can be seen from the following: taoiltz aäiZnntur aä (nrruersronenr and: [noniarn alil of 8UNt
conversion, because they like to hear that God wants to have mercy. They accept this mercy, just as the thief on the cross confesses that he is condemned and preaches that another, Christ, is pious and innocent. But he hopes that his sins will be forgiven him, and he sets his face against Christ and receives what he has asked for. A soul goes to heaven from the gallows, while one perishes in the temple. But this tax collector is the son who first refused, but later repented because he was repentant of his behavior. The other one promises to do it and does not do it, but does not want to be punished, but his ungodly behavior should be praised and approved. They do not want to have word that they are doing wrong. The pope with his cardinals wants to protect his mass and claim it to be true, while it is obvious that it is blasphemous. What shall we do now? We want to accept the runaway (Apostatas) nuns and promise them, if they believe, blessedness, because the others cannot be converted. What is threshed there is vain straw; nothing comes of it. Therefore we want to let the clergy go. Let us take the secular and laymen, the same can be saved. This is what God does: He rejects the saints and accepts the children. He makes the poor laymen so spiritual that their singing or prayer is a thousand times better than that of the pope. The pope cannot sing: A child so löbelich 2c., which nevertheless pleases God, and babbles because, -that does not please God. 3) So he accepted the Magdalene, the Zacchaeus 2c., but rejected the others who were angry and said: Ei, hat hat er die Schnupfen (the snout), riecht er nicht, wie die Hure stinkt? stoßen er nicht sie weg? Against this their opinion he takes them up 2c., because these confessed their 4) sins, but those who did evil, nevertheless wanted to be regarded for it, as if they had done right. 5)
- In Buchwald with wrong punctuation: "Das doch gott gefeit vnd plappert, diewyl das gott nicht ge-. felt."-Equally following is to be read instead of 81.
- In Buchwald: äua instead of [na.
- In Buchwald: ksoine instead of teolsss.
1094 Erl. 44, 275-277. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1095
Sixth sermon on the 21st chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
V. 33. ff. Hear another similitude: There was a householder, who planted a vineyard, and made a fence round it, and digged a winepress within it, and built a tower, and put it out to the husbandmen, and went over the land 2c.
With this similitude Christ attacks the Pharisees and scribes who blasphemed him and wanted to sacrifice him to the meat bank, because he knew well what they had in mind. Therefore he set them on his neck, so that they would not delay with their accusations. They also understand that Christ means them, as they burn themselves white at the end of this chapter. But how pious they have become from this, it is also written that they pursued him as they had him; they would have gladly killed him, if they had not feared the people. So they became devout, and learned this, and so accepted his preaching that they did not want to suffer the truth or hear it; and so it happened, as he said, that they pushed the Son out of the vineyard, because they crucified Christ. This simile of the vineyard they well understood; for in the prophets it is often remembered that Jerusalem and the people of God are called a vineyard, as in the 80th Psalm vv. 9-11: "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt, and hast driven out the heathen, and planted the same. Thou hast made the way before it, and hast rooted it, that it hath filled the land. Mountains are covered with his shadow, and with his branches the cedars of God." So they speak of the Jewish people. Every stick is a city or a place where a multitude of people dwelt, as even today an assembly of saints, or church, is a vineyard where a Pharisee is with his people. But the highest vineyard, the head, was Jerusalem, the tribe of Judah, where the priests and Levites were, as Isaiah says in chapter 5 v. 7: "The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah its tender vessels. The people of the tribe of Judah are the best vines, because there was priesthood, kingdom;
and says: V. 1.: "I must sing a little song of my 1) cousin from his vineyard. He has a vineyard in a fat place" 2c. He has fenced it and sunk noble vines in it. He waits for malvasia, so he brought herlings, is vinegar. The good vines turned, and became vain wild grapes of it. Therefore he says v. 7., "I wait 2) for justice, behold, it is drudgery, and for righteousness, behold, it is lamentation," clamor, clamor cried the widows and orphans to GOD. Behold how they have turned to GOD; therefore He says vv. 5. 6., "I will show you what I will do to My vineyard. Its wall shall be taken away, and it shall be desolate; its fence or enclosure shall be broken down, and it shall be trodden down by the wild beasts. I will make it lie desolate, that it be not cut and hoed, but thistles and briers grow upon it; and I will command the clouds (teachers) 3) not to rain upon it," not to have teachers. That goes now most horribly therefore.
This parable of the vineyard was well known to them from the prophets, and they realized that he meant them when he spoke, not of the sticks, but of the workers who hoed and cleared the vineyard. For the chief priests, Pharisees and scribes, priests and Levites were the rulers who were to teach the people.
And the vineyard was finely planted, and he dug it out of Egypt, and set it in the land of Canaan, and uprooted all the wild sticks, seven nations, pure, as the Amorraeans and the Changelings, and planted in it the people of Israel, divided into twelve tribes, and kept them well, for he was their patron, and defended them against the heathen, that the wild swine should not ravage them, or else, if they presumed to do so, they were pricked over them; He not only plowed the vineyard, but also put a winepress in it, that is, gave his divine word and training or work of the Holy Spirit, that they might learn to compel the flesh, to be enemies of sin, and to stand in the new spiritual life, that they might be a pure and clean people.
- "of my cousin" put by us according to the Bible instead of: "my cousin".
- Erlanger: waiting.
- These brackets find set by us.
1096 Erl. 44, 277-280. Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 33-41. , 1097
Wine and good new juice would remain, and the chaff, the husks and trotters 1) would be thrown away, would be a noble, good wine, a people pleasing to God. For so shall mau punish the people, that they depart from sins, become a pure good sap. So we are also a cherished vineyard in the Christian Church. We have the sacraments and the preaching of the divine word, where we are taught to believe in Christ and to tame the flesh, so that sin does not abound and the old man is crucified, as Paul says to the Galatians in chapter 5. For those who belong to Christ must daily strangle their evil desires, so that the husks may be peeled and the kernels gathered in heaps, and the carriers given to the sows; unbelief, avarice, anger must be killed in the flesh; it must be pressed and crucified; where this does not happen, there is no Christian church nor vineyard. And there he has also set a tower, has his little house, in which the vinedresser or keeper watches and keeps watch, waiting day and night, lest a thief or a sow fall in and do harm; and has set not only men as keepers, but also the holy angels, who wait on the vineyard, that one may work in it, and grow new young sticks, and lead a pure, chaste, holy life. So the vineyard was planted, and the workers, the tribe of Levi, were commanded. He took a special tribe and divided one tribe into two parts, so that Joseph had two tribes, and took the thirteenth tribe to ordain it to the priesthood. They were not princes, they were not allowed to have anything of their own, neither fields, meadows nor houses, but they had a city or forty, which were allotted to them, where they had their gardens, fields and meadows, on which they fed their cattle. The other tribes all had much property, of which they gave annually to the priests the tithe from all income. They had nothing but tithes, and in their cities the suburbs, where they kept their cattle and fed their wives and children. He gave them the vineyard, so that they could wait for it.
- Erlanger: Träfern.
with God's Word and the Sacraments. What happened now? He often tried to see if the workers were working faithfully, fertilizing, planting and pruning the vines; when the time came for him to enjoy the fruits, he sent for wine from the berries, and the servants would have liked to read the mountain; there the pious Weinhacker 2) and Taglöhuer go to, and strangle the servants, the prophets, as Hoseam, Amos, Jeremiam, Jesaiam, and has her none preached, who would not be strangled over it, as to them S. Stephen Apost. 7. and says v. 52. 51.: "Which 3) prophets did your fathers not persecute and kill, who before proclaimed the future of the righteous, which you have now become traitors and murderers? Your fathers always opposed the prophets; so do you to Christ." These were the keepers of the tower and the commanders, the priests; as when the prophets said, "This is an 'idolatry,' this is an idolatry. Moses forbade that one should serve and sacrifice to God in all places of one's own choice, since God commanded that one should sacrifice nowhere but only in the place that He Himself had chosen. Therefore they cried out: Beware of your body, that you do not pray in strange places, but where God has put His name. Yes, where there was only a pleasant mountain, green meadow, meadow, oak, or a beautiful tree by the brook, where it was only pleasant, there an altar and chapel must be built, and they left the place that God Himself had chosen. As soon as the prophets came and punished them for their idolatry, they did not want to suffer it and strangled the prophets to death, because they could not tolerate the prophets' punitive preaching and the truth; as it is still the case today under the papacy. The pope has his own patrons in every village against the gospel and the sacraments. If the prophets said: "This is against Moses, one should not go to Bersaba, Dan, Gilgal or Bethel to sacrifice there, he must be a heretic, was beheaded, strangled or beaten to death with fence sticks. Jesaias was beaten to death with a wooden
- Erlanger: Weinhecker.
- Erlanger: Which one.
1098 . Erl. 44, 280-282. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1099
They were not able to suffer him to condemn their idolatry, just as the pope, bishops and priests are not yet able to suffer their fictitious worship to be punished, because their masses, vigils, invocation of the saints are supposed to be worship that God Himself has instituted. If we then strike it down from the Gospel, they burn us over it and shed much blood.
This is what he means when he says, "He sent out his servants, and they struck them dead. For if he had sent an hundred servants, they would not have been converted, but they would have slain them all. But he did still more, saying, I will send the third time mine only son, which is heir, and lord of the vineyard: and remembering that he is the lord, they will spare him, saying, It is the heir, not a servant; the former were servants: now will I give them a better preacher than the prophets were, that they may be converted. But what happened? They dealt with him even as with the prophets. For when they saw him, and he was about to ask how the people of Israel were, they became angry, saying, "Wait, he is the heir; if we but beat him to death, we shall be masters of the vineyard. And this is what Caiphas says to the scribes and Pharisees: "You consider nothing; it is better that one should die than that the whole nation should perish. For if we do not kill Christ, whom all the world celebrates and praises, then all will believe in him and accept him as a king and conquer the vineyard, and then the Romans will come and overturn this place. Therefore it is better that the land and the people be preserved. And they smote the heir to death, and would not have the king, and took the spoil of the vineyard; but where God was, and his kingdom, and his glory, they asked nothing. They have done well, just as the pope does, he wants to be the lord of the vineyard and have the benefit of it; so they do here too.
V. 39. They took him and pushed him out to the vineyard and killed him.
They have thrust him out of the people, out of the vineyard, and outside the city of Jerusalem
and thought that the government and the empire would be in their hands; as the emperor and king of Bohemia still do, that they want to eradicate the gospel altogether, and strangle and chase away all Christians, and then strike the Turk. Yes, that is how it is done, that the Lord is put away, so it goes on; yes, behind them, as the peasants carry the spears, they say: If Christ is crucified, then land and people are ours, and the Turk is defeated; and if you want to kill the Turk, then kill the Son of God first, then you will have a merciful God.
But Christ asks the great multitude for a verdict:
V. 40. f. When the Lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to the husbandmen? They said to him, "He will kill the wicked and give his vineyard to other vineyard owners who will give him fruit in due season.
It is much that they have beheaded, slain and stoned the first servants, and after that they have done the same to the other servants, and when he sends the heir, the son, they have also thrust him out and slain him. Therefore all the people answer the slayers according to the common judgment of reason, just as all Christians at the last day will pronounce the sentence on the murderers to kill them again, that the Lord will come and kill the evil-doers. All the people will be judged that they are not worthy to be vinedressers and keepers, but that because they are murderers and do not desist from it, he will kill them shamefully and hand over his vineyard to others. This is a fair judgment. The murderers will not cease, because the Lord and heir came and made destruction and desolation by the Romans, and Jerusalem was torn up and trodden under foot, and the vineyard was taken from them to this day, and given to others, and his people were put elsewhere, as is preached in the gospel of the destruction of Jerusalem, when so many thousands of men perished by pestilence, by evil time, and by the sword, and afterward in
1100 Erl. 44, 282-284. Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 33-41. 1101
The punishment and misery have not ended until this day, because they do not want to let go of this sin, so the punishment does not end.
The vineyard is given to others. The first vine-growers were the people of Israel and Judah, and they themselves were the vineyard, the vine and grapes. But after that they became foreign, wild sticks, because when the good sticks, David, Ezekiel and others were dead, there grew vain shoots and wild vines, which were of no use anywhere, but killed the master of the vineyard, and the mountain became more and more ruined the longer. Therefore the sticks were uprooted and cut down, and the Gentiles were made Christ's vineyard, and Christ is our vinedresser; we are the sticks and branches, having the Word of God, baptism, and the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, and are gathered into the Christian church and called to be done away with sins and death; the pious, righteous preachers are the vinedressers. In ancient times, they were the holy bishops, as S. Augustine, Ambrose, and all those who preached Christ rightly and still preach. The vineyard is commanded to them, that they may hoe, reap, press, comfort, and punish sin, and also to raise up consciences, that they may bring forth good fruit, as St. John says in the fifteenth chapter v. 1 f. of Christ: "I am a true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. He will cut off every branch in me that does not bear fruit," 2c., but all who believe in Christ remain on him as on the vine. Now he sends his vine dressers, that is, his preachers, to us. Then we may take care that we do not become wild vines, especially we preachers, that we do not let wild vines grow, as the pope is doing now with his bishops, who not only lets water vines grow, but kills all those who keep God's word pure, and does not want to suffer Christ to be a lord and heir of the vineyard, but he wants to be lord over it. But he is not a husbandman, but a bear, a fox and a dog, even a serpent and a dragon, who miserably destroy the vineyard.
But we have heard about the punishment, so
comes upon the evil-doers, that they are all shamefully and abominably destroyed, and the office taken from them, and are now no longer priests, nor have they any vineyard, but are forsaken of God. But because the pope, cardinals and bishops also go this way, it will not be a joke, for they will not only suffer the punishment that the Jews suffer, but will be much more severely afflicted. For they will not have faith in Christ, but their filth and secret chamber shall be worshipped, or else they shall die, and many shall perish. But they will do it, and force us to it, that we shall judge them at the last day, and the church shall say to them, The wicked shall be put to death shamefully by the heavenly Father. For if he has not given it to the Jews, neither will they go unpunished, and there will be an end to their vineyard.
And the Lord himself interprets the likeness:
V. 42-44: JEsus said to them: Have ye not read in the scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone? It was done by the Lord, and it is marvelous in our sight. Therefore I say to you: The kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to the Gentiles who bear its fruit. And whosoever shall fall upon this stone, it shall break him in pieces; but upon whomsoever it shall fall, it shall crush him. 1)
Christ introduces this saying because he says, "The kingdom will be taken from you and given to the Gentiles." But Christ is the stone that became the cornerstone. For no history teaches that other cornerstones were rejected, or that Jerusalem was a rejected stone. But this must be understood of Christ, the Son of God, as Peter and Paul speak much of the cornerstone, and Isaiah, Cap. 8, 14, and 28, 16, says: "Behold, I lay a foundation in Sion, 2) a precious stone, a tried and polished stone, and a cornerstone; all who trust in Him shall not be put to shame.
- Erlanger: to crush.
- Erlanger: "one in reason to Sion."
1102 Erl. 44, 284-286. interpretations on the evangelistMatthew. 1103
Isaiah understood David's verse in the 118th Psalm well, that he calls it a precious cornerstone, a polished stone, a great jasper, demant, or emerald, well tried, made smooth and polished by suffering and the cross, and made a cornerstone, having two walls or sides. For there is a difference between this cornerstone and other stones. For the cornerstone stretches out its two arms on both sides, as if to say, "Until now I have had only one wall, one people, as Jerusalem; but now I will raise up a building, a new Jerusalem, and it will be such a building, fit for a house and a dwelling place.
The apostles acted this saying widely, when to Ephesians on. 2. chapter [v. 19-22.You are no longer strangers, but citizens and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles, since Jesus Christ is the cornerstone, on which all kinds of buildings are joined together, growing into a holy temple in the Lord, on which you also are being built, into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit: When Christ came, he took the pious Jews as a wall, and joined them to the Gentiles, and incorporated them into the cornerstone, which is Christ, to whom all things are joined, and all things grow up to him, and come to the King, where we were not before.
But to be built on the stone is to believe in Christ, that he is our Savior. Because I am called to the gospel, and I accept and believe it, I am one of the stones laid on it, and am counted blessed, not because of my gratification and works, as the Pope, the Turks and the Jews teach, but because I am clenched and laid on the cornerstone, which is done by a right Christian faith, as the children pray: I believe in Jesus Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of Mary the Virgin, suffered under Pilate; he is the polished and tried cornerstone. Because I believe in him, I am built on him, and I shall be saved, as Isaiah says: "He who trusts in him shall not be put to shame".
on him" is: to trust in Christ and to believe in him.
Now this is a spiritual stone and building, and to me also are all spiritual stones, as it is said in 1 Peter 2:4 ff: "To whom you have come as to the living stone, rejected by men, but chosen and precious in the sight of God; and you also, as the living stones, build yourselves up into the spiritual house, and into the spiritual priesthood" 2c., that you may become a dwelling place of God.
^Seventh Sermon on the 21st Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
^1^) First, Christ's saying, "The star which the builders rejected," is intended to indicate to the Jews that the time is coming when the gospel and kingdom of Christ will be taken from them and given to the Gentiles who will bear its fruit, as they themselves reply that the Lord of the vineyard will kill the murderers and hand out his vineyard to others.
Secondly, with this verse he wants to confirm the main point of our Christian doctrine, that we are justified before God through faith in Christ alone.
How does 2) the verse rhyme with the opinion and judgment of the Jews, and that Christ says that the kingdom will be taken from them? There is no appearance that they rhyme with each other. Let it be known here that one rejects the other. The builders first reject the stone, and the stone does not reject them. But God does not want the stone to be rejected, but to be built, to stand in the building. Therefore it is written that it shall be a cornerstone. Therefore, when the builders reject the cornerstone, they do nothing but reject themselves, for God chose it as the cornerstone to support two walls. Whoever does not want to have it this way, winter and summer are not
- In the original, Illtima oonoicr is written here in the margin. This remark is incomprehensible to us, because this sermon is neither the last one on the 21st chapter of Matthew (but the penultimate one), nor the last one that was preached in 1538.
- Erlanger: reimpts.
1104 Erl. 44, 28"-rss. . Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 42. 43. 1105
separated. God, the builder, rejects them, because they want to be rejected; and they reject themselves, because they rejected the stone. From this it clearly follows that the kingdom is to be taken from them and brought to the Gentiles, because they do not respect the stone but turn away from it, so they also come from the stone, because it should and must remain, and so remain that it is a cornerstone.
But this is a great trouble. Therefore the Psalm says: It is marvelous in our eyes; for it also caused much trouble to the apostles, as they wondered in the Acts of the Apostles in the 11th chapter, how it should be possible, since God Himself had established the priesthood and kingdom, that He should now leave it and say: It is not valid. For even today the Jews are crying out, "God established our priesthood, and consecrated Aaron himself, gave them the law, the promise; how is it possible that what God established should perish? do not think that they should be rejected. And it is true that they are the ones to whom the law, the priesthood, the preaching ministry and the holy Scriptures have been given, and no other people under the sun, as the 147th Psalm testifies. It is with them, and not with others, that one should look for it. This is a great pretense and argument, which they have for themselves, that one should seek the priesthood from them. So here the text even says the antithesis. The kingdom is to be taken from them, that is, the murderers shamefully killed, and the holy scriptures given to the Gentiles.
It is strange that all the services given to the Jewish people are to be taken away from them; it will be reversed. How the Jews will be angry and astonished at this, for they are in the office of the church, for here they are called builders, not breakers or destroyers, but those who build, improve, and keep the building, they are God's people, God has commanded them His house, they should govern and build it; and it is to be wondered at that those who should be preachers and rulers of the people do not do and perform such things, since they were created for this purpose by God. Dear,
Shall not this vex and astonish any man? But even so it came to pass, and the kingdom and the service of God were given to the Gentiles, which had it not before; and they that had it have lost it. But what is the fault? Does God wrong them? No, they reject themselves, for they go to and will not have the stone that God has laid as the cornerstone, and has given them the promise of the Messiah, and has made them builders, but with the commandment that they should take heed to the stone, and build themselves and other people upon it. Now that the dear stone comes, and wants to fulfill and fulfill the scripture, therefore he is chosen to be the stone, they do not want to accept the stone, but mock it, spit at it, scourge it and crucify it, doing nothing that would serve to edify God's people, but everything to destroy it. What should God do here? Shall he say, "You Annas and Caiphas have done well in crucifying and killing my son? No, he will say: "Behold, I have laid a stone in Sion" 2c. This I do, and he that trusteth in him shall not be put to shame. Thus our Lord God builds, they do not want to have that, they do not want to suffer the faith in the foundation of Christ. Therefore the text is right that the kingdom should be taken away from them and they should be rejected, because they do not want to be with the stone, since our Lord God wants to have built the stone and it should remain unthrown. But in rejecting it, they do them the greatest harm, and in that God wants to keep the stone, he must let them pass over it. Therefore Christ answers rightly, rhymes well with this; I want to say: I wanted you to put the glasses on your noses, and read the verse: "The stone which the ban men rejected hath become the corner stone." For it is a strange thing, at which the apostles marveled greatly, Acts. 10. that the Holy Spirit came upon the uncircumcised Gentiles in the Hanse Cornelii; for the Gentiles did not belong to the building and house of God, for salvation came from the Jews, but they pushed themselves away; 1)
- nudge - push away.
1106 Erl. 4", 28S-291. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1107
With this the apostles were comforted and strengthened, but the Jews were vexed.
In our time, it is also like this. The pope and bishops and high teachers should all be builders and build the church, for that is their office, and that is why they are called bishops. But none of them preach; and even if we punish them for it, they do not care, and it is important that we know it, and that our consciences are strengthened with it, that they are not true bishops, but rejected builders; for they reject Christ, our foundation and cornerstone.
Therefore, one should know what true bishops and builders are. For it is not necessary to know a bishop by the fact that he wears a bishop's hat or a crown, or carries a staff in his hand, or wears a common chasuble; this does not make him a bishop. For God does not ask what kind of clothing one wears, but see S. Paulum all, 1 Tim. 3, what he describes for bishops, namely, that this is a right bishop, who leads an honest, blameless life and is doctrinal, so that he understands the Scriptures and can interpret them to others. This is his most noble office; he shall not make a bishop of hat and staff, but that they have the art and understanding of the divine word, and can preach to others, as he says in 1 Cor. 4. saith, That one may be found faithful; saith, For this keep us every man, as stewards of GOD, not over pence, and over pence, and over horses, and over cows, and over kitchens, and over cellars; for which he hath before in the world stewards, and over wives that handle them; but stewards over the mysteries of GOD, that men may learn and know GOD's good pleasure and will, as we would be with him, and hear the preaching of the Son of GOD; saith: Let this be the praise and glory of the preachers, that they teach God's word purely and administer the sacraments.
Thus he depicted and described the bishops, that they should be blameless before the world and doctrinal; not teach the registers of guilt, but of the salvation and blessedness of men; lead an honest life according to the world, and preach God's word mightily in the church. Thus, a bishop is conterfected ill the Christian Church and in Heaven;
If he does not have honor and riches in the world, let it suffice him that he is despised and poor.
We must note that we confirm our faith with this against our carnival bishops. For the executioner and town clerk of Halle, 1) Pfaff Albrecht, is not a bishop, although he wears an episcopal hat and cloak, because a whore could also be dressed in it. And when they come before the last judgment trolled, and hear: Were you a bishop? did you also preach? for that is your office, and they will say: This adornment will not excuse or protect them, and Christ will say, "Even a fool with a stick could have done this, or a harlot and an adulterer. But I have said, Thou shalt do what S. Paul hath commanded, as to wait most diligently on the holy scriptures; and whosoever heareth thee not then shall be damned, because he heareth not me himself. For this reason he will condemn them, because they have not fulfilled their ministry.
So you see that the bishops have a lot of other ministry that they should wait for. But if they then say, Lord, it has no longer been the custom for us to preach as the apostles and other pious bishops did before us, he will answer: Who brought up the custom? Therefore we must certainly conclude that the pope is not the pope, and the cardinals and bishops are not bishops, for we must judge them according to the holy Scriptures, as if they also preach God's word purely. If they do not, then I say: The pope is a bailiff, an annuitant, a kitchen scribe and a cellar scribe. For look at his books and decrees, there he says: From this church one can annually give so much interest to this cardinal, so many thousand ducats. Item, the money should be given to my officers. Yes, this could be done with a small stick, and one should not take a supplementary rod 2) for it. These are secular hands
- Luther calls Cardinal Albrecht of Mainz "executioner" for the judicial murder of Hans von Schömtz in June 1535. Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XIX, Introduction, p. 27 ß. f.
- Zuberstange i.e. a pole on which one carries a Zuber.
1108 Erl. 44, 291-2S3. Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 42. 43. 1109
del, you pope should preach; if 1) you do not, then you are no pope, and cry: you carry a hundred thousand crowns on your head.
There have been some fools who have said: The two points on the bishop's hat mean the Old and New Testament, that he should have the Holy Scriptures in his head; the two tips or little fans at the back of the hat mean that they should let the teaching fly and flutter among the people now and then. So they interpreted the bishop's hat. But neither the New Testament nor the Old Testament was found among them. That is why they are bishops, like the little men painted on the wall. This must be said under their noses, and their ban must not be feared; say: Give and righteous bishops, and we will gladly follow them. But they only visit their kitchen, count money, seek clothing, so their office and name also cease. Nevertheless we are bishops and carry the staff. Yes, step up on the small stick, preach, baptize, administer the Lord's Supper, comfort the sick, and keep a modest manner at home with your wife and children. Well, it is not the custom, so answer: It is also not the custom that I accept you for a bishop.
This doctrine we practice because they have rejected Christ and killed him, and all pious teachers who preach Christ are driven out and strangled, saying that our doctrine is heresy, as the Jews did, who wanted to be builders and were not, for they went and struck the cornerstone dead. Therefore God says to them: If ye will not preach, neither shall ye be bishops. Always go away, because you reject the: living, chosen cornerstone, which God Himself has laid.
We did not run from the pope, but they pushed us from them; and then God says: If thou wilt not, then another will; if there is no one who will preach, then I must raise up preachers from the stones, who will trample underfoot the false bishops; and before leaving the stones unpreached, I will rather hang all the bishops on gallows. 2)
- Erlanger: thut.
- The opinion of the last sentence will be: [Before I leave the gospel unpreached, the stones should preach it 2c.; but rather than allow this preaching to be prevented by the bishops, I would hang all the bishops on the gallows.
It is a strange thing, but very comforting to us, even though it will be very painful for us before we take away their rule. For where the stone, the rock, is preached, there is the right building, the right church, the right episcopal office and righteous bishops.
A bishop is a priest, a preacher, who can teach the Word of God to the congregation, who interprets the mysteries of God. Where these works go and stand, there is a true church and episcopal office; there you are not lacking. When the bishop of Meissen preached the mystery of Christ JEsu, the cornerstone, baptized. visited the sick. When he comforted the dying, I wanted to say: You are the right man. But because they want to count the guilders, govern the country and the people, and not even preach and administer the sacrament, but forbid the use of the sacraments, we say: Because you reject the cornerstone, you have also rejected yourselves. This is how we separate. The stone is a building block on which both walls are to be built.
We should diligently take note of this, so that we do not become stingy, seek honor and goods, and leave the pulpit. For then God would also say to us: If you do not want to preach, you should not be called preachers, so I can also raise preachers from the stones. Christ himself says, Marci 16: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature"; and Paul says: "Let us be accounted stewards of the mysteries of God, ministers of the gospel, preachers, saying, I am not sent unto you to baptize, because he hath not baptized above two or three, but to preach. So the great apostle says that he cares so much about preaching that he does not care about baptism, because a lesser person can baptize and visit the sick.
This is said sufficiently thinly and brightly, so that we may know where to look for right bishops, where the church and God's people are; must know this for the sake of the article of our Christian faith, since we confess: "I believe a Christian church." For the pope stands on it that he is the church. But he is not, but a rejected tree man, for he beats Christ to death, beats up the
1110 Erl. 44, 293-29". Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1111
Sacraments, establishes human statutes, persecutes Christians, even has no preachers, therefore he is not the living true church, but the painted church. And do not judge by the hat, staff, country and people, decree, for there you are lacking, it does not make bishops; but see if they hear the pure word of God, accept faith, administer sacraments, and since the Christians can say at the last day: Dear Lord Christ, we have preached you, heard you, believed in you, baptized in you, used the power of the keys, dare to live in you, die in you, and thus are sanctified by the stone on which we were built.
And let us see to it that we do not reject the stone, for then we would fall from the grace of God, as Paul urges the Romans in chapter 11; let us see to it that God has cut off His people, the Jews, from the trunk, but has not spared the true olive tree, the natural heirs of the ministry of preaching, the beautiful branches. Those who had their origin from patriarchs, and were the children of prophets, were hewn out, grafted up the wild olive branches, and came to the sap and strength of the trunk, and became a graft. Watch, do not be proud.
Then S. Paul looked at the pope with shy eyes and threatened him that he would watch and not be stopped. For that is what the pope does, he does not want to use the juice of the tribe, he does not let preach; so God goes and takes me poor beggar, or otherwise runaway monks, whom the pope regards as a cow a new gate. But there must be preachers, and God must raise them from the stones, or we are not the Church.
But the pope does not ask anything about that. His teaching is about clothes, time, place, food, does not teach consciences about salvation, does not baptize, does not exhort to lead an honest, chaste life to please God, and to hope for eternal life; this is not learned from the monk's cap, bishop's cloak, hat and staff, but from the Gospel. Therefore, one must preach, that is, the office of a builder, and one should get used to it, so that one recognizes the right bishops, and the filth with
the hats and staffs out of sight. For these are only indications, signs and reminders that every bishop has a reminder, warning and sign of his office, which he should do, namely, to expound the holy Scriptures. For this is what the tails 1) on the bishop's hat mean, that he should let the understanding of the holy Scriptures fly among the people; so he should also have a staff, as the 23rd Psalm says: "Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me"; a pasture stick, a shillelagh, that he may rule the sheep, and cast among the wolves, a staff of defense; I am to lead and preach God's word in the work, that is the staff. The mantle indicates that he sits against the persecution of the tyrants, and protects the sheep from the wolves, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings from the vulture; and the whole garment means that he has the staff firmly in his hand in his office, and rules the people.
But our bishops have only the shadow and the chaff of it, and they are resplendent with the gold and silver staffs and collected choir caps; they do not have the right staff, the holy scripture, which should be their defense, so that they throw among the heretics and wolves, and drive the people to the pasture, and use the mantle so that they carry the weak, and hold out the pasture stick to the people. But they do not do this. They have rejected the stone that binds the Gentiles and the Jews together. Therefore they are not the church, and one should say: Pope, read in the beautiful Confitemini, there you will find a verse: "The stone they rejected has become the cornerstone. Who did it, the builders? No, but it was done by the Lord, and that is a frightfully strange thing. And by rejecting the doctrine and the stone, they reject themselves.
So we hear which is the right church, namely, the one that is built on the cornerstone and becomes a spiritual house, is baptized, believes in Christ, praises and thanks Him. But the false church is the one that does nothing according to God's word, rejects the cornerstone of Christ, persecutes his teachings, as the Roman court. To
- "Zügel" should probably mean "Zipfel". Cf. Col, 1108.
1112 Erl. 44, 2Sö-SS8. Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 44-46. 1113
Rome in the hospital is the German church, which is the best, has a German priest. But what does the pope do? He sits in his palace and has his feet kissed, therefore he is the devil's bishop. I hold the Roman church in honor, it is pious, has God's word and baptism, and is holy; but the Roman court, the pope, who is bishop in the court, is the devil's bishop, and the devil himself, yes, the dirt that the devil has shat into the church; for he does nothing else, for what serves worldly hope and pleasure, that he may become emperor and king, and play the money out of the boxes.
[Eighth Sermon 1) on the 21st chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
We have heard that the Lord Christ draws from the verse of the 118th Psalm the saying: "The kingdom of God will be taken from you 2c. and given to the Gentiles", and how this is related to each other, namely, that the Jewish people is God's church and people, just as the Gentiles are His church. Now comes the cornerstone on which both churches are built, uniting Jews and Gentiles. This grieves the Jews so much that even today they are not satisfied with it. Yes, they are crushed by it, as we will hear hereafter; for the cornerstone is a rock of trouble, which has been proven against the Jews, and today against the pope and his followers; and it is a strange thing that his teaching is now so despised, and is even struck down. For he did not want to be a faithful master builder, so God said to him: "If you do not want it, then someone else will; if you do not want the church government and administration with the honor of the Lord Christ and the salvation of the people, then he can raise up someone else to do it.
V. 44: Whoever falls on this stone will be crushed, but on whom it falls it will crush him. 2)
This is a strange, whimsical sermon. The builders reject it, and whoever bumps into it shall break, and on
- "Sermon" is written in the margin in the original.
- Erlanger: to crush.
If he falls, he will crush him to powder, and yet the cornerstone that supports the whole building of the Christian church will remain. If he will break and crush it all, where will the Christian church remain? The Jews have the law, the Gentiles do not, and on the stone the law ceases, for on the stone all things are closed and comprehended, and in it dwells the Godhead bodily, and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, all things gathered together in Christ, which are in heaven and earth. He is to be the head on which all angelic, earthly and heavenly creatures are based. Therefore he alone is the stone and suffers no one else beside him. Among the Jews and the Gentiles there were masters who wanted to be the cornerstone; and there are still such in our time, as the pope, who has drawn the whole church to himself; item, the barefoot monks, preacher monks, Arius and Mahomet; for everyone wants to be the cornerstone, and knights himself on it, as S. Paul Apost. 2t), who say: Here, I will teach you right. But beware, the stone alone shall be, to it all shall hold and draw. All the apostles and prophets shall teach of him; as John the Baptist also saith, I am not Christ; behold, this is the Lamb of God: for the Foundation Stone and Cornerstone alone shall be preached, that alone can help, for apart from him is no counsel. But one will not hear the stone, teach from another cornerstone, as: Put on a gray cap and keep S. Francisci's rule, and thereby obtain forgiveness of sin; that wants to become a pitcher that has a big belly and boasts.
But whoever falls on the stone is a blessed, salutary shattering when it shatters on the stone. Not all the stones of a house or walls can stand in the light; there must also be some filling stones. These are the ones who push against the stone of salvation, who like to run against it and let themselves be broken, so that they may be nothing, but Christ may be everything. Thus S. Paul fell on the stone and was broken, as he boasted to the Philippians that he was a Hebrew and lived blamelessly among the people of God according to the law of Moses and the teachings of the fathers; but when he recognized Christ, that he alone could trust in him, he was not a man.
1114 Erl. 44, 298-300. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1115
He became a beautiful vessel, a precious and noble stone, well polished and dressed by the law and the teaching of the prophets. He bumped against the stone of Christ and broke that he did not think anything of it, 1) he became a fine and precious stone and was built on the foundation stone and cornerstone. This has been breaking and shattering again. All heretics and those who want to be something special holy, they must break. A Franciscan must break the cap and hang the rope on gallows. So I was also a great saint in the monastery, but my little jar is broken, and I have to say: My mass, order, rule, chastity, want to say chastity, don't do it; still shattered, only in two, broken and crushed on the precious stone. If it does not happen with goodness, kindness and love, wait for the other, then follow: On whom the stone falls, as on him who is not built on, the stone will crush, crush, crush and turn to dust. Therefore, either so clear, 2) that you fall on top of him, for there is no need; as, I let myself be considered a good, holy fellow, before I was brought to the knowledge of the gospel; but when the gospel came, I broke, esteeming it all worth nothing, for dung. But if thou understand it, and wilt not be broken, the stone shall fall upon thee, and break thee, and bruise thee, that thou shalt never be fit for building. Therefore it is better that you fall on the stone than that it fall on you. For if thou shalt fall, the fragments shall come into the building: but if it fall upon thee, it shall bruise thee, that thou shalt have no righteousness either in earth or in heaven.
The pope will not stop pursuing the stone, therefore he will also fall on it and crush it, so that he loses his delusion of his own holiness and righteousness here and eternal bliss there. For the stone rumbles so, it must one
- This sentence refers to the preceding and is meant to say: that Paul no longer thought anything of his merits.
- Erlanger: geräumbt". What is probably meant is: "geramt" - envisaged as a goal. Compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XIX, 1V41.
Fall over him, push against him, and that will be blessed. Now then, consider whether you will willingly give up your presumption, holiness and your own righteousness, and let yourself be crushed and say, "Dear Lord, I am a useless, unfit vessel, I will gladly let myself be broken, go, mass, vigil, cap, be broken; or whether you will expect him to come on the last day and crush you in the abyss of hell, where you will be completely broken. Either broken here with will, or shattered there with disgrace, for none shall escape his wrath.
And divide the world into two parts, both of which must be broken, one part willingly, one part unwillingly; the first to fall over the stone, the second on which the stone falls. The first to humble themselves and accept the stone, to let go of their doings, are the Christian Church. They abandon their former nature, saying that it was sinful or had a holy appearance; they despair of their works with Paul, and with them it is well. The others are proud and stubborn and want to wear out the stone of Christ, so that it will be nothing; they may be careful with their holiness, because it will be crushed and shattered, so that they will be rejected, so that no memory of them will remain, pure in, pure out, so that not even the ashes will remain.
So it was not enough in the Concilio at Costnitz that they burned Johann Hus and reduced him to ashes, but they also had the place where he was burned dug up with the ashes and thrown into the Rhine, so that the Bohemians would not come and pick up the ashes or the earth and consider it holy, and not his name or a letter of his would remain. And when I first read his books, they pleased me well; but I soon thought, He is damned; so I soon threw the book away, for not a stub had to remain, not even his memory. But how finely they hit it. Johann Hus is still alive, and the papists have been disgraced.
Now they also send themselves to be crushed by the stone, saying, "If a concilium were held, we would nevertheless
1116 Erl. 44, Zoo-sos. Luther's sermon on Matth. 21, 44-46. 1117
not to let up a hair's breadth, but to bring their devilish doctrine back on track, and not to allow the priests to marry, but to accept again their holy water, legend S. Georgen. They have such thoughts that they want to smash the stone, to eradicate Christ, that his gospel is not only crushed but also rejected and has no place or space where it can be preached. I have been in the ban for twenty years, our Lord God does not ask anything about such things. We are broken on the stone, that we might be built upon it; but they will break down both the stone and the walls. These builders, who will not suffer him to be remembered, shall be crushed by him, for he shall fall upon them, and shall not leave them an hour, and it shall be soon, unless God smites them with the latter day.
The Jewish people have had a well-ordered kingdom. Now there is not a place of a hand's breadth that would be their own, but they sit on the wind, so that wherever a wind blows, they must fear that they will fall away; the stone proves its office and work on them, so that they are like the chaff on the threshing floor, as the wind blows away, as the 1st Psalm says. Psalm says; they are not only thrust out of Jerusalem, priesthood and kingdom, crushed and shattered, and all that they had in the land is lost; but they are also smitten with blindness and folly. Then the Sultan came, now the Turk, and took the holy land, so that nothing is left of the Jews; they have lost the land and are scattered throughout the world, and are not safe in any place; they are driven out of their dwellings, as the 102nd Psalm says. For they would have been builders, and rejected the stone out of the land, and would have broken it in pieces; but the stone is fallen upon them, and they are nothing but the chaff or dust of the streets, and when thou seest a Jew, thou shalt say, He sitteth upon a rock, he is broken in pieces; they are driven out of one city into another. Our papacy will also be crushed, so that for thirty years after us they will no longer have a monk.
They will not be able to dream that a monastery has been there or thereabouts, nor will they find a monastery, vicars or canons; and there are now many people who have not seen a monk, for it is to be destroyed; and I too will gladly do it, that I may renounce myself and the confidence of my own righteousness, and run to Christ, because the others will lose their monastery, goods, body and soul. But it is better that I lose everything here, than that my body and soul be thrown into the infernal fire.
He preaches this to the Jews and makes the final decision, either broken or shattered. For the stone is rejected, but it becomes the cornerstone and is laid by God as the foundation in Sion. Therefore he that is built upon him, and believeth on him, shall not die for ever, neither be put to shame. So then the building shall stand, and they shall smite it, or cast it, or seek any other salvation to destroy it; yet it shall remain so, and they shall be broken in pieces over it. Whoever lives a year or thirty will see how the pope and bishops will be crushed, for they will not have it any other way. But if they hear it right now, they will not believe it. They do not want to be built on the stone. But whoever does not desire the precious stone, that he may lie on it, and have forgiveness of sins and a good conscience, may have the punishment that is here inflicted on the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles. If one were not so foolish and foolish, one would gladly let himself be built on the stone; for this emerald and precious stone has the power that it makes blessed and gives power to the believing Gentiles and Christians, so that they become a temple of God.
The papists also want to be blessed; but why do they not hear this stone? If you want to be blessed, Pope, let your way stand; for God has invented one way, he will have no other, all who believe in the foundation stone laid shall never be put to shame. This is the doctrine and the one way; whoever seeks another will fall short. Still they go on, pursuing, rejecting the stone and the way, and want to have something else besides, their thing.
1118 Erl-", 302-305. Auslegungey über den Evangelisten Matthäus. 1119
received as S. Franciscus rule 2c. No, no, God wants to crush the side stone. But they want to go through with their head and say: "The stone does not do it alone; we must also have our rule, work and statute, and we should immediately eradicate the stone above it. Go on, then, and you will see that you and your mass are not the cornerstone, nor will it save you and others for whom it has been kept.
There are two kinds of people. Some break on the stone, fall on it; the others want to tear out the stone, so it falls on them, so that they are crushed under the stone. To fall on the top of the stone is good, but to come under it is evil. He that is broken, believing, being baptized, shall be built upon the stone, and shall depart from their presumption, let them say, they shall be saved. The others under the stone will be crushed. Marci 16: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned." The little vessel will be broken to pieces, which is not good for itself. But on whom the steep falls, there will be nothing but dust.
So it has pleased God, and we should rejoice in it from the heart, and thank God that we have a certain way of our blessedness. After all, none of us, of course, loves a common way, which many know, and a country road before a wooden road. 1) So it is a great grace of God that he has ordained for us a certain way and path to heaven, since Christ says: "I am the way, the truth and the life. Nevertheless, the monks do not want to have such a path, but want to do it better, and go above the clouds, and let their rules do it. A monk who has no wife wants to be better than a poor layman who believes in Christ. Our monasticism is the right life above the common Christian state, for if the laity are to be saved, we monks must help them out of purgatory. They swim in the deep sea, but we throw out our ropes and pull them back into the ship so that they may become blessed. Asö we have taught in the papacy, the cornerstone is called the little liver:, and
- Erlanger: "for a wooden path."
The life of a monk, a thing of his own, which is characterized by special clothing, food, people and fictional works; they did not want to live a secular life, since they built monasteries like castles.
But we, praise God, have come back to the stone and are broken; we want to be content with the common Christian state, we do not want to do anything special; it is God's command that we only fall on it and break purely, well shatter, command our souls to Him that He may carry the erring sheep into the hurdles; but not to be crushed by the stone or to become eternally ashamed, as S. Peter says that it became a chosen stone for the builders. Peter says that he became a chosen and precious stone to the builders, but since they rejected him, he became a cornerstone, a stone of offense and a rock of trouble. This is just what Christ says here, that whoever will not sit and be laid upon him, he will crush him. Whoever does not want to be a little stone in the building, the stone is not only useless, but also annoying, and it will crush him.
V. 45. 46. And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them; and they sought how they might lay hold on him; but they feared the people, because they took him for a prophet.
What this sermon had done, when they heard the parables, that he said the vineyard should be taken from them and given to others; the same about the cornerstone that should smash them: they do not want to suffer this, they intend to kill the stone. But they must not fear the people, they are afraid of them. For he that hath an evil thing must also feel the plague, that he may be afraid, since there is no danger; must be afraid of their own thoughts and shadows. For if they had attacked him, the people would not have harmed them. But they have an evil cause, therefore there is no courage. They do not like to hear him, they would much rather reject the stone.
So the papists are also afraid, always pregnant with new practices and attacks. But a mistake is born out of it. They liked to raise with the sword,
1120 Erl. 44, 305-307. Luther's sermon on Matth. 22, 23-33. 1121
But they think: those who should help us would join them, our own subjects the greater part would stand with them, it might misadvise us. So no one stops them, we are silent. They protect us with their own fear and care, for the bath would be poured out on them, for they dispute against the recognized truth of God's word. If the common man would realize that they should fight for lies, adultery and heretics or seducers, they would hardly do so. 1) We stand for the truth. Our bloodhounds are our protectors against themselves, and fear keeps the sword in the sheath; God is wonderful, and keeps His own wonderful. Christ is so rude, angry and evil here that it is not surprising that they are angry with him. He deserves it, because the rebuke lasts three days, that he scolded them. But the people do not protect Christ, but their own fear holds their sword.
Sermon on the twenty-second chapter. 2)
Now follows what happened on Monday and Tuesday after the Palm Day, first of all the parable of the king who married his son, and the Pharisee's question about the interest nest egg. But there follows a strange story.
V. 23. ff. On the same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him, saying: Master, Moses said, If a man die, and have not children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother 2c.
This is a strange story, and if it were not described in the Bible, it would be believed.
- The meaning is: If the common man would realize that he should fence for lies 2c. he would hardly go to the field.
- Luther only preached this one sermon on the 22nd chapter, namely on the section v. 23-33, because everything else is in the pericopes, the interpretation of which is contained in the postils. This sermon belongs to the year 1538, which is also proven by Luther's words Col. 1127: "20 years ago I heard the Cardinal Cajetanum" 2c.
I would not, and no one would persuade me, that in the people whom God chose and from whom Christ was born, who had the Holy Spirit, the temple, worship, promise, law, prophets and patriarchs, such people should be found who knew nothing of the resurrection from the dead. Now there have been many of these fellows, not small men, but the high rulers, who were to teach the people, and have not only kept it secretly in their hearts and houses, but have preached and taught it publicly.
And see here how the people of God were before Christ was born. There were three sects, Pharisees, Sadducees, Essaeans. Pharisees believed in the kingdom of God, eternal life, a hell, heaven, angels, devils, but the main part of the doctrine of eternal blessedness they left pending; they lay on the statutes of men, thus they ape the people; they were stingy, carried much money for them, left the doctrine of Moses and the prophets whole, but did not live according to it. Christ has much to do with them in the Gospel. The Sadducees teaching 3) is remembered only once in the Gospel. They believed none of them, said that there was no angel nor devil, no hell nor eternal life, threw away all scripture, without the five books of Moses; must be nothing, that Elijah and Elisaeus raised the dead. These were golden sons, who knew the right art to cast away the stone from the heart, namely, that there is no hell; therefore one should have a good courage, live in ease. These are Epicureans, and not bad people. In the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 5, the holy high priest Caiphas was also a Sadducite with his relatives. When he had recently entered upon his ministry, the Sadducees did well to crucify Christ, for they did not ask for any righteousness, and they did all they could to hide it from the people, for they asked nothing of God. So do our pope and the priest of Halle and the whole Roman court, which is full of Sadducees, as the rulers of Jerusalem have publicly declared, that after life there is no other; and have not the teachers of the people of Israel otherwise?
- "Teaching" added by us.
1122 Eri. 44, 307-310. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. . 1123
The Pharisees were a little more pious, but they only went around with the rules of men and waited for their stinginess. The Pharisees were a little more pious, but they were only concerned with the statutes of men, and they waited for their avarice. The third, the Essaeans, were pious, were saints of works; a small group, which joined together to pray and fast, did not have wives, as in our time the Carthusians would like to be.
The word Pharisee means a special person who wants to be special, who separates himself from others, who does not want to lead a common life as a tailor and cobbler, especially prayer and clothing, as our priests do, but they have had wives.
(2) Sadducees were called the righteous, the pious; for they desire to be above the Pharisees, taking the Pharisees for husks, but themselves for pious; and yet they were desperate knaves also.
(3) The Ezekians, the doers of it, as if they should say, The others only speak of it, with them it is only talk, they have it in their mouths, but with the deed it is nothing; for this reason they separated themselves from the Pharisees and Sadducees, held nothing of them, fed themselves with their hand, fasted very much.
No sect of the apostles was more displeased with the preaching on the day of Pentecost than the Sadducees, for they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead and sent and had them thrown into prison. The Pharisees asked little about it, for they preached the same article. What an abominable people they were! I would not have believed that the papacy was such an abomination if I had not seen the Roman court myself. We may rejoice that God has called us and chosen us to hear and believe His word, and ask God to confirm our calling and keep us in the righteous faith, and not let us be turned away from it. Our cardinals do not ask for conscience, they say: What conscience, conscience! Once in Rome, a cardinal asked for a bull. When he asked for three hundred florins, but the poor man could not give so much, and complaining of his poverty and incapacity, he finally asked for thirty florins, and the poor man said, "O Romans, have you no conscience?
no conscience? the Cardinal answered: What conscience! Conscience is such an abominable animal that 1) makes a man sad, and that man fights against himself; always away with conscience!
But let them go and talk like this. It is a great sign of God's grace that He has given us His Word and Sacrament and keeps it with us.
But see the mischievousness of the Sadducees. They come to Christ and want to catch him right; he should not escape from them 2); but they also get a defeat. They think: He preaches about the resurrection of the dead, we must hold a little nut in front of him so that he bites it; they say: Master, as if they wanted to say: You fool; and they confirm their question with the law of Moses; they argue: A woman must have only one man in eternal life, but this woman has had seven men, therefore there is no resurrection of the dead; as if they should say: It would be all right for a man to have many wives, but he forbids that a woman should have many men; ei, it is not good that one should have many men, when one should not have more than one man. Therefore, if she cannot have many men, men will not be raised. A beautiful art! I am surprised that Christ did not wash them away better, as he often did to the Pharisees.
But the Lord answers:
V.29. 30. You are mistaken and do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God. In the resurrection they will not be free, nor will they be set free, but they will be like the angels in heaven.
Christ says: "You fools, you know neither of God's word, nor of His grace and power; you only bring your dreams, which are meant to conclude; but if you had looked at and considered the holy Scriptures and God's omnipotence, you would have been well aware 4) whether God could not raise the dead. Who in the creation created everything from
- Erlanger: that one.
- Erlanger: Entwuschen.
- Erlanger: "abgewuscht". What is meant is: "washed the fur. Cf. Erlanger, vol. 44, p. 325.
- Erlanger: become.
1124 Erl. 44, 310-312. Luther's sermon on Matth. 22, 23-33. 1125
If he made nothing, should he not also be able to bring the dead to life? And from where are all men created daily? is it not true, from nothing? If he can do what you see, touch and feel every day, should he not also raise the dead? Is it such an incredible thing to raise the dead, when he speaks to that which is nothing, that it is something? and when he speaks, it stands, and when he gives, it stands, as the Psalm says. Therefore thus he saith: Ye have not read the scriptures, neither know ye the works of God, who made heaven and earth, and all things out of nothing, Genesis 1. I mean to say, I perceive that ye have not studied the scriptures, from which ye ought to learn that God's power and might are so great that he can make all things out of nothing. But because it happens every day, it is not taken into account; because a maiden is now a virgin, a mother for more than a year, that is common in villages and towns. Therefore it is no wonder, and if a man were to rise from the dead now, I think the whole world would run to him. But that children are born, before a year nothing was, there we ask nothing, because we do not recognize God's power, nor understand the holy scriptures.
For this reason the Sadducees say that they know nothing of the holy scriptures, because in the resurrection of the dead it will not happen as here in this lifting; they will not be free; 1) the seven brothers will not take care of the woman; nor will you need more necessity of life than here, because otherwise it would be an unlawful heaven. The man no longer owns the woman; the wife and childbearing then cease. Say: You are ox preachers, sow preachers, donkey preachers. To the sow belong the ox and to the cow the grass; he who does not look at God's work and his word is a sow, and he who does not want to see what God does and hear what he says, and wants to close his eyes, he remains a fool, and he will soon fall into error. With this he shut the mouth of the Sadducees, and the
- Erlanger: "They will not free the seven brothers." 2) "also" > omitted by us.
Pharisees were glad to hear that they became mute and passed with dishonor. For dse Sadducees did them great harm, they were the most distinguished among the people, as still the pope and his cardinals have the prestige in the world, but they have lost the Scriptures. If one says to Rome: This is a, bon Christian, mau think he is a right fool, consider it a mockery; and if one is not instructed with God's word, he soon falls away. For three indulgences are brought to Rome: an empty bag, an evil stomach and no conscience; for those who were previously pious, honest people, who gladly heard God's word and feared hell, become raw and wild, despise the gospel and Christ, live as a sow, and will also receive the sow's wages; but such are called good Christians, the others are considered to be fools.
And when Christ hath put their doctrine to shame, he teacheth them full of the right doctrine; as if he should say, Because ye reject all other books of the holy scriptures, except the books of Moses, I will not deal with you out of them, neither will I cause to stand the example of Elijah, and of others that have raised the dead; but I will speak unto you out of Moses.
V. 31-33. Have you not read of the resurrection, which is told you of God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? But God is not a God of the dead, but of the living. And when the people heard these things, they were amazed at his teaching.
He takes this from the 2nd book of Moses at the 3rd chapter, when God sent Moses to Egypt, and argues from it that there is a resurrection of the dead; asks: "Have you not read this? Yes, they have read it, but only as the maid sweeps the room. But there Moses testifies with a strong argument that there is another life after this one, because God would be a God of Abraham. They had to allow this, but they did not understand. Therefore he asks, "Do you want to make God the God of the dead, or any other thing that is nothing or has no being?
1126 Erl. 44, 312-314. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1127
God he is, because it does not suffer itself, that it should therefore be called: I am God for me. But because Moses says that he is a GOt of Abraham, Abraham must be something and live. But reason says: O, Abraham has decayed for a long time, how can God be his God? If I should say that God is Abraham's God according to the soul, it is not enough, for Abraham is not only soul, but he has body and soul. Item, God cannot be the God of the dead, but Abraham died, so how can he be his God?
Now if Moses rightly wrote that God is Abraham's God, then Abraham must live; and concludes 1) violently from this that there is a resurrection of the dead, especially of the righteous; for here Christ does not yet insist on the general resurrection of the dead.
But how does this happen? He, Christ, interprets that everything lives for him. Before me and you Abraham is dead, but Christ says: "He is not dead to me, for I have taken him so that I am his God, he shall remain whole, he shall rise, and to me he is all ready alive; that is, I will raise him up. For as Christ died, and yet God lives, so Abraham also lives, and all the saints, though they die; and it is a small work for God to make alive one that is dead. Thus the text concludes that Abraham and all the saints live.
But how this happens, reason cannot see nor understand; that a man may die, and yet not be dead. For the resurrection of the dead will surely take place. 2)
Moses does not deny that death is, but he says that we should rise again, that life should be stronger than death; because one lies in the grave for a short time, but then should live for eternity. So Abraham is also dead, and yet he lives through the resurrection, and we speak of the Abraham who is Isaac's father and Jacob's grandfather, having body and soul, in whom the essence of death shall last but a moment,
- Erlanger here and repeated: "schleuscht".
- "On the hands, but very illegible, it is still written: The body, its master craftsman, is made powder and ashes; so the soul also does not know how it stands. Note. v. Bruns.
and it shall be reckoned as he looketh upon it, and as it is before God, he reckoneth it there but 3) for a moment. Therefore Abraham lives before God, though he is dead before men.
With this argument he overcomes the Sadducees, and it is also preached to us, so that we may well remember the article of our Christian faith, and not become Romanists or Cardinals. If we did not have the bright light of the Gospel, we would all have become Roman long ago.
Twenty years ago I heard the Cardinal Cajetanum talking about the Christian faith in such a way that I was frightened. Therefore, let us hold fast to the article, for if it perishes, every citizen and peasant will become a despiser of the resurrection of the dead, even blind and Caiphaic, and then go, as Christ says: "Do you think that when the Son of Man comes, he will find faith on earth? Therefore, let us pray to God to keep us in the light of the gospel, so that we may know the article and our descendants may also have the teaching. For where the teaching goes out, there will come the denial of this article, which must soon be followed by the last day.
First sermon on the twenty-third chapter. 4)
V. 1. f. Then Jesus spoke to the people and to his disciples, saying, "The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses' seat. All things therefore whatsoever they tell you to observe, observe and do; but after their works do ye not.
In chapter 22, Christ shut the mouths of the Sadducees who did not believe that there was a resurrection of the dead,
- "only" set by us instead of "not" in the Erlanger.
- In the case of the 23rd chapter, we have several indications for a closer determination of both the sections that constitute a sermon in themselves and the time in which these sermons were preached. Luther preached a total of seventeen sermons on the 23rd chapter; the first six in 1538 (the sixth on Sept. 25, 1538 fErl. Ausg., Vol. 44, p. 358, where the year is not given]); the others in 1539 from June 18 to October 12. Only in the second, eighth, ninth and tenth sermons is it not specifically indicated in the original where they begin.
1128 Erl. 44, S14-31S. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 1-5. 1129
and now the sermons are over, which Christ preached on Monday and Tuesday after Palmarum in Jerusalem. Now follows another hard sermon, which he preached on Wednesday after Palmarum, and is a right, sharp, good liquor, which he pours on the Pharisees, gives them the last, and gives them the valete, that they will not have laughed very much, and earns so well for the dear lords and prelates, that they give him the reward the third day after; And the weather goeth forth, that he crieth out at their necks, Murder, woe, woe, and turneth his words to the disciples and people, speaking no more to the Pharisees and Sadducees, pretending not to see them, though they stood near and listened in a corner by the door. But in the presence of the people he reads to them the right text, and preaches of their beautiful virtues, and yet strikes the ass on the sack, that he feels it well; he does not reject Moses, but confirms him; but because much error and idolatry had broken through the Pharisees and had been driven into the people, he wants to make a difference between them both, under the right use and abuse of the law.
This preaching was good, wholesome and comforting to the people, but very frightening and annoying to the Pharisees; for they feared their power would be taken away from them. This distinction we must also make in our time against the pope and his multitude; not abolishing all things, but keeping the difference between the right and false church; saying that they sit in office, that they should teach and preach; and this is true. 1) I would still gladly hear the pope and the bishops, and not destroy their authority, but that they would stand up, take up their office, and preach the gospel of Christ, read the holy Scriptures, administer the Lord's Supper, baptize, comfort poor afflicted consciences in mortal need. We did not want to lie down against them, they should be our shepherds, we wanted to hear them gladly, and do everything they wanted from us, and carry them on our hands. For this
- The bracketed words were added to the original only afterwards, and it cannot be said with certainty whether they should not have been deleted again. (Erlanger.)
they are appointed bishops to preach the Word of God to the people. But they do not want to do this, so they do not have to complain about us, that we drive them from the pulpit and interfere with their office, but we cry out against them that they do not need their office over us; they have the authority of the church, but do nothing according to it, so what they complain about us is false and forged. They do not want to provide us with pasture, as Christ has commanded them, but we are to live according to their will, desire and pleasure, call upon saints, hear masses, keep vigils, become religious, buy indulgences, go on pilgrimage, endow altars and churches, believe their lies about purgatory, that they steal the money out of our pockets with confession, absolution, as they wish; And they are not satisfied if we do it, because otherwise I could wear a cap and a hard shirt, have a plate shaved, wear a gray skirt and wooden shoes, tie a rope around my loins. Item, I could drink water, beer, wine, not eat meat on Friday and Wednesday, item, go to Rome 2) to please someone. There should be no lack of it, if they ever wanted to have it that way, of things we would soon become one. But this is the muck they hang on it, that one should become blessed by such works. This is the devil's tail full of poison, for by this his teaching and error he wants to tear me away from Christ. That is what he seeks, that is what he wants. Thou shalt keep it for salvation, and as if God had said it, as: If you do not eat meat on Friday, you will have forgiveness of sin. Where is Christ, who is my sin-bearer and savior? I am torn from him to my works. Whoever speaks against this is committing a mortal sin.
But if he were to preach Christ as our Savior, the pope would not retain his power, and his papacy would soon perish. For a Christian saws at the Pabst's decrees: Well, it is not the ten commandments, I can do it.
- Here we have omitted the words "und Meß halten" because Luther (1538) would not have conceded this. The Erlanger remarks: "It can be argued whether in the original the words: 'gen Rom. . Gefallen*, but especially the three: ,und Meß halten* find deleted or not."
1130 Erl. 44, 316-31S. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1131
well do not need it. The pope is well aware of the fact that his commandments are not considered God's commandment and necessary for salvation, therefore he wants to teach that we should be justified and saved by them. We cannot suffer this, nor do it, for we deny Christ. Therefore, if the pope will not do his right office, neither will we suffer his wrong office.
Christ does the same here, saying: "The Pharisees and scribes sit on Moses' chair; call them Moses' synagogue, not their own chair. For God instituted the Levitical priesthood and preaching office, that the people might learn the Ten Commandments given by Moses. The whole tribe was ordained to wait on the holy Scriptures. This is what the Lord calls the chair of Moses, that is, the office of preaching, that they should preach to Moses; say, If you hear preaching: This is what Law and Moses commanded, do it, keep it, for it is not the Pharisee's; but God's and Moses' word and work.
So I also say about the pope: When he sits in S. Peter's chair, I want to hear everything he says. But when does he sit inside? When he takes the Epistle of S. Peter and the Gospel in his hand. When I see that he is sitting in S. Peter's chair, then I want to follow him 1) gladly, because he is sitting in his right office. But he does not do this, but has sat down in cathedram pestilentiae, in a chair of poison, where the scoffers sit, the useless washers. S. Peter's chair is a wholesome chair, a medicine of life, where God's word goes pure, because he teaches Christ. This shall be his chair and his commanded office. But even though he sits on Peter's chair, he makes a poisonous chair out of it, since all that is taught is bitter gall and poison, for he tramples on S. Peter's books and on Christ Himself, teaches to trust in works, not to consider the grace of God; this is what S. Peter did not teach, therefore the pope is a poisonous preacher and sits in a poisonous chair, and whoever listens to him is also poisoned and must die. For since he teaches that works are sufficient for salvation, enough is enough.
- Erlanger: him.
for sin, when he preaches of indulgences, he points me to my works, there he preaches my poison and death. Therefore it is called a poison chair, because he murders me; Peter's chair becomes a murderer's pit, as Christ says. Mockers are it, washers, who can chat much, deceive the poor people, that is called the first psalm of the mockers chair, since one preaches false doctrine; as then the Pabst and the Curtisanen also have a saying, if their doctrine goes to the heart, devoutly places itself, gladly prays, so they have the mockery out of it, and call him bon Christian, that is: He is a great fool, he accepts our doctrine as if it were true; as if religion were a carnival play. They think that that is why they are sitting there, that we must believe and do what they pretend, and laugh into our fists; and we Germans are good fools, accept everything for sanctity and truth that we are told, and give enough money to boot. They have come so far that they are driving the mockery out of God, His Word and Christian faith. Therefore, God has let them fall again, as they deserved. For since they left S. Peter's and S. Paul's chair standing, and came with their filth, they have come to believe nothing more, neither of the Gospel, nor of Christ, nor of their own doctrine, except that they still preach before the people as if it were their salvation; and when they have deceived princes and lords, country and people, then they go into their closet, and laugh so finely into their hand, have the laughter and walk 2) out of it. Thus God has again afflicted and defiled them, for they have also defiled His word. But let us give thanks to God and pray that He will let us keep the word that He has revealed to us, and let us be serious about seeking a different life. They are swine, but we want to be free from sin and have a gracious God, so let us seek His word, learn it and practice faith and love, and let them mock us all the time; they will know in that day who has led another by the nose.
Such companions are the Pharisees also ge-
- Gehet - teasing, mocking, ridiculing.
1132 Erl. tt, 813-321. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 1-5. 1133
being. The Lord praises Mosi's chair, as we praise S. Peter's and Paul's chair, because these are offices, where Christ and the Gospel should be preached, which the pope and bishop of Halle should do, but they do not want to. Therefore God must have others; he raises up stones, so that they become mad and foolish.
He says where they sit on the chair and preach. But I will tell you what kind of herbs they are; what they preach to you according to the law of Moses, that keep; but what they do, that do ye not. They shall hear Moses, and there shall they have the promise of Messiah 2c.
What do they do? Two things, 1. That which they teach you to keep, that they themselves do not do, preaching with the mouth, and not with the deed. If you do as they do, you will not keep a bit of the law of Moses; therefore you must not follow after their lives. It is hard that the Pharisees, scribes, teachers and rulers of the people did not live according to the Law of Moses, according to how they preached.
In the Gospels, it is shown from time to time how they prayed in the temple and in the synagogues, how they sighed toward heaven, sacrificed, slaughtered and fasted, read psalms and preached; should one not do according to the works? should one not pray or sacrifice as Moses commanded? This Christ further cut out Matt. 5: "Thou shalt not kill." They preached this commandment, but they did not keep it, but understood it to mean that if you do not kill someone with your fist, you are fulfilling the law. They did not see that their hearts were full of hatred and envy, especially against the prophets and divine truth, as this is not murder with them, as Saul sends David against the Philistines to take the hundred foreskins. Neither do they kill Christ when they deliver him to Pilate. These are secret assassins, who say that one should not kill, but they laugh in their fists when their neighbor perishes from the pestilence, or when his wife and child are harmed. Therefore they do nothing but transgress the law.
Item: "Thou shalt not commit adultery," the Ge
- Erlanger: holtens.
bot not only the work, but also the evil desire and thoughts, the secret wooing. For the Pharisees are outwardly chaste before men, but in their hearts they are full of filthiness and evil desire, which is also vain fornication.
Therefore, learn to understand it correctly. The pope also teaches 2) that one should not commit adultery, especially to his priests, whom he does not want to allow to take wives. But do they do it? They do not touch it with the slightest finger.
This is a stirring sermon. How can they suffer that he makes them so black, hideous and ugly, and so miserably civilized 3) and scolds them before the people, so that the people may think: Are our preachers murderers, adulterers, thieves, scoundrels? He makes them exceedingly vexatious to the people. But he leaves them in office, and takes away their Christian life, that they should not be judged by their life and works.
This is the text that John Hus used against the Pope. When the pope wanted to shut him up with the cardinals and bishops, saying, "We sit in the chair; although our lives are unclean, we are evil, yet what we teach is right, and it should be done," John Hus turned it around and turned it around, saying, "Behold, you yourselves confess that you are Pharisees and such fellows as you do not want to be called by me," and pushed their lies into their mouths. But they did not mean it as Christ interprets it here, but understood the text thus: because they, the pope, cardinals and bishops were in office, John Hus should keep quiet, and not punish them, but hear them; even if they lived unjustly, and did not preach God's word, it should be kept.
We say no to that. Christ says plainly here: if they teach Moses, God's word, they should be heard, but not done according to their works, but they should be punished, for he gives us the punishment in the mouth; the vice of the priest must be punished. For since Christ tells us not to follow them, if we do not follow them, we must know the errors beforehand; we must not follow them.
- Erlanger: lernet.
- sülen, feel (to shall) - contaminate.
1134 Erl. 44, 321-323. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1135
must speak of the known vices, as Christ does here. He is not silent, therefore those who are in the ministry of preaching should shove their filth under the noses of the pope and bishops, for they should preach God's word, but they do the opposite and practice godlessness.
I should know the vices of preachers, but not follow them in them; and if he teaches rightly, I should value the word, but shun his works; and if he were a whoremonger, I should not break marriage with him, but say, He sitteth upon the throne of Peter. A bishop and preacher should do two things: 1. that he teaches rightly, and 2. that he follows with his life; and even if the life were not good, nevertheless, because he preached purely, he should be admitted; for God can speak through an ass, and prophesy through an ungodly Caipham.
God's word is to be heard, but works are to be shunned, the evil life is not to be followed. This was the case in Moses' time. Now it is much different with those who now sit on the chair of Peter; there the first piece, the teaching, is gone.
V. 4. But they bind heavy and unsearchable burdens, and lay them upon men's necks; but they will not stir them up with a finger.
Has not the pope done this, and imposed great severe penalties of penance and atonement on the people, so that some of them have martyred themselves that they have died of it? But he would not have considered it, and the bishops and priests have lived for a while in all pleasures and delights, and have not stirred up with one finger what they commanded others; have laughed with good courage, and have not accepted it. Yes, the pope says that he is not subject to any law. If this is true, that he is subject neither to God nor to his own rights, and may do as he pleases, then he has a good game. But he says: "Those who are under me must bear the burden, as with repentance, since no man can have a peaceful heart from it, for it has been hell itself; then with confession, that if he does not repent of sin, he is not subject to the law.
And while we were thus toiling in the great fear of hell, the pope was sitting in Rome, having a good time sleeping and dancing. So they have bound the people with unbearable burdens, which they themselves would not have touched with a finger. I shall bear the torment of hell, so that I will not go to heaven sooner, because I have kept its laws and have given them enough. The pope is wearing a triple crown, 1. with repentance, 2. with confession, 3. with satisfaction, because it is also a triple hellish rat king.
I have thus toiled and corrupted myself in the priesthood with confession and satisfaction, that I sought strange sins which I had not committed, never had any rest, and have 1) still no pure and peaceful heart before repentance; cannot yet get rid of the doctrine, it will harm me all my life, that I cannot yet cleanse my heart of it or satisfy it. They laughed at this and had no mercy on those who had to carry these burdens, crawl under them and sweat, but still had joy over it.
The decrees of the pope are full, full of useless commandments of food and drink, clothes, since one commandment has made ten, even a hundred and a thousand, or a hundred thousand other commandments, that no student can pick them out, and are well worth throwing into the fire, for they are unmistakable burdens; nor have people given their money and goods to churches and monasteries leniently, for the burden was driven so hard, and the pope pressed the world with it. If one should give so much now, the world would become beggars. But this did not satisfy the consciences, nor did it relieve the burden, for the preaching of Christ was silent; but it was said, If thou wilt have a good conscience, do this or that. That was a man's sentence; you must throw it to the winds, and put your trust not in your works, but in the blood of our Lord Christ, who died for you, of whom the heart is
- The words: "und hab" are in the original between the lines (Erlanger). - The word "no" is added by us.
1136 Erl- 44, 323-325. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 1-5. 1137
rest, refreshment and refreshment. But if the pope had done that, his regiment would soon have fallen. But he does not want his kingdom to perish. Now either the pope or Christ must leave the heart. For the bed is too narrow, the blanket too short; they cannot lie together. There is no other advice, either the pope must come out, or Christ must come out. I should put my trust in Christ, not in myself or the priest, so the priest must go out and Christ alone must reign in. But if the pope should remain in, then there is a burden and a burden, but no counsel nor comfort, how one should get rid of the infallible burden. Now, through the mercy of God, we are made free to disregard the pope's law and monasticism.
Young people do not know about this torture, because they have not been in it. And there no one has attained salvation, even though he had long sought it and would have liked to be pious. For the dog, the pope, lay in the cradle, and cast out Christ. And yet, on the last day, 1) some were beaten about and took Christ, like the thief on the cross, and the poor people who were led to punishment were caught, to whom the monks held up the crucifix.
But after that also some barefoot monks said: Behold this your 2) shameful death I set for you for your sin. Well then, let the devil lead thee away! Shall you bet like this? Where is Christ here? But so they should have said: Dear son, you have stolen and deserved torture. You must do enough for the world, and suffer death patiently for your merit; as, you have put fire in, that you may be burned again. With the punishment you deserve nothing. But lest thou despair, be of good cheer, call upon Christ, who hath paid for thy sin, and for the sin of us all. Do not put your death in satisfaction for me, but Christ, the right cornerstone.
- "Last day" here stands for: the hour of death. Compare "Table Talks," Cap. 30, § 32. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 967.
- "yours" added by us.
After this there is also a heavy burden, namely the preaching of the law, when it is preached to us and we cannot keep it. This is right. But it must be preached in such a way that we do not die under the burden, but are led to Christ through it; and are these not good Christians who only want the gospel preached? One must also practice the law, so that people may know who they are and what they owe. But Christ must be preached in addition, so that the poor frightened consciences may get breath again and be comforted; but one must let one go with the other.
Second sermon on Matt. 23.
So Christ disgracefully painted the Pharisees, 1. that they taught the word of God, Moses, well, but did not understand it.
So the Lord punished the Pharisees for their doctrine, that they sat in the chair of Moses, and preached Moses, and laid up infallible burdens. This is a great thing, that he punished them in their highest office, as in the doctrine, that they taught Moses, and yet understood not, neither did they do it with their lives. 2. Now he touches their doings and works, saying that they do all things to please men. This means that he has washed their fur, that he allows them neither life nor doctrine to be good, and admits that they have the doctrine of Moses and yet read the text correctly, but he condemns their interpretation and admits that they do much, but blaspheme the works. Now they were ordained by God to establish the priesthood and govern the people in the commandments of God. The people were also commanded to listen to them, to feed them, and to give them tithes. He takes this away from them here, and turns his face to the people, and scolds them most severely, saying, "They do many works, but look at them, and you will find that your preachers are boys in the skin; for they do not do their works in honor of God and as an example to the people, but out of ambition, so that they want to be seen. But what is the use of the work that does not honor God or serve man?
1138 Erl. 44, 325-328. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1139
But is it only for the benefit of avarice and the glory of men? It is a great boldness on Christ's part that he is allowed to run roughshod over them in this way. But in Matthew 6 (v. 2) he speaks more widely of this: "Do not, as the hypocrites do, when they give alms, sound the trumpet before the guests and the synagogues, that they may be praised of men." Item v. 5., "When thou prayest, thou shalt not stand as the hypocrites in the chambers, and pray in the synagogues, as the hypocrites do, that they may be seen of men." The poor people gape, thinking it is true that they are so devout and holy, because they stand in the market and turn their eyes to heaven, beating their breasts; for the gray skirt has the heartache. But Christ says Matth. 6, 3. f.: Do not do so, but "when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be hidden; and your Father, who sees what is hidden, will reward you publicly." And v. 6, "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and shut thy door, and pray unto thy Father in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." So also when you fast. A Pharisee, when he fasts, makes his face pale, puts on other clothes, gray skirt, looks sour, that blinds people, but do not do it. If you want to fast, do it so that people do not notice. Do not seek your honor or glory among men, as the Pharisees do; because they fast, the whole city must know who have lost their reward.
How shamefully he disgraces their works by seeking the causam finalem of their works, namely, that they do much, pray, fast, give alms, so that they may have honor from the world; and they also receive honor from the world. These shameful saints, who do special works in front of others, are different from other people. Look at them. They do great things, but the main thing, the highest articles of Christian doctrine, namely faith, prayer, patience in the cross, they leave undone. On the other hand, they are immersed in unbelief, pride, envy, avarice and fornication, so that he is not able to
part will say: They are like the whitewashed graves of the dead, painted and decorated with colors on the outside, but full of stink on the inside; that one stands in gray skirts, hanging the cops, but they leave a stink and Unflath behind them. That is the 1) buck in the wool and beard grabbed.
V. 5-7. They make broad memorial slips and great hems on their garments; they like to sit at the top of the table and in the synagogues, and like to be greeted in the market, and to be called rabbi by the people.
Moses had commanded the Jews not to forget the commandments of God, so they were to write the Ten Commandments on the doorposts, on their hands, on their foreheads and walls, on slips of paper; item, when they got up in the morning and ate or drank, they were to always remember the commandments of God: Just as we are commanded to be diligent in the teaching of the faith and the divine word, and whatever we do, early and late, to begin it in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But this the hypocrites did, moreover, out of ambition, in that they wore great slips of paper about their garments, and hats before their foreheads, that they might be seen before men, as the Jews still do; But the Pharisees wore larger pieces of paper, and after that they did more special works of praying, fasting, and almsgiving than other people; but the pious keep God's word in their hearts, but they did it so that it only looked beautiful in front of people, and in their hearts God and all His commandments were completely gone. This was their holiness, these are pious people, and the poor simple-minded people were deceived by them.
They were supposed to have carried the notes so that they would remember that they were poor sinners, that they feared and honored God, and that they would remember His commandments; but they sought their honor in them.
Moses had also commanded that they should wear a yellow cord or lappet in the four places 2) or tails of the cloak, as a sign that they were God's people; for
- Erlanger: den.
- Place - the far end.
1140 Erl. 44, 328-330. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 5--7. 1141
God wanted to separate them with the lace, so that the children of Israel could be recognized. Then the Pharisees went to them, and did not remain with the common way, but made large buttons, bunches and villi on them, as if they were a paragon and special people of God. Is it a sin for them to do this? No, God commanded it through Moses, so that it would be a sign and a sign of the people of God. Why does she rebuke the Christ? It is because they do this, so that they get the divinity from the people.
Our clergymen (I think) have their chasubles and clothing all from the Jews, as the ephod, stoles, and cloaks, everything is in the Jewish way. But we have made it a hundred times worse than the Jews, because whoever had a beautiful chasuble on 1) before your others, he also wanted to be better than others.
They like to sit on top. This is not evil, but Moses ordered that the high priest should sit on top, and then the Levites. Why then does the Lord break the stairs here, so that there is no order, but all should sit on the ground? Does he not want any tier 2) to be above the other? They must sit above each other when they are at the wedding, or in the church when they are preaching and teaching, and in the schools when they are discussing, they have to sit on top. Is Christ rebellious? A father must sit above the son, a mayor above the citizen, an old man above a younger one. If the chairs are on the table, it will not be fine; why then will he 3) put it all in a heap? He does it because they did everything out of ambition, and thereby wanted to be considered great by the people. Thus all good works are so shamefully perverted. A mayor should be held higher than a citizen, and sit higher and be honored, even though he is of the same flesh as a citizen; and if he fears God, he speaks thus: I must be in office, I would rather be exalted, but for the honor of God, service.
- Erlanger: has.
- Erlanger: Staffen.
- Erlanger: wirfts ers.
and will, and I will do it for the benefit of the neighbor. 4) Otherwise, if he wants to boast and puff himself up, and thinks he is the man, and must seek his honor and piety, it would be better for him to sit in the cowshed.
If one is not to honor anyone, then one may not study, for a lawyer, theologian or doctor, if he studies and increases in learning, then he can become great and reach high. Is that a sin? No, one should study, one should work, so that one has a head, and therefore that I want to send myself, whether it would come that one needs me, and I earn my penny; because in the sweat of the face one should eat the bread. Therefore, if you are sent, if God has given you grace for your studies, and if you are called to the ministry, be obedient and say, "It is God's will that has called me to this;" and of this Paul says, "He who desires the episcopate does well; so lawyers and physicians are a divine profession.
- It is all in the difference of the heart, it is all the order of God, who has thus divided the classes and confirmed them. Now see if you are also a Pharisee or if you are simple-minded. The Pharisee here seeks his honor, not of God nor of his neighbor, but that he may be feared and held in honor. He should not seek this with his office and status. So also in your office you shall not seek honor, and not say: God stay with his honor where he wills; if I were only a lawyer or theologian, that they would carry me on their hands and celebrate me. No, you shall not think so. God's honor shall be promoted, you shall do everything for God's service and obedience. A student who wants to become a preacher, think: If I can serve the church, I will do it gladly, I will not spare my diligence; because for this we should study, for this the parents should draw children, one to the priest, another to the mayor.
So Christ does not punish God's order and status here, but the hope that the statuses will set themselves above God, and take God's honor that is due to him. That is to say, they have thrown God to the wind and have
- Erlanger: wills ichs.
- Erlanger: leit.
1142 Erl. 44, 330-332. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1143
sought. Therefore, we were not created to live for our own sake, but to promote God's glory and to be useful to the people. But look what our bishops are doing now. If one of them is a bishop, he would like to be an archbishop or a cardinal, but he seeks to get as high as he can, so that the chair of preaching and the people's happiness remain where they want. There is neither abbot nor prior who wants to serve God, does not preach; seek only their avarice and honor. In Jtalia and France it is not a sin to stand for a bishopric, consider it right to have many fiefdoms and prebends, and even flush out the monasteries. 1) Now it is not an evil thing to desire a bishopric, but what is a bishop? Then read in Paul: A bishop should not be a whoremonger, but a woman's husband, should be diligent to preach, not stingy. It does not mean seeking power, honor, great rent and income, but he should be doctrinal, teach and preach; these are bishops who are hewn in stones and painted on the wall. Give me 2) but now such a bishop; so you will find wedged in the world. I will be silent about the least, but that he should be a husband. But will God condemn Paul and punish lies, and canonize the pope? No, no, he will have kept it, as he gave it to Petro and Paulo, that if a preacher cannot 3) live chastely, that he take a wife.
It was child's play for the Jews against our papacy. They covet the bishopric by seeking their own honor and property, by seeking violence, by defiling virgins. No one desires the bishopric to preach 4) and to give others a good example.
So this is the difference: Because honor and high status are to be sought, seek it so that you learn 5) so that you may advance, become skilled, and be useful to countries and people, or to the church; a virgin may become an honest matron; a young man may become an honest man. But when he thinks, "I want to get money and goods, to become rich; I want to become a theologian.
- "rinse - pillage.
- Erlanger: Gives.
- "not" added by Bruns.
- Erlanger: preaches.
- Erlanger: teach.
If I become an abbot, it will not be so; but look to God and to the salvation of the people, not as you feed your belly alone. Where this happens, take your salary and feed yourself from your profession.
So, if someone wanted to say: I will take a wife, and under the appearance of being a hnrent driver, God grant that it may be so, that is not right-minded; but if you do this, that you may be found in an honest state to the honor of God, in which you may also be useful to people, then you do right.
We should thank God and be glad that our Lord God shows us why I should study, namely for His sake and for the world's benefit and improvement. If God gives you something about it, accept it and thank Him for it. For one must have lawyers, physicians, preachers and learned people, reasonable citizens, whom one cannot hew out of the stones. Let them then direct their nature so that they may finally be used in a city or country, and say: I do this in honor of my God, for the benefit of your neighbor.
"They like to be greeted at the market"; that is, they bend down and shave off their little hats and say: Holy Rabbi. That is not wrong either; otherwise our peasants would do well to stand like swine, clods and oxen. But you often hear that the youth should get used to greet honest men and women and to pay homage, as St. Peter and St. Paul commanded, that one should precede the other with homage. If an honest woman or virgin meets you, do not be ashamed to touch your beret against your veil or braid, for the pagan says that honor is not of whom it is done, but of who does it. An honest woman remains pious, even if you despise her and do not remove your beret for her; but they say of you: you are a gag, spleen, stick and block. The shame is yours, you are a hemp, gag, felt. Otherwise the honor would come home to you that one would say: An honest citizen is that.
Why then does Christ say: They like to be greeted? Because they do not ask about God, they only want to be celebrated and honored.
1144 Erl. 44, 332-335. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 8-12. 1145
be. A prince has his knees bent before him, because God has placed him in office; and God has commanded reverence, and when you honor those higher than you, you honor God Himself in the same persons.
But the Pharisees were ambitious worshippers who did not ask for God's glory and honor and man's blessedness, but how they alone would be honored. But God did not put them in the honor, that you should lick the fat above, and God should have nothing of it 2c.
Third sermon 1) on Matth. 23.
V.8-12. But you shall not be called Rabbi, for One is your Master, Christ, and you are all brothers; and you shall not call anyone your father on earth, for One is your Father who is in heaven; and you shall not be called Master, for One is your Master, Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant; for he who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.
This is also a shameful thing, that he punishes the Pharisees because they let themselves be called Rabbi, and here also denounces that they let themselves be called Fathers, Lords and Masters, when the fourth commandment commands that one should honor fathers and mothers and be obedient to them. But here he does the opposite. He does not want to have doctors, masters, pastors, preachers or fathers here, because there is only one Master, Christ.
This text was once used in a disputation here, where a doctor was to be awarded a doctorate, and from it all the degrees were condemned and cursed; but they are now dead who did it. 2)
Rabbi means a bishop, priest. Rabbini are such preachers, as the Jews still call their theologos rabbinos, doctores, teachers. This goes to the spiritual regiment, preachers
- This caption is in the margin of the original.
- Compare Tischreden, Cap. 9,.F 2, and Cap. 67,? 9. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 358 and 1529. Carlstadt, by the way, died only in 1541 at Basel. According to the Tischreden, Carlstadt pronounced this oei on the occasion of a doctorate in an "Oration".
and listener, because rabbi and disciple belong together. Son and daughter he calls fathers, that is the house regirnent. The third estate, 3) where subjects are called their lord emperor and king, princes and lords; servant and maid have lord and wife, householder. The Lord means these three things, that we should not suffer masters in spiritual government. But is this not rebellious, to abolish all rule in the church, in the secular regiment and household? what is left here? one may now make no doctores, nor hold weddings, nor suffer authorities and rulers.
First of all, Christ wants to say, be satisfied with one rabbi, and let Christ be your rabbi, your pastor and bishop or preacher, you shall all remain his disciples. He is pope, pastor, preceptor and schoolmaster, because Christ does not want that one should not have doctores. One cannot do without them, therefore Paul often says: "We are his legals and doctores. But if the same rabbi preaches in such a way that it is said, "Christ," then it is right and proper, and does not make its own, and the Christian church is not torn apart. But where different things are preached, in one church and in another, it is not right; there the discordant, disunited preachers each take an adherent to himself, since they should all point to Christ alone. John the Baptist did not want to have his disciples with him, but pointed them to the Lamb of God, saying: "I will decrease, but he will increase, I am not Christ. He led them to the right some 4) Master, to Christ. So it should also go that One Christ, One Word is preached. Whether the voice or the person is different, it does not matter, one should listen. We in Wittenberg and Torgau hear One Christ preaching; though we have many tongues preaching to us, yet it is only One Man whose Word is preached.
But where they teach differently in Leipzig, differently in Wittenberg, item, differently in Torgau, that is not right. Such preachers, who make their own ladders to heaven, should not be heard, but avoided,
- Erlanger: "3rd stand".
- Erlanger: own.
1146 Erl. 44, 335-337. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. - 1147
because they do not preach Christ or the right word. For then they become their own masters, which is strictly forbidden here. There should be One Word, One Christ, One Baptism, One God and Father of all. The rabbis did not do this, just as our monks were also such rabbis, since each of them produced something special. The preaching monks wanted to draw the people to themselves, established a brotherhood, and gave many indulgences to a rosary. The barefoot monks quarreled with the preaching monks forever, because they wanted to be something special, and they set up a crown for Mary, attached people to themselves, and gave them grain. This made them feel gentle, because the rabbis had thought up something new, that one should pray five paternosters, then the ten stones at the door. In the sects, there is only humanity, and Christ is silent, their voice is not different, but from vigils, pilgrimages.
So the Pharisees also made themselves masters of something special, preaching how to wash hands, item, candelabra and washing pots; that meant drawing people to themselves.
Paul, Acts 20, when he departed from Mileto 1) also complains about it, warns and says: "There will arise terrible wolves, and among you, who want to draw the disciples to themselves and snatch them away from Christ, the true teacher. Therefore take heed to the herd. These are the true rabbis; the devil likes to get into the rabbis who want to be seen.
The court is a cruel plague, when it comes among the preachers, that they desire the people to cling to them, so that one says: Yes, this is a man, he can tear it out freely. There the devil does not celebrate. These are harmful wolves; therefore Christ did not make us preachers, but to teach his word purely and not to seek honor in it.
Münzer made the beginning, then Carlstadt and the Anabaptists. Before that, the pope had the whole world hanging on him. But I shall not seek my honor and glory from the preaching ministry, that all men may know of me to sing and to say; for then it would be better,
- Erlanger: Melito.
I would be a whoremonger, murderer or highwayman, because I condemn myself with it, and also lead others into the abyss of hell. God did not give us His Word and Sacrament so that we might seek our honor in them. Should not God afflict us with all kinds of plagues for that? A preacher should not care whether he is scolded or praised, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6, but his ministry should be directed to seeking God's glory and the people's happiness. Then it is said: A day laborer is worth his wages. If God receives his glory, he will also give you a piece of bread to eat.
The gospel teaches that we are all sinners and condemned if we are not saved by grace. There I preach my shame; what will I seek my glory here? For I am under the wrath and judgment of God, as well as another. But where does the filth, the hope, come from, that the preachers, as all sinners, damned, cursed people, want to boast and seek honor? I should cry out my own sin, that I am condemned and disgraced before God. What honor should be due to me? Therefore I should not seek honor, but mean your and my blessedness, and hear the Master who makes us all blessed. This is not what the spirits of the wicked can do; they cry out that they seek God's glory, but it is not true.
Paul complained to the Galatians that preachers came to him preaching circumcision, which he did not do; they sought their glory in this, so that people said, "This is a fine preacher! Paul was also a fine man, but these are better, because they preach circumcision; that is something. So Carlstadt and Muenzer must also come higher, throw down the Bible, for they would have liked to be rabbis; if they had preached Christ, they could not have become high. But if we wanted to act rightly, we should not seek honor in such things of God. You should allow yourself to be judged today by the gospel, so that you might have a low office in the church, just as the little stars in the sky are not angry about it,
- Added by Bruns.
1148 Erl. 4t, 3S7-S3S. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 8-12. 1149
They are not as big as the moon or the other planets, but are satisfied with the light they have from the sun and that they are in the sky. They do not desire to be brighter; it is glorious enough that they stand in the sky. So be thou content that thou art in the kingdom of God, Christ's heir, though thou be the least of the churchmen, as the 84th Psalm saith, I will rather keep the door of my God's house, than dwell long in the tabernacles of the wicked; and if God would that we should be the swine's handmaid in the church, for then we should be highly enough ennobled, and shine beautifully, that we should be a piece of Christ's kingdom, 1) and sing a little song to God day and night. 1) But if you want to be something special in front of people, that is a sign that you are leaving the church. What can human honor do for you? Here Christ says that those who like to be called rabbis have their reward taken away, seek honor before the world, and do not respect the honor of God; therefore it must be a disgrace to them. We should also make a mockery of the fact that we like to be rabbis, and let it suffice us that God may receive honor from it, and we are satisfied that we have been graced with the highest honor, namely, God's grace and mercy, that He may forgive us our sins, that we may be justified before Him through Christ, and that we may have eternal life. It is a shame and death to seek your own honor; and if this were believed, one would say, 2) I do all honor; neither your honor nor your shame shall move me. So be it. So bishops are to prove their profession by deed, that a man follow not S. Bernard or the pope, but, as to the Hebrews in the 13th chapter, that one read the histories of the fathers, and look at their end, and follow their faith; 1) saying not, Do as they do; as Muenzer preached, Dear friends, have you not read or heard how Gideon wielded the sword of the Lord against the Midianites? David waged the war of the Lord, and smote the tyrants; ye are also
- Erlanger: "sein" instead of "wären" and: "singen" instead of "sängen".
- Erlanger: sprech.
- Erlanger: follow.
the people of God and the sword of Gideon; thought they should do the works that Joshua had done. Yes, do not lie yet. However, he led the people in this way, taking up their sword. But he should have said: Dear friends, follow their faith that they have had, and not their works. But their ears itched, and the drunkard came and led them up, and they fell down and longed for the next water, when they were weary of the right doctrine. And the devil likes to set up such a game, so that there are mobs and death throes. Then we like to hear new doctrine and those that make our ears prick up, and we fall away from the great glory of faith. There comes a new teacher, and as a panting dog, he is full of greetings and teaching, has drunk himself full of the devil, and then come thirsty disciples; but Christ is the right master. Thus also says S. Jacob Chapter 3, 1.: 5) Nolite, etc.; but if ye have more masters, ye shall have the greater judgment. For this cause the Lord hath forbidden breeds and sects, and full swine, which are full of the evil spirit, and whose ears itch: but let every man keep his profession, teaching the faith and works of the profession.
Shall we not have doctors and preachers? Yes, it does not hurt that they are called Rabbi, after the right Rabbi; for he who preaches the right Rabbi, Christinn, may also be a Rabbi. Christ is the chief preacher, such are his instruments and tongues. As, if I preach God's word, and am called a Rabbi, it is One Thing; so I hear not Pomeranum as a Rabbi, but as a Doctor of Christ, for he preaches that which Christ taught. There are two distinct persons, but only one preacher.
So the text of parents must also be understood. When a father and mother teach their children their own doings and devotions, just as the weathermen teach their children that the Lord is with them, but when they teach them to pray6), to tell the ten commandments, to keep them in the fear of God, I do not hear the father who begat me, but the father who begot me.
- Erlanger: their,
- According to the Vulgate: Nolite plures magistri fieri etc. 6) > Erlanger: learn.
1150 Erl. 44, 339-342. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1151
is in heaven. For as the word Rabbi is understood in the spiritual state, so also the word father and mother. If the mouth of the parents speaks not their own word, but God's, the word of the Father in heaven, then they are also fathers; and so they receive the vine of a father for the sake of the heavenly Father, in whose stead they are and teach you his word. Then it is said, not to have many fathers, but one; just as a godly preacher and the word Rabbi is one thing, because Christ speaks through him 1) and there is God's commandment: You shall honor your father and mother, not that they are called George, Hans or otherwise, but that they have God's word beforehand, that they should teach God's word. If they do this, they do not lead me from the heavenly Father, but themselves and me to him. Both are one fatherhood, just as the other is one teaching. But again, those who teach idolatry and blasphemy to the children, 1) and let them go to a monastery, make many fathers on earth, who are not worthy to be called fathers, but murderers, tear them away from God, and give them to the devil.
So the third. There one must know also from the worldly state; since master, lord, servant and maids are, there are princes and lords, landlords, master, a lord in the house. If there is to be a regiment, there should also be only one lord, there should be one lord and prince who governs and commands his subjects according to what is right and divine. For such estates shall rule and teach the other subjects so that they are led to God, as Paul teaches in Titum Cap. 2, that the old matrons shall teach the young women to live chastely; but if she has a wild spirit, the old men say, "It is not fitting for you. So a lord or ruler should take care of his servants, so that they do not sin, curse, lie, disobey or do harm in public, but lead them to God and instruct them, item, to guard against false teaching. Thus he leads his servants away from him, who is a mortal lord, to the eternal, incorruptible Lord, to the common Lord. Then they are not many masters, but they follow
- Erlanger: them.
- Erlanger: learn. - "lassens" - let them.
to their one Lord, that is, Christ, who is in heaven.
Here Christ distinguishes the various classes, rabbis, fathers and lords. These are the three classes: among the rabbis are disciples, among the parents the children, among the lords the subjects. In the classes the whole world is understood. Christ Himself distinguishes the classes and does not want them to be abolished, but everything should go so that the Rabbi, Father and Lord point you to the one God, so that discord, false doctrine, ruthlessness and division may be avoided, and one faith, church, doctrine and word may remain.
And yet there is a difference between the classes. In the church there are the rabbis and listeners, in the secular government the princes and subjects; mother and father, children and servants in the house. All this is divided innumerably, but nevertheless it should be understood that they all honor the one God. The preacher says: I am not your preacher, but Christ who speaks through me. Item, the parents say: This is your right father, who created you, gave you body and soul. Let the Lord say, God is the only Lord, as Gideon said, I will not be lord of the children of Israel, nor of my children, when he smote the Midianites, and was offered dominion; but said, The Lord shall be your lord. Why does he say this, since he was their lord and duke, who did much good among them? Therefore he did it, that they might know God by it.
Thus all rule shall be to serve God, as it is written in Matt. 4: You shall serve God alone; that we may serve God in the personal and be obedient. So Christ says: "Be it so, that you serve me alone, that I alone may be your Lord. Otherwise, if this does not happen, nothing will remain; everything will perish, spiritual, temporal government and household. But where I alone am a rabbi and master, everything will go right; only see to it that you take me alone for your Lord and master. And when a father teaches his child, he serves the one God. The child, when he hears you, he does not hear you, but God, and yet he also hears you.
So the difference of all stands remains,
1152 Erl. 44, 342-844. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 13. 1153
and yet is drawn into the unity that only One Rabbi, Father and Lord is. This is not done by those who cause turmoil in the church, or stir up discord in the secular government and trample parents underfoot. But where this happens, one is led away by God, and then church, country and house fall to the ground.
Fourth Sermon 1) on Matth. 23.
First woe.
V. 13. Woe to you, Christian teachers and Pharisees, hypocrites, who shut up the kingdom of heaven from men; you do not enter, and those who want to enter you do not let enter.
This is a great clamor and an unkind letter, which he lets go about the great men in the spiritual regiment, who should govern the people, as preachers, bishops; and does not particularly concern the common man, although we also want to draw on it, but calls them all here by name, Pharisees and Christian scholars, as in our time the pope and the bishops are, to whom it applies.
And there are eight cries of contumely in the chapter; first call them hypocrites, false saints; is a shameful name, as one might call a false, lying man, who deceives and lies; but it is called going in with a flourish, and yet everything is a lie; they pretend to be pious, and deceive country and people. You should be the pillars and cornerstones of the people, teaching God's word purely and living holy; but you are lying, teaching lies, and living falsely. Why? You close the kingdom of heaven; you do not enter, and you also prevent others from entering.
This is an abominable preaching and severe punishment, that those who are supposed to have the office of preaching, power and right to teach, do not 2) use it to make us blessed, but lead us into damnation to the devil, when the office of preaching was instituted by God for the purpose that man might be saved from hell. But you reverse the custom;
- This caption is in the margin of the original.
- "it. not" added by Bruns.
Since you are commanded to offer for sale the kingdom of heaven, you shut it, you have the keys, and will not use them; and those whom you are to help, you hypocrites and false lying idols resist, as Lucas finely interprets it: have the keys of knowledge. This is a peculiar way of speaking according to the Holy Scriptures. In the papacy it was interpreted in this way, that the pope has two keys, one of knowledge, the other of power; this is not interpreted correctly, because he knows nothing about doctrine, but has the key of power, so that he says he can do whatever he wants. But Christ does not speak here of the keys, of which he speaks in Matthew 18, when he speaks of binding and setting free, of absolution, that Christianity has the keys, the power and office to bind hardened sinners, and again, when he converts, then sets the same afflicted one free again, that is, forgives sin.
This way of speaking must be noted against the glossam sententiariorum and against the jurists, who do not understand this text, bring their own gloss to the Scriptures, should understand by the key of the mind what would be sin or not sin, what would be leprosy or not.
These keys go badly to sin, as if one is an adulterer, I shall tell him that he sins, and no Christian shall deal with him until he recognizes himself and improves. Then 3) a priest from God's word) 4) shall have power to accept him again. Now this text is not concerned with this, but clavis scientiae is the name of the power that is directed and applied to the teaching, that one may preach and administer the sacrament. For knowledge in Hebrew means the teaching, the office or power to preach, that one governs man with God's word.
This is the key of which Christ says here: You are in office, and it is right, born priests, you also have authority to preach, this you shall do, you yourselves shall know what is right or wrong, by such office you shall lead the poor people out of the devil's mouth into God's kingdom. The mind is
- Here we have erased "again" because it is too much.
- "Word" added by Bruns.
1154 Erl. 44, 344-346. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1155
right, for it is not called scientia speculativa, as the lawyers say, but officium docendi, the office and command to preach the word of God; this is the Hebrew language. 1) And Christ gives them the power, that they have the office from Moses, and have not crept in, or had the office unjustly, therefore it is right that they should have it. But now they go on, and corrupt the people, when they should serve them unto salvation. Now the people are forced to listen to them, as it is written in the 5th book of Moses [Cap. 17, 8-12: 2) If any soul will not hear the priest, it shall be cut off. Whoever then has the power that one must obey him as God Himself, and does the contradiction to condemnation, then it is truly an abominable thing, as the highest harm is a false preacher; who is the worst man on earth, and there is no thief, murderer, or scoundrel on earth to compare with him, who would be so wicked as such a preacher, who has men under God's name in his obedience, and he beats them to death, and leads them with false preaching into the abyss of hell.
For this reason the Lord is justly angry with them, because he cries out that they should have such an office, that they should preach, and the people should obey them; but it is also written in the same command that the priest should preach according to the law of the Lord, so that he may be sure that it is God's word and not his dream. If he uses his office in such a way that he does not teach his word but God's word, then whoever does not listen shall be cut off. But where God's word is not preached, the hearer is not guilty of obedience. But the peelers put this under the benches and kept silent, preaching the first part and omitting the other. The voice is not left free, but it is bound and knit to God's word.
Thus the people are bound to the word of God. He who hears the preacher, as Christ says, hears him himself; item: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel" 2c. There it goes finely, "He that heareth you heareth me." Where therefore this word is not preached
- "According to the Hebrew usage." Note by Bruns.
- Erlanger: "like Deu.:"
they should have been wise and said: I am not obliged to hear it, because it is not the word of God; for I alone shall hear the voice that guides the word of God.
The pope with his hypocrites, scribes, and Pharisees also did this with the loss of the souls' salvation, and misused the text in all churches, namely, that one should obey the word of the pope and the bishops with the penalty of eternal damnation. The wretched people had to believe this. We were trapped with the commandment that we should listen to them, had to serve. It is God's word: "Whoever hears you, hears me; whoever despises you, despises me"; and what the pope, bishops and monks dreamed, we had to believe for truth.
But now, praise God! we have punched a hole in the pew of the pope, that we now say: Listen, pope, to what Christ and the apostles say: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel"; count me the text in its entirety, and not just a piece of it. It says: Preach God's word, the gospel. Whoever then does not hear you there, despises you. If I say the word of God and you despise it, that is wrong, for God has instituted the ministry of preaching to help people to know God and to be saved. But in his books, the pope sets everything he wants against God's commandment; that is why his books were burned, because he does not ask anything about God's word. He only wants to have his statutes and deeds done, as Daniel also says: "A king will come who will do everything according to his will, and will not preach the law of the Lord; and he has brought it about that he has pretended that God's word is under his power; the pope, as all devils, denies that he should be given the power to govern the whole church, and that one is obliged to be obedient to him, and to believe what he speaks. Therefore, all lawyers should burn the Decretals and Observance, as it is called, with the pope; for there are only commandments against God in it, that he also says he has power over God's word.
We may thank God that we have been rid of him. He has frightened everyone with his word, that I cannot yet do it
1156 Erl. 44, S4S-S4". Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 13. 1157
get rid of them. Hearts were struck dumb by his thunderbolts, for so he says: "If I put someone under ban, and he is wronged, you should fear me, lest you be condemned. The thunderbolt has so wounded and bruised me and others that we still have enough to heal, indeed, many have had to die over it; for we have been forced to confess that if one does us wrong and condemns an innocent person, he is still doing right. Is not this the devil, that such a commandment has thus thundered, that that which is unjust should be right? But all this is because the hypocrites have half led the texts, as the Jews also did, saying, It is written: Hear the voice of the priest, or be damned; so also the pope says, He that heareth me heareth God, when he hath left undone all that Christ commanded, namely, "Preach the gospel." If he did both, that would be a wonderful thing. But he does not attack the gospel, but only says, "What I tell you to do, whether it is about the gospel or not, you shall do, as you shall not eat meat on Friday in mortal sin. When I ask, "Father, where is this written? where did Christ command it?" he says: I command you. Well, let the thunder strike, that thou wilt thus bind me from thy iniquity, which is not written in the Gospel. Christ does not tell me about caps, milk, eggs, eating flesh, but has commanded to preach the gospel, which speaks of forgiveness of sins. But is not eating meat the gospel, it is the devil. To celebrate a feast, to use a form of the Lord's Supper, that is what one must do in case of mortal sin and loss of eternal blessedness. I would not have been so bold in the monastery that I would have laid aside the Scheple 1) for a moment, since Christ knows of no cap or plate. But with the one saying: He who hears you hears Christ, he has struck the whole church dead.
That is why Christ is so angry with them, because they did the same, saying, "Woe to you who shut up the kingdom of heaven 2) from those who do not know what they are doing.
- Schepler - shoulder dress of the religious clergy.
- Erlanger: adjoining.
Men, you do not enter, and those who want to enter, you do not let in. Lucas says: "They have the key of knowledge, which is as much as entering the kingdom of heaven, which is to come to the knowledge of the truth and faith. For the kingdom of heaven is the gospel and the Christian church. One should preach the gospel, so that man may be brought to the knowledge of God; for he who has the knowledge has the kingdom of heaven. They should discover the knowledge and unlock it; then they close it, as the pope does, saying: "Whoever eats milk on Friday shall be damned; there the knowledge is closed, I cannot enter. This is the intolerable burden, that one should lose eternal life. They do not want to keep it and be free, and yet they want it from others; they do not touch it with a finger, they burden others with it, and they want to be free. So Christ cries out about this, because it is such a devilish being. They did not come in, they still do not come in, and they refuse the others. It is no wonder that Christ cries out so cruelly, because it is such a terrible thing that takes Christ away, that Christ helps us nothing at all, and that the kingdom of heaven is closed if one does not keep the pope's commandment. He has done so badly that he has barred heaven to the whole world; and yet he has made himself the servant of all the servants of God, who wants to bring all the world to heaven, lies honestly, pretends to want everyone to be blessed, and yet wants to have his dirt kept. Shout, who ha can, about all, who hold it with him. They are in the office to lead the people to Moses and God's word. Blessed are those who use the word of God rightly, as we do!
"Woe" means the eternal hellish fire, that shall be their punishment. Here the pope and cardinals cannot be punished sufficiently, because their sin is too great. And Christ indicates here that some would like to be saved, who have entered the Kingdom of Heaven without their thanks and will. For God still had His own, as also in: Pabstthum Joannes Hus, Doctor Hemmerich, 3) which others have taught,
- This probably refers to Felix HeMmerlin, Doctor of Canon Law, of Zurich, who is considered an enemy of the
1158 " Erl. 44, 349-SSI. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1159
and have torn through the cobweb, and come to the true light of the divine word, and have barked against the papacy. Although the pope fights hard with fire and water, banishes, chokes, and kills, they still managed to get through; as John 9, they soon pushed the blind man to the temple, out of the church, and cast a spell on him; he tore through and let himself be banished, and remained with Christ. So others have done more. So the pope, emperor, kings attacked, condemned and burned many who did not care, but went to the kingdom of heaven through the ban, raving and raging, as did Jerome of Prague. Jerome of Prague did. The pope still has us under his spell, he maledicts us every year, but we walk on the right path, we believe in Christ. And those Christ means here, who do not want to enter the kingdom of heaven; they are thieves and murderers, who want to eat the sheep. But the sheep keep the word of God, and ask nothing of them. This perverts them, therefore they beat back the others and forbid them not to listen to our preachers, but to stick to the old doctrine and to the Pope's decree.
Now our adversaries act in such a way that they themselves no longer think much of the papacy; they may act under the pretense of hypocrisy with the pope, but in their hearts they know otherwise. For when the stone is removed from their hearts, namely eternal damnation, they no longer think anything of the pope's ban, because they know it is wrong. A canon does not have a conscience about it, even if he does not walk in a long skirt; nor is he so foolish as to keep his seven times as hard and strict as before, when they did it with an evil conscience. For they have laid aside the stone as well as we; but under the appearance they still follow the pope, that they may not be seen as having departed from the church; so the pope is despised not only by us, but also by some of his people.
This is a clamor about the Pharisees,
He was imprisoned by the Pope and the bishops and died between 1457 and 1464 in the Franciscan prison in Lucerne. Cf. "Felix Hemmerlin of Zurich" by Balthaser Reber. Zünch, 1846.
who have afflicted the people with false doctrine, and have prevented them from entering heaven. These were not only ravening wolves, but devils.
We do not refuse to enter the kingdom of heaven now, but faithfully open the gates, open them wide, and still complain that since heaven is now open, no one can enter. For the gospel, the ministry, goes right and pure with us, so we may watch, we have no excuse. Let every man see that he receives with thanksgiving the word of grace and the blessing, that he grows and increases in the knowledge of the truth, and that he enters into the kingdom of heaven, which is now so wide open; the gates are thrown open, and one does not now enter through the narrow gate. There they are refused who would like to enter and have the kingdom of heaven. Now that we have it, we do not want to enter. Who will advise them? Then it will be according to the word of Moses: "Whoever does not hear the voice of the priest shall be cut off"; and Christ says: "Whoever does not hear you does not hear me.
Fifth Sermon 1) on Matth. 23.
Second woe.
V.14. Woe to you, Christian scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites, who eat the widow's bread and offer up long prayers, for this you will receive the more condemnation.
We have heard how the Lord raises a cry of contumely against the Pharisees, 1. who shut up the kingdom of heaven, and have heard what the shutting up is, and also what the keys are, that the holy Scriptures may be rightly understood; and is the Lord therefore so wroth, that out of every word they have made keys. Now the key is called the office of teaching, the office of preaching, or the power where one is commanded to preach the truth and the true gospel to men; and we are also to learn it: that here all are punished who hinder others from their salvation, as the bishops who forbid and persecute the gospel; item,
- This caption is in the margin of the original.
1160 Erl. 44, 3S1-3SS. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 14. 1161
Even we, who have the word abundantly, and the kingdom of heaven is open to us, do not become full and weary, just as they are weary of the word there.
Now follows the other clamor, which also goes over the preachers, who have the keys and the preaching office, that they have these two virtues, 1. house-hitters, who devour widows' houses, so that no one can fill them or satisfy them, as Isaiah in the 5th v. 8 also cries out against such: "Woe to those who draw one Hans to another, and bring one field to another, until there is no more room, so that they alone possess the land!" So it also happened here that there was almost no corner in Jerusalem that was not Caiphas'. In particular he says: "the widows' houses"; I do not know whether he means the houses of the dead or of the living widows. It may well be that he is speaking of both. It was a great thing in Jerusalem for a man to have his own house, for houses were expensive, just as they are in the great merchant cities. For in Jerusalem the Jewish people came together three times a year at the feasts, carrying great money. Then he says that the scribes have bitten off the children and heirs, and taken the houses for themselves, as there are still many who stand after another's house, and lend money on it, make a debt on it, so that afterwards he has to cede it, and the houses are wrested from them. So he says: No one takes care of widows. One strives to cast out the children; this may also have happened. But methinks this is the opinion, that they have taken the houses to themselves with long prayer, have pretended as if they prayed much, and yet it was only a mere figure and noise of a prayer, and thus the priests have taken the houses to themselves. They have also done the same art, so the terminarii 2) pretend that the poor people, especially the widows, should be saved by other people's prayers. Soon they gave their houses to your Caipha, and the priests became rich beyond measure, and they put a lot of rooms in the
- Erlanger: to pray.
- Mendicants.
Houses built, that it might bear much money. Now, for God's sake it is given, they also worship it as for prayer; but they turn the prayer before, and make them a nose.
Why then is the Lord so angry that he condemns prayer? He does not condemn prayer, nor does he rebuke people for having long prayers, but the boys act as if they were praying and singing psalms; they have murmured with their mouths, but their hearts have been far from Rome, and they have thought how they would gather many fields and houses to themselves; that is, they have mocked our Lord God, cursed him and blasphemed. Cain, the mischievous one, also prayed and sacrificed from the fruits of the field; it was a delicious thing, a prayer and a sacrifice. So it has been from the beginning of the world, and the greatest monasteries, convents and mendicants 3) have said: We must get up day and night, sing, pray, fast. Since not only widows, but emperors, kings, princes and lords have given 4) to the monastery, the city, village. There it was child's play, here they have devoured great cities, country and people; as it still happens daily, and all for the sake that they pray for laymen. How do they pray? They chant the seven horas, pray, keep mass, and the monks have worn gray skirts, and seen sour, fasted, and shared their good works with the whole world.
Now here Christ's word is rightly understood; they have a glorious great appearance for themselves, namely prayer, but they misuse it, for prayer is well commanded, but they pray without devotion, as sticks and blocks, as unreasoning animals; they tell the words, but do not understand them; and though they understand the words, yet the heart and the thoughts are not with them, that they would pray with earnestness.
So they said: To prayer belong three kinds of devotion, materialis, formalis and affectualis. So, a monk is guilty of a mortal sin, that he recites with his mouth the words of prayer, even if he does not understand them, that is materialis devotio. You are supposed to be in
- Mendicants.
- "the" seems too much for us.
1162 Erl. 44, 333-355. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1163
Decree! read their horas, and is not necessary that they understand what they pray. When they have done that, they say, they have earned the presence 1), have been obedient to the church; that is to pray, as the nuns read deu-Psalter, as one says in the proverb, and as a magpie, jackdaw 2) or parrot learns to talk. So they made the world full of jackdaws and magpies. The second is another devotion, where one knows what he reads, as when I read a psalm, and not only speak the words, but also know the opinion; neither is anyone guilty of having understanding; for if they had admitted understanding, they would have peeled themselves out of their fiefs and benefices. Therefore they have thought that it is not necessary for you to understand, but have added to it: He that doeth a thing which he understandeth doeth an exceeding great work; but if he understandeth it not, it is without sin. Therefore in the monasteries and convents there were so many sows, and they could not do more than read a lection, as a dame speaks the words, and only that they might eat and drink of it.
The third devotion is affectualis or spiritualia, which is the right prayer; that where I come, and I do not understand the words alone, and hear what also the other choir sings, and press it into my finger, that I may know it and keep it, and thereupon follow a sighing of the heart, and say: Oh Lord, help, 3) that I tread not in the way of sinners. This is the sigh. But let no one be guilty of being so devout and spiritual that I desire from my heart to be given such things.
These were the three devotions, all three are still not right, and the last one was the most glorious. But nevertheless the heart is full of despair, without faith. In the papacy I had no faith that God would give me what I prayed for. Then followed the trust in my own righteousness and worthiness of prayer, and thought: "Your prayer is delicious and right, for you have not only asked, but also understood".
- Presence - a monetary gift for saying or hearing Mass; here, for praying.
- In the original: Dähle.
3). Erlanger: "hulf" and immediately following: "Sufzer.''
and desired the same. But so you shall come to God as a little chick under the wings of the mother hen, by faith, and say: I should not be so bold as to put prayer into my mouth, if it were not in the name of Christ, in whose name I bow my knees, though I am not worthy that God should hear me; so we pray that our prayer may be done in faith, and flow from faith. Nobody knew anything about this. I did not have faith, but thought that I was doing the prayer its right, because I had read it, understood it, and also desired it; but I did not set the rock and foundation of the prayer, Christ, but S. Georgium, 4) Vincenz. For this reason Christ condemns prayer and the prayerful who read the Psalm, so that people see and hear it, and make a pretense as if they were praying, and yet do not pray, and only by doing so devour the houses of widows and take over land and people; as the bishop of Würzburg is duke of Franconia. There it is said: Woe to you bullfinches and bishops, and ten times woe, for they are much more shameful, for they take away whole lands. Shall one not be terrified? It is a miracle that among such a crowd St. Bernard, St. Bonaventure and others are still chosen and enlightened by God, and have become blessed. But according to the common crowd, they find such fellows commonly, as they are depicted here, eating up the world's goods. These are right before God and the world, do not wait on the church, do not preach; so no monk, bishop, nor canon baptizes, does not comfort the sick; but go about much praying, walk about as spiritual people, and if they pray for a long time, it is a pretended prayer and not a true prayer. Therefore he says that they will have all the more condemnation.
It is said of a vision that a pious man saw hell, that it was paved with the slabs of the monks and priests, for these walk the great road to hell, the great noblemen also.
This is the other cry: they take the florins and do nothing for them but pray. It is much worse than theft and robbery. That is why they are the last
- In the Erlanger: "Georgium Vincenz", without comma. For Vincenz, see Col. 98 in this volume.
1164 Erl. 44, 355-358. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 14. 1165
Robbers, as on earth never been; as our pope, cardinals, bishops and clergy, who blaspheme God on top of it. But God plagues the world thus, because it despises His word. One sees how one has given to the false prayers; all bishoprics have dukedoms, and there one has given for the sake of a false appearance, since one now gives nothing at all, since the gospel is preached, and since one can pray rightly; and one now finds a priest who does more than all the bishops of the pope, to whom one now gives some ten florins only. No one wants to give it now, and if we did not have the stolen goods of the pope, the preachers would eat small morsels; but it does not remain so, one would still gladly take to oneself everything that the poor parish priests have to earn. Before, the bag was leniently handed out, now they would like to tear the morsel out of the priests' mouths. It is not the prince who is lacking, but the nobles and officials, who take the rinds 1) of the bread from the parish priests, which are still left, and still they want to be good evangelicals. Will our Lord God let it go that way? They will find out. The prayer is not wrong now; so much cannot yet be obtained that preachers would like to have food and nourishment, but what they still have, they would like to take from them. No farmer or nobleman can be persuaded to think: "Well, he's a newcomer, the house and the field are not his; if he lays his head, the widow will be pushed out; I have a little castle, I'll be content with that, I don't want to do him any harm. But the noblemen do it themselves, and the officials laugh at it. Therefore we are worse than the pope, who steals from rich widows, emperors, kings, princes and lords. We steal from the poor beggars, their children, widows, and this is also done by us in this principality, therefore we are more shameful against the gospel than in Duke George's or the margrave's country. 2) That means the
- Erlanger: Wrestling.
- In the Duchy of Saxony, after Duke George's death (he died April 17, 1539), the Reformation was introduced by Duke Henry (in May 1539); likewise in Brandenburg by Prince Joachim II on November 1, 1539.
Beggars, guests, poor widows eaten, Ulan may also cry woe over, because they eat marrow and bone. For because one cries out about the papists, one may not forget ours either.
I am afraid that we are joking with the Gospel, so that we are worse before God than the papists. For if ever it be stolen, it is better stolen from a rich man than from a poor beggar or orphan, who hath nothing but a morsel of bread. Sirach [Cap. 35, 18. f.) says: "Do not defraud widows and orphans, for their tears do not go under them but over them," that is, they cry out over them. These are the right waters that go over the mountains, as in Proverbs; and God is not called the father of widows and orphans in vain, for though they are forsaken by everyone, yet God asks after them. But it is better that we take care of widows and orphans, help them; for they are commanded to us. But if he has to do it, he will start such a game with us again, which is called: "If you grieve widows, I will make your young crew be slain, and your wives and children become widows and orphans. So nowadays the Turk makes widows and orphans, but we deserve it.
One should not rebuke the people. Christ can also preach well, nor does he take vinegar here, and forgets the honey, and says: Woe, woe to you peasants, burghers, noblemen, who snatch everything to yourselves, scratch and scrape, and still want to be good evangelicals. See to it that the gospel does not hover on the tongue alone, and that it does not play its counterpart in deed.
Sixth Sermon on the 23rd Chapter of Matthew.
Den 25. Septembris 1538, 3) am 4. Tage nach Mauritii gepredigt. 5)
Third woe.
This sermon goes against the teachers and preachers who should govern the people and
- "Women" omitted by us.
- In 1538, the Wednesday after Mauritius was September 25.
- "In the manuscript, this sermon follows only after the explanation of the 23rd verse of this chapter. It must
1166 Erl. 44, 858-360. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1167
is the third woe or cry of contumely, saying v. 15, "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who move about land and water, to make a fellow Jew, and when he is made, you make him a child of hell, twofold more than you are." There the Lord also punishes an unrighteousness. They thought that they were doing your great and pleasing service to God by drawing the heathen to themselves; and it was as if the people of God were increased by this, and many people were brought from idolatry; and it would truly be praiseworthy for everyone if one more person brought people from the Turkish faith to the Christian faith, and led them from the devil to God, from sin to righteousness, that would truly be the highest and most delicious work. But the Lord does not yet let it be, for he says, first of all, that they should go about all the countries, that they should make fellow Jews; and when they have done this, it will be much worse with them afterward.
Here we see how the Jewish people were scattered and spread out over a wide area, and how they converted many people in the cities among the Gentiles, and how they brought many people to their glory was their greatest diligence. Therefore they traveled over water and land, so that they made many fellow Jews. This we should say to them, that when the Gentiles had the Jews for neighbors, they ruled with their law; and it is also seen in the histories of the apostles, that Jews were found in all places, because they dwelt everywhere; and there were respectable persons of both sexes, male and female, from the Gentiles, who accepted the faith of the Jews, and many people were converted to God from the Gentiles, who were not called Jews in the Scriptures, but fellow Jews, because they were partakers of the law of Moses and its services; and when the day of Easter or Pentecost or the feast of tabernacles came, they went to Jerusalem not only 1)
but are brought here, as is also evident from what is said at the beginning about the 15th verse." Note by Bruns. - Incidentally, in the original, the words: "Den 25. Septembris ... preached" in the margin.
- "not alone" added by us.
The Jews, but also the fellow Jews, brought much money into the temples; as also happened in the papacy, who wanted to do the great and delicious work of bringing the Gentiles out of idolatry to the knowledge of the true God. The Lord still reproaches such a work here, even though many of the Gentiles truly believed, and S. Paul found the Gentiles quite prepared in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures when he preached. Now it was no sin for the Jews to preach the Ten Commandments to the Gentiles, and to teach them the right service of God; But that they compelled the Gentiles to keep the circumcision and the law of Moses, even in the place of Jerusalem, that was wrong, and we have many examples in the holy Scriptures, which teach us the contrary. 2) Lyra says that it was too much that they compelled the Gentiles to keep their law, which was given to the Jews alone, as if the Gentiles could not be saved if they had remained in their own country. It would have been fine for them to preach about God, the creation of heaven and earth, and the Ten Commandments, but they should not have burdened the Gentiles with the Sabbath and circumcision.
One reads in the stories of the apostles that the chamberlain of Queen Candace went yearly to Jerusalem, but he was not circumcised. So when Naaman was converted in Syria by Elisha the prophet, he was not circumcised, and yet he said, "I will not circumcise anyone but God who dwells in Jerusalem. But he asks the prophet: What shall I do when I am in the temple of my king? For I am his closest counselor, and when he prays, I must let his hand be upon my shoulders. Shall I stay with him or not? For he worshipped the idol Nisroch 3). He did not want to impose any law on him, but allowed him to take as much earth as he needed for the altar with him in Syria, as a sign that he would not forget.
- Erlanger: learn.
- It should probably be called "Rinnnon" according to 2 Kings 5:18. "Nisroch" is the idol of King Sanherib of Assyria, 2 Kings 19:37.
[**1168 Erl. 44,Ä "o-s2.** Luther's sermon on Matth. 23/15. 1169
of the true God, who dwelt in the land of Judah. So Naaman remained pious and godly in the midst of 1) the Gentiles, and waited for his profession and office. But he changed his pagan superstition, and did this not only when he was at the king's court, but also in the temple of the idol Nisroch.
So Jonah also went to Nineveh. Daniel lived in Babylon, and Joseph ruled in Egypt, and they did the same. They taught nothing else but the knowledge of the true God and that one should do away with idolatry, and did not impose anything on the Gentiles, but that they only believed in the God in whom Abraham also believed.
But the Pharisees and scribes commanded the Gentiles to be circumcised, and burdened them with their laws. This is the guilt for which the Lord punishes them, because they force people to do the same things, and they do it only because of their avarice.
The pope had played much differently, because this is only a children's game. For though the Gentiles here were already saved through faith in Christ, and that they had to keep the Ten Commandments, they still pretended that they had to be circumcised, otherwise they would not be saved. Furthermore, if a Gentile became a fellow Jew and did what he was supposed to do, the Lord says, "You make him more of a child of hell than you are," that is, he becomes worse afterward 2) than when he was a Gentile. When the Gentiles came to the Jews, and were fellow Jews, and saw their avarice, usury, fornication, and other vices, they again left the Jews' faith, and fell into such an abominable manner of courting, murder, fornication, and usury, and were much more shameful among them than among the Jews. For among the Gentiles there was otherwise much stricter discipline and more serious rule than among the Jews. Therefore the Gentiles were offended at this, and said, "Oh, there is not the right God that the
- Erlanger: "mitt unter".
- Erlanger: hernocher.
Jews otherwise boast. Because of this, they again fell away from the faith.
Then saith the Lord, This is what ye do with your avarice, with your false doctrine and your false hopes; ye take the flocks for your footcloth. Therefore the Gentiles were proud again, and the Romans said, "We are lords who rule the land and the people. What should the corner of the Jewish land be? poor, miserable and foolish people live there.
Now the Gentiles would have been blessed. But because the burden of false doctrine, and also of the vices and evil living of the Jews, was driven upon them, the Gentiles were made worse. For the chief priests and rulers were divided into two groups or bands. One group, the Sadducees, did not believe that there was a devil, hell or resurrection of the dead; and these were the noblest and best in the church. But the Pharisees believed the opposite. Now reckon thou thyself, if a Gentile came among them, and heard that they themselves were divided among themselves, and divided in doctrine, what the Gentiles thought? Item, when one preached: Remember, one should live well in the world, and they found such a shameful, horrible nature among the Jews; they thought, Oh, they are boys, especially those who had the infant faith; and thought the reasonable Gentiles: I will stick to the teaching of Ciceronis and the philosophers, who nevertheless taught that the soul of man is immortal; but these high priests of the Jews deny it. Therefore they must have had strong legs, who were Jews and remained so. Still the chief priests have boasted that they have brought many to Judaism. But it would have been better if they had never accepted the same faith, because before they were still Gentiles they were simple poor sinners. But when they fell away from Judaism again, they became twofold sinners, and they, the chief priests, therefore became sevenfold sinners.
But among the Gentiles the offices were so well appointed that one could have carried gold on his head through the countries; therefore they were able to travel safely through the whole world, and to bring many people to them.
1170 Erl. 44, 362-365. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1171
bring faith. But the Lord says here: If you did not want to make better fellow Jews, you could have refrained from it.
Thus it always happens that the very best works and services become the most abominable idolatries. How the Christian church has such a precious treasure in the holy sacrament, it is the most precious jewel; yet it has been made a vain waste by the pope 1) and pure damnation of souls. So it is the very best work that the Gentiles have been led from idolatry to the knowledge of God. But the Pharisees did it in a wrong way, as with a net, so that they could take the gold and silver of the Gentiles, their money and goods, and then beat the Gentiles back again. We have done the same in the priesthood. When we baptized people, they were seduced by us afterwards. For they had to believe in the articles of the Roman church that the pope had written. Then the Christians thought: The Christian faith is difficult without this, because there are three persons in the festering Godhead; and also the Jews think: Well, it is much more beautiful in the law of Moses, than in the decrees of the pope, when they have heard the foolish things and the articles, which are against reason. So may we also cry out against the Anabaptists, for they do not hold true pure doctrine against them. Item, they have also seen that among us there is such an unfaithful life with robbery, usury, as could never be among pagans.
In Cologne, a Jew was once baptized and became so wealthy that he became dean of the Cologne monastery. When he died, he ordered in his will to have a picture made on his grave, as a cat and mouse, to indicate how little the little animals would become one, so little 2) would a Jew truly remain a Christian.
So you also read about Emperor Frederick the
- Perhaps "drudgery" is to be read. Cf. Tischreden, cap. 35, s 12. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XXII, 1005: "shameful handling and dishonest enjoyment".
- The words: "as little" and "thus little" are put by us instead of: "until" and "thus long", which are not according to the sense. - The same steeling is found in the Table Talks, Cap. 74, § 25. Walch, St. Louis Edition, "H. XXII, 1585.
The first and the emperor Sigismundo, who had a Jew at his court. Since he saw the Christian faith and liked it, he asked the emperor to have him baptized; but the emperor would not grant it to him for a long time. At last the emperor allowed him to be baptized. When he was baptized, the emperor ordered two fires to be built and said to the Jew, "There are two fires here, one of Christians and the other of Jews. Now choose which one you want to go to. For better cannot happen to you than that you soon go to heaven according to the tariff. When the Jew said, "Can't it be otherwise?" and the emperor said, "No," the Jew turned away from Christianity and chose the Jews' fire. For they see among us such vexations, disgraces, and vices as are far greater than the vices among them. If a Turk were to come to us now, it would be difficult for him to grasp the high articles of the Trinity, of the humanity of Christ, and also of the sacraments; if, in addition, the mad, foolish teachings of the pope were added, and he saw such infidelity and avarice, he would say: I will remain with my God. Who is guilty of this? Because you scare him off with our lying teachings and shameful life.
Therefore, let us take the Jews by the nose, and let us not forget our own shameful and unjust doctrines and wickedness. Now they were fine reasonable people, and not so asses as we are.
Mau reads about a Jew who remained steadfast in Christianity. He had been instructed in the Christian faith for more than a year. When the year had passed, he said, "I must go to Rome and see the head of the church there. His priest said, "You should not go there, for you might see something there that would upset you and draw you away from Christianity. But the Jew went to Rome. Oh, said the priest, if he goes there, all my work, effort and diligence, which I have put into him so far, will be lost. When the Jew came to Rome, and saw such an unchristian and evil life there, he came home again, and said: "If your God were not the right true God, then these people could not stay alive for a moment.
1172 Erl. 44, 365-367. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 13-15. 117Z
would have to be gracious and merciful to tolerate and suffer such things. This man has reformed himself out of his anger and has been baptized. For he thought that if God were not so gracious, merciful, patient and long-suffering with sinners, God would have destroyed them all long ago, as otherwise all waters would be swallowed up by the sea.
There are many of them in Italy and in the German country, they see how badly we live among ourselves, and how one stabs at the other, then they hear about the Christian faith, which is difficult in itself. Then they think, "Oh, what a holy good doctrine this is. But that there are such stiff-necked people, they are afraid. Then you also defend yourself with your shameful teachings and nature.
So did the Jews, just as the monks and nuns have done even in our time, who swindled the children of noblemen and rich people so that they would get more interest in the monasteries. After they entered the monastery, they fell into such hatred and envy of monastic life that they still have enough to complain about today. They were soon repentant, and one does not find more impatient and envious people than in the monasteries and cloisters, item also stubborn mad heads. If they had been left outside, they would have had to be humble, and a mayor could have forced them out. For this reason, the monasteries were only exterminated and otherwise made pious people, which is also our doctrine, if we would only accept it.
Therefore the Pharisees made the Jews into pious people, and they became twofold husks, just as the pope also made twofold unbelievers out of the Jews.
[Seventh Sermon on the 23rd Chapter of Matthew. 2)
18 June Anno 1539. 4. post Viti.
Brief repetition of the last three sermons.^
The Lord has given the Pharisees and spiritual rulers of Jerusalem a terrible death.
- Erlanger: "Zinst." Bruns: "Service."
- Bruns has quite correctly included this sermon here because of its close connection with the preceding ones.
And let them go away with cries of woe and anguish, saying, Woe to you who shut up the kingdom of heaven from men! and woe to you who devour widows' houses; and the third woe to you who move people and lands to make Jews your comrades.
But we have heard what is called a Pharisee. But there was a scribe with them, as he is experienced in mts of the holy scriptures, who has power to interpret, read and preach the holy scriptures. Among them were also the Pharisees. But they did it better than the scribes and the other common people, because they wore special clothes, like the monks, Carthusians. So this people was led out of the law of Moses in a peculiar way. But he adds a little word to it, and calls them hypocrites, hypocrites. So I have translated it. But it is too little. They are three kinds of people, as the Greeks call them. We Germans are almost too pious that we cannot call the third genus. We call it Schalk and Buben. Is now in the peasants and citizens Schalkheit; if a peasant deceives one now, that is called a Schalkheit. These are worldly and human peelers, who only get pleasure from throwing you over the rope. But they are the coarse peasant peelers, and are desperate peelers, of whom one is wont to say: You are not good neither from father nor from mother. For they act as if they were pious; but they are the French peelers, who smear your mouth and scratch your ears, so that you think they are the most holy people, and yet they are boys in the skin. So are our popes and cardinals. They pose with good works as if they were the pious ones.
"although," as he states in a note, "it should precede the various ones already printed in terms of time. This objection is unfounded and probably stems from the false assumption that the sixth sermon, where no year is added to the time, belongs to the year 1539, which, however, as we have stated in Col. 1165, is not the case; rather, it was certainly preached on September 25, 1538. Thus, almost three quarters of a year lie between the sixth and seventh sermon. Because of this long interruption, Luther must have been prompted to first preface it with a short repetition before continuing in his interpretation of the evangelist. - [nno to Viti is written in the margin in the original.
1174 Erl. 44, 3S7-369. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1175
The most poisonous, and yet they are the most poisonous, so that you can't talk them out of it. The Pharisees were also such fellows. Therefore, the name hypocrite does not really indicate their nature, what they are up to. For outwardly they have an angelic holiness and a beautiful glittering appearance.
And the Lord speaks not only of life, but also of doctrine. For there are two kinds of offences, of life and of doctrine: if a man sins publicly against the other table, if he commits adultery, if he is a public thief and robber, if he is a drunkard, a usurer, or a covetous man; these are offences of life and works which are forbidden in the other table. Therefore they are to be avoided and punished. One still finds peelers who can adorn themselves so that one does not notice. This is the business of German roguishness. But the Roman, French wickedness, of the cardinals and popes, is a devilish wickedness, since they preach error, heresy, under the name of God, and they know that it is wrong; As, the Cardinal of Mainz knows well, that his thing is jugglery, also error and scandal, so that the whole world is deceived, and they themselves consider it desperate lies, and when they come together, they boast of it, and decorate their lies, saying: Eh, the fools, the Germans, that they are such coarse knots! These are the right kind of scandal and mischievousness, since it is not a matter of a penny or two, nor of temporal goods, but they regard the whole world as nothing, even if they led everyone to the devil. For they are well pleased with the honor, wealth and glory they have in the world, and yet they still adorn themselves finely, as the pope thus begins in the decree: "We care for nothing so much, day and night, as the very salvation and blessedness of souls; for clipping is part of the trade. Whoever reads a bull and does not know the joke, thinks that it is the word of the Lord Christ himself. Nevertheless, the pope is not your good friend, but the one who leads people to the devil. We are still such fools, and let ourselves be fooled. He does not care if he has deceived us. He only says: Give money; and then laughs that he deceives the world thus. O these are the right fools
Doubting knaves and wicked men, who make such an appearance that they are the most learned, the holiest and the most powerful. But beware and do not be deceived. No one can counter the devil, but only he who is enlightened by the Word of God. For God's word says that such is idolatry. For whoever does not recognize darkness through the light of Christ will soon be deceived. So the pope subjected the emperors, kings and all of Christendom to him, and made himself lord over them, and did whatever he wanted, and deceived, duped and fooled all the princes in the German land, and still does to this day. People still believe everything he pretends. The knave knows that, that is the right papal, cardinal mischievousness. Our Lord God protect us from it, and deliver us from deception. For it is not German nor human, but devilish and infernal wickedness and mischievousness.
Wrong; the word would be right on it. When someone acts differently than he means to, a glitterer is called false. For he sees how he acts falsely, brings with him appearance and glitter, and yet is false. Thus one could translate the word hypocrite: false, bad boys. Now this is what we have from the sun, which is the Lord Christ, who enlightens our hearts through the Word, saying, "Do not turn away from the splendid appearance of the riffraff, who say that God has made the pope supreme and head of the church, and the others rulers, so that he may seek the salvation of the people day and night. But consider how he leads the whole world into the abyss of hell, The German Cardinals say: What is conscience? What is faith? One shall be obedient to us. The soul may go there.
Therefore, when the Lord speaks fierce words, saying, "Woe to you desperate false wretches!" he means, "You seek the salvation of souls so that you may carry off money and temporal honor. Is this therefore a wicked, infernal and devilish wickedness, not a German 1) or in the other table trouble, nor hypocrites in the other table.
- Erlanger: German.
1176 Erl. 44, 369-371. . Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 13-13. 1177
He calls both of them hypocrites in the first and second table, but especially in the first table. For the offense in the other table cannot do so much harm. For though an adulterer be not punished for his fornication, yet I know that I shall not follow thine adultery; and he that doeth it may remember that he is better. But the offense in the first panel, that is greater. For I kiss the pope's feet and worship him, and consider his teaching to be right. There I never come to the knowledge, because my reason is caught. I think it is divine and the word of God. Christ alone must help here.
"The widows' houses." What do you think we did in the monasteries? We took their money and goods from all over the world, because it was said: "The monks and priests pray for us day and night; and teachers and listeners went there with each other, and everyone could give there, and great cathedrals and monasteries were built, which now no king would be able to build. Man is too weak to judge and avoid such aversions in the first table.
"Fellow Jews." They considered it a great, excellent service to God, if they could bring a Gentile to their religion, so that the Gentiles would convert to God and allow themselves to be circumcised, just as the Pope would like to see the Turk accept his faith, yes, that he would bring the whole world to his religion. But the Jews did not teach the right things, since they themselves did not understand the teachings of God, or practice them, but only pointed the Gentiles to their foolish work of sacrificing and burning incense, and to their merits, as we have also done. When we baptized a Jew, we meant that we had taken everything from him. After that they told him to go to Rome and pay for his sin. They were not taught to understand 1) the Lord's Prayer or our Catechism. Now the Jew has left the law of Moses, comes here and does not get the gospel either. There he has a horse,
- Erlanger: learn them.
hie a spur. For he finds not the true doctrine of the faith of Christ, neither hath he righteous preachers. So the Jews drew the Gentiles away from idolatry and led them to another which they had devised with their commandments of men, namely, that they should sacrifice, as we will hear below.
So they close the kingdom of heaven, so that they themselves cannot enter it, and they prevent the Gentiles from being saved. For they teach them the things that hinder them from eternal life, saying about long prayer, fasting, and gray robes; but that they should fear God and seek faith in the Messiah, and that they should keep the Ten Commandments, 2) this they have not taught the Gentiles. On the other hand, a pagan, no matter how rude he may be, still desires to find among Christians people who honor their parents and are obedient to the authorities, item, that he may see how pious married couples love each other and live together in peace, and that one helps and advises people and does not do the opposite. Item, a heathen can say that fornication is wrong, and virgins or wives should live chastely. If he is to enter our Christianity and does not see this, he is annoyed by it and says, "If I were to remain among covetous men, usurers, whoremongers, and profiteers, I would probably have remained there in paganism, and then sit down between two chairs. Item he says: I have fled a wicked life and come to a worse one. But this is the greatest trouble, which goes against the first table, because there is no comfort nor salvation from the right doctrine. For if the doctrine were pure, and the sacraments were rightly administered, and the persons were chaste, they would not be offended at it, but would say: I will look at the first tablet. And if he find it not righteous, then he remembereth, Before I was a Gentile, now am I a Jew. I go wherever I want to go, but I am lost. It can also happen that he becomes an Epicurean and is condemned on both sides. For first he is condemned for not understanding the doctrine, now he is condemned on both sides.
- Here we have deleted "but" because it is too much.
1178 ' Erl. 44, 372-374. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1179
dams. This is what the Lord says, that this twofold condemnation will pass over them and come home to them. For if they had remained Gentiles, you would have been condemned once; but now, because you also bear and sevenfold condemnation, those who before were condemned once. 1) You want to create great benefits, but God hates it. Therefore it is nothing. It would be far better that Gentiles had remained Gentiles. But you have sought your money, honor and good by your avarice, and led the people alone to damnation, and asked nothing where their souls remained; so that they have not been so evil, as now the Cardinals, who are the last and most evil.
Here follows in the original the following fragment, which Bruns does not mention. 2)
The fourth woe.
V. 16. f. Woe to you, blinded leaders, who say, "Whoever swears by the temple is nothing. But he that sweareth by the gold of the temple is guilty. Ye fools and blind, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
He gives them a crude title, calls them blind leaders and fools, and shows them their shameful avarice. A pagan should laugh when he hears them say, "The temple is holy," which is true, for God built it and made it holy, and there was much gold on it, and much money and goods were given daily to the temple, and they had a treasury in the middle of the temple, where they threw the money; yes, in every corner there was a treasury, for the temple was built so that it had many corners, and the whole country, the
- This sentence is defective. It should read something like this: "but now, because you have now also brought their condemnation upon yourselves, you are condemned sevenfold, whereas before you were condemned only once.
- This fragment is probably only the beginning of another relation of the eighth sermon. It is of such a nature that it could be inserted with slight changes into the first paragraph of the same, namely, after the words: "that it would nevertheless have a reputation. If one put em Punktum after these words, deleted the words "and spoke", then let the fragment follow and at the end of the same added the "God (has build called, but)", then the following: "if not the gold" etc. would follow very well.
The streets of Jerusalem and some cities belonged to the 3) box. After the Babylonian prison, when the ornaments in the temple were taken away, and the gold was taken away, they preached, O the temple is holy, but the gold is much more holy. They did this so that the people would give more money for the building of the temple. But everything was based on avarice, so that they only got a lot of money; but where God's honor remained, they asked nothing, but said, "Yes, dear friends, templum est sanctum, the temple is indeed holy, but the gold is not holy.
GOtt
Eighth sermon on Matt. 23.
Fourth woe.
Woe to you, blinded leaders, who say, "He who swears by the temple.
We have heard how the Lord Christ cried out three woes against the Pharisees. Now follows the fourth cry of woe: Woe to you, blinded leaders 2c.; and the Lord is angry with the Pharisees and scribes because they turn their preaching ministry into a loud avarice and to the ruin of souls, because they had finely adorned their worship and avarice, so that it nevertheless had a reputation, and said that if the gold and sacrifice were not there, the temple would have to decay, and the altar would become desolate and stand empty. Such is a fine, reasonable cause.
And just as it might be said that the Sabbath is nothing (as Christ himself says), if it were not needed, and the causes were no longer present for which the Sabbath was instituted; for man is a cause of the Sabbath, and the Sabbath is to serve man: so the Pharisees also spoke: The altar was not set there for the sake of stones and wood, nor was the temple built in vain, but that in the temple and on the altar one should sacrifice, burn incense and worship: for this there must be gold and treasures in the temple; and they had a great pretense that the sacrifices and the gold were necessary.
- Perhaps "den" is to be read.
1180 Erl. 4", 374-378. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 16-22. 1181
As I have often said that human statutes and commandments have a good appearance and cause in reason, and they have said: Gold is more necessary than stones, and the sacrifice is such a work, for which the altar is erected and built. In the same way, the pope's church is composed with great good sense and counsel. There are many delicious, fine fables and legends about St. Peter and St. Paul, and reason cannot make it any better; the common man is soon caught by them. But that is the worst, that such a thing repels God's word, and must only be a foolish and foolish thing. For a bishop to be valiant in doctrine, to be sedate, to be a husband, ei, that is a vain little thing, and laymen can do it too. But a bishop must have a special dress and a bishop's staff and hat. Oh, that shines, and that makes a bishop! But that he should preach, visit the sick, oh, even the poorest sexton can do that.
Thus the doctrine of men very neatly pushes the right ground to the ground, as today in the papacy not a hair's breadth of the Gospel is known, but the papacy's foolishness rules within. Look at the whole jus canonicum, whether you would like to take a verse from it, which would serve you for the Christian doctrine? For this reason the Lord Christ is so angry that our reason is the bride of the devil, and so adorns itself, and wants to rule over the church, and pushes out God's word; and says: The Pharisees are blind, that they think the sacrifices and the gold are nothing, the stones and the wood and the other buildings of the temple are nothing; and he that sweareth by the temple and by the altar sweareth not rightly; but he that sweareth by the sacrifice which is above upon the altar, that is a precious thing, because he sweareth by him for whom the altar is built. But the Lord answered, Who is he that set the altar, and built the temple? Causa efficiens goes over all, God's word was there, God called it build, as can be seen in the Exodo and in King Solomon's prayer. For God said: You shall not worship in every place, but where I will make a memorial of my name, there will I hear you; come thither, and I will bless you.
I will give you everything that will be of use to you, body and soul. So Christ also says here, "I know that it is not a matter of wood or stone, altar or temple, but of the Master who built it. So I also know that the water in baptism is nothing, is not able to do anything, nor can do anything; but if you look at the causam efficientem who made the water in baptism, and then swear by baptism, you swear by him who consecrated and sanctified the water.
If the pope also spits out his sacraments and says that he has the authority and power to withdraw one form of the Lord's Supper, the chalice, from the laity, then you will see God's order and appointment. Then you will find that God's command and order is not to tear and destroy the Lord's Supper. For the body cannot be the blood of Christ. Now the body is to be eaten and the blood drunk, therefore the Lord's Supper must be left whole.
There is also a difference between a husband and an adulterer. For the conjugal state was instituted by God, and the spouses themselves were joined together, and therefore they are also called conjugal; not even for the reason that spouses sleep together, for so do harlots, and knaves, and adulterers; everything is the same, except that fornication cannot be proved from God's order and institution. God did not put them together. Otherwise, a pious wife has the same shape and limb as a brat 1) and a whore. But about the two in the marriage state, about man and woman, God's word is spoken, and they are publicly given together before the Church.
Thus the pope continues with his clergymen, and says in his books: whoever is married lives in a worldly state, and cannot serve God, calls the married state a sinful state, in which no pleasing services can be rendered to God; the pope asses only the outward appearance and equality, and not the difference between a woman and a whore. For
- In the original: Balk.
1182 Erl. 44, 376-378. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1183
The married state is a pure and holy state, not for itself, but for the sake of the word that God has spoken about it. Otherwise, it would be as impure as the fornicator state; but because God says: You shall be a husband and a wife, they are given to each other, more than a nun. For the married couple's estate is founded in God's word, which the Pabst donkey does not consider.
So Christ also says here: You blind men and blind leaders, my word is an altar and temple, and you should not build your own altars, churches and temples, so that you want to sacrifice there your own pleasure, and the gold and sacrifice more precious 1) and higher, than the altar and temple. For the Jews went and built their own altars in all the pleasant places, meadows, valleys, mountains and woods, and then soon followed that God's commandment was trampled underfoot. God did not want to suffer this, so he said: I will choose a place where I will make a memorial of my name, and if you cannot come to that place with your body, you shall look there with your eyes and heart, as Daniel did when he was sung in Persia with other Jews, and seek help and counsel there, and I will let myself be found and help. But they said no to this, and would much rather collect money, and build altars by the merry fresh brooks, under the bright sky and in the open sun, there it would be fine fun. These are true blind leaders, who did not understand God's word, and even insisted on the sacrifice, leaving faith and obedience behind. For this reason, the prophets all went to punish the groves where sacrifices were made, and they were under the illusion that God would be more pleased with the sacrifices made in green pastures than in the incense-covered temple. For then the obedience of the divine commandment would soon fall away, when he said: "Which place will I choose" 2c., as if God said: I do not care about your money or sacrifice, 2) but only about feeding the poor people and the priests. I do not ask for your offering, but that is why I have chosen the
- Erlanger: theuer.
- So shredded by us instead of: "umb dein Geldes.oder Opfer willen".
I have built the altar and the temple to give you and to bless you. Is it not enough that I have built the temple, and that I will dwell there for ever, who am the most holy? But they did not consider it, and fell a prey, until they forgot the temple and the altar, and were even astonished, and set up altars in the fields and in the woods, whither they ran.
So this was a sanctification, that God built the temple, but therefore it was not only holy, that God had built it, and he, the holy of holies, dwelled there, but was also holy because God wanted to make everything holy there, and give you all kinds of goods and gifts without need; as the 65th Psalm also praises what God does so much good. Psalm also praises what God does so much good to the church, let the grain grow well, build up the land, water the furrows, and moisten its plowed land, he crowns the year with his good 2c.; showers us with vain graces. God's word was there that he had chosen the place for him, but to the end that he would give there, and give all kinds of benefits and goods. They did not understand this blessing, so they were struck with blindness, did not understand the text of Moses, and stretched the teaching to mean that they wanted to give to God, when God wanted it reversed.
We also did this in the papacy, and many a person was kept by his parents to become a monk, because they wanted to give a servant to our Lord God, and a nun was to be the bride of the Lord Christ. These were delicious, glorious gifts; and if one had given a florin, two florins, or three florins for the sake of God, it was called giving God only an apple; but if one became a monk, he gave God the tree with the apples. 3)
He puts forward the human doctrine that God needs our sacrifices and offerings, that we should do good to God, when he says: I will feed you and fill you with all goods, so we turn it around, namely, that God should be pleased when you bring him an offering. But he shakes his head against it in the fiftieth Psalm, and says v. 9. ff:
- Erlanger: Opseln.
1184 Erl. 44, 378-380. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 16-22. 1185
"I will not take flocks from your hanse, nor goats from your stables, for all the animals in the forest are mine, and cattle on the mountains, as they go by baptizing. I know all the birds of the mountains, and all the beasts of the field are before me. Where I hungered, I would not tell thee of it, for the ground is mine, and all that is therein" 2c. What shall we do? Keep to what the Psalm further says (v. 14. f.).): "Offer thanks to God, and pay your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in trouble, and I will deliver you, and you shall praise me"; that is, come and get from me not only sheep, oxen, birds, but everything you need; for this is why the igloo and the church were built, and when I have helped you, you shall praise me, that is, recognize and thank me that you have received everything from me, and not I have received anything from you.
But who would believe that we in the papacy should also have been in such darkness, and so we also pretended: It is nothing that you give one guilder, or three, or even ten to alms; but if you even give your son to a monastery, oh that is something. No, if you want to give yourself to God, it must be done in another way, not that he needs you greatly, but that you live by the grace of our Lord God, as if you took him for your God, and call upon him in trouble, and when he has saved you, you then thank him, then you have him for your God, and you can then say: You are mine and I am yours.
But the world lies in deep blindness, and human commandments and teachings are so adorned that people are soon seduced by them; and then no one thinks whether God has also commanded it, whether one also gives it to God, or whether we receive something from God; but one only continues blindly: "Well, it seems good to me that I become a monk and even give to our Lord God. A layman gives only an apple, but I give the whole tree. But God speaks against it: I am the LORD your God, you shall not have other gods, so give me nothing, but take from me.
In the papacy, nothing was known about it, yet now our children know and understand it.
For human wisdom and teachings have obscured everything, and the Catechismum has even been eradicated. For the doctrine of men has not only the misfortune of being beautiful, but this is the pity that under the same appearance the Word of God is suppressed. .
We say to GOD: Here I bring an ox, that you may eat it 1) I shed the blood, that you may drink it; so He says: I am your God, you are My creature; and says: Call upon Me, hear My word. But human reason does not want to do this, nor does it want to do it; therefore God is also so vehemently angry.
So they say, He that sweareth by the altar sinneth not: for the altar is stone and wood. But Christ says, Have ye not read Moses, which sheweth whence the altar is, and who hath ordained it, and to what end and custom? Then ye would say, He that sweareth by the altar sweareth also by him that is God: for the altar is not evil in wood and stone: seest thou not that it is adorned with great sanctuary? This is I, for it is my altar, I dwell there and there I will help; therefore he swears by me, and by all that is on the altar, that is, by the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
But he separates the sacrifices from the altar, because it is holy, and the sacrifices should also be called holy. But they had made the sacrifices only out of vain avarice, which could still have been suffered and pardoned. But this was the heartache, that they prepared the sacrifices to deceive and ruin the souls.
Therefore, if a man sacrificed a goat and had such thoughts: I do such a work, that sin may be forgiven me, and eternal life be given me, that I may be blessed here and there: this is a doctrine and statute of men, and no man shall be taught so; for this doctrine suppresses the word of God, and sets up idolatry.
This is the opinion of the altar, that it is holy for the sake of the donor, who named it, who chose it, and in doing so
- Again, the Erlanger: "them" instead of: "him".
1186 Erl. 44, 380-382. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1187
and his word shall be preached and heard there, he also wants to bless and give there, and answer all prayers; and because he has heard us, we should also give to him, and everything that we offer to him, that shall also be called holy; not that we thereby deserve blessing, because God has given the blessing before. But the Pharisees did not understand a word of this; they were under the delusion that whoever sacrificed would receive God's blessing and grace, for he would not give his sacrifice in vain. Then the temple and altar, which were otherwise sanctified, are completely destroyed, where God is not supposed to be God and give us or bless us, but we want to give him and earn something from him.
Ninth sermon on Matt. 23. 1) Fifth woe.
And here we see three kinds of harm done by the doctrine of men and devils, firstly, that they have a beautiful glittering appearance, just as a whore is often more beautiful than an honest matron; secondly, that the appearance blinds people, the beautiful look sows them; thirdly, that it overturns God's word, and sets up idolatry to take away the true worship of God, and brings false ones in its place, and makes vain avarice. This has been the tail of the serpent and the end of the little song, that it seeks honor, dominion and violence.
We have also seen this in the papacy. Since chastity was vowed in the Scriptures, they made a vow of it, and vowed chastity, and made a service of it, saying that chastity not only obtains forgiveness of sin for those who keep it, but also for others, and that they can sell their good works and merit to them; thus is the true
- Although the next paragraph begins with "And", the marginal gloss here: "The other sermon" seems to indicate that the new sermon begins here and not where the text is quoted. The words "the other sermon" may mean that this sermon, after a longer interruption (from September 35, 1538 to June 18, 1539, when Luther gave a short repetition in the seventh sermon), was the second in which Luther continued to interpret the 23rd chapter.
The worship service is depressed. What is this good for? See if the vow of chastity is not vain avarice; for the priests and nuns have snatched more than half of the world's goods. It makes vain belly servants, miserly wretches. Our bishops are concerned about avarice, about their honor and power; therefore they do not want to accept the teaching of the divine word, because spiritual fornication has rich rewards. The world is courting the Babylonian whore when she preaches that good works make blessed; there she gives her money and goods in heaps. But the servants of the word of God are left to die of hunger. In the past, great cathedrals could be built, but now not a single pillar can be maintained. Why is that? Because the pure doctrine is directed to God's honor and to man's salvation and blessedness; so its preachers must starve and go begging.
This is what displeases the Lord Christ and the Holy Spirit here, that men, with their beautiful, glittering nature, pervert and falsify the right worship and preaching of God, and set up idolatry after idolatry; as the Pharisees did, and praised the sacrifices so highly that the altar and temple were no longer respected at all; and they did this only so that they might fill their avarice and set up unrighteous worship. That is why he punished them with terrible words, because they only preached their dreams and left God's word unanswered.
V. 23. Woe to you, Christian scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites, who have forfeited the mint, the dill and the caraway, and have left behind the heaviest things in the law, namely, judgment, mercy, and faith 2c.
This is the fifth woe, and Christ makes such a clamor not only for the sake of the Jews, but also for our sake. It was such a law and commandment among the Jews that the common man had to tithe to the priests from all that they had, that the tenth child was also theirs, just as now the Turk takes the third son and makes warriors out of it. So the Jews had to collect from their fruit of the womb, and from all the other goods and fruits of the field, the tithes.
1188 Erl. 44, 38L-S8S. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 23. '1189
After that the Levites had another tithe, which was collected for them every three years, because they had no other inheritance in the land; also a special tithe was given annually for the poor: it was very beautifully ordered, such an order has not been experienced much more in the world; but it has now perished, and it cannot be restored.
So this clamor and woe goes over the Levites and priests who took tithes from the people. He calls the smallest things they tithed, such as tillets, mint, marjoram, and ointment leaves, and says that they were very diligent in the small things, but forgot the larger things, such as tithing oxen and sheep, and left judgment, mercy, and faith behind them. Moses is commanded to keep the Ten Commandments, which are in the front, which he did not preach alone, but the angel of God preached; and preaches not of oxen and other tithes, much less of the tille and mint, but: Thou shalt not have other gods. Such ten commandments God Himself gave through the angel. Then he commanded that the priests also be fed, because they had to have nothing of their own in the land. Now Christ wants to say: You come here, and let the created ten commandments stand down, which God wants the most, and troll along with the Krauseminz and Tillen. But the statutes of men make the word of God low and contemptible, just as the word of God brings down human doctrine and statutes. So Christ wants to say: You have the least, but you do not ask for the core; you only give our Lord God the shells and the scales, and leave in place what was required of you in the ten commandments, and the greatest things that God gives, you do not even consider 2c.Even if you forgave the sin and the caraway, you could be forgiven, but only if you loved God and your neighbor, and were so minded toward your neighbor that you would not harm him for a penny. But they do not do so, but keep the least of the law, as with the tithes, but to sacrifice the firstborn, and the other great tithes of cattle and other things.
as Moses had commanded, they left it in order; then they went and slaughtered their sons and sacrificed them to the idol Baal, saying that it was sacrificed to God Himself; just as it was not done much better in the papacy, since they put both male and female images into the monasteries. Thus, at that time, one had his own son burned in honor of God, and since he was supposed to have sacrificed a sheep according to God's command and commandment, he sacrificed his son against God's will and commandment to please the devil.
How then shall we serve our Lord God? This is what Christ wants to teach, 1) saying: Do judgment and mercy, and believe, that is, if you want to be godly from the heart, then leave the idol and take the right God before you; do judgment, then you will please God. He sets up the highest afterwards, and the judgment, because he drives the commandment against the neighbor so vehemently that he forgets his sacrifice over it.
Judgment means to leave evil, to punish and to defend; as to hang a thief and punish a bad boy, father and mother to punish the children, so that one may prevent evil, and one may beware of that which is evil, and go idle of sins. God desires that you punish yourself and that the children do not disobey their parents. Item, take care that you do not celebrate a liar. Then in the worldly government, protect the pious and punish the wicked. The wicked. But it is not done. There remain many wicked husks, and the children are not brought up for the glory of God; so one does not punish himself, that he lived chastely and honestly, and there is punishment enough.
Yes, they say, what is it? Dear, do 2) you despise judgment? It is not good if you do not want to be punished. If you kept the ten commandments, that would be right sheep sacrificed. Well, we have the advantage of teaching and hearing it. But the pope denies it, with him idolatry is not a sin, nor is avarice a sin, but not to redeem indulgences, that is a sin.
- Erlanger: learn.
- Erlanger: verachts.
1190 Erl. 44, 385-S87. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1191
This doctrine is well known among us, but we do not do judgment in this way, neither in the secular nor in the domestic regiment. It would be better for a husband to wait at home for his food and children than to go on pilgrimage to Rome. But parents are negligent in this, do not do it, to their great harm. For if parents had exercised their judgment, they might say: Well, if you escape from me, you will not escape from the executioner, or from God, or from the devil; and then the executioner also says to the disobedient son: If you have not wanted to judge yourself, then I will judge you, and if you had punished yourself, then you would not be allowed 1) to be awarded to the executioner. But that is why cities, villages and houses are full of thieves, because everything goes, and there is no punishment.
Mercy is against evil, that one should refrain from evil, that one should not only do what is due, of which the lawyers teach, and that the same is called justice, but also do what one owes before God. The jurist only shows what one owes before the world. Such things are still vain, the husks and shells of the muscatel. Before God you must have something else and more, which you are otherwise not obliged to give before the world. So, no executioner forces you to give alms to your neighbor, to forgive even your brother for what he has done wrong against you; but before God it is said: I am your Father of all, you shall be brothers and sisters among yourselves. Therefore, if you see your neighbor starving and suffering hunger, and do not feed him or give him a piece of bread, you have transgressed the righteousness of the law; for God has commanded that we love one another as brothers and sisters, that neither abandon the other, whether in physical or spiritual need, then everything will be fine; I am not a fornicator, do no harm or violence to anyone.
The Pharisee in the temple despised the tax collector, could not forgive him, did not give him what he owed him, should not have mocked him, and that is what he said
- Erlanger: dürfest.
Justice; for our Lord God also wants worldly justice to be upheld, so that a quiet, peaceful life may remain. But this does not make you blessed, for God wants you to do this and keep His commandments, not only to avoid evil and keep your mouth shut, but also to love your neighbor as yourself. If you do not do this, you may be pious before the world, but before God you are condemned. The authorities cannot force you to do this; however, if you do not want to be eternally lost after this life, but want to be saved and be a child of God, and if you do not do what is due to a pious child, God will no longer be your father. The authorities can punish you if you sell something too dear, but if you do not want to sell it, you have the power and the right to do so. Thus says that farmer, I have bread for my household, and another may provide it for him; these are the words of the stingy and the unmerciful. Thus says Christ: You leave mercy and judgment behind, and come with the tille. You give yourselves over to evil, and neglect good. God does not let this go unpunished, for he has often overthrown kingdoms because of it.
Well, he wants to have: You shall do good, which is good not only in the sight of the world, but also in the sight of God; and you shall forbear from doing evil, not that which is evil in the sight of the world alone, but that which God also considers evil.
Third, to walk before God in humility and fear, which Christ calls "faith. For the three sacrifices belong to God, that we trust in Him and believe that we are justified before Him by grace, and trust with all our hearts that He will grant us forgiveness of sins and nourish our bodies; secondly, that we avoid evil and live blamelessly not only before the world but also before God; thirdly, that we also do mercy. For these fruits follow from faith, namely judgment and mercy.
- You Pharisees, priests and Levites let this stand in line and come with silence. We also do this; when we sin and do evil, and the worldly authorities can punish us for it, we do not do it.
- Erlanger; So.
1192 Erl. 44, 387 f. 45, 1 f. . Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 25 f. 1193
not to punish, we think, O this sin does not harm us.
Therefore he decides, and calls them mosquito-seekers and camel-seekers. This likeness is strangely spoken, that they should thus be able to keep out a gnat, 1) and swallow up a camel; as he said above about those who take a mote out of their neighbor's eye, and forget the beam in their own eye. Their own mercy and righteousness make them very great. But Christ says: He who offers tille, and leaves the three pieces outside, lets camellias pass through. For their sacrifice, their tithes, their good works, their tille, these are delicious things, by which they are holy; judgment, mercy and faith are nothing.
These are fly tigers and camel devourers. It is fine before the eyes, when a hypocrite takes the small righteousness, as, the world righteousness before him, and the great righteousness, so before God, lets stand; as, that one said: The authorities and the executioner must not harm me, nor accuse me of anything, and yet you attacked and offended your neighbor, 2) and would not forgive your brother his shortcomings, that is, you may have killed a mosquito, but you swallowed a camel, because you do not fear God, so you do not love your neighbor. Faith, mercy and righteousness are gnats before your eyes, so you have to feed them, even though these pieces are like a large camel.
Tenth sermon on Matth. 23. 3)
Sixth woe.
We have heard the five cries of the Lord against the Pharisees; now comes the sixth:
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who cleanse the outside of the cup and bowls, but inside you are full of robbery and uncleanness.
- Erlanger: stay.
- Erlanger: insulting.
- "This sermon does not immediately follow the previous one in the manuscript. The content, however, sufficiently shows that it connects here." (Note by Bruns.)-This sermon was preceded by the sixth on the 23rd chapter of Matthew, as can be seen from note 5), Col. 1165, "HM.
The Lord gives them an evil lesson for the last, 4) cries out against them Zeter und Mordio, as we Germans use to say. Now it would not be so frightening if he had done it for the sake of their lives, but that they also taught and preached such things for the sake of others. For there is a great difference between the teaching and the life. For though the life be evil, yet if the doctrine be pure, it can be helped. For the light is still there, by which the erring man can judge himself. But when the light is extinguished, all is lost. Then one runs into darkness. For this reason, the Lord complains here not only that they have lived this way, but also that they have accepted it as right. Si vitia abeunt in mores, when right and custom become what in former times were vices, and are called sin no more: there is no help for it.
The first cry is that they shut up the kingdom of heaven, and would not let others in; that is, they taught such preaching as was a hindrance to them in the kingdom of heaven, and yet praised such doctrine; item, they devoured widows' houses, for what they gave to God was all well done, and so the doctrine and the life were false; item, that it was not sinful to swear by anything but the temple; item, to make fellow Jews; and in the clamors there are always two pieces, first the life, then the doctrine. Then it had to be right, as they taught.
V. 25. "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who cleanse the outside of the cup and bowls, but inside you are full of robbery and uncleanness."
The Lord is angry and calls them blind men, and that would be the least plague, that they would live like that, but they still want to defend it, that it is right, and that others should follow them. But if the light of doctrine still remained, it could be restored; but it was not there. That is why he calls them blind leaders. 5)
But why does he punish them, because they clean the outside of the cup, and inside they are full of robbery? It cannot be understood that they are made of unclean vessels.
- Erlanger: Letzer.- Letze - Abschied.
- Erlanger: Blind Letter.
1194 Erl. 45, s-4. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1195
They would not have eaten or drunk. For if they were pure and clean by heart, much more were they pure within. For the people were commanded by the law of Moses to keep themselves pure. They did not have to have a spot on their skirts, the road in the Hanseatic League had to be swept clean, yes, everything had to be clean; yes, it was nicer in their houses than a new ark, and they were not such swine as we Germans are. Everything was pure in food, drink, body and clothing; therefore they did not eat from unclean vessels.
One reads in the Gospel of the rich man that he lived daily gloriously and cleanly, and did not wear a torn skirt, but silk linen, so purely swept that not a feather would have stuck to it; therefore Lazarus must have stunk before him. For when the people saw that Lazarus had boils and pus on him, no one wanted to touch him, and was more horrible than when someone has leprosy or pestilence with us now. 1) He was not allowed to come to the table, nor to go to the market. They did not eat with grinded hands.
Therefore this is said of their heart, that they did not keep it pure. By heart in the Hanse they kept it pure. The rich man thought Lazarus was damned; for he was full of swarms, which no Jew would have touched, because he thought he was damned. Therefore the dogs came and licked his swarms. Dem" it was an excellent sin to touch such a sore. For they had a commandment that they should be pure in the sight of all the heathen, but especially inwardly. For it should not remain with the outward purity, but the right purity should be sought. There was no purer city in the world than Jerusalem: and Christ cometh, and maketh a clamor against them, saying, Ye are all blind, and blind others also. Everything had to be pure. So it cannot be written how pure they kept it. Now he says, "Externally, everything is so pure that it could not be better. But what is it in your heart? He does not speak of the cup, nor of the bowl, but of the heart, that it is full of filth. He ver-
- "has" added by Bvuns.
Do not throw away their purity. For they should first purify that which is within. This purity, which you not only do, but also teach, you think, when the purple robe is swept, and everything, bed, garment is clean, that this is your righteousness, and you do not defend this purity, but you still teach it, and yet inwardly you are full of robbery, filth, and defending this doctrine and life. It must not be sinful for you to rob and steal from the poor people all that they have. Therefore they drove the people: if they gave much to the temple and sacrificed, even if they snatched it from the parents' mouths, it would be well done. For when the parents were old and could no longer support themselves, and the children were to provide for the parents, the Pharisees preached: "If you want to invest your goods well, give them as a sacrifice and give them to the church; since one owes not only one's parents, but also one's neighbor, help, taxes and maintenance. Then says the Lord, "By this you have trampled the fourth commandment of God to the ground. They interpreted the honor owed to one's parents in such a way that it would stand alone if one took off his cap before them. But in time of need, I should not serve them, and they turned the people away, and led them to sacrifice, which would help the father and the son.
Is this not blindness and wickedness above all wickedness? and adorn it with the name of spirituality and holiness. Thus, the Lord says, by your teaching you make the commandments of God pure, that if you are to help your parents, you must run to Caipha and Hanna and give to them. This is what it means to love God.
But it is still all child's play against that, 2) as it happened in the papacy, if one holds it against Judaism. The pope has it preached throughout the world that the Holy Scriptures are 3) worthless; the authority of the Holy Scriptures that they are worth anything, that they have from the Roman See. Christians should be assured that the pope has the power to confirm the Holy Scripture, to announce it, to give it a meaning.
- "against that" put in by us, because the sense demands such an intercalation.
- Erlanger: tugte.
1196 Erl. "s, 4-7. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 25 f. 1197
and to reject it. I have also lived in this, I am deeply immersed in this opinion. You young people know nothing of it now, but you still find it in Pabst's decrees. The pope cannot suffer either the prophets, apostles, emperors or kings to reform him 1). The word judicare, to judge, is his burnt sorrow. One shall not tell him of the holy scriptures, but he speaks evil: You alone shall hear me, and that was the potestas ecclesiastica in the papacy of old, that any doctor, school or university had to throw himself under his feet and ask him if he wanted to accept it. If he accepted it, 2) it was right; if not, it must be wrong. Thus the Bible or the Holy Scriptures and the books of the fathers came under the bank, and one finds in Pabst's books nothing but avarice, gluttony and greed, as the lawyers themselves must say, who study in Pabst's law books. It reeks of vain avarice and splendor, and how he would like to press the people under him, and has thus been a lord of the whole world, yes, a lord of all souls, and only thought of how he would take the prebendaries and monasteries, steal and rob, how he would bring all bishoprics and kingdoms under him, and whoever does not hold so high as an article of the Christian faith and accepts what he pretends, he considers to be damned. The Jews are only a carnival play against it. In his decrees you will find how they decorate their actions, that they have the most beautiful ceremonies, organs, bells, church order and other trappings of the Christian church. That is splendid. But what is it inside? The Lord Christ says: "Inside you are like robbery and devouring. There has been theft in every corner. It cannot be talked out now. Nor is there any hope that we can cleanse and sweep it. One cannot fathom it with thoughts. One must wait until God reveals the abomination and theft from heaven on the last day. Now no one can justify his avarice, as it is said in the 2nd epistle of S. Peter in the 2nd chapter: "There will be
- Erlanger: them.
- Erlanger: assumes.
false prophets will come, by whom the way of truth will be darkened, and with avarice, with fabricated words they will deal with you" 2c. Their heart is hollowed out and set on avarice in all ways. This is what we see and grasp now. We cannot advise nor help, neither do they desire it. Therefore, we leave it to the last day. But if we can still pluck out some, we will gladly do so. The others, like Judas, are miserly; we must leave the bunch. The decree shines and glitters outwardly; but inwardly it is not only avarice and gluttony, but also robbery and theft, that they live only in the rush; say then to Rome of us Germans that we are afraid of death and the devil, which is then a fair fable, but mau must have good courage, the last day never comes. The Cardinal of Mainz and some princes now have such a belief. We cannot straighten out this bunch. But we may pull some out of it. The others mock us and take us for fools who do not believe as they do. 3) They are inwardly vain. They are inwardly vain robbers, they rob the whole world, they pretend that nothing can be done. But we who find Christians, and remember that this life must have an end, learn that we know where we may stay, and wait for a better life, when everything will be in a better state than it was here in this life.
These may see that they are not comprehended in this clamor. Then see to it, every one of you. If you have a house and a farm, a wife and a child, a field and meadows, silver and gold, see to it that they are pure. Do not think that you are pure in the sight of God, even though you are not reproached and punished in the sight of the world. The imperial law often cannot punish such vices because of the wickedness of the world. For usury and avarice are now so entrenched that emperor and king can no longer do anything about them. Once upon a time, people sang: "The merchant has become noble, he leads horsemen. But now again the noblemen and princes have become merchants, vain usurers. It is not
- Erlanger: Haltens.
1198 Eri. 45, 7-9. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1199
Twenty years ago, when it was preached that ten guilders per hundred was called usury. Now the big merchants take twenty and thirty guilders a year of the hundred, and the main sum still remains with those who have to give the big interest. Some of them have forty or sixty guilders per hundred. The devil help you! Even if one appeals to the emperor and the princes for help, they cannot help, for they are in it themselves. The law is extinct and corrupt. We would gladly consent to six out of a hundred, or be satisfied that seven or eight would be given. For the goods are now very much increased, if only there were a pledge, and it were directed to re-purchase. But there lie the lawyers' books in the dirt without wanting to hold it themselves. Leipzig has fallen into the abyss of hell with usury and avarice. The right is extinguished, as one should not give interest under purchase. But things are going badly uphill and downhill. No preaching helps, and if the last day does not reform it, the cities will perish like Sodom and Gomorrah. For this is the time of money, and the longer it lasts, the more usury grows. For the money all goes into their sack. Now everything must be worth two pennies, which before was worth only one penny. There is no theurung from heaven. Usury is now right, which was wrong before, and they think they are still doing well, then they come rolling along and give a few guilders into the God's box. Let God look at that; take three hundred florins from the thousand, and give some skirt of it to poor people. These seem outwardly fine, are honest people, honorable lords, princes, counts, and so pure that it is all right what they do. Meanwhile they are tearing the marrow out of the legs of rich and poor. Who will resist? God help our princes. The richest and wisest go 1) there and want to be right. I once talked to one of them; he said that he had nothing more than his summa, which he could and must use to the highest.
- Erlanger: "gehens"!-"wollens" probably stands for: wollen deß.
These are secret chair robbers, 2) who steal secretly what someone else does publicly, and if the princes agreed with the right to give five out of a hundred, that it would be a repurchase, and we agreed to two or three guilders, that it would be eight guilders, if it was done from an estate or on fields on a pledge.
But in the twenty years since usury was first preached, people have come to take fifteen, twenty, thirty, forty or sixty guilders a hundred times over, since ten thousand guilders can win four thousand guilders. For this reason, Leipzig saps both principalities, just as a worm in an apple sucks out the apple, corrodes it, and even spoils it. Thus, the cities cannot gain strength because of usury. You may consider this, for the coat is taken, you may also hand over the skirt. We must be beggars to the usurers and let ourselves be robbed. But God reproves it through the preachers, and yet no one respects it; indeed, the law and pious princes cannot help. They say, "The money is mine; I may use it as I please. Then hear thou against it, that cries of woe are made against thee and against thy soul. You may use your money and your goods, your gold and your silver, but not to the detriment of your neighbor. If thou art a robber of a chair, thou hast robbed the florin as well as in the woods. There are robbers in cities and castles. Leipzig and other cities are real robbery cities. But cries of rage are cried out against them in this text, that they have no florin, penny nor penny with God and honor. Outwardly they may be resplendent and called noblemen; but the text says here: You are a robber, for you rob poor people and widows of what is theirs. Yes, they say, what do I ask for that, if I only get the money. But listen, you will not be so hard and strong that you will overthrow God the sky, nor will you bring God down. Therefore, if you do not want to be eternally damned, do not be a usurer. For God will not ask anything of you, just as He did not ask much of Duke George, who offered him
- Chair robbers - robbers of the garden assets. "Chair" --- capital, stock (Kaltfchmidt).
- Erlanger: den.
1200 Erl. 45, s-11. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 27 f. G 1201
Defiance, 1) as he did. You will probably realize it. He has probably seen more a wanton tyrant, who has been obdurate in their wickedness, who has nevertheless gone to failure.
This is now preached to us. In the pile of the Pabst it is in vain. But let every man take care of his own food, that it be not hurtful to others, and let him not be covetous; let no man spoil anything, that he may be able to say, I have this with God and honor, that it be not robbery. For we have heard how the Lord was ashamed of covetousness, and calls it robbing, singing out the blood. But it is still nothing against the avarice that is in our times. It is unpunished; we may do so, as Ezekiel says, when God wanted to punish Jerusalem: "How can I sweep Jerusalem? it is so unclean that it cannot be helped; and he compares Jerusalem to a pot that has been soiled by filth and foam, and says: "I cannot scrub it, I will even make a new pot. 2) So he did to the city, and overthrew it with a house, and sent it to Babylon into the furnace and into the fire.
He will do the same to us. Our teaching is now nothing. The cauldron is burnt and dirty. The right has perished; the right lies. Therefore God must bring a Turk to push it into a heap, or the last day must come; and let it be said to us Christians who are not yet in this vice: Listen to your God, who condemns this sin and cries out against it. For your usury has come to such an extent in the ten years that five years gain a year 3) and if it remains so for another ten years, we will keep nothing; but let us beware. Let the others go to the devil and ask God to hear our sighs. It has come out of the emperor's hand
- Erlanger: böte ihnen, wie er thäte". - This passage proves that this sermon was preached after the death of Duke George, i.e. in 1539, as the passage Col. 1164 proves that this sermon still belongs to the year 1538. Col. 1164 proves that this sermon belongs to the year 1538. Duke George died on April 17, 1539.
- Erlanger: hab.
- Here there seems to be a mistake in the text. Instead of "a year" should probably be read "the summa", that is, the capital, because the sense is: because thoughqig of the hundred are given, so the lender has gained in five years as much as he has lent.
and also to the scholars. But pray that God will give the emperor and the princes courage and heart to do otherwise than has been done so far, if it can be done otherwise, or that He will come in with the last day and put an end to the game; and let us be sorry that we have to see and hear this miserable being and clamor.
But the Jews' drudgery is mere child's play compared to the avarice and usury that now reigns not only among the clergy, where the greatest usury is, but also among the secular classes.
[Eleventh sermon on the 23rd chapter of Matthew.
Seventh woe.
Woe to you, Christian scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites, who are like the whitewashed tombs that appear beautiful on the outside, but on the inside they are full of dead men's legs and all kinds of filth.
So far we have heard six cries of anguish, which the Lord cries out against the Pharisees, and how the woe came upon them. For we see in the histories how Jerusalem was destroyed, even though they did not object to it, upon whom the woe was to pass.
But the Lord speaks of the graves that were recently made and are still shining and beautiful, saying, "You are the same.
But how is it that he takes the likeness and punishes them with it? It seems as if it is not an evil thing to say long prayers and to make Jewish friends; item, that they swear by the gold at the temple, and that they tithe the tille. It is all not evil. They also said, "Moses commanded us to be clean outwardly, and to keep ourselves clean in our houses. The Lord still reproves them here. So it was not evil that they kept their burial clean, and it was called a vice, not only among the Gentiles, but also in the holy scriptures, if one did not bury the dead honestly. Abraham buried his Sarah gloriously, and after that his two sons also buried him honestly, as we see in
1202 Erl. 45, 11-13. ch interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1203
Even today, the dead are buried honestly in the ground; and the way of burial in the church has remained until now, and the churchyards are still called sleeping chambers and beds, and these places of burial are held in special honor, and are called sleeping places: is a very fine testimony, so that we confess when we bury the dead in this way, that they will certainly rise at the last day. For one carries them out in the name of burying them in the earth as in a bed of downy feathers; 1) and the Holy Spirit means to die and to be buried: to lie down in sleep. For the body which is buried in the earth shall not abide therein, but shall in a moment come forth again, and rise again. Therefore, in the Old and New Testaments, death is called a sleep. For Christ says of the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, who was dead, "Soft, the maiden is not dead, but sleepeth"; and saith unto her, "Maiden, I say unto thee, arise"; that is, awake, and immediately the maiden riseth up, as though she had lain in a deep sleep. And what else would we expect in the world, so much misfortune, if we did not have the consolation? So now the churchyard is supposed to be a sleeping bed for the Christians. For this is what God Himself calls it, as well as the entire Holy Scripture, the patriarchs and prophets, and the entire Christian church. And one should not let it happen that one should not bring the dead honestly to the earth and bury them. For we shall not carry out the bodies of the dead, as cows and horses are dragged to the threshing-floor, which we do not put to sleep. We do not think that they will come back. But with us the opposite happens. We are to live again; therefore the funeral should be held beautifully and honestly for the sake of the article of our Christian faith, since we know that we will rise again.
You see that the sun sets daily and hides itself, is not to be seen also at night. But when the night has passed, the sun breaks forth again, and rises again, and makes a beautiful bright
- Erlanger: to stare at.
Tomorrow and day. Thus, after our death, we will also come forth again and have a glorious immortal body on us.
Since the burial is such a good thing, why does the Lord rebuke and punish the Pharisees so horribly here? says: You are no different than the whitewashed tombs of the dead, than the tombs that are whitewashed; as it was the way of the Jews that they had beautiful tombs, and in the prophets it is seen that they kept the tombs large, and thus left behind them a testimony of the resurrection of the dead, and took it for granted that the tomb was not a tomb, but a bed; Although otherwise often much stranger ceremonies have been held at the funerals, and the Christians have taken it from the pagans. Monica, S. Augustine's mother, had the custom of carrying food and drink to the graves in her shirt; and the pagans put a bowl of bread and a candelabra of drink with the deceased in the grave, and then they scorched it, wanting to indicate that the dead would rise again and eat and drink. But after that it was abused; therefore the soul bath 2) came in the priesthood, as a sign that they would not remain dead.
Therefore saith the Lord, Ye are as whited sepulchers, even so are ye: in the sight of men ye are beautiful and pious. But there is a fine text about the world's deceitfulness, unfaithfulness and ingratitude, which is so rampant that no one can well excuse it. For first of all there is falsehood in the first table, concerning the service of God, which the Lord touches chiefly here. Then there is falsehood in the worldly government in the other table, so that the whole world is nothing but falsehood. Now we cannot correct this, but the Lord has reproached them here for it, so we may also punish them and say that they will have no recompense on the last day.
The first falsity in the first tablet, which is about worship, serving our Lord God in a false appearance. The
- On "Seelbad" compare Luther's letter to Hans von Minkwitz, January or February 1525. Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 138.
1204 Erl. 45, 13-15. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 27. f. 1205
The spirits of the wicked are ready to take the holy Scriptures before them, and make doctrines out of them that please them, and deceive the people, as the Sacramentans, Anabaptists, and Antinomians do; and though we resist them, yet others come, as S. Paul says, "Among you shall arise wickedness;" and Christ also says, "Beware of false prophets. There is nothing else: we will experience this falsehood; and it is nevertheless a vexatious thing that one must live among them, who practice falsehood, and deceive many, are wise and powerful in the world. But I cannot preach about this now. For I would have to tell all the heresies and many examples of them. We also have God's word pure; yet there is great hypocrisy and pretense among us, since we have the word of God from the holy Scriptures pure and fine, and it is the truth. Before, we had lies and falsehood with a pretense that we were pointed 1) to the fathers, concilia and church. This has now ceased with us, but it will come again.
This is the first falsehood, which goes against God, because one does not accept the holy scripture, unless it is falsified. But woe to them who seduce other people in this way. And this is the most fearful thing, that they have thus beautifully adorned and polished their teachings. But it is nothing else than, as the Lord says, 2) a whitewashed grave. If the dead men's bones and the stench were outside, they would do no harm or damage. But because their doctrine glitters, they deceive many people. For behold, how the practice of buying indulgences deceived so many people. For they pretended that whoever bought indulgences would have half or full and complete forgiveness of sins. Who did not want that? It is a fine lime. How can you decorate it more beautifully? Item: If you have sinned and been a bad boy, go to a monastery; vow to God chastity, poverty and obedience: then you will be blessed, and then you can also share your good works with others.
Lime means that something is done for God's glory, that it is perfection. This
- Erlanger: meadow.
- Here we have deleted "because" because it is too much.
Lime is gleaming and white. So now go through all the heretics. For they all make whitewash and lime to cover their false doctrine, lies and error, and if you open the doctrine or the grave, you will see dead men's legs inside, rotten flesh that stinks and is full of maggots, that is, full of disobedience of the divine word. So the monks and nuns also whitewash and whiten with their monastic life, which they exalt. But it is not right, and is a work of their own and a human order, and a disobedience against the commandments of God. Whoever could see this, would beware of it and say, "I see the whitewash, but underneath there is nothing but filth and dead men's legs.
But the Lord says: "Before men, because reason is imprisoned here, it cannot judge or judge that it is wrong;" but it is such a wonderful thing that one becomes a monk, a nun or a priest, does this or that and keeps it.
To Colossians it is said that the chosen righteousness or human righteousness is the whitest thing on earth, is the beautiful, pretty matzo; but if one would look at it inside, it is dung, filth, stink and dead men's legs. But men's eyes are glued to the lime, and do not see the inside, nor do they see how the thing is so contrary to God's word and obedience, if one thus begins something new, and that one does not remain in the state and profession that God Himself has established.
But Christ says, "Man does not see. But I see, and they that have mine eyes may say, I see monks and nuns walking, seeing sourly, wearing caps and plates, singing, reading, having rest and peace, and keeping their fasts against the world. There is a husband, wife, have to work, raise children, seek food in the sweat of the face. Then, they say, it is a wicked being with the marriage state and the worldly authorities. There must be vain dead men's legs, stink and filth, which one should avoid. For it is a lay state, there the maggots are outside, one holds the noses before it, there is vain harm. But in the monastery it seems, there is the lime, there does no one
1206 Eri. 45, is-18. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1207
There is a quiet, peaceful life, there are neither maggots nor stink. But if you look into it, you will find a stinking garden of spices, and then ask whether God has also commanded it. God knows nothing of it, but men have devised it. So they have whitewashed it beautifully. Then the grave is open and the lime has disappeared, and everything is full of worms. But in the state of marriage, it seems good on the outside, as if it were all stink and filth. Yet God has commanded it, and wills it, that father and mother should wait for their children, and seek their food by the sweat of their brow; but what do maggots and dead men's legs matter to thee, that they thrust thee before the head? Why do you not look at the right and eternal whitewash, namely the divine word? For if a state has God's word in it, and God's order, what harm is it if it is full of worms? nevertheless, it is a good and delicious state. But if a state is not commanded by God, nor does it have God's command and word, then you say, "It glitters and seems beautiful, and the holy fathers were wise people, as were the Concilia; but I must know whether it is also God's word or not, which they pretend. If then human reason or wisdom has devised it, say: I see behind the lime vain maggots. Thus the Christian part can judge; otherwise a man cannot understand nor judge. For a man sees nothing but dead men's bones and filth in the estates God has created, but a Christian sees gold and precious stone underneath.
But the world is plagued with whitewash and maggots. So it goes and will probably remain so that the false saints will preach and be whitewashers, maggot saints, stink saints will be there, and the people will then fall to them, and look at the glistening lime and not at the maggots, stink and worms that are underneath.
In the other table, where it affects the outward life, it is said, as it is said in the proverb: How is the world so excellently false! For in the worldly government there is commonly falsehood. I command the same falsehood to the lawyers and rulers, who may
And falsehood is not only among the citizens and peasants, but also among the princes and rulers at court; and the nobles now in the German land all deal in falsehood, so that there is no more faith nor loyalty among the people; and it starts from the highest heads, and they are followed by the nobles and burgomasters, and then goes through citizens and peasants, servants and maids; it is now a delicious art. Si fecisti, nega, you must not make a public spectacle of yourself when you prove a knavery to your neighbor. You may still say: Listen, you must prove to me that I have done it; and even if you have seen and grasped it at once, and have no witnesses or letter, you must not accuse him. For he has lime, he can burn himself white that he has not done it. And do people then do all their evil in denial, and this is supposed to be great wisdom and prudence, 1) when one proves a poisonous treachery to another, and before he brings him to justice, he consumes his goods over it, and thus people live in false humility, that one must still call them most gracious lord, wise mayor, and yet stand in the thought: You desperate villain and traitor! you do not carry shield and helmet for this reason. But he has the ornament. Thou canst not to him, for he saith: No. An arch-whore is now a pious woman. If thou hast not seen it, or if thou canst not convince her of adultery, thou must lie. Such falsehood increases greatly beyond measure.
We preach that the gospel should make truthful people who live before the world as they would answer to God, and that life should be similar to preaching. But the contradiction happens. Still, such people want to be a fine Christian people, who, when they hear that they should accept the truth, do the opposite. They will certainly hear about it on the last day, or they will learn about it on your deathbed. You will not be allowed to accuse us then, but you will be guilty, not I who preached to you. Therefore God will also speak to you. I do not praise it,
- "his" added by Bruns.
1208 Erl. 45, 18-so. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 27. f. , 1209
Do not rebuke it either, you say; yes, so you still do not accept my sermon? If I rebuke thee, and thou despisest it, go thy way: the hour shall come when thou shalt feel it in thine heart. It is not the preacher's word, but God's. God wants me to tell it to you. This is what my heart tells me. Bite yourself with it. But if thou art godly, and hearest the word of God, it shall not grieve thee: for I must punish thee for my office; otherwise I have no power over thee, but that I may tell thee. If you do not do it, woe to you; but if you follow the punishment, good for you. For otherwise thou shalt not escape with the whitewash and denial, and adorn thyself well; behold, how thou shalt bring it forth. He will not give thee the whitewash, but will put the stink and the maggots before thee, that thou mayest abide therein for ever. Many people still think they will escape from him. Item, he sees the adulterers. If they do not stop, they will lose their honor. One whitewashes and decorates it well, but it comes out at last and stinks. So also, if one practices usury, it will be revealed, and become beggars. For the whitewash will not hold. It does not help to be false in the first and in the second table. Even if people do not see that one man exchanges for another, no one has been deceived except oneself. You can always imitate me, and you can imitate someone else. But see if the lime and whitewash will hold. For God, who dwells in heaven, sees the lime and the whitewash, though men do not see it. For men cannot see you, because you deny everything. But God will remove the whitewash and bring the maggots to day.
It was the same with the Jews; they wanted to be pure. But everything that men do not see lasts for a time, and then passes away, as here the Lord Christ says that the grave will be opened, and then you will find such roses inside; you will also see what kind of incense is inside. So now our life is before God and also before the world, that we will not escape hell unless we turn to God through righteous Christian repentance; and if you do not stop whitewashing, our Lord God will remove the whitewash.
tear down. Then no thief escapes the gallows, nor no harlot to shame; she must be put to shame. For there are maggots, there is stink behind it.
So now the whole world is, and it is preached to me, and to thee, and to all men; but to me therefore to consider that I suffer. We are excused. They that preach must then have patience, and be whitewashed, and be adorned, and be the best preachers, and the best rulers, and the best princes, yea, be vain nails and roses; and be thou content. I must suffer, but open thou thine eyes, and know that maggots are under it. You must answer for it. If they do not want to believe it, then let it be.
So the Jews were also beautiful outwardly. But the godly hearts have seen their disobedience in the first and second table, and yet they were adorned before the world with roses and precious ornaments. One often finds pious princes in the world, yet they are vain maggots.
[Twelfth Sermon on the 23rd Chapter of Matthew.
Eighth woe.
V. 29. f. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous, saying, "If we had been in the days of our fathers," 2c.
This is the eighth and last cry of contumely that the Lord makes against the Pharisees, and is so very angry with them that he calls them poisonous, evil worms, serpents and vipers, and says v. 33, "How will you escape the damnation of hell?" And one should be astonished that the Lord speaks so harshly and harshly to them, at which they should truly be terrified. For throughout the whole chapter he says that they are hypocrites; and in this text he says again, Woe to them that build the graves of the prophets; and adds these words, that they say, "If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers of the blood of the prophets," nor have killed them.
1210 Eri. 45, 20-23. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1211
Now it is indeed a good thing to build tombs and decorate the tombs of the saints. For they confess in this work that the prophets and others are holy, and he who does this is not evil. And then he says that they would not willingly participate in the murder of the prophets, that they would not have been saints' vassals; for a sign, so they decorate and honor the prophets' graves, not to mention that they should put them to death. Why then does the Lord cry out against such good deeds and such fine words, saying: "You murderers and evil-doers, if they are innocent of the blood of the dear holy prophets?
But Christ is the truth itself, and also loves the truth, and is the enemy of lies. Therefore hath he above, through all the clamor of the good works and^ute words, remembered them as praying, and made much of the Jews. Why then is he so angry, and reproachful of the things which were commanded in the law, as we have heard next, that they cleansed the cups and the vessels, and that they whitewashed the graves, that there might be a difference between dead men and dead cattle, and that there might be a hope of the resurrection of the dead? and confessed in fact that we belong together, those who are still alive and who are one cubit or two deep under the earth, as our sisters, brothers and children are separated from us, and know that they sleep in the churchyard and we follow them, and will rise again from the dead at the last day.
Let the prophets be honored by saying, "David, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Elisha and others are buried here. This prophet was slain in this place. For by this is signified that they, like us, have suffered, and have also the hope of the resurrection of the dead.
But Christ is favorable to truth and hostile to lies; neither can we all suffer one to be full of lies, nor can we all suffer to be lied to and deceived. Each one wants to be dealt with sincerely, as one otherwise speaks nowadays: one can say no to it. The world is also nothing else, but a bunch of liars and cheats; and is everybody
He is hostile to lying when it concerns him; again, when he lies to others, it is a delicious thing. This is what is said about the lie in the other table. But much more gruesome and terrifying are the sins that come up against God's honor, name and eternal life, or the hellish fire. The other tablet is about parents, neighbor, goods, body and life; but there I will not have parents, fields or houses. But in the first table, where it concerns God's word, God's honor and service, His sacraments, it is first of all annoying if one lies there; and as far apart is eternal life from temporal life: so far apart is also the lie in the first table and the lie in the other table. If you lie in the other table, you only lie to me about money. But here in the first table, if I lie or am lied to there, then I must be lost in the eternal infernal fire: that is terrible, that is then his wrath. This lie in the first table, which the Lord punishes here so seriously, says: "Everything is false, so that you go around, and where you think you are the most beautiful, you are the most ugly. This lie has been strong in the world. If in the papacy the most holy father, the pope, said that he collects a treasure to get against the Turk, and then erects a cross, and leads me there to obtain forgiveness of my sins, then the loss of money is the least harm. For the pope lies, that he presses the money out of the bags, then boasts the monks stand. Item, he raises the saints, and lets such a cry go out into the whole world, that he can communicate his merits to others, and speaks, he has boxes, in which all the merits of the Lord Christ lie, also of all the good 1) works of the saints. Then he reaches up to his elbows and distributes them. This was believed, and yet it was a lie. For he leads me from Christ to the saints, who are perhaps now in the abyss of hell. He also raises the bodies of S. Peter and S. Paul. Now I assume that it is true that their bodies and heads are still there.
- Erlanger: good.'
1212 Erl-"s, 23-25. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 29. f. ' 1213
It is a reputation in the world that he 1) is considered pious and godly who honors the bodies of the saints and is not like the wicked who have killed them. This example has been followed from the highest to the lowest class, and yet there is nothing behind it but a thirst for blood, as the Pharisees say: "Oh, we did not want to share in their blood! But what do they do in the meantime? They ask the Lord Christ for his life and do not stop until they have crucified him. They do not leave it at that, but those who cling to him and believe in him, they have banished, cursed and brought to the point that no one was allowed to call Christ, as it is written in John, where the blind man says that Christ helped him, but the Pharisees would not suffer him to say that Christ did it.
Thus they decorate their graves, as if they wanted to eat the holy prophets with great love, and yet they have killed the head of the Christian church, the Lord Christ, and are therefore sevenfold more bloodhounds than their fathers. So also the pope says that he serves God with the saints he raises up; item, that they establish masses and decorate the altar, have the most beautiful tombs, say: This church is not in honor of the Virgin Mary, but in honor of Christ and his saints; that is, the graves of dead saints are adorned, and all the saints who are true Christians are killed under the appearance. If the Virgin Mary herself were there, and said: You are the Antichrist, you do not have the teaching of my dear Son Jesus Christ, she would have to die.
In Rome, on the day of St. Peter, the pope himself says mass, and he himself starts vespers, and he has built a beautiful church there. But he Peter preached at Rome, as S. Peter wrote: O quickly dead! So they are also full of murder and bloodshed of all prophets and apostles, and yet they pretend to be pious, build churches and endow altars. Until now they have collected money against the
- Erlanger: those.
- Erlanger: him.
- Erlanger: untern dem.
Turks, now they call for the Turk's help. Nevertheless, he now lets bulls and books go out, as if he were very holy, and as if in the bottom of his heart the treasure was lying, that he alone believed in Christ. Should one not cry foul? They adorn the saints only for appearance, as if to say, Behold, what honor do we put upon the holy prophets; and yet under appearance they are a hundred times worse. For if they had lived in the time of Christ, and he had preached unto them those things which Christ preacheth in this place, I mean they should have built tombs for him. For they do not like him, the Lord and Savior, the head of all the saints. The world has countless such fellows in the 4) papacy, who speak: We want to reform the church. But they are bloodhounds who lie in wait for our life and limb, as we should all be dead this year at Pentecost. In the meantime, they bring out the martyria of the saints. They must be their lids, and lure all kings and emperors to themselves with the appearance.
Christ is hostile to them, and he does not punish them for decorating the tombs. For it is no evil thing to praise the saints and to adorn the tombs of the saints, that it may be known that Samuel is buried there, item, that the earth is full of holy people. It is a fine, delicious thing. But if they were still alive, they would cut him to death as they cut Isaiam with a wooden saw. The will, the heart, and the thoughts of their fathers are also in them; only that they are twofold worse than their fathers, having slain the prophets, and not having adorned their graves. These say that they did not want to kill the prophets, and want to make themselves pious with the appearance that if Isaiah would come now, the Pharisees would worship him and carry him on their hands.
The Lord is hostile to these hypocritical, false, desperate liars who lie in the first tablet, and it is certain that they are poisonous murderers. But because they have a fine outward appearance, they cannot be known as soon as they are. If any godly
- Erlanger: in,
1214 Eri. 45, L5-L7. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1215
If a man, like Simeon or Hannah, had decorated a grave, it would have been delicious. But the more quiet these saints do, the more poisonous and evil they are. So are the popes, cardinals and bishops. They have a delicious pretense that they want to reform the church, and yet under this pretense they incite the kings against the poor Christians, and shed innocent blood. Therefore let us also curse and cry out against them. You will see that they will not cease to strangle us. If they cannot do it with their own strength, they will raise up other evil men against us, as the Turk or others. For we see that the Pharisees were also such men, and our enemies today are also such hypocrites, lying in the first table, and after that they do not cease to rage most fiercely against us, until they die in our thirst for blood: so the lie in the first table and the murder remain together, which two things, as lies and murder, are still found in our adversaries. Murder happens in many ways, as when one commits murder through carelessness without his own fault, as when an axe is cut off.
leads. It is written about this in Moses.
After that, if one of them defends himself, the murder goes free. But if there is a disagreement in the alehouse, and one of them kills the other, it's head for head. These murderers are not to be suffered.
Item, death blows, which are done deliberately and deliberately, as the thieves and robbers do, that is a real evil death in the other table; they are ugly and black.
But when in the first table there are deaths, they have beautiful white robes on, and wear golden crowns, and are adorned with all virtues, and these murderers are the best and the holiest, who can murder and kill most beautifully. Therefore these kill us either in the heart, as it is written in Matt. 5, not out of anger, or out of fear, but out of great righteousness, that they should count us heretics, and that they should forbid good works, and want to be these holy and pious men, who mean well by the Christian church, want to save it; these are the beautiful murderers, who do not know how to kill.
But on the two kinds of murder, as I have said above, there one only looks; but these beautiful, holy, angelic murderers cannot be punished, because they have escaped from your gallows and sword. Where do they belong? To the infernal fire. With the others there is hope that they may come to repentance and knowledge of their sins, and obtain forgiveness of sins, so that they do not lead into the hellish fire.
But the murderers in the first table, who kill for the sake of God, they adorn themselves as if they were the holiest people, as the pope and his crowd. They are also our executioners. But the infernal fire shall judge them. For the murder is too evil, the sword cannot come to it. Meanwhile they adorn themselves that they seek God's honor and the Christian church's rest and peace, and praise the fathers' and apostles' scriptures, saying: With them we will keep it, and yet lie so grossly that the beams would crack, and the vault before it would collapse.
Therefore, consider how you may be certain of the matter, and that you may rightly know the word of God, whether you also have righteous preachers, and whether they preach the word of God or not; item, take heed which is the word of God or not the word of God. For he who doubts cannot stand when the holy murderers come upon him. But he who is sure of his doctrine and faith, and lives and dies by it, good for him! If the murderers slay me over it, then I am blessed. If the Turk strangles us, we are also blessed, whether pestilence comes, or he brings the French, leprosy and drops. If we are sure that we are Christians, baptized, and know that God's word is true; then I live on it, and confess it, and also die on it, and sing the saying of the Psalm: "Cast thy prayer upon the Lord, and he will provide for thee. If you are sure of this, then you must also wait for the holy and angelic murderers, who are much holier than S. Peter, Paul or Mary. But that they
- About "Tropf" compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XIX, 644.
1216 Erl, 45, 27-2S. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 29. f.' 1217
not kill us all, there is no lack of a good and complete will.
The murderers in the other table are also evil, but they do not intend to strangle everyone. But they do not ask anything else than how they can kill everyone. Because they are idolatrous people, it is in their nature that they must be murderers. For as their life is lying, so it is also vain murder. If they cannot murder, they like to lie, and if they are murderers, they think they are doing God a favor. Therefore, beware of the shameful bunch. I will keep silent about the other seven sins 1) but in them, as in lying, they are especially drowned, because they want to honor the saints, make measurements, decorate the altars, and yet it is not true. But if you want to be a sinner, let it be in the name of God in the other table, where one can still think about who he is and how dangerous he is: so there is the advantage that a man who has been beaten to death can still turn to God, can accuse God of the sin of murder, adultery, fornication, and can also think: What have I done? I have lived as a prankster; then he can come to the knowledge of the sins.
But the holy murderers first become staarblind. Because they think they are just, and their lies are truth, and their most horrible murder must be the most holy work. So they praise their lies and then reach into our blood up to our arms. So does Ferdinand; 2) and say: So God will give happiness and salvation. So they persuade the kings, princes and lords that there is no remedy against the Turk, because we Lutherans have all been strangled before. Therefore they confidently strike at us, and many fine people perish. Why is this happening, or for what reason? Only because they do not like the doctrine; and if they had destroyed this doctrine of ours before, they would have slain the Turk beforehand, spitting and
- The seven so-called deadly sins are meant: Covetousness, avarice, unchastity, gluttony and drunkenness, anger, hatred and sloth. Cf. Walch, old edition, Vol. Ill, 1983 ff.
- Cf. Luther's Table Talks in 1338. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XXII, 1729, no. 181, and Col. 1731, no. 196.
Cry much that our blood may be shed with confidence. So it is in the world, know now how thou shalt live. For you see how a great and mighty lord the devil is. He gives our adversaries the same advice that Caiaphas gave the Jews a long time ago, that it is better for one man to die than for the whole nation to perish. If we do not denounce them, the Romans will come and turn this place upside down. Therefore it is better that one perish, 2c. then the Romans will not do anything against us. Before forty years had passed, there was not a stone left standing in Jerusalem. How finely the council was laid out; yes, turn it around. When he was crucified, he told them that they were converted. But they thought they had a merciful God, that they had killed Jesus of Nazareth. In the same way it is said today: If you want to have victory against the Turk, you must first kill the Lutherans, just as the Jews said: If you crucify Christ, you will have happiness and salvation. How, then, if God would let it happen that a Turk should strike ten papists dead with one finger? For they have denounced Christ, and strangle those whom they should otherwise protect and defend against the Turk with their prayers, and then enrage Him 3) who is to give them strength and happiness against the Turk. For if anyone should resist the Turk and the devil, we will do it, if we are God's people and can pray; otherwise the others will leave it alone.
Therefore, everyone can see how things stand in the world. The papists incite emperors and kings, as if they were to strangle all of us Christians beforehand, and then they want to march against the Turks. Against this God prays that he will prevent the bloody attack, and that the council will not harm us, but harm them, as has happened with the Jews, that Jerusalem has been destroyed and razed, that not one stone has been left upon another, and the Jews have been scattered throughout the world. But if we pray diligently, there shall be no need. They do not see it,
- Erlanger: those.
1218 Erl. 45, Ls-31. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1219
what the devil deals with. But we know the thoughts of the devil. He deals with it that he would like to suppress all of us. If he had first eradicated the doctrine, he would then like to strangle the confessors of the doctrine as well. But the devil's heads can adorn themselves that they want to reform the church; but they are words. For not one of them prays the Lord's Prayer. Their prayer is such a work, as it was said above, "long prayers". But our prayer and the prayer of all God-fearers in the world does the trick. If it is otherwise, God bless the world.
Thus the Lord is hostile to the angelic murderers. Therefore let your heart be sure, that it may not waver, but know that the doctrine is true and right, and that the multitude who believe the doctrine are the people of God, and are separated from the pope, who are the people of the devil. There is nothing among them but lies and murder. Therefore separate thyself from them, whether it come today or tomorrow, that the pope and the Turk be against us, that we be not afraid. For though I escape not the sword of the Turk, yet shall my soul be preserved: and where the soul is, there must the body also come; and we shall be judges of the Turk, and of the Pope, and of all the wicked, at the last day.
End of the sermon.
[Thirteenth Sermon on the 23rd Chapter of Matthew.
**Dominica 14. post Trinitatis, quae erat 7. Septembris **1539. 1)
Short epitome of the last five sermons.
We have just preached about the last cry, when the Lord said: Woe to you scribes, hypocrites, who build the tombs of the prophets 2c.; and have thus heard the eight cries of contumely which the Lord makes against the Pharisees; and this is his complaint, that they have not only taught and lived thus, but that they have also pretended that this is the right way and manner how one may be saved. Now it is much another thing when a work is praised and extolled.
- Dominica 14. Septembris is written in the margin in the original.
.preaches, or if it is punished. If a work is evil, it is still to be suffered; but if it is also preached, praised, extolled, and taught to others, so that a lesson and example must be made of it, that is worth nothing; but if they had lived for themselves, it would still have been tolerable.
For this cause the Lord is exceedingly wroth, because they have taught thus. Life would be as it can, namely, to fall and sin; but there is counsel and help for it. But when it comes to the point that sin is defended, and must be called right and well done, one still boasts about it, and one adorns sin for virtue: then it is over; as also the pagan Seneca says: Deest remedii locus, ubi ea, quae vitia fuerunt, in j mores abeunt, when it must be called virtue, that there has been sin and shame, then all is lost, preaching and admonishing. But if one can make a confession and say: I have done wrong, and must be ashamed, or await punishment, then things can get better. Again, where vice is loved and adorned, there is no penitence or repentance, nor shame before punishment, but only honor and praise: let the devil help, as he does. The Jewish people had such preachers in the high priests, whom the Lord punishes with horrible cries of contumely. For they not only did it, but also made it seem to the people, and led them into it, that they also should do so, and if they did not do so, it would be unjust; as if I or another should say, A fornicator or whore doth well, and should praise, adorn, or excuse her: I mean, I should make use of it, so that there would be no adulterers, if adultery were not to be a disgrace, if one did not want to punish and prevent the vices; if one did not want to have repentance and sorrow over sin, sin should not be a disgrace either, but vain praise and honor. For where there is no repentance, there is no forgiveness of sin. Nor can divine grace help if one says, "I have no need of grace. If I say, Do to him thus, 2) you are a fine one.
- "Thue him thus," namely, break the marriage, 2c.
1220 Erl. 45, 31-34. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 13-33. 1221
This whore will never come to repentance or be saved. So they also taught that they were sinners in themselves, and yet they also deceived people, thinking that they were only well off.
This is the real great plague in the world, in the first table. In the other table it does not seem so great, because there one can say: "Adultery is not virtue, because the worldly sword and law is also there, which punishes adultery. But in the first tablet, if one decorates it, and calls the child by such a name, that it says: We wanted to build the graves of the dear prophets; if it has this name, that it says: Served God, indulgence, satisfaction for sin, then no one can see it. For in the other tablet I see it. For if you steal something from me, I see and feel it; if you lie to me, take my wife and children from me, I feel it all, because it will not be covered in this way. But here it is covered, namely, that it does not see God, nor does it know anything about it. For God sits in heaven, and does not strike with thunder: therefore one goes there safely, and one makes a virtue out of the worst vice.
For this reason the Lord is very angry with the vices in these eight cries, 1) which go against the first table; and since everything is done under the appearance and cover of the divine name, or of some service of God, or of the salvation and blessedness of souls, or that one may thereby have a part in the grace of God and eternal life, it is highly necessary that you know and understand the first table of the Ten Commandments, namely the first three commandments. For there begins the lamentation that virtue must be called vice, as that, in the other tablet, an adulteress shall be a pious woman, and again a pious woman shall be a harlot. But here it is just the same, and God is most angry there. But they not only sin with it, but also adorn this sin; and over all this they made a doctrine and example out of it, which should lead and bring to eternal life.
- Erlanger: in these eighth clamor.
And if the Lord Christ should be alive now, he would have scolded and punished once again; for the spirits of the mobs and of the enthusiasts still bring their deeds into the plan under the name of God and his word. Under the appearance of these three commandments they bring in the devil with his mother and children: then God must be silent; so there is also no man who is angry about it.
So the pope has taught: If one redeems indulgences, then in the first table you are a child of God, again God is your father, you also honor the name of God, and you hear God speaking in me. Is this not a beautiful appearance? when one puts God's name before one, and holds God's word before him, and yet it is all lies underneath, and this 4) I take for doctrine and example, and this must be called well done, which was nevertheless a lie and a forgery. For it is a great lie that we should do enough for our sin, and overcome death, the devil and sin, when everything is deadly in us.
Therefore the papacy is an evil, harmful whore, nor is it called the most holy Christian church. Again, we who dispute this, that we cannot do enough for sin with our works, or help the dead with them, but Christ must do all this, for this is also the honest matron, the Christian church, which believes and teaches Christ's word; but it must not be pious, must be heretical, and must be called the devil's bride and church, just as if I said, In the world this is a pious woman; and yet would be an arch-whore. Again, in the world one does not suffer repentance, but here one suffers it. For in the first panel it can be painted so pretty and beautiful. In the other table no one says that a cock-keeper or an arch-whore is a pious woman; item, a thief and highwayman is an honest citizen who gives gladly for God's sake, no, but he is beaten, 5) and always away with him. So they say in the other table. But in the
- Erlanger: afterward.
- Erlanger: me.
- Erlanger: da.
- Erlanger: "henen", probably a misprint for "them".
1222 Erl. "5, 34-36. Interpretations On the Evangelist Matthew. . 1223
In the first table, in the three commandments, such a preacher does great harm, for he pretends to give much, and yet takes it all away. Item, he kills, and yet lets himself be heard as if he wanted to make alive; he does harm, since he wants to create benefit and piety. For he who is a heretic must be called a Christian and pious man here. The pope does the same. He deprives the whole world of eternal life and blessedness, even though he says he brings and gives it the kingdom of heaven. Yes, he kills the whole world, and under this appearance and name of God he leads it into hell; and there sin and vice become virtue, and the devil is made into God, and our Lord God must again become the devil. Therefore the monasteries and orders have been called vain services of God, when they are vain blasphemies. Therefore all these sermons are vain clamors, and expose the devil's shame; and teach us that it is evil done and blasphemy against God, which the pope has said is well done and rightly taught.
Human reason and wisdom cannot assist us in the first table, but only holds the antitype; says he who is a prankster, that the same be holy. Lying must be called truth, and blasphemy must be called vain praise and honor of God, which is the devil, and that one tramples God underfoot. Therefore, a distinction must be made between God's word and other teachings. No one should accept a doctrine or belief unless he really knows that God has spoken it. For we are not to believe anything other than what God Himself has said, nor are we to worship anyone other than the true God alone; otherwise the devil must be called God, and God must be called the devil. After this follows the so crude, tangible work against the other table. For when one adorns oneself in the first table, in the first three commandments, then one also worships what human reason cannot suffer; as the Jews and pagans did, worshipping that for God, which was nevertheless a creature, even taking the priapum for God, which is not good to say in the presence of women and virgins,
and said: It is God's creature, and serves that men are born into the world; and if the human member were not, no men would ever be born. So they preached, praised and extolled this idolatry of theirs, that even S. Augustine writes that the highest Franes and noblest matrons of Rome must have done this unreasonable thing. I must not call it what it was.
But so it goes; if the three commandments of the first table come into abuse, then a virgin is a whore, and then everything is well done; and what one only creates, and what one gives to it, that is given to God, if it is nevertheless shamefully robbed and stolen. So we preached when some great lord wanted to die. When a lawyer once died in Erfurt, the monks were soon asked to put a cap on him, in which he died and was buried, and from his mouth he was to go up to heaven; they did not think of the other panel, that one should not steal, but they decorated the lousy cap with God's word. Then 1) it comes into the first table, and becomes a service of God and honor out of it. Was not the BaalPeor service also such blasphemy? In the same way, what they do in the other table becomes worship. Therefore, when it begins to fall, it falls as low as the Romans, the most sensible people, and the Greeks, the cleverest on earth, fell; as their books testify, that they fell so low, and became so blind and foolish, that they worshipped such an abominable thing for God, which otherwise forced the whole world, and gave the most beautiful rights and laws, and ordered the marriage state, the worldly state. Yet in the first table they worshipped that for God which is not worthy to be called, and the most honest matron in the city had to do it.
Therefore pray and learn what this is: I am the LORD your God; item, which God says: My word you shall hear, and not someone else; let my name be valid with you, you shall not call on another name; and cling to me alone, and let me be your God.
- Erlanger: kompts.
1224 Erl. 45, [s-ss. Luther's Sermon on Matth. 23, '13-33. 1225
Do not let any pretense lead you away from me, as the devil knows how to do, and thereby makes himself God. Therefore say thou thus: I am a Christian and believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Whoever preaches this to me, I will hear him, for I believe in Christ. Again, whoever will preach something else, I will not hear him. If this had happened to the Jews and to us, we would not have been deceived and defrauded, but would have said: I hear God's name, word and service. Dear, is it also written in his book, as in the holy scriptures? And see then, for you will find the antitype within. If you don't stand out there, then our Lord God is called the devil.
This happens not only in the public government, in the church, but also to everyone in particular, that the devil persuades one to be presumptuous, hopeful, false, joyful, melancholy and sure, to do whatever one wants; that he nullifies the first, second and third commandment, either publicly on the preaching stand or privately. Therefore let every man be warned, that he may know how to beware in public office, and to defend himself privately, lest the devil sit in his heart for God, and for the 1) right shine paint a whisper and a false appearance before thine eyes. Therefore it is necessary for us to be prepared and to take care and say: I believe. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit does not speak like this, but say: "This is how you should believe, hope, love your neighbor and live a Christian life.
This I will have put to the general 2) to the eight clamors, because the Pharisees had not only lived evil and ungodly, but had also preached and protected it as right. Now no one sees these things except he who has the eyes of faith. No one in the world sees what a great folly it is that the pope takes money from people and wants to help souls out of purgatory. Jurisprudence and philosophy can
- Erlanger: dem.
- "to the general" - as something general, as a short epitome.
He alone who says, "I believe that there is no satisfaction for my sin except in the death of the innocent Lamb Jesus Christ," has the light, and his eyes are open and bright. For if Christ's blood has done it, the filthy letters, vigils, and angular masses have not done it. The pope or the devil will not persuade me that letters of indulgence and Christ's blood are the same.
Therefore in the first table no one can help, neither lawyer nor philosopher can judge, but Christ must come and cry out against the murderers. For here he says to the Jews, "Your fathers were murderers and slayers. Now you decorate the graves of the prophets, not because you want to honor the prophets, but because you only tease and ape the people. For this is not honoring the prophets, when you clench and decorate their graves, but when you teach, live and believe as they did, the prophets: just as it is not honoring Christ when his skirt is pointed out at Trier, or his nails, crown of thorns and other things are pointed out for holy things, and the people fall down before it and worship it; but this is his honor, as he himself says: Blessed are those who hear the word of God. Therefore, those who hear the divine word, believe in Christ, and live and suffer for it, do Christ the right honor. 2c. But the pope says: Whoever looks at the crown of thorns of Christ, a piece of the cross of Christ, that is something; and then the papists pose as if they honor Christ with it, and as if they do Christ a service by it. Then the world came in heaps, and God wanted to do a great service to it. Meanwhile they condemn the doctrine that one should believe in Christ and in his blood and death, for this must all be called heresy; they say that we forbid good works, item, that one should not honor the cross of Christ; this is the devil's thing. So under the guise of decorating the graves of the prophets, they have killed the Christians, and by wanting to honor the cross of Christ, they mostly crucify Christ. But do you think that this is Christ's glory when you celebrate his nails,
1226 Erl. 45, 38-40, Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. 1227
And then let his merit and blood stand in the way, or blaspheme and desecrate the same? For this is rightly crucifying Christ, as S. Paul says to the Galatians in the 3rd chapter, that if I believe that through good works I attain salvation, then I am a right crucifier of Christ. Item, if the Virgin Mary should be my mediatrix, that I should be saved by her superfluous good works and merits, then where is the Son of God with his merit, which he has earned for me? because he should have done it. Then I truly crucify, kill and bury Christ.
- Should not the Lord be angry that the prophets are desecrated, blasphemed, put to death and buried in honor? Just as the pope has also raised up many monks who were saints before and have now become devils; for they are to serve that my faith, which should be directed to Christ, should go out, and I should put them in their place with their works. Does this mean Christ honored? It means the saints are adorned. Yes, of course, they are raised with silver shovels, for what purpose? to show service to God and honor to the saints. But in doing so, God and His salvation are profaned, for blasphemy is considered the greatest homage to God; and that God should be gracious to me for this is just as much as if I took Christ and the saints and threw them into the abyss of hell.
Therefore, under the appearance of the three commandments, such a being is made, and make that the devil must become God; but if we preach this, then we must be straight heretics. Again, others are pure saints for us, they are the pious matron, but we must be whores, because if that becomes honor, right and virtue, what before was shame and vice, if that is rightly recognized, then here is the pious woman. So when one falls from the faith, it is the wretched devil. Bishop Benno was raised in Meissen with golden shovels and made a saint; 2) then it should have been called: Here is God, there he is found. That the thunder and lightning may strike you! But who
- Erlanger: Solle.
- Cf. Walch, old edition, vol. XV, 2772 ff.
Should it be a great matter to raise a dead person and carry him in golden bowls? But to hang the first three commandments on it, and that it is called obtaining God's grace, and honoring God with it, that is not right, for there vice, vice and disgrace have become virtue. This is how the world wants it. The pious woman who considers the whore must herself become a whore; thus the devil turns it around.
So now the Lord reproaches the beautiful, pretty works, which in themselves had a good appearance and delicious form, without the first three commandments being attached to them. But you also say: Make it up as you wish, but do not put God's name and word on it, nor make it a service to God, God's honor or virtue, otherwise God's shame and blasphemy will become vain God's honor.
Therefore the Lord decides: "Dear, honor me also as your fathers honored the prophets, for I am the Lord of all prophets. You are now decorating the tombs of the prophets, so that you will be pious and holy, keeping and fulfilling the first three commandments of God, when your fathers killed them for these very reasons. For the prophets came and said that God was not pleased with their false worship, and they slew the prophets for it; therefore ye are in the right way, and fill up the measure of your fathers, that ye should kill me the Lord also; and if ye do it, say then that ye do God service. So shall ye do also unto my apostles; and hang upon them the first, and the second, and the third commandment, and say that ye have served and honored God thereby. And when they also had crucified and slain Christ, they thought they had swept the whole land, and would now have good peace. And nowadays there is no greater love and holiness, than that one should spit before it when remembering the name of Christ, and the Christian church must be a whore. But if God's word is held up as a mantle and cover, and something else is sought underneath, then God's honor must become blasphemy. We see such an example not only among the Jews, which should always be before our eyes,
1228 Erl. 45, 40-43. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 34. 1229
but also at the papacy, which also wanted to honor Christ and killed many devout Christians. But we honor Christ and the saints rightly, not by raising them with golden shovels, but by believing in him, and that the golden shovels do not make us blessed, but that Christ died for us. So I believe and preach, and this faith shall help me, that his blood be not shed in vain, but be my salvation, and be my consolation against death and the devil. This, then, is rightly honoring Christ, and is not honoring Christ, if I have a piece of the holy cross set in gold; for this is spilling his blood and trampling it underfoot, and is destroying faith in Christ crucified, and putting my good works in Christ's place, and putting my faith on a dead gold or wooden cross.
And so the occasion is that their fathers killed the prophets, just as they 1) killed the children, and Christ and the apostles, namely, that they denied the Word of God, and instead established their own worship services under the name of Christ and the divine Word, and taught this publicly in the sermons, and thus considered it right in their hearts.
But there is much more clamor to be done about the pope, because he has done it much, much more than a hundred times more abominable than the Jews.
[Fourteenth Sermon on the 23rd Chapter of Matthai.
Den 21. Septembris 1539 Dominica 16. preached. 2)
V. 34. Therefore, behold, I am sending to you prophets and wise men and scholars of Christ, and you will kill some of them.
Until now, the Lord has cried out against the Pharisees and preached to them, giving them a sharp warning. Now he decides on such a valete and lettuce, because he wants to leave them and their house desolate, because they have put all the prophets to death, since he has sought through them how to gather them together.
- "they", namely the ooonsio, the occasion for killing. 2) "dengepredigt " is marginal gloss in the original.
as when a hen gathers her chicks under her wings; but the prophets have all been persecuted by them.
This is how the Lord organized his ministry, because after this sharp, last sermon he no longer preached publicly to the people. But what followed he preached to the disciples, so that he would end here and never come and preach in person. But before that he cried out eight times against them. Now he says: "I am sending prophets to you. He will try again. Because the former priesthood had not fallen, and they had all put the prophets to death or driven them out, he will make a new one, saying, "I will choose priests, not by the Levites, who were ordained by Moses and the law, as Matthew indicates that he chose twelve apostles and seventy-two disciples. This is the new order, which had not been in this people before; nor was it proper for him to accept twelve disciples or seventy-two, for it was proper for Annas the high priest and the family of Levi to send out preachers into all the land. Now he does not ask them for advice, nor does he pay attention to their ointment, but, without asking the majesty of the priestly state, he makes twelve apostles and seventy-two disciples, and even starts a new one, as was prophesied in the 110th Psalm.
Firstly, I will attack the priesthood and make a new one; secondly, I will turn the house around; and not taking the former wise men and scholars, I will now also become a Moses, yes, rather a mighty Lord, saying: My apostles, evangelists and Levites shall go further. You Jews shall be the first to whom they shall be sent, for to you the Messiah is promised. But ye shall fulfill the measure of your fathers; they slew the prophets, therefore shall their house be desolate.
"I send unto you. Here you hear that the Lord does not condemn the position of the prophets and the scribes, about which he cried out very loudly above. But he does not condemn the rank, as he said above: They sit on the chair of Moses 2c. He does not condemn or reject the office and the rank,
1230 Eri. 4s, 43-45. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1231
for he says he will send new prophets and scholars of Christ. It is Mosi's chair and Christ's chair, therefore he does not condemn it. But the desperate boys, who are in good standing and high office, are the ones who teach and instruct the people; the clamor goes horribly over them, he calls them devil servants, murderers, fornicators, but does not mean the standing and office.
Therefore, a great distinction should be made between those whom God has ordained and those who lead the order or class and abuse it; they must be scolded in multitudes. If I say: Princes are bad boys, so the class is not condemned; item: Students are bad boys; item: Wives are often whores, there are truly many in this city who are affected by it; then they say: One has talked to me about my honor. Yes, you should be celebrated, but when they are scolded, they are angry. But thou shalt suffer it, as Isaias and others also have reproved, saying, Woe unto you that are false! If I strike you then, well, if you are a prankster, I will strike you; but if you are pious and godly, you must not take it then. But they say, you meet the order of God. Where did you learn this? It does not follow that you should not be punished. One can find desperate dishonorable ones among all classes. Peel off your skin, if there are such people among the preachers; if they meet you, so be it. It does not follow that the office is praised, therefore all who are in the office should also be worthy of praise. I praise all ranks and order, but I do not mean you. If thou dost not live rightly, as many parts of the world do, say, He hath read me the right text. But, they say, no, one should spare the princes. Yes, if they fear God and love his word. So they also say: Ei, this man is in the conjugal state, but he may well be a desperate, dishonorable wicked man. Many a woman is also in holy matrimony, but may well be a dishonorable whore. Item, there is one of our priests, but he may well be a heretic and a spirit of the mob 1). If you are innocent, the punishment goes to you.
- Erlanger: Rottengeister.
not to. But they say: "I am a mayor, a magistrate, a citizen or a doctor, you must not say anything to me. If you are pious, the punishment does not concern you.
Therefore the Lord praises the state, saying, "They sit on the throne of Moses," and yet he says, "Woe to you Pharisees! Nicodemus was among them, and Joseph, who took down the Lord from the cross and buried him, are not meant by this; do not be angry about this punishment. Therefore take heed: if the prince, mayor or other great men are angry about it, he is certainly guilty. A pious man does not ask anything about it, because he is not hit. A pious woman says: I mean, the whores have been tanned. Why is she not angry about that too? That makes her innocent. Shall one then, they say, scorch the honest veil? If a pious prince or nobleman says, "There are many bad boys among us," he would say, "No, the state is good, and the people also good. No, there are two kinds,. Marriage, wife, virgin is honest; but the persons in the state are not all pure. Therefore, when one scolds, one means only the bunch, which is bad there, and to which the state does not look good.
"I will send prophets." Says Christ himself: False prophets also shall come in sheep's clothing, from whom we must beware; item, S. Peter speaks clearly that false prophets also shall arise among them, nor does he say here that he will send prophets. Yes, he says, I also chose Judam to be an apostle, and he was a prankster, yet he was an apostle. So you will also have priests, but they will become wolves, so do not think: he is a preacher, so he cannot err; he is a mayor, so he cannot fail or do wrong. It belongs to the pope to say: I am the head of the church, therefore he cannot err! He can do all mischief under the name of his office, that is his. The others all say that the estates are all ordered and blessed by God, from the
- Erlanger: "speak". In the original: "sprech".
1232 Erl. 45, 45-47. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 34. 1233
They are from the highest to the lowest class, and they are excellent and delicious. But there are so many desperate boys in it that in a village there is hardly half a peasant, and in a city ten citizens who would be pious, and the same small bunch holds the class in honor. There, however, the status is contemptible and must be a disgrace. So there are often adulteresses under the veil, and harlots under the garland, who boast and exalt themselves for pious wives and virgins. Now it is not a sin to wear a veil or wreath, to have a shield and helmet, but you should be an honor to the state. But we are commonly a disgrace to the office and rank. For this reason the Lord does not reject the ministry, but reaches out to those who are in the ministry. Now he wants to have pious prophets and Pharisees, because above he scolded the wicked. But these he praises very well, and there he cries out in wrath. Therefore, if you also are a godly prophet, I praise you. For he will not have profaned the estate, because there are many wicked in it. The wreath is a virgin ornament and honor, but you see to it that you do not disgrace the wreath. So you, priest, do not disgrace your book and altar. So the ministry is pressed here; for this reason I want to appoint new prophets. How then, that they may go even as they which were ordained of Moses, where they are not worse? He does not do wisely, our Lord; if he did so, as the devil does, he has a fine way. He wants to run after them. If you want to win the world, you don't have to run after people, they don't suffer. The devil and the pope have been wise. One must flee and avoid the world, so it runs after one. I do not want to be in the world as a husband or wife, nor to be found in the position of worldly authority, for it is a mean thing, but one must sit down in a corner, and look out sourly, and put on a gray cap, then the world says: O these are holy people! Princes and preachers are nothing compared to this; for these strip themselves naked from the world, posing as if they were all angels; for they do not want to be in the world and among the people, but
They run into a bush and a wilderness, kneel down and pray, and do greater works than any other people or state could do. Then they go about as if they were mad and foolish. If you put the owl 1) on a perch, the birds will fall; if the redthroat, siskin, goldfinch and titmouse were tied to the perch, the birds would not fall. Therefore, one must flee from the world and choose something special; item, leave the positions that God has ordered, because the world is full of things, as: a man and woman go to the sacrament, a preacher teaches and preaches to the people, one is not surprised; but if you drink water and look sour and put on a special owl face, you win the people and the world. Then there was a runner into the monasteries, also a runner to St. James, to the Holy Land and to Grimmenthal, and ran many hundred miles, and sought the devil; and here there was baptism, sacrament, preaching of the Gospel; and that the woman had brought up the children, and each had to do something in his own state, and let everything stand and go, and had nothing to count for, was nothing, because it was too mean. This is the way of the world.
Therefore, the Lord complains here, because it says: Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimus- que negata;2) item: Quod sequitur, fugio, what is forbidden, that I will do;' what follows me, I will not have. So, which wants to have me, I do not like; and again. The world is a beautiful thing; what it wants, it likes. Therefore, whoever wants to win it and draw it to himself, does not remain in God's word, but writes something that is not his word or sacrament, and preaches about St. Barbara, St. Catherine or St. Christopher and St. George, and other false and forged saints, after whom one has lied, and let the sacraments and divine word rot, and thus the pope has become a lord over them, and the princes have become rotten. For they have thought: I am a
- Erlanger: "den Enlen". This is changed by us, because "Eule" is only female gender also with Luther.
- Oviä. [.rnor. 3, 4, 17.
1234 Erl. 48, 47-50. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1235
Citizens, but that is a common thing; something special, however, is started, that is then a fine Käuzichen on the cob. For this reason, our Lord God does not wisely run after us and send preachers to bring salvation to the people's homes. But if he did something strange, it would have a good reputation. Reputation. That's how it is now. Before, when one did not have God's word 1), one had the booths. Now no one is satisfied with his status, baptism and communion are all despised. Why? Because our Lord God has sent messengers to my door and wants to make me blessed; that is not what they want. But if he said, "Go to St. James, Jerusalem or Rome, for there is indulgence," then he would quickly give a hundred guilders, and kiss the sanctuary, and give it to the altar and churches. But since we now have priests who are sent by God and who recite God's word to us, they are not respected, since no one gives them anything. But if one could take from them what they have now, one would do so. Before, so many monks and strings could be fed from this city, which is neither large nor rich. What was given annually to the two cathedrals! The monks of the Barefoot monastery earned more than eight hundred guilders a year in the city; we Augustinians earned about four hundred guilders; the Antonites earned more than two thousand guilders a year from the city; and do not mention what the peasants and nobility earned from the countryside. The city had a lot of money, which was given to the clergy. Now one could not feed or maintain a preacher from the citizen's giving, but before times one could give enough. If the pope did not feed us now, just as the children of Israel sustained themselves from the plunder of the Egyptians, we would have little. This is the reason why our Lord God is slowing down and imposing: what flies, runs after it. One could have given a hundred and twenty barrels of beer a year to the monks here alone. If they were now to give three or four barrels to a preacher, it was thought that they would have to be impoverished, as
- "Word" added by Bruns.
But one has the gospel, and since the common box helps the preachers. 2) But if you could still take what the pope has gathered and scraped together, you would. But you should think that you would be more grateful to God, since he has now given you his word. For if you had been able to find three, five or more florins before, and to give abundantly of all the fruits of the year, why should your hand now be so completely closed that you not only take away the income of the priests, but also one farmer takes away his own from another? What should the Lord do about it? Not only is he not heard, but what was otherwise taken from your priest is snatched from his fists. Then will come what follows in this text, namely, "Your house will become desolate"; that they will have neither pastor nor teaching of divine word, but vain false prophets"; and to them they will then confidently give. It is very surprising that so much is given to the Anabaptists even now. If one comes to me, who preaches God's word, one closes his fist.
This is the noble way of the world. If she runs after God, she does not like it; again, she does not want to be a preacher, but to become a monk; does not want to have baptism, not to be married, not to be in the regiment. There she runs, does not remain in her profession. Therefore, our Lord God is not wise enough, but the devil sets himself up as a stranger, as if he did not want it; so he has won. So the monks did not want to be in the world, because it would be dangerous, and worldly things and much sin in it: therefore they wanted to run into the monastery, and do nothing else there, but serve God day and night. Then they run after him. So the fool wants to be praised. If one has dared to put effort and work into it, then it is a delicious thing. But if a priest is godly, it is nothing, because it is called used and talked about among the people. Therefore, the pious God provides it. He should not seek the world nor follow it, for what is offered to it, that
- Erlanger: hulft the preacher.
- Erlanger: likes them.
1236 Erl. 45, 50-52. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 34. 1237
stinks. The gospel is nothing. 1) Therefore Christ should have said: I will hide myself in a corner or desert 2c. For the devil come as he wills, so accept him. John led a hard, strict and sour life, but Christ was kind and gracious to everyone: it still doesn't help. Why is that?' Ei, he came to the people. Marriage and childbearing are nothing special, 2) because God established them, and because there is much evil in them. But if the devil made something new, we would struggle and press for it. For this reason the Lord Christ should sit down on the sea or in some other dark corner and place. But because he sits down in baptism, in your house, on your bed or castle, it stinks, because familiaritas parit contemtum.
But the Lord does not condemn the state; and Christians should give thanks to God, and recognize the grace that he opens the fair of his grace at the door, as baptism, the sacrament of the altar and the preaching chair, marriage, so that children and servants know how they should conduct themselves in their profession; And remember that your profession is God's order, only that you guard yourself inside from sins, vice and shame; and you must not run to Rome to seek a gracious God, for hard under your nose and at home you have him. There is a preacher, a prince, and a low estate, all ordered by God; and you have God with you in your bed, in your bosom, in your arms and in your heart. Then say, "I will honor this estate, for it has God's word; I will be made a member of the church, receive baptism and use the Lord's Supper, obey my authorities, and do what pleases God; and let it be a great joy to you that Christ has sent prophets to you. For in the papacy no one knew that he was in a Christian and good state. The beautiful obedience was not respected, but it was said: O blessed woman, who carried a priest! And then, even those who had been of high rank ran to her, and gave money and goods enough for her to become a priest and a monk.
- Erlanger: nieve.
- Erlanger: Nothing, especially.
And now, an antinomian can appear, who is given four hundred guilders a year, and take from your priest what he has in salary.
Therefore we thank our Lord God from the bottom of our hearts that he comes to us and follows us. But if a man creeps away, the devil has the power to make him run from one end of the world to the other, and then he may climb up to heaven. But I do not find God because it says: "I must come to you and send prophets; otherwise we will not find it. But it comes to us through his messengers and servants, as through baptism, preaching chair, sacrament of the altar. Now he that is wise, let him receive it.
But what he sends, that shall be crucified and stoned. Again, if the devil says, "Seek God in St. James," and sends him to Rome or Jerusalem, for here he would be too close, but only far away from this church and place, where God's word is preached and baptism, the Lord's Supper and absolution are administered, then one runs away as if one were mad and senseless, and leaves husband, wife and child there to seek God. But what God offers us, what is preached in the pulpit about God's grace, is nothing. Yes, those who preach such things to us are left to die of hunger and are beaten to death; they say: We will not suffer him to send unto us; but if he send any, we will smite them to death. But if the devil come, and flee from men into the wilderness, they pursue him. Thus saith the Lord Christ, If ye will not have me to send unto you, then will I come far enough from you, that your house may be forsaken of me and of my apostles, and stand desolate, that is, deprived of the divine word and sacraments, and then become full of devils, abominations, and idolatries; as is wont to happen when God takes away from a place his word and work. If you will not say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, I will come far enough for you.
End.
- Allusion to Johann Agricola.
- Erlanger: them.
1238 Erl. 45, S2-54. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1239
[Fifteenth Sermon on the 23rd Chapter of Matthew.
Dominica 17., quae erat profestum Michaelis September 28, 1539. 1)
The Lord preaches a terrible sermon at the end, and it is astonishing that he gives such a terrible fate to the holy people, the seed of Abraha and the family of Israel, as it happened that the city of Jerusalem was turned back and the Jews were scattered all over the world, and lost their kingdom and priesthood, yes, all the grace and blessings of God, which they had abundantly before. Now this happened to us as an example, who are Gentiles and were grafted onto the olive tree that was cut down. He dealt with his people in such a way that he would not spare the Gentiles. Yes, we will deserve much more punishment (because we are not cousins of the Lord Christ) than the Jews. If then they have been punished horribly, it will be much worse for us, who are not children, nor of the flesh, of which Christ was born. Well, they have thus lived and done, as the eight criers report; and Germany does not do much better. She has indeed persecuted the gospel until now, and has dealt worse with the preachers of the gospel than we have heard the Jews have done. Therefore let us be more afraid of it than the Jews. For we see now how the gospel is openly persecuted, even in the Easterners, who know, yes, freely confess, that it is God's word, and also believe in such preaching; but cannot and do not cease to persecute it, that without a doubt Germany has also become ripe for punishment, and is now going to make her house desolate.
And behold, how he played it in Grecia. There he sent the bloodhound, the Turk, who wiped out the Christian name altogether; although the Turk now lets Christians stay, they must keep quiet and speak nothing against Mahomet: If they attack him, the Turk strangles them as he does us. This
- "DominicaDDciraoIis " is marginal gloss in the original.
Warning: do not speak of the punishment and destruction of Jerusalem, as if we preached about Christ under the papacy, since 2) it was only a dead history; but Jerusalem is gone and lies in ashes, the priesthood and kingdom also lie in ashes. This is also true for us, so that we do not say, "It is none of our business. Yes, indeed, it concerns us, and much more. For if we persecute the church and the gospel as we have begun, such punishment will come upon us in a little while.
For this reason we are admonished here that we do not suffer as the Jews did, and Lucas says that the wisdom of God, the Lord, speaks of the Jewish people in a real and definite way, and afterward 3) also of us. But above he said: "You adorn the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers have put to death; but as the fathers were, so are the children, and you confess that they were your fathers. Now therefore they have slain the prophets, but ye would crucify me, who am your Lord and Messiah: therefore fulfil ye the measure of your fathers. For the fathers before measured that they slew all the prophets, but now ye would slay Christ, saith Lucas. This is such a heaped and shaken measure that "it can no longer enter, it must overflow. That is why this is happening in the German land.
But the Lord wants to gather us together again, just as those who are scattered throughout the world; therefore he also means us Gentiles. God has ordained and determined that He will send wise men, scholars of Christ and prophets, that is, He will establish a new priesthood, because they no longer wanted to hear the old one. For the former, their fathers, killed the prophets, though Joshua, Samuel, David, and others escaped, as may be read in the books of Kings, and see how they fared. Now saith he, Now ye also fulfil the measure; ye have
- "da", which is in the original, has been omitted by the Erlanger. The sense is: "there", namely mr Pabstthum, the sermon of Christ has been held only for a dead history.
- Erlanger: again.
1240 Erl. 45, 54-57. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 34-36. 1241
But now I myself come, and will send prophets, that ye yourselves may hear the Son of God, the apostles, his wise men, and his prophets.
This is why the prophet laments, "Behold, I will speak to them in another tongue or language; yet they will not hear me. Before this he cometh by his prophets, and spake unto their fathers: whom ye have received with stones, and with sword, and with water, and with fire. Nor will I send more of them; as the Lord of the vineyard says in the parable of the Gospel, when the peasants mocked and killed the servants who were to gather the fruit of the vineyard. I, the father, will send my son to them," he said, "and they may be afraid of him. Then he will bring with him a new company of prophets and apostles, who will speak to them not only in one language, but in all languages. For the gospel was spread abroad by all manner of tongues, not as the law of Moses, which was given in Hebrew to the children of Israel, but the Jews heard the gospel in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. But they have done just as Christ says here, that they crucify Christ and slay all the apostles, and in all places they cause sedition against S. Paul; they deal with the new prophets just as their fathers did with the old. Now he will say, Though ye be weary of the old prophets, yet will I give you new ones; and receive two and seventy disciples, whom afterward other disciples and preachers have also made, and have spread the gospel as far as the world hath gone, that it is come unto our time. In the beginning of the Church of the New Testament, the Son of God was sent to them with his apostles and prophets, not born of one tribe as of Levi, but of all kinds of people, for there was to be a new priesthood. For he, Christ the Archpreacher, was not born of the priestly tribe, but of the royal tribe of Judah; therefore he also chose apostles from all kinds of people.
to become true prophets. But how shall they fare? You will receive them as your fathers did the old prophets before them, and then you will decorate their graves, saying: God forbid that we should be as wicked as our fathers. Now it is well, I will send new prophets, yes, my son himself. What then will these pious and holy people do with such prophets? Then he says:
V. 34. You will kill and crucify some of them, and you will scourge some of them in your synagogues, and you will persecute them 2c.
They have also done so. So does the dear world, the beautiful, lovely little fruit, that the Jews could not stand the old ones, and the new prophets also strangle them all. So even today the nobles, rich, powerful and wise people say: "The preachers have thrown us under the bus before; so these water us, fertilize us and wet us. So we should give thanks. If it were possible to preach nothing at all, neither of the gospel nor of the papacy, but that they were free and free from all burdens, that would please them. Now they would also like to be free from the gospel. That, as the papacy, they do not like more, this they also do not respect very much, but one should preach to them what they like to hear and want to have. If one could also snatch all the spiritual goods to oneself, one would do it. Nevertheless, the world still adorns itself, and puts on a little wreath, and lets the people make the routs.
There are also some clever ones now, who dislike both, and if they were in the preaching office, they could not lure a dog out of the oven. But as you do not like it, so I do not like to speak it; if I could refrain from it with a good conscience, I would rather be a scribe for it, and otherwise seek my food. But he who is above would like to have the people blessed and delivered from sin and the power of the devil, death and hell. This is his earnest opinion. And there are many among the multitude of the world who are yet to come and be saved; for their sakes it is necessary to preach, and to ward off the mobs and all others who are otherwise in sins. I could at home
1242 Erl. 45, 57-5S. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1243
but for the sake of those who do not understand the doctrine, therefore I must render obedience to God, who desires that one should preach and administer the sacraments, absolve and baptize. And even if my preaching does not take place among the multitude who belong to heaven, and who 1) can do nothing but mock, as if nothing else could be taught, but only through preaching and sacrament, this preaching will not go away empty. I don't want to do the world the honor, and you must not be proud, our Lord God can well advise you in heaven. But God wants us to preach, so that those who are yet to come may be humbled. Therefore we must preach, that the name of God may be sanctified, and that His kingdom may come to us. Therefore we must dare to be stoned and crucified. I would be worth ten times, even a hundred times death, if God considered me so worthy that I should suffer for the sake of His word. For even today my adversaries would have occasion against me. Elijah, Elisha, John the Evangelist died a natural death, perhaps God will also take me away by a natural death. But at the time of the apostles they were almost all strangled, as it is with us also now.
All here disputes some of the words kill, crucify, scourge, persecute. Now they were not all killed, crucified or scourged, nor persecuted 2c. The apostles suffered it all, especially S. Peter and S. Paul. This is the martyrdom of Christians, that they are burned and killed. And they did not die the same death, but as God poured and measured out to each one. John the Evangelist was not crucified nor killed, but nevertheless was not without great suffering, persecution and plague. Stephen was stoned in Jerusalem, James was beheaded, and Paul was scourged and killed in Rome. They themselves crucified the Lord Christ in such a horrible way, therefore he counts himself as one of them.
- "the" put by us instead of "the" in the Erlanger.
- Erlanger: durfst.
Under this, the Gentiles crucified and killed Peter and Paul, as their crucifixion is described here, so that they share in the blood of all of them. For faciens et consentiens are in the same debt, Rom. 1 says, that they not only do it, but also consent to it, saying, O ho, that is right, and do not lack a good, complete and constant will. The Jews did not kill Christ, but delivered him to Pontio Pilato. But the Holy Scripture says that the Jews crucified Christ, not that they did it, but that they incited and helped to do it, that it was their complete will and desire that he should be killed, that they were so hostile to him that they would not give him a drink at the cross. Therefore it must not be reckoned who was crucified. 3) First they killed the Lord Christ, then all the apostles, and so they killed them. The Romans had the 4) neck judgment, nor did the Jews kill the apostles; and read in the 4th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles how they were beheaded, also how Paul was stoned. For this reason no disputation is allowed. For what they did not do with their hands, they did with their driving and agitation, and by making the Gentiles bitter; they scourged them, and those who suffered persecution let them live, just as even today some Christians are hanged, drowned, and burned; and those who are driven out are still alive. But as it happened with the Jews, so it still happens today.
But there is a difference between the wise, the prophets and the scribes. Prophets are here expressly called those who have the word from the Lord without any means, as also the apostles, therefore almost one here prophets and apostles, means the twelve apostles, who have heard the Lord himself. So also prophets were Isaiah, David, and others, who wrote what they had not learned from anyone before, nor did they know it.
- It seems to us that it should be read: "Therefore one may easily reckon by whom he was crucified. The meaning is: Although the Jews themselves did not carry out the crucifixion with their hands, it is easy to see that they are the crucifiers.
- Erlanger: the.
1244 Erl. 45, 59-S1. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 34-36. 1245
from the chief priests of Jerusalem. They have heard the law, but this wisdom of the gospel they have from the revelation of the Holy Spirit, as S. Peter says in the other epistle in chapter 3; and S. Paul also boasts that he has the gospel of Christ himself from heaven. Therefore he also wants to be considered an apostle and equal to the others. Wise are those who are taught by the prophets. These were disciples of those who received it from the Lord. Scribes are those who have learned it from the wise. Therefore he says: I will send apostles and prophets who have heard it from me; item wise men who have it from the apostles, scholars of Christ who have learned it from the apostles' writings. The wise shall have it orally from the prophets, but the scribes from both, as from the mouth and from the Scriptures. I do not hear the apostles and prophets, therefore I am not a wise man or a prophet, but we are Pharisees, for we have it from their writings. We are in the third degree, as S. Paul said to Timothy, "Read the Scriptures day and night. We still have the apostles' writings and what their disciples taught orally; item, we are Christian scholars, who learn to understand the holy Scriptures and teach them to others again.
This is the priesthood of the preachers whom Christ wills to send; first, those who are sent by me without means; second, those who have it from them; third, those who have received it in writing. Paul otherwise calls many apostles who have not yet heard Christ called an apostle, for this is the common name. So also every pastor in his church may be called an apostle, wise man, and scribe, which is the name given. For we must have such people who can preach to us what Christ taught his apostles and the apostles taught their disciples, and therefore we are also called by their names.
So now they will be dealt with. But what will happen? "All the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from which
- Erlanger: learn's.
The blood of the righteous Abel will come upon you. Here it seems as if the Lord spoke only of the Jews; therefore this does not concern us primarily, but those who have done it. Now it is great and terrible that he who kills one should be guilty of all your blood that has been shed. This is a great and terrible thing, that it should be called the murder of the whole Christian Church. The pope and his people joke with the blood of the Christians and laugh when they spill it. But behold, what a terrible judgment he passes on these bloodhounds, and how he, the Lord, takes care of his wise men, and holds it up as if they had put all the saints to death for him, from Abel on. This is a terrible judgment that the Lord heaps upon Caiphas, that they must bear Abel's blood, whom Cain slew, and all the saints' blood, to the end of the world. Why is this? Because they are one body, and Christ's kingdom is also one thing. Cain is the first to persecute the church, and all other tyrants follow him to the end of the world. For it is also One Church or Kingdom of the Devil, which can do nothing else but kill the saints of God. If they therefore kill and torment one, it is not done to one member, but to all members of the same kingdom. Master Hans, the executioner, also kills all members, and the eye can say there: I did not do it, but the hand, and must stretch out Master Hansen your whole body and soul. So it happens here that those who kill Christians are also guilty of the blood of Christ, the Son of God, and of the blood of Abel, and of the blood of all the saints of God that has ever been shed.
This should be a just deterrent to the tyrants, that if they execute one! Christians, they make themselves partakers of all the innocent blood of Christians that has ever been shed, for One Body and One Blood is shed daily; and you see that in our human body, too, the same thing happens. For if a man wounds an arm, he has wounded and wounded the whole man; for the arm is a member of the body, yea, one thing with the body; and he that is a member of the body, he is one thing with the body.
1246 Erl. 45, 61-63. Interpretations On the Evangelist Matthew. 1247
the whole body feels it. For if you strike yourself on any foot, the whole body will be dislocated. So also here it is that whoever strangles Abel strangles all the saints, because he is in this kingdom of the devil. Cain also slew Christ, why? The tyrants and murderers of the Christians are also members of one body, just as Christ with his saints is also one body. Therefore, he who afflicts the members also afflicts the whole body.
And so also the Lord Christ says to S. Paulo, when he was still a persecutor of the Christians: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" Then S. Paul could also have said: Ei, I do not persecute you, but Stephanum and other Christians. But he says: You do not persecute Stephanum, but me. Why is that? Because Christ is one body with his own. Whosoever therefore shall strangle one of the least of mine, he killeth me: as he saith also, Inasmuch as ye have given and done it unto one of the least of my disciples, ye have given and done it unto me. Therefore, the tyrants are mixed in all the holy blood that has ever been shed. The same is the case with the pope, who must give an account with his own that he himself scourged, killed, crucified and expelled the Son of God, because he murders the Christians from time to time.
And when S. Peter is crucified, he can say: You did not do this to me, but to the Son of God himself; because Nero did not crucify S. Peter, but the Son of God himself. So also the Jews did not kill the Son of God alone, but also Abel and all the prophets and apostles; for he finds them in the body of Cain, Herodis, Annae and Caiphä. Therefore they go through and kill the whole body, just as the hanger does not kill one limb but the whole body. It is the will of all of them, yes, the will of every one in particular, that they desire and wish that there were no Christians at all. Therefore they kill the whole Christian church, Christ the Son of God, and all the prophets and apostles: therefore they must also bear all the righteous blood that has ever been shed.
And the Lord here adds an oath to this, saying, "Verily I say unto you, that these things
All things shall come upon this generation. Now the Jews go away hardened and blinded, and to this day they do not stop blaspheming the Son of God and the Virgin Mary, because she must be their whore. But the blood of Abel, item, the Son of God and of all the saints, oppresses them. It is a very terrible, horrible judgment that one may well leave the blood of Christians alone; for we otherwise have sins enough, which go against the other table, may therefore also well avoid these sins, as a death blow. There is a great difference between the blood of a righteous man and the blood of another man. A man who is slain is also slain, but his death is nothing compared to the death of Abel and Christ, for his death concerns him alone. If a farmer beats another to death, his murder goes no further than his blood. But here the blood of the righteous from the beginning of the world to the end of the world comes upon him who kills a Christian.
So the Lord has faithfully warned that one should not kill his Christians, for whoever kills one has killed the whole church; and the tyrants should remember this: I am otherwise a tyrant, but here I will not burn myself, for otherwise the blood of all Christians would come upon me. Such an abominable text stands nowhere else than here. I cannot take so much from it that the Lord Christ says to Paul, "Saul, why do you persecute me?" as from this text; there it is written in a scanty and mighty way that one should know that the blood of the saints wants to be unkilled. But they ask nothing of it; therefore they shall know in the last day how grievous it is to bear the blood of the saints upon them: and it is true that to kill is a sin, but it is terrible to shed such blood as is Abel's, and that of all the saints: it is abominable, and harmless 1) blood, as your fathers killed the prophets, and ye also will kill me.
Why does he remember Zachariah son of Barachi? One reads of him in the Historia of King Joash, who was a fine king. When Athaliah's son was slain, he was enraged.
- Maybe: innocent?
1248 Erl. 45, 63-66. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 34-36. 1249
She went and slew all that were of the male tribe of David, when Christ was to be born of her, and this queen reigned over Judah seven years. There was a pious harlot, who kept a boy from the royal children, seized the child in the cradle, and carried it away secretly, and brought it into the temple. When that child, named Joash, grew up, Jehoiada the high priest brought him up secretly in the temple, and Jehoiada would gladly have made the child king. He brought three of the nobles to himself and the people, and divided the people into four parts, and brought forth the child Joash to be their king. When Athaliah the harlot heard this, she ran and cried out, "O rebellion, rebellion! But Jehoiada seized her and struck her dead. This Jehoash became king over Judah through Jehoiada's diligence, wisdom and manliness; and Jehoash was the only man left, that the tribe of David should not perish. And when he was grown up, he did much good, until that high priest Jehoiada lived, and reigned well. But when Jehoiada the high priest had laid down his head, then Zachariah his son also became a high priest. But Jehoash, who had been so wonderfully preserved, got unfaithful and evil counselors, and became hostile to Zacharias, because he did not preach to the king what was pleasing to him. Then he had him seized and put to death between the temple and the altar, as Athaliah had done, because he was outside on the churchyard, because he had spoken the truth to the king and to the soldiers 1) and the book of the kings says: Joash did not remember the great good deed, and the pious king became so wicked through unfaithful, desperate counsels. But Zacharias said, The Lord see it and judge it, and died.
Now here Christ does not call him Jojada, because he had a twofold name, as the branch is of two names in the Scriptures. The surname makes the difference, as one would like to say: Hans Schneider, therefore Jojada was his right name 2c. But by Jojada he means himself and others all, why? Because Christ is not in the habit of speaking without Scripture, but he shows examples.
- Erlanger: Schaarhansen. > > from the holy scriptures. Now there is no one in the holy scriptures > who is so expressly reported that he was thus slain; and he who reads > the histories must spit on Joash. For they that slew Jereuiiam and > audere did it not so roughly. For Jehoash would have been slain, and > the kingdom of Judah cut off; but it is preserved by Jehoiada, and yet > he becomes such a great rogue, that in honor of the father Ichada he > has slain his son 2). This is the thanks! He should have said: He has > preserved me and my kingdom, I will let his son enjoy it again; but it > does not happen.
Because this vice is so abominable, the Lord is especially tempted, so that the Jews would also kill him and his apostles in this way, saying, "We will save you from death, from sin, from the power of the devil and from hell. But you are just as pious as Joash was. The Jews must also become Joash, and all Christians who are strangled are Zacharias.
We also preach now that people may also increase in food and have peace, that we may also deliver them from death and sins. But there is no thanksgiving to be gained from the world. It is Joash's work. For this reason the Lord introduces such an example, because it is apparent; and one does not read in the holy Scriptures that the prophet Isaiah did so much good to King Manasseh. But Jehoash was pious twenty years, and he made ready the temple; but afterward he became wicked, and would not suffer himself to be punished; as it is yet said, Nay, kings shall not be reproached; yea, who could do it without detriment to the ministry of preaching.
^Sixteenth Sermon on the 23rd Capitet Matthäi.
Preached on the 18th Sunday after Trinity October 5, 1539. 3)
We have recently heard the terrible, horrible judgment that the Lord has passed on the Jews, that they are guilty of
- Erlanger: to honor his son.
- "Gepredigtli-initutis " is in the original only marginal gloss. - In the original, both this and the
1250 Erl. 45, 66-68. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. . * 1251
all the blood of the righteous that was shed from Abel. This is frightening to those who treat the blood of Christians so lightly, that he who kills one kills them all, just as the Lord says, "He who does good to one does good to all. Now this is a terrible judgment, and it is not less than the one that follows:
V. 37. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you.
It is horrible enough that the Lord speaks of the city, "which you killed. If he had said Babylon, Babylon, or Rome, Rome, or otherwise cried out against a city among the Gentiles that had plagued and persecuted God's people, it would have had some standing. For Babylon was hostile to Jerusalem and to all the Jewish land and people, and the Romans also tore Jerusalem apart, and the kings of Egypt and others inflicted many plagues on the children of Israel, all wanting to become knights of Jerusalem. No such terrible word has yet been spoken about them all as about Jerusalem. Says he, Jerusalem, which sendeth prophets unto thee, to preach unto thee. All the prophets must die an ignominious death, and what Babylon and Egypt do not do, you do. Therefore, when you look at Jerusalem, as it is to be looked at, it must become an abomination. For all the cities of the world are not worthy to be called thatch in comparison with Jerusalem; for no city has been so highly esteemed, nor has any greater honor been done to it on earth, nor can any be compared to it. For there lie buried the greatest men that ever were enemies on earth, David, the great and excellent king, Isaiah, and countless others. For this reason it is called a blessed city, even though it has no more glory than the dead who are buried there. The pope also boasts about Rome, that Peter and Paul are buried there, and it is
following sermon the time determination "18th Sunday after Trinitatis", here correct (because the previous sermon is held on; 17. x>. Irin,), there wrong.
True, many excellent martyrs died there. But in Jerusalem the two saints are buried, as the holy scriptures report. The Son of God also died there and rose again from the dead; this tomb alone should make the city appear as if all other cities were dark. For there is the tomb of the Son of God, and Mary's tomb, in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, just outside the city. Therefore, if only the burial and the bones of the dead were to be honored, what glory the tomb of Christ, the Son of God, would bring to this city alone! But this is even greater, that God chose this city Jerusalem above all other cities. For none hath he so sanctified, blessed, and called his royal court, his castle, when he would have his fire and hearth, as in the 31st] chapter. Chapter Isaiah v. 9. than this very city. Otherwise there are many flocks, as there are fathers of houses, but Jerusalem should be his own hearth, that is, his house, as he is landlord, as he lives and has his servants. Servants and maids, sons and daughters. This is beyond all glory, that this lovely city should be God's bodily dwelling place above all others. It is not praised because it is God's chamber, cellar or floor, but because it is God's hearth, because he wants to be the landlord, and he is. And if all the praise of the city were to be gathered into one heap, a great book would be made of it, and all cities would be bad thatched roofs against it. Above this, the temple was built in the same place, and Abel sacrificed there before the flood. Jacob saw the angels descending from heaven on the ladder and ascending again in the same place, and it is believed that in the place where Christ was crucified, the tree from which Adam and Eve ate stood in ancient times. Therefore, this is the place where God planted Paradise, and there again erected the tree of life instead of the tree of death. Now not only the city is holy, but also the people are holy, and Matthew on the 5th of Ca-.
- In the original "32".
1252 Erl. 45, 88-70. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 37? . 1253
pitel, Christ calls Jerusalem a holy city.
Should not the Lord spare Jerusalem? 1) For it is the seat of the great King, that is, Christ himself is Lord there. In the 4th chapter of Matthew it is said that the devil brought Christ into the holy city and set him on the battlements of the temple. So by and by this city alone is called the holy city, and the people who dwell in it the holy people and God's people, since he himself preached and died with his mother and all the saints. Nevertheless, this city shall have the shameful title: You city of God, you tomb of the Son of God and of the prophets, which you have the worship and the law, but you kill the prophets. Then the Jews said, "We will not do it. I myself would have thought that it was unbelievable that they should kill the prophets, I would have relied on it and boasted, namely, that this city could not have angered God and come into disgrace, because if some saints were buried in it, God would not leave it. I cannot say it, it is spoken too highly and horribly, "You who killed the prophets." We are angry when we preach that the princes are hostile to the gospel. But we may be silent and pipe down when we hear that Jerusalem kills the prophets and the Son of God. What should not the Turk, the Romans and other evil men do? It would be frightening enough if it were said of Jerusalem: "Lazarus was there, and they let him die of hunger; but that would also be too horrible that in such a holy city, where God's dwelling place is, such an injustice should happen inside. For she did not let a poor servant die, or one or two prophets be killed, but all the prophets and Christ himself were strangled. The-
- Erlanger: "beautiful". We do not know that this verb occurs in Luther. Should this be the case, however, it would have the meaning here: to make beautiful, to speak beautifully of her. But "to spare" seems to us more appropriate to the context. The following paragraph brings the contrast: "The HErr ... lets the city be destroyed and dragged."
- Erlanger: that one.
The Jews are so hardened that no one can persuade them that God is angry with them because they have slain his servants and their fathers have killed many prophets. Nor shall the glorious name, as the holy people, holy city, Abraham's seed, God's city, cover it all.
But the Lord does not respect all this, that it has been his place, even his hearth, Jerusalem, but lets the city be destroyed and polished, so that not one stone remains on the ground. But we and the pope think much more foolishly than that God cannot be so angry with us, for we are the head of the church; item, the church cannot err, and whoever is obedient to the pope is a child of God; and he strikes all dead who do not believe this nor make a worship out of it. Now if you were so holy and God's people, like the Jews, what more would it be? Were not the Jews also God's people and church? Why then do they kill Christ? Can it not happen that in the city of God, and where God's people are, Christ himself should be killed?
But the Jews cried out: "In Jerusalem there is the temple of God, there is the holy city. The Roman church may do what it can, but it is still a small church compared to Jerusalem. For this Jerusalem has been far above Rome, for there have been holy people, and God's order. For God said: You shall be my city, I will dwell there. This testimony is not said of Rome, that God would dwell there bodily: nor is Jerusalem a murderess of the prophets. But it shall not be so with us, who boast that we are the Church of God. Now boast as you will, holy Christian church, God's people, God's people, baptism, gospel, power of the keys, but it is of no use. For you will not be saved by this, but by accepting and believing it, and making a distinction between Jerusalem, the holy city, and God's word. If you do not accept the messengers and prophets, it does not help that you are God's people or city, or that you pretend that God's order, law and prophets are alive and dead here. It helps
1254 . Erl. 45, 70-72. Interpretations On the Evangelist Matthew. 1255
All this is not against the wrath of God, but He wants you to accept the prophets, to listen to them and to cherish them.
And this is a powerful text against the papacy, which pretends that one must obey the Christian church, and with these words, where it is said: The church is to be heard, many are deceived. For whoever does not do so, the pope cries that he be put to death. If it were enough for you to call yourself a Christian, yet it is not true, and if it were true, yet you are not comparable to Jerusalem, which has much better holiness before you than all the cities. Therefore he calls it a royal city, and his people a kingdom and a high priestly nation, so that other cities are but a thatch above Jerusalem. Because such great and manifold glories and prerogatives are of no avail, but Jerusalem must be called a prophet-killer and crucifier of God, therefore it is not worthy of praise. For if someone should help a glory, it could help the city, but it does not count for anything here. Therefore let each one remember: If the devil were to rise against the city, who would teach and live differently than Jerusalem? Therefore, you, the pope, and every man, keep your mouth shut, and do not cry out, "Gospel," for we are neither prophets nor apostles. It does not help Jerusalem that it is called Jerusalem, and even if it were right with the city, it would still be nothing, but so it is said: You shall hear the prophets. So we also say: Dear pope, emperor, kings, always church here. For now the kings write letters, one is to remain with the unity of the Christian church. Then you say: The word Jerusalem goes far beyond the Christian church, mau shall hear the prophets. Now therefore distinguish it, saying, There I hear the church, which is a glorious and beautiful name, but there I hear the prophets and apostles; and then also there is a difference among them whither they are sent, because they are not sent to Jerusalem alone, where there are many saints. There I shall not inquire whether they be holy as they will, but I shall inquire whether they also receive and hear the prophets.
Therefore this text serves that one does not hear whether Jerusalem is Jerusalem, but whether they hear the prophets and apostles. For if I find a city that accepts the prophets and believes their teaching, I consider it a holy city, even if it is a village. For otherwise such an exchange and change will result, that a city, which has been so highly praised and adorned, will become a whorehouse of the devil, and will keep nothing else, but only the title and the glory of the Christian church, and yet is in truth and in essence the devil's whorehouse. Thus Jerusalem has truly been. But if she does not hear God's word, then one can say: God has done great miracles in the city, but the glory is badly dead. Why? Because they do not accept the prophets. Our Lord God is concerned about His word, which He wants to hear, or Jerusalem must be made a devil's whore; as the prophet Isaiah also complains in the first chapter v. 21: "How is it that the pious city has become a whore? It was full of justice, righteousness dwelt in it, but now murderers" 2c. Before it was a bedchamber of God and a paradise, now it is a whorehouse. Before, living saints lived in it, but now it is full of bloodhounds and murderers, and yet it is still the same Jerusalem. Oh, dear Isaiah, what a useless preacher you are! Should you call God's house a whorehouse, where the devil himself dwells: how does that rhyme? And this speech stank foul in their nostrils. But thou wilt not suffer the prophets and apostles; thereby shalt thou become a harlot, and shalt not help thee to some glory.
I cannot say it out loud, it disturbs me from the heart, that they say, It is a royal city and a holy place, and cannot be mistaken; so they praised all here in Jerusalem. And have cause, for when the Holy Ghost praiseth this city and people, it is because they have heard the prophets. For this makes them holy. But if they have not seen nor heard the prophets, they have not been praised. Even if they had the highest outward holiness, it is nothing,
1256 Erl. 45, 72-75. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 37. 1257
when God's stronghold is not there. And Christ will say: I allow that there is my holy place, my palace, and before the city many kings have been laid low. But if my word is not heard, and the prophets are strangled, there is no longer my city.
Therefore, these sayings should be used to counter them, pretending to be obedient to the church. Then you say: Jerusalem is a holy city, and if there has been any holiness in any place, verily it has been in Jerusalem, nor is that city called a harlot and a murderer, killing the prophets. Here you also see the only sign of the Christian church, which is to follow the divine word and to be obedient. When that is gone, let her always boast: Church, church, there is nothing behind it. Therefore say: If one also has God's word in it, does one also accept it? But if the prophets are killed, the apostles are stoned and the divine word is condemned, then quickly conclude: This may well be called a holy Christian church and may have been pious before the lines, but now it is a whorehouse and God's enemy, even if it were Jerusalem.
With this example you can defeat everything. For if you take Jerusalem, 1) you have trampled Rome and all other churches into the dirt. For cannot Jerusalem remain the church, if it does not hear God's word, where would Rome remain? For Jerusalem is nothing comparable on earth. Therefore, where God's word is heard, there is God's church, even if it were in the cowshed, where Christ was born. Why? Because there God's word is heard. Again, there is not the church of God, where his word is despised, even if it were the city itself, where God's seat and dwelling should be. For one does not want to hear the host. If one does so, he is no longer a host. But if I am the master of the house, says God, I will be heard. So even if the house is mine, that is, God's, and I am not heard, it is still nothing.
- Erlanger: "nehmest." Bruns had already resolved this word, as we think, correctly with "nennest".'
So mightily is it all in the word, that as far as we are his household and dwelling and church, he is our host, and we his guests, 2) as far as we hear him. But now Jerusalem is a murder pit, as Isaiah says. And who is the host there? The devil and his mother, Why? Because God's word is not heard there.
Therefore, one should answer the pope, who always uses the word "church" in his mouth, by saying: "Dear, do you also hear the word of God? They say, you don't have to ask about that, and they freely confess that we have God's word for us on our side, but nevertheless we should hear the church, because it is above the divine word. That is what the devil does. We accept their testimony well, because they have the pure, truthful word of God 2c. Then they say that one must hear the holy Christian church above the holy word. The devil hears them. For those who will not hear the word of God are not the church of God, nor the bride of Christ, but the bride and whore of the devil. The difference is who hears the word of God, as the Lord Christ John says in the 8th chapter.
So we are to keep the touchstone and landmark to distinguish between God's church and the devil's church. For the difference is truly certain and does not deceive, that whichever church has God's word and abides by it, it is God's people, whether it dwells in Jerusalem or in Babylon. For Jerusalem, when it was destroyed, nevertheless remained God's people, not in Jerusalem, but in Babylon, where they dwelt. Jerusalem was not the church when it was first built into a city and God said, "I will dwell there," but when one hears His word there; and if one preached the gospel in a whorehouse, it would still be the church; as one reads of St. Agatha that the judge had her dragged into the whorehouse so that she should be put to shame there. Soon there was a church, and the angel was there, did not let her see it, and could not strangle her the judge's son, yes, the devil.
- Erlanger: his guest", which can be resolved both with "his guests" and: "are guests". The sense remains the same.
1258 Erl. 45, 75-77. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1259
broke his neck. For even if the place were as unclean as it is, if only his word is heard there, it is a church in a hurry. But if it is a pure and holy place, as Jerusalem would be, and does not hear God's word, it is still a house of prayer; and the Lord will say: God did not build this city and temple and hang His glorious name on it, so that His word should not be heard, but that He should be Lord in the house, and that He alone should be heard in it. There, says God, I will speak, only that they believe me; that is, causa finalis et formalis.
But the Jews thought: This is a beautiful city, O there is God. Yes, he did not build the house and the hearth for another to rule in it, but that what God would command should be done there; not that a servant or any neighbor should rule and reign in this house, but God had built this city so that he would be found in it and the prophets and apostles would be heard in it. For where they would no longer suffer it, God took a straw wipe and burned Jerusalem.
The church is not called bishop's staffs, not doctor, nor laws, nor pope, because they do not have the gospel. One must have it therefore, that one hears it. Where it is not heard, you may build a church of emerald or gold, but it is a church of the devil. Therefore, this is how God's Word makes the church; where this is not the case, the devil shits in the same church.
So now we feel the papists, how they are such foolish and blind donkey-heads, that they call the pope with his followers the church, just as the Jews also considered only those to be children of God, who were born of Abraham and kept the law of Moses. But there still belongs to hear prophets and apostles. I see the bishops before my eyes, but the eyes do not show me the church, but the ears, which will be the judge of who is the Christian church.
If then thou hearest nought: The pope and bishops are the church, say, I see it not; let thy voice be heard, how doth it slur? Then they say: Thou shalt not administer both forms of the Lord's Supper to the laity.
but listen to what the pope wants. Then do not hear a bright nightingale song, but a screeching of ravens, or owl song. But the true church says: I want to hear what the Son of God himself has commanded to preach; take this into your ears, and then cover them. For if thou wilt do what the church is called, and see with thine eyes, learn here that Jerusalem shall not be called so, but hear with her ears the prophets and apostles. If it does not, then it is a hell, since it was otherwise a paradise, and a whorehouse and the devil's murder pit, since it was God's temple and pleasure house; and "after the difference only, that one hears God's word and the sermon of the prophets and apostles.
The seventeenth and last sermon on the 23rd chapter of Matthew.
Preached on the 19th Sunday after Trinity October 12, 1589. 2)
The other day we heard how the Lord had read a terrible lesson to his own people and to the holy city of Jerusalem, which should also frighten us very much, because if God did not spare Jerusalem, which was exalted above all the cities of the earth, and did not spare other cities and countries, he would not give it to us. Now he says: I send unto you prophets 2c.; as if to say, I lavish upon thee my word and all graces, and so thou art grateful unto me, that thou killest the prophets, and crucifixest them, and scourge them. This is an abomination, but we are to be struck by it, that we too may not kill the prophets, but receive them with honor. Now he speaks further:
V. 37. How often have I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you have not wanted!
These are the last words, so that the Lord closes his sermon, and in the Jewish people
- Instead of "hear", perhaps it should read "do you hear".
- The words: "Dengepredigt " in the original only marginal gloss. - In the original "the 18th Sunday". For the determination of the time, compare the note to the heading of the previous sermon.
1260 Erl. 45, 77-7". Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 37-39. 1261
henceforth no more preaches. But such a decision is not good, because he says: "How often have I wanted to be a mother hen and accept you for my chicks? But because ye would not, let your house stand desolate, and ye shall not see me from henceforth, until it be said, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the LORD. Jerusalem has been in ashes for more than fifteen hundred years, and the Jews have been scattered throughout the world, so that they do not have a foot of their own; they grow up everywhere, but they have neither a city nor a government. I mean that the city is desolate, and they are still there as a terrible example, because they have had to lose their house, that is, their kingdom, priesthood, land and people, because of the persecution of the divine word; and as it is written here, so it goes, and the Lord gives this people a terrible end and death. But a far more terrible end will he give to the whole world before the end of the world, because it also despised and persecuted the gospel. But we will leave the horrible example, because we see it before our eyes, and we will look at the text.
But he needs a very sweet and comforting figure, that he compares himself to a mother hen, and us, who listen to his word and accept it, to the young chicks that creep under the wings of the mother hen. But there is no bird, indeed no animal, that cares so warmly and so earnestly for its young or chicks as does a hen. See how she lives and does for her chicks, that she even gains a different voice and cry when she leads her chicks. See how she is so graceful and spreads her wings, yes, she may even fly at one's neck 1) that no animal has such an affect as a hen 2) would have. Therefore, he does not compare himself to an eagle, as he said in the Old Testament, but to a hen, which has a special heart and love for her chicks.
And this image you shall understand, the Lord Christ will say, when I speak my word.
- Erlanger: flee.
- "Hen" added by Höck.
I will preach to you and send prophets, and I will be a mother hen, enticing you and leading you, so that you may beware of the congregation. Here he has pictured himself and the condition of his people and also of the devil. For he stings with all diligence, as he may devour the little chicks when they are scattered; but when they sit under the wings of the mother hen, they are safe from the vulture. For the devil floats about in the air like the ponds; but we are poor little chicks who sit under the wings of the mother hen, as the 91st Psalm fV. 4] also says: "He will cover you with his wings, and your confidence will be under his wings." Therefore we must also do as the chickens do, and creep under the wings of the hen.
It is a glorious image, and full of 3) rich comfort, especially when we hold it against the Lord Christ. For as a hen leads her chicks, feeds and protects them until they grow up, so the Lord 4) Christ governs, comforts, and saves us by his voice and word, that we may be safe from the chick-pond, the devil. Thus the Lord portrays Himself, and has also often proved this with the work that He is like a mother hen. First of all, Moses gathered the people under the divine word and its protection. So did David, Isaiah, Jeremiah and all the prophets, that they were all feathers and wings under which God would have liked to gather the Jewish people. But Christ says here: David have ye driven out of my sight, Jesaiam slain, Eliam cast out, and all the other prophets put to death, and have not willed to be under these wings. So now I and my apostles are also clucking hens, we cluck and cry: Hear us, creep under our wings 2c.; and if God still sends preachers and gives his word, he spreads out the wings, so that we should creep under them, seek protection, shield and cover there against the pond, the devil, and all his angels. But what has happened? All the prophets and apostles you have driven away and
- Erlanger: full.
- "HErr" added by Höck.
1262 Erl. 45, 7S-8I. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1263
in short, under the Küchelmeiher. Therefore your house shall also be left desolate. Otherwise they could have remained in their kingdom and priesthood, but now the opposite has happened to them, and everything has been destroyed and devastated, and now they have no house of their own, town or country, and are sitting on a rock so that they cannot remain safely in one place for an hour.
This is a mirror and an image for us to be careful, as it is also said to the Romans in the 11th chapter. For if he spared not the natural olive branches, which were his cousins, of whose blood he was born, much less will he spare ours.
But he speaks:
V. 38. f. Your house shall be desolate, and you shall not see me from that time forward.
Before you saw me and heard me, but you did not want to hear and see me. Therefore I will go far enough for you and come, that you shall not see me for ever, until it be said:
V. 39. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
This is now in place. No prophet has come to this people anymore. They still read the prophets, and Moses still performs them, but they are under the misapprehension that the Messiah has not yet come; and if we still preach about Christ, they close their doors and ears to him. They do not want to hear Christ, and consider us to be geese, ducks and fools. So much are they blinded. For here it is written: they shall see him 2) no more.
Now here is a question of what is said here: "You did not want" when he wanted, item: "You will not see me from that time on, until it will be said: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord".
The first question is a bit of a head-scratcher, that is: Did God will it, who could have resisted Him? Why did His will (which is otherwise omnipotent) not go away? And this text forces it here that the Lord Chri-
- Erlanger: come.
- Erlanger: them.
stus was true God. But he has often wanted to gather them. But when? Through Moses, David, Samuel, Eliam 2c. Has he already been there? He was only thirty-three years old, born of the virgin Mary, when he spoke this: how then does he say that he was there when he sent the prophets? item: he was the one who sent the prophets. The work of giving God's word and sending prophets is not the work of any creature, but of God the Creator. Now he is not over thirty-four years old, and makes himself so old that he says he has sent all the prophets and wants to be a mother hen. But from this one sees that he is something more than a pure, noisy man. Exodi in the 3rd chapter he says to Moses: Come, I will send you to the children of Israel. Item Jeremiah in the 1st chapter is also said, "Whom shall I send?" and Jeremiah said, "Send me." But Isaiah said, "Dear, send me not." Now if he sent Jeremiah, Jeshaiah, Moses, and David, he must be very old; and he was also before all the prophets, kings, and apostles, and did not then walk idle, or have nothing to do, but made and gave prophets, and sent Moses into Egypt. There he performed great miracles.
These texts are to be considered well, so that we keep firmly the article of the divinity of Christ, of which we say and confess in our Christian faith: "I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit" 2c. According to the same Godhead, he has no age, and before he was born of Mary, he was already the Son of God and the one who sent all the prophets, who was also with the children of Israel in the wilderness.
But that he saith, Ye shall not see me, till it be said, Praise be;" 2c: Go behind thee, and take the hundred and eighteenth Psalm before thee, where is this verse v. 25. f., "Help, O Lord, let it prosper: blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Look at the Psalm and you will find that it speaks of Christ as a natural God, as it is
1264 Erl. 45, 81-84. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 37-39. 1265
for the whole psalm bears witness. He gives him this verse and says: He belongs to him. This would be a great blasphemy if he were not a natural, true God. And it is strange that this person, who is now four and thirty years old, born of Mary, says that he is the one spoken of in the 118th Psalm. Therefore, the evangelist here concludes most forcefully that he must be the true God, who sent Moses into Egypt and did all that was written only about this people; item, that he is the one of whom the Scripture says: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! For he is the only begotten Son of God, and is the Son of all before he is born of Mary.
Now this is the twofold birth of Christ: first, so that he is called the Son of God, this birth is from eternity. He wanted to be a mother hen and was with all the prophets. Afterwards he became a man, born of Mary, and are nevertheless not two, but only one son. For this article suffers great distress among the enthusiasts. But after the ascension of the Lord Christ, it was believed in the Christian church: I believe in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord 2c. For Christ is another person. Although He is not the Father, yet He is the Creator of heaven and earth, has divine nature and essence, and was born of the Virgin Mary in time; and yet there are not two Christs, nor sons, but One Jesus, as we say: "And in Jesus Christ", who is one Son, One Person, and yet has two natures, which are united in the one Person and in Christ. This is what the holy Gospels teach us and prove; and if this article falters, we are lost. The Turk and the Rotten do not want to let the article be good. But you say, "This is my faith, and this is what the Scriptures teach: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, who was conceived and born. The same infant faith is written here, saying that it was before the world was created, even before Moses was; and now it is written, "I believe in Jesus Christ.
As a man who is thirty-four years old, he confesses his birth from the mother Mary, just as the other evangelists all establish and prove. Therefore, take good heed of these and similar sayings, for if this article is lost, we are no longer Christians. Therefore, if we believe in this article, we are also called Christians from this article.
And whoever believes in this article, in the seed of the woman, as it was then, before he was born, when it is said: "I will put enmity between the seed of the woman and your seed" 2c., then he was already born, then it was believed that this seed of the woman should be the one who should kill the devil, even at the time when Adam lived. This is often said, and the holy scripture teaches it everywhere, as can be seen in the Symbolis, which are drawn from the Bible and put into a short summary, what is otherwise widely understood in the holy scripture. So he now wants to sing them the little song, which they must hear from him, that they will never see him again. Thus he testifies that he is a true God and a natural man.
How is it that he did not accomplish what he wanted? and that they would not see him again?
First, that he says: You did not want what I wanted, so make a right distinction between the two natures in Christ, but in such a way that you do not separate the natures from each other. But he arrogates to himself the human nature in such a way that the holy scripture speaks of him as of a pure, pure man, as having been conceived and carried in the womb of the mother Mary for ten months, and having been born of a virgin, and then crucified and buried. This is a purely human thing. For God cannot die nor be born, if one wants to speak according to the quality of natures. Therefore, God may not rise from the dead nor ascend to heaven. All this is said of him as of a true man, as he is. For he also does everything like another man, eats and drinks 2c. The dear Lord uses both natures, and all their qualities he leads;
1266 Erl. 45, 84-8S. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1267
sometimes a vain quality of the divine nature, and otherwise also the quality of the human nature, so that we know that it is common to both natures. When you hear that he alone speaks as God, it is not valid to say that he is not man either, as he says here: "I send prophets to you"; item: "How often have I wanted to gather you together, as a mother hen gathers her chicks" 2c. If then he is God, it is not true that you would say that he is not man; but if it is true, as it certainly is, that he is God and man, you must concede that the Scriptures sometimes speak of his humanity and also of his divinity. Therefore say: Here he speaks as a man, that he should be crucified and die. This has now happened according to the weakness of human nature. Otherwise, if he were God alone, he would remain uncrucified and would not need to eat and drink. But because he is God and man in one person, he eats according to human nature, and yet one also says: God's Son eats and is born, suffers, dies 2c., and yet everything is spoken according to human nature, which is united with divine nature. So he also speaks here in the person of humanity, which is the person that is God and man. For it is only One Person, only that he speaks sometimes according to the human nature and sometimes according to the divinity. So we also say: You are a rational creature. There I speak of the whole person, namely, that you are a man who has his reason. If one then says: "No, the soul is only rational, after the body man eats and sleeps, and does all work and labor as another animal, but the soul does not sleep, hunger or eat. These qualities are unique to the human body, so the soul does not feel heat or cold, but is a rational thing, but can otherwise perform all kinds of art.
Thus a man also has two natures, and yet it is only One Person, and only One Hans. According to the nature of the body one says: The whole Hans sleeps, but the soul does not sleep. So also the body of the Hansen, if it alone is wounded or damaged,
nor is it said, and it is also understood, that the whole Hans is damaged; therefore, if there are also two natures in your being, and yet there are not two persons in you, and what happens to the soul or the body, it is said that it happens to the whole Hans. [For I preach and teach not to the soul alone, but to the whole petro. So the soul neither eats nor sleeps, nor is it called: Hans taught and eats. It is the same here with Christ. Christ is only one person, but he has two natures, and he is often spoken of according to the human nature alone, and often according to the divine nature alone, which should be applied to both natures.
So it is said of Christ Matth. 24, 36. No one knows the hour of the last judgment, not even the Son of Man. In another place it is said Matth. 11, 27. "No one knows the Father, but the Son alone, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it." These two sayings rhyme together in John John 7:16: "My doctrine is not mine"; there the Lord speaks of himself as a natural man, so that one may know that he is truly a man. Because he is a man, he also attributes to him that which is the characteristic of the human body, namely, that a man should not know everything, item, that he should die, even though he is the only person. So it is also said here that he is truly God, who sent the prophets, and to whom it should be said, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." Item: "The Son alone knows the Father, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it"; item: "How often have I wanted to gather you together" 2c.; as if he should say: I have already been man before I became man, or put myself forward to become man.
How could one resist his will? The Holy Scripture says that Christ is the Son of God for eternity, also born of the Virgin Mary in time, and says of Him that He is the Son of God and the Son of man, and yet it is said to be spoken of One Person, that it is said: "The Virgin Mary suckles the Son of God, and yet not the Son of God, but the Son of man".
- Should probably be "learns".
1268 Erl. 45, 85-88. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 37-39. 1269
God. For the mother alone suckles the body, and yet the whole man. This is a simple-minded opinion. Whoever wants to speak more highly about 1) whether one can resist God's will, must have a high intellect. We are to say: What God does not want revealed, I am not to know, as Acts, Cap. 1, 7, says: "It is not for you to know the time or hour which the Father has reserved for His power." If you do not want to know, keep silent, or I will break your neck. But what he does not reveal, that is impossible to understand, if you immediately tear yourself apart over it.
Therefore, beware of the temptation, which is otherwise very mean, that one wants to know: Why does God do this? Rather, beware of the quare, or you will fall down the neck. Otherwise, you have the Catechismum and all the Scriptures, from which you may learn the doctrine of God's will. But if you do not want to do that, remember Adam and Eve. They had the power to eat from all trees in paradise, but they were not to eat from the tree of good and evil. For when the devil challenges them, saying, "Quare, see if you are commanded to know; if not, be silent. Again, if God has revealed something to you to know, say: I have His word, sacrament, chair and priest. But why he wants to baptize me with water and not with oil or wine, I do not know. But this I know, why he hath baptized me, that I might be saved,
Adam did not have enough to have all the trees in Paradise, but the devil revealed to him the secret will of God, saying: Huars. Then Adam and Eve shall go up and investigate God's will. The apple still sticks in the throat of all of us, that man is still so minded that he does not always like what God does, why he lets the devil rage so, and the mighty tyrants have much happiness, also let the Turk live long." This apple is in our stomachs and sticks in our throats. But think: This apple has Adam and all of us
- "will" added by Höck.
I have been brought to death, because what God did not want to reveal, I do not have the right to know. He has given me his son, so you have enough to study. For in this I have such great wisdom that if there were a hundred thousand of me, 2) I would not choose the art that is called: I believe in Christ; and the longer I live, the less I can do about it. But it is the apple that is still in my skin and soul, that I would like to know everything, the Quare Deus sic? Chew it no more, you have already eaten more than you can digest all your life, you have it in your belly and in your soul. Therefore say: I am commanded to listen to the Catechismum and pray.
Nor did he need to create heaven and earth, nor to have you born of your parents, but to have made you from a lump of earth, as he did with Adam, and with Eve, whom he built from the rib. But he had to prove his kindness, he could have made a soul out of a lump.
Now this is held up to us, that faith may be exercised therein, and that we ourselves may not be wise, and follow the devil, who also asked Adam, saying, Quare? Therefore, when it comes to high questions, say, I am not to know why he does not create men who are immediately as great as Adam and Eve were created great. Why does he not also make it so that we do not need food, nor do we need the sun? But he wants to prove his unspeakable goodness of his majesty with it.
This is to answer, if one asks of the secret, hidden will of God, that if you drag yourself with these thoughts, then the questions grow the longer the more, and is of them more, than sand on the sea. So could Adam have said: What is it to you? Why God did it, I don't want to know, and then be silent to the secret will of God, listen to God's word.
The other question is whether the Jews will be converted before Judgment Day, as is commonly thought. I let it remain so, but
- Höck and the Erlanger have: "hundred thousand lyear)".
1270 Erl. 45, 88-9i. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1271
The text reads: "They shall not know the Lord, neither know nor hear anything about Him, unless they sing this song: "Praised"; as if to say: "Whoever does not believe that Christ is born of Mary the Virgin in His glory, that He is a glorious and mighty Lord, as the Psalm sings, shall not know anything about it, he shall be like a Jew or a Turk. But if you believe it, you will see it. This is the goal: Either you believe that this is God and are saved, or you do not believe; there is no wisdom, no help for some advice or salvation.
Whoever now wants to be wise, let him believe in the Son of Mary, for in him are all the treasures of wisdom. If you also want to know how God is dammed up against you, hear him. For otherwise God has closed and hidden His heart and will; but if you believe in the Son, God is gracious to you. So long as you do not believe, your house will remain desolate, and you will not enjoy the Son of Mary or the glorious God spoken of in the 118th Psalm 2c.
[First sermon on the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew.
Held on October 19, 1539 as the 20th Sunday after Trinity. 1)
You heard the last sermon of Christ the other day, in which he gave the last word to the Jews, saying that their house would be desolate and that they would see him no more. So he departs.
Now the evangelist Matthew describes in this following chapter how Christ talked with his disciples, not that he preached a sermon to them, but only a friendly conversation.
Now the disciples had heard in the last sermon of the Lord Christ, that he had said, Your house shall be empty and desolate. They had grasped this last sermon, and understood that it was about the
- We arrived at this time determination by counting back from the fourth sermon on Matth. 24, which (Erl., Vol. 45, p. 118) is provided with the indication "on the 23rd Sunday after Trinity".
And Christ turned his back upon him, as if he would never see him again, as if he would never come into the temple again. And Christ turned his back on it, as if he would never see it again, just as he had not returned to the temple.
But he does not only mean the house of the temple, but also the whole regiment. Therefore they ask him and say when this building should be torn down, wondering why this beautiful building and all its glories should be destroyed. For the temple was a divine building, and the prophet Haggaeus says that the glory of the last temple would be much greater than the glory of Solomon's temple. For not only the Jews, but also the Gentiles, and many of the great kings among them that dwelt about Jerusalem, gave great money and goods for the building of the temple. Therefore they say: Is this such an excellent, beautiful, glorious building, and is it to be destroyed? Where will the worship service be then? Where will they slaughter cattle for sacrifice? In what place will the people come together again from all the nations, as they had to come to Jerusalem three times a year? They waited for an answer from Christ and thought that he would build a much more glorious temple, compared to which the present temple would not be a small hut; for this temple, which Christ would build, would be made of precious stone, gold and silver. In such sweet thoughts stand the apostles and almost all Jews.
But the Lord gives them a different answer, which does not correspond at all to their question, and says that not only will the temple be destroyed, so that no man will hear the sermon there, and God will not speak through his prophets there, but also that not one stone will be left from another .
- Erlanger: "them", which Höck had already rightly changed to "him". In the Erlanger this sentence reads: "Christ turns his back on them, as if he would never see them again" 2c.
- "this" put by us instead of "these". We have inserted the next words in square brackets for easier understanding.
1272 Erl. 45, SI-93. Luther's Sermon On Matth. 24, 1-3. 1273
Does this mean that Christ will come and that not only will the house be desolate and the worship cease, but also that the glorious pilgrimage from all lands and kingdoms will come to an end, but that it will lie in ashes and be broken up so that the temple will remain desolate forever? Truly the thoughts of the apostles and the Jews were not like this, nor are they like this today. For the Jews are still crying out and asking God to send His Messiah, the Son of David, to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple, and do not even admit that this temple should remain desolate, that not one stone should be left upon another, and that pilgrimage, worship and everything should be destroyed; and the Jews today have many other thoughts about it, thinking that everything should still be changed. But the Lord speaks: Jerusalem and the temple shall become and remain desolate, and not one stone shall be left upon another and come again. Who is right, Christ or the Jews, let eyes and ears judge: In the work and in the deed it is thus found, and is now fulfilled fifteen hundred years. But all that Christ has said here in this chapter has come to pass just as it is described here and as Christ proclaimed it before. Our eyes now see these things, and those who do not want to see them may grasp them. The temple and the city of Jerusalem were begun to be rebuilt in the time of the emperor Hadriani, and called Aeliam, 1) but the city was not set on the place where it had stood before. Now the Turk has taken Jerusalem, after he has defeated and overcome the Sultan, and since the holy grave was before outside the city, when the gallows and Rabenstein are still erected before the cities: but now it is in the middle of the city Jerusalem, as if this city Jerusalem would be destroyed and rebuilt in another 2) place.
- In 126 A.D. Jerusalem received the name ^6lia Oapitolina. But after the Roman emperors adopted the Christian religion in the fourth century, the old name was restored to it.
- Erlanger: one.
So now the words of Christ have come true. But the Jews still pray daily, and remind God of His divine promises, His glory, benefits, miraculous signs 2c., and ask that this city may be built again. The apostles are of the same mind, because they think it is impossible that this house of God should be destroyed, and even if it were broken down, there should still be a crowd there again, and a service should remain, and the temple should be rebuilt. But Mosiah's throne was to be broken, so that there would be no more preaching there, no more sacrifice of oxen, calves or lambs, and not a claw would remain, and the city would never be rebuilt. Therefore he gave them a different answer than they had hoped for, saying, "It is now a magnificent building, as you see, and many kings' gifts have fallen on it; but the time will soon come when not one stone will be left upon another, and no more sacrifices will be made there. They would not have answered, but thought that what Moses and Israel had done too little, the Messiah should do, spreading Jerusalem so that her borders should reach to the end of the world. There was a rabbi among the Jews who said that at the time of Messiah there would be peace in the whole world, no false people nor unfaithful ones would be found, and all kings would serve Messiah and sacrifice to him, and Messiah would teach with such power that all people would be righteous, even the princes themselves. 4) The Jews said that they were waiting for such a king. They wait for such a king, and teach 5) their children, that it is written in the Scriptures that when the Messiah comes, he will bring them peace. Now it is true, he has brought peace, but a spiritual peace.
So the Lord preached completely against the thoughts of the Jews, and takes away the peace, even the place where the city of Jerusalem and the temple stood, as he also said in the tenth chapter: "I have not come to bring peace.
- Erlanger: his.
- Erlanger: unfaithful.
- Erlanger: learn.
1274 Erl. 45, 93-95. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1275
gen." Nevertheless the Holy Spirit says, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, bringing righteousness against sin, and all blessedness. Otherwise he is not come to bring peace, but to bring strife and war, to set up such a kingdom, that they shall rise up and separate one from another, and by the sword shall separate father from son, mother from daughter; and where there are five of them in one company, there shall three of them be divided against two. This is called bringing peace. He preaches here, all against the thoughts of the Jews, who thought that all would be quiet, and tickled and comforted themselves with such sweet dreams that such a Messiah would come, who would bring them peace, as they would have liked to have it; and when it still thunders and shines, the Jews open the gate and windows, and hope for their Messiah. But they are now until fifteen hundred years ago with temple and city desolate and have had no prophets. Before, in the Babylonian prison, they were only seventy years, but still had their princes and prophets, as Danielem, Ezechielem and others. But what have they set? They are now fifteen hundred years in misery, and they are not set above, when in Babylon the prophet Daniel came up in the regiment, and the prison was so mitigated that they were imprisoned as countrymen. Therefore, when the seventy years at Babylon were ended, many of them did not want to go back to Jerusalem and build there, but remained living among the Gentiles. But now they sit down as on a mule. For this reason they are angry, saying that Christ is not our Messiah, because he did not bring peace, when he lived before their eyes, 2) and raised the dead, and preached with great authority, 3) and helped everyone also bodily, but especially to eternal salvation and righteousness, and makes the hearts of the faithful content, that they are undaunted against death, sin and the devil, so that they do not consider how they are doing here on earth. This is now an everlasting building of the temple, and
- "nothing added by Höck.
- Erlanger: hab.
- Erlanger: hülfe. Höck had already changed this to "helped".
Jerusalem, not an earthly building. The Jews did not know this; God wanted us to be thankful for it, for Christ is not worthy to set up a physical kingdom, for the promises are too glorious; it was not fitting for our Lord God to set up such a kingdom. But so one should pray: Give the kingdom of the flesh and the crown to whom you will; give me alone, that I may not die forever; I will be content with the little, only that I may be safe from death and eternal damnation. Therefore it is not a great thing that God alone sustains and provides for my belly, and deals with us as with sows, but God's promises are much of a change. For he is also great and true, who gives not only what can be taken, as goods, wealth, land and people, which the Turk possesses, as he has conquered Asiam, Egypt and Greece. I can understand that and the whole world, that the same is not really God's gift. But if he has mercy on me, who was born in sins and under the power of the devil, and am a child of death and sins, and now become safe from death, sin and hell, this is how Christ deals with it, and thus the glorious, great promises were to be understood of the right good and inheritance, so Christ brings to all men; as if he should say: The Jewish land, the kingdom, the priesthood is my gift, but it is not the right inheritance, but is like giving an apple to a young boy, who is still childish, and he thinks it is a great and delicious thing, and loves it. But what does the father think? Well, that is child's play, because the inheritance I want to leave the boy is much better. So the true Father, God Almighty, does not intend to give us only a pear, an apple, or a pipe, or even the city of Jerusalem, which we must leave behind us when we die, and yet our hearts desire it, which we do not understand to be such fools. But we should say: Oh, that we did not have to die! For if I were safe from sin, death, the devil, and hell, I would give up the Turkish empire for it.
1276 Erl. 4b, SS-97. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 1-3. 1277
I would be content with only having the good bread to eat, if I only had to be sure that death and the devil could not harm me. For then also the stones would have to become bread and food for me, and no evil could happen to me, and if I am assured of life, then I would also think that I must and should have to eat, and also stones should become bread.
Now no man is so crude nor wild that he should not even think how he might be saved from death. But who could give him such goods, God's promise speaks of.
Now therefore we shall not dream nor think of the future of Christ, as the Jews do, that he should build a beautiful city and temple. For this is the little child's womb, which I will cast into the fire, and will give you the desire of your heart; as it is written in the fourth chapter of Haggai, "I will stir up all nations, and then shall come the desire of all the Gentiles"; that is, for whom all the Gentiles hope and wait. What do they hope for? Silver, gold 2c. Yes, he who does not know better desires the same; but others have a different hope and desire than that they may live long, and that they may not only keep this temporal life, but also that they may never die. You will find many more of them who would throw away all their money and possessions if they knew that neither pestilence, nor the French, nor the sword would strangle them; and this is the right desire that 1) all men have in their hearts, says Haggaeus. All prophecies of Christ should be drawn from here, as that they teach and give salvation from the power of the devil and redemption from sin.
But the Jews have shamefully corrupted this text Haggaei, that the desire of the Gentiles is called by them to long for gold and silver, that all the Gentiles would give gold and silver, and when the Messiah would come, that the Gentiles would bring much money to Jerusalem. But this is not the desire of the Gentiles. Because about this desire,
- Erlanger: those.
that they like to have gold and silver, they would also like to have eternal bliss. They collect money and goods so that they may live long and well, because otherwise, if pestilence reigns, a man can save his life by giving away all that he has.
Why then do the Jews understand it only of the things which God gives, as of bodily goods, when they are the least and the smallest? Because all Gentiles also have the desire that they like to live. But the Lord Christ wants to say: Do not long for the temple, there is something much different and better. For God is great, gives also great gifts, promises great things. Therefore, lift up your reason and go a little higher and see what is your heart's desire. Now God sends the Messiah to fulfill this desire of yours, so that when you say, "Ah, he who is sure of this life, so that he will never die," God says, "Do you not hear? this is what Christ is to bring you. We should also accept him, for this is the reason, as Zechariah the prophet says in the 9th chapter, "Behold, your King is coming to you." Why? That thou mayest be rid of sins, and live, and be a lord of death, and say unto death, as it is written, 1 Cor. 15:55, "Death, where is thy sting? Hell, where is thy victory?" 6) Now therefore it is 5) necessary to accept the king. If the Jews had accepted him, 7) their worldly regiment would not have been destroyed.
But these are the real and right works of his majesty, which no angel can imitate, namely to take away death and to give eternal life. Gold and silver are also God's creatures, but princes, kings and lords can also give them. But to take away death, and to raise the dead, and to give life, that shall Christ alone work.
- Erlanger: his.
- Erlanger: bodlichern.
- Erlanger: höhers.
- Original: leits.
- "Victory" set by us instead of: "Sting" in the Erlanger.
- "would have been" put by us instead of "was" in the Erlanger.
1278 Erl. 45, S7-SS. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1279
Therefore remove from your sight this building of the temple, and do not think that I am a king who gives precious bags and spoils and such foolish things, but open your eyes, open your heart, I will tell you something else: After my death there will be great wars, and many mobs and heresies will arise, so that it will be seen as if I had never come. Now look at the histories, and you will see what peace there was in the church, for there the Christians were miserably 1) strangled. Then see what peace there has been in the doctrine, for there have never been more sects and divisions than after the Lord's coming, as we see that it is still the same today. For under the papacy there was good peace, now it is all full of sects and cults. Where then is the peace, since Christ does not want to bring such peace as you think, but in the morning 2) one city shall accept the gospel, the other shall spit on it?
The Lord Christ also says to his disciples, John in the 14th chapter v. 27: "I give you my peace. I do not give you a peace that the world gives," but you will have strife on your neck, for in the world you will have strife. But a Christian is not frightened by the fact that the princes in the world are mad and foolish, and the Christians are strangled. 3) The martyrs went free. Why? He said to them, "My peace I give unto you," which is the righteousness of the Lord Christ, and the devil cannot accuse the same. For though you have sins, they are remitted and forgiven you (says God) for the sake of my dear Son. Item, why do you fear the devil and death? If you believe in the Son of God, death will not harm you, even if you are burned to powder and ashes. The Messiah shall do and accomplish all this. Therefore send yourselves rightly
- "miserable" put by us instead of "internal" in the Erlanger. Already Höck has conjicirt our reading as the correct one.
- Maybe: anything?
- "be" put by us instead of "be" in the Erlanger.
with the temple and worship. For it is the apple and the pear and the children's porridge. But I will give you many greater things 4) than this, that ye may be blessed in body and soul for ever: whereunto then ye cry and desire. If anyone then should have this thought, that in the gospel there should be unity in doctrine and otherwise peace, beware of the contradiction, for there will remain noise and strife, and division in doctrine, and the Father will be stirred up against the Son. But nevertheless under this strife in the world there shall be everlasting peace, that the doctrine of the gospel shall devour the everlasting wrath and strife of God.
He will now further interpret and explain how, according to his future, there shall be strife, unrest and discord in the teaching, and yet there shall also be eternal peace.
**The other sermon on the 24th chapter of Matthew. [**Delivered on October 26, 1539, as the 21st Sunday after Trinity. 6)
In the next sermon we heard how the disciples asked the Lord when these things would happen and when the end of the world would come. He answered them thus: that they should beware, for there would come false prophets and great wars. This is what the Lord says against the Jews and all the apostles' thoughts, who knew no other way, because when the Messiah came, all seduction, murder and war would cease. But well! 7) cease! He says here: When the gospel shall be preached, and the kingdom of God shall come, then shall 8) it come to pass, and this shall be because the devil is a god of this world, and shall then stir himself up, and do his two works, lying and murdering, and with one he shall destroy the soul, and with the other he shall destroy the body.
- Erlanger: great.
- Erlanger: Someone's.
- This date is most likely according to what Luther says of the plague in this sermon, compared to what we have quoted from Luther's letters in the note towards the end of this sermon.
- "But probably" stands here for: "ja wohl!" in an ironic sense.
- Erlanger: worthy.
1280 Eri. 45, gg-E. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 4-7. 1281
kill the body. Therefore he says: You must take care that 1) these two things do not stop, for it has been like this from the beginning and will probably remain until 2) the end; then I will kick him on the head with the gospel. Therefore he will again commit lies and murder.
This he answered to their question, saying: "If you ask about my future, know that before it will come the two works and offices of the devil, namely lying and murder, and after that pestilence, evil times, earthquakes, and then the end will follow. Therefore do not trust that there will be peace in my kingdom; the devil will destroy the peace with heresy, mobs, pestilence and all kinds of diseases. These things therefore saith he unto them, that he may warn them, lest they be afraid and despondent, when they shall know and see such works of the devil; item, lest they think that in the time of the gospel all lies and warfare shall cease, for nothing shall come of it. Say: Do not take this for granted, do not be angry about it, do not be frightened by it, because the day has not yet come that will end it. The first 3) future of Christ is through the preaching of the Gospel and the Sacraments, by which the devil is trampled to the ground. Therefore, where the gospel is concerned, the devil is there with his lies. For the devil is not yet cast into the abyss, but still reigns in the world. Therefore his two works, as lies and murder, will be seen. But do not be afraid of it, and remain in my work, that is, in the truth, which is my work alone, against the devil's lies. Item, keep my peace against the devil's murder, for I have come to break the works of the devil, but he will again bite me on the heel and seek to 4) abolish my truth with lies. For I have redeemed my Christians with the truth, so he would gladly deceive them and strangle them. But I have to oppose the truth against
- "deß" put by us instead of: that.
- Erlanger: bins.
- Here we have erased the words: "days of".
- The words in the square brackets are added by us.
defend the lies, and preserve life against murder.
When the Lord had preached these things in general, he began to prophesy of the destruction of Jerusalem, and also of the end of the world, and said what signs would precede it, and said that he had set his kingdom in the midst of his enemies, and quarreled with the rulers and tyrants, as was done in the days of Christ and the apostles. For the devil does not celebrate. Therefore we must be accustomed to it and not respect the cry that one says: "Oh, under the papacy there was good peace, there was also unity in doctrine; which is a lie, because there was great division in doctrine. Now learn here that there can be no unity in doctrine, for the devil has not yet been cast into hell; he still reigns among the children of unbelief. For after the Sacramentans and the Anabaptists, against whom we have also set ourselves, there will arise other sects, and nevertheless (praise God!) the Anabaptists and Sacramentans are almost subdued, they are only still wriggling a little. Therefore it is true for us, it is also said to us, that when the last day comes, there will be such a turmoil and division, discord and death in the world, that people will fear that they will lose Christ and the gospel altogether. Nevertheless Christ shall remain and his word shall be preserved.
Now he speaks further:
V. 4. Take care that no one deceives you.
This is the common sign, that every man may look to himself, and be sure of his faith, and be well armed and prepared; saith:
V. 5. False prophets will come.
This does not mean peace or unity in doctrine proclaimed, but the opposite. For there will be many mobs, and such enthusiasts will not be the fewest, but will have many of them, and will deceive many. Because you
- "that when he comes" put by us instead of: "that he then comes".
1282 Erl- 42' E-IOI. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1283
If you are called to war and to fight against sects and tyrants, do not be afraid of the trouble. The Holy Spirit says that the holy Christian church is holy, and has in it love, humility and other virtues. But in the world there is antagonism, and the papists themselves are not one among themselves; but that we are to create mobs, they lie to us. Whoever wants to be annoyed by this is lost. Against such vexations defend thyself, and be strengthened by that from which they are offended, saying, If the doctrine of the divine word were not right, the devil would not so persecute them. He would be silent and would not defile and blaspheme them so. But because he is so hostile to the Doctrine and Sacrament, it is an indication that they are God's Word and Sacrament. Believe this, not to please us, but read it from this book. So shall my church be unto the end of the world, not that it should ever be at peace, or that there should be love, which there should be if we were all Christians, as he says afterwards, that love shall wax cold in many.
This is a great consolation against the false teachings, that against the divine word 1) all the mobs lay down, as the pope does not lay down anything in particular against the Anabaptists, but he wants us dead. He does not ask anything about the Turk, the Jew or the red spirit, as there are the Sacramentans and the Anabaptists, but it is about us, and Christ must be a goal or a sign, which is contradicted, as it is written in the other chapter of Luke; and yet it is also a delicious sign. So the Church of God was also simple from the beginning, and yet in great noise, because it had a bad and simple doctrine; and yet so all stand on us, and if the pope had only suppressed us, o he respected the Anabaptists nothing at all. So the Sacramentarians would be nothing at all in their eyes, even though they are a group and are ambivalent among themselves. Nevertheless, all their raving and raging against us is nonsensical. That is to dwell, as the Psalm says, in the midst of
- "itself" added by Höck.
your enemies. The crowd, if God's word is true, must endure; the others, as the mobs, you can suffer.
The church is not seen according to outward peace, but according to the word and the sacraments. For where thou seest a company that hath the gospel and the sacraments, there is the church, if the pulpit and baptismal font alone be pure; and the church standeth not in the holiness of any [person, but in the holiness and righteousness of the Lord Christ alone, for he hath sanctified it by word and sacrament. Therefore the Lord Christ admonishes the disciples that they should not be provided with some peace and unity, but with contradiction, as only disunity and discord, and that they should give us three things to suffer, saying, "Many will come. It is hard that many will come, and they will do great harm. If only there were few of them, only one spirit, and they were let go, and not to be feared so much as those that deceive one or two: but to carry away and deceive a whole land, that is terrible. But more terrifying still is that he says, "They shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ." He does not mean that they will say, "I, who stand here and preach, am Christ. This is what the devil has done, that he has let himself be seen in a secret form, and has persuaded and deceived many, as the devil did, who also tempted S. Martinum; and would have been almost misled, if he had not been admonished by the Holy Spirit; and this he often does, that he appears as if he were Christ. But he speaks of the preachers who hold the office, not secretly, but publicly, as, What they preach, that must I have preached; saying, Ye hear me not, but hear Christ. For thus also the Anabaptists say, Christ forbade that infants should be baptized; which then must mean Christ's word and truth. For they come not in a wolf's skin, but in sheep's clothing. So Arius took the text in the Gospel for himself, where it is said:
- Erlanger: "They do not mean that which we say." That it must be read as we have set it, proves the contrast: "But he speaks of" 2c.
1284 Erl. 45, 104-106. Luther's sermon On Matth. 24, 4-7. 1285
"The Father is greater than I," denying the deity of Christ, that he was not of equal divine being and omnipotence with the Father, and saying, "This Christ himself saith, that he is not God, for he is not so great as the Father.
So all sectaries have some saying for themselves, as if they were sent with their teachings by God Himself. The Sacramentarians say: "The flesh is of no use", item, "my words are spirit". Then the sacramentarians are quick to speak: Then you yourselves hear that Christ says that in the sacrament the body and blood of Christ are not.
Whoever cannot defend himself and say that he is talking about the Jewish faith and understanding, that whoever wants to understand and believe must have the Holy Spirit, will soon be deceived, because the devil and the heretics always boast that they bring truth. Therefore, each one should take care that he learns his catechism properly and well, and breaks away from the heresy. For they also falsely use the saying, "The flesh is of no use. For they put the flesh of the Jews on the flesh of the Lord Christ, when Christ does not speak here of his body, but says, "The bread of heaven, which gives life to the world. But after this he saith, Whoso eateth my flesh shall not die.
There the Jews are false and wicked, and do not understand his words. For Christ does not say, "My flesh is of no use," but, "The flesh is of no use," for the flesh of Adam and the flesh of Christ are far apart. The flesh of the Lord Christ is conceived of the Holy Ghost; the other flesh has the title, "In the day that thou eatest of the forbidden tree thou shalt surely die." Now this is the flesh of death and received from the devil.
Item: Wars.
Size wars will not be the end of the last day. So it must be, do not fret about it, there will be wars from time to time, also great times and pestilence will come. But all this has been said, so that
- Erlanger: "my". Höck already considered this to be a spelling mistake.
The disciples should not be offended by this, and one reads in the histories what terrible wars, pestilences and earthquakes followed after the death of the Lord Christ in the first church of the New Testament: yet it has not yet been the end. The plagues remain more in one time than in another, in one place more than in another, and the devil does not celebrate, nor does he stop, because he is a liar and a murderer, who causes real wars, pestilences and all kinds of misery.
In the German land, our Lord God has given a gracious peace, now almost twenty years ago; but the pope and his hordes wanted to have peace. These are now made wars. But this is a more necessary war than when the Turk persecutes the Christians. Our nobles did not; this year in Lent our nobles also wanted to start a racket, but that was a made war. We do not do anything to them, but still suffer from them and also still pray for them; but they will tempt and mock our Lord God so long with the war they have made that he will give them enough wars. For it is said that our Lord God is tempted, and it shall come to pass one day that he shall cast out the bottom of the barrel. For every year they confer with one another on how they may lead Germany into a bloodbath. But made war is also a plague. But he does not speak of it here. Item, it is a made up trouble, and a necessary and precious time. The first one reigns now, when the nobles and peasants increase everything. This year the grain has turned out well, as not many people think, and they could well give the grain a bushel cheaply, so that they would be grateful to God for this blessing. But without any need, just for the sake of avarice, the grain is increased, and the farmer now makes three pennies out of one penny, and three sacks out of one sack. But who is it all about? About the poor craftsmen, who then also increase their goods and labor. But I and my equals have to stay with the salary, cannot increase it, and now the world, the peasants and noblemen are vain thieves. For a while I had two hundred guilders to my salary, but now
2186 Erl. (s.) 20 b, 388-388. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1878-1881. 2187
had no house and castle of his own, had to take handouts from others, and rode in on Palm Day on an elephant 2c.
- the Jews did not want to have such a man and Messiah, who walked and rode along so poorly and simple, and had nothing of his own; but they wanted to have such a man, who would come with great splendor, horsemen and cuirasses, that everything would clatter and crash before him and behind him, and who would exterminate the Gentiles 2c. But God did not promise them such a man and prophet; neither did Moses paint and describe him in such a way that Messiah should be a worldly king and lord, but a preacher and teacher like him. Such a worldly Messiah the Jews would gladly have even at this hour, who would come with many thousands of men: yes, they have waited for such a one, who would subdue, drive out and exterminate the Gentiles and Turks, now to the fifteen hundred years; but in vain, and will wait and hope in vain, nothing will come of it 1). The promised Messiah has long since come, and has fulfilled his ministry, for which the Father sent him into this world. Blessed is he that believeth on him, and shall live for ever: but cursed and damned for ever is he that believeth not on him, as Jews, as Turks 2c.
Thus Moses describes the prophet and Messiah. This is also the case that 2) Christ here speaks of his divinity, and yet is a true man. For the giving and giving of eternal life does not belong to any creature, but to God alone. For even if all the angels in heaven were to work together to give me and preserve this transitory life for a few hours, they could not and would not be able to do so; much less would they be able to give and bestow eternal life. But Christ says (Joh. 6, 40.): I can give eternal life to all those who believe in me.
(21) Since Christ does this, it is certain and follows that he is true God and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary. For the Scriptures attribute to Christ true divinity and humanity.
- Original: not.
- Erlanger: the.
Christ says Joh. 14, 6: "I am the way, the truth and the life". Item soon before the text (v. 1.): "If ye believe in God, believe also in Me," that is, if ye believe that My Father can give you eternal life, believe that I also can give you eternal life; for I and the Father are One God. What therefore the Father does, that can I also do; and as the Father raiseth up the dead, and maketh them alive; even so also I, being the Son of God, maketh alive whom I will 2c. (Joh. 5, 21.) So John has depicted Christ in all lines, that he is true man and God 2c. And whoever finds this in the Scriptures, the Scriptures are rightly opened to him.
22 Christ says to the Pharisees and Jews, "I am the same prophet and teacher Moses wrote about and preached about, who is to preach to the people after him. Now I do not preach alone like Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and other prophets and teachers; as you see and hear. I also do miraculous works, which Messiah should do when he comes, of which Isaiah proclaimed long ago Cap. 35, 6. I make the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear 2c. Yes, I have power and authority over all these things, as the true God, so that I can give eternal life and blessedness to all those who hear me, accept my words and preaching and believe. How do you like that? No prophet anywhere has not been able to do this 3). They alone have diligently and faithfully performed their ministry, but with preaching. And even though much of their preaching and words were believed, they were not able to give them eternal life by themselves or by their own power, because they were not God, like Christ. Now when I want to read David, that is, the Psalter, as one that testifies of Christ, and look at it rightly, I find Christ in it.
- but all the prophets, Moses, David, 2c. taught thus, I am evil a preacher of Christ, to testify of him, and to teach that he shall come 2c. But I cannot give eternal life to anyone; but Christ can,
- Original: assets.
2188 Erl. (2.) 20d, 388-3W. Sermon on Joh. 5, 39. 40. 43. W. VII, I88I-I884. 2189
When he comes, he will do it. Therefore I will (they have all said and taught) give glory to Christ, and ascribe these things to his divine omnipotence and majesty, and fall under him, and take off the biretta, and give way to him; for he is the Master, we are the disciples; I will say and confess that he alone is the Savior and Beatific of the whole world, who can and will give eternal life to all those who believe in him 2c. This has been the testimony and confession of Christ by all the prophets, Moses, David, and Jesus 2c.
24 The villages of Mahomet, or the Turk, testify and believe otherwise of Christ, saying, "The Christians believe in Christ crucified, and hold that he is the one who gives eternal life to those who believe in him; but I do not believe and hold this. And yet the Turk comes so far and so far that he confesses that Christ is a prophet, that he has a virgin for a mother; item, that he has done many miraculous works, and that he has preached 2c. But he cannot and will not believe that Christ, the Son of Mary, who performed many miracles and wonders, made the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers clean, and raised the dead, and preached, is a true, natural God, and can give eternal life to all those who believe in him. Why does the Turk not believe all this about Christ? Because he has read in the New Testament how Christ was such a poor man before the world, who had not so much as to lay down his head. He was so poor that he could not lay down his head. He had to feed and receive himself from the help of devout Christians because he was in the preaching ministry. Item, who was so poor that he was not able to give half a florin 1) for the interest 2c., Matth. 17, 27. And because Christ was such a poor beggar, he does not want to believe that the poor beggar, Christ, is true God and can give eternal life, because he is too poor and powerless for that. 2c.
(25) Just as the Turk believes, so does the pope with all his multitude. The pope, bishops, cardinals, papal kings, princes and lords 2c., know very well that
- In the original: Floren.
our doctrine, which we preach by the grace of God, is right, the truth and the gospel. But because it has not been preached by high people, such as the pope, cardinals or other high men, they do not want to accept and believe it. And so the pope, like the Turk, does not want to let Christ be true God and eternal life; but the works, as pilgrimages, praying rosaries; item, letting oneself be buried in a gray cap, and other imaginary works more, shall be the reconciliation against God and eternal life 2c. Leads us into purgatory; not that we shall be saved, but that he only buys much money out of it. Against the faith of the Turk, the Pabst, and all the Papists, Christ our Lord says in the text, "Search the Scriptures and study them diligently, and you will find in them that I, I alone, am eternal life; and not the works of the law, nor the chosen works of the Pabst, the rat king, and the duck Christian of Rome. It is faith in me alone that gives eternal life. But works shall follow those who have obtained eternal life through faith, and so shall adorn and decorate the life with good works.
For we Christians already have eternal life, because we have the Lord, who is and gives eternal life. For as soon as I am baptized, eternal life is promised and given to me in baptism; for Christ says in Marci 16:16, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and shall have eternal life; lacking only that eternal life should yet be manifested, which shall be at the last day. This is a great thing.
27 Therefore, saith Christ, in the scripture is life eternal. You Pharisees and scribes will not go there; you will not come to me that you might have eternal life. If you would come to me, you would have eternal life. But because you do not come to me, you also have to do without eternal life; that is terrible. So we learn and hear from the words of Christ that whoever comes to Christ, that is, believes in him, shall have eternal life. Whoever then would like to be blessed, let him come to Christ, and
1290 Erl. 4ö, 110-113. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1291
that the Christians alone would possess the earth, and then should not be ungodly; and has caused them to think that the ungodly are so blessed in the world, having kingdoms, the worldly sword, wisdom, and power, but the Christians are nothing respected against them. Then they thought, "The wicked will all be cut off, so that the pious may live in silence," and they pretended that Isaiah also said, "There will be no sword," 2c. Item in the Psalm 85, 11. ff.: "In his time shall righteousness flourish and peace, and there shall be great peace". Item, Isaiah saith Cap. 9, 7., "There shall be no end of peace." These sayings have forced them here that Christ's kingdom would be a worldly peace and quiet being, and have been some of them that have set the peace for a thousand years.
In our time, Muenzer was also of the opinion that all the ungodly should be exterminated and wanted to establish such a peaceful kingdom, and the Anabaptists still insist that they want to exterminate all the ungodly and have such a Christian church that lives in peace and unity. We have seen and experienced such mobs, and there will be more of them. Therefore, Christians must be taught from these and similar texts. For Christ does not say, "There will be peace;" but there will be pestilence, evil times, earthquakes, and they will also attack you. Therefore this text of the Gospel should be well remembered, namely, that it will not be a worldly kingdom, as the Turks and Jews still hope today that it will be a physical kingdom. But Christ says: It will not be peace, but strife and sword. Therefore, where the gospel is, beware of all plagues; so also the devil will attack you with mobs and false lies.
So this text serves against the evil spirits, who have been and still are, and will come even more, and pretend that they must exterminate all the ungodly and establish a peaceful kingdom; and the Jews, Valentinians, minters and Anabaptists have been shamefully lacking here, who wanted to establish a peaceful kingdom.
But there shall be judgment upon you, and ye shall be confuted: and ye shall not have rest or peace from the devil, but shall be attacked with tongues and with the sword; and it shall be unto the end of the world. And saith further:
V. 8: Then first of all the trouble will arise.
So it shall be. This is not a peaceful kingdom set up, where we are hated and delivered to death, not by one people, but by all, as far as the devil is a master. This shall be your kingdom of peace, that they shall take you captive, and cast you into prison, and kill you. The Lord Christ also prophesied this before in another place Matt. 10:17, and here he repeats it, when they hope that his kingdom will be near, saying, "The devil will deceive people with lies, and will inflict all plagues with the sword, imprisonment and death.
V. 11. And many false prophets will arise.
So all this goes, how one sees it, who reads there the legends of the Märterer. In the time of S. In St. Augustine's time, many fell away, and it happened that one brother despised another and one friend despised another friend, children despised father and mother for the sake of the holy gospel, yes, one sister despised another sister, children sacrificed their father to the flesh bank, as it still happens daily and will happen much more at the end of the world; For there are many of them who, for the sake of the confession of the gospel, leave their goods and stand in great danger, that there will be many more of them, who will be glad that the pious have been driven into misery, and they will take their goods. What would happen if persecution began here? For you are fleeing from a gland 1) What would become if some war came? if we had to endure the danger that our sovereign must bear? Where would we stay if the emperor were to take us by force?
- Gland - ulcer. This is what Luther calls the plague that brings ulcers. Cf. Col. 1287, note.
1292 Erl. 45, 113-115. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 8-14. 1293
would overdraw? Aweh, how should we stand, yes, betray each other? In Duke Georgen's country they were' glad when the pious hearts were chased into misery; 1) what would it be if a real power came over us? If the Elector of Saxony or another descendant were to forbid the gospel, with such a plague that he would be expelled from the country: how many do you think would stand by the gospel? We are Christians, that God may have mercy; otherwise we are good for scratching and scratching.
But that we are safe and free from this danger, no one recognizes, no one thanks God for it. Yes, we have so much to do with avarice. The peasants and noblemen, if they do not now publicly do one thing to the external mischievousness, they do it secretly, and if it were here, as it was 2) in Duke George's principality or in the bishop of Mainz's land, we would do exactly what was done then.
But he says, "There will be evil in the world; there will be mobs and great sorrow of heart, and it will befall you; you will feel it more than other people; therefore be prepared. Before the last day it will not be different, because war, mobs and pestilence will arise, it must be so. He who knows this can defend himself from the vile mobs who want a peaceful church, where everything is quiet and peaceful; as the Anabaptists dreamed, who wanted to kill all the wicked and make the robbers and thieves pious, and they themselves became murderers and robbers, when they should have said: If we should tolerate murderers and robbers, it is enough that we should suffer others who are like them, rather than that we ourselves should become such fellows. But it doesn't help, so it happened to them in the same way. And it is to be noted here that the Lord does not speak of private murderers, as there are tramps and liars, but of those who are in public office, whom the Lord means especially. He means
- Erlanger: hunted.
- "it was" inserted by us. because Duke George had already died on April 17, 1539, and Duke Henry had already introduced the Reformation in the Duchy of Saxony.
of emperors, kings, princes and lords, nobles, burghers, peasants, judges, who wield the sword in their fist, fully commanded by God and in a proper way, and can boast of it. They will do it, as the other Psalm also says: "Why do the nations rage and the peoples speak in vain? The kings of the land rebel, and the princes contend with one another against Christ and his anointed" 2c. They are in the right and proper office and profession; they should be so pious and thankful, and to the praise and honor of our Lord God, they should put Christ and his to death. And do not speak here especially of the secret liars who creep into the houses, but mean those who sit in the right public office, commanded by God, as kings, princes, nations, lords, who shall do it. Those who are in the proper regiment, as emperors and kings, are to be God's enemies. So also in the ecclesiastical regiment bishops, preachers, pastors, who have God's commandment that they should preach, and can boast that they are preachers, and that everyone should be obedient to them, they shall also be God's enemies; just as a secular ruler can boast and say: I am a prince, ordained of God, you must be obedient to me, for all authority is of God and God's order, and one must be obedient to it. They then go on, forbid both forms of the Lord's Supper and want everyone to keep it that way, because one must be obedient to the authorities. But they do not learn that the worldly authorities are often also God's enemy, and are seldom godly and pious, but often godless and wild animals 3) in heaven. Otherwise, if the princes and secular rulers of their office properly maintain, use and act accordingly, and remain in their power, then one should be obedient to them, because obedience is commanded to them by God.
So also in Acts chapter 5 the apostles were commanded to be silent and not to preach any more about Christ, since they were commanded by Christ to preach the gospel to all nations. What command were the apostles to give? Which
- Erlanger: Wilpert.
1294 Erl. 45, 115-117. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. 1295
was fair? Then S. Peter stood up and said: "Mary must be more obedient to God than to men"; as if he should say: "Well, dear prince, dear worldly authority, I am obliged to be obedient to you so far that you are not above your overlord, that is, against God, who otherwise bequeaths to me what you call me to do. Therefore I will be obedient to you in the circle where your authority extends, and you shall not encroach on God's authority. For this reason there are few of them of the temporal authorities who do not oppose God and abuse their power.
The Lord speaks of them especially here, because their territory remains here on earth in his circle. No other ruler suffers another to take a tree from him in his own land, or for a magistrate to encroach on another's territory. But except here, when we should all be obedient to God, we say: No, we want to be God ourselves, and what you have forbidden, we want to have done in short, and the like 2c.
For this reason Christ admonishes us not to be offended by it, for he does not mean the highwaymen alone, but those who sit in office. They will kill you and put you to death. We, I and your pastor, know that we have a preaching ministry, commanded by God, and know that we must answer for our preaching. But here the Lord says: Those who have the office of preaching will become the stuff of the devil. You see this now in all our bishops and canons. They sit in the right regiment and in the chair of the apostles, none preach, none baptize, none wait for them in the church; they also want no one to believe the Holy Scriptures, but only believe everything they pretend and say.
This is a warning that belongs to the end of the world, that there will be murder by the best and greatest men on earth, and error and seduction by the holiest and most learned. What then shall I do here, when I shall live under such spiritual and worldly tyrants? You shall
- Witness - tools.
- Erlanger: bins.
will not be obedient. For the world will not deceive and kill itself, but will be hostile to you for my name's sake. And if the nobles, burghers and peasants had a little breath, you would not find many of them of the rulers and burghers who are favorable to the gospel. Therefore let us be well prepared, not to wait for a kingdom on earth, but to hope for the spiritual kingdom in heaven.
V. 12. Love will grow cold.
Yes of course.
V. 13: But he who perseveres to the end 3) will be saved.
As if he should say: There will nevertheless be some who will lead and carry out their church office and worldly rule rightly, and also some pious Christians will remain. The rest of the people will go away. 4)
Now he concludes the preface and then returns to the question of when the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world are to take place; and he has set the preface beforehand as to how things are to be in the world, namely, that before the last day comes, the regiment of the church and the Christian faith must run over the whole world, as otherwise the Lord Christ in the previous chapter one Cap. 10, 22. f. 6) that there shall not be one city, but the gospel shall be preached in it, and that the gospel shall go throughout the whole world, that they all may have witness in their conscience, whether they believe or believe not. The gospel has been in Egypt, there it has gone; item, in Greece, in Italy, in Hispania, France and in other countries. Now it is in German land, who knows how long. It is now the course of the Gospel with us, but our ingratitude and contempt of divine word, avarice and splendor makes that it will not remain long, and will be followed by many mobs, even great wars.
- Erlanger: "End of the world will" and so on.
- Erlanger: gehets.
- Erlanger: resolved.
- Erlanger: "in the previous chapter one."
1296 Erl. 45, 117-11S. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 8-14. 1297
come afterwards. For in Africa the gospel was very powerful, but the liars spoiled it first, then the devils, 1) the wars. So it also happened in Egypt, first the mobs came, but after that wars, because the devil first brings lies, and after that murder. The same will happen to the German country. The pious preachers will be taken away at first, and false prophets, fanatics, and the spirits of the mob will appear in my place and in the place of other preachers, and they will tear and divide the church. Then also wars will strike, that princes will wage war among themselves, even the Turk will now learn mores, 2) until the world has run out. Then the last day will come. Saint Paul to the Romans in the eleventh v. 11. f. 25. says it also, that the gospel must be preached throughout the whole world, that all the Gentiles may know it, that the fullness of the Gentiles also is come into heaven.
And he does Christ as a thresher. First he beats the ears with a flail, then he throws the chaff into a heap and gives it to the sows to eat. So did John Baptist, the apostles and all Christian preachers, they are all threshers, for the gospel gathers many to the kingdom of God, to the barn of the kingdom of heaven. 3) When they have done this, there is nothing left but chaff. After that, the sects, which are the real sows, come and devour the chaff, the ungrateful, godless people, and do not doubt that God will have already gathered his grains.
This is the preface to the two questions, so that we do not think that we will have a peaceful kingdom in this world, but that it will be full of spiritual and physical tribulation until the end of the world. Now he will answer both questions.
End of this sermon.
- The Vandals are meant here. Cf. Walch, old edition, vol. VI, 382.
- It seems that: "itz raorsg learn" should be read: "they rnorss teach."
- Erlanger: Wohe.
The fourth sermon on the 24th chapter of Matthew.
On the third and twentieth Sunday after Trinity November 9, 1539. 4)
We have heard how the Lord answered his disciples to the first question about the destruction of Jerusalem, and gave a long preface and sermon beforehand, that they should not think that his kingdom was a worldly kingdom here on earth, but they would truly realize and feel that the devil would follow him at his heels with raging, murder and lies, as enough has been said about it before. Therefore they should think that now suffering and death must apply, as the histories testify; and we see it now before our eyes, and our descendants will feel it even better, that not only among the heathen there will be turmoil, discord, disunity, but also among Christian princes. Before this we fell among the mobs, and were also in distress of war; therefore think not that ye shall have peace and quiet from the mobs and murderers, and then suffer yourselves.
Now to the first question he answers, when Jerusalem shall be destroyed, saying:
V. 15. When you will see the abomination of desolation,
and says that for the sake of the elect the days shall be shortened. Now the glorious city and the whole kingdom, also the priesthood, established by God, shall fall to ruins. But the words are somewhat obscure, and Matthew and Mark include the tribulation before the end of the world, and next to it, that Jerusalem should be destroyed, and sometimes also indicates the destruction of the world, so that he mixes and blends the two together; and it is also the way of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures that he speaks thus. For when Adam was created and God was yet to create Evam, the Scriptures say, "God took a rib and made a woman of it." There he uses the word "bale," when he could have said, "He created or made a woman.
- "AmTrinitatis " is marginal gloss in the original.
1298 Erl. 45, 119-122. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1299
out of it. There he uses the word "build" as carpenters build a house, and the Holy Spirit flies with the word from the same history and indicates something special, that with the word "build" not only Eve is described as Adam's bride, but that also at the same time the Christian church is indicated, which is also God's dwelling place and temple, which God has built and is still building until the end of the world, for this is the spiritual Eve, who was taken from the side of Christ. For when the side was opened, it was taken from his flesh and blood. Adam's rib was with flesh and blood: so we, the Christian Church, are also built from the side of the right Adam, Christ.
This is what the word meant in the beginning of the world. Thus the Holy Spirit often points out from the history that just as Eve was the true woman, made from the rib of man, so be the bride of the Lord Christ, the true Eve, the Christian church, which was also taken from Christ, just as Eve was born and built from Adam's flesh, for this is what it meant.
So Matthew also uses some words here, which shine on the last misfortune of the world, which was meant by the accident and destruction of Jerusalem. For the same will be the tribulation of the church, saying: "Unless the days were shortened, no man would be saved. This is what Matthew does. Now we will divide it from one another in its time.
Lucas describes clearly, and not with other words, because those actually belong to history. For after this preface Lucas speaks Cap. 21, 20:
When you see Jerusalem besieged.
Soon he reaches near, as if to say: Now the glorious temple stands, but it will become a desolation. When? When Jerusalem is besieged by the people of war, when we are dead, then know that this tribulation is present. For no one else shall besiege it but the people of war, who shall utterly destroy it, that no stone be left upon another, neither shall any stick stand upon another. And report more other signs that shall come to pass before
the destruction of Jerusalem, which are horrible and terrifying enough, of which we usually preach once a year. But this is a sure sign that the Romans are coming; and when the Jews had set themselves against the Romans, and would not give interest, and were always stirring up sedition, the emperor Vespasianus came with a great host, and took all the Jewish country, and afterward marched before Jerusalem; and Jerusalem was not then conquered and won only, as had been done before, but was utterly destroyed and pulled down, that it lieth in ashes unto this day.
The emperor Julian gave permission for Jerusalem to be rebuilt, but it could not be, for an angel came from heaven and destroyed the beams and the stone, so that they could not proceed with the construction. For the prophecy of Christ must remain true. Christ gives the sign here: When this happens, know that Jerusalem will be destroyed so that she will never be rebuilt. Therefore flee, and do not think to have peace.
V. 16. Let him who is in the land of the Jews flee to the mountains.
That is, remember out to the land. Toward the evening Jerusalem has had the great sea, toward the south Egypt, after midnight the Arabian mountains and Mount Lebanon. Flee out," he said, "for there will be no salvation. The Jews hoped that Jerusalem would resist the Romans and endure, or, if the city were destroyed, that it would be rebuilt. But Christ says here: It shall be left desolate, and shall never be rebuilt. Therefore do not stay in Jerusalem or any other place, for there will be no help or salvation.
V. 17: And he that is on the housetop, let him not come down to fetch anything out of his house.
In the histories it is read that when the apostles and other Christians realized that the Romans were coming, they were mindful of this prophecy of the Lord Christ, and went from Jerusalem to Herod's territory.
1300 Erl. 48, 1L2-124. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 15-23. 1301
And when the grain was threshed out, and only the chaff remained, as John the Baptist proclaimed, and the Christians with the apostles had all departed, leaving their houses and goods, our Lord God put out the chaff, and the Romans took Jerusalem, and burned the city and temple, so that not one stone remained upon another. Therefore let him that hath a house in the city bring forth his wife and children, and flee thence: for our Lord God will not spare the temple, nor Jerusalem.
Many have praised and loved this city, but the apostles have been hard pressed by Christ's words that the city should fall into ruins, and they will have truly wept over it, because it was their homeland. S. Paul lamented it miserably, and S. John the Evangelist would have been heartbroken by this destruction, because he lived at the same time and had to see and experience the destruction of this city.
God gave the Jews forty years to repent and preached to them. But the more they were preached to, the more they were hardened and hardened.
V. 19 But woe to the pregnant women at that time.
When misfortune comes, it is most often and commonly on the 1) heap, woman and children; and one reads in the Historia that a woman out of great hunger slaughtered her own child and roasted it, so that she wanted to eat from it, and when the people of war had come into the city, and found that so, they took the roasted child from the woman, as it otherwise happened in the siege and conquest of the city of Jerusalem so miserable and pitiful, that one may not like to read it; as Christ says:
V.21. And there will be such a tribulation as has not been since the beginning of the world, neither ever shall be.
It will be evil in the city and in the countryside of Judea; for it is such a
- Erlanger: dem.
Slaughter and strangling have been that gruesome and frightening to hear. For there was in the city at the same time great time, pestilence, sword and wild beasts, and they wore themselves out among themselves, so that in histories nothing is read more dreadful than the destruction of Jerusalem. Now one plague would be heavy enough, nevertheless they had to carry all four plagues. For over the pestilence, dear time, and the sword of the enemy, they themselves caused a riot in the city, and were so mad and foolish that they strangled themselves among themselves: a great wrath of God has been upon the Jews, and they have been horribly punished, and are still going through such punishment, for they are scattered throughout the world. We do not yet turn to such miserable mirrors of the Jews, but rather we pose as if we would also like to see such a calamity one day. For we also kill those who fear God. So Matthew writes that such a tribulation will also come before the last day; namely, that the Turk and the Pope and all the godless princes will gather together and want to have us all dead, and also invade the time of war, and we ourselves will plague one another with avarice, as is now seen before our eyes, although it had not yet happened at that time. But it is a prophecy, how it will still go. The Jews were thus slain by the sword, and the rest were taken captive and scattered among all the nations; and they still sit in the world as on a rock, for today they are here, tomorrow elsewhere. They have no comfort here, that they should be brought home again from the Babylonian prison over seventy years. For there they also suffered great time, pestilence and the sword in Jerusalem, and the city was burned and destroyed. But God wanted to punish the king who caused such destruction again and repay him for this deed, and bring them, the Jews, back to the city of Jerusalem, and the glory of the temple would then be much greater than that of the first temple. Then the Jews could easily surrender to the prisons and endure and overcome the destruction, for they had God's word that Jerusalem and the temple would not be destroyed.
1302 Eri. 4s, 1L4-1L6. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1303
The temple was to be rebuilt. But here Christ says, "It will be destroyed immediately. If he said, "It will be one, two, three hundred or one thousand years," there is hope that it will come to an end and be better.
This we see in the Jews before us, a terrible example to us, that we may fear the wrath of God, and keep his word in honor. For they were his cousins and blood friends, yet so he cast them out and dealt so miserably with them. But as they feared nothing, and were obstinate and wicked, skin and hair was not good in them, so do we to-day. They hoped the city would be rebuilt, but Christ says, "No, not one stone shall be left upon another, nor shall their kingdom perish. This example is before our eyes, and that they also would be sure of the city, so he says of the place, and calls the city Jerusalem. Lucas sets this certain and true sign. He does not know that the Roman army will do this, or any other army, but he is sure that it will not be rebuilt. And it is not so, although the Jews cry day and night that it should be rebuilt; as they cry out that God, for His truth, for His mercy, for the sake of the Messiah, will help them to rebuild the city and the temple. But God does not hear them; they should have heard God when He sent prophets to them. Therefore, the prophecy that the city should be turned back is not in vain.
Luc. 21, 24. Until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled.
We have just heard from the evangelist Matthew that the gospel is to be preached among all the Gentiles for a testimony against them, that is, Jerusalem is to be desolate until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled. When? At the last day. For the times of the Gentiles are now being fulfilled daily, and more are being gathered to the gospel daily until the end of the world; and before the last day the gospel will be preached.
The first day is not fulfilled. So also the hundred and thirteenth Psalm says: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool"; not that he ceases to do this and to make his enemies his footstool, because he does it for and for. So it is also written in the first chapter: "He did not recognize her until she gave birth to her firstborn son", that is, he let her remain a virgin and never recognized her.
Therefore they shall not think that Jerusalem shall be built again. Some think that the Jews should be converted to the Christian faith before the end of the world. Now this is possible; but that they should come again into the Jewish land and build the city, erect the temple and priesthood again, nothing will come of it, and we see it with our own eyes that this prophecy has been fulfilled in fifteen hundred years.
The text of Luca should be looked at, because it speaks much clearer and brighter than Matthew about the destruction of Jerusalem.
The Matthaeo states:
V. 15: When you shall see the abomination of desolation, of which Daniel says.
For he speaks twice of the destruction, as, in the 9th and 12th chapters, he speaks of the time of the emperor Adriani, when abomination was set in Jerusalem. But here he says that the end of Jerusalem will be when the abomination, that is, the idol, will stand in the holy place. For this people wanted to be holy before all the nations of the earth alone; therefore no vice was so abominable to them as idolatry, just as it is the truth when one worships an idol instead of the true God. Therefore an abomination is called an idol, an idolatry, an image that was set in the temple before it was destroyed. Therefore the Lord Christ says, "The time will come when an image will be placed in the temple, as happened in the time of Caligula, who had an image made and proclaimed that he was the true God, and had himself worshipped, and he was not worshipped.
- Erlanger: will not.
1304 Erl. 45, 1SS-I2S. Lllther's sermon.on Matth. 24, 15-23. 1305
He set such an image all around, burned incense to it and worshipped it, and sent its image to Jerusalem. Now this is the sign that an idol will stand in the temple, which Daniel calls the abomination of desolation, that is, it will be a sign that this city and temple will be destroyed. For when an idol is set there, it is an image of destruction, for such an image shall be a sign to the Christians, by which they shall know that desolation and destruction are now present. Therefore, when you see such an abomination standing in a holy place, in the temple, whoever reads it, let him take note 1) of it. With the words he shines up and indicates, if the abomination stands there, what desolation it will cause.
The apostles and the pious hearts do not understand that this city and temple should be destroyed. Some say that an angel warned the saints when the Roman army was coming that they should leave Jerusalem. Therefore the Lord will say, Remember then, now read, he that can read, Daniel speaketh of, and will truly mean this; and yet he shineth also into our destruction and desolation of the whole world, as the Turk now begineth.
V. 16. Whoever is then in the Jewish land.
Matthew says here just what S. Lucas reports. Otherwise Lucas says that the people of war will come; but Matthew says: At the time when the abomination of desolation will stand, whoever is in Judea, do not expect the Lord in Jerusalem. Matthew is not as clear as Lucas.
V. 17. On the roof.
It is the custom in these countries that they have built their roofs square, so that one can sit on them, eat and look around, and they have been smoothly closed at the top. Now he wants to say: Let no one take advantage of this, because it is not time to climb up and down on the roof, but here it is a matter of fleeing.
- Erlanger: merket.
V. 18 And he that is in the field, let him burn in the city his house and his court, that which he hath therein; and let him not think that he will return to his house, and dwell therein again, or find his own also, when the people of war are departing. He will find neither stocking nor stick.
V. 20. See to it that your flight does not take place in winter, nor on a Sabbath.
For it was forbidden that they should not walk more than a thousand paces on the Sabbath. But these are obscure speeches and look at the spiritual interpretation. He wants nothing to hinder us from fleeing and not to think that Jerusalem should be built again. Therefore, the sooner you flee, the better.
V.21. For then there will be a great tribulation. 3) The time of the tribulation will come.
And it is true, one does not read such horrible things in all histories, as the Jews encountered, as we are used to preach about it on the 10th Sunday after Trinity. Such sorrow and heartache did not come upon the Gentiles, upon the people who sat at the fences, but upon the people who crucified the Lord of glory and strangled his disciples, because they would neither see nor hear.
This text does not only apply to Jerusalem, but also to the whole world, and it is possible that such misfortune will come upon us one day, if we kill the saints of God as they did, especially now the Turk is still doing.
V. 22. Where the days would not be shortened.
These words also refer to the last day more than to the destruction of Jerusalem. Nevertheless, he saved many Jews from this tribulation, just as many Jews are still being brought to Christ today. But especially apart from Jerusalem's destruction, the
- Erlanger: not.
- "large" is missing in the Erlanger, although the following execution requires it.
1306 Erl. 45, 1L8-I3I. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1307
destruction to our and the world's final desolation, as the following text testifies when Christ speaks:
V. 23. If then someone will say to you: Behold, there is Christ 2c.
For this the false prophets did not do, that they said they were Christ. Therefore he goes out into the final destruction, and he remains and worries more about the question when the world should be disturbed, than when Jerusalem should perish, of which we will hear on 1) the next Sunday.
The fifth sermon on the 24th chapter of Matthew.
On the 25th Sunday after Trinity Nov. 23, 1539. 2)
We have heard Christ's sermon about the destruction of Jerusalem, and the signs by which it should be noted, and he has given a long preface before that Christians do not think that the Lord Christ wanted to set up his kingdom in such a way that no disaster should be in it from now on, neither from error nor from war. Matthew and Marcus add that after the destruction of Jerusalem, these two desolations will also follow, and this is almost a spiritual interpretation of the destruction of Jerusalem, that as this city is desolate, so will the church be desolate before the end of the world.
Christ proclaimed that such calamities would come upon Jerusalem as had never been heard of before in the world. For there are all plagues together in one heap, pestilence, time of trouble, wild beasts, war, which are all the plagues of our Lord God. First of all, pestilence is the least plague, and yet a fatherly, gracious punishment, and makes pious people. The other plague is hunger, which is more horrible. The third plague is the sword, which destroys churches, secular government and households, and when the fourth plague strikes, wild animals become divided among themselves and devour each other. So it went with Jerusalem. The city was
- Erlanger: from.
- "AmTrinitatis " is marginal gloss in the original.
The Romans besieged, there was sword or war; then followed pestilence and famine; over all this misfortune they 3) still gathered together, and beat each other to death in the city, were three captains in the city and at odds with each other, and if the same had not 4) done, so soon the Romans would have done nothing with their force.
In Ezekiel Cap. 14, 21. f. God says: "When I will send my four punishments" 2c.; and when they come from God at the same time, one cannot have it good on earth. But if only one rages, it is still to be suffered; but if they all four come at once, as happened at Jerusalem, it puts an end to it. The first punishment does not recognize flesh and blood, and is a spiritual plague, so carnal people do not understand. But the apostles and Christ will have sweated blood over it. For after the Roman siege other Romans will come, as, the Rotten, when they then come and say, "Behold, there is Christ" 2c. If these words are written by two evangelists, Matthew and Mark, and if this especially concerns the church, which will have such false prophets before the last day, which is not to be called Jerusalem's on earth, but is to be interpreted to the revelation that will take place on earth at Jerusalem. Now Jerusalem was a glorious city, and Christ preached there, and the apostles themselves were sent out there, and the church only began there, and the Holy Spirit was given. Therefore it is an image and figure and living example and sign, that as it was when it perished, so shall it be with the church in these last days.
So now he says: Be careful, I warn you. If they say, Here is Christ, there is Christ, I forbid you, believe it not; and S. Lucas on the 17th chapter v. 20. f. shows the occasion and cause in this answer, for the Pharisees asked him, "When shall the kingdom of God come?" Then ant-
- Erlanger: rotten.
- "not" added by Höck.
- "the Jerusalem" inserted by us. The sense seems to us to require such an insertion.
1308 Eri. 45, 131-133. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 24. 1309
He says: "Not with outward ceremonies or gestures, nor will they say, Behold, here or there it is, for behold, the kingdom of God is within you"; just as he also says here v. 23 f.: "If they say, Behold, there is Christ, there he is, believe it not. Yours," I tell you beforehand, "false prophets and false Christs 1) shall arise, and shall shew great signs and wonders, to deceive into error, where it is possible, even the elect," who otherwise should be eternally saved. Further he says v. 26., "If they say to you that he is in the wilderness or in the closet, believe it not." For these false teachers 2) will remain until the last day, which will come like lightning; thus the false prophets will remain and deceive the people, until that same blessed day will soon dawn, when we will probably stand in the pulpit or lie in bed, and in a moment stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
So also says S. Paul, when the Thessalonians asked him whether the last day exists. For the apostles spoke of that day as surely as if it were not to remain outside of a man's life. But S. Peter says that there will be a thousand years; Daniel says that the last day will come under the Roman Empire; and S. Panlus 1 Tim. 4 speaks of a great apostasy that will come before the last day, since he says vv. 1. ff.: "The Spirit clearly says that 3) in the last days some will depart from the faith and follow the false spirits and doctrines of devils, through those who speak lies and are in a gleam, and have brands in their consciences and forbid before the last day: consciences and forbid to become married and to avoid the food created by God" 2c. The Lord also means this apostasy here, first of all: the apostasy happens in the church, as many bishops have erred. They 4) have been resisted with the conciliarities and assemblies of the true church, until it finally came to the point that no bishop has preached any more, but still have probably
- Erlanger: Christians.
- Erlanger: Teaching.
- Erlanger: and.
- Erlanger: Den.
persecutes the poor church. This means pestilence, famine, sword, that the preaching chair and the regiment of the church should be strictly against the church. This is what St. Paul calls apostasy, which is what the monks called those who left the monastery: You lost monks. In German we call it the deniers of Christ, that there should be such apostasy or apostasy in Christendom, that the lost Christians should lead the reign, and the right Christians should lose it. For when the pope, the cardinals and bishops, even the pastors fall away, it is worse than in Jerusalem, where there were four plagues at once.
But it is not seen like that, because it is not so apparent, as it is otherwise so much more frightening and gruesome. Who can tell what kind of pestilence or what kind of wild beasts are the spirits of the mob? Only look at Pabst's regiment, whether he has not been a pestilence above all pestilence, a sword above all swords. There is no decree nor canonical sermon not in the Pabst's right, it is a pestilence, famine, or sword, or sedition. God has preserved the church wonderfully through pastors and schoolmasters who have baptized and absolved little children. But there was a great lack of understanding, and in the schools they learned responsoria, good and evil, from God and from the saints. In the meantime, they always continued with indulgences, masses, purgatory.
Therefore, this text should not be understood as a physical pestilence, and on that day we will see the damage, because I could not see it now for a moment and stay alive. 5) The devil, the sword, and the precious time should not frighten us so much, because it is about the maggot bag. We should not be so afraid of the pestilence, the sword and the precious time, because it is about the maggot sack, but we should think that it is the devil who does it and not God. Therefore, this tribulation is signified by those. The first one cannot be explained, it is so great. Who will cause it now? Not any emperor, but the false Christians. When did they start? As soon as the apostles were alive. There it wants to come out, and goes to-
- Erlanger: them.
1310 EU, 45, 133-135. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1311
The kingdom of Antichrist is already strongly in the offing, but it is not yet in the offing. But if the devil takes the reign into his fists by force, as has happened in our time, then the last day must not be far away, because the text forces it violently. For the regiment of the church and of Christ is now ruled by the devil, and yet the church must remain as it has remained until now with the pastors and citizens who have read the Bible in their homes. Otherwise, the pope, the bishops and doctors have lived and taught contrary to this, as I myself have done. This has been our teaching, that if one were baptized, and after his baptism committed mortal sin, Christ would be of no use to him. But if you want to be blessed and become pious through repentance, start and become a monk, and torture yourself with fasting and prayer until you make God your friend again. I also entered the monastery.
Such is the doctrine and faith of the Pabst, the Turks, and the Jews, which utterly destroys faith in Christ and destroys trust in him. For thus it has been preached: You must do this; Christ is no longer only your Savior and Beatificator, but your wrathful Judge, before whom you must appear and give account of all your sin. Therefore, call on Mariam all, S. Annam or other saints, give alms, go on pilgrimages. Thus we have acted contrary to the faith, and yet we thought we were only acting rightly and well, as the Turks and Papists are also under this delusion: delusion, who do not understand our teachings. Even though we have heard and sung that Christ died, was buried and rose from the dead, we have understood nothing of it and thought nothing else, because he has only done enough for the first sins, and now he is no longer good for you. You have defiled the vesture 1) that is, to take away Christ's guilt offering altogether, and Daniel also says that if the Antichrist rises, he will rise above the prince of all princes, that is, above Christ. What then will the
- Westerhemd" the white shirt put on for baptism. Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. X, 2148; XI, 489; XII, 526.
Lord of lords do? To this the prophet answers: He will take away the juge sacrificium Dan. 11, 31. the (daily) guilt offering. For in those days it was customary to offer a lamb to God every evening and every morning, and to set it on fire; and the Jews' hearts were attached to the temple, and it was a sign to them that they should turn there and find God there, as we have God with us in baptism and in the ministry of preaching. He should take away the sign that God was there and present. For God also deals with us through outward signs, so that we may be sure that He is our gracious God, for He has given the Gospel, Baptism, the Sacrament of the Altar, and the power of the keys; where these things are, there truly is God. But the pope and the Turk have thrown all this away, and although there are Christians under the Turk, they have no rule there. The pope allows baptism to remain; this came about through God's miraculous providence. Otherwise, all his teachings have been strictly against baptism, absolution, forgiveness of sins and the teaching of the Gospel. For this reason, they have denied all these things and thought that if I did enough for my sin with my own works and called upon the saints, I would be saved. The error was so strong that he no longer wanted to accept baptism and the Lord's Supper. Such things still persist under the papacy to this day. They have come so far that the sayings in the Gospel were considered to be legal doctrine, and so they also had consilia. The laws were for the laity, as, thou shalt not commit adultery 2c. After that they had other doctrines, which were counsels, as the monks' poverty, chastity and obedience in the monastery, and forcibly force the fifth chapter of Matthew to suggestions and counsels, which one is not obliged to keep; and the gospel was no longer promises, but only laws and counsels, which one is not allowed to keep because of necessity: And so the gospel has even been abolished, which God the Father gave us through His Son Christ, and promised us through Christ, that whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. This is so pure
1312 Eri. 45, 135-138. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 24. 1313
The only thing that remained was baptism and the reading of the text of the Gospel. Otherwise, the benefit was not shown and taught, so that the people would have known what baptism or the gospel was for, and under the papacy, few were preserved and saved, except for the young children and boys. This is still the case in Turkey, where baptism, the bath of rebirth, counts for nothing.
So also S. Peter says 2. Ep. 2, 20.: Teachers will come, by whom those who have barely escaped, that is, those who have escaped from the snares of the devil through baptism and the hearing of the gospel, 1) will again be seduced by the pope through his teaching. This is the plague and torture of which Christ says here that false Christs and false prophets will come.
But these are words unknown to us Germans. Messiah or Christ means in German an anointed one, because Chrisma means ointment, as we say then of bad boys: It is baptism and Chresem in him lost. From the ointment Christ is called an anointed one, and all kings were anointed with ointment. So also Christ is called, because he is anointed, not with the ointment, because other kings were anointed with it, but with the Holy Spirit. Ointment is with us also bad German, is a piece of the balsam or myrrh, the most delicious 2) oil, as one could call now in our time. As, if one made a delicious oil from balsam, myrrh and other good herbs, which, if one poured out a drop of it, smelled through the whole temple. With the same oil the kings were anointed; it should not be such a smear, but a neat thin oil, as we do not have now at this time. Therefore all kings were called Christ's, id est, anointed ones. But the Lord Christ hath brought another oil and balm, that he might be balmed, that is, baptized. For he that is baptized is anointed with the heavenly balsam, with the Holy Ghost; and we also are called Christ's by him, because by him we are filled with the precious balsam which is the Holy Ghost.
- Here we have deleted "will" because it is too much. Shortly before "through" is inserted by us.
- Erlanger: most delicious.
Holy Spirit with his glorious gifts. For we are not anointed in the body, as the kings of old were, but spiritually (so Christ was also anointed), 3) but came from heaven, from our Lord Christ, and is called the oil of gladness, because it makes glad, upright, gentle people.
Prophet is a teacher of God; so have their scholars called, and to the Tito at the 1st chapter St. Paul calls the preachers prophets, because it should be a learned man, who preaches God's word and announces future things. Among the Gentiles there were also prophets who prophesied of things to come, and if they got it right, it was good. Of the same prophesying they were called prophets, speaking of things to come; and whosoever taught good or evil of things to come was a prophet. So the Jews had many prophets who preached good and evil to them. So the Christians are also saints, prophets and scholars, exhorting the people to believe and to be saved. So now the Lord will say: New saints and scholars will come, and they will be false Christs and false prophets. For God has otherwise given true saints and teachers to His church, who teach and live righteously. But on the other hand the heartache will break in, that false Christs will take over the church government, and deceive the world with false teachings and annoying examples, life. For in the papacy and in Turkey, there is all false doctrine and evil living. For since the pope has put down the word of God and the faith, as since the word of God was a strange and unknown voice and doctrine to us, he has hung purgatory, mass, indulgences, pilgrimage and all new holiness, which stands in external things, on our necks; And the pope's Chresem was better and higher than baptism, and the priests were consecrated with the Chresem, because the right balsam and oil of the Holy Spirit was unknown to us, item, the consecrated water had the power to drive out the devils. Such
- Erlanger: were.
1314 EN. 45, 138-140. Exegeses On the Evangelist Matthew. 1315
False teaching has caused a hundred thousand pestilences and riots, though the world does not see it.
For this reason Christ says: "There will be false teachers and false Christs, and yet they will creep along under the guise that they alone do it and are it, and Christ is nothing, taking away the sacrament, baptism and absolution, and then asking: "Do you not repent and sorrow over your sin? If then they say: Yes; they say: Pray so many Our Fathers and do enough for your sin, and you will be saved. Then they did not think of the forgiveness of sins and of the Lord Christ in any word, but said, I forgive your sin. But how? As far as thou hast sufficed; and the keys were put in the pope's coat of arms, and the people were taught, 1) that if they had sufficed for sin, they would be saved. But when would this happen? Nevermore. And for this he took money and goods, and almost became a lord over the whole world. What a pity that was, no tongue can say. I have spent my whole life 2) in the papacy so badly; then I became a monk and crucified Christ. Thus all the saints have been deceived. But I believe that many of them were preserved and saved in their last hour of death, who said: What should I think much of my merit and good works? Christ died for me; and behold, where the monks with their doctrine have gone at last, they have allowed none to come to Christ.
Now the Lord gives them such a sign that they will say, "Behold, there is Christ, there is Christ," that is, they will bind them to the outward place and works. How could the Lord have pictured the papacy better? For thus they have said, Run to Compostel, or to Jerusalem, or to Saint James, or to Grimmethal, or to the oak tree; if thou wilt be saved, thou shalt become a Carthusian, and the other a barefooter. The
- Erlanger: gelernet.
- "whole life in the papacy," that is, as long as I lived in the papacy, all my life was bad. Höck means that "young" would like to be spoken for "whole". - The "darnach" is to be understood in the sense of: sodann, furthermore.
means: Behold, this is Christ, in the desert, or in the chamber, in the monastery. I have often read this text in the Pabst, and others too, but have not understood it 3). If someone had told me that the pope was the Antichrist, I would have thought that heaven would fall.
When you hear Christ say that they pretend, "Behold, there is Christ," then believe it not, saith he; stay at home in your profession. How then shall I resist? Hear the little children praying, as they defend themselves with your prayer, so do you also. I myself still learn daily at the Catechismo. Therefore say: What Carthaus? what Compostel? It is the wretched devil. Christ does not come with such external ceremonies, the Gospel does not point to particular places, but Christ is everywhere. Thus baptism is administered in all places, as Colossians are told in chapter 1 and Marci in chapter 16. You shall not make any special water. So also with the sacrament of the altar, which he instituted, where ye are, and have bread and wine. But they have made a special thing of it and given it. If you hang on to the pope, you are lost. But sing and pray with the little children: I believe as the whole world believes, that is, in Christ. If you do this, you will be safe; do not go over the Catechismum, as the nuns read the Psalter, but learn it well, and you will be safe. For this is also the daily sacrifice that Christ has left us, as it was in the time of the Maccabees, and God has also given us the grace that we have cast out the Pabst, and now we are again practicing baptism, the Gospel and the Lord's Supper, not only here, but everywhere in the German land, and now, praise and thanks to God, we again have the right sacrificium, in which God is honored. For where the sign is, God is recognized and called upon, and false prophets become true saints and teachers. Soon after this lamentation, when the gospel
- Erlanger: them.
- Erlanger: lehre.
1316 Erl. 45, 140-142. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 25. 1317
has completed its course, then the last day will dawn. For it will dawn soon after the tribulation; and may God also do so soon, that His name may be hallowed. For this reason I also pray that the happy day will come soon, so that the devil will not lead us again to the pope or to other religions and error.
End of this sermon.
The sixth sermon on the 24th chapter of Matthew.
Dominica I. adventus preached, quae erat ultima Novembris 1539. ^1^)
We have heard how the Lord preached that before the last day false Christs and false prophets would come. Now who these are, we have heard, we have also experienced it; praise God that we have recognized who they are. For he makes a distinction between the false Christs 2) and false prophets, who will come soon after the destruction of Jerusalem and after that at the end of the world through the pope and his, have led the Christian church 3) into error, so that no one has been able to defend himself. Yes, everything that was wise, learned, rich and powerful has been slammed, except for a few who have been snatched from the papacy in the hour of 4) death and saved. But in the church and among the priests, baptism remained. Otherwise, the dying were consoled by the Blessed Virgin Mary, by the intercession of the monks, item, how to deliver the soul from purgatory, and thus all teaching and preaching of Christ and the faith was put down.
And the Lord Christ adds something even more terrifying, namely, that these false Christs and false prophets will be mighty with miracles. This shocks the people, that they are lying there, that they should do such miracles, by which they not only deceive the common man, but also the people.
would deceive the elect. If then those who are chosen and are the saints of God cannot stand, what will become of the others?
These are harsh words and terrible judgments, which are not read anywhere else in the Holy Scriptures, and it is a great thing that even the elect should not be safe from signs and wonders. At the time when the emperors were more powerful and mightier than now, and strove against the pope, and had a great following, some bishops and many learned men, and did together the imperial and divine sword, item, the king of France also had his men, and led scripture full against the pope, and told the pope the truth dry and dry, and helped the emperor to resist the pope: But they did not accomplish much, but the pope oppressed the emperors, put them under ban, maledicted and cursed them in the name of God, so that they had no luck, the emperor with his scholars, as the excellent emperors Heinricus the Third, Heinricus the Fourth and Heinricus the Fifth, who were fine people. But when the thunderclap came: I, a governor and servant of God, am deceiving you, it must mean that it is the Holy Spirit who rules. That would have been a greater sign than if one had been raised from the dead; and the pope with his followers went through and stepped on the neck of the imperial majesty, as the emperor Frederick the First) and still sang to great haughtiness and mockery the saying of the Psalm 91, 13. "On the vipers and lions you throw, and tread on the young lions and dragons." There was no salvation. When other pious hearts saw this, 7) they could not think of anything else, because God is with the pope, but with the emperor the devil. Therefore the pope also became a lord of the world, who wielded both swords, the spiritual and the temporal.
What should a poor parish priest have done here, since the great emperors and chiefs
- This timing is at the edge of the original.
- Erlanger: Christians.
- "Church" added by Höck.
- Erlanger: in.
- Erlanger: great.
- Compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XIX, 1964, § 2.
- Erlanger: see.
1318 Eri. 45, 142-144. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1319
could do nothing, since they had right and good things? Then this doctrine was spread all over the world, that the pope and his people had power and authority to 1) exclude and shut up heaven and hell, and whoever accepted his doctrine and believed it would be blessed. Such has been granted until now and until this day; but the handiwork is now very inlaid in him. He can no longer, with one word, drive in sackcloth, take sword and crown. Before he could do nothing else but thunder and lightning, said: I command you in the name of God 2c.
I believe that Pope Julius 2) died in the year I was born. He had once sailed out of the sea, and since a fortum and impetuosity had become that he had been in great danger, he said: If I am a vicarius of Christ, let the sea be still. I was once in a place where St. Anne was invoked, and a public announcement went out about a miraculous sign that St. Anne had performed in the same place. Anna had done in the same place, that a child had lain in the water for two nights and yet had not drowned, but remained alive. I, as a young theologian, refuted it, but the host said: "Make of it what you will, the child lay in the water day and night. The Duke of Jülich wanted to take the bones of S. Annä. Annä and bring it to another place, but all his horses died. The Barefoots had a book called Marial, in which nothing else was written but miracles, performed by the Blessed Virgin Mary: which all served to strengthen and confirm the Pabst's empire, and the Pabst shat all over the world with his filth. But you young people know nothing of these things, you have not seen the battle in which we have lived; see that you do not get into it again, and be grateful to God for the blessed time in which you are now.
- Erlanger: had.
- This refers to Sixtus IV, who was succeeded by Innocent VIII in 1484. Sixtus also called himself "God" in an inscription. (Cf. Guericke, Kirchengeschichte, 7th ed., vol. II, p. 366.) Julius II, on the other hand, is a contemporary of Luther, pope from 1503 to 1513. We are therefore dealing here with an error on the part of the scribe.
It is a frightening thing that the Lord says that errors will come, that even the elect will be deceived. Look at the decree that says: I, Pope of Rome, of divine eternal providence, a lord over all Christendom. This is the dragon's head and tail, with which he has thrust the world. Therefore, when he waved only one finger, all kings trembled and shook; and through such blasphemy and terror he became so proud that they the popes mocked and laughed in their fists, thinking: Is not the whole world mad and foolish, that it thus fears us, and thus thinks us to be angry? And in this hopefulness they fell into blasphemy, because they did not believe that there was a God. For if they believed that there was a God, they said, "It is impossible that God should suffer this blasphemy, contempt and transgression of the authorities. But the Lord Christ says it here, that even the elect may be deceived. But now the pope is lazy that such his deception is revealed and uncovered. That is why he now poses as if he thinks something of God, and yet he goes off so coldly that the pious, God-fearing hearts only have to laugh at it. When I now see Pabst's bulls, nothing is more ridiculous to me 3) than his letters, because he presents himself as if he feared God, when he is not serious.
It is very important for you young people to know what a terrible and horrible thing the papacy is. There are many of them now who know that the papacy is the devil; nevertheless, they want to help it to its feet again. Truly they seek this, and it can easily happen. Therefore be grateful to God that you do not again fall into the misery in which I and your forefathers were placed. S. Paul also admonishes us 2 Cor. 6, 1. f. to see that we do not receive the grace of God in vain, for in the pleasant time I helped you, now is the day of salvation, see that the gospel is not preached to you in vain. And in the prophet Isaiah 55, 6. it is said: Seek the LORD,
- Erlanger; Ridiculous.'
1320 Erl. 45, 144-147. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 25. 1321
because he is near. For now heaven is open, for God is near to you; but if he pass by, you will not find him again hereafter. How many mobs the devil has awakened in our time, but we remember: there is no need; and there are some lawyers 1) who pretend whether a means cannot be found to make the pope's decree coincide with the Gospel. Yes, try it, let him come here with one, and you will see where you will remain. But they think: "Even if we compare ourselves with the pope, no one should take away our teaching. Yes, I think I should also be a doctor of the Holy Scriptures, nor must I pray daily that God will preserve me and stand at my right hand. Such lawyers have little knowledge of this, indeed, no taste of things, and if you do not pray and cry out to God, he has taken away from you the faith and the teaching of the divine word.
Therefore avoid and flee those who seek the middle way, and remember me when I am dead, and such means arise that no good will come of them. For it will not be mediated; so it is said, Thou shalt not have other gods, item, thou shalt flee idolatry, and shalt not make thee an idol. For this reason, those who seek a middle way are not well off.
Let no one take me away from the teaching; otherwise I will gladly suffer that he, the pope, and the bishops may remain and collect their interest and pension. There I ask nothing. But if he wanted to bring a canon into my heart, that I should hold that it is right, I will not give him a hair's breadth, but only the pope with his canon shall rather be wiped out to the ground.
The same fellows do not celebrate to entice ours, so that they find a means between the pope and us. Therefore, our Lord God will take from them not only the doctrine, but also the endowment, interest, rent and everything else. But I would do this if they confessed that they and their doctrine were wrong,
- In 1539, Luther had a sharp fight with the jurists because of their adherence to canon law. Nast Tischreden, Cap. 66, U 22. 51. 52. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 1495 ff. 1516 f. Likewise Köstlin, Martin Luther, vol. II, p. 476 ff.
then we would consider whether we still wanted to take the pope to us. Now ask the mediators whether their God, the pope, will do this. But he will not do so; neither will God. For this is their opinion, that we should preach nothing of the benefits of Christ, and keep silent about the abominations of the papacy. Teach this to the devil, and not to me. If someone said to you, "We have made a compromise between Christ and the devil, each of us should let up a little," I cannot let up this compromise, for Christ will not let up a hair's breadth; the bed is also too narrow, Christ and the devil cannot lie in it at the same time. It is just such a thing about the concordia or unity of the divine word and the statutes of men. It is impossible for them to agree with each other, only that the gross asses have such sweet dreams and thoughts about such great things. For they do not do anything with the pope, for he wants to be right, and Christ is to be wrong. I have just said how the great emperors and their doctors, who had God's word for themselves and fought against the pope in a chivalrous way, did not preach Christ with his truth, as Daniel says, in a corner, but publicly in the whole empire, nor could they get much from the pope. For S. Paul says 2 Thess. 2, 4. that he will rise above God, as he has done honestly, and at that time it happened that Christ had to succumb, as S. Paul and Daniel say. But now Christ must be on top in this bright light of the Gospel, because the Pope is revealed 2 Thess. 2, 8 that he is the Antichrist, and killed by the spirit of the mouth. Therefore, everyone here is to be silent, there will be no remedy; trample underfoot the decretal and monastic books, for Christ will not celebrate the pope. The cardinals and bishops must come down, even if they are very reluctant. For there is no comparison between God and evil, between God's word and man's statute, there is also no unity between light and darkness. Therefore, reject 1) all mediators as
- Erlanger: discards.
1322 Erl. 45, 147-149. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1323
apostatas, deniers and apostate Christians. For there are such people who darken the doctrine of Christ, and meanwhile seek how they might persevere, so that when the righteous godly preachers had died down, and godless teachers came again in their place, the pope might then again rule and reign, and Christ would be destroyed altogether. Therefore, no remedy will do.
When I was at Worms at the imperial diet before the emperor, they also wanted me to make unity. Then I said: I am content, only that God's word remains free to me. Well, they said, it is an unrhymed thing. Yes, rhyme an old shithouse, with vacation, because I have to talk to such people, who seek such means in God's things.
If it were a matter of country and people, one could make fine means, compare, peace and unity. But here they are rough asses, they think that the matter is a worldly matter. But no, it is far from it, you cannot come neither to God nor to eternal life, you only hear God and his word. The first commandment casts away all heresy on earth, for idolatry makes and adorns a fine dockiche 1) and thinks: Well, this will please God. But see thou Zu, make not peace apart from the divine word. If the word of God is not there, close your eyes and say, "There is no agreement or contract here. There are men of great understanding who are well read in the Scriptures, in the Latin language and in the histories, but they are such great fools that they cannot distinguish between Christ and the devil, between eternal and temporal things. For of temporal things, we can give, we desire nothing from their bishoprics, from their honor and glory, also from their goods, interest and rent. But they are not satisfied with this; they also want us to give something of the eternal goods and heavenly things. Distinguish the temporal from the eternal; they do not see such things. In temporal goods one can give way, compare and give in; but not so in eternal things, there it does not apply, or
- Dock - doll.
one is lost. For unity cannot be divided.
Therefore say, We will do what we ought, both life and limb; only that it be not against God, for it is not ours. Therefore it cannot be sold or forgiven. Therefore we must let it remain only of our Lord God. They pretended at the Diet of Worms that I should hand over the Scriptures and yield something. If now the pope would say: I have 2) erred, then I would gladly take something from him. But they want to exalt and seek that we should all justify his doings, and deny everything and reproach and condemn as heresy what we have taught, written and preached these twenty years.
And this also shows that they are mad and foolish and do not discern these things. Now the Lord speaks of this here, as of miracles, since you young people know nothing of them. Nevertheless he adds the word: "if it were possible. For it is indeed possible for the elect to be deceived, as I was deceived up to my ears in the ministry. How then is it possible? They can be deceived, but finally they come out again before they leave this pit of misery; as I often use the example of Saint Bernard. He also thought that the pope was God; but when he was about to die, he turned his eyes away from the pope, from his cap and his monasticism, and turned to Christ, his savior, and forgot the pope and his strict order, and said: I have lived wickedly, but I know that my Lord Christ has two rights to the kingdom of heaven; first, by nature, as the only begotten Son of the Father, he has the kingdom of heaven from eternity: Heaven from eternity; secondly, He has Heaven as the Son of Mary, and there He acquired Heaven with His bitter suffering and death and gave it to me. He boasts not 4) of his papal vow, but says: Christ has obtained heaven hereditarily, and for sale by his blood.
So we also preach. He is in error
- Erlanger: would have.
- Erlanger: holds.
- "not" added by Höck.
1324 Erl. 45. 148-151. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 25. 1325
and still come out. John Hus considered 1) the pope to be the head of the church, and all that he had done was only well done; although he was pious for his person. Now it is not a good error, but he did not die inside, but now that he was to be burned, he says: O Son of God, who died for us, have mercy on me; and is preserved.
Therefore be grateful to God and keep above the teaching. They come and pretend: It is nevertheless a fine thing that one keeps such ceremonies in the church as one had in the papacy; but do not concede a hair's breadth, but what the pope has done, that shall perish, for he has blasphemed God with it, and made one worship the devil for an idol, and if they do not do as S. Bernhard did, that he may recognize his sin and ungodly nature, and believe that one only from God is a god. If they do not do as St. Bernard did, that he recognize his sin and ungodly nature, and believe that one is justified by God's grace alone, then they must be damned and lost.
But that is their opinion, they want to confirm all their blasphemy through us. Therefore, suffer no means here, keep only Christ or nothing. Otherwise we should not make an image for ourselves, let Christ be the means. Therefore, study the Scriptures and pray to God that you may be preserved in the pure teaching of the divine Word. Do not say: No one can take this teaching away from me. You cannot make yourself so strong; if God does not keep you, the devil has seduced you in a moment. Therefore let the serpent and the beautiful images not 2) seduce you. You may decorate it and polish it as beautifully as you like, but it does not matter to me, for I find God nowhere but in Christ alone. Otherwise I see no image, nor do I hear one, but I hear God's word in the sermon, in the Lord's Supper and in baptism. If you want to hear God with me, without all human wisdom and any image, fine; if not, then roll over.
End of this sixth sermon.
- Erlanger: holds.
- "not" added by Höck.
- Erlanger: me.
The seventh sermon on the 24th chapter of Matthew.
Preached on the 2nd Sunday of Advent, the 7th Decembris 1539. 4)
I have recently spoken of a great calamity and heartache that is to come upon the Christian church before the last day, and is to last even to the end. The highest heartache has first come upon Jerusalem and the Jewish people, who are scattered and destroyed throughout the world by various plagues, and we still see the shards of such tribulation, heartache and destruction before our eyes. For this people is so miserably scattered, that more and more 5) a people may have been destroyed, for they have no more priesthood, no more kingdom, no more principality. So the same promise is fulfilled.
After this the same tribulation is fulfilled, that the pope has caused an abominable dissension in the church, and has caused so many divisions and sects, that one would rightly say that he has not left one stone upon another stone, and has torn all from the foundation stone and corner stone, rejected and scattered them; this one has run into a monastery, another into a desolation, and where every man's mind has led him, and as the pope has taught him; no one has been satisfied in his baptism, in the Lord's Supper of Christ; and we still see such afflictions in foreign cities and kingdoms this day that the pope reigns, and these errors have been so strong that, if it were possible, even the elect would have been deceived; but they have come out. For this reason I admonish you, young people, who have not yet been inside, especially those who want to become lawyers, to take the cross before you when you read the Decretals. For first there is a poisonous head, and then a poisonous belly and tail. The kingdom of the pope is not like that of the Turk who strikes with the sword. So he does: in the decree he blasphemes God, says,
- "PreachedDecembris " is marginal gloss in the original.
- In the manuscript "immermehr - ever. Höck and after him the Erlangen edition have put "nimmermehr" for it.
1326 Erl. 45, 151-154. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1327
that he is the head of the church. This mouth is full of blasphemy, that he is a lord and head of the church, and he wants to force upon himself what is only due and due to the Lord Christ. God strikes this dragon's head to death, for he is first of all a blasphemer, and wants people to obey him, even if he commands something against God and Christ, and takes away all his dominion from Christ, and if you want to allege the holy Scriptures against him, he wants to be caught unawares, saying that he has power and authority to interpret the Scriptures. But the pious lawyers do not hold with him, the pope, because he first of all defiles our Lord Christ, because he teaches that he is our Lord and Head. For we know no other Lord but he of whom the children sing on Palm Day, "Hosanna, thy Son of David: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." He, the Pabst, is a son of sin and man of perdition; this is the belly and tail of the Pabst, that he might have blasphemed GOD, saying, This is sin, this is righteousness. This is his noblest office, that is the devil, and forbidden by GOD to make anything sin and righteousness that is not sin or righteousness, and this is his regiment. Now if you cut open his belly and take out the dung, his regiment is over. We have offered him that if he would keep his decree so that it would not be a sin to act against it, we would be satisfied with him. But he does not want to concede that, but that is his opinion that whoever does or speaks something against it is condemned. But we have escaped from the Pabst's power through the blood of Christ. Get to know him, that is his branch and office, that he makes the world even full of sins. Therefore St. Paul calls him a man of sins, that he teaches blasphemy, and secondly, that he is a man who not only sins for himself, but also makes the whole world full of sins; and all the sins in the whole world are his, because they come from him, he is the cause and founder of them. For GOD sanctifies and cleanses us through the
blood of His Son, and washed us through baptism, that we might be His holy people. Then the devil's head comes and says: "I have power to say that this is sin, which God has not made to be sin, but to eat flesh on the sixth day, which is Friday. Because one asks: Why is it sin? Says he, I have power. For so he says in the decree: Districte praecipientes mandamus, yes, with leave, in Ars. He has done this not only with meat rope, but also with pilgrimages, masses and other things, and has smeared all this into his decree, that the world sins, is condemned and damned, because it does something against his laws. But God through Saint Paul gives us that we should not let it make us sin, since he says: "Do not let your conscience be made about food and drink, 1) even about holidays" 2c., to Colossians in the 2nd chapter v. 16. But the pope makes sin out of it. Therefore he is called a man of sins, a man of sins, and a man ordained to make sins. The devil has directed his kingdom to do nothing but sin, not only in his person, but as far as his kingdom turns and reaches; this is his belly, which he afterwards adorns, saying that it is pure holiness. He who vows the three vows of the monks, namely chastity, poverty and obedience, who keeps these, is holy; but he who runs away from the monastery and breaks these vows, is damned. You have hellish fire on your head.
This is the pope in the valley of hell, in his book, according to which he is a child of perdition. Because he has made sin, hell is already built, because where there is no sin, there is no death, hell, nor damnation. But where there is sin, death and damnation follow immediately. Now he has made it a sin when someone runs away from the monastery. Therefore he casts him into hell for four thousand miles, and if I have done anything contrary to his laws, I must be damned, for he says, "Si quis prae.
1> "drink" put by us according to the Bible instead of "days" in the Erlanger.
1328 Erl. 45, 154-456. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 26. 1329
sumserit, sciat. So he carries out the dragon's tail in all his books. This is what Saint Paul calls a child of perdition, that is, one who condemns himself and all other men without guilt or cause. But he says: What harm is it, though it be unrighteous sin and unrighteous hell? If I know that sin is false, and damnation is false, ei, it does me no harm, even as I ask nothing now, though he condemn me with his bishops every hour, day, and moment. Why? I know that it is a lie. But how is it meanwhile with those who do not know it? Because they argue about it. If someone has an erroneous conscience about leaving the monastic life, the divine word and the fact that Christ redeemed me with his blood is of no use to him; his blood does not help me. Well, as I believe, so it will go with me; such a teaching may be wrong, but I make a rather fiery hell or damnation out of it. But I should say: Pope, I shit in your valley of dirt; I want to believe that Christ died for me and the whole world. But if you were to say, "Yes, what does it help me? If then your heart will be so minded that the suffering and blood of Christ is gone, Christ is no longer on earth, and baptism is also lost, then it is soon done. And we have all believed this in the papacy, and have also preached and taught and pretended this: How if Christ were no longer your Savior? Therefore seek another, for Christ has now become your judge. See how you may reconcile him to yourself and make him merciful. Run to a monastery and toil with fasting and prayer, and call upon the saints, scourging thyself so long that thou thyself mayest destroy thy sin. This has been the teaching and the faith of the pope. I was also in sin, so that I considered it a great holiness if I did this, and I also taught the people this way, since it was all ungodly, unjust and wrong; which would not have harmed me, as it would not harm me now, if I still wore a cap, because I wanted it to be a foolish thing to think: My faith is in Christ, the little lamb. But at that time I let go of the main thing and thought that Christ is the lamb.
with his blood would be of no use to me, I would have corrupted it with my mortal sins. This apostasy is the devil. Otherwise, if someone had worn a cap like a virgin wears a green skirt, it would not have harmed me, my main property stands there, as the children believe, namely, in Jesus Christ. But we in the papacy did not do that; we kept away from the truth and accepted what was false, unjust, ungodly, error and lies.
Thus, Saint Paul has rightly portrayed the pope, not only for his own person, but for the benefit of the whole world, that he is a blasphemous man, who exalts himself against God and above God, and sets himself above the church, wanting to be its master. Then he makes sin where there is no sin, and leads us from the righteousness of faith in Christ to his monasticism and to his sins, and in the tail, there he pours out poison, and condemns himself and others all who believe him.
Therefore, have mercy on no one when we reproach the pope, for God will not have mercy on him either. In his books there is much worldly law, for he has made himself lord of the world; but from his head, belly and tail there fear as from the worst poison. For there we cannot suffer jest, it is for me my blessedness. I am martyred and afflicted. The shameful oil of the papacy has penetrated me so deeply that even today I cannot get rid of it, and I would rather have lived in the destruction of Jerusalem than in this prison of the papacy. For what is it about a pestilence, poverty or war? and even if you have to put your neck on it, only that the heart and the faith remain pure. In monasteries we had enough to eat and drink, but there we had suffering and torture of heart and conscience, and the suffering of souls is the greatest of all. I was often frightened by the name of Jesus, and when I looked at him on the cross, it seemed to me that he was like a flash of lightning, and when his name was mentioned, I would rather have heard the devil, because I thought that I would have to do good works until Christ would be made a friend and gracious to me. In the monastery I did not think
1330 Erl. 45, 158-158. Interpretations on the Evangelist Matthew. 1331
I did not think of money, goods or women, but my heart trembled and fidgeted, wondering how God would be merciful to me. For I had departed from the faith and did not allow myself to think otherwise, for I would have angered God, whom I would have to reconcile with my good works. But praise and thanks be to God that we have His word again, which thus portrays and points out Christ to us, that He is our righteousness. Therefore, I cannot stand that one still wants to adorn and excuse the papacy. I cannot take enough revenge on him, because the damage he has done is too great. One cannot sufficiently reproach and disgrace the pope. Only have had no mercy on him! For he also dealt with us with all mercilessness, even physically. For he executed the emperors as peelers and evil-doers, which would still have to be suffered. But that he has spent my beautiful youth so miserably and my conscience has been so battered and tortured about it that I still cannot be satisfied today, that is too much.
The angel in the Revelation of John gives us a cup in our hand, that we should pour out to the red whore of Rome, the arch-whore, the French whore, who is full of blasphemy. I have now done this, punished and scolded the pope again, and I want everyone to do likewise, and say: You are a blasphemer, in all your works a child of perdition, you should be torn apart, so that not a hair remains on him; and one does not mind 1) that I am so vehement. For there are some Christians, yes, evil Christians, who now want to cover it up, so that the pope would be adorned again, and when he would be adorned and pulled out of the block 2) they would want to put him on the altar again, and would have to take on his dragon's head, belly and tail again. Therefore, there are bad people, be they lawyers or whoever they want, who defend the pope and want me to keep quiet about it, so that he has done the damage. 3) I can't do that. I truly cannot do that. For if someone had wanted to give you poison and said, "Yes, it is poison, but it is not poison.
- Erlanger: "kehrt" instead of: man kehre.
- Maybe: Koth?
- Erlanger: are.
do not say that it is poison, but good wine and a delicious malmsey; so such lawyers and theologians are also seven times worse than the pope, and should ask and thank our Lord God that he has revealed and discovered to us the pope's head, belly and dragon's tail. But they do not want such things to be revealed now, and the people should not be warned, all the harm should be kept silent. I do not want to keep it with the lawyers and theologians; the evil poison and the pope is discovered, and we see his dragon's head now, and shall make a little lamb out of it. Let someone else do it, I will not do it, and whoever does it is a desperate villain and worse than the pope. But if he would repent and take off the dragon's head, we would see how we could absolve him. But that one should give him that 4) still condemns all the kingdoms that are still under his domain, that I cannot do, and I am surprised that this unspeakable grace and gift is not taken to heart and moved, that we now know the pope. For read his books, and you will see what an abominable kingdom he has: he tears us away from the Savior Christ and leads us to such abominable, frightening lies. These things Christ prophesied before, saying v. 25., "Behold, I told you before," dreadfully, saying, I told you before. Yea, dear Lord, thou dost instruct us a delicious art for this. I warn and forewarn, therefore no one thinks it does not concern him. 5) The pope is so established and rooted that no one has thought that these miracles and prodigies should happen in our time, and everyone has thought, "This will not happen for more than a thousand years. Therefore, after the time of the apostles, it soon began to sing, when the harbingers and forerunners of the pope came. But one should have thought thus: This is told me. But the Lord, soon after the announcement of the 6) destruction, at the same moment he speaks:
- Erlanger: that.
- "Therefore, no one thinks that it does not concern him" we put instead of: "Therefore, it does not concern them". The conclusion of this paragraph proves that it must be supplemented in this way.
- These words enclosed in brackets are set by us.
1332 Erl. 45, 158-ieo. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 26. 1333
"Beware, false prophets are coming." Who then wants to escape God's admonition and urging, says: This concerns me.
During Advent, the future of the Antichrist is also preached, as Christ miserably reproaches him. But all those who preached that the Antichrist would come, pretended that he would not come because we were alive, therefore it was not necessary for us to be afraid of the final Christ. We are doing such things now, too. When we say that God will not let the world's avarice go unpunished, and say that there is God's word, which says: I am your God, an angry, zealous 1) God 2c., and it will certainly follow what these words threaten and preach, that God will punish and punish the iniquity 2c.: we still see how avarice, usury, pride, splendor now rise to the very highest. Is it said then: The punishment will come, as God lives; yes, they say, that does not concern us; those who will live after a hundred years may watch. Moses in the fifth book, when he closes the 29th chapter with frightening, horrible words, since one's ears should swell at them, let alone sing or ring, says: "They shall not say in their hearts, 'There is no need. For so do our citizens, nobles and peasants now: Praise God! it has no need. For this is a plague, inherent in the human heart, that we do not want to know about God's urges, as we are doing today. Says we, should God thus be angry? This has been done in the world at all times, and it is still done today.
But Christ says, "I told you before." The danger is written on it: "It is not yet time; Christ warns us against it. For God wanted us to beware of it, and since it was not done, the pope also broke down. But now we also remember it. Our adversaries are over a thousand miles from us, we say now. Fear God, he will truly punish. Ei, we say, it has no fault
- Erlanger: zealot.
nor lack. But before you look around, the punishment will be there. Then call on your thalers, see if they will help. Then cry out: O help, Lord! God will then say: Do you hear, it is now time to change. When I cried out, thou didst not hear; now again I will not hear when thou criest out; as in the first chapter of the book of Proverbs of Solomon it is also prophesied, where the Holy Spirit speaks [Cap. 1, 24-28.Because I cry out, and ye refuse, and I stretch forth my hand, and no man heareth; and ye forsake all my counsel, and will not my punishment: I will also laugh at your calamity, and mock you, when that cometh which ye fear. When the storm that ye fear cometh upon you, and your calamity as the weather, when fear and distress cometh upon you, they shall call unto me, but I will not answer: they shall seek me early, and shall not find me.
In Greece, the Turk treats the people horribly; they cry out and call to God from the heart. But there is no hearing, they have to feel the punishment, because they do not want to hear the threat. In the papacy, my heart cried out day and night, but God laughed. Why? Well, we did not want to be careful there either. Now we don't pray either, one doesn't help the other. But the time will come when you will want to help and then you will not be able to, when the lansquenets will stab you with spears and cut you with their swords. For why have we not been able to believe? Because now they admonish and warn us, but we will not listen. Then again there will be no hearing from God, until 2) you come to say: O forgive me my sin, I will gladly let them take my thalers and my head. This punishment will come upon us once, and then no complaining and weeping will help, nor will any promise or promise that we will speak to God: I want to become pious - because God now calls and cries out, and no one hears that, so God will not hear then either. Then you would give a hundred thalers for it, since you do not give one grain now.
- Erlanger: and.
1334 Erl. 45, 160-163. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1335
You noblemen, burghers, and peasants, eat your fill, too: There are many of you poor priests and Christians who honestly have the dear bread. In contrast, you usurers sit and scrape everything into your sack and give nothing to the poor. But then you say: Oh, if God would save me from war or sickness or false doctrine and be gracious and merciful to me, I would gladly give a poor person a hundred guilders for alms. But then you should not be worthy to give a morsel of bread to a poor person, because you do not hear God now, who cries out to you that you should give and help the poor. So you make a fool of yourself and eat the sweat and blood of the poor. Then you will again be shy about what your money and goods will help you, for now you have not only given nothing, but you are also shaving and scraping the poor people. Therefore, dear brother, you will be well aware, for God says here before that he is an angry, zealous God, who seeks out iniquity to the third and fourth generation. If they mock God because of this, it is a sign that it will come to an end, and God will begin to laugh at you again. Then you will want to give two hundred guilders, but then there will be no one, there will be war 2c. For neither are you worthy to give a farthing or to keep a farthing, but brother Vitus has the key to the box, that you now take from the poor and from the rich; and the usurers are now so stingy that they will yet starve us to death. But, in truth, you shall not enjoy a penny, and shall be cursed money, which shall not benefit any pious, God-fearing man, God and we dead, dead Christians want to laugh at them again. Truly, people do not know now how they are supposed to pay for everything. But heed God's warning in time; if not, we will suffer to be oppressed, and God will still give us what we need to sustain ourselves. But the time will come when they, the miserly ones, will not be happy with their money, but Brother Vitus will take it away.
End of this sermon.
The eighth sermon on the 24th chapter of Matthew.
Preached on the 3rd Sunday of Advent, the 14th day Decemb. f1539^. 1)
We heard the other day how the Lord announced at that time how things should be, not only about Jerusalem, but about the whole world, and especially about the Christian church, saying, "Behold, I have told you before. For there has been a great persecution, for which reason he so faithfully warns that it is best to watch. For he not only prophesies it beforehand, but he adds to it, and drives it hard, and repeats it; and then it is of no avail that thou shouldest insist and put thy trust in thy wisdom, wealth, and skill. It cannot help, for it is said here that even the elect, who are the most learned and have the Holy Spirit, can be deceived. Therefore do not say, "There is no need, the devil cannot take it away from me. If you do not pray that the name of God may be sanctified, 2) you are not too wise and holy for the devil, he can deceive you; and I have seen many of them who said that they should not lack, knowing things so surely. For he has also often taken it from me. There are many among them who think they need neither prayer nor study. But look out! It is said, Take heed, watch, for you have an adversary who is a thousandfold. The Lord Christ does not give us in vain to pray, lest we be tempted. For the devil seeks us, and would gladly devour us, or bring us into temptation. Therefore let us pray, lest we perish in temptation. Therefore we must cry out, "Hallowed be thy name." Then our adversaries call us hopeful and obstinate people, if we do not want to hear or accept their means. But I will gladly give way if it concerns the body; only then 3) I will not be led into temptation,
- "Gepredigtvsosmd ." is marginal gloss in the original.
- Erlanger: was.
3> "then": when it is mediation or slacken m of teaching.
1336 srl. 4s, 1S3-16S. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 26. 1337
and then I would rather be proud than to give way and follow you. For if we had yielded to Muenzer, the Sacramentarians and others, where would our doctrine be now? But we have a strict commandment to pray, lest we be led into temptation; and to Sanct Petro the Lord Christ says Luc. 22, 31. f., "Satan hath desired to sift thee, as wheat is sifted; but I have prayed for thee." So we should also pray, for we do not have to deal with bodily diligence, but deal with the spiritual mischiefs that dwell in the darknesses from which God has led us. Therefore, we must be careful and not let their means mislead us. If it results in bloodshed or whatever, we cannot turn away. For here it is written, Behold, I have told you before. They will say, There in the wilderness is Christ. The pious, faithful Lord and Savior, yes, the Lord of all prophets, is doing his prophetic work here, and is warning us. Above he said, "They will come in my name;" here he says, "They will pretend and say, 'Behold, here is Christ,' and will perform miracles and signs, so that even the elect may be deceived. Here he repeats and interprets what is there: Here and there, says v. 26, "Behold, in the wilderness." O let Christ, the Holy Spirit, God and all holy angels be outside, do not go humus. Because God raised a new prophet, should one not go outside? I think that if someone stood up today, looked sour, fasted and had a gray skirt on, and was outside in the wood, I think that the whole city would run out to him, regardless of the fact that here is baptism, we have the Lord's Supper, and all the estates are appointed and ordered by God, Yes, one would say, I know well that all this is true, but I will see what you want to do now.
In the Swiss Laude, one pretended to be a prophet and had two young matzos with him, called prophetesses and penitent virgins. But he had made them both whores. Behold, if such a fool also came here and led the scholars with the
If we were to turn our noses upside down, it might happen that they would say, "He will be the man," and we would then turn our eyes away from baptism and from the gospel and the ten commandments. If God sent such a calamity to us, then one would soon run after it and would not think: You are also in a Christian wholesome state. But the mad head deceived them, and the prophet had two harlots with him. 1)
Now S. Paul also says 2 Tim. 4, 3. f.: The time will come when they will turn their ears from the truth to fairy tales and lies, and run after the deceivers in droves. These false prophets will then have enough, but the pious preacher will be deprived of his own, and especially the nobility of the nobility should strike, and here keep to his ways.
Therefore, let every man be satisfied that he has been baptized, and thank God that he has the divine word, the sacrament of the altar, and the power of the keys, and that he is in a state pleasing to God. If another preaches anything else, he hears it and says, "I know that Christ is in baptism, in his word, in the power of the keys, and also in the Lord's Supper, and I do not ask anything about the clamor of pretending that he is in the wilderness.
If they therefore come and say: In the wilderness there is something marvelous and strange, do not go out; he 2) is in the chamber, do not believe it. How could Christ warn better? If they will not sit upon the staves in the forest, saith the devil, then will I come unto them into their houses. For he is a tempter, for so is his name; he tempteth in all manner of ways. Therefore he sits down in the field or in the wilderness. If one runs to him, he stays there; if not, he comes into the city, and first sets fire to a house, then he poisons a whole village, until even a whole city and country are deceived. If we now
- In order to give only some sense, we had to change and insert something here. In the Erlanger the end of this paragraph reads: "abe, wenn GOtt ein solches Unglück uns zuschicke, so leids, dann balde dar danach so bist du auch in einem christlichem heilsamen Stande. But the mad head seduces them and has the prophet" 2c.
- Erlanger: he is.
1338 Erl. 45, 485-187. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1339
If we think that he will no longer tempt us, we will be shamefully deceived. For I know, 1) that there are some of them among us, who lurk and search how they may kindle a little fire, and if these get away at once, others will be found. Therefore, where there are Christians, the Lord's Prayer must be prayed. For there will always be groups who will want to introduce false teachings and disgrace the kingdom of Christ. We are therefore commanded to watch and not to think that the devil has nothing to do among us, and that he alone is with the pope; if we were rid of the pope, there would be no more danger among us. But one after the other will always come to us. Therefore, we must pray earnestly that God's name be hallowed, and that His kingdom come to us, and that God's will be done, that He give us our daily bread, and after that suffering, danger. We are to be his stuff, through which he works; that is why he wants to be asked of us. Otherwise, he could well sanctify his name and also govern and preserve his church. But he has closed it all and put it into the means.
"In the desert. We have seen that before. For how many orders have been in the desert than Benedictine monasteries, Carthusian monasteries, forest monasteries and field monasteries. For these monasteries were not located in our cities, but out in the fields, in the deserts; and there no one was allowed to say: You are sewing a dangerous stand, dear Benedict, stay with S. Antonio in Antioch in the cobbler's workshop and make shoes. But no, S. Benedict has been the very richest lord of the orders, has had more good and wealth than the right Christians have now. If we had the Benedictine wealth now, we would richly supply the schools, parishes and hospitals and build cities on top of them.
I can not help Bernhardo and Benedicto, because by this text that even the elect may be deceived. For
- Here Luther will have thought mainly of Agricola, who was still in Wittenberg at that time.
- "not" inserted by us.
Saint Bernard has accumulated in his life at one hundred and sixty monasteries, and has been thirty years an abbot, vain field monasteries, and has one to the least three thousand or four thousand guilders income, one part probably five or six thousand guilders, and more than the cell and gates. 3) That is where it all came from: Here is Christ. For look at their orders, what do they preach? They do not say, Believe in Christ and be baptized, but are silent about baptism, the Lord's Supper and the power of the keys, and preach that one should not eat meat all one's life, item, wear a plate, and put on a wide cap, be apart from people, not be in the world, not have a wife or child, and believe that one would become blessed by such good works: no one has considered this to be an error, not even St. Bernard himself. Bernard himself, but when he was about to die, he said: "Oh, I have lived badly. But I take comfort in the fact that you, God, have said: You will not despise a broken heart, item, that Christ has heaven by two rights 2c. Then he comes to his senses again, and to baptism, and to the gospel, and to Christ, saying not, I have thus long worn the cap, for the order is upon it. So the elect came into it in error, but did not remain in it.
Others have wanted to be saved through this order, and have sold and shared their superfluous good works with others. They have gone to the devil; and I must tell a poem that I have read about Saint Bernard, that when he died, many thousands also died, and among them only Bernard and another common layman alone became blessed; as if one should have seen it. 4) But he who invented this wanted to indicate and defend that one did not believe that Saint Bernard died. But the one who invented this wanted to denounce and defend that one did not believe that Saint Bernard had been blessed for the sake of monasticism. But they understood it much differently in the papacy, and pretended: Oh, St. Bernard has been beatified, that is a sign that you have left the order.
- "The Gates" will probably be the former Cistercian monastery, which is now called "Pforta" or "Schulpforta". As early as 1543, Duke Moritz of Saxony transformed it into a school.
- Erlanger: solls.
1340 Erl. 45, 187-169. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 26. 1341
S. Bernhard's sword and also run into a monastery. So the Jews also held the contradiction and understood it much differently, since they saw a sword hovering in the air over the city of Jerusalem for a whole year. Then they took it that God would protect and defend the city of Jerusalem. The iron door of the temple was found open at night, which was a sign that the temple was about to be destroyed. They interpreted it to mean that God had opened the door himself, a sign that he wanted to come to the temple and help Jerusalem.
So do we. We reverse the warning, just as the monks did with Saint Bernard. One reads of St. Anthony that he saw a face, how the world was full of ropes (whether our Lord God did it immediately, or by the devil, I do not know); then St. Anthony said: Oh, who will be saved? He was answered: Only humility. I do not like this word, because one wanted to say: Whoever wanted to escape these ropes, should become humble, that is, become an Antonian.
Item, he saw another figure, as a nest, 1) which was full of birds; and when another bird wanted to climb into the nest, a great man stood there and threw it down. They also interpret this to mean that there is great danger in the world. Well, they were so warned, but they understood all the nonsense. Many more pious, godly people have been awakened by God, who would have liked to fight back, but they could not.
Item, S. Antonius would have liked to know whom he would be like in heaven. Then it was revealed to him that he was not yet like a shoemaker in Alexandria, a citizen who had a wife and child. Now the Antonite desert or monastery was as far from Alexandria as the thieving heath 2) would be from Wittenberg. Then S. Antonius comes to the cobbler and asks him what he was doing. The shoemaker answered: "I poor citizen.
- Erlanger: Nehest.
- i.e. the Dübener Haide.
wait for my craft, pray daily that all men may be saved and that I, poor unworthy sinner, may also attain eternal life through Christ. When Antonius heard this, he was ashamed that he had not come as far in his monasticism as this cobbler.
These were all warnings that they should not live in the desert, but be satisfied with their baptism, and listen to St. Athanasius, who was a noble bishop of the church at that time. But for and for it happened that what was taught was not seen in particular. For no one looked at the word, sacrament of the altar and baptism, no one took it seriously. Therefore, when a useless spout comes, it soon deceives the people.
V. 26. Do not go out.
For he wants to say: You have the baptism, the preaching ministry of the divine word, as I have ordered, keep to it. You have the sacrament and the power of the keys, keep it. For this you owe obedience to your prince, you have a wife and children, your craft, stay with it and nurture yourself, and let others run out. You are holy to me through baptism, also through the sacrament of the altar, through the divine word and absolution. After that I have also put you in your place and commanded you enough what you should do. So you should remember, but you don't, but do as the righteous do. If it has enough to eat at home, nevertheless, if a beetle or a glue stick comes and is held out to it, it wants to see what is there, then it is caught over it. So if the devil puts a little owl or owl on us with a spirit of distress, we will soon be seduced.
V. 26. In the chamber.
That is, if they come to you in your houses, do not believe them, just as he warned above not to go out to them. Therefore, if they come to us, we must not believe them, but say, What do you pretend? I know that without baptism there is no salvation.' They say: This is a ge-
1342 Erl- 45, 169-172. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1343
my Christian thing, belongs to everyone, but you have to put on a cap. Well, I could still put on a sack. Yes, but you will be blessed by it. Where is Christ then? Therefore, devil, into the abyss of hell, you shall never persuade me to build on my cap, but I will listen to the word of God, which Christ has spoken about baptism and the estates. And always lead the fool out of the house, and do not build a monastery in my house. For the cities have become full of monasteries, and great and glorious churches have been built, and the money and goods have been given to the monks, and the body and goods have gone, so that people have either run away into the deserts, or have come to our houses.
One reads of S. Paphnutio, who was challenged, that he would have liked to know whether one was also like him. He was answered that he was equal to two women. Then Paphnutius goes and asks what kind of women they are, and when he comes, he asks them. We are housemothers. What are you doing? he says. Nothing special, they say, we feed ourselves like poor people, and have lived peacefully with our husbands, and have never quarreled with each other. Whoever invented this, sought that the women should be one. But when Sanct Paphnutin left, he said, "Now never again shall we despise any state or any man in any state, however low he may be. He brought something delicious from it, and with it he fought off those who wanted to have something special. For what is a monk who thinks: the whole world sins, but he alone is holy? They thought that the whole world was a damned people, and no one thought that: In the world there are people who are baptized and have the divine word, are obedient to their authorities and serve lords and ladies.
So they had many warnings, but it did not help, the appearance was too great. So the baptism has come into contempt, and one has fallen on Hie und Da. If one looks at their thing rightly, what is it? it is here and there, and nothing else. For if they should pre
If they deny that baptism saves, they would be like us, and their thing would be nothing, but that the gospel saves, and that each one may remain married. Then all their thing is dead. For what need would I have to run away to a monastery? So there would be no here nor there. Therefore they make a here and there, so that they make a that and a that out of it; that is, in your state you will not be saved, but must run into the deserts. If then thou wilt not, I will run to thy house, and bring thee this and that. They say: Have you a wife? Oh, it is nothing. Art thou in the world? It is also nothing, but you must become a monk, that you may be something special; that is, this or that, that when you wait for your office, then it is not this or that, for all with one another hold themselves thus. Therefore it must not be called baptism, paternoster, for that is a vain and lowly thing, just as all women wear veils 1) and men put on hats. Then it is not said, Behold, how he hath a hat! For they all have hats. But if you were to become a monk, that would be something special, and everyone would say, "Behold, there is Christ. But say thou, I will abide where the common Christian abides, in baptism, in the divine word, and in absolution, and I will leave off the here and there, being something special above that which God has ordained; beware of that. For Christ sprinkles us with his blood; as often as we hear his word, receive the sacrament, and are absolved, it is all by virtue of his innocent shedding of blood. Then, in your outward life, be like other godly hearts, and if someone brings you something special, say: I do not want to have this or that, to accept here or there. We have been told enough, but we do not keep it, just as our descendants will not respect it nor keep it. From the Old Testament they have had a great command and pretense, so that they have greatly urged and driven the unlearned bishops. But we will save the same until another time.
End of this sermon.
- Erlanger: Schleher.
1344 Erl. 45, 172-174.- Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 27. 28. 1345
The ninth sermon on the 24th chapter of Matthew.
Preached on the 4th Sunday of Advent, on the day of St. Thomas 21 December 1539. 1)
We have heard how the Lord first answered his disciples, that before the last day should come, not only Jerusalem should then be plagued by the sword and physical warfare, but also all Christendom should be plagued by the spiritual sword, and that all these plagues and tortures should come before the last day should come, when this preaching shall go, that they shall teach, Behold here, there, in the chamber. But those who did not heed the warning and did not do this, that is us. It is a sin and a shame that we have such a prophecy of the Lord Christ Himself, and yet we are not helped. I see myself at times, that I have been such a block and stick, that nothing has moved me, as it should truly have gone to my heart. For I had the bright, clear word of God, which was dark, obscure and hidden from the whole world. For if all the books of all faculties had been presented to us, we could not know from them where Adam came from, and where sin and death came from, for these things alone are taught in the holy Scriptures. Therefore we should study it, because we will become wiser from it than the whole world otherwise is. He who does not ask the Scriptures for advice will know nothing at all; now we know how we are to die, where we are to go, and also how we are to escape death: Death may escape. We learn this only from the book of the holy scriptures. But he who has preached about here and there has known nothing. Now the Lord continues and says:
V. 27: As the lightning flashes from the exit.
Thus the Lord concludes the answer to the 3) piece, when Jerusalem shall be destroyed-.
- "PreachedThomä " is marginal gloss in the original.
- "we" inserted by us.
- Erlanger: on stucco.
the. He spread them out far and wide, not only over Jerusalem but also until the last day, and prophesied how the whole world and Christianity should fare; as if he should say: Do not be fooled with the here and there, my kingdom will not be like that, but as the lightning is, uncaught. One cannot say: Here or there is the lightning, one can also not paint a special place for it, but it takes up in a Hui deu whole heaven. So is the lightning, so the divine word is called, because that will go through and through. My kingdom is not bound to here and there, nor must it be called Rome, Jerusalem, or Jacob, but everywhere in the world; and if anyone teaches otherwise, it is not right. If it be said, Behold, here at Rome, at Jerusalem, at S. Jacob, there shalt thou find Christ, it is not true; but look to the lightning, where it shineth. Where is he then? In the whole world, not only in the corner of the Jewish land or in Egypt, but it is a free word that shines throughout the whole world. Whoever now sees it, let him see it.
So he wants to warn us, that we do not let ourselves be bound to place 4) and person. For the papacy was nothing else but here and there, which taught: If you do not believe in the Roman bishop, you are condemned. How do I come to this? Well, there is the chair of Peter. Why there and not elsewhere? Well, the apostles S. Peter and Paul are buried there. Listen, it is not called: "here", but like the lightning goes from the morning to the evening, and shines in all places of the world, so is also the divine word.
In Luke Cap. 17, 21 the Pharisees also say, when will the kingdom of God come? The Lord answers, it does not come cum observatione 5) 2c. It cannot be bound, but as I am baptized here, so shall another Christian be baptized in India. For they have the same gospel, and in all places of the world the same key or absolution. Therefore it cannot be bound. But he who teaches the antitype, he ver-
- Erlanger: Stähet.
- Thus the Vulgate. Erlanger: in odssrtions.
1346 Erl. 4S, 174-176. Interpretations On the Evangelist Matthew. 1347
leads the people. Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I have told you before. The day of the Son of Man will also be like this, that is, my kingdom will also be like this.
Now he gives a glorious, beautiful likeness and speaks:
V. 28. Where there is carrion, there the eagles gather.
This is a strange, strange likeness. We don't know much about the eagles in this country, because there are different kinds and sexes of eagles. We commonly call them vultures in this country, as here are the great goose vultures, a large and horrible bird, probably as big as I am. After that are the cattle vultures, 1) which are also eagles - but the right eagles, of which the emperor's coat of arms is, these are other and smaller eagles - and are such birds that feed on the game prey, which is called carrion. We Germans say: Where there is a carrion, there the ravens are found. So, if there is a carrion on the gallows, you will feel it by the ravens.
He uses this simile to say: Where there is a carrion, you must not worry about eagles and ravens, because they will soon find each other. Mau writes of the righteous eagles that they can smell carrion many, many miles away. Whether this is true or not, there is not much to it. We Germans say that when a raven sits on a house, it is a prophecy and an indication with your raven that one of the same house will die. But I do not say this because it is true, but it is nature that the same bird likes to be around carrion and feeds on it. 2) We call them ravens, and it is written, since the Trojan war arose, that many thousands of ravens or eagles flew 3) into that country.
But he says: Where there is carrion, there will be ravens. This is the answer he gives to those who said how this could happen. Should not the kingdom of Christ be at Jerusalem or at Babylon? No, as I have now said about the lightning. So says
- Maybe "fish vulture".
- Erlanger: nährete.
- Erlanger: fled.
He also said here: "What do you want to say, where the kingdom will be? Where there is a carcass, that is, where the Word of God is preached and the sacraments are administered, there will be Christians.
It is marvelous that he compares his kingdom to the carrion of a thief on the gallows, or to a murderer lying on the wheel, where the eagles take flight. He could have said, "My kingdom is like a grain of wheat lying in the field, where the doves fly and pick it up and eat it. For when the husbandman sows or threshes, the sparrows and the fowls and the yellowhammers and the other birds are there waiting for the grain.
First of all, he wants to forbid special places, because where the gospel goes, there would be Christians who would be baptized.
It is an insolent similitude that where there is a carrion, there are also eagles. But by this he means the main thing, that Christ would not be here nor there, but as the lightning shines in all four places of the world, so shall the kingdom also be in every place.
I think he makes it so ugly, 4) that he compares his kingdom to a carrion, and his Christians to eagles. In the sky is a beautiful light, a glorious lightning, is hastening glorious and terrible light. But here they consider Christ to be a carrion, a hastily condemned, crucified man, and all those who believe in him and cling to him must be called ravens. The devil and the world do not call them doves, storks and redheads, but black ravens and eagles, which eat the dead carrion of the Jew, who died on the cross and was more shamefully executed than a murderer would die on the gallows. Thus the world holds us up to ridicule, even the papists today. But it has been proclaimed and prophesied here that Christ should be a rotten carcass, a mischievous one, that Christ should be put to death for his iniquity; as the Jews said, "Would not this man be a murderer?
- "imeß" - unappetizing; put by us, because we assume that in the original it is "vnetz". - Höck: "In the original: vieß; perhaps- viehisch". -Erlanger: Viehs. - On the word "uneß," compare Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XIII, 2766, s 14: "^Christ) makes's zumal verdrießlich und uneß."
1348 Erl. 45, 176-178. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 27. 28. 1349
Evil-doer, we would not have delivered him to thee." But we do not consider all this, but consider it a great honor and glory that we believe in Christ. Before the world, in the 22nd Psalm, he calls himself a worm and a despiser of the people, who was led to the shingle at Jerusalem, where they judged thieves and murderers. He is such a carrion, and he is spoken bitterly, that the Lord Christ stings the Jews with it, who thought him to be a dead carrion.
So it is still ridiculous to the Jews and Papists that we put our trust in the one who was judged on Mount Calvary and became a carrion and was sacrificed there.
We are accustomed to curse the wicked: "That ravens may devour thee, that is, that the executioner may hang thee on the gallows, or that thou mayest be drowned. So they made a mischief out of the Lord Jesus Christ and hanged him on the gallows, because no pious man should be put to death, and as a sign they hanged two murderers on his sides; and he is still today a carrion, before whom they close their ears and noses; and he has truly become a carrion. But we think much of the dear carrion, and do not err that they call us their cursed and damned ravens. For we have eternal life from the carrion. Do not turn away from it. Let them be doves, peacocks, pheasants, 1) siskins, finches, tits, goldfinches, blackbirds and thrushes and other proud, glorious birds. But we like to smell the stinking carrion, and run for it several hundred miles, and it does not hurt that we are black before the world.
So the Lord used two similes, first of all, a heavenly one, of lightning, which is a beautiful light, to indicate that his kingdom should be unbound and uncaptured. For since Jerusalem is now destroyed, where Christ's kingdom was before, it is asked where the kingdom will be. For Jerusalem is now torn asunder. Then it is said, "Where the lightning will be and where the carrion will be, that is, where the divine word will be, whether here or in another place," that is where the church will be.
The enthusiasts say that we teach Hie
- Erlanger: Fasian.
and there, but the here and there in your and our way. For baptism is not here alone, as the pope says, he is a pious bishop, not elsewhere. No, he Christ says, all places are my servants. Because the place is my servant, it is right, then it is not called here and there. For if there be a carcase, there must be a place; but that it be not assigned to the place, 2) That it be there or thereabouts. 3)Let it not be said, In the word; it is not spiritual. That is, not Here and There, nor bound to the altar, or baptism, or preaching seat. They were rude teachers, that they wanted to prove it by this. As, the sacramentarians pretended that in the Lord's Supper alone was the bread and wine, and baptism only a bad water, and the word of God only a plant, 4) with which or through which the Holy Spirit was not given.
Nor should it be preached in the house alone, for that would be called Here. This is not the opinion of the Lord Christ, that 5) any place should be chosen, and the other places all excluded and despised, as if one would say: The Holy Spirit is found in Rome alone; then it would be said, No. Why? Thy throne at Rome shall be subject unto me, saith Christ; all places shall serve me. I serve and preach where I will, there also will Christ be with his shedding of blood by the word. Now where I may walk, and where I may preach, there also is the church; and there it is, as I have said: Behold, there is Christ. This makes a special place and person.
Therefore, we have an eternal dispute with the Pope's canons and can never become one with the canons and decrees of the Pope. 6) The Holy Scriptures must give way or the canons must give way. For either the holy scripture must give way, or the canons. For the pope binds the consciences to his laws in place, food, person, and peculiar dress. For he says: Are
- Erlanger: "die Stätte nicht zueiget".
- It seems that the sentence: "One should not say" 2c. is supposed to be a plea of the enthusiasts, the following sentence: "That is" 2c. Luther's answer. This whole paragraph is not quite understandable. The scribe has not sufficiently reproduced Luther's speech.
- Maybe: "Laundry"?
- Erlanger: but that.
- Erlanger: dem Kanonichen.
1350 Erl. 45, 178-18V. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1351
If you do not have such a person, you cannot be saved. Therefore you will never make the canonists and theologians one, but they must be one, so that either Christ or the devil gives way. But no one gives way to the other. For this reason they will probably remain eternally at odds with one another.
But we preach that it is not called here and there. On the other hand, they preach again that it is called here and there, and although there are many other wonderful and good things in the covenants, but the devil quickly pours his poison into them with your here and there. For this reason, the Pope's canons must be removed, for it is the devil's right. For it shall trouble the consciences that, if one is not such a person as the pope depicts, then one must be damned, since God's word says it is false. Therefore, the teachings of the pope and the canons are nothing but murder pits and purgatory of the conscience, and if the poison is here and there inside, nothing remains, one is then lost. It is better that you should be lost, than that we should lose God and Christ. Therefore, remain a jurist in secular law, which governs the country and the people rightly, protects the pious and punishes the wicked. You have enough to do, practice in it. But with the Pabst's dirt always away! Let no man hear, but say, This poison is the devil; but look thou to the lightning from heaven, and to the carrion upon the earth. For the eagles will not all gather here in Wittenberg. Therefore the pope must perish or God, item, our gospel or the pope's decree must go. For if he would become our Lord again, it is called here and there.
So Christ now proclaims that his kingdom is not to be called Here and There. For Christ does not call us to look in one place alone, but everywhere in the world. According to this, all persons who believe in him and are baptized, whether male or female, shall be saved, no one being excluded. For it is not one man alone who believes in Christ, or one doctor alone, but all classes in the world, all classes of people in the world, and none excluded, all,
- "none" inserted by us.
Those who believe shall be saved; it is not because they were clothed in this or that garment. For no garment shall do it, but all persons shall be equal; neither shall any plate do it, nor cap; 2) but all that believe in Christ, whether they drink water, or wine, or eat fish, all of them one, and none of them excluded; 3) there shall be no distinction either of persons, or of garments, or of places, or of places. Item, thou shalt not eat meat, butter and cheese, item, thou shalt not wear a red skirt, but become a monk and put on a gray cap, nor shall any nun wear a wreath, item, at Rome is the church, and nowhere else in the world do they hold many processiones and stations. But no; it is said: Where there is a carrion, there the eagles gather. You don't have to look at any place, dress or person. He will have none, but will have it all; he will have man, woman, king, emperor, and may wear all manner of raiment, and drink and eat all that they have.
But this error has taken hold with such force that even the elect have been deceived into error, as St. Bernard, St. Bonaventure and others. St. Bernard, St. Bonaventure and others, and have not considered this godly and holy necessary admonition and warning of Christ, but have only opened their eyes, ears, mouths and noses to what the pope has taught; And therefore all orders, brotherhoods and pilgrimages have come, and after the destruction of Jerusalem this desolation and prison of the Christian church has soon followed, in which all potentates of the world are still stuck, except us, whom God has saved from it by revelation of His word.
Now he goes to the other question, about the end of the world and the last day. To this he will also answer. The first part has happened, and Jerusalem has been torn apart, and we have been miserably afflicted with spiritual persecution, and there are still many kings in it. But the days shall be shortened, that the number of the elect may be increased, and the gospel spread abroad, and many be won to Christ.
- "do" inserted by us.
- Erlanger: "eat all fish, included and excluded."
[1352 Erl. 45, 18i-i3. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 29-31. 1353
The tenth sermon on the 24th chapter of Matthew.
Preached on the Sunday Vocem jucunditatis, on 2 Maji, 1540.
This affliction p. 29: was started by the sorry pope and still lasts to this day. But how long it can still exist', we cannot know. Nevertheless, the last day will soon follow, as the Gospel says here.
However, no one can say how horrible it was under the papacy. The Turk's tyranny and murder is great, and he is an archenemy and persecutor of Christianity; but one can still understand such his persecution. But because the Pabst's affliction is spiritual, it cannot be excused, and when this affliction will cease, the last day will surely come.
And have heard above in the 24. Chapter 24, how the Lord answered the question, and said how it should be after his death in the world, until the end of the world, namely, that there should be two kinds of persecution, namely, murder, which the Jews and emperors and kings have committed against the Christians, who have shed much blood throughout the whole Roman Empire; then lies, which are driven by the heretics, who have challenged the faith and miserably torn apart the church, until the pope and Turk came, who have reversed it all; and the Turk with his Mahomet now holds almost the greatest part of the world. So the Pope also has a terrifying reign, for before his name all the emperors and kings of the world are terrified, and God under his kingdom has honestly preserved the sacrament of baptism and the mere text of the Holy Scriptures and the Gospel. Thus, GOD tried and purified His Church, also armored it. After these two persecutions he proclaims that when they are at their greatest, there shall be an end, and now says and preaches about the last judgment and the end of the world. Otherwise he says in the gospel clearly and plainly that no one knows the day and the hour of the last judgment, because only
- The designation of the year (in the original margin) 1539 lst wrong. It must read 1540." (Erlanger.)
- Erlanger: out of.
the Father in heaven and the angels in heaven do not know, and yet, so that he does not leave us without warning, he gives us a sign so that we can take counsel, and he wants us to believe that the last day must not be far away, but at the door, and so people can be warned.
And such signs must be, that the future of this day may be known, and it may be said: Truly this day must not be far off; and this preaching must now be spoken and practiced, especially among the Christians. So they also had signs at the time of Christ, which the prophets had proclaimed when the kingdom of Judah would cease, namely, because Christ would be there, item, when the Roman empire would be at its best, he would rise from the dead. Therefore there was a murmur in the time of Christ that he must be present; and in the Gospel they say: Truly this is Christ, for even if another came, he could not do greater deeds than he is doing. So time and prophecy coincide. The same must be said before the end of the world. Truly, the world has an end, how can it be otherwise? The signs are there that are to precede it.
The evangelist understands it recently, and yet he indicates how it shall be in the end; and S. Paul 1 Cor. 15. also speaks of it, saying: I declare to you a secret thing, which the world does not know, but you Christians know it, namely, that we shall all die, but come forth incorruptible again, that is, that they die no more. There he sets forth two things, namely, that we shall not all die, and yet all shall die; that they who shall live to see that day, and shall find the voice or sound of the trumpet alive, shall at that moment be changed with those who sleep in the earth and have died, and shall be drawn to meet Christ. They will be asleep, that is, lying in the grave and dead, the others will still be alive, and yet both will be found at the same hour and moment and changed from this life to another life. This will be a wonderful work, that the whole world with the deceased in a hui and moment, when they hear the voice of the trumpet.
1354 Erl. 45, 183-185. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1355
The dead shall be drawn to Christ. The dead shall come forth out of the earth, and we who are alive shall not die, shall not go into the earth or into the grave, and yet at that moment shall be changed, if we still have this body in us, even if we still have this life in us, shall be changed, and not die, but be changed out of a mortal, corruptible, stinking body. Item, which are then also immediately not Christians, will then also be changed, and all this in a moment, by a bright trumpet. But it is impossible for us to understand, so we have to believe it.
And what the Lord also says here, that God will send His angels, that will also happen in a moment; and take the likeness before you of the lightning when it thunders. You see, when it is a strong, terrible weather, it thunders so that the houses crack, and a real thunderclap, before you look around, in a moment, it has done what it wants to do. That is first of all the ABC of it, this is only a sign against the weather, which is to become then on the last day. For the other weather can also be done by the wicked devil, just as the devil's whores, the sorceresses, often cause the weather to strike cattle, grain, houses and farms; not that the devil could not do it for himself without the sorcerers, but he is a lord of the world and arrogates to himself divine majesty, and yet will not do it without the work of men; And just as God, through the prophets and apostles, pastors and preachers, baptizes, administers the sacraments, preaches, comforts, and yet does not do it without preachers and holy people, just as he does not govern the land and people without secular authorities, so does the devil. He also has his priests who help him carry out his office, and he will not do it without the magicians. Just as God has joined himself to us, that when I baptize, he will also be present: so does the devil, saying, "If you speak these words and make crosses, I will be there and do this or that.
Clouds, that suddenly a house would fall over a heap. And so it is read in the book of Job, that the devil made a storm, and burned Job's house, and strangled his children and his cattle, and that the devil said afterward unto God, If thou hadst not made such a wall about him, I would have stirred him better. He did the same with us. But the angels of God resist him and can do better than he, as the pious angel did in the camp of war of king Sanherib, which lay before Jerusalem, a storm and hail, so that he strangled a hundred and eighty thousand men 2 Kings 19:35.
But what kind of weather and thunder will it be, when the Lord Himself will make weather on the last day? For if the weather is caused by the devils and good angels, who also destroy everything and do harm, what kind of terrible weather will it be when God's Son comes with His angels and makes a thunderclap, and comes in an instant and kills everything? Then God will show Himself in His majesty with all the hosts of the dear angels. Behold, what weather there was at Mount Sinai, and yet it was not God's weather. The mountain stood, trembled and shook, and there was smoke and steam around it and thick black clouds, thunder and lightning were heard and seen there; and yet it was only the angels' business, made by the angels' power and forces, who had given the law in God's name; they had caused the weather. From this it can be seen what kind of thunderstorm the Lord Christ himself will cause on the last day by his divine majesty. He himself will come and make a weather, raise a shout, and sound the trumpet and sing the taraton. It will be such a weather that when the right blow comes, it will kill everyone in the world and bring everyone back to life; and when the thunder goes, it will be like fire. The fire will not harm us, but heaven and earth and all the elements will be melted. The sun and the moon and the stars will be no more, but all things will be new; and though fire remain, we shall not have it.
1356 Erl. 45, 185-188. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 29-31. 1357
respect nor fear. For the angels who now live in heaven are like fire, bright and shining spirits, and God Himself is a fire. Therefore, when we rise from the dead, the fire will do us no harm or harm, and we will all be like fire and light. On the other hand, the wicked will have eternal torture and torment.
You may understand this from the storms that the evil spirits and good angels make out of God's command.
V. 31. He will send his angels with bright trumpets.
A shout in the field is not to be heard joyfully. What then shall be the trumpet of God, which is not made of brass, but which he himself shall blow? That such a bright and strong sound shall be made, that men shall die with it; and in the thunder and tempest the heavens and the earth shall be black; and the blast shall be threefold, and shall be called his own weather, and thunder, and shouting in the field, and trumpet.
The thunderstorm, even though it is still far away from us, will still be heard. Even though it is made by angels, people will still be safe in the world, except for the pious and godly who believe in Christ, that he will come to judge the living and the dead. They will know the signs that the day of the Lord is near. It may well come that the thunder will precede for a year, and then the miser, usurers, fornicators, drunkards and other godless people will say: Have you never heard the weather and thunder before, or seen it light up? Should mau be afraid of lightning? just as S. Paul 1 Thessalonians says in the fifth chapter that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they will say: There is peace, there is no danger, then destruction will quickly overtake them, like the pain of a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. For by working, planting, sowing (as afterward
- glinzen - to shine.
in this 24th chapter of Matthew), in a moment the blow will come, and we will be drawn up to meet it in the air, and then we will see the Lord coming in the beautiful lightning that will illuminate the whole world.
Thus the Holy Spirit describes the last day, and S. Peter does the same in his epistle, so that we may prepare and prepare ourselves for this glorious future, in which heaven and earth and all elements will be melted. Since it does not happen in small weather without damage, what should not happen in the great weather, when heaven and earth will be melted by it? Because we see now how the weather tears through and crashes in the clouds, but there the elements will even melt.
But before this thunder and lightning, these signs will precede: There will be great weather, thunder and lightning, and yet the people will be safe, and no one will ask about it except the Christians. The others shall laugh and mock, as it happened in the days of Noah, when they thought him a fool to make a mouse-box and a bird-builder. Now when it began to rain, ei, said they, hast thou never seen rain before? Have you not seen thick, cloudy, black clouds? In the same way, they say, "It has been seen that there have been eclipses of the sun and the moon. These will be plunged in their safety into the abyss of hell in a moment, after which an end will be made to their lies and murder.
V. 29. The sun and the moon will lose their shine.
The celestial masters and stargazers can calculate to a minute when the eclipses will be, but I think it will be a little more. For he casts it all together, the sun, moon, stars and celestial powers. And the unbelievers will still be blind, and especially the Turks, Papists and usurers. Therefore, the text also says that the sun, moon and stars will lose their light in a special way.
- "very" put by us instead of "empty" in the Erlanger.
1358 Erl. 45, 188-I9Ü. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1359
The astronomers have a certain rule that when the sun and moon are eclipsed, and when the sun loses its light, then the moon is not called eclipsed, and at the same time the sun and moon cannot lose their light. This is almost as if the sun, moon, and stars were to be seen to lose their light in one way and at the same time, which has never happened before: but on the day when Christ was crucified, there was also such an unnatural eclipse of the sun; and if the world should still stand for a long time, the astrouomi and mathematici should know nothing of it; when Christ suffered, the sun was eclipsed, and yet the month was not new. For if otherwise there is an eclipse of the sun, then certainly the month is new. This is their art. But there the sun was eclipsed not 1) in the new moon, on the 14th day of the month Martii. Therefore this eclipse was not to be counted from the art. Before the peasants' revolt the sun was always red, and God grant that it was already a sign of the last day. This summer the sun was so thick, from the heat, that I could see into it: so the Lord can still make it that it would also be dark in the middle of the day. This year the sun and moon were seen as a red copper plate, so that I saw no brilliance. Who knows what these signs are?
Above we have said of the end-Christ that it is the pope. His majesty also falls, before which otherwise emperors, kings, princes and lords trembled, but now one respects him 2) nothing. This is not a bad sign. For the Lord strikes the villain dead with the sword of the mouth, that is, with faith, with which all his majesty is now struck. Item, the Turk shall not gain much more, and the world will be safe, build, eat and drink, and the usury has risen, that one takes from the hundred ten, fifteen, twenty florins. Where is it going? And the people are mad and foolish with usury and robbery.
- "not" inserted by us, because otherwise a complete contradiction would take place, because the solar eclipses occur only at the time of the new moon.
- Höck: "jn". Erlanger: "jenen".
The gospel is now clear and bright, and there are few who follow it. The pope and the Turk mock us, and are few of the true Christians.
But if these are not signs, it will not be long before we see the sun and moon blackened, as happened in the passion of Christ. I would like to turn it to that, that these would be right signs, which we see now. But the text keeps me, that the last day will find the world in the rush, buying and selling, eating and drinking.
Therefore let us see to it that we do not fail; and the devout hearts not only say, Christ will come, but wish that he were now at the door and already there, and these are truly the right words. It was not so under the papacy. Whoever heard of the last day was frightened, and no one liked to hear about dying; everyone wished that the last day would never come. Now it is the other way round, and the words and wishes of many devout hearts go: Come, dear Lord Jesus Christ! For there is no government, everyone does what he wants, our preaching does not help, so the worldly authorities are left alone. Therefore come thunder and lightning, and strike it all down. This cry is truly a sign of the future of the Lord, and we Christians will make the right cry and say, as it is written in the Revelation of John: Veni, domine Jesu, come, dear Lord JEsu Christe, make an end of the game.
Since it is therefore shameful in the world, let us beware. But he has commanded us, when we see this, that we should be glad, and lift up our heads, and pray that God will control the evil world and the devil. Previously, mau did not ask, wish and speak thus, but only the antitype.
V. 30. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven.
Many have interpreted that one will find a cross in heaven, for the angel of one will be a cross, the other a spear, the third the nails and other weapons,
1360 Eri. 4s, 19O-IS3. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 32. 33. 1361
so that he was martyred. Now I believe that it will be seen what the Lord Christ, our head, suffered for his members, for us, his Christianity; but this is the natural sign: The confession of the mouth, or his word; as Isaiah also saith in the eleventh chapter v. 10., "It shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, which is for a banner," or sign, "shall be to the nations, after whom the Gentiles shall inquire." The banner or sign will be raised up and the elect will gather there. This sign can be interpreted by no one else, except by the gospel, which will be spread through all hearts and through all kingdoms. This, I think, is what he also means here.
But it is truly a good prayer that the elect will then lead: Thy kingdom come unto us; hallowed be thy name. Otherwise one cannot resist, it becomes the longer the more annoying.
End of the sermon.
The eleventh sermon on the 24th chapter of Matthew.
1540. 1)
V. 32: Learn a likeness from the fig tree. When its branch is now succulent and gaining leaves, you know that summer is near.
We want to make this text about the last day, as we have begun; and have heard so far how the sun and the moon will lose their light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will howl and see the sign of the Son of God, and see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with great power and glory, and sending His angels with bright trumpets; and have heard what is to be understood by the trumpet, and how the angels will blow it. For this is also spoken of by S. Paul to the Thessalonians Cap. 4, 15. ff. and to the Corinthians Cap. 15, 22. ff., which will happen in a hui in the last trumpet, but will not all die or sleep.
And here it is written that Christ will come in majesty, and S. Paul
- A closer time determination is missing. This sermon was preached between May 2 and September 19, 1540.
says that we shall then be raptured with him into the clouds.
Now how does this rhyme, if it is all to happen in a moment and be pushed to the ground, where then will the clouds and the air be when he is to descend and we are to be drawn to meet him in the clouds? and this will happen when the last trumpet is to sound.
First of all, it is certain that in the hour when the angels blow, the Christians will still be on earth among the wicked. Therefore it is said to the Corinthians 1 Ep. 15, 51. f.: We will all be changed, but not all will fall asleep, and that suddenly and in a moment, at the time of the last trumpet, will have a different nature, will come out of the mortal and stinking body to a beautiful, delicious, fragrant body. This will happen when the last trumpet sounds, in a moment. Those who will be struck by the trumpet will not die, or, as St. Paul used to say, fall asleep. This is one and certain, because the text is clear.
On the other hand, it is certain that the world and the wicked will be living in a frenzy, feasting and eating, throwing up their hands and saying, "Are the Christians fools, mad and foolish, to be afraid of the day? and the Christians will be a small crowd. The others will eat, drink, take men, buy and sell, just as they did before the flood, when it was also preached that the weather would come and drown the world. But the more Noah preached, the more they ate. It was the same in Sodom. There the full sows ran around the house and wanted to break out the doors, and were without all worry, until the morning dawned, then they went to sleep. But those who were drowned in an instant in the flood, and those who were destroyed in an instant in Sodom and Gomorrah by brimstone, fire and pitch. The same happened to Sanherib, the emperor of Assyria, when a hundred and eighty thousand men were slain in one night before Jerusalem. The same will happen before the last day and the end of the world, when the day will suddenly come upon us.
1362 Erl. 45, 1S3-1S5. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1363
the Turk, the pope, the princes, the usurers and the fornicators, who are now in all their lust, joy, avarice and worldly dominion. Then the last day will also come in a moment.
On the other hand, the world will be safe, and seek all kinds of pleasure, and strive for good, money and honor, as if it only wanted to live here forever.
How does it rhyme that he will come in the clouds and send his angels to gather the elect from the four elders of the earth, and who are then asleep, to come out of the earth and meet Christ? All this cannot be done in a moment. Item, the text says v. 36: "Of the day and hour even the angels do not know", when the last day will come, and Christ himself will not know it either, according to his mystery; and I have also said that this trumpet will not be made of silver, gold or brass, as the trumpets were in the law, but S. Paul says: It will be a trumpet of God, which will be blown by an archangel.
But first there shall be heard a terrible, great, dreadful thunder; and after that he shall sound: and it shall come to pass in the night, or very early, that the LORD shall lift up a black and thick cloud of weather. Then there will be thunder and lightning. This will not be the right trumpeting, but only the sounding of the trumpets. But Christ will not yet be seen in the air until the right lightning comes. Then all will be changed in a moment; then the cloud will be seen in which the Lord will come. But the wicked will not see it. Then the right and last thunderclap and weather will come, and thunder and lightning will strike together in a moment. But the Christians see such a cloud and other signs, and notice what is there, and in that they now see, and others see according to the dice, according to money, goods, pleasure, their trades 2c. the sound of the last trumpets will go; and this weather will the
- Thus already emendirt by Hock. Erlanger: "in all its".
The angels will gather the clouds together, and the fire and the water will be gathered together, and the heavens and the earth and all creatures will tremble and shake, and everything will collide, crash and fall. In the last stroke we will see with different eyes, and the cloud will be gone, and bright trumpet will be the weather. We shall hear no other trumpet than the trumpet of thunder and lightning.
So did he also at mount Sinai. Early in the morning Moses led the people of Israel to the mountain, and there the mountain trembled, there was lightning, thunder, and a crash of thunder. 2) There go the ten commandments: "I, the LORD, to God. So it will be here also. For the Lord Christ has said that the day will come like a thief in the night, suddenly and unawares. Now we are not to be afraid of the day, for it is to be our salvation; and it will happen suddenly that I will come out of the mortal body into an immortal one, and there God will try his greatest power, just as he did in the beginning of the creation of heaven and earth, so that when he spoke a word, heaven and earth stood there. Then he will also create with his omnipotence that all this also stands here, and everything happens in a moment.
What else will happen in the clouds is only a preparation. The angels will create a weather that will be terrifying to the wicked, but it will gather all the elect, dead or alive. So now we have a picture of how it will be on the last day, so that, as in the fig tree, when it sprouts leaves, it will know that summer is near; so also, when you see all this, know that it is near at the door. Otherwise the last day shall not come, the church shall be led into great distress by heretics and tyrants, and feel pestilence, war, the time is dear, that the Christians shall be martyred and their blood shall be wasted.
- Thus put by us instead of: "and strike in the stroke and thunder." After the words in the previous paragraph: "there will strike together in a moment lightning and thunder" is to be understood the reading put by us.
1364 Erl. 45, IS5-IS7. Luther's sermon on Matth. 24, 32. 33. 1365
And especially shall be destroyed before Jerusalem, and the martyrs shall be brought before the Romans, and they shall be afflicted. These two things have happened.
When you have seen these two things, item, 1) that the false prophets will also come after the martyrs, item, an apostasy from the Christian faith, as has also happened. For in Turkey Christianity is at a standstill, and in Tartary there is no church. So there is also a small church in the papacy. For what Christians have remained there is miraculously preserved. Otherwise, the common rule of the pope has been the devil's kingdom. First of all, they preached rightly in the schools and churches at the time of the apostles and martyrs. Then came the teaching of the pope, which turned everything upside down. Arius devastated the church in his time so that only two bishops in the Roman Empire remained constant and pure in doctrine; under the papacy, not one bishop remained constant.
You have seen and experienced all these things. Now the Lord has warned us not to go out, nor to believe it; but when you see Jerusalem disturbed, the sun and the moon darkened, 2c. that shall be the last sign. Now I have said, leave it in doubt, 2) whether the Lord will thus understand, whether the moon shall be darkened together with the sun, or one after another, and at the same time the stars also shall be darkened. Item, Lucas says: The waters will roar. And these years ago many wonderful miraculous deeds happened, the like of which one has never read, as crosses, fiery beams at moon and sun. But let us leave it in doubt, and yet not despise. This year there have been terrible eclipses of the sun, and more will follow, and the astronomers say that there have never been so many eclipses before as there are now. It cannot stand any longer, if God wills. The pope falls away, also with his own, the Turk grows very much, that it cannot stand long; so
- "item" here is: so it will happen.
- This addition is made by us.
is also such eating, drinking, dressing, usury, and the world is now becoming epicurious. The pope sows, the peasants follow.
When we see the previous signs and how the world is now in an evil state, Christ says:
V. 33. When you see all these things, know that it is near at hand.
Say that devout hearts will consider eating and drinking as a sign of the last day. 3) Such things are said to us Christians. If the wicked despise it, let them do it. It will not be eaten for a long time. I am completely mistaken, he shall not remain outside for long. The world has now stood five thousand five hundred and some years, now in the six thousand year 4) the end shall come, and that same last thousand year shall not be fulfilled. For God uses to do so, as in the resurrection of Christ. Immediately in the half of the third day, he rises from the dead. How, if also with the half of the six thousand year the last day would come? For the pope falls, the Turk still stands, but not for long, so the world lives in the buzz. Therefore, as S. Peter says in the 2nd epistle in the 3rd chapter, and as S. Paul speaks, we will be drawn towards Christ in the air, and the angels will snatch us out of this life into eternal life, and then become new heaven and new earth.
So shall we keep the last day, and believe also. But others, as the wicked, when they see the black clouds, will say, "Did you not see a black cloud before, or hear thunder? But the Lord says, "When you see this happening, look up. For when the trees bud and shoot forth, or when they put forth leaves, summer is near. So also, when ye shall see these things come to pass one after another, say, The latter day is at hand. He will not name the day, much less the hour. For the weather may precede and begin four days, ten days, or fourteen days, and if
- Erlanger: Haltens.
- i.e. in the sixth millennium. - Immediately following: "thousand year" - millennium.
1366 Eri. 45, 197-199. interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. 1367
then the command will go out (as Paul says, the trumpet of the archangel), then all will know that the day is present.
Lucas adds: "They bought and sold until the day Noah entered the ark. Noah himself did not know that day; he built the box for a hundred years and gathered all kinds of animals from all over the world, preaching that God would let the world perish by the water. Ten or twenty years passed, and the punishment did not come. Then they said: Noah, when will the flood come? Are you not mad and foolish with the archa? The more he preached, the more they laughed at him, saying: He has built a fop house 1). But Noah remained in his faith, and kept God's word, and knew for certain that the flood would come, and said: I will wait, the punishment will come. But when the day came, and God's voice and word came, Go into the ark, it began to rain. But at first they began to laugh, saying, "Are you running and running from a little rain and weather? But after that the fountains and depths of the earth were opened, and the waters increased so much that they drowned all men, and birds, and beasts, and all that had life out of the earth.
It will be the same for us, we will do the same. For the pope and his followers make a mockery of it, that we are afraid of the last day, as S. Paul 2) also says 1 Tim. 4:1 that in the last days mockers will come; and in Rome they speak now: These are fools who read the Bible. This is already in the day and a sign of Christ's future, for they consider those who read God's word fools and kill them. Noah will have had many enemies, but they will all remain behind, and he will be alone with only three sons.
- We encounter the same word in the expression "Geckismus," which Luther uses as a mocking name for Agricola's Catechism. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XX, 1655.
- "St. Paul" is perhaps a spelling mistake instead of St. Peter, because 2 Petr. 3, 3. comes closer to the wording than the passage of Paul we have referred to, and the following twelfth sermon also comes back to 2 Petr. 3, 3.
and their wives. So we will also lose bases, 3) mothers, cousins, brothers and sisters. For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the end of the world. For he who keeps the word of God (like Noah, who expected a hundred years of the flood) must suffer much mockery, for the longer it goes on, the worse it gets in the world.
So now it is also possible, which is comforting for us Christians, that the world is increasing with all kinds of wickedness. The more one preaches, the less they turn to it, as is the case now; the more murderers are strangled, the more they become. So it is that wickedness and wantonness are increasing in an overflowing rush, as there is usury and avarice, and is increasing in all classes. Now we cry out and preach against it, that the princes should fight back. But what does it help? But it helps us that we expect the last day all the sooner, and the wicked shall then be plunged into hell, but we want to attain to the same day the only blessedness. Then you will not take your money with you, and because of your avarice you will bring the last judgment upon yourself, and you will help us from there to heaven, but you to hell.
Therefore we may take comfort that the last day is not far off; and if it does not come soon, no sermon will remain. For with such bright doctrine men become devils only in defiance of the doctrine. But if thou wilt not obey and be helped, help me, that the latter day may come the sooner, and that I may be brought to the kingdom of heaven, and thou to hell.
That is why he tells us:
V. 42. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord will come.
After this warning they ask nothing, but we are warned with it. Everything has happened and is still happening before our eyes. Now that the signs have happened, the trumpet will come, and the day will not be long in coming. Then we shall see who has mocked the other.
- Erlanger: Wasen.
1368 Erl. 45, 199-201. Luther's sermon on Matth. 23, 34. 1369
The twelfth sermon on the 24th chapter of Matthew.
Preached the 17th Sunday after Trinity (the 19th of September Anno 1540. 1)
The other day we heard how the Lord proclaimed his future and the last day, how it should be before the last day, and gave us signs that should precede it, so that we would be ready for that day, as S. Peter also gives us an earnest admonition for this reason.
Now saith the Lord Christ, Behold the fig tree, item, of the day and hour knoweth no man, no, not even the angels which are in heaven, but my Father only: as if to say, If we had heard more of the end of the world, yet of that which we hear here is enough, that it is determined that heaven and earth should pass away; and saith, that this generation of the Jews shall not pass away, till all be done; and till the words which he speaketh here should come to pass, heaven and earth must rather pass away. Therefore these words which are preached shall never pass away. There is not much to be said about "passing away", for we see that one after another always dies; and even if the world remains, we always pass away; and that is even more, that not only we pass away, but the whole human race will cease, that not only with me and you will it come to an end, but with the whole human race, that no more men will be begotten. Therefore one should know that it should have an end once and for all.
These words need a little explanation.
V. 34. This generation will not depart until all is done.
Here they make various understandings of what it is: "this generation," item, "all things come to pass. 2) On the one hand, they understand it from the Jews, who were born when Christ lived and became Christ in the flesh.
- "Here again, as with the 10th sermon on Matth. 24, the year 1540 is to be assumed." (Höck.)
. 2) "happen" put by us instead of: "pass away" in the Erlanger.
have seen, they shall not pass away. 3) But methinks this is the opinion that the Jews shall remain unto the end of the world; and because they shall not cease, the latter day shall not long remain without, and the opinion is good and not false. Secondly, the gender non collectionem hominum significat, but successionem et durationem temporis, in German: bei Mannes Zeit oder bei Menschengedenken; as one otherwise is wont to say: Es ist bei Menschengedenken solche Laster nicht erhört. The Latini call it saeculum, one hundred years. This generation, that is, this people, who lives this time, as it is also written in the Magnificat: Omnes generationes de aetate in aetatem. So it can also stand here that Christ wants to say: All this shall still happen in the memory of man.
Now this requires a high understanding and interpretation. Then you must take the word "come to pass" differently, so that it means, per synecdoche, to begin to come to pass; as if he should say, It shall soon begin and come to pass, that it shall go and stand in the remembrance of men. It shall not be as the prophets prophesied, which they set afar off; but Jerusalem shall be destroyed, and other things more: and it shall go and come to pass, that ye may see it, and be yet present.
So the Lord and the apostles show the end of the world and the last day with his gospel, and reckon it all as a man may think. Since the greatest thing has happened, and Christ has redeemed the human race and thereby established a church for it, the other thing is to be understood totum pro parte, as John says, not in the remembrance of men, but in the last hour, and S. Paul says, "Upon whom the end of the world is come. Therefore he speaks of the same thing as if the end of the world should begin soon after the resurrection of Christ. For another kingdom of Christ shall not come, neither shall it be at Rome, for the Turk belongs to the Roman Empire. But he saith, In your time shall ye see it come to pass, in the memory of men shall it be seen to begin to come to pass, not as the prophets have done, who cast it far.
- Erlanger: to go to.
1370 Erl. 45, S02f. Interpretations on the evangelist Matthew. , 1371
2 Petr. 3, 3. In the last days.
Are both sentiments and opinion good, but the last I like better. Because it has granted more than fifteen human memory. How does it rhyme with that? But so the scripture is used to speak, when it takes totum pro parte.
S. Peter has well seen that this argument would be attracted, since he speaks: "In the last days scoffers will come"; as if S. Peter should speak: Christ has said: "This generation will not pass away" 2c. Where then is the last day? This argument is diluted by S. Peter with all diligence in the other epistle in the third chapter, as you may read the beginning of the same third chapter, because they do not know the way and work of our Lord God, saying: "I will not save you, that in the sight of God there are a thousand years, but one day. This makes them mad, he has called a saeculum. But they do not understand that there is a synecdoche, and that the beginning, namely
The time is a thousand years and more, as a thousand years are as one day in the sight of God. They do not reckon this, do not understand the time, the synecdoche, and reckon it as one day.
according to human understanding, then think that the last day will not come. God, however, still shows the day for a little while, so that one may repent.
Because God shows you the last day, make sure you are ready at all times, do not delay, knowing that the day will come and will come soon, as it follows in the text that it will come like a thief in the night. Whether it is now delayed, then remember: He has longer days than we. For a thousand years are not longer before him than one day, and one day than a thousand years. Those who work in the third, sixth, and twelfth hours, from the beginning of the world to the end, are all the same before him.
Therefore the Lord will hang the last day on all the beginning of the gospel, as if it were soon from the beginning of the gospel, as if it would come tomorrow. For nothing will be changed, neither the gospel nor baptism, except that new persecutions will always arise.
End of the sermons on the 24th chapter of Matthew.
1372 Erl. 4S, 211-218. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, 1220 f. 1373
II. interpretation about the evangelist Lucas.
A. Luther's Interpretation of the Magnificat,*)
Lucae Cap. 1, v. 46. to 55.
Completed June 10, went out in the second half of August, 1521.
JEsus.
To the Serene and Highborn Prince and Lord, Duke of Saxony, Landgrave > of Thuringia and Margrave of Meissen, my gracious lord and patron.
Sublime, highborn prince, gracious sir, E. F. G. may my poor prayers and services always be before you. My lord, I have received E. F. G.'s gracious letter, recently delivered to me, humbly, and have received all its comforting contents with joy. However, since I have now promised E. F. G. for a long time and owe it to him to explain the Magnificat, of which the clumsy trades have
I have undertaken to answer E. F. G.'s writings at the same time as this booklet, thinking that my forgiveness of the length would cause me distress and shame, and that the remedy of further excuses would not rhyme, so that I would not prevent E. F. G.'s young mind, which is inclined to love divine Scripture, and would be more heated and strengthened by further study of it, for which I wish E. F. G. divine grace and assistance. How then great of need, because in such a great prince's person lies salvation for many people, if he, taken from himself, is graciously governed by God; again, many perditions, if he himself is left and ungraciously governed'.
*This writing, the interpretation of the hymn of praise of the Holy Virgin Mary, was already started by Luther at the beginning of December 1520, as we can see from a letter of Spalatin to the Elector Frederick from December 3, 1520 (Köstlin, Martin Luther, Vol. I, p. 406). Even before Luther's departure for Worms, the first three sheets were ready for printing, and Luther sent them on March 31, 1521, to Duke John Frederick of Saxony (Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 12), to whom he had dedicated the writing in a dedication dated March 10, 1521. Only at Wartburg Castle was Luther able to complete it and sent the finished manuscript to Spalatin on June 10, 1521 (Walch, Old Edition, Vol. XV, Appendix, No. 74). But the completion of the printing was delayed, to Luther's great annoyance, and repeatedly he complained about it: against Melanchthon on August 3, 1521 (Kolde, [naleeta, p. 34, with wrong date: December 26, cf. Köstlin I, 803 u6 p. 497" and against Spalatin on August 6. August 1521 (Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 759, § 3), and again against Spalatin on August 15, 1521 (Walch, old edition, vol. XV, appendix, no. 73, H15): "Es soll mich Wundern, oh wohl endlich einmal mein Magnificat fertig ist", so that the writing will not have gone out before the second half of August. The title of the individual editions is: "Das Magnificat verdeutscht und ausgelegt durch D. Martinum Luther, Augustinian." Several of these appeared at Wittenberg without indication of time or printer; one at Basel by Adam Petri. The first edition is probably printed by Melchior Lotther (Dietz, Wörterbuch, p. XXXV f.). Jn the collective editions it is found: in the Wittenberg (1553), vol. VI, p. I0d; in the Jena (1564), vol. I, p. 476; in the Altenburg, vol. I, p. 755; in the Leipzig, vol. IX, p. 376 and in the Erlangen, vol. 45, p. 212. The attribution in De Wette, vol. I, p. 571, and as a duplicate in the Erlanger, vol. 53, p. 59. In 1525, a Latin translation of this writing appeared under the title: Martini ImtUöri super MaAniüeat Eonnnentarii nuper a vernaeula in I^atinuin versi a insianne Loninero, which was included in the Latin Wittenberg edition, Dorn. V, col. 75, has been included. As delicious as this interpretation of the hymn of praise to the Blessed Virgin is, it still contains Papist errors here and there, as does the short sermon on the day of the Assumption of Mary (1516), Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XII, 1728. We give the text according to the Jena edition, comparing the Wittenberg and Erlangen editions, as well as the Latin translation.
1374 Erl. 45, 213 f. Interpretations about the evangelist Lucas. W. VII. 1221-1223. 1375
For although all men's hearts are in the almighty hand of God, it is not in vain that it is said of kings and princes alone: "The heart of the king is in the hand of God, he can turn it wherever he wants" Proverbs 21:1, so that God wants to drive His fear into the great lords, that they should learn 1) how to think of nothing at all that God does not particularly instill in them. Other people's doings only bring piety or harm to themselves, or even to a few people; but lords are only set to be harmful or useful to other people, as much more, as much further they rule. Therefore also, the Scripture calls pious, God-fearing princes angels of God 1 Sam. 29, 9., yes, also gods Ps. 82, 6.. Again, harmful princes are called lions Zeph. 3, 3, dragons and raging beasts Jer. 51, 34, which God himself calls one of his four plagues, as he counts pestilence, evil time, war and raging beasts Ezek. 14, 13-19.
Because a human heart, by nature flesh and blood, easily misses itself, and, where power, property and honor are given into its hand, it is rather moved by such a strong cause to presumption and too free security, that it forgets God and does not respect its subjects; and because it has room to do evil without punishment, it goes away and becomes a beast, does only what it desires, and is a lord by name, but in fact a fiend: that the wise man Bias also spoke well: Magistratus virum ostendit: Regiment knows what kind of a man 2) he is. For the subjects must not lead out in fear of the authorities.
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: "teach". Latin: diseant.
- "a" is missing in the Erlanger.
Therefore it is necessary for all rulers, since they do not have men to fear, to fear God more than others, to know Him and His works well, and to walk with care, as St. Paul says Rom. 12:8: "Let him who rules be careful."
Now I know of nothing in all Scripture that serves so well for this purpose as this holy song of the most devout Mother of God, which is truly to be learned and remembered by all who want to rule well and be beneficial lords. She sings most sweetly about the fear of God, and what a Lord he is, and what his works are in the high and low classes. Let another listen to his maiden, who sings a worldly song; to this chaste virgin a prince and lord listens, who sings him a spiritual, pure, wholesome song.
It is also not an unjust use that in all churches this song is sung daily in the vespers, in addition with special, quite manner before other songs. May the same tender Mother of God acquire for me the Spirit, 3) who may interpret her chant usefully and thoroughly, to take from it wholesome understanding and praiseworthy life for E. F. G. and all of us, and thereby in eternal life may praise and sing this eternal Magnificat; God help us. Amen. Herewith I command myself to E. F. G., humbly requesting that E. F. G. accept my small fortune with a gracious will. At Wittenberg on the tenth day of March. Anno 1521.
E. F. G.
subordinate capellan,
D. Martinus Luther.
- This invocation of the Blessed Virgin is still papist.
1376 Erl. 45, 214-L17. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, 1223-1230. 1377
The Magnificat.
Luc. 1, 46-55.
My soul exalts God the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my God.
Savior.
For he hath looked upon me, his lowly handmaid, whereof the child shall blessedly praise me for ever.
For he who does all things has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
And his mercy is from generation to generation, to all who fear him.
He works mightily with his arm and destroys all the hopeful in the mind of their heart.
He deposes the great lords from their dominion and exalts those who are lowly and nothing.
He satisfies the hungry with all kinds of goods, and leaves the rich alone.
He takes up his people Israel, who serve him, having remembered his chain of mercy.
As he promised our fathers, Abraham and his followers, for ever and ever.
Preface and Entrance.
In order to understand this holy hymn properly, it must be noted that the Blessed Virgin Mary speaks from her own experience, in which she has been enlightened and taught by the Holy Spirit. For no one can rightly understand God, nor God's word, unless he has it without means from the Holy Spirit; but no one can have it from the Holy Spirit, unless he experiences it, tries it, and feels it; and in the same experience the Holy Spirit teaches, as in his own school, apart from which nothing is taught but pretense, word, and gossip. So, the holy virgin, having experienced in herself that God works in her such great things, when she was lowly, unsightly, poor and despised, the Holy Spirit teaches her this rich art and wisdom, that God is such a Lord, who has nothing else to accomplish, but only to exalt what is lowly, to bring low what is high, and recently to break what is made, and to make what is broken.
- For at the same time as in the beginning of all creatures he created the world from nothing (from which he is called creator and omnipotent), so he remains unchanged in this way of working, and all his works are still done in this way until the end of the world, therefore from that which is nothing, lowly, despised, miserable, dead, he makes something delicious, 1) honest, blessed and alive; again, all that is something, delicious, honest, blessed and living, makes void, low, despised, miserable and dying; in which way no creature can work, cannot, from not to make icht, 2) so that his eyes see only into the depth, not into the height, as Daniel 3. says, "Thou seest above the cherubim, and lookest into the deep," or abyss. And Ps. 138, 6.: "God is the Most High, and looks down on the lowly, and the high He knows from afar." Item, Ps. 113, 5. 6.: "Where is such a God as ours, who sits on high, yet looks down on the lowly in heaven and on earth?" For since He is the Most High, and there is nothing above Him, He cannot see above Himself, nor can He see beside Himself, since there is no one like Him, He must of necessity see within Himself and below Himself. And the lower someone is below him, the more he sees him.
(3) But the world and the eyes of men do evil, they only look above themselves, they want to be high, as Proverbs 30:13 says: "There is a people whose eyes look upward and whose brows are lifted upward. We experience this every day, how everyone only strives for honor, power, wealth, art, a good life, and everything that is great and high. And where there are such people, everyone clings to them, there one runs to, there one gladly serves, there everyone wants to be and to become partaker of the high things, so that it is not without reason that so few kings and princes are described in Scripture as pious 1). Again, no one wants to look into the depths, where there is poverty, dishonor, hardship, misery and fear, there everyone turns his eyes away.
- So in all editions; however, according to parallelism, it seems as if a comma should be placed after "something".
- icht - something.
- Song of the three men in the fire, v. 55.
- Jenaer: written.
1378 Erl. 4S, S17-LIS. Interpretations About the Evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1230-1233. 1379
from. And where such people are, there everyone runs away, there they shy away, there they are left, and no one thinks to help them, to stand by them, and to make them also something, so they must remain in the depth and low, despised measure. There is no creator among men here who wants to make something out of nothing, as St. Paul teaches in Rom. 12:16, and says: "Dear brothers, do not respect high things, but submit to low things."
Therefore, God alone has such a reputation, which sees into the depths, hardship and misery, and is close to all those who are in the depths, and as Peter says 1 Ep. 5, 5.: "To the high He resists, to the low He gives His grace." And from this reason now flows the love and praise of GOD. - No one may ever praise God, unless he loved him before. So may no one love Him, unless He is known to him most sweetly and best of all. He may not be known in this way, except through his works, shown, felt and experienced in us. But where it is experienced how he is such a God, who sees into the depths, and only helps the poor, despised, miserable, miserable, abandoned. The heart overflows with joy, leaps and jumps for the great pleasure it has received in God. And there is the Holy Spirit, who has taught such exuberant art and pleasure in a moment in experience.
- For this reason God has also laid death upon us all, and given the cross of Christ, with innumerable sufferings and hardships, to His most beloved children and Christians; He even let us fall into sin from time to time, so that He might have much to see in the depths, help many, work much, show Himself a true Creator, and thereby make Himself known, lovely and praiseworthy, in which, unfortunately, the world with its clear-sighted eyes resists Him without ceasing, and hinders His seeing, working, helping, knowledge, love and praise, and deprives Him of all such honor, as well as depriving Himself of their joy, pleasure and bliss.
(6) So also he rejected his only beloved Son, Christ, even into the depths of all misery, and in him he showed his sight, his work, his help, his way, his counsel, and his love.
Will, where all this is directed. Therefore, Christ also experienced this excellently, full of confession, love and praise of God eternally. As the 21st Psalm v. 7. says: "Thou hast made him glad with delight in thy presence," that is, that he sees and recognizes thee. Psalm 44:9 also says that all the saints will do nothing more than praise God in heaven, because he has looked upon them in their depths and made himself known to them, lovely and praiseworthy.
(7) The tender mother of Christ does the same here, teaching us with the example of her experience and with words how to recognize, love and praise God. For since she boasts here with a joyful, bouncing spirit and praises God for having looked upon her, even though she was lowly and nothing, one must believe that she had poor, despised, lowly parents.
008 And that we may set it before the eyes of the simple. There is no doubt that in Jerusalem the daughters of the chief priests and councillors were rich, beautiful, young, learned and most honest, in the esteem of the whole country (as now the daughters of kings, princes and rich men), so also in other many more cities. Also in Nazareth, in her city, she was not the daughter of the highest rulers, but of a poor commoner, whom no one had much regard for, nor paid any attention to, and among her neighbors and daughters she was a bad maid servant of the cattle and the house, no longer, no doubt, because now she may be a poor maid, who does what she is called to do in the house. For thus Isaiah proclaimed, Isa. 11:1, 2: "A rod shall come forth out of the stem of Jesse, and a flower shall grow up out of his root, and the Holy Ghost shall rest upon it." The stem and root is the family of Jesse or David, especially the Virgin Mary; the rod and flower is Christ. Now, as it is unsightly, even unbelievable, that a beautiful rod and flower should grow from a dry, rotten stem and root, so it was not to be expected that Mary, the virgin, should become the mother of such a child.
(9) For I consider that it is not called a stem and root merely because it is above-
1380 Erl. 45, 21H-S2I. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, 1233-1236. 1381
The reason for this is that the royal tribe and lineage of David, which flourished and blossomed in great honor, power, wealth and happiness in David's and Solomon's time, was also a great thing in the sight of the world; But at the end, when Christ should come, the priests had brought the same honor under themselves, and ruled alone, and the royal family of David was impoverished and despised, like a dead block, that there was no longer hope nor reputation, that from it again a king should come to great honors. And just when such an unattractive figure stood highest, Christ comes, and is born from the despised tribe, from the lowly, poor little girl, the rue and the flower grow from the person, whom Lord Annas' and Caiphas' daughter would not have considered worthy to be her least servant. So God's work and face are in the depth; man's face and work are only in the height. This is the cause of their praise, which we will now hear from word to word.
V. 46. My soul exalts God the Lord.
(10) The word therefore proceeds from great ardor and exuberant joy, in which all her mind and life are lifted up from within in the spirit. Therefore, she does not say, "I exalt God," but rather, "My soul," as if to say, "My life and all my senses are suspended in God's love, praise and high joys, so that I, who am not mighty of myself, am more exalted than I am exalting myself to God's praise. How then does it happen to all those who are infused with divine sweetness and spirit that they feel more than they could say. For it is not the work of man to praise God with joy. It is more a joyful suffering, and solely a work of God, which cannot be taught by words, but can only be known by one's own experience; as David, Psalm 34:9, says: "Taste and see how sweet is God the Lord, blessed is the man who trusts in Him." First he puts the 1) tasting,
- "that" is missing in the Erlanger.
then seeing, because it cannot be recognized without one's own experience and feeling, to which no one comes, because he trusts God with all his heart when he is in depth and distress. Therefore, he carefully adds: "Blessed is the man who trusts in God"; for he will experience God's work in him, and thus come to the sensitive sweetness, and thereby to all understanding and knowledge.
My soul. 2)
- want to move one word after another. The first: "My soul. Scripture divides man into three parts, as St. Paul, 1 Thess. 5:23, says: "God, who is a God of peace, sanctify you through and through, so that your whole spirit and 3) soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the future of our Lord Jesus Christ." And each of these three, together with the whole man, is also divided in another way, into two parts, which are called spirit and flesh. This division is not of nature, but of quality, that is, nature has three parts, spirit, soul, body, and may all be valid or evil. That is, to be spirit and flesh, which is not to be spoken of now.
The first part, the spirit, is the highest, deepest, noblest part of man, so that he is able to grasp incomprehensible, unseen, eternal things: and is lately the house, where faith and God's word dwells within. Of which David, Psalm 51, 12, says: "Lord, make in my inmost being a right spirit", that is, an erect, strong faith. Again, of the unbelievers Psalm 78, 37.: "Their heart was not right to GOD, and their spirit was not in faith to GOD."
The other, the soul, is the same spirit according to nature, but in a different work, namely, in that it gives life to the body and works through it, and is often taken in Scripture for life. For the spirit may live without the body, but the body does not live without the spirit. This
- "My soul" is missing from the Erlanger.
- "and" taken by us from the Erlanger. Wittenberger: "Body and Soul".
1382 Erl. 45, 221-223. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1236-1238. 1383
We see how it lives and works even in sleep and without interruption, and its way is not to grasp incomprehensible things, but what reason can recognize and measure. And reason is here the light in this Hanse; and where the spirit is not enlightened with faith, as with a higher light, this light of reason rules, then it may never be without error. For it is too low to act in divine things. To these two things the Scriptures attribute many things, as sapientiam and scientiam, wisdom to the spirit, knowledge to the soul; after that also hatred, love, lust, abomination, and the like.
The third is the body with its members, which works are only practices and customs by which the soul knows and the spirit believes. And that we show a likeness of it from the Scriptures. Moses made a tabernacle with three different buildings Ex. 26, 33. 34. Cap. 27, 9.. The first one was called Sanctum Sanctorum, where God dwelt inside and there was no light inside. The other, Sanctum, had a candlestick with seven tubes and lamps. The third was called Atrium, the courtyard, which was public under the sky, before the sun light. In the same figure a Christian man is depicted; his spirit is Sanctum Sanctorum, God's dwelling place, in dark faith, without light; for he believes, which he does not see, nor feel, nor comprehend. His soul is Sanctum, there are seven lights, that is, all understanding, difference, knowledge and cognition of bodily visible things. His body is the atrium, which is visible to everyone, so that one can see what he does and how he lives.
Now Paul asks 1 Thess. 5, 23, God, who is a God of peace, wanted to make us holy, not in one piece alone, but completely, through and through, so that spirit, soul and body, and' everything would be holy. Of causes of such prayer much could be said. Recently: if the spirit is no longer holy, nothing is holy. Now the greatest controversy and the greatest danger is in the holiness of the spirit, which stands only in mere, pure faith, because the spirit does not deal with comprehensible things; as §12 is said. So then come false teachers, and
The two entice the spirit out; one pretends to the work, the other to the way of becoming pious. If the spirit is not kept and wise here, it falls out and follows, 1) comes to the outward works and ways, thinking thereby to become pious. As soon as faith is lost, and the spirit is dead before God. Then various sects and orders arise, so that one becomes a Carthusian, the other a barefooter, one wants to become blessed by fasting, the other by praying, one by this, the other by another work; and yet they are all their own chosen works and orders, never commanded by God, only devised by men. In addition, they never perceive the faith, teach always building on works, until they get so deep into it that they become divided, each wanting to be the best, and despising the other; as our observers now boast and blow their horns. Against such works saints and pious teachers Paul prays here, saying: God be a God of peace and unity, which such disunited and unpeaceful saints may not have nor keep, unless they drop their things, and all come together in the spirit and faith, and realize that works only make difference, sin and discord, but faith alone makes pious, one and peaceful, as Ps. 68, 7: "God makes us dwell together in one house", 1) and Ps. 133, 1: "How good and how merry it is that brethren dwell together in one house!
Peace does not come from anywhere, because it is taught how no work, no outward way, but only faith, that is, good confidence in the unseen grace of God, promised to us, makes us pious, righteous and blessed; of which I have said much in the good works 3). And where there is no faith, there must be many works, from which follows strife and disunity, and thus no God remains. Therefore, St. Paul is not content to say here: "That your spirit, your soul 2c.", but: "Your whole spirit", in which there is even
- sc. the false teachers.
- According to the Vulgate.
- Luther's "Sermon of Good Works." Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, 1298 ff.
1384 Erl. 45, 223-226. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, 1238-1241. 1385
lies. He needs here a fine word in Greek, ολόχληρον υμών τδ πνεύμα, which is
is your spirit, which possesses the whole inheritance. As if he should say: Let no doctrine of works deceive you, the believing spirit alone has it completely. It is only up to the faith of the spirit; the same spirit that possesses the whole inheritance, I pray that God would protect you from the false teachings that want to make you confident in God through works; which are false consciences, because they do not only place such confidence in God's grace.
(17) If such an inherited spirit is preserved, then the soul and body may also remain without error and evil works. Otherwise it is not possible, where the spirit is faithless, that the soul and the whole life should not go wrong and astray, whether it pretends to good opinion and good conceit, and has its own devotion and good pleasure in it. Therefore, because of the soul's error and false conceit, all the works of the body are evil and rejected, even though a person fasts himself to death and does all the holy works. Therefore it is necessary that God first of all protect the spirit, then the soul and the body, so that we do not work and live in vain, and thus become righteously holy, not only from public sins, but much more also from false and apparent good works. Let this be said enough this time to explain the two words, soul and spirit, because they are almost common in Scripture.
- After this is the word "Magnificat," which means to make great, to exalt, and to think much of, as of him who is able, knows, and will do great and many and good things. As it follows in this hymn that the word "Magnificat", like the title of a book, indicates what is written in it, so it also indicates with this word what its hymn of praise is to be about, namely about great deeds and works of God, to strengthen our faith, to comfort all lowly, and to frighten all high people on earth. On these three customs or benefits we must let the hymn of praise be directed and recognized; for she has not sung to her alone, but to all of us, that we should sing after her.
- now it may not be that someone he
or be comforted by such great deeds of God, unless he not only believes that God is able and knows how to do great deeds; but must also believe that he wants to do so, and have a love to do so. Nor is it enough for you to believe that he wants to do great deeds with others, and not with you, and thus to express such divine deeds 1) as those do who do not fear God in their power, and who pusillanimously 2) despair in their struggle. For such faith is nothing, and even dead, like a delusion received from a fable; but without all wavering, without all doubting, you must imagine his will over you, so that you firmly believe that he will and will also do great things with you. The same faith lives and weaves, it penetrates and changes the whole man. It compels you to fear when you are high and to be confident when you are low; and the higher you are, the more you must fear; the lower you are, the more you can be comforted; which faith does not do. How will you do in the time of death? Then you must not only believe that he may and knows, but also wants to help you. Since an unspeakably great work must be done, so that you may be redeemed from eternal death, eternally blessed, and become God's blind. This faith is able to do all things, as Christ says Marc. 9, 23., it alone exists, it also comes into the experience of divine works, and thereby into divine love, and thus into divine praise and song, so that man thinks highly of God and makes Him truly great.
20 For God is not made great by us in His nature, which is unchangeable, but in our knowledge and feeling, that is, if we think much of Him and esteem Him great, first according to His goodness and grace. Therefore the holy mother does not say, My voice or my mouth; nor my hand; nor my thoughts; nor my reason or my will magnifies the Lord (for there are many of her who praise God with a loud voice, preach with fine words, speak, argue, write, and paint much about him; many who think about him, and
- externalize - to let be outside, not to make partial.
- Wittenbergers and Jenaers: Kleinmüthigen.
1386 Erl. 45, SL6-LL8. Interpretations about the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1241-1243. 1387
(The soul of a person who seeks him through reason and speculates, as well as many who lift him up with false devotion and will); but thus she says: My soul magnifies him, that is, my whole life, weaving, mind and strength hold much of him; so that it immediately feels enraptured in him and uplifted in his gracious, good will; as the following verse indicates. In this way, when someone does something especially good for us, we see that all our life is immediately moved toward him, and we say, "Oh, I think much of him. This actually means: My soul magnifies him. How much more will such a living movement be stirred up when we feel God's goodness, which is abundantly great in his works, that all words and thoughts become too little for us, and the whole life and soul must be moved, as if it wanted to sing and say everything that lives in us.
(21) But there are two false spirits who do not like to sing the Magnificat correctly. The first, who do not praise him before he does them good; as David says Ps. 49:19: "They praise you when you do them good." These seem to praise God almost very much; but because they never want to suffer oppression and the depths, they may never experience the right works of God, and therefore never love nor praise God rightly. So now all the world is full of worship and praise, with singing, preaching, organs and pipes, and the Magnificat is sung gloriously; but to pity that such delicious singing should be done so without power and juice by us, who do not sing before, it goes well; but where it goes badly, the singing is over, there one thinks nothing more of God, thinks that God may or will work nothing with us; so the Magnificat must also remain outside.
The others are even more dangerous, those who turn to the other side, who exalt themselves in God's goods, and do not appropriate them purely for God's goodness, also want to have something in them, want to be honored and held in high esteem before other people, look at their great good, which God has worked with them, fall upon it, and take it as their own, and hold themselves up as something special against the others, who do not have it. Here is
truly a slippery, slippery state. God's goods naturally make hopeful and self-satisfied hearts.
Therefore, it is necessary to note the last word, "God. For Mary does not say, "My soul magnifies itself," nor does she think much of me; she did not want to think anything of it, but God alone magnifies her, to whom she gives it all, expels herself, and carries it all back to God, from whom she received it. For although she felt such an exuberant act of God in her, she was and remained so minded that she did not exalt herself above the least man on earth. And if she had done so, she would have fallen with Lucifer into the abyss of hell. She did not think otherwise: If another maidservant had such goods from God, she would have been just as happy to give them to her as to herself, and would have considered herself unworthy of such honor and all others worthy of it, and would have been well satisfied if God had taken such goods from her and given them to another in her eyes. So she took nothing at all from anyone, and left God his goods free, alone and her own, being no more than a cheerful host and willing hostess of such a guest; therefore she also kept all this forever.
(24) Behold, that is, to make God alone great, to think ourselves great only from Him alone, and not to accept any thing. From this it is seen how they have had great cause to fall and sin, that it is no less a miracle how they abstain from hope and acceptance 1) than that they have received such goods. Do you not think what a strange heart this is? She finds herself a mother of God, exalted above all men, and yet remains so simple and serene that she would not have kept a lowly servant under her. O we poor people, if we have a little good, power or honor, even if we are a little prettier than others, we cannot be like a lesser, and there is no measure of acceptance; what would we do if we had great, high goods?
- In Latin: uooue sidi huloyuam trauerst - and did not attach anything to himself.
1388 Erl. 45, SS8-2S0. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, I24S-1246. 1389
That is why God lets us remain poor, unhappy, so that we do not leave His tender goods untouched, so that we do not think the same of ourselves as before, but let our courage always grow and decrease, according to which goods come or go. But this heart of Mary stands firm and equal in all time, lets God work in her according to His will, takes no more from it than a good comfort, joy and confidence in God. So we should also do, that would be a right Magnificat sung.
V. 47. And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
(25) What the spirit is, has now been said, namely, that which makes incomprehensible things come to pass through faith. That is why she also calls God her Savior, or blessedness, which she neither saw nor felt, but trusted in firm confidence that he was her Savior and blessedness. Which faith she received from God's work done in her.
(26) And verily she doth properly begin by calling God her Lord before her Saviour, and her Saviour before she tells of his works; that she may teach us how we ought to love and praise God merely and properly, and not to seek our own in him. But he who loves and praises God merely and rightly, who praises Him only because He is good, and looks at nothing more than His mere goodness, and has his pleasure and joy only in it. What a high, pure, tender way to love and praise, which is well suited to such a high, tender spirit as this virgin.
(27) The impure and perverse lovers, who are no more than mere pleasure-seekers, seeking their own in God, do not love and praise His mere goodness, but look to themselves, and consider only how much God is good to them, that is, how much He sensitively shows His goodness to them, and does them good; and think much of Him, are happy, sing and praise Him, as long as such feeling lasts. But when God hides Himself, and shows the splendor of His goodness to them, so that they are naked and miserable, then love and praise go out at the same time,
and do not like the mere, insensitive goodness,
hidden in God, love nor praise. So that
they prove that their spirit has not rejoiced in God the Savior, there has not been true love and praise of mere goodness, but much more have they delighted in salvation than in the Savior; more in gifts than in the Giver; more in creatures than in God. For they cannot remain equal in having and lacking, in riches and in poverty, as St. Paul says (Phil. 4, 11. 12.): "I have learned that I can have plenty and lack." Of this the 49th Psalm, v. 19 (Vulg.) says: "They praise thee as long as thou doest them good." As if to say, They mean themselves, and not thee; if they had but desire and good of thee, they would give nothing to thee; as also Christ, John 6:26, says to them that sought him, "Verily I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye have seen signs, but because ye have eaten and been filled." Such unclean, false spirits throw all God's gifts under the bus, and prevent Him from giving them much, nor from working with them in a blessed way. Let us hear a fine example of this:
- Once a pious woman saw a vision of three virgins sitting at an altar, and during the service a beautiful child ran from the altar, and went to the first virgin, did 1) friendly to her, hugged her, and laughed at her sweetly. Then he went to the other, and did 1) not so kindly to her, nor did he hug her; but he lifted her veil and smiled kindly at her. But to the third he did no friendly sign, struck her in the face, ran into her, and pushed her, dealt with her quite unkindly, and ran quickly back to the altar, and disappeared. Then this vision was interpreted to the same woman: that the first virgin signified the impure, self-indulgent spirits, to whom God must do much good, and more their will than their own, wanting nothing, always having comfort and pleasure in God, not lacking in His goodness. The other means the spirits who have begun to serve God, and may suffer some lack, but not entirely, nor are they without their own enjoyment and desire. He must give them a sweet look at times, and make them feel his goodness, so that they may
- Wittenberger: himself.
1390 Erl. 45, L3O-232. Interpretations On the Evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1246-1249. 1391
so that they also learn to love and praise his mere goodness. But the third, the poor little Cinderella, has nothing but vain lack and misery, seeks no pleasure, lets him use that God is good, even if she should never feel it (which is impossible), remains the same and uniform on both sides, loves and praises both God's goodness when it is not felt and when it is felt; does not fall for the goods when they are there, does not fall away when they are gone. This is the true bride, who says to Christ: I do not want yours, I want you myself; you are not dearer to me when I am well, nor unlovelier when I am ill.
(29) Such spirits fulfill that which is written Isa. 30:21, "Ye shall not turn aside from the same right way of God, to the left hand, or to the right; that is, they shall love and praise God equally and rightly, not seeking themselves and their own pleasure. David had such a spirit; when he was driven from Jerusalem by his son Absalom, and stood upon it that he would be eternally rejected, nevermore king and come into God's favor, he said 2 Sam. 15:25, 26, "Go, let God have me, he will surely lead me in again; but if he says, I will not have thee, then I am ready." Oh, what a pure spirit that was, which does not refrain from loving, praising and following God's goodness in the greatest need!
(30) Such a spirit is shown here by the Mother of God, Mary, that she, floating in the midst of the great, exuberant goods, nevertheless does not fall on them, does not seek her enjoyment in them, but keeps her spirit pure in love and praise of the mere goodness of God, ready to accept willingly and gladly whether God would deprive her of them again and leave her a poor, naked, deficient spirit.
Now, how much more dangerous it is to be temperate in riches and great honors or power, than in poverty, shame and weakness, because riches, honor and power give strong incentive and cause for evil: so much more is the wonderful, pure spirit of Mary to be praised here, that she is in such excessive honors, and yet does not allow herself to be challenged, acts as if she does not see it, remains
She is a spirit that is equal and right on the road, clings only to the divine goodness that she neither sees nor feels, lets go of the goods that she feels, does not vent herself in them, does not seek their enjoyment; so that she truly sings for a right, true reason: "My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior. Truly it is a spirit that leaps and skips only in faith; not of the goods of God, which it felt, but only of God, whom it did not feel, is joyful, as of its salvation, which it recognizes only in faith. O these are the right, lowly, single, hungry, God-fearing spirits; of which shall follow hereafter.
(32) From this we may know and judge how full the world is now of false preachers and saints, who preach much of good works to the poor people. And though there are few of them who preach how to do good works, that is, preach the doctrines and works of men, which they themselves have devised and established, yet, alas, the very best 1) among them are still so far from the right, true road that they always drive the people to the right side, so that they teach to do good works and good living not for the sake of God's goodness alone, but for the sake of their own enjoyment. For if there were neither heaven nor hell, and they did not know how to enjoy God's goodness, they would forsake His goodness, unloved and unappreciated. These are vain hirelings and tenants John 10:11, 12, servants and not children, strangers and not heirs, who make themselves an idol, and God should love and praise them, doing to them what they should do to Him; they have no spirit, God is not their Savior, but His goods are their Savior, in which God must serve them as a servant. These are the children of Israel, who in the wilderness, not having eaten the bread of heaven, would have eaten flesh, and twain, and the garlic (Numbers 11:4, 5, 6).
(33) Now, alas, all the world, all the monasteries, all the churches, are full of such people, who all walk, drive, and hunt in the wrong, perverse, and inaccurate spirit, exalting good works so high that they think they are in heaven.
- Wittenberger: Best.
1392 Erl. 45, SJL-2S4. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, 1249-1251. 1393
But if we are to earn it, then first of all the mere goodness of God should be preached and recognized, and we should know that at the same time, as God out of pure goodness made us blessed without all merit of works, so we should again seek works without all reward or enjoyment, doing them for the sake of the mere goodness of God, desiring nothing more than His good pleasure in them, not caring for the reward; He will find Himself well and will follow without our request. For although it is not possible that the reward should not follow, if we do well out of a pure, right spirit, without the desire for reward and pleasure, God does not want the same greedy, impure spirit, nor will it ever receive the reward. Just as a child willingly serves his father for nothing, as an heir, only for the sake of his father. And if a child serves his father only for the sake of his inheritance and property, he is truly a hostile child, and worthy to be rejected by his father.
V. 48: For he hath regarded the vanity of his handmaid. All the children will call me blessed.
34 Some here have made the word humilitas into humility, as if the Virgin Mary had put on her humility and boasted of it. 1) Hence it comes that some prelates also call themselves humiles; which is far from the truth. For in the sight of God no one can boast of a good thing without sin and corruption. One must boast before Him no more than of His goodness and grace shown to us unworthy ones, so that not our, but only God's love and praise may exist in us and sustain us; as Solomon teaches, Proverbs 25:6, 7: "You shall not appear praiseworthy before the king, nor stand (that is, be something) before the great lords. It is better for thee that it be said unto thee, Sit up, than that thou be brought low before the prince." How then can such presumption and arrogance be attributed to this pure and proper virgin, that she boasted of her humility before God? which is the highest virtue of all, and no one considers himself humble or boasts of it, for he who is humble before God is the most humble of all.
- Wittenberg and Erlanger: famous.
is the most humble of all. God alone recognizes humility, judges it and reveals it, so that man never knows less about humility than when he is truly humble.
- The scriptural usage is, that it is called humiliare, to make low, and to bring to nought; and therefore in many places in the Scriptures Christians are called pauperes, afflicti, humiliati, poor, vile, rejected people; as Ps. 116:10, "I am almost greatly brought to nought, or brought low." Thus humilitas is nothing else than a despised, unsightly, lowly being or state; as there are the poor, sick, hungry, thirsty, imprisoned, suffering, and dying people, as Job was in his temptation, and David in his cast out from the kingdom, and Christ with all Christians in their distresses; which are the depths of which it is said above 2 ff.] It is said that God's eyes see only in the depths, and men's eyes only in the heights, that is, they see according to the respectable, seeming, splendid nature and status. Therefore Jerusalem is called in the Scriptures a city, 2) where God's eyes look upon, that is, Christianity lies in the depths, and is unsightly before the world, therefore God looks upon it, and has His eyes always upon it, as He says Ps. 32:8: "I will have My eyes upon you always." So also St. Paul says 1 Cor. 1, 27. 28.: "GOD makes all that is foolish in the sight of the world to be ashamed of all that is wise in the sight of the world; and makes all that is weak and unfit to be ashamed of all that is strong and mighty; he makes all that is nothing to be ashamed of all that is nothing in the sight of the world." And thus he makes the world foolish with all its wisdom and ability, and gives another wisdom and ability.
Because then his way is to look into the deep, unsightly thing, I have the little word humilitas translated nothingness or unsightly being; that the opinion of Mary is that: God has looked upon me poor, despised, unsightly maiden, and would have found rich, high, noble, mighty
- Erlanger: Statt; Wittenberger: stet; Jenaer: Stab; Latin: eivitas.
1394 Erl. 48, SS4-238. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1251-1254. 1395
Queens, princes, and daughters of great lords; he might have found the daughter of Annas and Caiphas, who were the rulers of the land; but he cast his purely kind eyes upon me, and used such a lowly, spurned maid, that no one might boast before him that he was or is worthy, and I also must confess that all is grace and kindness, and nothing at all is my merit or worthiness.
Now we have said enough above § 7 ff., how this tender virgin, of an unprepossessing nature and standing, came to this honor quite unawares, that God so graciously regarded her; and therefore she does not boast of her worthiness, nor of her unworthiness, but only of the divine esteem, which is so superlatively and graciously, that he also regarded such a lowly maid, and so wanted to regard her 2) gloriously and honestly. Therefore they do her injustice who say that she did not boast of her virginity but of her humility. She did not boast of her virginity or her humility, but of her unique, gracious, divine reputation. Therefore, the scales are not in the word humilitatem, but in the word respexit. For their nothingness is not to be praised, but God's prestige. Just as when a prince gives his hand to a poor beggar, it is not the beggar's nothingness that is to be praised, but the prince's grace and goodness.
(38) But that such false delusion may be dispelled, and that right humility may be discerned from false, let us expatiate a little, and speak of humility; for therein many greatly err. In German we call humility, which St. Paul calls in Greek
ταπεινοφροσύνη, in Latin affectus vilitatis, seu sensus humilium rerum, that is, a will and mind toward low, despised things.
(39) Now many are found here who carry water into the well; these are they who put on lowly garments, persons, places, words, and also think of them, and handle them, but think that thereby they are before the high and rich,
- Erlanger: the.
, 2) "so" is missing in the Wittenberg.
Scholars, saints, yes, even before God would like to be regarded as those who like to deal with small things. For if they knew 3) that one did not want to think anything of it, they would let it stand. This is a made humility; for their mischievous eye looks only at the reward and consequence of humility, and not at the little things without the reward and consequence. Therefore, where the reward and the consequence never appear, humility is over. Such may not be called affectos vilitate, who have a will and heart in small things, but have only the thoughts, the mouth, the mouth, the garment, and the mind in them; but the heart looks above itself to high, great things, to which it thinks to come through such a humble ghost. And these consider themselves to be humble, holy
40 The true ones. Humble ones do not look at the consequence of humility, but with simple-minded
They see the low things in their hearts, they like to deal with them, and they themselves are never aware that they are humble. There the water gushes out of the well, there it follows from itself, unsought, that they lead and carry lowly things, words, place, person, clothes, avoid, where they can, high and great things; of which David says Ps. 131, 1: "Lord, my heart is not lifted up, and my eyes have not looked up," 2c., and Job 22, 29: "He who humbles himself will be honored, and he who puts down his eyes will be blessed." This is why honor always comes to them unawares, and their exaltation comes to them unawares. For they have been content with their lowly nature, and have never thought of exaltation. But the false humble are surprised that their honor and exaltation remain so long outside, and their secretly false arrogance does not allow itself to be satisfied with its lowly nature, secretly thinking only higher and higher.
41 Therefore, as I have said § 34, true humility never knows that it is humble (for if it knew it, it would become arrogant from your regard for the same beautiful virtue), but it clings with heart, courage
- "wüßten" put by us instead of "wissen" in the German editions. Latin: exptoratum haberent.
1396 Erl. 45, 236-2S8. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, 1254-1257. 1397
She has them in her eyes without ceasing; they are her images, so that she can walk around; and because she has them in her eyes, she cannot see herself, nor become aware of herself, much less become aware of high things. Therefore the honor and height must come to her unawares, and she even finds herself in strange thoughts against the honor and height. Thus Lucas, Cap. 1, 29, says that the angelic greeting was strange to Mary in her eyes, and she considered what kind of greeting it would be, which she had never thought of. If the greeting had been brought to Caiphas' daughter, she would not have considered what kind of greeting it was, would have accepted it soon, and would have thought: "This is a good thing and well done.] Again, false humility never knows that it is arrogant 1) (for if it knew that, it would soon be humiliated by the appearance of ugly vice), but it clings with heart, courage and mind to the high things, which it has in its eyes without ceasing; these are its images, with which it deals; and while it deals with them, it cannot see itself, nor become aware of itself. Therefore the honor does not come to her unthinkingly nor unawares, but finds uniform thoughts. But shame and humiliation come to her unawares, and even in too many other thoughts.
42 Therefore it is of no use to teach humility in the measure that one puts low, despised things into the eyes. Again, no one becomes arrogant by putting high things into the eyes. eyes. Not the images, but the face must be dismissed. We must live here under high and low images; but, as Christ says Matth. 18, 9., the eye must be put out. Moses, Book 1, Cap. 3, 7, does not say that Adam and Eve saw other things after the fall than before, but he says: "Their eyes were opened, so that they saw themselves naked", although they were naked before, and did not realize it. Esther the queen wore a rich crown on her head, and yet said, It was as an unclean cloth in her eyes. (Pieces in Esth. 3, 11.) There were not the high ones.
- Erlanger: Hochmuth.
Images were taken from her, even set before her with heaps, as of a mighty queen, and no lowly image before her; but the face was lowly, heart and mind looked not after great things; therefore God did wonders by her. So it is not the things, but we who must be transformed in mind and spirit; then we will teach ourselves to despise and flee high things, to esteem and seek low things; then humility is basic and constant on all sides, and yet we ourselves are never aware of it. This happens with pleasure, and the heart remains the same and one, as the things change or give, high or low, large or small.
(43) Oh, there is great pride among the humble garments, words, and actions of which the world is now full, who so despise themselves that they still want to be despised by everyone; so flee honor that they still want to be hunted with it; avoid the high things that they are still taken care of, praise them, and let their thing not be the least.
44 But here this virgin shows no more than her nothingness, in which she gladly lived and remained, never thinking of honor or height, nor realizing that she had been humble. Humility is so tender and so precious that it cannot suffer its own prestige; but the image is kept only to the divine face, as the 113th Psalm v. 6. says: "He looks at the lowly in heaven and earth." For he who could see his humility could judge himself to salvation, and God's judgment would already be over, since we know that God certainly makes the humble blessed; therefore God must reserve them for Himself to recognize and look at, and save them from us with training and practice of the little things in which we forget to look at ourselves. For this purpose, so many sufferings, deaths and all kinds of hardships on earth serve, so that we may have trouble and work to shun them and to cut out the false eye.
- now we have clearly understood from this little word humilitas that the Virgin Mary was a despised, lowly, unseen maiden, wherein she served god, not knowing that her unsightly estate was so great.
1398 Erl. 45, 238-241. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. vn, 1257-1259. 1399
would be respected in the sight of God. So that we may be comforted, that although we should gladly be humbled and despised, we should not despair of it, as if God were angry with us, but rather hope that He will be gracious to us; only take care that we are not willing enough and glad enough to be in such lowliness, so that perhaps the false eye may not be too wide open, and deceive us with a secret desire for high things or our own good pleasure, so that our humility may come to nothing. For what does it help the reprobate that they are lowest, because they are not glad and willing to be in it? and what does it hurt all the angels that they are highest, because they do not cling to it with false delight?
46 Recently, this verse teaches us to recognize God rightly, in that it indicates that God looks upon the lowly, the despised. And he knows God rightly who knows that God looks upon the lowly, as is said above § 4. And from this knowledge follows love and loyalty to God, so that man willingly surrenders to Him and follows Him. Jeremiah, Cap. 9, 23. 24. says of this: "Let no one boast of his strength, wealth or wisdom, but let him who wants to boast boast that he knows and knows me"; 1) as also St. Paul teaches 2 Cor. 10, 17: "Whoever boasts, let him boast of God."
Thus, after the Mother of God has praised her God and Savior with a pure, unadulterated spirit, and has not taken anything for herself, and thus has sung to Him of His goodness, she now also comes to praise His works and goods in an orderly manner. For, as 26 ff] said, one must not fall on the goods of God and take them; but by them penetrate up to him, cling to him alone, and think much of his goodness, and then also praise him in his works, in which he has shown us such goodness to love, trust, and praise 3); that the works are nothing else but much cause to love and praise his mere goodness ruling over us.
- but she takes off from herself to the
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: erkennet und weiß.
- "also" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- Erlanger: generated.
first, and sings what he has done to her; that she may teach us two things. The first: Let every man take heed what God worketh with him, above all the works which he doeth with others. For there shall be no blessedness in what he worketh with another, but in what he worketh with thee. So John 21:21, when St. Peter said of St. John, "But what shall this man do?" Christ answered him and said, "What is it to thee? follow me." As if to say, "John's works will not help you; you must do them yourself and wait to see what I will do with you.
(49) Although there is now an abominable abuse in the world with the giving out and selling of good works, since some presumptuous spirits want to help other people, especially those who live or die without God's own works. Just as if they had too many good works, St. Paul clearly says in 1 Cor. 3, 8: "Each one will receive wages according to his work", without doubt not according to another's work. They would suffer if they asked for other people or presented their works as an intercession to God. But now they cannot do otherwise than to go with it as a gift, it is a shameful undertaking. And, worst of all, they give away their works, which they themselves do not know how they count before God. For God does not look at works, but at the heart 1 Sam. 16, 7 and at faith [Jer. 5, 3.They have no regard at all for this, building only on outward works, deceiving themselves and everyone with them, even to the point of persuading people to put on monk's caps when they die; pretending that whoever dies in such holy garments has indulgence from all sins and will be blessed; intending to make people blessed not only with strange works, but also with strange garments. I do not think that the evil spirit will control them to such an extent that they will lead people to heaven with monastery food, housing and burial. Help God, what tangible darkness is this to me, that a monk's cap can make pious and blessed; what is the need of faith? Let us all become monks, or all die in caps. Cloth should be melted into monk's caps alone. Beware, beware
1400 Erl. 45, L4I-S4S. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, 12S9-IM2. 1401
before the wolves in such sheep's clothing, they tear you apart and deceive you Matth. 7, 15.
- Consider, 1) that God also works with you, and that your salvation is only through the works that God works in you alone, and on no one else; as you see the Virgin Mary doing here. But whether you let yourself be helped to this by the intercession of others is right and well done. We should all ask and do for one another; but no one should rely on the works of others without his own divine works; but with all diligence be and perceive God, not otherwise than as if he and God alone were in heaven and earth, and God had to do with no one but him; and thereafter also look to the works of others.
The other thing they teach here is that each one should want to be the first in praising God, and to bring forth His works done in him, and then to praise them in other works as well. Thus we read that Paul and Barnabas proclaimed to the apostles their works of God, and they in turn theirs Acts 15:12. In the same way, Luc. 24, 34. 35. they did about the appearance after the resurrection of Christ. There arises a common joy and praise to God, as each one praises the other's grace, and yet his own first, even if it is less than the other's; does not desire to be first or foremost in goods, but in the praise and love of God. For they are content with God and His mere goodness, however small the gift; so finely simple is their heart.
- but the avaricious and selfish, when they see that they are not the highest and best in goods, look askance and grumble for praise, that they are equal or inferior to others; as those in the Gospel, Matth. 20, 11. 12. who grumbled against the householder; not that he wronged them, but that he compared them to others with the daily penny. So now many are found who do not praise God's goodness, because they do not see that they have as much as St. Peter or any other saint, or as much as this one and the one on earth; thinking that if they also had so much, they would also want to praise God.
- Wittenberger: not.
praise and love; they pay little attention to the fact that they are showered with goods of God, which they do not recognize, such as body, life, reason, good, honor, friends, and service of the sun, with all creatures. Even if they had all the goods of Mary, they would not recognize and praise God in them. For, as Christ says Luc. 16, 10, "he who is faithful in the little and the few is faithful also in the great and the many; and he who is unfaithful in the little is unfaithful also in the 2) many." Therefore they are worthy that the many and great should not become to them, because the small and few are disdained. But if they praise God in the small, the great would also be superfluous to them. That is why they see above themselves and not below themselves. If they were to look among themselves, they would find many of them who are perhaps not half like them, and yet they would be satisfied with God and praise Him.
A bird sings and is happy in what it can do, and does not grumble that it cannot speak. A dog leaps merrily, and is content if he is not sensible. All animals let them be content, and serve God with love and praise, without the mischievous, selfish eye of man, which is unsatiable. And yet it is not fitting that it should become full of itself for the sake of its ingratitude and arrogance, that it should sit on top and be the best, that it should not honor God, but be honored by Him. So we read that at the time of the Costnitz Concilii two cardinals, riding in the field, saw a shepherd standing and weeping, and one cardinal, a kind man, did not want to ride by, but to comfort the man, and rode up to him, asking him what he: was? The shepherd wept very much, and would not say anything for a long time, so that the Cardinal was distressed; at last he lifted up, and pointing to a toad, said: "I weep that God has made me such a fine creature, not as shapeless as a worm, and I have never known it, nor given him thanks and praise. The Cardinal was struck by the words, and was terrified that he fell from his mouth 3) and had to be carried inside, and he cried out: O St. Augustine, how true you have said: The
- In the old editions: in.
- d. i. Maulthier. The Erlangen edition put "Gaul" for it, because it considered "Maul" to be a misprint.
1402 Erl. 45, 243-245. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1262-1264. 1403
The unlearned stand up and take heaven before us, and we with our art walk in flesh and blood. Now I consider that the shepherd was not rich, nor handsome, nor powerful; and yet he so deeply considered God's goods and gave thanks, 1) that he found more in him than he could have foreseen.
For he has looked upon the lowliness of his handmaid. 2)
(54) The first work of God in her she confesses is to look upon her, which is also the greatest, in which all the veins hang and from which all flow. For where God turns His face to someone to look at him, there is only grace and blessedness, and all gifts and works must follow. Thus we read in Genesis 4:5 that He looked at Abel and his sacrifice, but He did not look at Cain and his sacrifice. Hence the common prayers in the Psalter that God would turn His face toward us, not hide it, enlighten us, and the like Ps. 25, 16. Ps. 27, 9. Ps. 31, 17.. And how she herself considers this to be the greatest thing, she shows by saying: "Behold, for the sake of reputation, the child-child will call me blessed.
(55) Mark the words, she does not say that many good things will be said of her, that her virtue will be praised, that her virginity or her humility will be exalted, or that she will sing a song about her deeds; but only because she has looked upon God will she be said to be blessed. This is giving the glory of God so purely that it could not be purer. Therefore she points to the reputation, and says: Ecce enim ex hoc, "Behold, from now on they will say me blessed," 2c., that is, from the time when God looked at my nothingness, I will be blessed. In this she is not praised, but God's grace over her; yes, she is despised, and despises herself, in that she says her nothingness is regarded by God. That is why she praises her blessedness before she tells of the works that God has done for her, and gives it all to the divine regard for her nothingness.
- from which we may learn 3) which
- d. i. Thanks for that said.
- Only in the Jena are these words repeated here.
- Erlanger: teach.
is the right honor, so that one should honor her and serve her. How should one say to her? Look at the words, and they will teach you to say: O blessed virgin and mother of God, how you have been nothing and lowly, despised, and yet God has so graciously and abundantly looked upon you and done great things in you; you have never been worthy of them, and above all your merits, far and high, is the rich, abundant grace of God in you. O blessed art thou from that hour even unto eternity, which hast found such a God! Do not think that she does not like to hear that she is called unworthy of such grace. For she has undoubtedly not lied, since she herself confesses her unworthiness and nothingness, which God has not considered at all from her merit, but out of pure grace.
She does not like to hear the useless talkers who preach and write much about their merit, so that they want to prove their own great art, and do not see how they dampen the Magnificat, punish the Mother of God with lies, and diminish the grace of God. For as much worthy merit as is attributed to her, as much as the divine grace is abridged, and the truth of the Magnificat is diminished. The angel greets her only by the grace of God and that the Lord is with her, so that she is blessed among all women Luc. 1, 28. Therefore all those who praise and honor her and leave all this on her are not far from making an idol out of her. Just as if it were her duty to be honored, and good things done to her; if she rejects them from her, and wants to praise God in her, and through her to bring everyone to good confidence in God's grace.
(58) Therefore, whoever wants to honor her rightly must not only form her before himself, but place her before God, and far below God, and make her bare there, and look at her nothingness (as she says); then marvel at the abundant graces of God, who so richly, graciously looks upon, embraces, and gives such a lowly, vile human being; so that from the face of it you will be moved to love and praise God in such graces, and so-
1404 Erl. 45, 245-247. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, 1264-1267. 1405
by which you will be tempted to give yourself to all that is good, to such a God who so graciously looks upon lowly, despised, vain people and does not spurn them, that your heart may be strengthened toward God in faith, love and hope. What do you think will happen to her, if you come to God through her and learn to trust and hope in God, even if you are despised and destroyed, whether in life or in death? She does not want you to come to her, but through her to God.
(59) Again, learn to fear 1) all the high things that men seek, seeing that God did not find, nor want to have, high esteem even in His Mother. But the masters, who paint and model the blessed Virgin for us in such a way that there is nothing despised, but only great, high things to be seen in her, what else do they do, but that 2) they hold us against the Mother of God alone, and not her against God, so that they make us stupid and despondent, and blind us to the comforting image of grace, as one does to the tablets during fasting. 3) For there remains no example of which we can be comforted; but she is exalted above all examples, if she should be and would gladly be the most excellent example of God's grace, to stir up all the world in the confidence, love and praise of divine grace, so that all hearts would gain such a delusion from her to God, who would speak with all confidence: O blessed Virgin and Mother of God, how God has shown us such great comfort in you, because he has so graciously looked upon your unworthiness and nothingness, so that we may be admonished from now on that he will not despise and graciously look upon us, poor, worthless people, in accordance with your example.
- Do you think that David, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Mary Magdalene, and their like, through the great grace unworthily given to them for the consolation of all men, are examples of divine confidence and faith, that not also the blessed mother, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Mary Magdalene, and their like, can be strengthened?
- Erlanger: teach.
- "that" is missing in the Jena.
- Panels - pictures. From this we can see that during Lent the images were covered.
- In Latin: Huo eommoukmur juxta.
Would God gladly and justly be such an example to all the world? Now it may not be before the superfluous preachers of praise and useless chatterers, who do not show from this verse how in it the exuberant riches of God with its deep poverty, the divine honor with its nothingness, the divine worthiness with its contempt, the divine greatness with its littleness, the divine goodness with its unmerit, the divine grace with its unworthiness have come together, from which desire and love for God would grow, in all confidence; therefore also their and all the saints' lives and deeds are described. But now one finds quite a few who seek help and consolation from her as from a god, so that I worry that there is more idolatry in the world now than there ever was. That is enough for now.
(61) The Latin omnes generationes I have translated child-child, although from word to word it means "all generations. But this is so obscurely spoken that some here have almost tried to say how it is true that all generations call them blessed, when Jews, pagans and many wicked Christians blaspheme them, or ever despise to call them blessed. That is why they understand the word "generation" from the gathering of men, so that it means here more the succession of the members of natural birth, as one is born after the other, the father, the son, son-son, and so on, each member is called a generation; that the Virgin Mary means nothing else, her praise will also last from one generation to the other, so that there is no time in which she is not praised. And this she indicates when she says: "Behold, from now on, all generations", that is, now it begins, and lasts into all generations to child-child.
- the little word also αηφ μσχαριοΰσι stretches
further, than to say blessed, and means "to make blessed" or "to make blessed. That it be done not only by saying or saying, or by bending the knee, by bowing the head, by putting on the hat, by making images, by building churches, which the wicked also do well, but by all forces and with thorough truth. This happens when the heart, as said above § 55, 56, through their nothingness and God's grace, takes joy and pleasure in them to God.
1406 Erl. 45, 247-249. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. vn, 1267-1269. 1407
and says or remembers with all his heart: O blessed Virgin Mary! To such blessed ones is their right honor, as is heard.
V. 49 For he has done great things for me, who is mighty, and holy is his name.
Here she sings in one heap all the works that God has done for her, and keeps a good order. In the previous verse, she sang about the divine reputation and gracious will over her, which is also the greatest, as § 54 said, and chief of all graces; here she sings about works and gifts. For God gives many goods to some, and adorns them highly, like Lucifer in heaven, and casts his gifts among the heap; but he does not see them therefore. The goods are only temporal goods, but grace and prestige is the inheritance that remains forever, as St. Panlus says Rom. 6, 23: "Grace is eternal life." In goods he gives his own, in reputation and grace he gives himself; in goods one receives his hand, but in grace reputation one receives his heart, spirit, courage and will.
- Therefore, the blessed 1) Juugfrau gives the greatest and first to the reputation, and does not say to the first: All child-child will blessed me, that he has done so great things to me, since this verse says about; but that he has looked on me void and my voidness, since the previous verse says about. Where there is a gracious will, there are also gifts; but not again is there a gracious will where the gifts are. Therefore this verse follows the previous one. Thus we read in Gen. 25, 5. 6. that Abraham gave gifts to the children of his concubines or concubines, but to Isaac, the right son of the right wife Sarah, he gave the whole inheritance. So God does not want His right children to take comfort in His goods and gifts, however great or great they may be, spiritually or physically, but in His grace and Himself, yet regardless of the gifts.
(65) Neither does she tell any goods in particular, but with one word she gathers them all together, saying, "He has done great things for me," that is, they are all great,
- Wittenberger: selbige. Latin: diva.
that he has done to me. She teaches us that the greater the devotion in the spirit, the fewer the words. For she feels how much she cannot achieve with words, as she well thinks and would like to. That is why the same few words of the spirit are always so great and deep that no one can understand them, except those who ever feel the same spirit in part. To the spiritless, however, such words are very small, and completely without juice and flavor, who do their thing with many words and great clamor. So Christ also teaches in Matt. 6:7 that we should not speak much when we pray. For this is what the unbelievers do, thinking that they will be heard through many words. Just as now in all churches there is much ringing, whistling, singing, shouting and reading; but, I fear, very little praise to God, who wants to be praised in spirit and truth, as he says John 4:24. Solomon, Proverbs 27:14.He who praises his neighbor with great clamor and rises early is to be regarded as a blasphemer," for he makes the matter suspicious, so that everyone thinks he wants to adorn an evil thing, and by making it so hot only makes the matter worse. Again, he who blasphemes his neighbor with a loud voice, and looks early (that is, he is not lazy, does it with great, hurried diligence), is to be respected like a blasphemer; for it is thought that it is not true, and he does it out of hatred and an evil heart, thus making his cause worse, and his neighbor's better.
So, if one thinks to praise God even with many words, cries and sounds, he does so as if he were deaf or knew nothing, as if we wanted to wake him up and instruct him: such a delusion of God is 2) more to his shame and dishonor than to his praise. But he who considers his divine deeds with a deep heart, and looks upon them with wonder and thanksgiving, so that he bursts into a passion, sighs more than he speaks, and the words themselves flow, neither invented nor set, bursting forth, so that the spirit foams out with it, and the words have life, hand and feet, yes, that at the same time the whole body, and all life, and all limbs would gladly speak; that is, right from the spirit and in truth.
- Jenaer: gelanget.
1408 Eri. 45, 249-Löi. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. vn, 1269-1272. 1409
praise God: the words are like fire, light and life, as David Ps. 119, 140: "Lord, your excuses are all fiery. Item v. 171: "My lips shall foam with praise to thee"; at the same time, as hot water boils and foams, so that it can no longer contain itself from great heat in the pot; so are all the words of this blessed virgin in this song, which are few, yet deep and great. St. Paul calls these spiritu ferventes, which spiritually roar and foam, Rom. 12, 11, and teaches us to be so.
- the great things are nothing else than that she has become God's mother; in which works so many and great goods are given to her that no one can comprehend them. For there follows all honor, all blessedness, and that in the whole human race she is one person above all, to whom no one is equal, that she has a child with the heavenly Father, and such a child; and she herself cannot give him a name for exuberant greatness, and must leave it at that, that she gushes and foams, that these are great things, which cannot be explained nor measured. Therefore, in one word all her glory is understood; if she is called the Mother of God, no one can say greater things about her or to her, even if he has as many tongues as there are leaves and grass, stars in the sky and sand in the sea. It also wants to be considered with the 1) heart, what there is, to be God's mother.
68 She also gives it freely to God's grace, not to her merit. For even though she has been without sin, 2) this grace is so surpassing that in no way has she been worthy of it. How should a creature be worthy to be God's mother? Although some scribes here talk a lot about her worthiness for such motherhood. But I believe her more than them. She says that her nothingness is respected, and that God has not rewarded her service with it, but: "He has done great things for me," He has done it Himself, without my service. For she never thought about it her whole life, much less prepared and prepared herself to become God's mother, the same message came to her.
- "dem" is missing in the Erlanger.
- This is still papistic.
even unawares; as Lucas writes [Cap. 1, 29. But a merit is not unready for its reward, but well considered and set before the reward.
But the fact that one sings in the Regina coeli laetare etc.: "Whom you have deserved to bear", and in the other place: "That you have been worthy to bear" 2c., does not conclude. The same words are sung about the holy cross, which was a piece of wood and could not earn anything. So this is also to be understood, that if she was to be a mother of God, she had to be a woman, a virgin, of the family of Judah Luc. 1, 26 and believe the angelic message, so that she would be fit for it, as the Scripture said of her. Just as the wood had no other merit and worthiness than that it was fit for the cross and ordained by God, so her worthiness for this motherhood was none other than that she was fit and ordained for it, so that it would be pure grace and not a reward, so that God's grace, praise and honor would not be cut off if too much were given to her. It is better to cut her off too much than to cut off God's grace. Yes, one cannot break off too much from her, since she was created from nothing, like all creatures; but one has easily broken off too much from God's grace; that is dangerous and does not serve her well. It may also be a measure that one does not push the name too far, that one calls her a queen of the heavens, although it is true, but she is not thereby an idol, that she may give or help, as some think, who call to her more than to God and have refuge. She gives nothing, but only God; as follows:
Who is powerful there.
With this, she takes away all power and strength from all creatures, and gives it to God alone. O this is a great boldness and great robbery of such a young, little girl, who with one word may make all mighty ones sick, all great ones powerless, all wise ones fools, all famous ones to shame, and only to the one God all power, action, wisdom and glory. For the little word, "he who is mighty," is thus much said: it is
- "it" is missing in the Erlanger.
1410 Erl. 45, L5I-2S4. Interpretations about the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1272-1275. 1411
is no one who does anything; but, as St. Paul says in Eph. 1:11, "God alone works all things in all things," and the work of all creatures is God's work; as we also say in faith, "I believe in God the Father Almighty." Almighty is he, that in all, and through all, and above all worketh nothing, but his power alone. Thus also Samuel's mother, St. Hannah, sings in 1 Sam. 2:9: "No man is able to do anything of his own ability"; and St. Paul in 2 Cor. 3:5: "We are not so much able as to think of anything of ourselves, but what we are able to do is of God." This is quite a high article, and comprehends much in it, laying low all hope, presumption, iniquity, glory, false confidence, foremost, and exalting only GOD; yea, showing cause why GOD alone is to be exalted, namely, that He does all things. It is easy to say, but high to believe and to draw into life. For those who practice this in life are quite peaceful, calm, simple-minded people, who do not take on any thing and know well that it is not theirs, but God's.
71 Is now the holy God's mother's opinion in these words: There is nothing mine in all these things and great goods, but he who alone does all things, and works his power in all alone, he has done such great things to me. For the little word "mighty" here does not mean a quiet, resting power, as one says of a temporal king that he is mighty, even though he sits still and does nothing; but an active power and constant activity that goes on and works without ceasing. For God does not rest, works without ceasing, as Christ says, Jn. 5:17: "My Father works until here, and I also work." In the same way St. Paul says Eph. 3, 20: "He is able to do more than we ask"; that is, He always does more than we ask; that is His way, so does His power. That is why I said, Mary does not want to be an idol. She does nothing, God does all things. One should call upon her 1) so that God may give through her will, and
- The invocation of the Blessed Virgin and the saints is still papist.
do what we ask; so all the other saints are also to be called upon, that the work may ever remain entirely God's alone.
Seventy-two Therefore she adds, "And holy is his name," that is, as I do not take the work, so I do not take the name and honor. For honor and name are due to him alone who does the work; it is unreasonable that another should do the work, and another have the name, and be honored by it. I am only the workshop in which he works, but I have done nothing for the work; therefore no one should praise me or give me the honor that I have become God's mother, but God and his work should be honored and praised in me; it is enough that one rejoices with me and blesses me that God has used me to do such his works in me.
- Behold, how purely she carries all things in God, how completely she takes on no work, no honor, no glory, yet does just as before, since she had none, also no longer asks for honors, as before, does not boast, does not break out, does not exclaim, how she has become God's mother, does not ask for honor, walks and works in the house, as before, milks the cow, cooks, washes the dishes, sweeps, does as a housemaid or housemother should do in little despised works, as if she had nothing to do with such exuberant goods and graces. She is held among other wives and neighbors nothing higher than before; she has not coveted it either, has remained a poor citizen among the small crowd. Oh, what a simple, pure heart she is! What a strange person she is! How many great things are hidden under such a small figure! How many have attacked her, talked to her, eaten with her, and drunk with her, who might have despised her and considered her a common, poor, bad citizen, who otherwise would have been horrified by her if they had known such things about her.
- Now this means "to be holy to his name". For "holy" means that which is set apart, dedicated to God, which no one should attack and defile, but hold in honor. So "name" means a good rumor, fame, praise and honor. Thus, everyone shall abstain from the name of God, shall not use it.
1412 Erl. "5, 254-rsa. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, I27S-I277. 1413
Do not touch it, do not appropriate it. Thus it is written in Exodus 30:31, 32 that a precious, holy ointment was made by Moses by God's command, and it was strictly enjoined that no man should anoint his body with it; that is, no one should ascribe God's name to it. For this is to profane God's name, if we boast or let ourselves be honored, or please ourselves, and boast of our works or goods, as the world does, and profane and desecrate God's name without ceasing; but as the works are God's alone, so shall his name alone remain. And all those who sanctify his name, who pour out honor and glory upon themselves, hold it in honor; therefore they are sanctified by it, as Ex 30:29. is written, as the precious ointment was so holy that it sanctified everything it touched; that is, God's name, because it is sanctified by us, and we take no work, no glory, no pleasure of our own in it, so it is rightly honored, so it touches us, and sanctifies us.
Therefore, we must be careful here, because we may not be without God's goods on earth, and thus without name and honor. If someone praises us and gives us names, we should take the example of God's mother here, and be ready to respond with this verse, and use the honor and praise properly, and say it publicly, or remember it in our hearts: O Lord God, the work is yours, which is praised and glorified; let the name also be yours: not I, Lord, but you have done this, who do all things mightily, and holy is your name. So do not deny praise and glory as if it were wrong, or despise it as if it were nothing; but do not accept it as an altogether noble and precious thing, and carry it home to Him whose it is in heaven. Behold, this is what this noble 1) verse teaches.
76 This is the answer to the question whether no one should honor another? Yes, St. Paul says that we should strive to come before one another with honor, Rom. 12, 10. But no one should accept honor as it is done to him, or let it remain on him, but sanctify it, and God should not be honored in any way.
- "edele" is missing in the Jena.
Carry home, of which it is, with all good and work, from which comes the honor. For no one should lead a dishonest life. If he is to live honestly, there must be honor. But as the honest life is God's gift and work, so let the name be his alone, holy, and unencumbered with his own good pleasure. This is what we pray in the Lord's Prayer: "May your name be hallowed."
V. 50: And his mercy endureth from generation to generation unto them that fear him.
We must be accustomed to the Scriptures, which call "sex" the result of natural breeding or birth, as one man is born from another for and for, as said above § 61. Therefore the German word "Geschlecht" is not sufficient, but knows no better. For we call the kinships and collection-blood friendships Geschlechte. 2) But here it should be called the natural succession from father to child, that each member of this succession is called a gender; that I respect it, it should not be badly thus translated: "And his mercy endures from child to child, to those who fear him. And is almost mean to speak this way in the Scriptures, originally from the words of God, which he says on Mount Sinai, under the first commandment, to Mosi and all the people, thus: I am your God, strong and diligent, who punish the sin of the fathers in the children to the third and fourth generations, to those who hate me; and am merciful in many thousand generations to those who love me, and keep my commandments." Ex. 20:5, 6.
Now that she has sung about her and her God's goods and praised God, she walks through all of God's works, which he works in general in all people, and also sings to him about them; teaches us to recognize the works, nature and will of God. Many highly rational people and philosophers have also circumvented that they would have liked to know what God is, have written much about Him, one otherwise, the other so; but are all blinded, have the right view
- In Latin, this is translated thus: Progeniem vocamus coetum, nobis, tum sanguinis, tum conjugii nomine junctorum.
1414 Erl. 45, S5S-2S8. Interpretations about the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1277-1280. 1415
not see. And it is indeed the greatest thing in heaven and earth that one may know God rightly, if anyone can. The Mother of God teaches it here almost well, whoever wants to understand her; as she also teaches the same above, in and of herself. But how can one know him better than from his own works? Whoever recognizes his work rightly, may not lack his nature, will, heart and courage.
- Therefore it is an art to know his works. And that we may grasp it, six divine works, in six kinds of men, she counts through these four verses one after the other, and divides the world into two parts, on each side three works, and three kinds of men, and one part is always against the other. Then she knows what God is doing on both sides, so she paints him so that he will not be painted too badly. And the same division is well and orderly conceived, and founded in more places of Scripture, namely, Jeremiah 9:23, 24, where he thus says: "Let no wise man glory in his wisdom; let no mighty man glory in his power; let no rich man glory in his riches; but let him glory in them who will glory in them, that he may know me, and know how I am a God, who doeth mercy, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; these things please me, saith God." This is a noble text, and agrees with this song of the Mother of God.
80 Here we also see that he divides everything the world has into three parts, into "wisdom, power and riches", and breaks it all up by saying: one should not flaunt it, for he will not be found there, nor does he have any pleasure in it; on the other hand, he sets other three parts, "mercy, judgment, justice": there I am (he says), yes, I do all these things; so near am I, and I do it not in heaven but on earth. There one finds me. So whoever recognizes me, he may well defy and flaunt such things. For if he be not wise, but poor in spirit, there is my mercy with him. If he is not mighty, but oppressed, there is my judgment, and shall save him. If he is
- "to" is missing in the Jena.
- Wittenberger: will.
not rich, but poor and meager, so much more of my righteousness is with him.
In the "wisdom" he understands everything that there are spiritual goods and high gifts, of which a man may have a pleasure, glory and conceit, as the following verse will give, as there are, understanding, reason, wit, art, piety, virtue, good life, recently, everything that is in the soul, which is called divine and spiritual, as high gifts it may be, which is not God himself. In the "power" he understands all authority, nobility, friend, dignity and honor, whether about temporal or spiritual. Goods and people (although in Scripture there is no spiritual authority nor power, but only servitude and subordination), with all right, freedom, advantage 2c. that may be therein. In "riches" is included health, form, pleasure, strength, and everything that is outwardly good for the body. In contrast, the other three are the poor in spirit, the oppressed and the needy in body. Now let us see the six works and pieces one after the other.
The first work of God, mercy.
Of this this verse says: "His mercy endures from child to child, to them that fear Him." It starts from the highest and greatest, namely from the spiritual, inward goods, which make the most hopeful, proud, stiff-necked people on earth. There is no rich man, no powerful lord so puffed up and courageous, as such a clown, who feels and thinks that he is right, understands the matter well, is wiser than other people; especially where it comes to the meeting that he is to be soft or wrong; he is so insolent and without any fear of God that he may boast that he is not mistaken, that God is with him, and that the others are of the devil; he may invoke God's judgment; and if he has reason and power, he goes in with his head, persecutes, judges, blasphemes, strangles, chases away, and disturbs all who resist him, and then speaks: he has done it for God's service and honor; is so sure and certain of a great thanksgiving and merit before God that the angels are hardly so sure in heaven. O how a great
1416 Erl. 45, 258-2S0. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, 1280-1282. 1417
That is a bubble! Oh how much the scripture deals with such people, how horribly it dreads them. But they feel it less than the anvil of the blacksmith feels the blows of the hammer; and this piece is a great, broad thing. Of them Christ says John 16:2: "The time will come when those who kill you and drive you out will think they are doing God a great service." And Ps. 10, 5. 6. of the same multitude: "He overcometh all his adversities, and saith, There shall no evil befall me." As if he should say: I am right, I do well, God will give me great reward for it 2c. Such a people was Moab, of which Isaiah Cap. 16, 6, and Jeremiah Cap. 48, 29. 30.: "We have heard of Moab, he is haughty beyond measure, his haughtiness, his blowing off, his presumption, his glory, and his wrath is greater than his might."
Thus we see that such people, with great arrogance, would gladly do more than they are able. Such a people were the Jews about Christ and the apostles; such people were the friends of St. Job, who spoke wisely against him, and praised and preached God very highly. Such people do not listen, do not let them be told; it is not possible for them to be wrong, or to give way; only through it, and the world should fall to ruins. Scripture cannot sufficiently punish such a lost bunch; now it calls it a serpent that plugs its ears so that it does not hear [Ps. 58, 5. 1, now an indomitable unicorn [Ps. 22, 22. 1, now a raging lion Ps. 7, 3., now a great immovable rock [Jer. 5, 3. 23, 29. 1, now a dragon Ps. 74, 13., and so on much more. But not baß are they painted off, for Job 40, 10. ff. and 41, 1. ff., there he calls the same heap "Behemoth." Behema means a beast; Behemoth a bunch of beasts, that is, a people that has a beastly mind and does not let God's spirit rule in it. God describes him as having eyes like the dawn, for their wisdom is without measure; their skin so hard that if one shoots or stabs at it, he makes a mockery of it, that is, if it is preached at them, they laugh at it, for their right shall not be punishable. Item, one scale sticks to the other, so that not one air is there.
between them, for they hold over each other so that no spirit of God can enter them. His heart (says God) is hardened like a blacksmith's anvil; it is the devil's body; therefore he also gives all these things to the devil in the same place.
84 Such a people in our times, above all others, is the pope with his bunch, and has been for a long time; they also do so, and more, than it has ever been. There is no hearing, no joint, 1) no saying, no counseling, no pleading, no urging; in short, no more, for we are right, let it remain so, in spite of someone else, even if it were the world.
But if someone wants to say, "How will this be done? Should one not keep the right? Should one leave the truth? Is it not commanded that one should die for the sake of right and truth? Did not the holy martyrs suffer for the sake of the Gospel? Did not Christ himself also want to be right? It ever happens that such people are right in public (and, as they proclaim, before God), act well and wisely. I answer: Here is the time and the need to open one's eyes, here is the right place, here is the time to be rightly instructed because of being right. It is true that for the sake of truth and justice one should suffer everything, and not deny it, be it what it may. It may also be that they are right about something; but this is what spoils it, that they do not carry out the law legally, do not act with fear in it, do not form God before their eyes, think that it is enough that it is right, should and will continue by their own power, and thus make the game out of it. So that they make their right wrong, when it would already be right in principle. But it is much more dangerous when they think it is right, and do not know for certain how it is done in the high things that God and his rights encounter. But we want to say first of all about the gross, human right, and set a gross, tangible example.
- is it not true that money, goods, body, honor, wife, child and friend 2c. are also
- Joint - compliance. This meaning is missing in Dietz.
- "the" is missing in the Jena.
1418 Erl. 4S, [so-ssr. Interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1282-1285. 1419
good things, created and given by God Himself? If they are God's gifts and not yours, and he wanted to tempt you, whether you would let them go for his sake, and cling more to him alone than to such of his goods. He adds an enemy to you, who takes them from you in whole or in part, and damages you, or otherwise gets rid of them through death and destruction; do you think that you would have just cause to rage, to rage, to take them again with storm and violence, or to be impatient until you have them again, pretending that they are good things and God's creation, which he himself made; and all the Scriptures call such things good; therefore wouldst thou keep God's word, and protect and repeat such good things with life and limb, or ever not with will spare them, nor with patience let them go; would not that be a fine pretense?
If you want to do well here, you don't have to go through it with your head. How then? You should fear God, and thus say: Well, dear God, these are good things and your goods, as your own word and scripture say; but I do not know whether you will grant them to me. If I knew that I should not have them, I would not take them again with a hair; but if I knew that thou wouldst have them with me, more than with that, I would serve thy will in them, and take them again with body and soul; but because I know none of these, and see that at present thou wilt let me take them, I command the matter unto thee, and will wait to see what I shall do therein, and be ready to have them and to do without them.
(88) Behold, this is a right soul that fears God; there is mercy with it, as the Mother of God sings here. From this you can see for what reason Abraham, David and the people of Israel fought and killed many times ago. They went up out of God's will, stood in fear, and fought not for the sake of good, but that God might have it from them; as the histories give, and commonly indicate beforehand the command of God. Now see how here the truth is not denied. The truth says they are good things and God's creatures; yes, the same truth also says
and teaches that you should let go of such good things, and be ready all hours to do without them, if God wills it, and cling to God alone. The truth does not urge you to take back the goods, so that it says they are good; nor does it urge you to say they are not good, but to stand by them and confess that they are good and not evil.
(89) So must law and all the goods of reason or wisdom be done. Justice is a good thing and a gift of God; who doubts it? God's word itself says that justice is good, and if anyone ever confesses that his good or right cause is unjust or evil, he shall die before it, and let go of everything that is not God. For that would be denying God and His word, whoever says. Let right be good, and not evil. But would you cry out, rage and rage, and strangle all the world, so that such a right would be taken away from you, or be suppressed? as some do, who call to heaven, cause all misery, destroy land and people, fill the world with wars and bloodshed; what do you know, whether God will let you have such a gift and right? It is his, may it take you today or tomorrow, out of it and in it, through enemy and friend, and as he wills. He will try you, whether for his sake you will forego the right, be wronged and suffer, bear the shame for his sake, and cling to him alone.
90 If thou then art godly, and thinkest, Lord, it is thine, I will not have it, I. Know then that thou wilt grant it me; let whatsoever pass, be thou only my God: behold, then this verse goeth: "And his mercy is with them that fear him," who will do nothing without his will; behold, there is God's word kept in both pieces. First, that you confess that the law, your reason, your knowledge, your wisdom, and all your opinions are right and good, as God's word itself speaks of them. Second, that you gladly lack such good for God's sake, unjustly corrupt, and become a reproach to the world, as God's Word also teaches. There are two things: good or
- Jenaer and Erlanger: and.
1420 Eri. 4ü, Lss-284. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. vn, nss-E. 1421
Confess right and win. It is enough for you to confess that you have good and right. If you cannot win, let God command it: you are commanded to confess that God has kept winning for him. If he wants you to win, he will do it himself, or he will present it to you without your thoughts, so that you will have to take it in hand and win in a way you never thought of or desired. If he does not want to do so, be content with his mercy. If the victory of the right is taken from thee, yet confession cannot be taken from thee. Behold, we must renounce, not the goods of God, but the evil, perverse attachment to them, that we might lack them and use them with serenity, that in all cases we may cling to God alone.
(91) O such a thing should all princes and authorities know, who are not content with confessing what is right, but also want to win and submit straightforwardly, without all fear of God, making the world full of blood and misery, thinking they are doing well and right, because they have or think they have a right thing. What is this but the proud, arrogant Moab Isa. 16, 6, who makes himself worthy and respects himself, who should have the noble, beautiful good and gift of God (the right), if he is not worthy, if he sees himself right in the eyes of God, that the earth should carry him, and eat the bark of the bread, because of his sin? O blindness, O blindness! Who is worthy of a least creature of God? And we do not only want to have the highest creatures, the right, wisdom and honor of them, but also to keep and take them with rage, bloodshed and all misfortune; we go thereafter, pray, fast, hear mass, establish churches, with such a bloody, raging, furious mind that it would not be a miracle if the stones were broken before our face.
92 Here a question falls to the side: Should not a lord protect his country and people from injustice, but keep so quiet, let him take everything; what would come of it?
- Walch and the Erlangeners: good and right." That both are to be taken substantively is proven by the beginning of § 89: "Recht und allerlei Güter der Vernunft" ("Right and all kinds of goods of reason"), which is called "Gabe und Recht" ("Gift and Right") later in the same paragraph.
in the world? I will now state my opinion in the shortest possible way. Worldly power is obliged to protect its subjects, as I have often said; for that is why it carries the sword, so that those who do not turn to such divine teachings are kept in fear, so that they leave others peace and quiet Rom. 13:4. Also in this she does not seek her own benefit, but the benefit of her neighbor and God's honor, and would gladly be silent, and leave her sword, if God had not decreed such to control the wicked. But that such protection is not done with much greater evil, and a spoon is picked up as 3) one tramples a bowl.
It is a bad protection to put a whole city in danger for the sake of one person, or to put the whole country over a village or a castle; unless God especially, as in ancient times, commanded to do so. A horseman takes a citizen's property, and you set out with an army to punish the injustice, valuing the whole country; who has done more harm here? the horseman or the lord? David saw through his fingers many times where he could not punish without harming others. So all authorities must do. Again, a countryman must suffer something for the sake of the community, and not desire that all the others come to greater harm for his sake; he does not want to be always the same. Christ did not want to wipe out the tares, lest the wheat also be wiped out Matth. 13, 29. 30.. If one were to argue about everything and overlook nothing, there would never be peace, and yet there would be ruin. Therefore, right or wrong is never 4) sufficient cause to punish or punish without distinction. It is sufficient cause to punish with mercy and without the destruction of another. A lord or authority must look out for what serves the whole bunch more than for a single piece. It will not become a rich householder, who will take the goose home, because one has plucked out its feather. But now is not the time to talk about wars.
- "such" is missing in the Jena.
- Wittenberger: that.
- Jenaer: never.
1422 Erl. 45, 264-267. interpretations on Lucas the Evangelist. W. VII, 1287-1290. 1423
In the same way, in divine matters, faith and the gospel are the highest goods, and no one must let them go. But the right, favor, honor, and attachment of the same 1) must also be put in the balance, and God must rule with it; not to win, but to be careful to confess, and to suffer gladly, whether he is reviled, persecuted, chased away, burned, or otherwise strangled as an unrighteous man, a seducer, a heretic, a maniac, or a sacrilegious 2c. before all the world. For there is God's mercy with him. One cannot ever take away his 2) faith and truth, whether one takes away his life. Although there are few in this piece who rage and rage for gain and obedience, 3) as happens in temporal good and right. For there are also few of them who confess it rightly and for a reason. But such a person should suffer and complain for the sake of others who are hindered in their souls' blessedness because they have succumbed to the gospel; indeed, they should complain and labor much more here (but before God's eyes) for such harm to their souls as the Moabites do for their temporal goods and rights, as was said above § 52 ff. For it is wretched where God's word does not prevail and prevail; not for the sake of the confessor, but for the sake of those who should have been kept thereby.
95 Therefore we see in the prophets, Christ and apostles such great sorrow and lamentation for the sake of God's word suppression, who yet were glad to suffer all injustice and harm. For here is another cause of gain, above all other goods. However, no one should do it by force himself, and keep or take such a right of the Gospel by storm and unreason, but humble himself before God, as perhaps he is not worthy that such a great good should be done by him, and return everything to his mercy with supplications and lamentations.
- Behold, this is the first work of God, that He is merciful to all their conceit,
- The sense is according to the Latin: That right, favor, honor fall to someone and belong to him 2c.
- Jenaer: none.
- In Latin: sasviant; after that we put "wüthen" instead of: "wundern" in the German editions.
Right, wisdom and what are spiritual goods, gladly lack and willingly remain spiritually poor. These are the true God-fearers, who do not think themselves worthy of anything, no matter how small it is, who like to be naked and bare before God and the world; but what they have of them, only as given by pure grace to the undeserving, they use them with praise, thanksgiving and fear, as if they were foreign goods; they do not seek their will, pleasure, praise or honor, but only that which they are. And indicates how much more pleasure God has in doing such mercy, His noblest work, than the counter-work of strength, so that it says that there is such work of God without cessation from child to child in the fearful; since that work lasts into the third or fourth member, and in this following verse no goal nor time is set, as follows.
Destroy the other work of God, spiritual hope. 4)
V. 51: He has wielded violence with his arm, and scattered the hopeful in the mind of their heart.
97 Let no one be mistaken in the translation that I have just given: "he works mightily," and here: "he has wielded power." This is so that we may understand the words all the better, which should not be bound to any time, but freely indicate God's way and work, which he has always done, is always doing, and will always do; so that it would be the same if I spoke it in this way in German: God is such a Lord, whose works are such that he powerfully scatters the arrogant and is merciful to the fearful.
In Scripture, "God's arm" is called His own power, so that He works without the help of creatures. This happens silently and secretly, so that no one is aware of it until it is done; so that this power or arm cannot be understood and recognized except through faith alone, that Isaiah also complains that so few have faith in such an arm, and says: "He who believes without faith is not able to believe.
- This caption is missing in the Wittenberg.
- "the" is missing in the Jena.
1424 Erl. 45, 2S7-L69. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, I2S0-I2S2. 1425
and who are those to whom the arm of God is known?" This makes everything, as follows there, it goes secretly under an unequal reputation of such violence. Also Habakkuk Cap. 3, 4. speaks that horns are in God's hands, 1) indicating his great strength, and yet speaks that his strength is hidden there. How does this happen?
Thus, when God works through the means of creatures, one sees publicly where violence or weakness is; hence the saying: God helps the strongest. Thus, whichever prince wins the war, by him God has defeated the others. If a wolf eats someone or is otherwise damaged, it is through the creature. So God makes and breaks a creature through the others. He who lies there lies, he who stands there stands. But when he himself works through his arm, then it is different; there it is destroyed, before one thinks; again, built up, before one thinks, and no one sees it.
He does such work only between the two parts of the world, the pious and the wicked. He leaves the pious powerless and oppressed, so that everyone thinks that it is over with them, that it has come to an end; and just in this he is strongest, so hidden and secret that even those who suffer the pressure do not feel it, but believe it. God's strength is full, and the whole arm. For where man's strength goes out, God's strength comes in, if faith is there and waits for it. Now when the pressing is out, it breaks forth, what strength had been under the sickness. 3) Behold, Christ was powerless on the cross; and just there he did the greatest power, overcoming sin, death, the world, hell, the devil, and all evil. So all martyrs were strong and won. So all those who suffer and are oppressed still win. Therefore Joel Cap. 3, 15: "He that is without strength, let him say, I am full of strength"; but in faith and without feeling, until the end?
- again, the other part lets god
- Vulgate: eornua in ruauldus sju8.
- Wittenberger: jm.
- In the old editions: "krenck" i.e. weakness, lack of strength. In Latin: Inürmitss.
great and mighty, he draws out his power and lets it blow out only from his own power. For where man's power goes in, God's power goes out. When the bubble is full, and everyone thinks they are on top, 4) have won, and they themselves are now 5) also safe, and have brought it to the end, then God pokes a hole in the bubble, then it is over. The fools do not know that just as they rise and become strong, that they are voiced by God, and God's arm is not with them; therefore their thing lasts its time, after which it disappears, as a water bubble becomes, as if it had never been. Psalm 73:16 ff. tells of this, where he was very surprised how the wicked were so rich, secure and powerful in the world; at last he said: "I did not like to understand it until I saw into the secrecy of God, and perceived how it would go with them in the end; then I saw that they were only exalted for their own deceit, and just in that they were exalted. How soon they are disturbed, how quickly they are gone, as if they had never been; as a dream he that waketh up passeth away." And Psalm 37:35, 36: "I have seen an ungodly man, grown up and exalted, like a cedar tree on Mount Libani; I passed by but a little, and, behold, he was gone; I asked for him, and his was no more."
It is only because of our faith that we cannot also wait a little for the time to come, so that we might also see how mercy is with the fearful with all the strength of God, and how the arm of God is against the hopeful with all seriousness and force. We, the faithless, grope with our fist for mercy and for the arm of God, and if we do not feel it, we think it is lost with us and won with the enemies, as if God's mercy and grace were from us and His arm against us. This means that we do not know his own works, therefore we do not know him, neither his mercy nor his arm. For he must and will be known by faith, therefore
- Jenaer: ob.
- "nun" is missing in the Jena.
- i.e. detached, expelled.
1426 Erl. 45, S6S-271. Interpretations About the Evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1292-1295. 1427
must be the senses and reason; their eye, that annoys us, therefore it should be cut out and thrown away.
Behold, these are two works of God against one another, from which we learn how God is so minded that He is far from the wise and prudent, and near to the unwise, and they must be wrong. This makes God lovely and praiseworthy, comforting soul and body and all powers.
Now see the words: "He destroys those who are hopeful in the mind of their heart. The destruction happens, as said § 101 ff., just when they are most wise and full of their own wisdom, God's wisdom is certainly never there. But how could he disturb them so much as to make them free of his eternal wisdom and let them become full of their temporal, short, transient wisdom? For she says: "Those who are trustworthy in the mind of their heart", that is, those who are pleased with their opinion, conceit and understanding, which is not given by God but by their heart, as the only one who is the most right, the best and the wisest, they rise up against the fearful, curb their opinion and right, disgrace it and pursue it to the utmost, so that their own thing is only right and endures. And when they attain this, they boast and exalt themselves, as the Jews did against Christ, but did not see their thing destroyed and disgraced, and Christ exalted to all honor.
So we see that this verse speaks of spiritual goods, and how God's work is recognized in it on both sides, that we should gladly be spiritually poor and wrong, and let our opponents be right; they will not do it for long. The promise is too strong here, they may not escape God's arm; they must fall as high as they rise, if we believe that. But where there is no faith, God does not work such works, lets them go, and works publicly through the creatures, as was said above § 99. But these are not the right works, so that he can be recognized. For the powers of the creatures are involved, and are not merely God's own works, which must be that no one works with him, but he alone. This is what happens when we become powerless and fall under
presses in our right or sense, and suffer God's power in us; these are noble works.
How masterfully she strikes the false gleamers, and looks not at their hands nor under their eyes, 1) but into the heart, saying: "The hopeful in the mind of their heart. So that it especially touches the enemies of divine truth, when the Jews were against Christ, and now also. The same scholars and saints are not hopeful in clothing or vesture, pray much, fast much, preach and study much, also say mass, wear the head humbly and not precious clothes, know nothing else themselves, but that there is no greater enemy of hope, of wrong, of glitter, than themselves, and no greater friend of truth and God, than they; how could they do harm to the truth, if they were not such holy, pious, learned people? Such their nature gives the appearance, and glistens, and moves the crowd. Oh, they mean it so heartily well, call upon the dear God, and have mercy on poor Jesus, that he does so wrong, and is hopeful, and not so pious as they are. Of them he says Matt. 11:19: "Divine wisdom is justified by her own children," that is, they are more just and wiser than I myself, who am divine wisdom: as I do, it is not right, and am mastered by them. These are the most poisonous, harmful people on earth; this is a hearty, profound, devilish hope, to which no counsel is; for they do not hear: what is said does not concern them; let it pass over the 2) poor sinner who needs such teaching; they must not. John calls them serpent breeders, Luc. 3, 7, Christ also Matth. 23, 33.
(107) These are the righteous, who do not fear God, and only serve to scatter God with their hope, so that no one pursues justice and truth more than they do; yet, as stated, for the sake of God and justice. Therefore they must be the first on this side, among the three enemies of God. For the rich are the least of the enemies; much more do the righteous do wrong.
- Jenaer: "or under eyes".
- In the Wittenberg and in the Jena: the.
1428 Erl. 45, 271-L7S. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. vn, 1295-1298. 1429
wadding. But such scholars are exceedingly, they provoke the others. The rich destroy the truth in themselves; the mighty drive it out from others; but the learned even extinguish it in themselves, and bring up other things, their heart's own conceit, that it may not arise again; as far then as the truth in themselves is better than the men in whom it dwells, so much are the learned worse than the mighty and the rich. O! God is especially hostile to them, how just.
The third work: Low the high.
V. 52: He has removed the mighty from their seats.
This work and the following ones are easily understood from the previous two. For just as he destroys the wise and prudent in their own mind and conceit, on which they rely and drive their arrogance against the divine fearful ones, who. He also destroys and deposes the mighty and great with their power and authority, upon whom they rely and exert their arrogance against the righteous and pious humble, who must suffer harm, torment, death and all kinds of evil from them. And as he comforteth them that are wronged and disgraced for their right, truth, and word, so he comforteth them also that are hurt and afflicted: and as much as he comforteth them, so much doth he affright them.
But all this must be known and waited for in faith. For he does not destroy the mighty as soon as they deserve it; he lets them go for a while, until their power reaches the highest and last. So God does not hold it, so it may not hold itself; so it perishes in itself, without all rumbling and breaking, and then the oppressed come up, also without all rumbling; for God's power is in them, which remains alone, when that is under.
- but notice: she does not speak that he is
- Thus the Erlanger, the Latin translation (in 86 1p8n), and the Jenaer in the margin as Correctur of the text. Wittenberg and Jena in the text: "with them".
- Erlanger: for the sake of the Word of God.
breaks the chairs, but: "throws out the mighty ones". Neither does he say: he leaves the lowly here, but: "lifts them up". For while the world stands, authority, rule, power, and the chairs must remain. But that they use them evil and against God, to do injustice and violence to the pious, and that they have a pleasure in it, to raise themselves up, not with fear, to God's need for his praise, and for the protection of justice, he does not suffer long. Thus we see in all history and experience how he casts out one empire and brings down another; 3) raises up one principality and crushes another; increases one nation and destroys another; as he did to Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, who thought they would sit in their chair forever. So he does not destroy reason, wisdom and justice, for if the world is to exist, one must have reason, wisdom and justice; but arrogance and the arrogant, who serve themselves with it, are pleased with it, do not fear God, and persecute the pious and the divine right with it, and thus abuse the beautiful gifts of God against God.
Now it happens in the affairs of God that the clever and the trustworthy sneak commonly strike at the mighty and move them against the truth; as Ps. 2:2 says: "The kings of the earth have risen up, and the princes have come together against God and His anointed," 2c. that justice and truth must always have the wise, the mighty, the rich, that is, the world with its greatest and highest power, against them at the same time. Therefore the Holy Spirit comforts them by the mouth of this mother, that they neither err nor be dismayed. Let them be wise, powerful, rich; it does not last long. For where the saints and scholars would stand with the mighty and lords, and with the rich, not against but with the right and the truth, where would injustice remain? Who would suffer evil? No, not so, the scholars, the saints, the mighty, the great, the rich and the best of the world must fight against God and right, and be the devil's own; as Hab. 1, 16. says: "His food is
- Erlanger: nieder.
1430 Erl. 45, 273-875. interpretations, on the evangelist Lucas. W. vu, 1298-1300. 1431
tender and chosen", that is, the evil spirit has a filthy mouth, likes to eat the very best, the cutest, the most chosen, like the bear eats honey.
Therefore the scholars, the holy gleamers, the great lords, the rich are the devil's lickspittle. Again, what the world rejects, the poor, the lowly, the simple, the lowly, the despised, God chooses, as St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 1, 28, and makes the least of the best part of the world suffer; so that it may be known how our salvation does not consist in men, but only in God's ability and works. As St. Paul also says 1 Cor. 3, 7. Hence it is said with true truth, "The learned, the perverse. A prince, a wild beast in heaven. Here rich, there poor. For the learned do not let the arrogance of their heart; the mighty do not let their pressure; the rich do not let their lust. Thus it goes.
The fourth work, Exaltation of the Lowly.
And he has exalted the lowly.
(113) Lowly here is not to be called the humble, but all who are unsightly in the sight of the world, and utterly vile. For it is the very word that she says of herself above v. 48, "He looked upon the lowliness of his handmaid"; but those who are so lowly and vile in heart, and seek not to be high, are certainly humble. Now the exaltation is not to be understood that he puts them in the chairs and in the place of those whom he has deposed. At the same time, when he is merciful to the fearful, he does not put them in the place of the highly learned, that is, of the worthy, but rather gives them that they, exalted in God and spiritually, may be judges over chairs and authority and all arts, here and there. For they know more than all the learned and the mighty. Now how this happens is said above, in the first work, there is no need to recover. It is all said for the comfort of the suffering and for the terror of tyrants, where we would have so much faith that we would consider it 1) true.
- "for" is missing in the Erlanger. - Jenaer and Erlanger: eighth.
The fifth and sixth works:
V. 53. He has filled the hungry with goods, and the rich he has left empty.
(114) As it is said above § 42 that the lowly are not to be called those who are in a vile, despised form, but those who like to be in it or want to be in it, beforehand, when they are forced into it for the sake of God's word or of what is right, so also the hungry are not to be those who have little or no food, but those who themselves like to be in want, beforehand, when they are forced into it by others by force, for the sake of God or of 2) truth. What is lower, more vile, more meager, than the devil and the damned? item, who are martyred, starved, strangled for their iniquity, and all who are lowly and meager with unwillingness? and yet helps them nothing, indeed increases and magnifies their misery. The Mother of God does not speak of them, but of those who are one with God, and God with them, who believe and trust in Him.
Again, what hinders the holy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that they were rich? What hinders David his king's seat, Daniel his power in Babylon, and all who were or still are in high status or great wealth, if their heart does not give to it, nor seek its own in it? Solomon says Proverbs 16:2: "God weighs the spirits," that is, He does not judge according to outward appearance and form, whether they are rich, poor, high, or low, but according to the spirit, how it is within. Such form and distinction of person and station must remain on earth, in this life; but the heart shall not cleave, nor flee, nor cleave to the high and rich, nor flee the low and poor. Psalm 7:10, 12 says: "God searches the heart and the kidneys, therefore He is a right judge"; but people judge according to their face, therefore they often fail.
These works, like those above, are done secretly, so that no one feels them until the end. A rich man does not realize how empty and miserable he is, because when he dies or otherwise perishes, he sees how he is.
- "der" is missing in the Wittenberg and in the Erlanger.
1432 Erl. 45, 275-278. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, 1300-1303. 1433
all his possessions were nothing, as Ps. 76, 6: "They have fallen asleep (that is, died), and there they found that all men of wealth have nothing in their hands." 1) Again, the hungry do not know how full they are until it comes to an end; so they find the word of Christ, Luc. 6, 21.: "Blessed are the hungry and thirsty, for they will be filled"; and here the comforting promise of the Mother of God: "He has filled the hungry with goods."
It is not possible for God to let someone die of hunger in the flesh who trusts in Him, 2) before all the angels come and feed him. Elijah was fed by the ravens, and by a handful of flour he was fed, with the widow of Sarepta, for a long time 1 Kings 17:6, 15. He cannot leave those who trust in Him; therefore David says Ps. 37:25: "I have been young, and have grown old; I have never seen a righteous man forsaken, nor his children go after bread." But he that trusteth in God is righteous. Item Ps. 34:11: "The rich are left meager and hungry, but those who seek God have no infirmity in any good"; and Samuel's mother, St. Hannah, 1 Sam. 2:5: "Those who were full and full before have had to lie down that they might have bread, and the hungry have been satisfied."
(118) But sorrowful unbelief is always in the way, so that God may not work such works in us, and we may not experience or know them; we want to be satisfied and have enough of all things before hunger and need come, and provide ourselves with supplies for future hunger and need, so that we will never need God and His works. What kind of faith is it that trusts in God, because you feel and know how to help yourself? Unbelief makes us see God's word, the truth, the right, subject to the wrong, and keep silent, do not punish, do not talk about it, do not fight, let go of what is going on. Why? Worry that we will be attacked and made poor, so that we will go hungry.
- In the Vulgate: virl äivitiururu.- "have" is missing in the Wittenberg.
- Walch and the Erlangeners: him.
- "the" is missing in the Wittenberger.
die, and be eternally degraded. That is to say, temporal good is esteemed higher than God and made an idol in his place, so that we are not worthy to hear nor understand this comforting promise of God, that he lifts up the lowly, lowers the high, fills the poor, lifts up the rich; and thus never come to the knowledge of his works, without which there is no salvation, and thus must be eternally damned, as Psalm 28:5 says. says: "They have no knowledge of the works of God, 4) nor do they understand the work of his hands, therefore you will break them and never build them. And this is also just, because they do not believe such his promises, they regard him as a frivolous, lying God, they must neither dare nor approach his words; they think nothing at all of his truth. It must ever be tried and dared on his word. For it saith not, He hath filled the full, He hath exalted the high; but: The hungry filled, the lowly exalted.
You must come in the midst of hunger and thirst, and know what hunger and thirst are, that there is neither supply nor help in you nor in men, but in God alone, that the work, as impossible to all others, is God's alone. Therefore, you must not think and speak of meditation alone, but come into it, get stuck in it, become helpless of anyone, so that God alone may work there; or ever desire such and not shy away from it, if it may not come to that with the deed.
For this reason we are Christians, and have the gospel, which the devil and men do not like, so that we may come to thirst and humiliation, and so that God may come to his works in us. 5) Think for yourself, if he should satisfy you before you hunger, or exalt you before you are humiliated, he would only have to stand like a juggler. Think thou thyself, if he should satisfy thee before thou art hungry, or exalt thee before thou art abased, 6) he would only have to pose, like a juggler, and could not do what he pretends, and his works would be nothing but a mockery: yet it is written, P. 111, 7: "His works are truth and earnestness." Should
- Wittenberger: "can" instead of "customer". Latin: eoAnitio.
- Wittenberger: zur.
- Erlanger: wärist.
1434 Erl. 45, 278-280. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1303-1305. 1435
he would also immediately work in lifting up your thirst and lowliness, or help in small thirst and lowliness, the works would be too small of divine power and majesty, of which Ps. 111, 2. says: "God's works are great, and seek after all his desire."
(121) Let the opposite be seen. If he were to break the high and rich before they became high and rich, how would he do it? They must first become so high and rich that they themselves and everyone may think, yes, even in essence, that no one may break them, no one may hinder them, and they may become sure of their cause, and say, as Isaiah says of them and Babylon, Cap. 47:8,9: "Hear, thou tender one, which sittest so secure, and sayest in thine heart, Here am I, and no man doeth unto me; I am sure that I shall not be a widow, nor without children (that is, without strength and support). Well then, both of these shall come to you in one day" 2c. Then God can work His work in them. Thus he made Pharaoh exalt himself above the children of Israel and oppress them, as in Ex. 9:16. God Himself says of him: "Therefore have I exalted thee, that I might show in thee My deeds, and that My praise might be proclaimed thereof as far as the earth is." And the Biblia is full of examples, which teaches nothing else but God's work and word, and rejects man's work and word.
Now behold a strong consolation, that is, that not a man, but God Himself, not only gives something to the hungry, but fills and satisfies them. In addition, it says: "with goods," that is, such abundance should be harmless, useful and blissful, so that it benefits body and soul with all its strength. But this also indicates that they are previously destitute of all goods and full of all lack. For, as was said above § 81, wealth should here include all kinds of temporal goods for the satisfaction of the body, from which the soul also becomes happy. So again, hunger here means lack not only of food, but of all 1) temporal goods, since man can lack all things without food, so that almost all goods are lacking for the sake of food.
- Jenaer: also.
Without food no one can live, even if he wants to live without clothes, house, money, 2) goods and people. Therefore, the Scripture takes the temporal good by the most necessary benefit and use, and most unbearable lack; so that it also calls the stingy, and those eager for temporal good, servants of the belly Rom. 16, 18.1 and Paul Phil. 3, 19. calls the belly their God.
How could anyone more strongly and comfortingly provoke to willing hunger and poverty, than such excellent words of this Mother of God, that God wants to fill all the hungry with goods. Whoever is not tempted by the words and such honor and price of poverty, is certainly without faith and trust, like a heathen. Again, how could anyone promise riches more highly, and frighten the rich more grievously, than by leaving them empty? O how are they both such great, exuberant things, God's fulfillment and God's abandonment! How no creature can neither advise nor help. A man is terrified when he hears his father's renunciation or his lord's disgrace; and we, the high and the rich, are not terrified when we hear that God renounces us, yes, not only renounces us, but also threatens to break us down, to bring us low and to make us extinct. Again, it is a joy when the Father is kind, when the Lord is gracious, and when people rely so much on Him that He leaves body and goods behind: and here we have such a promise from God, such a strong comfort, and could 3) neither need, nor enjoy, nor give thanks, nor rejoice? O you 4) wretched unbelief, how hard as a rock, how stubborn you are, that you do not feel such great things. Let this be said enough about the six works of God.
V. 54. He took up Israel, cowardly servant, after remembering his mercy.
- After the works of God in her and in all men, she returns to the beginning and the first, and concludes the Magnificat with the main work of all the works of God, which is the avoidance of God.
- [Money" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- Wittenbergers and Jenaers: "announce". Erlanger: "could". Latin: c^uirnus.
- "you" is missing in the Jena.
1436 Erl. 45, 28O-L8L. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, 1305-1308. 1437
She freely confesses that she is a handmaid and servant of all the world in that she confesses that the same work that was done in her was not done for her alone, but for the benefit of all Israel. However, she divides Israel into two parts and brings out only the part that serves God.
But no one serves God unless he lets him be his God, and lets his works work in him, of which it is said above § 70. Although now, unfortunately, the little word "service" has been given such a foreign connotation and usage that whoever hears it thinks nothing of such works, but of the sound of bells, of the stone and wood of the churches, of the censer, of the flames of the lights, to the clamor in the church, to the gold, silks, precious stones of the choir caps and vestments, to the chalices and monstrances, to the organs and panels, to the procession and church aisle, and the greatest, to the mewling and paternoster counting. There is worship, alas, come; yet of this He knows so nothing, and we know nothing else but such; sing daily the Magnificat with high voice and glorious splendor, and yet keep silent its right tone and mind the longer the more. But the text stands strong: If we do not teach and suffer these works of God, there will be no worship, no Israel, no grace, no mercy, no God, even if we sing and sing to death in the churches and give all the world's goods. He has not commanded any of this, therefore he has no pleasure in it, without any doubt.
Now, such Israel, who serves God, benefits from the transformation of Christ, which is His own dear people, for whose sake He also transformed Himself, to redeem them from the power of the devil, sin, death, hell, and to bring them into righteousness, eternal life and blessedness. This is the receiving that she sings here, as Paul Titus 2, 14. says that Christ gave Himself for us, that He purified a hereditary people of His own; and St. Peter 1. Epist. 2, 9.: "You are the holy people) the people that God Himself purchased, a royal priesthood" 2c. These are the riches of divine causelessness.
Mercy, which we have received by no merit, but by pure grace. Therefore she saith, "He hath 1) remembered his mercy." Does not say, he has thought of our. Merit and worthiness. We were needful, but quite unworthy. From this his praise and honor consists, and our boasting and presumption must be silent; he has nothing to look at that moves him, but that he was merciful; and the same name he should make known.
But why does it speak more that he "thought" than "considered" his mercy? Because he had promised them, as the following verse says. He raised them up lukewarm to give, so that it seemed as if he had forgotten them (as all his works seem as if he forgot ours). But when he came, it was known that he had not forgotten them, but had thought without ceasing to fulfill them. 2) He had not forgotten them, but had thought without ceasing to fulfill them.
But it is true that by the word "Israel" only the Jews are understood, and not we Gentiles. But because they did not want him, he chose some of them, so that the name Israel was enough, and made them spiritual Israel from now on. This was proven in Genesis 32:24 ff. when the holy patriarch Jacob wrestled with the angel and he paralyzed his hip to indicate that his children should not henceforth boast of fleshly birth, as the Jews do, and there he also transmitted the name that he should henceforth be called Israel, as a patriarch who would not only be the father of Jacob's physical children, but also of Israel's spiritual children.
The little word "Israel", which means a Lord of God, is right for this; it is a high and holy name, and comprehends in itself the great miracle that a man, through divine grace, becomes powerful like God, so that God does what man wants: as we see that through Christ Christianity is thus united with God, like a bride with her bridegroom, so that the bride has right and power over the bridegroom's body and all that he 4) has. Which all happens
- "has" is missing in the Jena.
- "their" is missing in the Erlanger.
- "the" is missing in the Jena.
- In the old editions: everything.
1438 Erl. 45, 282-284. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1308-1311. 1439
by faith; there man does what God wills, and in turn God does what man wills; so that Israel is a godly and godly man, who in God, with God, and through God is a Lord, to do and to be able to do all things. Behold, this is called Israel. For Saar means a lord, a prince; El means God; put it together and it becomes Israel in the Hebrew way. Such an Israel God wants to have; therefore, when Jacob had wrestled with the angel and won, he said to him, Gen. 32:28, "You shall be called Israel. For if thou be mighty with GOD, thou shalt be mighty also with men." 1) There is much to be said of this, for Israel is a peculiar, highly
V. 55. As he spoke to our fathers, Abraham and his seed, forever.
- all merit and presumptuousness are abased, and the pure grace and mercy of God is exalted. For God did not accept Israel because of their merit, but because of His own promise; out of pure grace He promised Himself, and out of pure grace He fulfilled it. Therefore St. Paul says Gal. 3, 17. 18. that God promised Himself to Abraham four hundred years before He gave the law to Mosiah, so that no one would ever boast or say that he had earned and obtained such grace and promise through the law or the work of the law. The same promise also praises and exalts the Mother of God above all else, and gives such a work of commingling God purely to the divine, gracious, unmerited promise that He made to Abraham.
The promise of God to Abraham is written in Gen. 12, 3. and Cap. 22, 18. in particular, and is also referred to in many other places, and reads thus: "I have sworn by myself: in your seed shall all generations or peoples of the earth be given seed." These words of God exalt St. Paul, and all the prophets, how justly. For in these words Abraham was saved with all his descendants, and became blessed; and all of us in them must also become blessed. For
- According to the Vulgate.
- In the old editions: "the".
Christ in it 3) and promised salvation to all the world. And this is the bosom of Abraha Luc. 16:22, 1, wherein abideth all them that were saved before the birth of Christ: and without these words no man was saved, though he had done all good works. Let us see this.
First of all, it follows from these words of God that all the world apart from Christ is in sin, condemnation and malediction, with all its doings and knowledge. For if he says: not some, but: all nations shall be given in Abraham's seed, then without the same seed of Abraham there will be no giving in all nations. Why should God promise blessing with such great earnestness and such an expensive oath, if there was already blessing and not just malediction? And from this saying the prophets have drawn and concluded much, as that all men are wicked, vain, lying, false, blind, and lately, without God; that in Scripture there is not great honor in being called a man. For the same name is no more valid in the sight of God than if one were called a liar and unfaithful in the sight of the world; so much so is he corrupted by Adam's fall that malediction 4) becomes innate to him, like his nature and being.
133 Secondly, it follows that this seed Abraha had not to be born naturally of man and woman. For the same birth is maledict, and gives vain maledict fruit; as now said. Now, if in this seed of Abraha all the race should be redeemed from this malediction, and thereby be given, as the words and oath of God read, then the seed had to be given beforehand, not to be touched nor stained with such malediction, but to be blessed, full of grace and truth. Again, if God, who cannot lie, spoke and swore that it should be Abraham's natural seed, that is, a natural, true child born of his flesh and blood, then the same seed must be a natural man, of Abraha's flesh and blood.
There is now one thing against another,
- Wittenberger: us inside Christ.
- In the German editions: "Gebenedeiung". Latin: Mulsäictio. Already Walch has here the note: "perhaps it should be called: Vermaledeiung."
1440 Erl. 284-"SS. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. vu, 1311-1313. 1441
naturally be flesh and blood of Abraham, and yet not be born naturally of man and woman. For therefore he needs the word "thy seed", and not the word "thy child", that it should ever be clear and certain that it should be his natural flesh and blood, as the seed is. A child may well not be a natural child, as one knows. Who wants to find a means to keep God's word and oath true, where such contradictory things clash? God Himself has done this, He can fulfill what He promises, even though no one understands it until it happens, therefore His word and work do not require reason, but a free, honest faith. See how he has united these two pieces. He makes Abraham the seed, a natural son, of his daughters one, 1) a pure virgin Mary, by the Holy Spirit, without man's work. Since the natural birth and conception did not take place with its malediction, it did not touch this seed; and yet the natural seed of Abraham is here, as true as in all the other children of Abraham.
Behold, this is the blessed seed of Abraha, wherein all the world is made free from its malediction. For whoever believes in this seed, calls on it, confesses it and remains attached to it, all corruption is forgiven him and all blessing is given to him, according to the words and oath of God: "In your seed shall all the nations of the earth be given," that is, everything that is to be given must and shall be given through this seed, and by no other way. Behold, this is the seed of Abraha, which is born of none of his sons, for whom the Jews have always seen and waited, but only of his only daughter Mary.
(136) This means zero here the tender mother of this seed, when she says: He has accepted Israel, according to his promise, done to Abraham, to him and all his seed; then she saw well that the promise was fulfilled in her. Therefore she saith, It is now fulfilled, and he hath accepted, 3) his seed.
- In the original and the old editions: one.
- In the original and in the editions: none.
- i.e. he has already taken it upon himself. In Latin: surn jnm kuseexisse.
The word is enough, out of pure remembrance of his mercy. Here we see the reason of the gospel, why all teaching and preaching therein drive to the faith of Christ and into the bosom of Abraha. For there is no other counsel or help where this faith is not, that the blessed seed may be taken. And indeed, the entire Bible is based on this oath of God, for everything in the Bible is about Christ.
We see further that all the fathers in the Old Testament, with all the holy prophets, had the same faith and gospel that we have, as St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 10:1 ff. For in this. For in this oath of God, and the sheep of Abraha, they all remained with firm faith, and so kept it; without that they believed in the future and promised seed, we believe in the appeared and presented one. But all things are one truth of promise, therefore also one faith, one Spirit, one Christ, one Lord, now and ever, as St. Paul says, Heb. 13:8 Eph. 4:5.
But the fact that the law was given to the Jews afterward was not equal to this promise, and was done so that they might, through the light of the law, recognize their maligned nature all the more, and desire this promised seed of giving all the more fervently and eagerly, in which they had an advantage over the Gentiles of all the world. But they reversed the advantage and made a disadvantage out of it, and intended to fulfill the law by themselves, and not to recognize their poor 4) malediction through it; thus they closed the door to themselves, that the seed had to pass by, and still remain, God grant, not long, amen.
And this was the controversy of all the prophets with them. For the prophets well understood the opinion of the law, that in it we should recognize our wicked nature and learn to call Christ; 5) therefore they rejected all the good works and life of the Jews, which did not go this way.
- i.e. lamentable. Latin: asruMnosarn.
- Wittenberger and Erlanger: teach.
1442 Erl. 45, 286-288. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1313-1316. 1443
So they were angry with them and killed them, as they reproached worship, good works and good living, as the glorifiers and merciful saints always do. There is much to be said about this.
(140) And that it saith, His seed for ever: which eternity is to be understood, that such grace endureth in the seed of Abraham (which are the Jews) from time immemorial, throughout all generations, even unto the last day. For though the great multitude be hardened, yet how few there be that turn to Christ, and believe in him. For this promise of God does not deny that the promise was made to Abraham and his seed Gal. 3:16, not for one year, not for a thousand years, but in secula, that is, from one man's time to another, 1) without ceasing.
Therefore we should not act so unkindly toward the Jews, for there are still Christians among them in the future, and will be daily; for this they alone, and not we Gentiles, have such a promise, that there shall always be Christians in Abraham's seed, who recognize the blessed seed. Our thing stands on pure grace, without promises of God, who knows how and when. If we lived Christianly and brought them to Christ with kindness, that would be the right measure. Who would want to become a Christian 2) if he sees Christians dealing with people in such an un-Christian way? Not so, dear Christians, tell them the truth amicably; if they do not want to, let them go. How much worse are Christians who do not respect Christ, who do not hear his words, than pagans and Jews, and yet we let them go in peace, yes, fall under their feet, worship them almost as idols? Here we leave it this time, and ask God for the right understanding of this Magnificat, which not only shines and speaks, but burns and lives in body and soul. May Christ grant us this through the intercession and will of His dear Mother Mary, Amen.
At the end, I come back to E. F. G., Gracious Sir, and ask, E. F. G. would hold my presumption 3) to my credit. For
- Latin: nliuci. In the German editions: andere.
- In the old editions: Christians.
- Erlanger: for good.
Although I am well aware that E. F. G.'s youth has superfluous, good instruction and admonition on a daily basis, I cannot refrain from my dutiful loyalty and faithfulness, as well as my conscience's concern and remembrance towards E. F. G.. For we all hope in future times that God will graciously and blessedly grant that the regiment in Saxony will be in E. F. G.'s hands. F. G.'s hand. Which is then a great, delicious work, if it turns out well; on the other hand, dangerous and miserable, if it turns out badly. We should hope and ask for the best in all things, but nevertheless fear and care for the worst.
E. F. G. should keep in mind that in all of Scripture God has never praised a pagan king or prince as far and long as the world has stood, but has always punished him more. This is a great, fearful image to all overlords. In addition, in the nation of Israel, which was his own nation, he never found a king praiseworthy and blameless. Above all, in the nation of Judah, which was the chief of the whole human race, which God exalted and loved above all, there were still few, and not more than six, kings praised.
And the most tender of all, the most noble prince David, who left no equal behind him, beside him, after him in the worldly government, even though he, full of the fear of God and wisdom, directed and led all his things by God's command alone, not according to his reason, still stumbled at times, so that even the Scriptures, since they could not reprove his government, and yet should tell of the people's calamity that fell upon them through David, did not blame David, but the people, and said: God had been angry with the people, and had caused David the holy man to be moved by the devil, that he should number the people; for which cause seventy thousand men died of the pestilence 2 Sam. 24, 1. ff.
God has decreed all this to frighten the authorities and to keep them in fear, to admonish them of their danger. For the great good, the great honor, the great power, the great favor, plus the flatterers, of whom no lord can be without, are immediately placed around a prince's heart, and storm it to the
1444 Erl. 45, 288-sso. Luther's interpretation of the Magnificat. W. VII, ISIS f. 1445
To the forgetfulness of God, to the carelessness of the people and the common good, to the pleasure, to the iniquity, to the presumption, to the idleness, and lately, to all injustice and vice, so that no castle nor city can be besieged and stormed so hard. Who then does not put himself behind such examples, and the fear of God makes him a good rubble, how may he remain? For if a lord and ruler does not love his people, and lets that be his only concern, how he himself may not have good days, but how his people may receive improvement through him, then it is already over with him, and leads his rulers only to his souls' ruin, and will not help him that he wants to endow great seasons, monasteries, altars, this or that. God will demand an account of his position and office from him, and will not turn to anything else.
Therefore, my Lord and Prince, I command E. F. G. to read the Magnificat, especially the fifth and sixth verse, in which it is placed in the middle; I ask and admonish E. F. G. not to be so afraid of any thing on earth, or even of hell, for the rest of her life, as of that which the Mother of God calls here: Mens cordis sui. This is the greatest, closest, most powerful, most harmful enemy of all men, first of all of the overlords, that is, reason, good opinion or conceit, from which all counsel and rule must flow. And E. F.G. may not be safe from him, if she does not keep the same suspect at all times and follows him in God's fear. I do not mean E. F. G.'s council alone, but all those who sit in the council; none shall be despised.
- Rubble - what is poured out, a dam, fortification.
Nor can we trust in any of them. How then?
So that E. F. G. does not plunge the prayer into the monk's robes, or under the chalices, as is now the unfortunate custom, relying and trusting on other people's prayer, with the slackening of his own prayer, but E. F. G. should draw a free, joyful courage, and lay aside the stupidity, even in the heart or in secret places talk with God, and throw the keys freely before his feet, and penetrate him with his own order, like this: Behold, my God and Father, this is your work and order, that I was born and created in this state to rule, which no one can ever deny, and you yourself recognize it 2) also. I am worthy or unworthy, as you and everyone sees; therefore grant me, my Lord and Father, that I may preside over your people, 3) for your praise and their benefit. Let me not follow my reason, but be thou my reason 2c.
On such an opinion, then, whatever goes, goes by God's command. How well such prayer and mind pleases God, he himself shows in Solomon 1 Kings 3, 1O, who also did such a prayer, which I have translated here, that E. F. G. may keep it as an example of this sermon at the end, and awaken a comforting confidence in God's grace: so that both exist, fear of God and mercy, as the fifth verse sings. Command me herewith to E. F. G., whom God has commanded to rule blessedly, Amen. 4)
- "es" seht in the Wittenberg and in the Jena.
- i.e., to preside over. Latin: praeesss.
- Here follows in the old editions the translation of Solomon's prayer from the first book of Kings, Cap. 3, 5-14, which is found in Walch, old edition, vol. 5, 2506.
1^46 ^l. (s.) 17, 73-75. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. vn, 13, 8-1321. 1447
B. Luther's sermon on Luc. 2, 21. about circumcision.
Item:
A spiritual interpretation of the signs in the sun, moon and stars.*)
January 1, 1524.
Luc. 2, 21.
And when eight days were expired for circumcising the child, his name was called Jesus, which was called of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
And since eight days were up 2c.
- in the book of Moses one has established how the way of circumcision is from God 4 Mos. 17, 10. ff.. He has established a foolish commandment before the eyes of people and reasonable people. Especially now it is strange and weird, because it has come from custom; if it were still custom, one would not almost accept it. But God has instituted it for the sole purpose of overthrowing reason, which finds it foolish. It would be ridiculous to reason to baptize people if it were not customary. This is the history of the Gospel.
Now we want to hear about the meaning. It was promised to Abraham by God that from his flesh and blood should come the seed, and the child, in whom the whole world would be blessed Num. 12:3. Circumcision is used as a sign of this promise, as a seal of prescription; for he writes living words with living letters, and seals them with a living seal.
Now the sign has ceased, since Christ has come. For when that which is prescribed is done, the seal is no more. Now the sign of circumcision meant nothing else, but that one should cut off everything that brings fleshly birth with it.
For this, one must have a stone knife, that is, through Christ the praeputium, that is, the foreskin, the original sin, is cut off. Therefore the stone knife means the preaching, said of Christ, by which one subdues everything that is evil and sinful in the flesh. This is done through faith, as Isaiah says Cap. 11, 5.: "Faith will be a girdle to his kidneys. God's word is pure, justified, true, gentle; when this falls into the heart through faith, it also brings with it all virtue. Therefore it is not possible to curb wickedness except by faith; with the word one circumcises the heart. There are two kinds of circumcision, an inward and an outward one, as Isaiah says: "The people are circumcised in body, but have uncircumcised ears. Jerem. 4, 4. 5 Mos. 10, 16. and 30, 6. Stephen in the Acts of the Apostles Cap. 7, 51. calls the Jews incircumcisos cordibus, uncircumcised in ears and heart. Jerem. 9, 26. The outward and bodily circumcision is a figure and meaning of the inward and spiritual. And where the heart is not circumcised, the outward circumcision is only gilding and of no use.
- circumcision shall take place on the eighth day. This means that we will not become pure until the resurrection on the last day, when sorrow, sin and chastisement, death and hell will be separated from us. However, there is no cessation of circumcision; we must become purer and purer from day to day. This is a spiritual circumcision that we commit in the New Testament.
*This sermon appeared in 1524 in several individual editions under the title: "Ein Sermon, von der Beschneidung, am neuen Jahrstag. Item eine geistliche Auslegung der Zeichen in Sonne, Mond und Gestirn. D. M. Luther. 1524." An edition is printed by "Michell Buchfürer" at Jena. In the collections first in the Hallische Bande, p. 417 (as Joh. Gottfried Zeidler notes, from the library at St. Andreä in Eisleben); then in the Leipziger, vol. XII, p. 324; in the Erlanger, 1st ed. vol. 16, p. 28, and 2nd ed. vol. 17, p. 73. We give the text according to Walch's old edition, comparing the Erlanger. It seems to us that we are not dealing with one sermon here, but with a brief description of the contents of two different sermons.
1448 Erl. (s.) 17, 75-77. Luther's Sermon On Luc. 2, 21. W. VII, 1321-1323. 1449
(5) But this circumcision is painful and full of pain, just as that one brought shame and pain. So this one must also bring it, it must hurt, the old Adam must take his place and become disgraced; just as there the circumcision happened in a shameful place. The shame also hurts much more than the pain. Man can suffer nothing worse than when he is disgraced before the world, so that everyone thinks he deserves it.
(6) Now if we are not to be hurt by shame, we must become children, but we must be men, that is, have a manly and strong heart, so that we may endure it. For no one can suffer disgrace, except he who has manly courage, that is, he who has strong faith. So again, a woman in Scripture means a soft spirit, that is, unbelief. That is why God commanded in the Old Testament that only males should be sacrificed. So God wants only males to be dedicated to Him. Again, the devil does as it says in the 2nd book of Moses 1, 15. 16., when Pharaoh had the males all thrown into the water and drowned; for he seeks only women, that is, the fainthearted, and those of weak faith.
7 The last thing in circumcision is to give the child a name. Before a man is circumcised by faith and has the old boy taken off, he has no name before God. Thus God says Matth. 25, 12.: "I do not know you"; and Paul to the Romans on the other v. 29. says of both circumcisions, as namely, of the circumcision of the heart, which is a circumcision of the spirit, and not of the letter. And of the spiritual he says that it has its praise not from men, but from God. He has a name before God who is circumcised in spirit.
Then his name was called Jesus.
(8) The name is called Jesus, a Savior, a child of blessedness. This name comes to everyone who is circumcised. Every one is a Savior who can help in the midst of trouble. Christ saves and rescues from all troubles, sin, death, and all the things that can
and woe is upon them. Thus all who believe in Christ will attain salvation and blessedness.
The called was from the angel 2c.
9 This name was proclaimed by the angel before the child was conceived, says Lucas. This is the comfort we have, that God decrees this name before we are born. It is not in vain that we suffer; for there will never be a lack of persecution if we only look to it. The greatest persecutor is the devil, who attacks the soul. It is better if we are persecuted by people. Now, because it is in suffering, it seems as if we have no name, as if God does not know us. But when we get through, the name comes out first, if we rely only on God, because Christ said: Nomina vestra scripta sunt in coelis, "Your names are written in heaven" Luc. 10, 20. We should prepare ourselves diligently for this, for it will be necessary in the great trials of death and hell.
(10) Now the Holy Ghost hath omitted one thing, who circumcised the child? Says badly: "When the eight days were fulfilled, that the child should be circumcised, they called him JEsum." This indicates that those who are to be circumcised have no name, we are not to know it; that is, we do not have to choose our own way by which we become pious and pure. God always sends us things that we do not like, and we say: I don't like it, I want something else. Before we are aware of it, we have it by the neck; therefore it beats me that I cannot wait for it. If we saw where it would come from, we would step aside and leave it. These are the right ways and works to subdue the flesh that God sends to us against our will. By our exquisite works the old Adam cannot be killed. This thing deceives many people, who think 1) To torment the flesh with their own works, and it does them no good 2) He who torments himself has all-
- Marginal note saus the Erl.]: they Jerome.
- Marginal note saus of the Erl.]: they Vernkaräus.
1450 Erl. (s.) i7, 77-79. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. vn, 1323-1326. 1451
When God comes, he must continue as long as God wills. This is what He did at the time of the martyrs, to whom He sent persecution from evil men for the sake of the Gospel, who did not stop when the saints wanted to, but when they wanted to. When Christ said to Petro earlier Joh. 21, 18.: "There will come one who will
will bind you and lead you where you do not want to go. Do not say, this or that way, this or that work will do it, but do not name one, do not want him to know 2c. The fool's work, as one is used to give the new year, I want to grasp. We got a new year in the baptism, let us see to it that we keep it, we are not allowed any more.
From the characters. D.M. Luther. Luc. 21, 25.
Lucas writes about the signs in the 21st chapter v. 25. ff. The sun is Christ, the moon is the church, the stars are the Christians, the powers of the heavens are the prelates or planets in the church. Now, the bodily signs certainly signify how things have long since gone and are going in Christendom, for they follow after the merit of sins, foreboding and showing the punishment upon the same. That the sun loses its light is no doubt, it means that Christ does not shine in Christianity, that is, the gospel is not preached, and the faith goes out, that there is no more worship. This happens and has happened through the teachings and works of men, and the pope sits in Christ's place in the church, and shines like a mud in a lantern. He with his bishops, priests, monks, they are the ones who have darkened the sun for us, and instead of the right worship they have erected an idolatrous worship, with plates, robes, garments, whistles, ringing, ringing, singing 2c. O darkness! O darkness! From this it must follow that the moon also gives no light, that is, since faith is extinguished, love must also be extinguished, so that no more Christian works would be seen, no example would be found, since one would serve the other; but the people would only be led to idolatry and pottery, to establish masses, vigils, altars, chapels, chalices, bells, and the jiggery-pokery. O darkness again!
I interpret the fall of the stars as when a person is baptized and becomes a Christian, and then becomes a priest or monk.
Believe me whoever will; whoever will not, let him be; I know what I say. I do not say that they will all be lost; God may well preserve in the fire whom he wills. But I say that whoever becomes a priest or a monk in the name of accepting a blessed state, steps from Christian faith into unbelief. For the fall of the stars does not mean the grosser cases, such as murder, unchastity, theft, but the fall from faith. The priests and the monks (where God is not particularly surprised) are certainly apostate and disbelieving Christians because of their status, so that there is no worse people on earth. The Turks are also unbelievers, but in two respects they are better than these. First, that they have never been Christians or stars, neither do they step away from the faith. Secondly, they do not sin against the sacraments. But these people make of the mass a sacrifice and a good work, and do it daily and innumerably, which is the most abominable perversion that is shone on by the sun. In short, whoever wants to become pious and blessed by works and spiritual status, steps away from faith and falls from heaven; for Christ's blood alone must make us pious and blessed. Therefore, when you see a star fall, know that it is called becoming a priest, a monk, or a nun.
(3) That the people faint because of the throng is the torment of the saints of the Pabst and of the stars that have perished. For they do great things, and yet their conscience is never at peace, as all Scripture calls their nature toil and labor.
- the roar of the winds and rustle
1452 Erl.(s.) 17, 7S f. Luther's sermon on Luc. 21, 25. ff. W. VII, 1326-1329. 1453
of the waters are the worldly estate, supreme and inferior. There is no ruler, no country at one with the other, no loyalty, no trust among each other, each directed to his own; so that there is also no punishment, no discipline, no fear on earth, and all the world goes free in eating, drinking, unchastity, and in all vices, so that it roars and roars.
The powers of the heavens are our planets, our spiritual squires and tyrants, pope, bishops and their companions, the high schools, who are so deeply seated in the worldly regiment, good, honor and pleasure 1) with all certainty that they meant they were not planets, that is, errones. For planeta, in Greek, means an errant who walks no right way, but only behind him, that is, to both sides, as planets in heaven also do. The Germans interpreted this with a proverb, and say: The learned, the wrong; that is, the spiritual regiment is vain planets. But when the gospel breaks open and shows them their virtue, and colors them with their own color, that they are unlearned idols and seducers of souls, they want to become angry, move, and make them angry.
- In Walch's old edition: ingesessen.
But it will and will not help; the day is dawning, and it will not be thrown under a bushel as if it were a wax light.
The likeness of the fig tree looks to me as if it were the holy scripture, which until now has lain under the bench; it strikes out, has gained leaves, that is, its word breaks out. For in twelve hundred years it has not been so far away, nor have the languages been so well known. But there is no doubt in my mind that the Scripture is a fig tree, as this is easy to prove. For these are the fig leaves, since Adam and Eve covered themselves with. For the scripture always needs the old Adam to adorn himself with it. So the book must come out, the leaves must green, and does not help that the planets move much around it. But the summer is not far away. If God wanted the fruits to follow the leaves, too; 2) I worry that it will only stay with the leaves. For we talk a lot about the right faith, but do nothing. That is enough of the interpretation.
- Walch: according to.
C. Luther's Sermon on the Text Luc. 2, 35. *)
1537. (?)
Luc. 2, 35. so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
1 Audistis, quomodo Simeon benedixit Mariae, et pertransit gladius. Causam addit: Ut revelentur hominum cogitationes ex cordibus. If one is to see what is good or evil, right or wrong, then we must have a split foot, and separate God's teaching from human teaching. This cannot be done, for if one preaches of Christ Jesus that he is our salvation, But here Simeon says: "Now it cannot be understood that the child should be so great. No one sees it for this
There is a small group, Simeon, Anna, and perhaps Elizabeth. This Anna confirms, it shall thus happen to Mary, that a sword 2c. shall be given to her. Mary shall have great sorrow, that one may see what the people have in their hearts. This is a strange child, which shall give so much light, that one shall recognize all people's thoughts. When Christ suffers and the mother suffers, one learns what people have in their hearts. Christ was born for our benefit, say the enthusiasts; he died for original sin, but for actual sin, real sin, he does not do enough, but we must do enough for it. This is
*This sermon belongs to the twenty-one sermons from the library of St. Andrew's Church in Eisleben mentioned in Col. 842 of this volume. It is found in the Hall volume, p. 401; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XII, p. 609; in the Erlanger, I. Aufl., vol. 18, p. 74; 2nd Ausl., vol. 19, p. 368. We give the text according to Walch's old edition, comparing the Erlanger.
1454 Erl. (s.) 19, 389-371. Interpretations On the Evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1329-1333. 1455
It is foolishness to give Christ one thing and take another. Paul says Min. 5, 10 that he died for us enemies; how should he now leave us if we are friends? God forbid that we should believe that Christ now leaves us in his hands; he never leaves his own. We are still sinners, that is why he gives us credit.
Therefore, let each one see that he does not lose the child, otherwise there will be no salvation. This child birth is a divine birth, therefore it must break out and become announceable. The angels announce, Simeon says it, Anna confirms it. When Jesus began to preach that he was gaining followers, the sword went through the virgin heart. Then the Pharisees, the great multitude of holy men, come and open their poisonous hearts, that they reproach Christ's doctrine and work of heresy; and it is seen that they are blasphemers and murderers, and worse than all murderers and adulterers. So the child opens that one sees how pious people of God become evil-doers, and execute their bloody thoughts, that they are murderers; since they crucify Christ, one recognizes what the holy people are, as in Stephani's stoning one saw. Before, no one would have believed that they were so evil.
Who wanted to tell us that the pope and bishops were soul murderers? The child revealed it. Before, we thought it 1) was all wholesome doctrine and pious people. But now, if we believe the prophetic word (as Peter says 2. Epist. 1, 19.), it is a light in us that enlightens us, so that we know for sure that there is no forgiveness of sin except Christ's blood. We had masses read, crawled into the cloisters, went into the dens, founded churches, and all went like blind dogs, all were deceived. But when the light rises that Christ has died for us, is our salvation, the holy monks and bishops get excited with murdering, burning, persecuting 2c. that no one would have believed. What is the fault? It is their fault that they do not love the light, but their poison. They are the conturbant Israel, as Elijah says to
- wes -we them.
Ahab 1 Kings 18:18. Who can be kind to those who desecrate and hasten our Christ? We would tolerate their evil life and pray for them, but because they preach poison and are murderers of Christ, we cannot keep silent. We must confess how we have received much good from him. As for the doctrine, there is no silence, but only barking, as dogs bare their teeth and bark at them. So the wicked shall be killed spiritu labiorum, i. e. verbo Dei. We can do nothing further.
(4) If every man also take hold of his bosom, the prophecy will come true. We used to rely a lot on letters of indulgence, as if we were to be free from pain and guilt. St. Barbara should give me the sacrament, the saints have been our surgeons and apothecaries for the bullet, for a bad thigh. This child is born in us, then I cling to the child like the polypus, and put his nature to me, and now fall from our previous thoughts of calling the saints, mass trust 2c. and believe that Christ is our mercy seat; but how we place ourselves, that is also well seen. Nothing is forgotten so soon as benevolence. God created us with a rational soul, gives us Christ with His gifts as our own, redeems us from so many pieces of idolatry, and when God once comes and punishes us with a little poverty, illness 2c., then all good deeds are already forgotten. Fie on us for our shameful ingratitude! For God will also reject us one day; if we do not take hold of the staff and complain to Him about our weakness from the bottom of our hearts, we are already finished. Who then could be comforted if Christ were thus blasphemed with his word, so that we would know that it must be so, it is prophesied! This is the benefit we get from knowing people's hearts and our thoughts, which we held sacred before in Foundations, Mass 2c. Now we reject it as poison, and cling to Christ. Whoever cannot tolerate it, let him remember that Simeon's prophecy is still true. This is the repentance preached, that we recognize ourselves for it, frail as we are, as we still lack the child, and ask him for help and comfort.
1456 . L. V. s. IV, 398 f. Luther's disputation on Luc. 7, 47. W. VII, I332-I33S. 1457
D. D. Mart. Luther's disputation on the saying Luc. 7, 47: She is forgiven many sins, because she has loved much.*)
Translated from Latin.
There are three pieces in this passage that do not allow it to be thought that forgiveness of sins is obtained by love or by works.
The first is the word of Christ to the woman v. 50: "Your faith has helped you. He does not say: Your love has helped you.
2 But it is ridiculous to distort the word of Christ in this way through human iniquity: Faith, which has gained its right shape through love, has helped you;
- as if Christ, if he had wanted to, could not have added love, saying: your faith and love have helped you.
4 Yes, he is silent about love when he speaks to the woman and praises faith alone.
(5) Just as, on the contrary, he is deliberately silent about faith when he speaks to the Pharisee and praises love alone.
(6) For this reason, one should hold fast and insist against the devil and all his inspirations, namely, that the woman is helped by faith alone, before love.
7 The second is the other word of Christ v. 47, "Whose little is forgiven, the same loveth little."
8 With this word, he indicates that the forgiveness of sins is before love, and that this love follows the forgiveness of sins as a gratitude for the gift received.
9 For he does not say here, "Little is forgiven him who loves little," but on the contrary, "He loves little to whom little is forgiven.
(10) This clearly proves that forgiveness is free and without merit, but love is a fruit or confession of the forgiveness given.
(11) Therefore, this other word of Christ must be held fast and insisted upon against the insolent falsifiers of this passage.
The third is the parable itself and the whole thing that Christ is talking about here. With this parable and thing, the sayings of this passage must agree (not argue).
13 The parable clearly says in this place that a usurer gives the debt for free to two debtors who could not pay.
14 And since the debt is given, Christ asks which of the two loves the most; whether it be he to whom much is given, or he to whom little is given.
15 The Pharisee judges rightly here, and Christ approves, namely, that he loves more to whom more is given.
(16) All this proves conclusively that the forgiveness of sins precedes love, and that love follows forgiveness.
(17) For the debtors do not love the usurer as long as they are indebted to him, nor do they obtain remission through love.
18 Much less do they love when payment is demanded and they have nothing, and must fear that they will be condemned.
19 But then they begin to love when they are safely released after their guilt is forgiven.
20 Therefore we also are justified by the grace of him who forgives, because we cannot pay the debt.
*) This disputation appeared in 1835 at Wittenberg in a single edition in Latin (Walch, Vorrede zum 7. Bande, p. 18, Anm- y>). In Panzer, iw. tvp-, Dow. IX, p. 99, another single edition of 1536 is mentioned. It is found in Latin in the Wittenberg edition (1550), Dow. I, toi. 393; in the Jena (1579), Dow. I, toi. 509d; in the Erlanger, opp. var. ar., vol. IV, p. 398, also in the Wittenberg Thesensammlungen of 1538 and 1558. Jn German language only in Walch. The old translation has been revised by us.
1458v . ". iv, 399-4oi. Interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. vii, 1335-133s. 1459
21 For if we, as debtors, could obtain forgiveness of sins by merit, we would indeed have something with which to pay.
- but the text clearly says v. 42, "Since they did not have to pay, he gave it to both of them."
23 But the gift is not a merit of the receiving debtor, but a grace of the merciful and giving usurer.
24 Paul also distinguishes the gift or imputation from the reward that is given out of duty.
25 This gift is not taken by love, which is not yet there, but by faith, which loves and gives thanks afterwards.
(26) Therefore, in this place, as has been said, these three pieces do not allow it to be considered that love or merit obtains forgiveness of sins.
- there is still this left, that the word of Christ, "She is forgiven many sins, because she loved," should not dispute against these three pieces;
- But such a mind is to be sought which agrees with these three things, lest we make Christ such a one as contends against himself.
(29) Neither shall one, after the manner of the contentious, do a single word against the whole text.
30 For this does not mean to humbly seek the truth, but to arrogantly defend the error once it has been made.
31 But there is no better understanding than that which is taken from Christ's words and works.
32 For it is certain that he speaks differently to the woman, differently to the Pharisee, praising faith there and love here.
Therefore, there can be no contradiction in the words, since this can only take place in one and the same thing and if the same way is there (ad idem et secundum idem), as also nature teaches.
34 The Pharisee now holds fast to the public opinion or reputation, according to which the woman, with regard to the righteousness of the law, was considered a sinner in the city.
35 Meanwhile, he does not know what Christ had secretly wrought through faith, by which the woman clung to him inwardly.
(36) Yes, as a blind man, he does not even see that, how much love the same proves outwardly according to the law.
Therefore Christ condemns the Pharisee's judgment, wanting to free the woman from the public call by a public absolution, and passes the judgment that the same is also publicly righteous.
- for she is not a sinner, but believes in Christ and practices better works of love than even the Pharisee.
39 This is when he turns to the Pharisee, as a public person, or one who was puffed up because of the public reputation of the woman, and says publicly, "I tell you, she is forgiven of many sins" 2c.
40 Then he lists the best deeds of the woman, with which she also fulfilled the law, while he, the so holy judge of the sinner, did nothing of the sort.
- But when he turns to the woman, he speaks especially to her, praising her special faith and saying, "Your faith" 2c.
42 As if to say: You condemn a public sinner, although she has not only far surpassed you in the righteousness of faith, which you do not see, but has also surpassed you in the righteousness of the law or of love, which you strive for but do not attain.
(43) Therefore, because she publicly testifies to her faith and shows love through righteous fruits of repentance, she should also be publicly absolved before you and be considered righteous.
44 In this, Christ is completely against the Pharisee, so that he condemns his public judgment of the sinner by the public righteousness of the same sinner.
45 Therefore he enumerates to him not the faith but the works of the sinner, and reproves that nothing of the kind is done by the Pharisee.
46 Therefore the word of Christ to the Pharisee is rightly understood of public forgiveness. "I tell you," he says; that is, I show it to you publicly.
- that means: I want them to also be at
1460 D- v- a- iv, 4oi f, Luther's disputation on Luc. 7, 47. W. vn, 1338-1340. 1461
be considered righteous and holy to you, having done more in the law than you do and understand.
- but by turning to the woman as to a private person, he comforts her own (private) conscience by saying: "Your faith" 2c.
(49) It was intolerable to the Jews that a man should arrogate to himself the power to forgive sin, as is evident from the ninth chapter of Matthew, v. 3.
50 Therefore, in order that Christ might show that he is the Lord of all things, he absolved the sinner who had been found guilty by the public judgment of men.
51 And this he does with knowledge and will, because he shows them the woman who was condemned by public reputation, and yet publicly justifies her because of her public love or confession.
In the same way, sinners are publicly absolved in the church, where they demonstrate righteous fruits of repentance.
(53) For those cannot be publicly absolved from sins who publicly persist in sins and do not show that they have turned back.
- but it is the public absolution
a matter of great importance, and it strengthens and comforts the faith immensely.
- for it is nothing other than a testimony of many, or of the Church, which is pleasing to God, given to us and approved by God:
(56) Just as consolations, when they come from more than one person, are all the more effective with fearful and troubled consciences;
(57) Just as good works establish our calling and election, because they are a testimony of true faith.
(58) The inward forgiveness is in vain through the mercy of God, who cleanses the hearts inwardly through faith.
(59) But those who stubbornly insist on this word, "Many sins are forgiven her because she loved," and do not want to hear these three things, they are to be avoided as people of distorted senses.
(60) For with this one word of Christ, which they have taken hold of with their minds, they will not make false the three pieces and the whole text,
61 Then, if they are to respond to these three pieces, they will go to great lengths, and yet labor in vain.
E. Luther's Sermon on the Zeal of the Apostles against the Samaritans.
Lucae 9, 51-56.*)
1537. (?)
- hoc evangelium valet contra zelum malum, fund teaches] how to quench evil zeal. For Satan does not celebrate, sows his seed everywhere among the good-hearted, starts well, but does not end well. Here also is the desire of the disciples for vengeance, fire from heaven, to consume the wicked, who will not shelter Christ. But Christ pulls them around and scolds them for wanting much more.
that the devil wants, because God. It will also meet us, and have a piece here of repentance.
Lucas, more than the others, keeps a fine order, summarizes the life, work and teaching of Christ in three parts. First, he goes from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and again from Nazareth to the Jordan, and from the Jordan again to Nazareth.
*This sermon belongs to the twenty-one sermons from the library of the St. Andreas Church in Eisleben. It is found in the Hall volume, p. 396; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XII, p. 604; in the Erlanger, I. edition, Bi^ 18, p. 62; 2nd edition, vol. 19, p. 356. We give the text according to Walch's old edition, comparing the Erlanger.
1462 Erl. (2.) 19, 3S6-3S8. Interpretations about the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1340-1343. 1463
Christ. To learn what happened afterward of Christ in Galilee and Samaria. He came to Jerusalem slowly, in the thirtieth year. Third, when he had preached in Capernaum and Bethsaida, he started the third pilgrimage and wanted to finish it to redeem the people.
3 Jesus knew very well the time of his preaching from Daniel, and in the half year of the fourth year of his preaching he was to die, therefore all sayings belong here. Ecce, ascendimus Hierosolymam, et filius hominis tradetur, Matth. 20, 18. 19. et 16, 21. As often he remembers Jerufalem, as often he is afraid of death. The one in the garden is the excess. Otherwise he suffered much fear of death and got through it; but the one in the garden cost blood. This is our consolation. For if we did not have such a priest, who was thoroughly tempted, how would we stand? Therefore, in adversity, the words of Christ are our comfort: Filius hominis non venit animas perdere, sed salvare. Quantumvis me premant peccata in conscientia, so Christ has come to preserve the soul into eternal life. This is quite a piece of the Gospel, for which it is used. So Lucas writes of this place Cap. 9, 51. ff. 1) Nothing else, but what was done by Christ in Jerusalem and Judah: Christ also wants to prove by this that he did not come to destroy the souls.
The other piece will teach us repentance, and teach 2) to go home. It is written in a simple way, but it is horrible to say. Christ wants to die for all men, and wants to testify that his Father has commanded him to do so; that all the world should learn how kindly God means it with the world, because he pushes his dearest Son so deeply into death. Shouldn't now all the world put its hands under him and help him? no one wants to shelter him. Shouldn't the whole world cry out: "Come ten fires and swallow up such ungrateful people, who have taken such a son of God, who has opened heaven for us, and who has given him a new life?
- These words should probably be rearranged and read like this: So from this place, Cap. 9, 51., fan] writes Lucas rc,
- Walch: learn.
and accepts all that is good, 2c. yet does not want to 3) house and feed him. Is it not an abominable thing? It is right that the disciples should be angry with the ungrateful in the eyes of nature. But God does not want to suffer it yet. God wants to punish murderers and usurers, but much more He wants to punish those who despair of Him in their sins; there one does not want to let God be God. So we are all murderers in our souls before God, if we soon pass judgment on a sinner who sins publicly; God will not condemn him, because he does not despair of God. It should have been so; he should move away so that no one would cast him out if he had done a miracle. So it had to be, Luc. 24, 26. Must, must, what must be, that is unhindered. So Lucas does not excuse the evil people; but it had to be so, no one should endure him. He should hurry to Jerusalem and die there.
V. 54. If thou wilt, O Lord, let us say that fire shall fall from heaven, and consume them, as Elijah did.
O you companions, how do you walk here so comfortingly? They think that whoever does not accept Jesus will soon go to hell. Whoever sees and hears it, concludes: Only to the devil, will you not receive Jesus. They have been rude and strange; they have feared the mighty priests' earnestness and wrath; therefore they will have thrust him out as a heretic and reprover of Moses. They cast him out with words and works, and defiled him as a deceiver. Therefore the disciples are caused to pronounce a swift judgment against such desecrators of dear Jesus. That is why they cry out for vengeance.
6 But here learn from this gospel that the Holy Spirit has enough to resist, to subdue the zelum malum from the pious. Here Christ says, "Remember of what spirit ye are the children," namely, of the Holy Spirit, who is a spirit of peace, not of discord. This is what Peter also ver-
- Taken by us from Walch's old edition. Erlanger: "still one does not want to accommodate him" 2c.
- Perhaps: aptly.
1464 Erl. (2.) 1g, 358-360. Luther's Sermon On Luc. 9, 51-56. w. VII, 1343-1345. 1465
gessen in the garden, since Christ said to him: Mitte gladium in vaginam etc.. Here it is not a matter of fencing, but of suffering. The Spiritus Sanctus allows it now, and is silent, that mau Christum thus crucifies and desecrates. We should be of the gentle spirit. Quoniam beati mites, they shall be lords of the earth Matth. 5, 5.. But there belong eyes of faith; for they are burned 2c. Nor do they live out of the ground, as Abel and John Hus. Thus, because we have the pure doctrine, it must also happen to us that everything that is great in the world must cling with force and power against this doctrine. But God alone sustains it, otherwise it would have perished long ago. There is also a terrible rage against this doctrine, and we hear and see it; silence does not apply. We do not fence with the wicked for the sake of their lives; we want to cover them with a mantle. But because they defame the doctrine and defend their ungodly status, there is no silence, we must speak against it. But here we are also John and Jacob; our heart is so minded that we all desire vengeance on the godless tyrants. So we are murderers. If God can suffer it, why can't we also suffer it? Christ also has such zeal; when he chides the cities, Matth. 11, 21. ff: "Woe to you Chorazim, Bethsaida, Tyro, Sidon", he subdues it, and says v. 25: Confiteor tibi Pater etc.. Here we have to say: What am I reproaching myself for, that I am thus grieving? it shall be thus.
God wants it. Otherwise there is worry, one lays hands on it. God is not allowed to our fencing. It is a matter of suffering and giving revenge to God. If not, we already have an evil spirit in us. We should lift up and realize why Christ came, namely to preserve souls and not to destroy them, thinking of this spirit of God.
7 See how God has shown us the tip of the peasants' rebellion; they were not children of the right spirit. One should do it with the word alone, not with the fist. Although there were many pious people among them, who were hurt that Christ was thus desecrated in the monasteries and foundations. But they went too far over the line, and laid their hands on their own revenge; so they had to fail.
(8) Even today we are of this mind: when the ungodly blasphemers are wronged, we take pleasure and delight in it. So we desire vengeance. Here each one may repent and ask God to protect us from such murderous thoughts. We are still in it. It should please us that God punishes in this way; but we should not desire pleasure and vengeance, but have compassion, and remember why the Son of Man came, namely, that one should not desire judgment and vengeance against sinners. For God will not suffer a sinner to be reproved.
- We have taken "probably" from the Erlanger.
F. Luther's Sermon Who the saying Luc. 12, 35.: Let your loins be girded 2c. *)
- (?)
1 Dominus praedicat coram multis populis, how to confess him, and how we should beware of false doctrine. And we have three sayings, so that we do not get carried away with food: 1. No one lives.
that it is sufficient for him. 1) 2. qui colligit opes, fiet ei sicut stulto diviti. 3) Ubi thesaurus, ibi cor tuum. These three sayings teach
- This refers to Luc. 12, 15: "No one lives by having many goods.
*This sermon, like the previous one, belongs to the twenty-one sermons from the library of St. Andrew's Church in Eisleben. In the collections: in the Gallic volume, p. 383; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XII, p. 591 and in the Erlanger, I. Aufl., vol. 18, p. 29; 2. Aufl., vol. 19, p. 322. We give the text after Walch, uuter Vergleichung der Erlanger.
1466 ed. (2.) 1S, 322-324. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1345-1347. 1467
We are told what God means by food and goods. What a man has more abundance than what belongs to his daily custom, that is mammon, and not his food: that God will count as if it were done to His contempt. Sicut Matthaei 6, 26. 28.: Passeres non arant, non horreum habent, tamen cibat eos; sic de liliis, pulchre vestita sunt. Therefore, what a man has left over (above) daily food is not good, but an idol, and his heart is weighed down with food. Therefore the same is a blasphemer who does not trust God so much 2c. So Christ admonishes us here to look to Him alone and wait, and we will have enough temporally and eternally when we sit in readiness.
Sint praecincti**, aproned.**
2 This is spoken in a worldly way. For he that would travel must not have long, loose garments, but tucked up garments. Thus saith Christ, Be ready, and take heed; have lights in your hands, be finely shrewd: for nothing is certain. For death cometh unto you at home: but when the hour shall be, it is not known unto you. Therefore wait now for that hour. Work as if to live forever, and yet be of a mind as if to die this hour. That is to say, to be loins aproned when we wait for the Bridegroom of Christ. But this doctrine pushes us to the ground, and draws us into repentance. For no one will be able to wait for the day of the Lord with joy. We love our worst enemy, our flesh, so that we will not gladly die. Inimici hominis domestici ejus, Matth. 10, 36. We are not properly shortened.
Taulerus has a very good word, understood by few, thus speaks: God often meets one, but we do not attack him. So, when God attacks our worst enemy, sends us sickness, wants to put an end to us, we are not of a different mind, because God is far from us; but God only wants to bring us out of our misery, and wants to help me out of the battle. But because it costs his precious blood, I resist and do not let the Christ who is knocking in. So this flesh drives us behind it.
that we are not shortened. 1)0 Luc. 9, 57. One says to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Says Christ Luc. 9, 58. 2): Vulpes foveas habent etc., q. d. Christ: 3) Thou art not worthy of me; if thou wilt see beforehand where I abide, I know thee not.
4 The world is full of these people; they hear the gospel, but because the greatest heads are against it, they say: I will see before how it abideth in the Concilio. These all will let the bridegroom pass by, and will not be prepared. Therefore Christ will pass by and punish them.
- A second Sepeliam patrem meum, Luc. 9, 59. Who would not praise the good work? Hoc est praeceptum Dei, colere parentes, to bury. But because JEsus calls him, he should follow. These are all those who still cling to something and do not want to surrender to Christ outright, thinking that it is not evil to do this and that. Therefore it is a high doctrine that we should thus loosen our loins. Here we have nothing but canones poenitentiae. The Word of God directs us, since we have never come there, to cry out to God for help: O Lord, mercy, help me to do this!
- A third one wants to end with his friends, he recovers a terrible judgment: Non est dignus regno coelorum, qui manum ad aratrum mittit, and looks behind him, Luc. 9, 61. 62. Q. d.: If someone is called, who has learned to know Christ, and his parents should hinder him, it is so much: You go on, let your father and mother stay where they want; do not let the friendship of men be more valid for you than my honor. Let no man hinder thee, neither friends, nor money, nor favor. If they hinder thee from thy goods, let them go; follow me.
- Item, there 4) are others who have bought oxen [Luc. 14, 19.), that is, they have trade and change rather than God's honor. This work is called oxen, like Hesiodus
- "IV put by us instead of: "Item", because the "First" is missing, which corresponds to the "Second" 2c. ß, 2). 3). 4). 5). 6) "1 in the following paragraphs.
- Walch, and dre Erlanger edition in the first and second edition: "Matth. 8, 58."
- "g. cl. Christ" - as if Christ wanted to say.
- "Item it" put by us instead of "In Matthaeo", which is obviously wrong.
1468 Erl. (2.) 19, 324 f. Luther's Sermon on Luc. 12, 35. W. VII, 1347-1349. 1469
The work of housekeeping is called a bovem aratorem. Those who would rather have their food than be ready for God, who think that there is no need yet, they think that there is still time enough to follow God. This is what God wants to destroy. For the world says: Whoever wants to trade, hang his soul on the wall for a while. These are stupratores verbi Christi, since he says: 8int lumbi vestri praecinctii. From this contempt follows] coecitas, securitas, do not respect God, they beat their fellow servants, flay and scrape. Therefore, Christ will reward them with the unbelievers, to whom the hellish fire is due.
- A village buyer is called praeesse, to have honor before other people, to sit on top, to consider him a lord, to sit in the regiment. This honor also makes us that we are not shortened, go by. Before one loses a little honor, before he lets the gospel go with Christ. If our bishops were allowed to keep their splendor, so that not a penny would be lost, they would come to us in good grace. But it cannot be. Therefore, before they let worldly disgrace come upon them, and who nevertheless let their rule, evil, godless life, before they let Christ.
- To take a wife is a hard thing; he who can desist is strong, 1 Cor. 7, 1: Bonum esset, non habere uxorem propter tribulationem carnis. Out of necessity it is good to have a wife and child. But if a man is alone, he may be cut off and go to his death, for if he has such a great following.
10 Let us now be to each one of them
Latin; for we see how difficult it is for everyone to learn this lesson. Whoever recognizes 1) that he is not yet shortened as he should be, he should cry out to God and complain to Him; He will give us credit for it. But if we despise it and are sure of it, God will not give it to us, but will remember it to our evil. God can suffer weakness, but He cannot tolerate malice and contempt. God proclaims to us that we should be chastened and wait for Him; He does this because He means well. Whoever recognizes that he is not like this, let him confess it to God and ask for help so that we may be chastened; God will graciously help and forgive him.
(11) Wherever God finds such servants who recognize their need and wish to be chastened, God Himself will serve them. How we should rejoice if an emperor should serve us! It is a thousand times more that God wants to serve us, as He wants to do for the afflicted consciences. But to those who betray their brothers in trade, the Lord will come wildly, he will destroy them. No part of them shall remain, all that they have must be destroyed; then he will throw the pieces into the fire. So God can well suffer the weakness that one complains to Him. It is his honor that one confesses it to him, who alone is strong. But wickedness, despising God in his word and his gospel, he cannot suffer in any way.
- In Walch and in the Erlanger: "who does not recognize it"; we have erased "not".
1470 Erl. (s.) i8, 23-2s. Interpretations about the evangelist Lucas. W. vu, 134s-1351. 1471
G. Luther's sermon on the destruction of Jerusalem, Who the text: Luc. 19, 41-48. *)
Held August 13, 1531.
This gospel does not teach faith, nor does it teach evangelical doctrine for salvation, but it is a sermon of terror that warns us. It applies to everyone, believers and unbelievers, but most of all to false Christians, works saints, false preachers and Pharisees, who have been evangelical at the highest, and now have become tired and unenthusiastic. It seems to them that they do not want to serve their purpose. And those who hear the gospel the loudest have the hardest sorrow. This Lord will ever be too uncertain and too poor for them, Christ must go out and the devil in; he will give them enough, yes, even too much. For they have the gospel without right faith, and it will help nothing, but only harm.
The Jews of Jerusalem truly had the holiest city, of which there was none on earth, and had the holiest temple, of which there was none on earth; the holiest ceremonies, ordained and set by God Himself, sacrifices and worship all by God. But there were such fine pious children who not only did not think anything of the preaching of God, but they persecuted it and denied it to other people. They had enough of the prophets and faithful preachers, yes, of Christ Himself, the true Savior, who was promised to them, as He proved to them powerfully before their eyes, from their own Scriptures, and with true, divine, almighty deeds, that He was. But no truth helps the hardening. He also had others promise, preach, warn and warn them beforehand; indeed, the longer they went on, the more evil, foolish and senseless they became, as is the way of such people. But it was their raving and raging and
There was no end to their persecution until the right hour came upon them, which paid them well for everything. Then the Lord took out his own, so that not one of them remained with them, and made a multitude of the Jews, and put them all to death shamefully, according to their own judgment: Malos male perdet. The rest, of whom there were few, he scattered, and made them a footstool and a speck to all the people of the earth.
003 The LORD said unto them: A sin breaketh thy neck, O Jerusalem! that thou hast not known nor received thy gracious God, and hast despised and laughed at my fatherly, faithful visitation. But thou wilt not believe it, thou wilt try it, and it shall befall thee. They shall besiege thee, and drag thee, and pull down thy houses, and miserably devastate and kill all. And it came to pass at the feast of Easter, when all the country was gathered together unto Jerusalem to worship. They had become disobedient to the Romans and rebellious, and would not have them for masters, trusting in their well-built strong city, with triple wall, bulwark, ditch, redoubt, and high dams or embankments, out of it to resist all the world. They gathered in cattle and people, far and wide; put off the quantity and strength of the people, when they wrote, about thirty hundred thousand men of the Jews, sent to the fight. The Romans themselves were amazed at the mighty buildings and fortresses of this city and said, "The wrath of God is upon them, or we would never have won.
- but they were divided among themselves, divided into three bands, plus pestilence, and
*This sermon was published in a single edition without indication of the place and printer under the title: "A Sermon on the Destruction of Jerusalem and on the Horrible Punishment of Those Who Despise and Abuse the Gospel and Do Not Recognize Their Visitation. Martin Luther. Den 13. August 1531." In the collections: in the Hall volume, p. 363; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XII, p. 503; and in the Erlanger, 1st ed. vol. 18, p. 188; in the 2nd ed. vol. 18, p. 23. We reproduce the text according to Walch, who used the first edition (preface to the 7th volume, p. 19, note t.), comparing the Erlanger. Judging by the nature of the sermon, it was not printed by Luther himself. Compare the notes to § 4 and § 5 of this paper.
1472 Erl. (2.) 18, 25-27. Luther's sermon on Luc. 19, 41-48. W. VII, I35I-I353. 1473
strangled themselves among themselves, and became too many rogues, and the plague of pestilence the longer the greater. The hunger took over and became deadly. They ate the veins 1) from the crossbows and shields, the leather from the shoes. It finally came to pass that the poor, wretched mothers strangled their own children, and cooked it, and yet could not prosper that they ate it. For the hungry blasphemers, who had fleetingly helped and faithfully advised in such a war, were disgusted; they ran around, smelled where they were cooking, and broke open the houses and took it from the stove; yes, they even tore the food out of each other's teeth and killed each other on the spot. And the greatest lords ate hay, and dung, and dust of the floor. Some strangled their wives and children with grief, and strangled themselves. Some put gold and silver in their bellies, and gave themselves up to free, uncertain flight. And when this was betrayed, they were cut into pieces, and money was sought from everyone, even though he had none. From this, stink, villainy and pestilence increased. 3) But some caught them and sold them among themselves, even thirty for a penny, and led them to Rome and to all countries; not to save them, but to show their shame and disobedience, and to make a spectacle of them. And where they had wild beasts in the ditch, and in their beast-gardens, they cast them among them, to tear them as cats, in their merry times, in their chargers, and in their pankets.
(5) So shall it be with all who do not fear God, who look more to themselves than to God. So God smelled the death of all holy prophets. I care 4) hard for the German land. For now it has the day of gracious and merciful visitation. If it despises him and does not receive him, but-
- Veins d. j. Tendons.
- Erlanger: mended.
- Here the report is extremely incomplete; the time before and after the conquest of Jerusalem is not kept apart, Jews and Romans are mixed into each other.
- Here, as well as in three other places in this sermon, the original of the Erlangen edition inserts: "says Martinus". This seems to us, as well as the deficient presentation in the previous paragraph, to prove that this sermon was not printed by Luther himself.
If Germany loses this clear light and bright shine of this day, only God will help it, and it will be over and done with. It is anxious for it; for now, at the time of grace, it does not consider its best either. For as the LORD saith, If thou knewest, thou wouldest weep and wail, and all would be forgiven thee. And said: I come not now as an executioner, judge, or persecutor to destroy thee, but as a father, a preacher, and a true Savior to counsel and help thee. But if you let this sun go down, it is done for you.
6 Now this concern is also in front of our eyes. Everyone is building, and this same building is a great prophecy of such misery. He has given us a day, he has given us this sun of the holy gospel, he looks after us fatherly, but he does little, the dear Lord. Some take it out with displeasure, some spit it out again, some ridicule it, 5) some, in the further service of God's glory, 6) even persecute it, trample the dear holy gospel and Christ, even his preachers, underfoot, they are a beam and a mountain in their eyes. They take from them what is theirs, rob and steal from them what they have. They would like to chase them all away and have none at all, if they could. And that is what the best Christians are doing now. One can see how the pope with his devil's cave has been choking for a long time, and still rages with haggling, watering and burning. And because the Lord did not spare his own holy city, where there was much more sanctuary inside and holy bodies than this whole city of Wittenberg could contain, than St. David, the beloved, faithful servant of God, holy prophets and others without number. Of course, he will spare us and our sanctuary very little. For we have a unique sanctuary that surpasses all of theirs in one heap. This is the dear, holy gospel, and Christ himself, Emanuel, nobiscum Deus, and Sanctus sanctorum, the Holy One of all saints.
- it has long since begun at the house of god; god grant that its end may soon come.
- Erlanger: despicable.
- This will probably mean: in an office where they were to promote God's honor.
1474 Erl. (2.)18, 27-29. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1353 f. 1475
It may well become a great trouble with the wicked. He has ever said Ps. 110, 1: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies at your feet." (The more he puts away such multitudes, the holier he is, as a judge who sees faithfully out of them; the more he sows and puts away evildoers, the more pious he is). God sustains us, protects and governs us and our wife, child, servants, land and people, house and farm, everything, worldly and spiritual. Blessed is he who believes it and lives by it. It is well known how the peasants and the dear Scharrhansen have behaved, and still do, against the holy Gospel and its servants, also against their neighbors, also princes and all their authorities, especially in the emergency of theurung against the poor. Well then, if God does not judge them, I will certainly not judge them, but only ask God for them from the heart; he has the wind in his fist, he turns it wherever he wants. Wherever the servants of the word are oppressed, and their goods are scraped, as their own stewards, officials and parishioners do; or where they are 1) even persecuted in body and goods, chased away with wife and child, or even strangled: what better can come of it, than as here in the time of Christ? If it goes, we must also eat; if we have eaten out of the bowl, we must also expect the muzzlers and eat with them. Yes, yes, this is how it is: he who lives with them, he who perishes with them; we must repay them. But we should ask diligently, he would do it, he has promised. Otherwise, I know I must enjoy my neighbors.
- but I ever worry, this building 2) our? City of Wittenberg is our prophet Isaiah. That I like the building badly? No. Because the stronger this city becomes, the greater our misfortune becomes. So we have to be outnumbered with jackanapes. The same our dear friends help us, that our eyes go over, that we cry out: Awe God's mother! and rather wish and strive how we could get away from them, and much rather be killed by the enemies. The Viennese know much to say about this, and how the boys of God themselves
- mans -man them.
- In 1530, the fortifications of Wittenberg had begun to be strengthened. Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 1814, No. 61.
We have bravely turned our backs on those of Vienna. When they are at their fullest, let alone when they are hungry and have gambled away their pay and clothing, they run in, take by force what they desire, smash the other, and ravish wife and child. They rule and muzzle the master of the house and subdue everyone according to their will. They are Pochhansen, torture cats, yes, potz torture, five sufferings, Veltin, pestilence 2c. Now (they speak to them) are war runs, we must save you; what! if I scholl to you with the harlot and woman jest, beware of a greater.
(9) Then let him that can flee, rather take wife and child, and perish outwardly in the body, than inwardly all the body and soul. I do not want to stay, because they are free men, they have neither wife nor child, they are whores and boys, abusers of women and virgins, blasphemers, gamblers, and silent men. All in all, these country boys are the children of the chosen devil. If they should save us, God would not be with us. Therefore, only far from them, and much rather from them, than died with them. I would have to preach to them only what they wanted. It would be a city that would want to overpower them, and would put them in a special place. I still say it, I will not stay, I could not get away. If God would, I would not experience it. I will have told you, if I lay the head, that ye may know it beforehand, and know it, and be instructed, and be patient. For with patience in God you will overcome it, and you will not be comforted at all by the goat; but rather pray to God that you will not need it, that it will not come to this. For according to human form it must happen 2c., 4) only God will turn it around. And it would be the same for our pious prince as it is for us, where such boys would become the patrons of the city and the country. I still say, where such scoundrels move in, remember that you are moving out, and only roll yourselves up soon. Christ ordered his disciples and all his own to roll away, and they had to flee from Jerusalem, young and old.
- In the original: thäts.
- "u. s. w." is missing in the Erlanger.
1476 Erl, (S.) I", 2S-S1. Luther's sermon on Luc. 19, 41-48. W. VII. I3S4-IZS7. 1477
the little wheel. When Christ went out, the devil went in and became their patron; they despised Christ, a king of peace and honor. So when it goes or comes, we only say: O Lord, we have well deserved it, we have thrown away the day of your visitation and visitation, and have taken the night for it; it only serves us right.
(10) Yes, the wall and strong buildings help. If our wall were iron, and thicker than this church, and high up to heaven, it would not help. Yes, guns and armor. For if the host, which is called Christ, is consumed, let the devil remain, and he also remains. And we here in this principality looked quite dreadful in all things, and that is with the holy gospel. And how we hold his messengers, we know it well, and he knows it too. He will pay us richly. He gives us food and drink, and provides enough for us in our homes; and when he comes to us, he also wants to eat with us; but they want to push him away and out hungrily. If thou cast him out, if thou overpower him, thou shalt be the first. 1) If then thou shalt first cry unto him, when the need of thy destruction is present, he saith: I do not hear you. I have also long cried unto thee, thou hast not wished to hear me, thou hast not wished to hear me; away, away, I will laugh at thee now. So do the mobs; they have cast Christ away, and have received the devil. And the market is at the door; go in or go out, buy patience in Christ; it may save you, and earnest prayer. For if the Jews were thus martyred with their law, how much more we who have the gospel of God? 2). Christ advances to them: You have destroyed my kingdom and regiment; let yours also be broken.
011 Now the king rideeth in at Jerusalem, king Zion cometh: he weepeth, when he ought to laugh, and to be merry as a young king, and to offer defiance and reproach unto the knaves that had done against him; and he should
- Here it may be necessary to add: whom God will punish.
- The meaning will probably be:. If the Jews, who had only the law, had such severe suffering, how much more will it not be given to us, who have the gospel.
have said: Wait, you husks, I will come to you as you deserve. No, he weeps, as if to say, "Oh, beloved children, how you mourn for me, that you do yourselves such evil, and so despise your salvation. He goes into temples with a fiery spirit and great hot temper against the blasphemy that happened to his heavenly Father, that they made devil's service out of God, and preached: "If you give much, you will be much blessed. And made vain monasticism of it, and works of satisfaction; as our monks do now, and all the papists; and made notched wood of their avarice, usury, and all profiteering and financery, turning God's service upon their service. But the Lord does not have to do this, he is not obliged to take upon himself according to our will. Come, Christ, come, we are honest people, confirm our cause and our nobility. No, he will turn himself in. For we have it all from him, and cannot give ourselves a little hair. But we all mean to make God laugh with our works, if it pleases us, and we want to enter into judgment with him. If we destroy his gospel, we will not stay in Jerusalem. This chasing and beating in the temple was only a prelude; the real thing came afterwards, over forty years. They did not see Christ before their avarice.
This is the whole main fault, they did not like the holy gospel. As if to say: You persecute the holy gospel, your salvation and happiness. You blame the gospel for all the plagues that are in the world, because it makes you unhappy. But you lie about it publicly. For all comfort, help and good comes from it. Well then, it shall be and remain your cause, according to your delusion, and the gospel shall fail you and rend you asunder, so that not one trumpet shall remain with another, even unto the abyss of hell. I will make it true for you. The Lord always preached in the temple for three days, that he had never been so fierce before; for the need and the hour pressed upon his neck. The dear Christ would ever have liked to see it well. I warn you, do not lie down in the hospital in Jerusalem, otherwise you will perish there. Let it be so this time. We want to ask God diligently 2c.
1478 Erl. (2.) 18, 561-3S3. Interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1357-I3SS. 1479
H. Luther's sermon on Luke 21, 25-33, about the future of Christ and the imminent signs of the last day.)
Held on the 2nd Sunday of Advent, December 8, 1532.
Luc. 21:25-33.^1^ )
There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth men shall be afraid, and shall tremble; and the sea and the waves of waters shall roar. And men shall faint for fear and for waiting of the things that are to come upon the earth: for the powers of heaven also shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with power and great glory. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption draweth nigh. And he said unto them a like thing, Behold the fig tree, and all the trees. When they now bud, you see by them that summer is now near. So you also, when you see all these things coming, know that the kingdom of God is near. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be done. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
- in this gospel our Lord Christ clearly proclaims beforehand how things shall be in the world when it is at its end, so that we may know when the day is at hand when he, our Lord Christ, will come to manifest judgment, and may not doubt nor be in suspense in unbelief.
- This text is not printed in the Erlangen edition, but the remark is made: "Luther prefaced the sermon with the biblical passages Genes. 8, 22. and Luc. 18, 8."
certain delusion. And clearly shows all kinds of signs that happen in the last time, and this day is to be prelude. For it is not possible that such an excellent, final change of the whole world should not have many and great signs, if lesser things happen with countries and people, announced by signs beforehand.
- But since this gospel has been sufficiently interpreted before, that everyone now understands it, and many are only too well able to do so, let us now not ignore the teaching therein, but 2) the signs of the last times recently overflowing, and the beautiful, glorious sermon of Christ, when he says: "Look up, and lift up your heads" 2c.. 3) To praise God and to comfort us^a^ ). For this is the reason why most of it is spoken and written, that it may serve to comfort us who preach and believe in Christ, and to strengthen our faith and hope.
a) the fruit.
(3) Though it should be a justifiable fright to the rest of the rude, ungodly multitude to whom these signs apply, yet they have the grace not to turn to them, but most assuredly to despise them; wherefore we also will let them go, and command our Lord and their Judge, who shall come and give them their reward, that they may know and eternally feel what they now believe not.
- The words: "not the doctrine therein, but" are missing in the Wittenberg and in the Jena.
- The bracketed words are in the Wittenberg and in the Jena, but are missing in the Erlanger and in the Latin.
*This sermon was first published in 1532 in Wittenberg by Hans Luft under the title: "Eine tröstliche Predigt von der Zukunft Christi und den vorhenden Zeichen des jüngsten Tags. D. Wart. Luth. Wittemberg 1532.", then at Nuremberg in the same year by Kunigund Hergotin and was printed again at Wittenberg in 1536 by Joseph Klug. In the collections: in the Wittenberger (1554), vol. IV, p. 480; in the Jenaer (1566), vol.V, p. 529; in the Altenburger, vol.V, p. 1007; in the Leipziger, vol. XII, p. 313, and in the Erlanger, 1st ed, Vol. 16, p. 1; 2nd ed. vol. 18, p. 361. In Latin translation in the Wittenberger (1558), Dom.VII, col. 320b. Luther added marginal glosses to his hand copy, which we insert in letter notes between the individual paragraphs according to the Erlangen edition. We give the text according to the Erlanger, which is the first printing mentioned above, comparing the Wittenberg and Jena editions, as well as the Latin. Walch has also already compared the original edition, therefore only insignificant changes have resulted for the text.
1480 Erl.(2.) 18,^63f. Luther's sermon on Luc. 21, 25-33. W. VII. 1359-1361. 1481
nor will we respect it. But let us use this gospel to our advantage, and make it sweet sugar, as a sweet and joyful sermon, lest we also let it be written in vain, and lose its power and fruit.
(4) For we may indeed take such comfort, because these signs are terrible in themselves, and a horrible sight, and the true Christians are stupid and fearful without this, that they may well be frightened by a rustling leaf when they see God's wrath. On the other hand, the wicked are all too sure and obdurate, that they do not allow themselves to be moved by any signs, however great and terrible they may be. And so they are unequally divided, that those who should accept such signs and tremble before them, as to whom God is wrathfully threatening, have hard heads and hearts of iron, that they most powerfully turn a deaf ear to it, as if it did not concern them at all what one sings and says about God's wrath. Again, those who should not accept it 1) but rather rejoice, as to whom there is no wrath but only grace and comfort, want to be all too horrified by it and can hardly lift their hearts to draw such sweet, comforting thoughts.
(5) Now there are two things in this gospel. The first is that he tells and names the signs that are to come beforehand, so that they may see when he is coming. The other, that he shows such signs to comfort his Christians, so that they may wait and look forward to his future with joy. Now the first sign (he says) shall be in the heavens, in the sun, moon and stars, which is (as he interprets it 2) Matth. 24, 29.) that the sun and moon shall lose their light, that is, become black and dark, and the stars shall fall 2c. After that on earth among the people, that they shall be afraid, that they shall not know where to stay, and shall faint and wither for fear, yea, also on the sea and on the waters; so that all creatures shall be troubled, heaven and earth shall crack as an old house, which is about to fall down and break, and yet shall fall down.
- Erlanger: should.
- Wittenberg and Jena: "es". Latin: ixss.
- as if she suspects that the world will soon come to an end and that the day is near.
(6) Now I do not want to fence here, but command the Christians whether the signs on the sun, moon and stars have happened. But this is my faith and certain hope, that such signs have already happened in several parts, and not many others have to wait. For if we would believe, we have seen enough before our eyes in our remembrance how many and great eclipses have occurred one after another in short years, and also some at the same time in one year, that one has not seen the like before. But he that believeth not the word of God shall not believe the signs, neither take them for signs, but despise them, and cast them to the winds, though the sun lose his light daily before his eyes, and the stars fall with heaps.
- And although the astrologers 4) consider such things as natural, that they can tell some beforehand when they are to come, they themselves do not deny that they are signs that mean something terrible, especially when so many of them come one after the other. And how many signs (especially now some years ago) 5) have been seen in the sky, against nature, with so many suns, rainbows, and various other strange, terrible figures, that if one were to write them together, they alone would make a large book. But it is all forgotten, if one does not see it every hour before the nose. And as soon as it is over, one goes along safely, as if no sign had ever happened; yes, the more they happen, the less one respects them, they get into the habit, and think that it must go otherwise. And indeed it should not go otherwise; otherwise the signs would be in vain, and the world could not pass away so soon, if one should believe, and be
- Erlanger: ohne; Wittenberger: ohnet; Jenaer: öhne. Latin: yuasi auiääam ipsi prassaZiat.
- So the Wittenbergers and the Jenaers; Erlanger: "Sternkundigen". Latin: [stroIoKi. The form "Sternkündiger" is also found in Erlanger, 1st ed., vol. 10, p. 61; likewise in the 2nd ed. in H 20 of this writing.
- The words in the parenthesis are missing in the Erlanger; in the other editions, including the Latin, they are there.
1482 Erl. (2.) 18, 364-386. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1361-1363. 1483
Otherwise, she might convert and turn or endure God's wrath; so she diligently guards herself against it. ^b^)
b) The same applies to listening to sermons: sing or say, make it > sweet or sour, and so on.
- also with the other signs, on the water and on the earth,^1^ ) I also let the Christians judge, and all people say, if someone remembers such storms of winds and waters, as now in short years always happened^2^ ) and especially^3^ ) such a great flood, which drowns land and people, as recently in Rome and in the Netherlands. Without what is also heard from the earthquake, that water and everything is positioned as if it no longer wants to stay in its place, but everything goes over and over. So it is also very common that there are many people who are so afraid and anxious 4) that they go away and despair. This may be understood both physically and spiritually, but especially spiritually; as many people have been found up to now, and still hear more every day, whom the devil rides and torments with temptation and despair, so that they put themselves to death or otherwise kill themselves from great fear. And so all the signs go through the whole world in momentum; and although they have not all happened, yet a great, noticeable part of them, especially because they go so thickly and frequently on one another that one cannot wait for them without, 5) that they come to an end. And therefore they have been announced beforehand, so that we can be sure of them, and not think that they happen accidentally, and not imply anything special.
(9) Now these are all terrible signs, which mean nothing good to the world, though it neither feels nor respects them; but the pious Christians see and feel it well, and let it frighten them too much, though it is not set to frighten them, but rather to comfort them, that they should look at it with joy, and not turn to it, whether it shines unkindly before their eyes when the sun shines,
- Erlanger: on earth.
- Erlanger: seen. Latin: kuere.
- "sonderlich" is missing in the Wittenberger.
- Walch: "will." Latin: anxios esse.
- The comma after "without" is placed by us. The sense is: "unless that" etc. In Latin: nisi ut. ,
I moon, and the whole sky looks sour and dark. For the dear sun also does the same, cares nothing about it, whether it is covered with a thick, dark cloud, or loses its shine, but always goes its same course, and if nothing happens to it, it remains the same sun, and shines after 6) as before, without turning sour against the world, as a sign to the evil ones; so also the other signs, the moon and the stars, that they are terrible, does not harm them, because they are not a sign for themselves, but for the godless world, which despises it, and is happy about it. ^c^)
c) Runs and runs, dances and jumps, eats and drinks, rages and roars > like unreasonable animals.
010 So also this, that men should be afraid, and tremble, and have a troubled conscience, is a terrible sign; but not unto thee, nor unto them that bear it (where they find Christians), but unto them that bear it, even to the wicked and despisers, who bear it not, but despise it. For they shall nevertheless receive it, that it hurt them not; but must nevertheless go for a sign, because of the wicked; as the prophet Esaias was made to go naked and barefooted Isa. 20:2, and Jeremiah with a chain about his neck, for a sign to the land of Egypt and to the Philistines Jerem. 27:2, and yet did them no harm, but kept their garments, and nevertheless remained free. So it shall be without harm to them that have such marks upon them, but only to show others how they shall fare; for though the marks be evil, yet they do no harm to them that bear them. Otherwise the executioner would not be allowed to carry a sword, and no one would not be allowed to carry weapons; but beware, you who are a murderer^d^ )^e^ ) and deserve death, because it is for you when he draws the sword. Just as fire, wheel, rope and gallows, do not harm himself, but thieves and villains who have forfeited it.
(d) Added: (a robber).
e) These are not good things. Peccatum non remittetur, nisi > restituatur ablatum. Augustin. Si quem defraudavi, illi reddo > quadruplum. Luc. 19, 8. > > (11) So now, before the last day, there must be many people whom the > devil torments and crushes.
- In our Jena edition, as in the other editions: "after" is not yet, as the Erlanger notes.
1484 Erl. (".) 18, SS6-SSS. Luther's sermon on Luc. 21, 25-33. W, VII, 1363-1366. 1485
They are more troubled with an evil conscience and heavy temptations, and are so afraid that they do not know how to stay; as Gerson has written much about them, and many confessors have experienced, especially in monasteries, what tender and stupid consciences are. But let them be troubled and frightened; it need not harm them. For it is not such people that God wants to frighten or condemn, as wicked, crude people,^f^ ) but fearful and soft hearts that would like to have comfort, and would like to convert, and yet can find neither comfort nor counsel anywhere, until God so lukewarmly helps them out and comforts them with His word. But you, beware and be afraid, who so surely and cheerfully despise everything, as God forebodes and warns you.
f) obdurate, superbi, duri cervice et auribus.
012 Among the signs also he saith, That some shall faint for fear of things to come: That is, There shall be many sorrowful hearts, which shall walk as though they were darkened, as they that feel that great calamities are present, and shall bear themselves therewith, and be consumed, and shall feel such sorrow of heart, that they shall wither with grief. As sadness is wont to consume life like consumption, and to dry up the marrow out of the body; as the wise man saith Sir. 30:25. Now, such signs they must feel, not to them, but to thee, as thou oughtest to feel justly; but because thou despisest them, thou shalt feel all too grievously, not the signs, but that which the signs signify, eternal^g^ ) trembling and heartache in hellish fire. For if the pious on earth must suffer and feel such things outwardly and temporally, what will it become with the others to whom it applies, and whom God means by it? and they turn nothing away from it, but always become more and more angry,^h^ ) until they experience it, and can be happy when the pious are sorrowful.
g) (AddedTooth chatter.
h) This is quite a devilish being.
Now it is ever hard to see so many abominable signs, and terrifies many pious hearts, as Christ says here, which are grieved by them, that they truly do not seem comforting. But if thou be a Christian, behold not such outward appearance and feeling, but
your distress and that of the whole of Christendom. For, dear God, if the day should not even come, I would just as soon never be born. For if you look at how things are now, and how the dear Gospel and we are doing in the world, that it persecutes us so horribly, driven by the devil, and so shamefully despised, showing so much shame, blasphemy, scorn, ingratitude, and poisonous hatred and malice, 1) and also have to suffer so many false, lying, wicked people^i^ ) among ourselves, and daily so many outrages, despicable acts, robberies and thefts, that there is no more discipline, respectability, fear, nor punishment; and people, the more one preaches to them, the angrier they become, and still more defiant when one punishes and warns them, that we have nothing more of the dear gospel in the world, but only mockery and ridicule, and devilish hatred, which goes through the heart of the devout Christians. 2) )^k^
i) unfaithful, perjured.
k) (Addition and well would like to jump in a thousand pieces. > I^uIIa amplius ckiseiplina. -
(14) Shall we not then pray and implore day and night, and cry and cry unto our Lord Christ, that he may once smite and destroy all things, that only such a shameful nature may cease, and that there may be an end of woe? For if we should not be saved from this, we would be the most miserable people that ever came on earth. For we must truly consider not only the harm and destruction of the world, and how it harms them, but also how it harms us and all devout Christians, and much more God Himself, that His Word is thus despised, desecrated and blasphemed, and that His preachers are subjected to all plagues, scorn and shame. For no amount of preaching, calling, exhorting, urging or pleading will help in this world. Therefore it should be a joyful sight to us when we see such signs breaking forth, as God has done with them.
- Wittenberger: "Item, if you also look at and among ourselves that we have to suffer so many false, lying, evil people around us." The Latin agrees with our text.
- The marginal gloss of the Jena edition: "Dear, to whom such things go to his heart, he will certainly not have great desire to live," is included in the text by the Wittenberg edition.
1486 ed. (2.) 18, 389-371. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1368-1368. 1487
He shows and comforts us that he will soon rumble with the world and finally deliver us from all misfortune and misery; so that we should not only wait for this blessed day with joy, but also cry out for it with longing and sighing to our Lord Christ and say: You have promised the day to deliver us from all misfortune, so let it come even this hour when it should be, and put an end to the misery. ^l^)
l) Amen, Amen.
- take an example^m^ ) of our very enemies, the papists themselves, how they are cheerful and of good cheer as often as a little hope appears to them, that they think to dampen the gospel and us. What a crying and longing there was among them for the emperor to come into Germany, exterminate the Lutherans, and reinstate their tyranny and power! And what joy and triumph they caused when he now wanted to come. 1) There was boasting, rejoicing, singing and jumping when they hoped to bathe in our blood, and there was so much rejoicing that they did not know how to restrain themselves from rejoicing. Some kept it secretly, tickling themselves with it, not wanting to share the joy with anyone, or writing it only to their best friends; others shouted and shouted publicly: Salvator venit! The Savior is coming! The Savior is coming! And there was no measure of joy.
m) Digressio sequitur. Exemplum Papistarum de Caes. Maj. adventu > Augustam. Ps. 146, 3: Nolite confidere principibus.
- Now behold, the desperate husks and evil-doers could look forward to a false Savior, who could not help them, even though he had all power over them, and hoped so surely that they would be exalted again, much more glorious than ever, and strengthened in their horrible wickedness and impenitence, and were so sure and proud that I was almost worried that our Lord God would become a liar about it, who had promised so strongly: He alone would be the Savior, and so highly exhorted, and said Ps. 146, 3. that one should
- Marginal gloss of the Wittenberg and the Jena: "Joy of the Papists over the Future of Emperor Carl at the Diet of Augsburg, Anno 30."
Do not rely on princes, for they cannot help. Because they thus put their heads together, deliberated and decided how they would attack us, as if they already knew, and defied with terror and dread, as if they wanted to extinguish this rhyme purely 2): God alone is the Savior. 3) But God did not want to let him take away his honor, and as a pious man, he held that they had to leave this text un 4) rejected, and we have experienced that their Savior has become a Feiland 5) for them. For they have honestly failed, and have not found the man from our pious emperor, whom they were looking for, and how they would like him to be, that we, praise God, have remained before them until now, and hope that they will let us stay a while longer.
- Now I say this to us as an example, because they are so highly comforted and rejoice in a man of whom they have no promise, nor is it in his power that he could keep it for them, even if he promised it to them; Should we not rather be confident and rejoice in our true Savior, who has not only promised to come and help us at a high price, but is able and willing to do so, and is not a feiler than he who has never once failed or lied? Especially because we wait with a good conscience, and have a right cause, for which we suffer, than which is not ours, but God's own; not, as those defied the emperor, to strengthen their shameful wickedness and iniquity; that we should rather boast with joy and say: How fine it will be when our right Savior comes, who will all at once control and put an end to all the wickedness we now see and suffer, so that people will no longer despise the dear gospel and its name so shamefully, nor persecute and trample underfoot the poor preachers, nor rob and steal from one another so much, and do all the wrong, as all the world now does with impunity, and so we
- "pure" is missing in the Wittenberg.
- The words: "GOtt is the Savior alone" are missing in the Erlanger. In the Latin: Dons äissixab Consilia princünina. fPs. 33, 10.^
- Erlanger: "overturned".
- Feiland (from "feilen" - missing), Fehlhelfer. - The construction of this phrase is somewhat different in the Wittenberg, but this does not change the meaning.
1488 Erl. (^18, 371-373. Luther's sermon on Luc. 21, 25-33. W. VII, 1368-1371. 1489
We must no longer fear sin, death, the devil or the world, but be blissfully happy and enjoy eternal peace and joy. O should we not desire and wait for this with all our hearts? If only we could see and feel how we are surrounded by devils who aim and shoot at us every moment with evil, poisoned arrows and all kinds of temptations of sin, we would lie on our knees every day and weep for blood, so that it would soon come to an end.
(^n^18) For this reason Christ exhorts us in the gospel, that we should look upon the signs with joy, saying, "When these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads, because your salvation draweth nigh. Sadness, of course, makes one's head go down and bend like a reed, makes one's eyes go down, and makes one's face dark and sour; but joy, or a glad heart, makes one's head go up, so that one looks around cheerfully and kindly. Therefore when ye shall see such signs, that all things in heaven and earth shall look sad and sour, and shall affright you, and ye shall hang your heads, and walk as though ye were slain, turn not away: for there is no evil in it for you, but for them that persecute you, and afflict you.
n) reditus ad propositum, adhortatio Christi.
- Therefore turn the page, as those also turn it, and divide it rightly, that ye may look upon it with joyful eyes, as showing not your harm, but your salvation and redemption, and all the good things which ye should desire; 1) Do not give place to the devil, who imagines such signs to make your heart stupid and sorrowful, and by looking at them depresses you so deeply, and sinks you into sadness and gloom, that you should not be able to lift up your head, nor desire the day, but should remain and perish forever in such terror and sad thoughts; but get used to looking at the signs with right eyes, as I show them to you. For you have no original
- Wittenberger: lasset also.
It is a matter for you to grieve and mourn, but to rejoice for a vain cause, as they show nothing but that your salvation is at the door, and that now I am coming to help you out of all misfortune.
- Behold, this is the right master, who can rightly interpret the signs, unlike the astrologers 2) and diviners, who can say nothing but vain evil of them, and frighten men. But he says nothing but good things; and among those which reason and all the world regard as signs of doom, and teaches to flee and be afraid of them, he can see and interpret all good things, and find and show the happy, lovely word, vestra redemptio, your redemption, and make a consoling image of it, which a heart should desire and wish for most. For what does "your redemption" mean, but that you, who are now imprisoned under the power of the devil, who aims all his arrows at you, directs all his might and deceit against you, and is pressed and oppressed by the world, and is in all dangers and troubles, from which neither you nor no one 3) can help you, should be loosed and set free from heaven by your Lord Christ Himself, and be brought to a place where you will be master over the devil, the world, and death, so that all things must be at your feet? Why then would you fear and be afraid of such signs, and not rather laugh at them most joyfully?
(21) What would you do if you had to stand in a circle, surrounded by vain swords and spears, even under vain guns, which are loaded and aimed at you, so that you would have to face death every moment? Would you not be glad in your heart if someone came and tore you away and set you free, or if the thunder and lightning from heaven smashed both rifles, spears and swords, and all who surrounded you, into the earth in one heap? Or, how do you think a poor captive man, who has lain and been tormented for a long time under a cruel tyrant, in foreign lands, in a horrible dungeon, would have courage, if he heard that
- Here also the Erlangen "Sternkundiger". Cf. § 7 of this paper.
- Jenaer: someone.
1490 Eri. (2.) is, S7S-37s. Interpretations about the evangelist Lucas. W. vn, 1371-1373. 1491
his sovereign and prince wanted to take his all himself and save him with all his might? How would he be frightened if he saw him coming with army strength, weapons and guns, so that he would smash and tear the tower and everything that was there in a heap? This would be a terrible sight to behold for those who were outside and who were concerned; but it would be a joy and comfort to the poor prisoner that he would rather hear the thundering and flashing of the guns than all singing and playing of strings, and it would be a happy day for him, yes, he would praise and thank God that he had lived to see the day.
(22) So then, when we see these signs with fire, water, lightning and thunder, as if everything were about to fall to pieces, we should also think such thoughts, and look upon them as God's weapons and guns, so that, if we are imprisoned here in the devil's kingdom, under sin and plagued by the world, he will set us free in all misery and sorrow, and destroy and tear apart the dungeon. Why then should we be afraid of this, and not rather cheerfully suffer all the same calamities from the world and from the devil, so that he will only come soon and save us? ^o^) For if we did not have comfort and confidence, we would be (as St. Paul says 1 Cor. 15:19) the most miserable people on earth. And we should wish even more that we were never born and had no God. But we must take comfort in knowing that He will come, and these signs, as His prophets, therefore make it clear that He is not far away.
- Addition: yes resolves.
(23) Whether the world, however, puts on us all plagues and heartaches, and gives us a bitter, sour drink, without what otherwise daily accident, sickness, pestilence, evil time, war comes upon us, which hurts the body or external man, we must let that go, and as 1) bite into a sour apple, and taste the bitter giblets, so that the sweet may taste all the better to us afterwards,^p^ ) and we are driven thereby to desire that day all the more with longing. Otherwise
- "as" is missing in the Wittenberger.
We were always cold and stiff-necked, so that we did not feel our misfortune at last, like the safe, unrepentant world, and even succumbed with it 2) to the lust and desire of this life, until we no longer respected God's word and had to perish together with the wicked. But now he 3) gives us grace, that he makes us tired and full of this life, and comforts us with a better one, namely, that he will soon come in the clouds with great power and glory, and take us to himself, redeemed from all misfortune, to eternal joys, so that nothing better or better can happen to us. But it will not be a happy sight for the wicked; for he will so crush them in an instant, 4) that they will have to lie in eternal torment, because they have now so surely and proudly despised both God's word and sign.
p)Dulcia non meminit, qui amara non gustavit.
- And although these things grieve the devout Christians who consider and take to heart such destruction of the world and grieve because of it, yet he wants to draw them back with these words, so that they will consider more how necessary their salvation is than how great that destruction is, and move more why God does it, and how highly they deserve it, that he cannot do otherwise, because they do not want to stop, Because they do not want to stop persecuting and despising the gospel so shamefully, blaspheming and mocking it, trampling its preachers underfoot, and doing all they can, and all that is exhorted, implored, warned, and urged is of no avail, except that they do not want to believe it badly, but want to experience it; indeed, they are so sure that they reject everything that is terrible from themselves to us, and blame us where it goes badly, and what plague and harm comes. Summa, if we do everything, preach, ask, advise, and put both our body, blood and sweat into helping the world, we will get nothing in return but the highest contempt, ingratitude, hatred and envy, and wicked deceit, so that our hearts will break, that God, where he wants to remain true, must once be so threefold.
- Thus the Erlangeners. Latin: sudrukrAkrernnr. Wittenbergers and Jenaers: ersoffen.
- Wittenberg and Jena: "GOtt". It is not expressed in Latin.
- Wittenberg: cast out. Latin: oontkret.
1492 Erl. (2.) 18, 375-377. Luther's sermon on Luc. 21, 25-33. W. VII, 1373-1376. 1493
that they may see that his word and prophecy (which they take for laughter) is true, and that they may save his poor Christians. And because they now so surely and cheerfully despise his dear Son's suffering, death and resurrection, and all that he has said and done to the end, they are then also once stupid and despondent when we have joy and gladness.
(25) Therefore, if thou wilt be merciful, have mercy rather on the poor Christians who suffer so much affliction and heartache in the world; yea, on the dear gospel, and on the holy name of Christ and God, in which thou art baptized, and called unto eternal life, that the same is so despised, trodden under foot, persecuted, reviled, and blasphemed. What mercy would that be, that we should have mercy on the unrepentant wicked, who do not want to become better, nor stop their wickedness until they fall to the ground, and all hope is lost in them: and should be patient for this, that they should so blaspheme the tender, noble name of God, Christ, and all that he has, and listen to it with their feet? so that the devil with his kingdom might persist and prevail, and God's kingdom be subdued and suppressed. I would rather that ten more worlds should perish ten times over, than that one Christian should remain in such heartache, let alone that Christ should be trampled underfoot with all his Christianity. Therefore only freshly and confidently prayed, "Come thy kingdom." And besides this, the world must be wished for and cursed, destroyed and annihilated, and all that is contrary to it, and does not want to stop raging and defying the dear Christ and his blood and death. ^q^)
q) Deliver us from evil.
Our daily Lord's Prayer also teaches us that we should joyfully desire the day and cry out to God to avenge His name, blood and goods on the desperate, godless world, so that no Christian can pray otherwise. And who else should pray but a Christian who is so distressed and afflicted over his baptism and gospel, or God's name and kingdom, that he has no other help nor comfort on earth?
And he who is not yet so skilful and ready that he desires the day, does not yet understand the Lord's Prayer, much less can he pray it from the heart, as I myself have felt in the past that I was so hostile to the Lord's Prayer that I would much rather have prayed something else. But if you are in misery and feel it, it will be sweet to you to pray it with all your heart. For who should not heartily desire and ask: "Deliver us from evil," that our plague and heartache in the world may one day come to an end, because we see that the world still wants to remain as it is, and does not allow its old skin to be taken off, and neither wants to nor can become better, but only grows worse every day? Therefore, it is not better than this, the sooner, the better.
For it is no different here than if I were in a pit of murderers, where I could neither defend myself nor save myself: 1) I would do what I could to get away, or to get someone to save me; as St. Cyprian also said: Who should desire to live here in this shameful being, since we are no different than he who would have to stand in a ring, with all swords and spears aimed at him? How could such a one be happy before he saw someone who wanted to save him? So also we, when we look at ourselves, how we stand in the world, and how the devil deals with us, and harasses us, so that we have to eat all his arrows and bitter wrath in us, and in addition are not safe for a moment from death and all misfortune, what else should we wish, but that we would get away from it first, and would be saved? ^r^)
r) S. Paulus precatus est: Cupio dissolvi, Domine, et esse tecum, > Phil. 1, 23.
28 Therefore, if you do not desire this day, you will never be able to pray the Lord's Prayer, nor will you be able to speak the faith correctly. For how can you say, "I believe in the resurrection of the flesh, and in eternal life," if you do not desire it? But if you believe, you must truly desire it with all your heart, and love the day, otherwise you are not yet a Christian, and cannot boast of the faith; yea, you cannot even
- Wittenberg and Jena: save.
1494 Erl. (2.) 18, 377-379. interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1376-1378. 1495
do not understand the ten commandments. For what does it mean that he says: I alone will be your God, you shall not take my name in vain; item: You shall not kill, you shall not steal 2c.? for by this he shows how it is with us, that we are in a state in which we cannot live without sin and misfortune, and the devil defends that he is not our God alone, nor can we live peacefully and divinely among ourselves, but that he brings about idolatry, blasphemy and abuse of God's name, and in addition disobedience, murder, wrath, fornication, robbery, stealing and all kinds of evil? Against this is the Lord's Prayer, that if 2) we feel such things, and would gladly be rid of them, we should cry out to God without ceasing, that His name may be hallowed, His kingdom come, His will be done, and that 3) we may be helped from our affliction alone. For as I have said § 24, nothing else will come of it, and it is not to be hoped that things will get better with the world, especially now, because it is nearing its end and is already going down the pit. For it is the devil's child, and such a fruit that everything that one tries to help and advise it despairs and is lost; as we can see before our eyes that the longer the more it despises God's word, and all kinds of error, deceit, and wickedness are increasing daily^s^ ) and growing, and only getting worse the more we hope for improvement. What should we then desire to live in so much misery and unhappiness? Yes, what would we have to comfort ourselves when we think how it will be after us, because it is now so shameful in our lives, we who still have the gospel?
s) Frassature.
- And even if we are not allowed to do so on our own account, we should nevertheless let our dear brethren (scattered all over the world) take their fate and distress to heart and cry out for it on their behalf, because we see how it is for them, that they not only have to see and hear what hurts them in their hearts, but also all shame, violence and persecution.
- Erlanger: useless.
- Thus the Wittenbergers and the Jenaers. Latin: quns 81 8611861-1171118. Erlanger: wo.
- "us" is missing in the Jena.
- "us" is missing in the Wittenberg and in the Jena.
suffer, and in addition are miserably strangled and killed. How much have I already experienced and learned, who are both publicly burned or otherwise executed, and also secretly and treacherously murdered? 5) Without what is before us, and so far, from Christ, yes, from the beginning of the world, the dear dead saints are, whose blood is still unscented, and as with great longing and desire for these: Days cries that they may one day come to honor and to life again, and be smelled in the world; as the Revelation of John on 6, 11. shows, where God comforts them with this, 6) that they should still rest a little while- until their fellow servants and brothers come here fully (which we hope it is now almost fulfilled), so that both, dead and living Christians, desire from us that we help them to call to God for their salvation. For what more miserable misery could befall Christianity, if they were to remain silent and trampled underfoot forever, and the devil along with the world were to defy and boast against them forever, and continue to murder more and more, and to deceive the people, and to make all sins, which were previously blameless, heavier and heavier, so that we would have to bear more and more plagues and misfortunes every day because of them? We hear and see how the end-Christ, both Turk and pope, 7) rages and rages against the name of Christ and the blood of Christians, and all kinds of mobs against our gospel, and shall we watch the wretched devil, that he drives all will without ceasing, with full force, and keep quiet about it, and not call out? You would not have to have a Christian vein in your body if you did not desire from the bottom of your heart to be rid of such unfortunate misery. ^t^)
t) But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up > your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
- Here Luther's copy from a later hand has the addition: "Their 70000 shall be killed, sider das Evangelium aufgekommen ist bis anher in das 50te Jahr im Niederland, Burgundien, Flandern, Breslau [should probably be "Brüssel" heißen^, Gent. See the order of Emperor Caroli V, which went out in the 80th year."
- "Da sie GOtt damit tröstt" is missing in the Wittenberg. Jenaer: that. Latin: ubi.
- Thus the Erlangen and the Latin. Wittenberg and Jena: Pabst and Turk.
1496 Erl. (2.) 18, 379-381. Luther's sermon on Luc. 21, 25-33. W. VII, 1378-1380. 1497
- Therefore, if we want to be Christians, let us pray confidently, as Christ teaches us,^u^ ) and demands our great need, as those who are sorry that the gospel and God's name is so profaned and suffers, Christians are persecuted and murdered, right doctrine is suppressed, and the devil's rule with all its wickedness prevails; and all the dear dead saints are lying there forgotten in the earth, and have become dust and powder, that God may show His glory in Himself and in His Christendom, avenge His name and their blood, and bring them forth again to their glory. And if you still feel frightened or fearful of this day because of your flesh, see to it that you imagine this, and keep to Christ's word and admonition that he calls you to lift up your head and be glad. And if it is called "our salvation,"^v^ that is, not death, but life everlasting; not wrath, but grace; not hell, but the kingdom of heaven; neither fear nor temptation, but comfort and joy. That St. Paul in Titum, 2, 13, calls it "a blessed hope of the appearing of the glory of the great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" 2c. Therefore we should be of good cheer: for he that knoweth these things, and letteth them to his heart, shall not fear his own salvation, life, and all good things; neither shall he be afraid of him that hath given us the gospel and grace, that we should not deny it, but love it, and confess it; and that we should stand above all foes 1) from the devil and the evil world.
u) Devote oranünm: aciveniat reMiiiv turnn, Ndera nos a malo. This > day shall be a special, chosen and friendly day to all the godly. Inne > viäedirnus euru a kaoie aü kaeiera. > > v) That is why he uses the most beloved word: salvation, which all > men love to hear. But what is redemption? Who would not like to be > delivered from the evil, cunning, raging world, from the raging flesh > and from the mischievous devil, item, from the punishment of sins, > from pestilence, leprosy, war, theurung,' all misery, heartache, > false neighbors, unfaithful friends and what misery is more here on > earth? and truly need good comfort and counsel against such > misfortune, and heartfelt prayer.
31 Behold, therefore the day shall not be terrible, but vain sugar, not of the world,
- Wittenberg and Jena: to stand out. Latin: perieula [ndimnk.
but to us poor afflicted sinners, who must now lie here in the pit of murder, since the devil seeks not only to take our bodies and goods, but also to make strife in our hearts and consciences, that we should fear the dear day of our salvation and want to deprive us of the very comfort that we should despair and perish in misfortune. But to the world he will be terror and trembling, death and poison, and hellish torture, 2) though it will not believe it until it hears it. Therefore, when he bursts in and throws everything into a heap, you must not fear that he will strike you and that you will perish and perish with him, but you will either be jerked out of the grave and dust back to heaven alive, or be changed in an instant to eternal clarity, where there will be no sin, no terror, no journey, no sorrow, but only righteousness, joy and life. Of this we wait and preach for the little multitude that accept it; and of this we also suffer, that we alone may experience that day glory, and see it with joy, as we hope, and desire with all our heart, that so many signs may be done, that he may be at the door, and be no more lukewarmly forgiven, and that there may yet be one who will experience it. Behold, this is the consolation which no man on earth can give or conceive, except the Holy Ghost, through the word of Christ. Therefore let the sun and the moon, and all creatures, be troubled, and be terrified. For though they see the world sourly, yet let them not see us sourly, but laugh kindly, as they see the consolation which Christ shows by these words. ^w^) Now he concludes and gives a beautiful simile.
w) Oonsolatio insüapilis.
V. 30. 3i. Look at the fig tree and all the trees; when they now bud, you see it in them, and realize that summer is now near. So also, when you see all these things coming, know that the kingdom of God is near).
x) Dtiriam liao lioi a, N6 Hniü äeterins Iiodis 6011tiriFat.
- Erlanger: Hell-Marter.
- "Glory" stands alone in the Jena.
- "now" is missing in the Wittenberger.
1498 Erl. (2.) 18, 381-38S. Interpretations on the evangelist Lucas. W. VII, 1380-1383. 1499
This is a strange interpretation, which I could not find, nor rhyme here. For who has ever heard that it means "trees bud and blossom" when sun and moon lose their glow, heaven and earth crack, people quake and tremble, air, water and all creatures stand as if everything is about to perish? If it means to begin to green and become summer, it is a strange language and new grammatica. I thought it should rather mean the contradiction, a harsh, cold, dead winter coming, which spoils all fruits, and everything, 1) what grows there. But Christ is another master, who can speak of things differently and comfort better than we can, and makes a lovely, comforting image out of the unfriendly sight, and a beautiful, delicious interpretation from the rhetorica, and interprets it thus: that when I see sun and moon dark, water and wind roaring, and both mountains and valleys outlined, I should say: Praise God, it will now be summer, when I see the leaves and blossoms burst forth! Thus no man of reason, nor wisdom on earth, can speak nor interpret that there will be vain salvation and joyful living, seeing nothing but vain death and destruction before their eyes.
Therefore, let us also learn and become accustomed to this art and new language, so that we can form these signs in us so comfortingly, and look at and judge according to the word. For if we follow our reason and wisdom, we can do nothing but fear and flee from it. For it does not like that everything looks so dark and sour, flashes and thunders, roars and rumbles, as if everything wants to turn around. But a Christian should not turn away from this, but take hold of the word, so that he will open our eyes and interpret it as he interprets it, as if it were going toward the dear summer time, and were vain beautiful roses and lilies, which bloom because of this, that joy is to be seen, that now everything should become vain joy and pleasure after this shameful evil being and misfortune, in which we are now. For he wills, because we are to be new men, that we also have other and new thoughts, understanding and senses, and do not look at any thing according to the way it is.
- "all" is missing in the Erlanger. Latin: <Me<iuiä.
of reason, as it stands before the world, but as it is before his eyes, and direct ourselves according to the future, invisible, new being, which we have to hope for, and 2) to follow after this suffering and miserable being, so that we may not let ourselves lust after this life, nor mourn and lament that we should pass away, nor that the world should pass away at all, together with all that is in it, and so many great people, but rather have mercy on the poor Christians, both the living ones, who are now suffering and oppressed, and the dead ones, who are lying there and would like to come forth again and be transfigured, as the grain, which is buried in the earth in the winter, or the sap of trees, which cannot come out because of the cold, and waits for the summer, so that it may again sprout, green and blossom.
(34) We should also rejoice at this day, saying: "Winter has been long enough, now a beautiful summer will come; and such a summer, which will never cease, to which not only all the saints, but also the dear angels rejoice, yes, also all creatures wait, and anxiously long (as St. Paul says Rom. 8:19 ff.), that once an eternal summer will come, and in it everything will be new. For heaven, earth, sun, stars, air and all creatures are tired of the wickedness of the world, which they must see and bear, as they are tired of being so shamefully misused, and must serve the world and the devil for all sins and evil, and would like to be rid of the shameful nature with us, and become heaven and earth anew, as St. Peter 2. ep. 3, 13. says from Isaiah, cap. 65, 17, in which all righteousness will dwell. For it is too great a power that it can no longer endure it, and therefore all things rise up and give way, as if crying out to God to deliver them.
35 Therefore, the Lord Christ concludes here:
V. 32. 33. So also, when you see all these things, know that the kingdom of God is at hand. For heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away,^y^ )
y) V. D Μ. I. Ae. = Verbum Domini Manet In Aeternum.
- "and" is missing in the Erlanger.
1500 Erl. (L.) 18, 383 f. Luther's sermon On Luc. 21, 25-33. W. VII, 1383-1385. 1501
as if to say: You have asked: Be sure then (as sure as my word is true and everlasting), when you see the signs, that such a prayer will be heard and will come as you desire, that the devil's kingdom, sin, and all unhappiness will come to an end, and God's kingdom, righteousness, and blessed life 1) will abide. 2c, When I come in the clouds with all the angels, with great power and glory, with a mighty fire, whereby all creatures shall be melted and consumed, and all things shall become new and light, and our bodies shall be most beautifully transfigured, before all creatures, and wholly heavenly, much lighter and lighter than the air, will float above, with Christ, in unspeakable glory, and will see the wicked under our feet, here on earth, naked and bare, and with eternal shame, trembling and quaking, cursed and cast into hell.
36.^z^ ) Behold, the signs of the last day are to be interpreted to the Christians, that they may serve us for vain joys, and do no harm, but must be vain piety and profit; to the others the astrologies shall interpret nothing but vain war, blood, death, and all misfortune. Therefore let those be afraid who have no more, nor be afraid.
- Erlanger: essence. The Latin offers no clue to determine the reading.
But we want to be of good cheer, as we are new men in Christ.^a^ ) And as he is the Lord of heaven and earth and of all creatures, so we are also above signs and all things that try to frighten us, so that they do not harm us. And as he is Lord of heaven and earth, and of all creatures; so are we above signs and all things that threaten us, that they hurt us not, though they assail the body and this life. For our life and treasure is not here, but awaits another, when our body shall be redeemed, which now in faith is hid with Christ in heaven (as St. Paul says Col. 3:3); but soon also shall be revealed before all the world, in immortal being and eternal clarity. Amen. ^b^)
z) Signa extremi diei quomodo attemperanda sint. > > a) eat, drink, dance, jump and do not remember the faithful warning > of Christ Luc. 21, 34.: Cavete, ne corda vestra graventur crapula et > ebrietate. Quod etiam in summis festivitatibus contingit. The holier > the time, the more wickedness the world drives, and no day is spent so > evil as the Sabbath. > > b) Anno 1534 [rather 1533; cf. De Wette, Vol. IV, p. 474) should > have come according to the prophecy of Max. Michael Stieffel the last > day should have come; but thus human wisdom must start. Et paene > completum est tempus praedictum ab Elia Levita; sex millia mundus, > postea destructio. > > Under the sermon Luther still wrote: "Of the last day, Matth. 24 and > 25; Marc. 13; Luc. 21; ud lit. 2 s, 13.): d6ata 8p68, adparitionis . > Boria; 1 Thess. 4; 2 Thess. 1; 2 Petr. 3 f, 10. f.);
2 Tim. 4 s, 1.)."
1502 . Interpretations about the evangelist Lucas. 1503
I. Four Sermons on the First Chapter of Luke
in 1539.*)
1. to hunt before the feast of John the Baptist over Luc. 1, 5-17.
(Held June 23, 1539.)
Text: "In the days of Herod king of Judea there was a priest of the order of Abia, named Zacharias, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, whose name was Elizabeth. Now they were both devout before God, and walked blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. And they had no child: for Elisabeth was barren, and they were both of them of a sound mind. And it came to pass, when he had ministered before God in the time of his ordinance, according to the manner of the priesthood, and it was his duty to burn incense, that he entered into the temple of the LORD. And all the multitude of the people were without, praying under the hour of incense. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, standing at the right hand of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was afraid, and fear came upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he will not drink wine or strong drink. And he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother's womb.
Spirit. And he shall turn many of the children of Israel unto God their Lord. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the unbelievers unto the prudence of the righteous, to prepare a people ready unto the LORD."
We have kept this feast among all the other feasts of the saints, of which we have had so many, and this is the reason: not that we celebrate St. John for his person, as St. Barbara and Catharine, who were called as if they were gods. We leave St. John his holiness and other saints their value, who are not equal to St. John. For one should distinguish not only the person, but also the office. Apart from John the Baptist, no one had such an office. So Mary also has an office, that she is a mother of God and remains a virgin before birth and after birth. Now many other virgins, also the archmother Sara, have been great saints. But they are nothing compared to the Virgin Mary, not as far as her person is concerned, but as far as her office is concerned, that she is a mother of the Lord and Creator of heaven and earth. Therefore, she is celebrated for the sake of the Son.
*These sermons are printed here (for the first time in a collection of Luther's works) from: "Elf bisher ungedruckte Predigten von D. Martin Luther gehalten in der Trinitatiszeit 1539. Nach Zwickauer und Heidelberger Handschriften zum ersten Male veröffentlicht von Georg Buchwald, He. tüeol., Dr. xkil. Werdau. Published by Kurt Anz. 1890." They are a part of the "Lutherfund", which Buchwald made in the Zwickauer Rathsschulbibliothek. The same sermons, which are available in Zwickau in a mixture of Latin and German, were recently found by Dr. Enders in the library in Heidelberg, in a series of manuscripts translated by Aurifaber into "consistent German". Buchwald's treatment is based on the Heidelberg manuscript, but he has used the Zwickau manuscript for criticism. The statement of Dr. Buchwald in his preface that "especially in the second half (he means the Trinity period) of the year 1539 there is a considerable gap in Luther's preaching activity known to us so far" is erroneous. As can be seen from the chronological synopsis given by us according to the Jnhaltsverzeichniß of this volume, Luther gave more than thirty sermons on the Gospel of St. Matthew and St. John in the given time.
1504 Four sermons on the first chapter of Luke. 1505
for the sake of it. Thus, no saint is exalted as high as St. John. For no patriarch, prophet or apostle has had the office that he has, as the Lord Christ also testifies when he says (Matth. 11, 11.): "Among all those born of women, there has not arisen one greater than John the Baptist. There have been many other saints among the fruit of women, but all of them are not like John. Therefore, we celebrate John the Baptist not only for his person, but also for his ministry.
St. Lucas described this, that it was preached and that it was well known among Christians. Now we will tell you about his conception, how he was conceived by his father and mother in his mother's womb. Tomorrow we will hear how he was born. The first is the great miracle, that he was born so strangely. This concerns his person. The other is the sermon Gabriel preaches, which concerns his ministry.
God wanted this man to be conceived and born in a strange way. The parents must be old, both unfit to bear children, and the angel must come, and he also comes with his preaching, and the father with his prophecy. All this is so that John will be held high and everyone will know his legend for the sake of his ministry. The parents are both well aged, since no children can be born. For she is barren, and even if she were still young, he is an old man. Therefore, they have remained apart and despaired of having children with each other. For this reason, she was ashamed when she conceived, and she mocked him by staying away until the sixth month and not showing her face.
This must be written and preached that John is born so miraculously, even if it happens naturally from father and mother, only that it is a miraculous sign, since they are both old and unfit. But the long sermon that the angel has with Zacharias is too long. The miracle is described that she is to become a mother and does not hope for it, nor does she ask for it, but only that God will find his people, come and he will give her a child.
loosen them. After that they cried and shouted. Therefore it is said here, "Your prayer is heard," and of all the people. How? Did he ask for a son? No. He truly did not believe, but said, "Who? Me? Shall I have a son? And my wife become a mother? Therefore Zacharias was punished. Therefore he alone asked, which is fulfilled here. And Zacharias obtains much more than he had thought. He thinks that God will find and save his people and send the Savior. This has been his prayer. Then he thinks: Where is the father and the mother, who should help to this birth and fruit? He will come over hundred and two hundred years first. But Gabriel says: You shall be the father of the child and Elizabeth its mother, which shall go before the Messiah. These thoughts never came into his heart. Then Gabriel wants to say: You have received more than you asked for. And' a woman who is not considered a mother, she shall be. Therefore one should not cease from prayer, and St. Paul also says to the Ephesians (3, 20. f.): "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or understand, according to the power that is in us, to Him be glory in the church which is in Christ JEsu for ever and ever. Amen." Truly, this is what has happened to us; and if we do not stop praying, such a great thing will happen to us, which otherwise would seem impossible. He could give it without prayer, but he will not. Therefore, knowing that he will not give it, we call and cry out to him, seeking and knocking, as Matthew says in the seventh chapter (v. 7): therefore we must pray, seek and knock. We are to stop, seek and not let go of the door. If one does not tire in prayer, God will fill and make the desire so that it will not be understood, just as it did not go into the hearts of Zachariah and Elizabeth. Because the heart prays, it is too narrow to understand such things; but if it is there, then one says: I did not hope for so much. We have against us the Pope, Turks and devils. But God will and can give us more than we can understand.
1506 Interpretations about the evangelist Lucas. 1507
This is the miracle, that from an old, unfit woman, who has now pretended to be unfit to bear children, John is to be born. Therefore she hides herself for five months, as if to say: Should it be said to me that I am a mother? So Sarah also says, "Yes, I am a fine woman to sleep with a man. So Elisabeth was also lukewarm about her husband, so that one might say, "Yes, the old fool, she still sleeps with a man! So she is ashamed that she is not allowed to go outside the door. But she consoles herself that God has taken away her shame. Not only the laity, but also the priests had to take wives, and it was a great honor to be legitimate. But now it is an honor to live celibate.
Now this is the miracle that God wanted this man John to be conceived supernaturally. For Zacharias did not ask for a wife, so she did not pay much attention to a husband. And yet it is natural. For he was born of parents. God willed this, and it was done for the sake of John's ministry, and yet he is a natural and biological son.
The other piece is from the office. There the angel says of: "She will bear you a son." Before that, people celebrated St. John's Day with crowns, St. John's bonfires and song dances. But so we do not celebrate. This holiday pleases us well, first of all for the sake of its office. For we are not to rejoice only in the joy we make with dancing or wreaths, but that he would be an excellent, great man and greater than ever was on earth. And will the angel say: Your Elsa, who is mocked, shall be a mother of the greatest man that ever was on earth. Because the barren ones were considered as cursed people. For Gen. at the 1st, when God created male and female, He said (v. 28.), "Be fruitful and multiply!" The Jews diligently practiced these words. He who does not bear fruit is not blessed. Therefore a man or woman without children is blessed and unblessed. So Elisabeth may also complain that she is rejected and mocked by the world, because she is barren. Now holds
It is considered a blessing if one has no children. But Elizabeth shall now be called the most blessed woman, except Mary, who is not a woman but a virgin. There her curse is gone. For the son of Elizabeth is said to be the greatest of all, and the Lord Christ also says of him (Matth. 11, 7-10.): "Why did you go out into the wilderness to see? Did you want to see a reed that the wind weaves to and fro? - This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my angel before thee, which shall prepare thy way before thee."
What is his ministry? "He will be great." Before he is born, he will have the Holy Spirit. Also he shall be a Nazarene 1). The Jews had a law of Moses. Some were betrothed temporally, some eternally. If one wanted to do a special service to God, he vowed that he would not drink wine. Some vowed not to drink wine for fourteen days or four weeks or half a year. They were called Nazarenes. But they themselves did not choose to be Nazarenes forever, as Samson was. What this means, go his way now! He should not drink wine, vinegar, beer and other things that make drunk, and he had to be the real Nazarene, of whom Moses had said that he should do something special. What? "He will turn many of the children of Israel to God their Lord. Here is the ministry for which we celebrate him. Therefore he was born strange, that he should have a ministry, when the Lord Christ came and began the new testament. It was a difficult thing that Moses and the Old Testament were to be abolished, the law, the precious rule, the temple was to come to an end. A preacher really belongs to this! How sour it is for me to leave behind what I have been accustomed to from my youth in the papacy! Our people still say: "There has been a fine chaste life in the papacy, item, a fine being with the masses and vigils. Everything was done peacefully. We can hardly come to that, if we hear and act the divine word at once. But the
- Nazarene - Nasir, Gen 49:26.
1508 Four sermons on the first chapter of Luke. 1509
beautiful figure, and the fine, chaste nature moves us. Who would not wish that every servant of God lived chastely without a wife? Item, the bishops walk in their majesty and have a beautiful regiment. Now our Lord God does not want it. But we cannot come from the filth. How should the Jews? They have God's commandment, which has set the house rules and everything. The law of all nations is child's play compared to it. According to it Moses has ordered the very finest laws for discipline and ceremonies.
The man is to pick up all this and convert the people. We cannot yet bring ourselves to renounce that which we ourselves devise and choose. What would the pope do if he could boast of what the Jews could boast of? For they could say: Here we have the law of Moses given from heaven. The Pabst's canons do not have this glory or honor. For what are the Concilia or the Fathers in comparison? But I ask: whether God has commanded it? If not, then I will willingly wear a cap, as for fine discipline. But if one wanted to force me to it, I would not want to wear the cap. So let a bishop wear his staff and inful as a discipline. But if the pope wants it kept, or if I refrain from it, that it is a sin, then I let it all go. All the maledictions of the papists are based on the fact that they force me and you. We do not have the law of Moses and the glorious' beautiful laws, the temple, worship, priesthood, kingdom, in short, it shall have an end. You can still see how the Jews are still fighting over it, just as the pope is still doing, that one does not keep his laws. But Mosi's laws were commanded! But for how long? In the 11th chapter of Matthew (v. 13) it is said: "All the prophets and the law prophesied until John. John is supposed to point to Christ. John is the greatest man on earth. For he is set against Moses, who must give him up, and lay down his book, saying, Now hear ye John, saying (John 1:29), Behold the Lamb of God, which bareth the sin of the world." The prophets prophesied about this man. The New Testament begins, and
John wants to say: I am the first who knows and indicates these things.
Now one wants to become mad and foolish that we do not worship the Canons. Why then should not the Jews be vexed and offended that their thing should go to the ground? For John's sermon wants to abolish the law of Moses and to set up a new sermon against it, since the Pope's canons are nothing but cobwebs against it. There it is God's commandment, given from heaven. But this helps John: God says it from heaven: It should not stand any longer, until the Lord comes. Then Moses and the prophets should stop and God the Lord wanted to speak himself, but he wanted to send an angel shortly before, who should prepare the way for him, as Malachias had prophesied (3, 1.).
"He will convert." Gabriel calls Christ stately, namely GOD, says: "to GOD their Lord", and is to "go before" the GOD of the people of Israel. He calls him clearly and plainly GOD, and a true GOD of the people of Israel, that he might turn them from the law to GOD. Before whom shall he go? Who is he? He is a forerunner of Jesus Christ, as it is said in John (1, 30.): "After me comes a man who was before me.
"The children of Israel", who have the beautiful temple at Jerusalem, the kingdom and priesthood, founded by God through Moses. Of the same he shall convert them, saying, Hitherto hath Christ been spoken of, who should come. Now he is come, let Moses go, hold nothing of the priesthood, of the laws, turn away from Moses and turn to your God, of which Moses preached. For he is now come, to him cling! Where then do we find him? "Behold," he says, "this is God's Lamb," before whom I go. This is the great and excellent ministry, not the shabby canons and lousy monastic rules or laws of the fathers, which are like cobwebs, because they are soon torn through. But to overthrow Moses, there belongs another office.
"To God their Lord", that is, to Christ. He is not to be the bodily Elijah, but to come "in the spirit and power of Elijah". How? I mean: he is supposed to "open the hearts of the
1510 Interpretations about the evangelist Lucas. 1511
Converting fathers to children". The fathers had such hearts that they believed the Messiah would come from Abraham. They should come into wisdom, as if he should say: You have heard from Moses, also from David, that from your flesh and blood the Messiah should come. Now he is here. So he will convert the hearts of the sons to the hearts, that is, to the wisdom and the glanben, of the fathers. So he revealed and converted the hearts of the fathers to the children.
"The unbelievers", that is: those who did not know. John is to be the man who is to gather together the children who are now living and the fathers who lived before, so that he may prepare the way for the Lord, that is, prepare an obedient people who will abandon the law and accept the preaching of grace.
This is the ministry of John the Baptist, for the sake of which we celebrate this feast.
2. on the day of John the Baptist about Luc. 1, 68-79.
(Held June 24, 153S p.m.).
Text: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people. And hath raised up for us a horn of salvation in the house of his servant David. When he spake in time past by the mouth of his holy prophets, that he would deliver us from our enemies, and from the hand of all them that hate us, and shew mercy unto our fathers, and remember his holy covenant, and the oath which he sware unto Abraham our father to give us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear all the days of our life, in holiness and righteousness that is pleasing in his sight. And thou, little child, shalt be called a prophet of the Most High; thou shalt go before the Lord, to prepare his way, and to give knowledge of salvation unto his people, who are in the remission of their sins; through the tender mercies of our God, whereby he hath visited us from on high, to appear unto them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to direct our feet into the way of peace."
Yesterday and today we heard why we celebrate the feast of John the Baptist: not because of his person or holiness, that it might help us much, but that John should begin the glorious, joyful time, that now the law of Moses should cease with all that follows from it, and that now a new world should become, that many might rejoice, as
because that is what the angel says. For he shall be a preacher of grace and salvation from the law and all its powers. Those who are under the law and feel the power of the law understand what a joy it is when the law ceases and comes to an end. But those who do not feel the law, it is just one, it comes St. John or remains outside. But they that feel the law understand well how heavy was the tongue of Moses, and how he had such hard and heavy hands. They accept St. John's sermon with joy and thanksgiving, as Zacharias does here. Before, he did not understand. But afterwards, when John was born and filled with the Holy Spirit, and the gospel, the preaching of grace, had rung out over all the world, he understood. Therefore we must not believe it, nor prophesy it, but understand it with the five senses. But that we should be so happy about it, we are not. He, Zacharias, cannot see more than his little son and his mother Elizabeth, and yet he tells of future things that were completely secret, and he sees them as surely as if it were before his eyes, and is much more happy about it than we are, to whom it is made known and revealed and carried to house and home. It is a child, which can neither speak nor stand, but lies there in the cradle. Nevertheless he says about it:
15'12 Four sermons on the first chapter of Lucae. 1513
"And thou shalt be a prophet of the Most High," that it may not only be great, but also very appointed, that the whole land may know to say of it. "For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord." This is a word I do not know how to pronounce. He sees that Christ is there, who is truly God and man, who also should save the whole world. For he says, "Salvation is prepared in the house of David. And this is the Lord himself, before whom thou shalt go.
Salvation is here and the prophet of salvation. Therefore Zacharias also sings the "Benedictus". 1) The mother Mary is also there. Christ is still in the womb. He does not see Christ, yet he speaks: "God has brought salvation to Israel. Salvation, that is, redemption from the law of Moses, death and the devil. This has already happened and yet is not yet here. But so certain is he in his heart and eyes, just as if it had already happened. Mary is barely halfway, and John only born. Nevertheless it is said: "God has brought about salvation". A new time is dawning, a time of grace and salvation. Those who now feel the law's power and might understand what the man John will teach. So we always preach that the law of Moses teaches knowledge of sins, death and eternal damnation. It is an unbearable state under the law of Moses. For they not only hear, but also feel what a torment it is to be despondent toward God, to feel eternal death and damnation. No one knows this, because he feels the hard blows to the head.
Now is sung: This work shall now come to an end, and shall begin through thee, thou dearest child: thou shalt be the first preacher, that there be no more prison under the law. For he, the Lord, has come himself and visited us, and has taken pity on our misery and heartache, in which the devil has imprisoned us. For he is the master of the stocks, who holds us captive in sin and hell. And this prison goes over the whole world, and no one shows it,
- This is the canticle of Zachariah which begins "Benedictus" (Praised). (Buchwald.)
For Moses by the law, that the devil is so mighty, and our Lord, who preacheth terror, sticks and pegs. This is his office, that we should abide in death and sin, and be in hell. Item, he closes the eyes of men, that Moses must come and reveal sin. Now when this happens, John comes with the new newspaper and says that he is the forerunner.
Nevertheless, Zacharias does not yet have the spirit that the apostles and St. Paul have afterwards, who let themselves be tortured and killed for the redemption that happened in the people of Israel. We have not yet come there, and this joy does not yet belong to us. Neither does Zechariah see that this joy should also come to the Gentiles, as the patriarchs and prophets prophesied. Therefore we are heathens and rude teachers, that we have so miserably and soon forgotten the dear ministry of John, and have drawn out our caps and works of men against it. Nevertheless, the pope thought he was a good teacher. But it is very frightening.
We come to this by grace, without all our thoughts. We should not be such hemps that we let ourselves be so miserably darkened. I cannot sing and hear this song without sorrow and pain. What is the pabstry, since it is also the best? The law of Moses is much more beautiful. If I wanted to walk through the Canons 2), Moses with his laws is much more glorious. It is nothing with our art, so the pope and we pagans have. It is vain cobweb against Moses. Nevertheless, Moses should go away and stop. In our time, in the New Testament, how much less should humanity still rule in the church! Therefore, young people, know and learn to speak differently and to distinguish salvation from the laws, but especially from the laws of men.
Even if one is a learned physician, he cannot comfort the conscience. If he wanted to persuade people that the drinks and medicines he was taking would make his conscience cheerful and good, it would still not work. Likewise,
- i.e. the laws of the pope.
1514 Interpretations about the evangelist Lucas. 1515
If one were learned in worldly wisdom and wanted to teach from it how one would be saved or how he would be damned, that would not be acceptable either. Item, if a jurist were so learned that he knew all the laws of the Roman emperors, that would be fine. But if he wanted to say: My book and doctrine must go into the church and must teach from the pulpit,-that should not be. For no physician or jurist should teach in the church. He has enough to do with the diseases. There are more than three hundred diseases that plague the human body. The physician has enough to do with them; but if he comes to the church with them, we want to throw him out with his lungs 1). But if a lawyer wants to enter and teach with the canons, we will not suffer it either.
"He has sent a salvation." Moses, who has God's commandment, does not. For he only says what is sin and what one should or should not do. God cannot suffer Moses, how much less should He suffer those who make sin where there is no sin, and make righteousness where there is none! Moses had a command to say, "If you eat a crab, you commit sin in it. They, the Jews, had to eat vain fish, which had scales and raft feathers. If he said, "This is sin," it was sin. But so it is not with the pope, who says, If thou eat meat on Friday, thou sinest. But now all rights shall be dead in the kingdom of grace. For we are redeemed by one who has power to break all laws. How much more shall we now be redeemed from that to which the pope has no right, and since he wants to make sin, since there is no sin! And if Christ has redeemed us from the law of Moses, which has right and power to keep under sin, much more shall we be redeemed from the laws, which have a right to make sin where there is no sin.
This is what I often say and hear. For I see that the devil does not want to purify the teachings. But he wants to throw away the ten commandments and put the canons in our place. We are not to suffer this. We do not have the ten commandments to give us.
- Buchwald: with rags. Cf. St. Louis edition, vol. XIII, 1224 and vol. XX, 780.
Christians could condemn, and yet we are to be oppressed with the state of the pope. The works of reason are delicious and good, even right. The canons are fine, but however wise they may be, they are not like Mosiah, and even if they were, we do not want them.
For here it is said: "He sends a salvation" and St. Paul says (Gal. 5, 1.): "In the liberty wherewith Christ hath set you, therein abide. And if Moses with his very best and most holy laws cannot abide, then we should shun all other laws as dirt and cobwebs and let them go. Therefore, do not let the treasure that God has redeemed us be taken from you. If you keep it, we will not deny that salvation is not from the law alone, but from all that the law indicates, namely, that we are guilty of death and of the sins revealed by the law.
First, the sins are against the Ten Commandments. Then Moses added the ceremonies that one should not eat crab. But from these ceremonies I shall be rid, and the law also shall be dead. So shall I also say of the priest's laws, All dead, that not one letter thereof remain. No, away with the laws and sins of Moses and the priest! Therefore St. Paul says to the Galatians in the 5th chapter (v. 1): "Do not be caught again in the bondage yoke. After this then ye are free, not that the letters are altogether removed from it, but that it condemn not. For it shall be a redemption from the laws of Moses, of the pope, and of the monks. If you accept a canon out of necessity, know that this redemption is gone. If the pope does not want to suffer this, so that he would do the compulsion and violence of it from his laws, then we do not want to tolerate it. But the devil wants to have a prison through him, that we are under sin. But if I will be under the law, I will abide under Moses. But if I will not hear him, neither will I ask anything of thee.
The other redemption is that we are redeemed from the ten commandments; not that they are no longer preached, but that we shall not
1516 Four sermons on the first chapter of Luke. 1517
despair. For the sins that remain in us shall not be imputed to us. This is the most glorious liberation. 1) The ten commandments do not cease, not only for the sake of the wicked, but also for our own sake, that we may see how we increase in Christianity. But we are not to be afraid, as Zechariah says here, that "without fear we will serve Him all our lives. The godly hearts do not fulfill the ten commandments, but Christ has brought about such a mighty redemption that he also takes away the right of the ten commandments. No one loves his parents as he should. But there is Christ, the righteous, who sets us free. And Christ saith, I will take away the right of him that had it. There shall be redemption through and through, redemption not only from sins which Moses did, but also from the sins wherein we were born; and yet he saith, Thou hast redemption, that Moses with his law and ten commandments should not accuse thee. And shall we, soon after this glorious redemption of Moses and the ten commandments, give ourselves up captive under the pope? But we will not suffer it! For St. Paul to the Galatians in the 5th chapter (v. 1) declares it.
It is a fine figure with the papacy that the people fast, do not eat meat on Friday, also do not use wine, lead item monastic life, that the preachers do not have wives. In St. Augustine's time, husband and wife lived together and remained virgins, and took in foreign children, raised them and fed them. But there is one thing here that is much more subtle: that Christ has made us free, that the commandments, however beautiful they may shine, are nothing in comparison. For you must see to it that you receive salvation, which is the most glorious.
Reason is a fine light, just as a torch and wax light is a fine light. But what is it against the sun? So say here also: Beautiful here, beautiful there, holy here, holy there! The pope has many good concilia and fathers, also many good sayings. It is a fine candle, it burns fine. But what is
- i.e. liberation, redemption.
it against the sun of salvation, that Christ has visited us, and wrought, and obtained a glorious redemption from all evil? Many things are good and delicious, as grain 2c., but life is better. Cloth is fine, but velvet is more delicious. Bricks are fine, but emerald and diamond are more precious. It is the same here. We do not ask that it be fine and reasonable. The pope does not respect it, but he wants to have power and the right to tear people away from salvation. This is what he seeks through his bishops and monks, so that this salvation will be in vain.
Therefore, be good dialecticians, that you may distinguish between leprosy and leprosy, sin and sin, law and law. If we suffer not Moses, much less shall we suffer the fathers and concilia. Then shall we hear the ten commandments and Moses, that there may be liberty, that we may be lords over the law of Moses, that it may perish, that is, that it may not take us captive nor accuse us, but that redemption may remain, that it may be Madam Empress over all laws, and that we may be redeemed from sin, and in liberty "serve him without fear. These words have strong marrow and strength, that we are redeemed. He shall take Moses and drown him, and that no man know where he abideth, and shall take all the fathers, concilia, and canones, and burn them in a heap. Forasmuch then as he hath worshipped us with this liberty, he shall also make us free from the sins that remain in us. He comes to us in our misery and delivers us from Moses, and in our time he delivers us from the pope, concilia and the fathers.
But St. John now proclaims this freedom to us and leads us out of the darknesses and shadows of death. Therefore, one should thank God for this redemption, and not grant the pope some power, because even Moses is no longer valid with us.
"He has raised up a horn of salvation", that is, a security "in David's house", in his family. He has looked upon the dear fruit that Mary bore in her womb. God has promised nothing to the Gentiles, they are not provided for it, but only those who are in the house of David. Therefore we should defend freedom all the more. It
1518 Interpretations about the evangelist Lucas. 1519
happened to us by chance, because the Jews did not want to accept the promise. Therefore we are not to make a commandment for ourselves in the church, so that it is a sin if one does not keep it. In the church we are not to suffer any law but the ten commandments alone, so that these should not bind us.
Truly, Greece has been ungrateful and has despised this redemption. Now the same country is not only under the sword, but also under Mahomet. He makes them sin when there is none else. Verily we also have to fear it, for the devil seeks it by his mobs. See to it that you are good dialecticians and know what is law and sin, made sin and inherent sin. And these are shown to us in the ten commandments. We can't just bite them out. Made sins are carved, painted sins, as one frightens children, that is, which are not sin by nature, nor innate, as, not wearing a monk's cap, eating meat on Friday, that such is sin. For such laws, which are made sins, are cobwebs. Under the Law of Moses, these sins were also made, but they were commanded by God. But under the papacy they are not commanded by God. Rather the pope wanted to abolish both, law and made sin. But the sins in which we are born cannot be taken away; nevertheless, they shall also be taken away.
Even if not in reality - they live in skin and bone - nevertheless they should leave us undeterred. For the sins are forgiven, canceled, and we are delivered from them. If this difference is known to you, then you may well remain with the pure doctrine; and do not accept a doctrine that makes new sins where there were none before; and those who belong to the worldly regime, we should not allow to be brought into the church. So let the inherent sins be put away, lest they terrify us. For we are to "serve him in righteousness and holiness".
An admonition has been issued here that one should not lie in beer houses during the sermon.
The authorities have God's command and the sovereign's order that carousing and drinking beer under this hour when preaching is forbidden. Truly, we should be grateful to God and thank Him! So if one drinks during the sermon, it is a defiance to our Lord God, and a disgrace to our Lord God, and an annoyance to our neighbors. For this reason I now admonish you for the second time that it be abolished. For this you have the commandment of your sovereign and God's command. If anything happens to you about it, you may have it. I also hear that the weakening of the virginity is coming back. If you now consider our gospel and teaching to be a salvation, you will live differently. But you go to it as if you did not think it was something delicious,' yes, as if it were a shooting of birds.
3. the day before the Visitation on Luc. 1, 39-45.
(Held July 1, 1539.)
Text: "And Mary arose in those days, and went up into the mountains, 1) to the city of Judaea, and came into the house of Zacharias, and greeted Elizabeth: and it came to pass, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence
- that is, hurriedly.
Does this come to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? Behold, when I heard the voice of thy greeting, the child leaped with joy in my womb. And blessed art thou that hast believed; for that which is spoken unto thee of the Lord shall be accomplished."
This is a new holiday, instituted by the pope against the Turk, and he has interpreted the gospel that the mountains should be the Turk, and Mary should tread them, that is, dead-
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beat. So this feast was instituted and celebrated for this reason, and the pope acted like a fool and forgot our Lord God and put Mary in his place. But we keep this feast because we reverse it, and make a holy custom out of an abuse. For St. John the Baptist is described with great diligence by all the evangelists, but especially by Luke, how he was conceived and born. Therefore, we keep the feast for John's sake, not for his person, but for his ministry. For he was the first to consecrate with his finger and to preach Christ, the Lamb of God. He is the first preacher of the New Testament, whom we may preach as long as we can and as long as we live. For so it is in the world, that Satan abideth in, and is a god of the world, and liveth in the court. The dear, holy gospel goes into a few. The rest remain with their old god, that is, with the devil, who does nothing but devour men. But we are too ungrateful and become more and more angry. Besides the gospel, all kinds of vices, sins, shamefulness, idiocy, avarice, fornication, drunkenness go on beyond measure. But if the devil wants to remain abbot, he remains so. He is a god of this world. Every man may see that he may be saved. One must preach the gospel for the sake of the elect. But that there are others who despise it, what can one do about it?
Therefore, we should be glad that we have a few who sincerely accept the word of God and love others. What would we have to do if things were like in the time of Elijah, when more than ten times a hundred thousand people were despisers of God and His word, and only seven thousand had godly hearts? How many pious people does the Lord Christ find? The Jews crucified him, but few godly women and disciples followed him.
Therefore, we keep this feast to thank the merciful Father in heaven for giving John, that is, for revealing the Holy Gospel. The pope said that he wanted to beat the Turks with this feast. But if we believed in Christ, faith would hurt the Turk more than the Pope's indulgence.
But let others flaunt, be stingy and proud. Nevertheless, one can find quite a few pious peasants and other pious people in other classes. They will pay for it. This contempt against the blessed great treasure of the divine word will harm them one day. But while the word is still preached, there are children of grace. When the children of grace will stop, the gospel will be silent.
In Jerusalem, the Lord Christ had twelve apostles, seventy-two disciples. St. Peter converted three thousand in one sermon at Jerusalem. After that, on the same day, two thousand more were added. And he took the same five thousand, which were the choice grain, threshed out of this people; but when the chaff was threshed out, he cast it into the fire. He has the word shovel in his hand (Matth. 3, 12.).
So it closes. Now our Lord God is also threshing. He gathers his grains from the world, here a bundle and there a bundle, and when he has gathered his own together in this way, then the word will cease, and false teachers will come, and then everything will become chaff and the fire will not remain outside for long.
Therefore, we may well recognize this benefit and be grateful to God that He has given us His word and still keeps it. For the devil is on that side, and among us are those who anger God with contempt, and there are many of them, the more they hear God's word, the angrier they become. They almost force God to take away the word. Truly, the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, and he also devours many (1 Peter 5:8). But the small group must still hold, preach, teach, pray, so that the teaching will be brought to the descendants. For otherwise the devil is abbot and prince in the world, in the monastery, in country and castle. Therefore we may be undaunted when we see that people grow and increase in wickedness. Let us look only to this, that we may keep God's word pure. For if the Word and the sacraments remain pure, there will always be pious people, however few, who live a Christian life. Because the word remains, so
1522 Interpretations about the evangelist Lucas. 1523
we must count the others as chaff waiting for the fire. This is what happened to Christ and the other prophets.
John is the origin of the New Testament and puts an end to the Old Testament, saying: "I am not Christ" (Joh. 1, 20.), "He is the one who will come after me" (Joh. 1, 27.), "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matth. 3, 11.). For he is the one who forgives your sin. I cannot give forgiveness of sins, he says, but I show you all who he is that forgives them. So I cannot promise forgiveness of sins out of my power. As the pope has done: If you go to St. James and enter a monastery, you will have forgiveness of sins. This is what he promises from his great head. But this is what St. John and we can do, not that he says, "Go to St. James, but believe in Christ, the Son of God, and be baptized in his name, and you will have forgiveness of sin. This is the first who begins this preaching, and we want to follow him and be in his ministry, having his mouth, finger and voice. Therefore we should be grateful to God that he has left us his finger and voice. For we find God in the preaching of His word, in baptism, absolution and sacraments.
"And Mary arose in those days, and went up into the mountains to the end of the city of Judea."
The angel announced it to her, she should be the mother of the Lord, and John is already conceived and Elizabeth is with him about half, since our Savior Jesus Christ is conceived. John is just half a year older. For the text says that when the angel said this to Mary, it was in the sixth month that John was proclaimed, that is, now that he was half a year old, living in his mother's womb, the Lord Christ is proclaimed in the sixth month. They are not far from each other, Christ and John, not only because of the ministry, but also because of the conception. Since John has begun to feel, Christ is soon present and will be conceived. So it is also with their ministry.
John is conceived naturally, as all other children are conceived, since the feeling or life starts over five or six months. But Christ was truly God and man at the moment when Mary says (Luc. 1, 38.): "Be it done to me as you have said!" And is there flesh and blood not without Godhead, and Godhead not without humanity. For the angel says (Luc. 1, 35.), "The holy one who is born of you will be called the Son of God." This was a miraculous work. Therefore, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and having heard that Elizabeth was six months pregnant with Johanne, whom she had conceived, she had a devout heart and wanted to go to her, the mother. For this she had heard from the angel (Luc. 1, 36.): "And behold, Elizabeth, your friend, is also with child with a son in her old age, and is now going in the sixth month." Not that she doubted it, but out of great joy to wish her happiness, that she would be delivered from the curse and malediction of barrenness. With Elizabeth there was no hope that she would be a mother, and had to bear this shame and disgrace, that she would be a cursed woman. Mary knew this well, as it is written in 1 Sam. 1, when Hannah also wept that she had no children. For it was a great shame at that time not to bear children. They longed for them senselessly. So she goes, the dear virgin Mary, and wants to visit her mother, and make her happy that she has been delivered from shame, and that God has counseled her in her old age through an especially wonderful work of grace.
"Went up the mountain." Not over the Turk. The land has been very mountainous, except around Nazareth, where Mary dwelt, in Galilee, where Herod was lord. The land was rich in grain and barren. But toward Jerusalem it was mountainous. Galilee was a bad country and had only one mountain, Mount Thabor, which lay in the middle of the country as an ornament and decoration. Out of the same plain land she went to the mountains, which are in Judah and Ephraim, where were many mountains, and cities that were upon the mountains.
"Finally." Whether Joseph had gone along
1524 Four sermons on the first chapter of Luke. 1525
or not, the evangelist does not say. He wants to bring the two mothers together: the virgin, who is pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and the old barren Elizabeth, who is also pregnant, but miraculously by a special work, but in a natural way. He wants to depict Christ and John, the first preacher of grace, whom God also created miraculously from an old maid and filled with the Holy Spirit. They write about Mary that she did not live for fifteen years, they say that she lived for thirteen years. That is only at that time. Now people are not so strong. At the same time, a virgin of twelve years was stronger than one of eighteen years now. We spoil our nature with eating and drinking, so that it is so weak. As the parents are, so also the children turn out afterwards. Now, in this great populous city, one does not find a hundred old men. How many will live to be seventy years old or eighty years old? One should probably go out five cities, since one would not find two, which become a hundred years old. Man is now weakening his own nature with idleness, wantonness, eating and drinking. Therefore it is no wonder that she was pregnant from thirteen years. Eight hundred years ago, the imperial laws stipulated that a maiden of twelve years should be manly. Now when she is twenty-eight years old, she is nerly 1) manable. This is our fault. The closer the world comes to its end, the weaker people become.
But it is a lot for a maiden of thirteen to travel so far. It has nevertheless been twenty-five German miles. But it happened because of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. After this, she wishes Elizabeth her greeting and salvation, that she has not only come out of misery, misery and shame, but also that she has been graced with such fruit, since the angel has preached much about it.
"Endelich": as a demure, fine, pure maiden, who has not let the hind foot stand. An endelich maid or woman is one who does a thing that is done. Like-
- nerlich - hardly. Cf. St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1302. Buchwald: näherlich.
Therefore, lazy, unending women, chatterboxes, who miss everything at home, sleep and let harm happen, are only gluttons, do only harm. But the evangelist says of Mary that she was sprightly, and did not look for forwardness, that she chattered about this or that, as our virgins and wives are wont to do: when they come together, they rule with their washing and reform the whole city, talk down the people, rule over every house. Now, if a virgin or a woman is at last, she is worthy of all honors. But she is rare to find and a strange bird.
Therefore, the evangelist says that even though she was a maiden, she was still one who waited for her thing, and what she undertook to do, she did swiftly and briskly. So all women should follow the example of this Mary and do as she did. But you know how you women do it. The longer the rattling and rotting work goes on, the more it breaks down. And they are ashamed of everything they hear here about Mary, who would be worthy if angels always spoke to her. She had to have eight days to travel, did not search in inns for this or that. She thought alone how she would get to Elizabeth. Brave women should have neither shelter nor help. For Mary has gone twenty-five miles, but she has been sprightly, merry, and enduring. Go thou also whithersoever thou wilt; only that thou be strong and earnest in thy matters.
"To the city of Jude." It may have been at Bethlehem, or where it was. For the priests could not all dwell at Jerusalem. Therefore they lived scattered in the towns of the country. And I do not know whether Zechariah dwelt at Jerusalem; it may well have been at Bethlehem. Because the text says: "to the city Judä". Because Jerusalem belonged otherwise to the tribe Benjamin, as Moses had divided the country. But Bethlehem is the city of Judea, where David was born and where Christ was born. Or did Mary go to another city of Judea? Bethlehem is barely two miles from Jerusalem.
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"And came to the house of Zacharias." Lucas indicates that Elizabeth will not have felt yet; it may have begun to live, but weakly. But now she feels, which she did not feel before all her life. For the little child leaps in her womb. From the future 1) of Mary it has stepped into the new life. And we may see here how highly St. John is held before God; since Elizabeth only hears the greeting and Mary 2) says: Peace be with you! and the sound of these words comes to her ears, then John hears it and begins to receive his Lord, not with the mouth, but with the whole body, so that everything in the womb leaps for joy. It was not a bad rain of the child in the womb, but such a rain that not only the child John lived, but the child became full of joy. For the oral word is such that he gives thanks to his Lord and leaps and dances with all joy that the Lord comes to him and visits him.
This is a beautiful story of these two women. The Lord Christ, if it is to be said so, was still very small: for he is not yet a month old, conceived only from the drops of Mary's blood. It is a wonderful history, and St. John must be praised in this way, that his beginning of life began with joy and leaping, and that the Lord Christ came to him. And this is what is said in the Gospel of John in the 3rd chapter (v. 29): "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom stands and listens to him, and rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. The same my joy is now fulfilled." He is a joyful preacher. He pointed his fingers to Christ and baptized. It is an inexpressible joy, and this joy begins with them both, since they were not yet born. So powerful is the oral word that St. John receives the Holy Spirit from the oral word and leaps and jumps. The original sin did not give him 3) that.
- d. i. Arrival. (Buchwald.)
- "Mary" added by us.
- Buchwald: "them" and "gelernet".
But when the child is born into the world, it cries and weeps, and does not laugh much. But the birth and the life goes on with crying and is begun with misery. Over that he is conceived from Adam in sins, he receives the Holy Spirit, becomes joyful over it, leaps and jumps.
Therefore we want to learn that it is a great thing about the gospel, that Christ is our sweet and lovely Savior, and where he is, there is life and blessedness, and this began in the body of Mary. Zacharias, the name means: a sermon, remembrance of the Lord. He has a name from his ministry, that he should do as the Lord Christ says in the institution of the Lord's Supper (Luc. 22, 19.): "Do this in remembrance of me!" That is: When you go to the sacrament, preach about me. So Zacharias must mean: Preach of the Lord. So John was born of a preacher. Elizabeth means: God's rest or celebration, rest, so God gives. This also belongs to the preaching ministry, that he wants to say: The oral word makes rest and joy in the heart. So Elizabeth has a name for the fruit of the word: God's rest, not that God himself rests, but that we rest, have peace and joy in our hearts, when the restlessness that we otherwise have from sin, death, hell and the devil ceases. Whoever then experiences what a restless heart is in spiritual matters, which is full of sin and an evil conscience, knows what to say about it. But Zacharias has an Elizabeth, that is, where God's word is, there it preaches celebration and rest. Otherwise, without the divine word, there is no peace in the heart, unless Zachariah's, that is, God's word is preached. So also by the name they have meant their work. John means favor or grace. For where John's ministry is, there is only grace, forgiveness of sin, peace and tranquility in the heart, and all favor in the sight of God. This is what the Holy Spirit has presented with 4) the names of the parents and the infant John, so that we may know how great a thing it is for the holy divine word.
- "with" put by us instead of "and" by Buchwald.
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Therefore we should be grateful to the gracious and merciful God that he has given us the oral word and still preserves it. It seems as if it were a small and trivial thing, and the children of the world are hostile to the word of preachers. But it is a great thing about the preaching ministry. Where Zacharias is, there will also be an Elizabeth and a John. If you have an evil conscience and hear that your sins are forgiven you through Christ, there will be an Elizabeth, that is, a rest from God. For you have peace with God, and it is not a workday, but a holiday, for you have a gracious God.
Mary says nothing else to Elizabeth than: "Peace be with you!", that is: God grant that it may go well with you. What is the result of such a strange word? You see it here. Well, they say, what should the word do? The longer, the more annoyed people become. Well, I have said, they are few that hear the word. And if you want to make a church where the devil is not and remains a prince and god of the world, Christ himself cannot forbid him. He is not cast out from the whole world, but from the godly. Mary did not go to Kaipha, Hanna or the high priests, but passes by a small town. If the word for Kaipham is not useful or for you, it must be considered that you are under the dominion and power of the devil. It is enough that St. John jumps, and Elisha
beth and Zacharias are full of the Holy Spirit, when Zacharias' heart becomes full of grace through the preaching of the Gospel, and those who hear it are full of the Sabbath and then have a gracious God. If the devil had been cast out, St. Paul would have lied, since he says that he is a god of this world and is powerful to harden the hearts of unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:4). What wonder is it that there are persecutors of the gospel and wicked citizens? We look at Elizabeth, Zacharias and John. What does Annas and Judas care? Christ does not become a devil because Judas is a traitor. Elizabeth has truly spoken the oral word, she is a woman, not an angel, has the Holy Spirit through the word and goes forth and brings forth the fruit, so that the child jumps for joy in the womb. The Word has brought forth its fruit, that John, full of the Holy Spirit, is a child of grace and redeemed from sins. We still have the same word. Even if it does not bear fruit with you, it will still be of use to those who hear it and jump for joy and thank God that they have a good conscience through Christ by the oral word. So the divine word does not go away empty and without fruit, but one jumps over it with joy in the Holy Spirit, item, one is happy and has a quiet conscience. But if this fruit does not follow, it is the fault of the devil, the prince of the world.
4. sermon on the day of the Visitation on Luc. 1, 46-55.
(Held on the evening of July 2, 1539.)
Text: "And Mary said, My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For he has looked upon the lowliness of his handmaid. Behold, from henceforth all my children's children shall call me blessed. For he hath done great things for me, who is mighty, and whose name is holy; and his mercy endureth for ever unto them that fear him. He wieldeth violence with his arm, and scattereth them that hope in him.
the mind of the heart. He pushes the mighty from their seats and lifts up the lowly. He feeds the hungry and leaves the rich empty. He remembereth mercy, and helpeth his servant Israel, as he spake unto our fathers, unto Abraham, and unto his seed for ever.
Because we are celebrating the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on which the beautiful hymn of praise sung by the Blessed Virgin Mary has fallen, because she was given to her by her mother Elizabeth.
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When a woman is conceived and says, "How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me?" and is praised above all women, she might hope that she alone would be a blessed mother and that the fruit of her womb would be blessed. There is a sincere great hope that she will thus be praised above all other wives and children, and this praise comes from the revelation of the Holy Spirit. She was not a month pregnant, and yet Elizabeth sees that Mary is a mother. This did not happen naturally, but was a miracle.
But this is also a miracle that the Virgin Mary does not become proud of it, nor does she exalt herself above all other women and fruits of the womb that are born of women, especially because it is not a fiction, but the truth, and Elizabeth confesses it and John also in the womb, and she cannot deny that she is a woman, the like of which does not exist in the whole world, and her fruit of the womb is such a child, whereas all other children of women are nothing. She cannot deny this. For the Holy Spirit does not lie, who says this through the mouth of Elizabeth, who is full of the Holy Spirit. She sings a hymn of praise, for the Holy Spirit has praised her above all women, and has also praised her fruit. Then she sings praise and thanks to God again, she sings the Magnificat. 1) This is her song, which she sings again, also from the Holy Spirit, at the word of Elizabeth, who says: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed are you who have believed. These two persons alone have spoken one to another here; but what they have spoken has resounded throughout the whole world. It is too much that they spoke such words, such two women, when Mary was only fifteen years old. At that time, nature was better and more beautiful, especially before the flood, when a man grew in strength and wisdom in ten years, as he cannot do now in twenty or thirty years. Therefore it is not out of human reason sung this song.
- This is how the Latin translation of the hymn begins. After that, it is called "Magnificat" for short. (Buchwald.)
of Mary. Therefore, this little song is sung as a miraculous song, which the Holy Spirit has formed through the mouth of this little girl, and is a song that is called a thanksgiving. She does not become proud and hopeful over the gifts, which are not sung to her by any poor woman, but by the mouth of the Holy Spirit. 2) It is not a frivolous praise, as of other people, as we praise one another, and when we are praised, we become proud of it, if it is already a lie, and the one who praises us is equally fooling and mimicking. But this is a strange virtue in the female image. It is a song that few sing, especially as she sings it. I am also the fruit of a woman, but I am not like the fruit of this child, so she is also another woman's image. And yet we owe it to this example of Mary to be thankful. For this is a wonderful virtue, just as ingratitude is a shameful vice.
One reads about pagans, as the Nabataeans, 3) those of the Ishmael origin, who were so strict rulers that they punished ingratitude with death, and yet they are not of the house of Abraham, but of the Ishmael origin. If the children were unthankful and disobedient to their parents, and the servants to their masters, they were put to death immediately. Such a regime is not found anywhere else. We also have laws, but the shameful ingratitude, the unpleasant vice, remains unpunished. That is where the saying comes from: Bread is lost on strange children and dogs. With the people the Nabataeans nothing was lost, because ingratitude cost the neck. There must have been great reason in this people, which kept itself so sharp in the worldly regiment. Item, hatred and envy also remain unpunished. Therefore, our rulers and lawyers may not boast highly. For nothing is punished except public death, robbery, theft. Children's disobedience is punished in such a way that parents now cry foul over the children. But where there are pious, godly authorities, they punish blasphemy and abominations.
- "werden" is used by us instead of "will" in Buchwald. 3) Cf. > Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XII, 938, § 7.
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godliness. In the secular regime, much is done against the first tablet, such as: Thou shalt not worship strange gods, nor use God's name in vain. There the antagonism really happens. Moses says, "If a parent has a disobedient child, he must bring him before the authorities. Theft is not punished so severely. Therefore our thing is not like that of the ancients. If it were not for the Scriptures, we would not understand that ingratitude is a sin. Gratitude is so strange that one immediately becomes happy when he finds a grateful person. If people are punished for ingratitude, we are mocked for it. The worldly regime does not punish, and yet the sins are not so small. Nevertheless, when they punish, they mock us for it. What will become of it in the end, I do not know. The devil will become Abbot.
Now I am talking about the ingratitude against the other table, which was also punished with death by the Nabataeans. What should happen in the first table, when we should be thankful to God and sing a Magnificat to Him and say "Fie on you"? On the other side they persecute the word and not only say "Fie on you", but condemn it for heresy. Here, too, they spout it [in the highest contempt. Peasants and citizens are so disgusted that one should not tell them the truth. Shouldn't the pestilence rain and snow, and the Turk come? We are guilty of being grateful to God, and yet we do the opposite. The nobility in the countryside is taking everything to themselves, the mayors in the cities want to be celebrated by the priests, too. Now God sends His Son to be a redeemer of the world: yet they do not want to hear the gospel, Yes, they say, I want to hear the gospel, but not the preacher's blasphemy.
So now we have ingratitude against the first and the other table. Truly, we would all be worthy of death. Ingratitude is a heavy, annoying vice, and makes people unwilling, so that no one wants to do good anymore. But we want to decorate the pile with may and give the devil a new year's greeting.
- Here we have deleted "an".
But we have told them beforehand, and they do not pretend that no one has warned them.
This is how the Magnificat approaches us, so that we may call gratitude the most beautiful virtue of all. One should bend towards the tree, since one has shade from it, not only in the other table, but also in the first table, so that we are grateful to God and man. In this way you will win the hearts of all those to whom you are grateful. If you are a Christian, you owe it and you will do it. If you do the opposite, you close the hearts of those against whom you are ungrateful. But if thou art grateful, thou shalt open thy heart, and thou shalt open thy hand, thy purse, and thy casket. And although the world does not punish ingratitude, God and men let you go. But if you are a Christian, you let your sun shine. But with your ingratitude you close your neighbor's heart, hand and pocket and are taken for a desperate boy. But we Christians and preachers have to take our stand with our adversaries, so that we are persecuted there and trampled underfoot here with our own. Therefore, let us make an effort to give thanks to God. For this is the only sacrifice we should offer when we are redeemed.
In the Old Testament there was a finer discipline. If a farmer cut his blessing, he had to harvest a basket full of spikenard before he cut it and bring it to the Levite or priest with such words as Moses describes: "Here I bring" 2c., and had to give primitias, firstling, at all times. When the grain would be ripe, he had to bring a sheaf or two sheaves and offer them before he needed them; he had to say, "I bring this, not to give thanks, but to give thanks to God, who brought me out of Egypt and gave me the field, the house and the farm. That was a fine way. Then they also gave the interest from it as the tithe, also the tenth church oak, not only in gratitude, but also so that the preachers would be maintained from it.
This fine order is now dead, which was in this people. We have not this commandment, that we give to the priests the first
1534 Interpretations about the evangelist Lucas. 1535
and tenth apple. But this is not abolished, that one should give thanks to God and from what one has serve one's neighbor and servants of God, not that one thereby earns forgiveness of sins, as was thought under the papacy, but rather say: I give to the common treasury, hospitals, the poor priests, that it may be a thanksgiving and thank-offering, not a merit-offering, so that I confess that I have received this or that from him, just as everyone must confess that he has body, life, house and farm, butter, cheese and everything from God. Therefore, you should give to your neighbor who is in need of your help and do good to him, so that you may show your gratitude. Now this vice is not punished as in the Old Testament. When they would not give the first bushel and the tenth, the surrounding kings came and took it away with heaps, and they were not wronged. So also today is such a scraping and scratching and collecting all thalers. There is no sacrifice of praise or thanksgiving. Therefore, our Lord God must send a pestilence or have Junker Landsknecht and Brother Veit come to search for the thalers that have now been buried. This is then God's rightful judgment. For you want to serve the lansquenet, who then puts a spear to your neck, and you then come trembling to him and carry the thalers to him. For the will to courage, which we all do, cannot stand thus. And if there is a God, then either the mercenaries must take the thalers from you, or else they must be stolen from you, or you must die. For God wants you to be grateful and not to value people in this way. You now keep back much that you would otherwise have given to monks and priests. Therefore you have no reason to be so stingy. In times past, when you were made whores of women and virgins, and deceived with masses, monks and priests were honored. Now that the truth is preached, priests are despised and persecuted. If this goes unpunished, God is not God. You are collecting thalers from your worst enemies, who will steal your wife, children, property and honor, and you will be trampled underfoot by them.
So we are not alone to our dear God
ungrateful for body and soul, but also for his word. For we give nothing to the preachers. This great ingratitude will knock the bottom out of the barrel. If you want to be Christians, listen to the words of St. Paul, who says (1 Thess. 5:18): "Be thankful," not only for the bodily gifts, as in the other table, but also for the spiritual ones, and sing a Magnificat with the dear Virgin, and if you do not want to do it, let others do it, give the firstfruits and the tenth apple. God does not need it, but your poor neighbor and the poor people, and do the work as a work of gratitude and say: O you dear, merciful Father in heaven, you have given me not only bodily goods, but also your dear Son, as a sign I will give my little apple. This pleases God well, and the benefit is useful to man. They reversed the same beautiful sacrifice of thanksgiving. When they gave the first and tenth apple, they decorated it and put a wreath on it. This was a cow dung- turning a sacrifice of praise into a sacrifice of service. God said to give to widows and the poor, and if they did, he would count it as given to himself. This was the order. If you give it to the poor disciples, you give it to God. For inasmuch as ye do it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me. (Matth. 25, 40.) But when one hears that one should give to poor people, schools, then one says: "One does not deserve thanks. But if someone gives five pennies for a letter of indulgence, that was a delicious thing. So the pope also taught us. Then kings gave castles, land and people for it. For they wanted to earn the kingdom of heaven with it.
So the world is mad and foolish. So the Jews knew that God had ordained it for a sacrifice of praise, and that it should be called given to Himself, not that it should be bought with it, but that they should know that they had received it from Him, saying, "Behold, I give the apple to the poor, for the field or garden was yours. And if we could bring it there, the priests would be richer than the Anabaptists, who are now also preaching again about great works.
1536 Four sermons on the first chapter of Luke. 1537
bushels of thalers fell. But if they preached as we do, namely: God gives you everything, give him another apple! not that he needs it, but the poor widows, who should not deserve it. This does not come to pass, but it pleases well: If you give this for a measurement, you have forgiveness of sins - so then go the apples and whole gardens. God wants us to thank Him from the heart for all the good deeds we do, and to recognize the great work that God gave His Son for us. I cannot give thanks for an eye. If I were to give a man's body, it would be nothing; but if necessity required it, I would let him have it, not that I would gain anything by it, but that I would testify that we were redeemed by the blood of Christ. So Christians sacrifice not only apples and pears, but also the stocking, 1) neck, in prison, gallows, sword, and this they sacrifice not as a sacrifice of merit, so that one wants to earn the kingdom of heaven, but that it is done to our Lord God for service, love, honor and thanksgiving. So it is the most glorious work of God, which is done in the name of God, that one dares to risk life and limb on His word and say: "If I can serve my neighbor with money, with my hand or with good words, all this shall be called a thank offering.
Therefore, the Magnificat commands us that if we cannot help our neighbor with our hand, we should at least do it with our mouth. You need not be so rude nor so humble as to say that you have received nothing. Look at your body, your physical and spiritual goods! Are these all your goods that you have given? Therefore be thankful not only with your mouth, but also with your hand, since you, dear God, have need not in heaven, but here on earth, since you, dear God, dwell in poor people.
So let your life be a thanksgiving and a Magnificat. My soul shall praise my Savior with all its strength, as if to say: I have nothing of my own, but God is my Savior and helps me and gives me everything,
- Stocking hull.
so that I may give thanks to Him with all my heart and strength. God and man want to have gratitude. For even the world does not suffer an ingrate. A Christian bites the dust and remains pious. Ingratitude is small in the outer table, but against God it is great. But when one recognizes God's bodily and spiritual gifts, one learns the Magnificat, so that we will not be counted among those who despise God and His word, and who give thanks to God neither with the mouth nor with the hand. God wants thanks from you, not a sacrifice as a merit. Abel also makes a thank offering. That is what God always wants, and that is why we are all priests, that we should sacrifice. When I preach, I offer sacrifices of thanksgiving to God. So you, when you listen, you also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving. Then you can give thanks to God in your heart and help and advise your neighbor with your hand, mouth and pockets, and God will call you a priest. For you thank Him that through His Son He has redeemed you and enlightened you by the Holy Spirit, and then you serve your neighbor. This is the work of the Church, and so do all Christians. But let the others sacrifice to the devil until they are full and do not sing the Magnificat. The true God does not seek other sacrifices than peace offerings, but the false one seeks sacrifices of merit. A man martyres himself for 30 or 40 years and wants to earn the kingdom of heaven from God. Yes, the hellish fire! One should recognize that he has everything, not only grain, apples, the world and everything, but also his dear son by grace.
Mary did not sing it in such a way that we should not imitate it, but we cannot sing it so high; for truly God has not done such great things to me. For she is the mother of the Son of God. I am not. Nevertheless, he became my Savior and my own on the cross and wants to love me, a poor child. For he has given me body and soul, which I have not earned. And above that, that I would have deserved eternal death and hell, he also gives me his dear Son and the Holy Spirit.
1538 Erl. 45, 290-294. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1386-1391. 1539
III. interpretations about the evangelist John.
Luther's interpretation of the first four chapters of John. *)
July 7, 1537 to 11 Sat. 1540.
The first chapter.
1537.
First sermon on the Gospel of John.
Started to preach on Saturday after Visitationis Mariae [July 7, anno 1537. 1)
1 I do not know where our pastor, D. Pommer, has left it with his sermon in the Evangelist John, which he preached on Saturday, I can also inquire it from no one. For this reason, I want to reach in and start interpreting the Evangelist John from the beginning. For this evangelist is to preach and confess in the world, and especially among us in the church, where we have God's word, and remain known, so that we may become accustomed to his language. In the name of the Lord, therefore, let us take his gospel before us and speak of it.
- This time determination is in the margin of the original. - The text of the first chapter, which is found here in the Erlangen edition, we have, like Walch, omitted. Thus, we also consider it superfluous to print the marginal glosses, which contain nothing essential.
and preach as long as we can, in honor of our Lord Christ, and for our betterment, comfort and salvation, and not worry whether the world does not ask much about it. There will be some who will gladly hear the dear word of God, for whose sake we must also preach. For since God creates people whom He calls to preach, He will also create and send listeners who will take this teaching to heart. This is how the text reads:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. All things were made through the same, and without the Word nothing was made that was also made.
- the evangelist John teaches and establishes powerfully in the beginning of his Gospel the high article of our holy Christian faith, where we believe and confess that one, true, almighty, eternal GOD
*These sermons, like those on the 18th to 24th chapters of St. Matthew the Evangelist, were preached during Bugenhagen's absence in Denmark, in the years 1537 to 1540, on Sundays. (Cf. the notes on I, L, Col. 852 f. of this volume? First, the interpretations of the first two chapters were printed in the Eisleben edition, vol. II, p. 393, and Aurifaber provided them with the caption: "Etliche Kapititel S. Johannis des Evangelisten, als das erste, andere, dritte und vierte ausgelegt und gepredigt durch den Mann GOttes, D. Martinum Luther, als D. Johann Bugenhagen, Pomer, Pfarrherr zu Wittenberg, in Dennemark zieht war u. s. w., now by me, Johanne Aurifabro from N. Georgii Porarii, N. Gregorii Solini [Diaconus zu Tangermünde, De Wette, vol. V, p. 307 and vol. VI, p. 5981 and otherwise from a written copy, so in des Herrn Michaelis Cölii, Pfarrherrn zu Mansfeld, Liberer has been found, brought together with diligence." Aurifaber was not able to publish the third and fourth chapters. The manuscript of this, as well as the one on Matthew, Cap. 18-24, came into the library at Wolfenbüttel, which was first printed there in 1817 by the library secretary Dr. Höck. After that, these sermons on the third and fourth chapters of St. John were printed, using the manuscript, in the Erlangen edition, vol. 46, p. 253 and vol. 47, p. 1 ff. The sermons on the first two chapters are found, in addition to the Eisleben edition, in the Altenburger, vol. VI, p. 1122; in the Leipziger, vol. XII, p. 405 and in the Erlanger, vol. 45, p. 290 to vol. 46, p. 252. We reproduce them according to Walch, comparing the Erlanger. The sermons on the third and fourth chapters we insert here according to the Erlanger edition.
1540 Erl. 45, 2S4-LS7. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4**, W. VII, IS9I-I393. 1541**
but that in the same one divine being there are three different persons: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. The Father begets the Son from eternity, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son 2c. So that there are three different persons, and yet one divine being, of equal glory and majesty.
The middle person, the Son, and not the Father, nor the Holy Spirit, took on human nature, born of Mary the Virgin, when the time of redemption was to begin. This Son of God, born of the Father in eternity, John first calls the Word, and says: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word." Then he speaks of His incarnation, saying, v. 14: "And the Word was made flesh." As St. Paul also says to the Galatians in the 4th chapter, v. 4: "When the time was fulfilled, God sent His Son, born of a woman.
(4) I will give a simple simile to guide you in understanding this birth of the Son of God from the eternal Father, namely this: As a son in the flesh has flesh and blood and his nature from the Father, so also the Son of God, born of the Father, has his divine nature and nature from the Father from eternity. But we cannot reach it by this or any other likeness; it cannot be so complete as in the divine majesty, since the Father gives the whole divine essence to the Son; but the bodily Father cannot give the whole essence to the Son, but only a piece. This is the inequality. Item: A painted wine has a form and likeness of wine, but it is not a true wine, which quenches thirst and gladdens the heart of man Psalm 104:15. So a painted water has the appearance of water, but it is not flowing water that one can drink, or that washes and cleanses. In the same way, a physical father gives the essence to his son, but not the whole essence, only a part. But in the Godhead the whole divine essence and nature goes into the Son; and yet the Son remains in the same Godhead with the Father, and is with him One God. So also, the Holy Spirit has just
the divine nature and majesty that the Father and Son have.
This must be believed. With reason, be it as clever, sharp and pointed as it can be, no one will grasp it nor grasp it. If we could attain it through our wisdom, God would not reveal it to us in heaven, nor would he show it to us through the holy Scriptures. Therefore, follow the same and say: I believe and confess that there is one, eternal God, and yet three different persons, even though I cannot grasp or comprehend it; for the Scriptures, if they are the word of God, say so; and I stand by them.
Cerinthus, the heretic, first attacked the article of the divinity of Christ, soon after the time of the apostles. He wanted to measure and grasp it with reason, pretending that the Word was not God. And to confirm this, he quoted the saying from Genesis, Book 5, Cap. 6, 4: "The Lord our God is one God"; item Ex. 20, 3: "You shall not have other gods." With this pretense he did great harm, made a strong following for him, so that many Jews fell to him, even from those who believed in Christ.
(7) It was by special grace that he challenged this article while the apostles were still alive. For John, the most prominent of the apostles who were still alive at that time, was caused to write his gospel, in which he strongly proves this article, that Christ, our dear Lord and Savior, is true, natural, eternal God, with the Father and the Holy Spirit. 2c, and does so for good reason from Moses, on which Cerinthus and his followers were very insistent, taking Moses out of his hand, mouth and heart, and leading him against his blasphemous heresy, refuting it mightily; which is then quite a masterpiece. Now let us examine the text, for it 1) is a strange text.
V. 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word.
(8) This has been a strange, unheard-of sermon and speech, and quite strange and unheard-of.
- Erlanger: er.
1542 Erl. 4S, 297-299. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1393-139". 1543
unknown to all wise and sensible people, that St. John thus begins to preach about the eternal divinity of Christ, and speaks clearly and distinctly that God shall be a Word, and the Word shall be with God, even God Himself; as we shall hear hereafter. And St. John speaks of it much more gloriously and clearly; for Moses also speaks such things, and begins his book thus: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And he spoke a word, and there was light" 2c. And St. John took it from Moses. But Moses does not go out in the same way as St. John, who says: "In the beginning, before the creation of the world, of heaven and earth, or of any creature, there was the Word, and the same Word was with God, and God was the Word, this Word was from eternity. This, I say, is a strange doctrine, and a strange and unusual saying to reason, especially to the worldly wise, into which no man has been able to judge, but only those to whom the Holy Spirit has stirred and filled the heart, otherwise it cannot be grasped with reason, nor groped with the hands, nor understood.
(9) It is not good to measure and grasp such things with human reason and understanding. For it does not flow from reason that before the creation of the world there was a Word in God, and that the same Word is God. Item, as he says afterwards, that the same Word, the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth, was in the Father's bosom or heart, and became flesh, and that no one else has seen or known God. For the Word is the only begotten Son of God, who is in the bosom of the Father, who has proclaimed it to us. Faith is necessary, otherwise it cannot be grasped. And whoever does not want to believe, but wants to investigate it with his five senses and reason, and does not believe first, before he understands it, let him always go away. For this doctrine cannot enter into our head; it is too high for reason: faith alone grasps it, as the Scripture shows: he that will not believe, let him leave it. The Holy Spirit must descend from heaven and make listeners and disciples here alone, who accept this teaching and believe that it is true.
Word is God, and the Son of God is the Word, and that the Word became flesh, and is also the light, enlightening all men who come into the world, and without this light all else is darkness.
(10) Further, we are to know that in God there is a word, not like my word or like your word. For we also have a word, especially the word of the heart, as the holy fathers call it; for when a man considers something in himself and diligently investigates it, he has a word or conversation with himself, of which no one knows but he alone, until. Until the same word of the heart is put into a verbal word or speech, so that the man speaks out what he has thought in his heart, and has long argued about it with himself: then it is heard and understood by others, otherwise not; as St. Paul says in the first chapter of Corinthians, v. 11: "No man knows what is in man, except the spirit of the man that is in him. Now as a man has a word, conversation, or thought with himself, he talks with himself without ceasing, is full of words and counsels as to what he will or will not do, without ceasing he talks and disputes with himself, of it, and especially when anything is the matter with him, that he is angry or glad, so the heart is full of wrath and full of gladness, that it also goes out 'unawares with the mouth. For a word is not only called that which the mouth speaks, but much more the thought in the heart, without which the outward word is not spoken; or if it is spoken, it is not valid, for if mouth and heart are in agreement, then the outward word is worth something, otherwise it is worth nothing: thus God also has in eternity in His majesty and divine nature a word, speech, conversation or thought in His divine heart with Himself, unknown to all angels and men. That means his word, which has been in his fatherly heart from eternity, by which God decided to create heaven and earth. But of such will of God no man has ever known until that same Word becomes flesh, and proclaims to us as follows: "The Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has revealed it to us."
1544 Erl. 4ö, S99-301. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, I396-I39S. 1545
But as far as a poor wretched man, who is earth and dust, is under God, and God is immeasurably higher than he, as a Lord and Creator of all creatures, so far the likeness of the word of a mortal man does not rhyme with the word of the eternal, almighty God. There is a great difference between the thoughts, disputations and words of the human heart and God. For GOD is not created or made as we humans are created, but is from eternity. No one has given him his word, speech and conversation 2c. What he is, he is from himself from eternity. But what we are, that we have from Him, and not from us; but He, God, has everything from Himself.
Therefore this likeness, taken from our word, is very dark and obscure; but nevertheless our word, though it is not to be compared with that word, gives a little account, yea, cause, to consider the matter, and the more easily to grasp, even to hold the thoughts and speculation of the human heart against this divine conversation and word, and to learn how the Son of God is a word. For, as I speak a word or hold a conversation with myself, which no one hears, no one knows about it but I alone, and decide in my heart what I want to do, and that same secret, inner word of the heart is such a strong, powerful conversation, as I go about and fight with myself, that if I spoke it out, as I think it, quite a thousand people would have enough to hear it. Yes, such a word fills all ears and houses; it cannot be uttered all that a man thinks in his mind and that he intends in his heart, especially when the heart is inflamed with love or anger, joy or sorrow. If it is true love, then the heart of the same person is so full of thoughts of love that he sees, hears, feels nothing else, yes, often does not know where he is, and that one cannot mean him at all. For he is so ardent in love, and his heart is so thoroughly taken up with vain love, that one could not bring a hair's breadth or a needle's point into it; yes, as great and wide is the heart, so great and wide are the thoughts of love. So, it is
- the heart is so violently seized that it is so full of thoughts of anger that the person does not feel himself, fights and talks with himself, so that someone who sees him and does not know what is his business thinks that he is not with himself, and therefore sternly says to him: "So how are you? What is the matter with you?
According to this image, God is also pregnant in His majesty, in His nature, with a word or conversation that God has with Himself in His divine essence and is the thought of His heart. It is as full and great and perfect as God Himself. No one sees, hears, or comprehends this same conversation but He alone. He has an invisible and incomprehensible conversation. The word was before all angels and before all creatures; for afterwards, through this conversation and word, he gave being to all creatures. In the conversation, word or thought, God is very fervent, that he thinks of nothing else before it.
14 These are the words of the Holy Spirit, taken from Moses, in the first chapter, v. 3: "God said: Let there be light" 2c., which cannot be understood by any human intellect or wisdom, however high it may be. Therefore one must not consult reason here, but give the Holy Spirit the honor that what He speaks is divine truth, and believe His words, although the eyes of reason are blinded, even blinded. But he who will not believe, let him leave it, and let him always go, and see where he will remain.
(15) Many and various heretics have opposed this article, seeking to measure, grasp and master it by reason; but they have fallen to the ground over it: the Holy Spirit has preserved the article against them all; even as the word of God still stands against all the gates of hell.
(16) Therefore let no one be mistaken that John the Evangelist calls the Son of God a word so bad and lowly; but not, as § 10 said, such a word as I speak out of my mouth, which soon departs into the air and perishes, which is a bad word.
- Erlanger: es.
1546 Erl. 45, 301-304. Interpretations On John the Evangelist. W. VII, I39S-140I. 1547
Word is. Nor such a word as my heart speaks to me, which is higher and greater than that which is outside the heart; which is greater than that which is in the mouth; the outward word is much less. The word of the heart is often so great and strong that it takes over the heart, and one cannot talk it out. For it is impossible for a man to speak the thoughts of his heart when he is quite happy or quite angry. If we could look into each other's hearts, I into yours, you into mine, we would either share each other's hearts in our bodies out of love, if it were possible, or out of anger one would eat and strangle the other, as they say. If I cannot speak out my thoughts as I have them in my heart, I will be much less able to comprehend or speak out the word or conversation that God has with Himself in His divine essence, in the shrine of His heart.
(17) And indeed, he who thinks about the matter must confess that a man's word, especially that of a great, mighty prince, a king, penetrates with force. He is a mortal man, like another; yet the evil word that proceedeth out of his mouth resoundeth in the ears of his subjects, and is so powerful, that they act upon it, and do that which he giveth by his word, that thou mayest say, He spake it, and it was so. And yet the mouth from which the word or command comes is hardly the width of a finger, and yet it should accomplish so much and do so much that everyone will follow it and keep it. If the Lord speaks in anger, it is to those who owe their property, honor, life and limb, and must beware of his displeasure. Much more must you remember that when the eternal, almighty, divine Majesty speaks a word to Himself, or holds a conversation, that heaven, earth, all creatures, visible and invisible, stand there; as also in the third and thirtieth Psalm it is written, v. 6: "The heavens were made by the word of the Lord, and all His host by the spirit of His mouth." But since God has no mouth, and speaks no bodily word, the word (of which the evangelist speaks) must have been before all creatures.
18 So now St. John says that in
God is a conversation or word that takes up the whole of God, and is God Himself, and was before all creatures, even before the angels; no one sees or hears it, not even the angels, who at that time were not yet created. So now it is a word or a conversation, not of any angel or any creature, but of God Himself, the Creator of all creatures. The same we call here "the word"; not a bad word, but which is so great as God is, yes, since the same word is God himself.
(19) We are not yet accustomed to call the thoughts of the heart a word or a conversation; but we are often accustomed to say thus: He speaks to himself, he goes in his thoughts, either with great joy or sadness, love or anger. Item, one says: My heart tells me that this happiness or that misfortune will pass me over. Such saying is the word of the heart; but how high and great it is, even what it is that the heart often thinks, that cannot be reached with the senses, he cannot pour out the heart. But often a man comes forth and speaks out, shows it to others what he has thought, speaks out what he has inwardly in his heart, as the Lord Christ Matthew reports in chapter 12, v. 34: "that when 2) the heart is full, the mouth overflows. Then one can know and understand the heart and word of a man. For one often says, "Did I not suspect this? Didn't my heart tell me? Did I not feel it?
But that God speaks a word, or God has a conversation with Himself, no one wants to think about it, much less believe it, because reason cannot comprehend it. After Moses, only St. John the Evangelist told and indicated it to us. The prophets, and especially David in the 33rd Psalm, also touched on it, but not as clearly and distinctly as Moses and then St. John in this place, where he calls the Son of God the Word. Therefore, we should remain at home with our reason, not wanting to fall down and speculate, but believe in the Holy Spirit, who, through the Word of God, has given us a clear understanding of the Word.
- Erlanger: Gotü
- Erlanger: what.
1548 Erl. 45, 304-308. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1401-1404. 1549
I have had to say this propter phrasin, or for the sake of this kind of speaking, so that you may understand what this vocabulum "word" is, and you may learn to regard it more highly than we do otherwise. This I have had to say propter phrasin, or for the sake of this way of speaking, so that you may understand what this vocabulary "word" is, and you may learn to regard it more highly than we usually use it, namely, that God also has a word or conversation with him. Now what this same word is in him, the evangelist begins to say clearly, saying:
V. i. 2. And God was the Word. All things are made through the same, and without the same nothing is made that is made.
21 Here you should notice two little words which Saint John uses, namely, been and created. What is created has not been before, as: Heaven, earth, sun, moon, stars and all creatures, visible and invisible, have not been, but were created in the beginning. But what has not been, has not begun, has not been created or made, and yet is, and has its being, that has been before. With this, St. John demonstrates and proves powerfully that the Son of God, who is the image of the invisible God, was not created nor made. For before the world, all creatures, and also the angels were created, and before it began, the conversation or word was with God. It follows, then, that by this word or conversation of God all things were created, and without it nothing was made. This word or conversation has been from the creation of the world, before Christ was born and became man, for four thousand years; indeed, it has been in the Father's heart from eternity.
(22) If this is so, then the Word must be higher and greater than all that is created and made, that is, it must be God Himself. For otherwise, excluding only God the Creator, all creatures, angels, heaven, earth, man, and everything that lives, were created. But now John says: Since God created all things in the beginning, "the Word" was already there, and the tabernacle its essence. Does not say, GOD created the Word; or, The Word became; but: The Word was already essential. From this it follows that the Word was not created nor made, and is not a creature, but that all things were made by it.
as soon follows in the text. Therefore it must be God, if one sets the principium, that the word was before all creatures.
(23) This is to speak very highly of the divine nature and majesty of our dear Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, that he is the Word of the eternal Father in his divine nature. Now there is no doubt, and reason can finely conclude this: If the Word was from the beginning, before all things began, then it must follow that the same Word is God. For reason can make a fine distinction, namely: If something is and has its essence before the world and all creatures were created, it must be God. For apart from the creature nothing can be called but the Creator. For everything that is there is either the Creator Himself or His creature, God, or creature. Now the Holy Spirit speaks through St. John and testifies, "In the beginning was the Word." Item: "All things were made through the same" 2c. Thus the Word cannot be counted among the number of creatures, but has its eternal essence in the Godhead, and from this it follows insurmountably and irrefutably that the same Word is God; as St. John thus also concludes.
24 This is the text of the divinity of Christ, so that we may certainly believe and know that our Lord and Savior, born of Mary the Virgin, is also true, natural God, eternally born of the Father, and therefore not to be numbered among the angels, but is the Lord and Creator of them and of all creatures, as Paul says to Colossians in chapter 1, v. 16. Chapter 16: "By him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, both dominions and thrones" 2c. If this foundation is laid in the holy Scriptures (which are the Word of God and abide forever), as they clearly testify, that the Word was in the beginning before any creature was created, and that all things were made by Him, then we Christians cannot judge or conclude otherwise than that the Word was not created nor made, but was from eternity. Such a foundation is not laid by any reason.
1550 Erl. 45, 306-308. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1404-1407. 1551
And the word was with GOD.
(25) When God created the angels, the heavens, the earth and all that is in them, and all things began to come into being, the Word was already there. How was it then? Where was it? St. John answers as much as can be said about it, and says: "It was with God, and was God Himself. That is, that it was with God, and with God, and God Himself, and the Word of God. And the evangelist clearly distinguishes the Word from the person of the Father; that is, that another person is the Word than God the Father, in whom it was; it is separate from the Father. This is to say: The Word, which was in the beginning, was not alone, but was with God. Just as when I say: He was with me, sits with me, or is my husband, I speak of another, and indicate that ours are two; I alone do not make a husband. So also here: "The word was with God." This is to speak according to reason, as if the Word were something other than God. Therefore he comes around again, closes the ring, and says: "And God was the Word," so that now no one separates the Word from God, that is, the Son from the Father, because he said: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. This reads as if there were more than one. Yes, right, he says: but thus: God and the Word are distinguished according to the person, that another person is God, another' the Word, nevertheless the Word, that is, the Son, is and remains eternal, true God with the Father.
Reason makes a different conclusion, saying: If the Word is with God, then there are two gods. There St. John wants to distinguish the three persons in the one divine being. But he puts them together again, so that they may not be separated from each other, and not become three gods, but only one God remains, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, from whom all things were created. As if St. John should say: I will preach of a Word that became flesh, but that same was in the beginning beside and with God. For it could not be elsewhere than with
God, because there was not yet a creature. I set two, namely, God and the Word, that is, the Father and the Son; but the Word was with God, not as a separate God, but was truly eternal God, with the Father of one divine essence, equal power and honor, but so different that the Father is another person, and another the Son. Although he 1) is already another person, he is still the same God as the Father is; and they are two, and still remain one true God with the Father. The two persons are thus distinguished: The Father is he who speaks; and the other person, the Son, is he who is spoken.
This is two different persons, and yet is one, eternal, natural God. So also, the Holy Spirit is another person than the Father and Son; and yet the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one divine being, and remain one God, since there are three persons in the divine being. Thus one must rightly and properly speak of the Holy Trinity: that the Word, which is the Son, and God the Father, are two Persons, and yet one single God, and the Holy Spirit is also one Person in the Godhead; as we shall hear hereafter.
And the same was in the beginning with God.
- The evangelist again admonishes the reader that the Father and the Son are two distinct persons, coeternal; but so that he may know that the eternal Father is of no one, neither made, created, nor born; but the Son, who is the image of the eternal Father, is born of the Father alone, neither made nor created, but before Jesus Christ was the Son of Mary and became man, he was with God, and with the Father eternal, true God, of one divine essence, but a distinct person from the Father.
(29) We have to use the word "person," as the fathers also used it. For we have no other, and it means nothing else, than a hypostasis, a being or substance that is for itself, and that is God. That there are
- Erlanger: es.
1552 Erl. 45, 308-3:1. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VN, 1407-1409. 1553
three distinct persons; but only One God, or one Deity. That there is only one God, and that therefore Jesus Christ with God the Father is one Creator and Sustainer of all things, and then born of Mary the Virgin, is true God and man.
The evangelist St. John alone, and no other evangelist, was able to masterfully describe and describe this article. For it is also the highest art of the Christians, they know and believe it alone. The world otherwise cannot stand this article, Jews, Turks, Tarians and heretics violently oppose it, resent it and take offense at it, laugh and mock us that we Christians are so foolish and foolish to believe in and worship One God. Let them laugh and mock, after all. Whoever considers God's word to be a fable and a fairy tale (in which he has revealed his will and divine nature, that there are three different persons in the Godhead, and yet only one divine being, of equal power and majesty), will certainly not believe this article. But what he will gain from it, he will well experience in his time.
(31) It should and must be so, that all the aggravations, impulses and attempts should be directed towards Christ, as Simeon Luke says to Mary in chapter 2, v. 34: "Behold, this man is set for a fall of many in Israel, and also for a sign that is contradicted", so that they should be tempted and run off their foreheads. For it is he that cleaveth to the devil, and bruiseth his head: and the devil cleaveth to him again, and bruiseth his heel: and the controversy Gen. 3:15 (that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, and that the serpent should bite him in the heel) shall not cease in this world, between Christ and the devil. But Christ with his own has remained until now, and will remain before him, and his word will be preserved from now on.
32 It is this text: "And God was the Word", well martyred by the Jews, the red spirits and the Turks, who all wanted to measure and master it by their reason. And the Jews, first of all, have taken up the article, mocking us, saying: We
Christians are idolaters, blasphemers, honor and worship three gods when there is only one. So the Turks also consider us geese, who have neither reason nor understanding, and do not consider that in one house there cannot be more than one father; much more inconsistent is it that we believe and worship three gods.
The Turks also 1) do not believe in Christ, and Mahomet with his Turkish belief in Christ has also stormed in. Mahomet admits that Christ was born of a virgin, but the Turks say that this is not strange among them. Well, it may happen, and may be true with them; but with us the same virgins (who bear children) become women. A virgin who bears a child cannot remain a virgin. They do not enter our houses with it, we do not believe it, otherwise our daughters would all become whores to us. I do not believe that a virgin should have a child and remain a virgin. It is not believable among us. They are rough asses, who pretend to be so. Further, the Turks say that Christ was a great prophet and a great man, praising him more highly than David, Isaiah and all the other prophets, and must confess that Christ is the Word of the Father: yet they pretend that he is not so great as their Mahomet.
- The heretic Cerinthus, against whom St. John the Evangelist wrote this Gospel, began in the same form, denying that Christ was God, taking Him for a sincere man, and confessing that He was born of Mary the Virgin, and a great prophet and high person, but no more than a man.
So I could lie and blaspheme just like them, if I wanted to leave the Scriptures behind and follow my reason. But we did not devise this text of the eternal divinity of Christ; by the special grace of God it has come down to us, will remain well before all heretics (who will still try their hand at it), and will endure to the ends of the earth. Therefore, let us hear and act upon this text, because it is
- Erlanger: And.
1554 Erl. 45, 311-313. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1409-1412. 1555
We are to be comforted and strengthened in our faith, and annoyed by the devil and his enthusiasts.
Arius, the heretic, did it most subtly. In order to make a semblance of his blasphemous lie, that Christ was not true natural God, he pretended that in this place "God was the Word" God did not mean true natural God, but a named God. Just as if a king called a handsome, excellent person a prince, and yet he was not by nature; or I said to one when I traveled away: Be thou a householder. So Christ would only be a named God, to whom God would have given the name: Be you God on earth; but he would not be a true natural God; but he would be called God in the holy scriptures, as a special person above all others. And twisting people's noses and smearing their mouths so that they would not notice his blasphemous lie, he said: "That Christ was the most beautiful and glorious creature, not only more noble and delicious than all visible creatures, such as heaven, earth, sun and moon, but also much higher and more excellent than the angels, through whom God had created them and all other creatures. But he could not avoid the text: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God," for he confessed that the Father and the Son were two distinct persons; but he distinguished them by making one creature out of Christ, as has been said, since this text, on the other hand, stands very firmly: "In the beginning was the Word." For "was" it was not made or created, but was with the Father true, eternal God, of equal power and honor from eternity. Thus Arius was also powerfully convinced, and his blasphemous error refuted by the following text:
All things are made through the same.
37 St. Augustine uses these words harshly against the Arians, who have otherwise stretched, perverted, glossed over, and pulled by the hair all the sayings that speak of the divinity of Christ. And St. Augustine makes these words very useful to him. For Arius
could not get past this; even if he twisted and glossed the previous words, these words are so clear that he cannot bypass them in any way, and could not get past the text.
Therefore this text is a sure, strong testimony of the divinity of Christ, and St. John includes all creatures in one heap, even saying: "All things (for he who says all excludes nothing) were made by the Word who was in the beginning. Now makers and powers are two different things. In the beginning, when all things were made, he was already. From this the evangelist concludes that he was not alone before all creatures, but that he was a co-worker and equal creator of all things with the Father. And as a sign, the work proves and praises the Master. For everything that was made was made by him; he is the Creator of all creatures. So that there is no difference between the Father and the Son as far as the divine essence is concerned. For we will speak of the Holy Spirit when the text allows. According to such divine essence, he is more truly God than he was in the beginning and was with God. According to this he is also with the deed, as with the creation. For all creatures, angels, heaven, earth, were made by him. And St. John in the fifth chapter, v. 17, Christ says: "My Father works until now, and I also work." And St. Paul to the Ephesians in the third chapter, v. 9, says: "God created all things through Jesus Christ." Item, to the Colossians in the first chapter, v. 15, 16: "He is the image of the invisible God. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth." And to the Hebrews in the first chapter, v. 2, it is said: "God has made the Son heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
39 By such and such sayings this article of the divinity of Christ has been defended and preserved for and against all heretics in the church, and will also remain safe from the devil and his blasphemers until the end of the world. So that we may not doubt, but know and believe that our dear Lord and Savior, born of Mary the Virgin, is also true,
1556 Erl. 4S, 313-316. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII. 1412-1415. 1557
The Father and the Holy Spirit are the true, natural God and Creator. For the Father creates everything through the Son. Follows:
And without that nothing is made that is made.
40 Before, Saint John said affirmatively: "All things were made by the Word". Now he puts the negatives: "And without these things (before without the Word) nothing is made"; that is, nothing is made, be it what it may, that is not made by the Word. So meet the future error of Arii, so that no one may remember how Arius raved afterwards, namely, that Christ was the highest, mightiest, noblest, wisest creature, through whom all others were created, but nevertheless he was before all others in the beginning.
(41) This blasphemous lie has no foundation; decorate it as you will. For St. John says straight away the contradiction, namely, that the Word, the Son of God, in the beginning, when God created all things and all creatures began to be, was not alone, and God, Creator of all creatures, was watching; but he was a co-worker, as he says to St. John in the 5th, v. 17: "My Father works until now, and I also work." If, then, he is the same Creator, as the text clearly says, "All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made"; and if all things were made by the Word, and without him was not any thing made, then the Word could not have been made.
(42) This article of our salvation and blessedness we can neither understand nor comprehend by human reason, but we must believe it as the Scriptures speak of it, and therefore hold fast that Christ our Lord is true, natural God and man, and equal with the Father in divine nature and essence. For the heretics have attacked both natures in Christ, as the divine and the human. Cerinthus soon began the game in the apostle's time, as § 6 said, pretending he was not GOD. The Manichaeans challenged his humanity, as some do in our time, insisting that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit alone, therefore he could not be a man like us.
He has not taken the nature of the flesh, which is like our flesh, but as he is a heavenly man, so his flesh is also heavenly.
For this reason I warn you faithfully to beware of such idolatrous spirits. For if Christ does not remain a true, natural God, born of the Father in eternity, and Creator of all creatures, then we are lost. For what would I gain from the suffering and death of the Lord Christ if he were only a man, like me and you? He would not have been able to overcome the devil, death and sin, he would have been far too weak for them, and he would not have been able to help us. Therefore, we must have such a Savior, who is true God, and a Lord over sin, death, the devil and hell. But if we let the devil overthrow this reason that he is not true God, then his suffering, death and resurrection are of no use to us, and we have no hope of attaining eternal life and blessedness; in sum, we cannot take any comfort at all from all the comforting promises of Scripture. But if we are to be saved from the devil's power and murderous stings, and from sin and death, we must have an eternal good that lacks nothing and has no defect in it.
- it will not do that the Arians will be high-minded: Christ is the noblest, most exalted creature 2c. They would thus adorn their shameful error so that people would not notice it, as in our time the pernicious sect of Anabaptists and Sacramentarians also do, to cover up their evil deeds, of which they do much, and to color evil things; so they praise and extol highly Christian love, patience, unity; item, their great persecution, which they suffer. But what is the use of long praising and exalting Christian love and other virtues, while destroying the faith?
(45) If faith is torn apart and violated in the least, it is done with us. And if Christ's divinity is withdrawn, there is no help nor salvation against God's wrath and judgment. For our sin, misery and sorrow are too great; if this is to be countenanced, there must be a higher payment for it than that which is made by
1558 Erl. 45, 316-318. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, I41S-I4I8. 1559
an angel, arch father and prophet 2c. can be aligned; God's son must become man, and suffer and shed his blood for it.
Again, if humanity is taken away from him, it is again lost with us. As the heretical Manichaeans did, they pretended it deliciously, saying: God is holy, pure, and undefiled by all things. Therefore it is impossible that he should enter into some creature, even if he were only an angel. For the creature is far too vile for him to enter into it. Christ did not have to be a natural man, nor did he have to take on human nature, and be formed into a man from a drop of blood of a female image, and become a true man from Mary. It would have been too close to the divine majesty, and the divine majesty would have been blasphemed and reviled]. They said, therefore, that he was born of Mary, not that he took flesh and blood from her, but that just as the sun's rays pass through a painted glass and make a figure of blue or red color on the wall, so Christ would have passed through Mary as a shadow, taking nothing from her flesh and blood, and would not have been a natural man. Others said: he would have made him a body in heaven, and drawn it through Mariam the Virgin. But if he had not been a true man, he could not have suffered and died and brought about the redemption of the human race.
Therefore, everything is to the sorrowful devil's detriment that he cannot tolerate this article about the divinity and humanity of Christ. But true God must be Christ, as the Holy Scriptures testify of him powerfully, and especially St. Paul says that the whole fullness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily; or we will remain eternally damned. Thus, according to humanity, he must be a true, natural son of Mary the Virgin, from whom he took flesh and blood, just as another child takes flesh and blood from its mother. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, who came upon her, and the power of the Most High overshadowed her, Luc. 1, 35.
But Mary, the pure virgin, had to do it from her seed and natural blood, which flowed from her heart; so that he took everything from her, what a natural child takes from its mother, but without sin. We must also believe this; if not, we are lost. If, however, he is not a true, natural man born of Mary, as the Manichaeans say, then he is not of our flesh and blood, does not belong to us at all, and we have nothing to rejoice in him.
48 But we do not allow ourselves to be challenged by what the devil blasphemes. We do not allow ourselves to dispute what the devil blasphemes against the Lord Christ with his lying mouths, now his divinity, soon his humanity, and then attacks his ministry and work: But we hold fast to the prophets and apostles of the Scriptures, who, impelled by the Holy Spirit, speak of Christ in clear words, and testify that he is our brother, and we are members of his body, one flesh and bone of his flesh and bones, and that he, Christ our Savior, after humanity, was a true, natural fruit of the virgin body of Mary (of which Elizabeth, full of the Holy Spirit, says to her (Luc. 1, 42.): "Giving is the fruit of your womb") without the help of a man; she also remained a virgin afterwards. Otherwise, what belongs to a mother was done in Mary, the eternal Son of God's mother; so that even the milk he sucked was not created or came from elsewhere, but grew in the breasts of the holy, pure mother. (49) In sum, we must first have such a Savior who can save us from the power of this world of God and princes, of the devil, item, from sin and death, that is, who is the true, eternal God, through whom all who believe in him will be justified and saved. For if he is not more and higher than Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, John the Baptist 2c., he is not our Savior. But if he, as the Son of God, sheds his blood for us, that he may redeem us and cleanse us from sins, and we believe it, and hold it up to the devil, when he terrifies and torments us because of sins, then the devil is soon defeated, he must depart, and leave us satisfied. For the Angel, that is, the divinity of Christ, so under the
1560 Erl. 45, S18-3S0. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. vu, 1418-1420. 1561
The earthworm that was hidden under his humanity (which the devil swallowed in his mouth when Christ died and was buried) tore his belly so that he could not hold it properly, but had to give it up again, and he ate death with it; which is our greatest comfort. For as little as he was able to keep Christ in death, so little can he keep those who believe in him in it.
50 Secondly, we must have a Savior, who is also our brother, of our flesh and blood, who has become like us in all things, yet without sin. And this we also sing, confess, and say in our infant faith: "I believe in Jesus Christ, God the Father Almighty's only Son, conceived of the Holy Spirit, not of Joseph, born of Mary, a true, natural man, suffered, crucified, died, rose from the dead the third day, ascended into heaven, seated at the right hand of God, in equal power and glory with the Father. So that I may say with a glad heart: I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, who sits at his right hand and represents me, who is also my flesh and blood, yes, my brother. For the sake of us men, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, became man, and died for our sins. Thus John also began his gospel of the eternal divinity of Christ, saying: "In the beginning was the Word", and the same Word (he says afterwards) became flesh. From this then further.
(51) I do not say this in so many words for no reason, for everything depends on this article, which serves to make all the other articles of our Christian faith resound through it. That is why the devil challenged it soon in the beginning of Christianity, and afterwards also in our time, through his sects and cults. Otherwise, he can suffer all kinds of abominations and lies, however crude, unsubtle and blasphemous they are. He allowed Venus, Priapus and other more foul, shameful fornications, which I do not want to name for the sake of the dear youth, to be honored and worshipped; but what God speaks, he can do unmastered, unconverted and unblasphemed by his sects.
not leave it. And we should heartily thank God for speaking to us through His Word, revealing His gracious, fatherly will and divine nature, and bringing us to a true knowledge of this and other articles of Christian doctrine, and teaching us what our blessedness is based on.
52 This article is therefore, that Christ, true, natural God and man, is our rock, on which our salvation and blessedness is founded, and on which we are baptized, live and die. And St. John, as a pioneer among the evangelists, has powerfully described the deity of the Lord Christ, as that the world, heaven, earth, all creatures, visible and invisible, were created by the Word, and that nothing was made but by this Word of the Father, and therefore it was from eternity before any creature was created. For what is before time, which has beginning and end, must be eternal. As the Nicene Symbol also describes the Lord Christ, that he was born of the Father before the whole world, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, and that in time he was also born true man from Mary 2c. Which symbolism with clear bright words testifies that Christ, our Redeemer, is true, eternal God by nature and kind, and does not only bear the mere name that he is called the Son of God, as Arius blasphemed.
With this beginning of the Gospel of John, and with your Nicene Symbol, the devil and all heretics who have ever been or can still be, can be powerfully cast down to the ground. For even though the heretics took upon themselves to master and pervert this gospel with a delicious semblance of reason, their folly was finally revealed and condemned as a devil's lie by Christendom, and they perished with shame.
Second sermon on the Gospel of John.
Saturday after Margaret [July 14, I637j. 1)
V. 3: All things are made through the same, and without the same nothing is made that is made.
- "The other sermon on Saturday after Margaret" is written in the original in the margin.
1562 Erl. 45, 330-323, Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1420-1423. 1563
(54) Saint John hereby declares that not only is Christ God, and has been from all eternity, before the world and the beginning of all things, but that God not only created the world and all creatures through the Word, His only begotten Son and divine wisdom, but through the same He also governs and sustains them forever, until the end of the world; that therefore the Son of God is co-creator of heaven and earth with His Father. But he is not a master craftsman, like a carpenter or master builder, who, when he has prepared, finished and straightened a house, ship or other work, whatever it may be, leaves the house to "his" master to dwell in it, or commands the ship to the boatmen and shipwrights to sail in it over the sea, and the carpenter goes away wherever he wants. As all craftsmen do when they have finished their work or business, they go away and "ask" nothing more about their work and labor, it may stand as long as it can. This does not happen here, but God the Father has begun and accomplished the creation of all creatures through His word, and still maintains it for and through the same, remaining so lukewarm about His work, which He creates, 1) until He wills that it should never be. Therefore Christ says John 5:17: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I also work." For as without all our doing and ability we are created by him, so also we cannot be sustained by ourselves. Therefore, as the heavens, the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, men, and all living things were created by the Word in the beginning, so they are wonderfully governed and sustained by it.
- How long would the sun, the moon, and all the heavens run, which have had their course so surely for so many thousands of years; item, that the sun rises and sets in certain times and places annually, if God, who created them, did not still maintain them daily? It would be impossible for men to be fruitful, to beget children, or for all kinds of animals, one from the other, to live as if they were daily.
- Erlanger: "so long to."
The earth's form would be renewed every year and give all kinds of fruit, the sea would bring forth all kinds of fish, and in sum, all creatures, animals, and plants, each according to its kind, would multiply and would certainly be renewed every year if they were not preserved by divine power. And if God would let his hand go and depart, the house and everything would soon fall into a heap. All the power and wisdom of angels and men would not be able to preserve them in their essence for a moment; the sun would not long adhere to the sky and shine; no child would be born; no grain, no little grass, nor anything would grow from the earth, nor renew itself, where God did not work for and for.
Therefore, God does not create alone, but what he creates, he also keeps by his nature, as long as he himself wants it to be no more; just as the time will come that the sun, moon and stars will be no more. But he lets them shine, creates fresh grass every year, new grain - that we see before our eyes. For if he did not create it, it would remain ungrown. Thus says the Lord Christ: "As the Father works until now, so I also work"; that is: the Father is such a creator, who, after he has begun to create all things, still works for and for, governs and sustains his creature; thus also I. For daily we see before our eyes that new men, young children, are born into the world who were not before, new trees, new animals on earth, new fish in the water, and new birds in the air become, and do not cease to create and nourish until the last day. God the Father, God the Son, with the Holy Spirit, do not cease from their work, as craftsmen, cobblers and tailors, cease from their work when they have made shoes or garments. They do not cease to work on what they have made until the end; and before one thing has its end, 2) they make another in its place, so that their creature lasts forever. As: Before a hundred years we all, as we are gathered here, were nothing; but after that there is a
- Erlanger: and create.
1564 Erl. 48, 32S-3L8. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1423-1426. 1565
Each one was born in his own time, and are also now; so of course none of us will be here for over a hundred years, and others will come in our place, who are still nothing, even since no one knows yet who will be father or mother, where house and farm are, from which they shall be fed Eccl. 1:4. As Moses speaks of it in detail, when he says in the 90th Psalm v. 3: "You let the people die, and say: Come again, children of men."
(57) As little as all creatures have done to be created in the beginning, so little have they been able to do to remain and be preserved in their essence and perenniality, to be increased and preserved for and for. Item: As we humans did not make ourselves [Ps. 100, 3J, so we cannot preserve ourselves by our powers in life for one hour. That I increase and grow, that does God; otherwise I would have to have died many years ago. If the Creator, who always works, item, his co-worker, would turn away his hand, then everything would go to failure and to ruins very soon. Therefore, in the articles of our Christian faith we confess: "I believe in God the Father, Almighty Creator of heaven and earth. If he did not sustain us, whom he created, we would have been corrupted and died long ago, indeed, probably in the cradle and in birth.
(58) This is also what the apostle Heb 11:3 means when he says: "By faith we know that the world was made by the Word of God, that all things which are seen were made from nothing. In other words, we know that through Christ, who is the Father's Word and wisdom, the world was made, and that through Him the Father produces for and for the invisible things, which are nothing, so that they become visible and something, ut ex invisibilibus visibilia fierent. As we all were an invisible thing a hundred years ago, and those who are yet to be born beyond ten or twenty years are now also an invisible thing, or a filiation that does not yet exist, of which we see nothing but a mere nothingness (that I call it so); yet they shall become visible and something in their time when they are born.
59 Therefore Christ is the man who ex invisibilibus facit visibilia, that is, who makes something visible out of that which is invisible. So heaven and earth, out of that which was invisible and nothing, were brought forth by him and made visible, and so the Lord Christ, when all things were created, was present; not as a bystander, but was the same Creator and Co-creator, and by him all things are still governed and preserved until the end of the world. For he is the beginning, the means and the end of all creatures.
(60) This is the way to think of creation; not, as some heretics and crude people have pretended, that God first created everything, and then let nature do all her will, and now all things become of themselves, giving our Lord God no more than a cobbler or tailor can do. This is not only contrary to the Scriptures, but also contrary to experience. And this is the most noble part of creation, that we know and believe that God holds fast to that which He has created. Therefore, when St. John says, "All things that are made were made by the Word"; let it be understood that by the same Word all things that are made are also preserved in their essence; otherwise they would not long remain made. Follows further:
V. 4. In him was life.
Previously the evangelist said: "All things were made by the word. With this he includes all creatures in one heap, none excluded. Now he remains on the line that he wants to come to human nature, for the sake of which all creatures were created, and yet deceived by the devil and brought to fall, that it transgressed God's commandment, sinned against him, and thus is subject to the devil's power. All other unreasonable creatures, which are not fallen nor have sinned, he leaves aside, runs and remains only on the human nature, for whose sake it is to do everything, also everything else was created and made, and says: "In him was life." That is: The Son of God is not such a creator or worker, who, like a master builder, when he has finished the work, goes away, and, if
1566 Erl. 45, 3S5-3LS. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1426-1428. 1567
his hour comes, dies. No, but he rules and preserves for and for what he has made in the beginning. And although that which is temporal and does not endure passes away with time, dies and comes to nothing, yet he remains forever. For he is God, and in him is life, which cannot die nor perish. Therefore he also makes a difference between this creator and all others who make something. He is far a different worker than a bodily workmaster who is mortal. For he has life from himself and does not die. What lives and remains has its life and essence from him. Otherwise the work and work of other craftsmen, such as blacksmiths, carpenters, shoemakers and tailors, remain, when the master craftsmen have already died, and leave their work behind, or their work often does not remain after their death. But this master does not die. For he has been and will remain before and after all creatures, and he sustains his work without ceasing as long as he wills, and gives and takes life to whom he wills, for there is life in abundance.
62 Therefore Moses says in the 90th Psalm, v. 5: "You let the people die, and say: Come again, children of men. As if he wanted to say: You put all men to death, say they shall die, and where they are gone, you create others in their place. Therefore he does not die according to his divine nature and come to life again, but he is life, not only in himself, but everything that lives has life in him and through him, especially man. Even though all other animals, such as cows and sows, all live through him, but not like man, who was created in the image of God and eternal life, but in paradise, through the fall of Adam, lost such life and came to death, but was to be made alive again through Christ. So John sharpens the cones and makes a corner, so that he wants to come in on the line of the human race. Then he even turns and says:
And life was the light of the people.
- in him (he wants to say) was life, not for himself alone, because he gives to all
He was the life of creatures, especially of man, that he should live forever. And he was also the light, namely the light of men, that he should give a special light to men. It is a miracle that the evangelist St. John can speak of such high, important things in such poor, simple words. He wants to say: The Son of God comes so close to men that he is their light, which is far different from the light that all unreasonable animals and beasts see. For the cows and sows also have a common light of the sun by day, and the light of the moon by night; but man is specially endowed with the glorious light of reason and understanding. That men have devised and invented so many noble arts, be it wisdom, agility, or skill, comes all from this light, or from the word that was the life of man. Therefore this life, Christ, is not only a light for himself, but he enlightens men with his light, so that all understanding, wit and agility, if they are not false and devilish, flow from this light, which is the eternal Father's wisdom.
- But without the light, which is common to all men, both pious and wicked, there is still a special light, which God gives to His own, on which remains all that John writes about the Word, namely, that the Word reveals Himself to His elect through the Holy Spirit and through the oral word, and wants to be the light of His people. Sharpen the cone and the corner still more sharply, shine the light on the descendants of Abraha and the following fathers, that is, on the Jews, from whom Christ comes according to the flesh, and thus comes on the line or cord of Christ.
In paradise he revealed himself to Adam and Eve soon after their fall, and let a bright shining of his light shine to them, by which their heart was enlightened and comforted, that they should be refreshed of their suffering, into which the serpent had led them, when he said to them, Gen. 3, 15: "The seed of the woman (that was he) shall bruise the serpent's head." From this light Adam and Eve continued to give to their children and descendants.
1568 Erl. 4S, 328-330. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1428-1431. 1569
preached that it would one day come into the world. So Noah also saw the light and revealed it to the people. And after the flood, he renewed the same promise, and afterwards drew it ever closer, when he spoke to Abraham, Gen. 12, 3, and Cap. 22, 18: "In thee and through thy seed shall all nations or kindreds of the earth be blessed." Likewise also to Isaac and Jacob, Gen. 26, 4. and Cap.
28, 14. And lastly to David: I will set on your throne the fruit of your womb, as Ps. 89, 5. Ps. 132, 11. 2 Sam. 7, 12. Isa. 9, 7.
(66) These were the shining and revelations of this light, which appeared soon after the fall of Adam and Eve (as said) and the other fathers before the flood, and after the flood shone through for and for, in the time of Abraha, after he received the promise. Isaac, Jacob, Moses and the following fathers, who lived in Egypt and afterwards in the land of Canaan, up to David and all other prophets, were enlightened for themselves by this 1) light, and heard the promise, comforted themselves, and believed that this light would come and enlighten all people, and thereafter preached it to others.
This is the light that John is talking about here. For the light or splendor of all virtues, wisdom and arts or skill is given not only to the faithful, but also to the children of the world, who (as the light itself says) are wiser in their generation than the children of light. But by this light the first parents were enlightened, and received comfort, believing that the seed of the woman should help them out of the misery into which the serpent had led them. They preached this to their descendants before the flood, that this light also shone for them and enlightened their hearts to eternal life. The patriarchs after the flood, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, to whom the promise was renewed and made clearer and clearer by the prophets, worked for and on it with the greatest diligence, until the end.
- Erlanger: the.
the future of Christ, who is Savior and Light to all the world. Follows:
V. 5: And the light shines in the darkness.
(68) John speaks badly and foolishly, like a child, and his words (as the worldly wise regard them) are quite childish. But there is such a majesty hidden underneath, which no man, however highly enlightened he may be, can explore or reason out. That he now speaks: "In him was life, and life was the light of men", these are vain thunderbolts against the light of reason, free will, human powers 2c. As if he wanted to say: All men who are apart from Christ lack life before God, are dead and damned. For how could they have life, since they not only walk in darkness, but are darkness itself? Therefore John puts away all other creatures, leaves them aside, and speaks only of men, who are all in darkness, and says: the light has come to men, so that it enlightens them 2c. Therefore Isaiah also calls Christ a light of the Gentiles, Cap. 42, 6. 49, 6. 60, 1. And Zacharias, John the Baptist's father, sings joyfully in his canticle (Luc. 1, 79.) that he has appeared to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. And Christ himself calls himself a light of the world, John 8, v. 12 and Cap. 12, 36.
- But would anyone say, "How is it that this light has shone in the hearts of the faithful for so long a time, even before and after the flood, through the teachings of the fathers and prophets, and finally shone and shone through the oral word of the Lord Christ Himself and the apostles, and yet has not been accepted, because only by a very few? Yes, the great hand persecuted those who testified of the light, as can be seen in John the Baptist, Christ, the apostles, and before that in the prophets. The light has no continuance in the world, though the world is in great need of it. For it is in darkness, it does not know about God, it does not know and fear God, nor does it accept the light, although it already shines to it. To this John answers:
- Erlanger: one.
1570 Erl. 45, SZV-Z32. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1431-1434. 157s
The light shines in the darkness; but the darkness has not understood.
70This is: This light has shone from the beginning of the world, and God's word has been preached in all places, and has soon begun to shine through Adam and the other arch-fathers before the flood. For soon after
They were not able to do anything with their light, but were laughed at. Since the world did not want to believe, but considered the sermons as fables, it had to feel that the flood came and drowned them all.
72.. After the same time, when idolatry violently prevailed in the world, God called Abraham, and promised him that through
His seed (Christ, who came from him according to the flesh) shall bless all nations on earth. The light was not hidden or concealed, but shone through him. For he will have preached with all diligence of the seed that was promised to him, that he would come to enlighten men, to save them from sins and death. But the great multitude remained in darkness at the same time; indeed, Ishmael, his son in the flesh, let the blessed light shine into the darkness, and asked nothing of it, despising it.
73 Thus the same promise was diligently carried out through Isaac. But Esau, his firstborn son, did not desire the light, remained in darkness and valued his firstborn so low that he sold it for food, Gen 25:33 and Heb 12:16.
(74) After this, all the prophets, raised up by God and enlightened by this light, testified of him that death would be swallowed up by him forever. Item: that he was wounded and crushed for our sins, all of which the Lord laid on him, and we were healed by his wounds Isa. 53:5, so that sin can no longer harm us, because it is reconciled through him, and he has brought eternal righteousness to us. But how her testimony was accepted, and what thanks she deserves for it, her writings show.
- Last of all, when the Lord Christ Himself came, who was the life and the true light of men, and lighted the lanterns, which shone and glowed so brightly and clearly that the like of it had never been seen before, He preached with great authority, and far outdistanced the scribes, so that the hearers marveled at the blessed words that proceeded out of His mouth Luc. 4:22, and confirmed His doctrine with miraculous signs, and the dead.
den: Adam received the promise, he preached that GOD would give His Son, through whom
the world is created, would send to the
world, who would crush the head of the serpent, enlighten people, and give them eternal life and bliss. This is his
preaching, which he did daily. But the great hemp in his time were darkness, the word shone and shone among them through his preaching; but they despised it, and remained in darkness. Yes, the terrible thing is, Cain, his own son, soon fell away from him, murdered Abeln, his brother, and set up a new church. So that in Adam's time nine hundred years, and afterwards, there was no lack of preaching, and yet little profit and fruit was produced by it, but the excellent preacher, Adam, preached in vain to his son Cain, and to all his descendants.
In Noah's day the light shone strong in the darkness. For the fathers were diligent to make people believe in the promise of the seed of the woman. Moreover, he preached for a hundred and twenty years before the flood; he was a true light, shining and shining in the world with his teaching, exhorting people with the utmost earnestness and diligence to repent, so that they might escape the terrible, horrible punishment. Therefore St. Peter 2 Epist. 2, 5 calls him "a preacher of righteousness". But he did so much with his preaching and light, which God had kindled in him, that God had to drown the world by water, and went to him, as John says here: "The darknesses have not comprehended the light." After that, he preached after the flood for four and a half hundred years and more, and yet the longer the people were angry, the more they rejected it, and asked nothing of what Noah, Shem and Japheth, the old fathers, said, mocked them, and judged them.
1572 Erl. 45, 332-335. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1434-1436. 1573
The light shines most powerfully in the darkness, but not without fruit. For some were enlightened by it and believed in him for eternal life. But the great multitude was and remained darkness, and they put him to the cross. Not only was he not accepted by them, but he was hung on the cross with lights and lanterns and strangled.
(76) Afterward it was the same with his apostles and disciples, who presented the light to all the world, so that by their shining many also received the true light and were saved. But the emperor and the great rulers of Rome, the chief priests, scribes and councilors of Jerusalem, and other powerful kings and lords, scholars, wise men, and the great crowd despised this same light, considering it to be nothing but fables, folly, and lies of the devil, and persecuted and strangled the witnesses of this same light.
So today we shine our light brightly and clearly into the papacy, so that even our enemies are convinced and must confess that our teaching is divine truth. For it shines mightily under the eyes of the pope, bishops, cardinals, and other knaves, and tells them what darkness they are. But what does it help? The whole papal worm, with its great painted appendage, is not getting better, but only more angry, more blinded, more foolish and more obdurate, striving without ceasing how they may dim the same light, yes, even extinguish it, and completely exterminate us, through whom it shines, is taught and known. For this reason they are and remain darkness, but it does not seem to be without fruit; many are enlightened to salvation by it.
From this we see how the blessed light has always been since the beginning of the world, and still is. The life and light is always in the world, and makes alive, shines, shines, also shines for and for, and brings us to the new birth, and shines, now stronger, soon weaker, tells people how they should believe and live divinely, shows them the way to eternal life and bliss. But how is it accepted and received? No one or even few respect and desire it;
The world does not want to see, know or hear it, but blasphemes it and rewards those through whom it shines. Therefore the Lord Christ Himself laments in the 3rd chapter of John, v. 19, that the light has come into the world, but "men loved darkness rather than light. And St. Paul in the other epistle to the Thessalonians in the 2nd chapter, v. 10, 11, uses a frightening word and says: "Because they have not accepted the love of the truth, that they might be saved, God will send them strong errors, so that they will believe the lie" 2c. As if he wanted to say: The world wants to be deceived, wants to have lies, to be and remain darkness, and yet also wants to be light; but it is vain blindness. This must not be taken far as an example; we can see before our eyes that the world does not want to suffer this light; or if it suffers a while to hear the word, it does not last long; some dance or high mass, 1) then it is over. She will soon be tired and weary of it. Because she hears nothing but always one thing about faith in Christ, she thinks: 1) What is faith? If then some red spirit comes with a new doctrine, which is not light, but man's doctrine and darkness, then the world soon confesses itself with it. For like and like gladly meet, and it lets its ears be scratched with it, and does it gently, like a sow that grunts when it is scratched. So she also turns away her ears from the truth, and turns to fables, 2 Tim. 4, 4. But the light stings her in the eyes, they do not want to suffer that.
I say this so that we may know how the light, Christ himself, who is our Creator, has fared since the beginning of the world. He has shined, made alive, given promise, and done much good to the world with creation and his light; it still does not want to accept it. But although the poor, blind world of the dear light does not desire it, indeed cannot suffer it, but persecutes and blasphemes it, yet it seems to be by the special grace of the true, eternal light, for the sake of the small host that is to be enlightened by it, does not perish because of ingratitude and
- This proverb occurs otherwise in the form: Es währet einen Tanz zur Lochmesse. Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XIII, 80.
1574 Erl. 4S, 33S-337. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1436-1446. 1575
Contempt for the sake of the great godless multitude. As it happened at the time of the flood, since it shone before through Noah, although it was despised to the highest degree; therefore also God led the flood over the world, since it did not want to let itself be punished by the spirit of God in Noah, that everything that had a living breath on earth perished and died, and afterwards such light 'shone and shone again through Noah, Shem and Japheth as before. So also, through Lot this light shone and shone before and after the punishment of the five cities, Sodoma and Gomorrah 2c., which the Lord turned back, raining brimstone and fire on them. And such light has remained forever until John the Baptist.
The third sermon on the Gospel of John.
Saturday after Vincula Petri, August 4 1537. 1)
This was the beginning of the Gospel of St. John, when the evangelist described our dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as being the Word of the eternal Father, and with Him the true, true God from eternity; for from the beginning, before anything was ever created, He had already been. This is a beautiful, glorious testimony to the divinity of the Lord Christ. Thus the evangelist also distinguished the person of the Son from the Father, when he said: "The Word was with God. The Father and the Son are indeed together One God; but in the persons this is the difference, that the Father is not born of the Son, but the Son is born of the Father, and not created. According to this, the same Word is also a light and life for men, so that everything that lives, especially man, has life from Him, and all men who have been enlightened at all times, and who will be enlightened even more, are and will be enlightened by Him, who is the true eternal light; those who have light and life must all receive it from Him.
- "The third sermon" and the timing is in the original margin.
until John the Baptist. Therefore the word has neither beginning nor end, as we humans and all other creatures have.
81 Thus he described the divine nature of Christ, that we might know assuredly that he is not a pure man, as Cerinthus blasphemed, who alone had the beginning with mankind, assumed from Mary his afflicted mother, but is also Creator, by whom all things were made, and are preserved, and governed, and are yet to be governed and preserved; only that he was born of the Father, and not the Father of him, wherefore he is called the Son of God.
Now John goes down to the humanity of Christ, saying that the Word, the Creator of all creatures, the life and light of men, became flesh; that is, Christ took on human nature. That therefore two natures, divine and human, are inseparably united in one person. And now the evangelist sees the new testament, the preaching of the gospel of Christ our Savior, before whom John the Baptist goes, and is to be a witness of light, pointing to him with his fingers. Therefore follows:
V. 6. There was a man sent by God named John.
The evangelist, as you see, speaks of John the Baptist very briefly, but Lucas and Matthew describe his miraculous conception and birth more abundantly and superfluously. For Elizabeth, his mother, was barren, and both she and her husband Zacharias were well aged. His birth was announced by the angel Gabriel, and while he was still in his mother's womb, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. And when Mary came to Elizabeth and greeted her, the child leaped with joy in her womb, and she, Elizabeth, full of the Holy Spirit, cried out loudly, saying, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb" 2c. Mary also began to sing the Magnificat joyfully in the Spirit, and Zacharias then sang the Benedictus when John was born, of which Luc. Cap. 1, 39. ff. is to be read 2c. This all skips John the
1576 Erl. 1S, 387-339. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4, W. VII, 1446-1448. 1577
Evangelist, does not remember with a single word how he was conceived, born or grew up, and how the command of God came to him in the wilderness, and he came to all the region around the Jordan River, doing something special: preaching in the wilderness, not in the temple, and baptizing all who come to him in the Jordan River. Item, how he eats locusts in the desert and wild honey, had a garment of camel hair and a leather belt around his loins, all of which is described at length in Luc. 3, 2. ff. John the Evangelist leaves all this, and begins to speak of the sent John the Baptist, and quickly takes up his office; he begins to speak not of the born John, but of the sent one, and says:
It was a man sent by God.
- From this time of John the Baptist the eternal kingdom of Christ and the new testament also came into being, and the reign of Moses, the prophets, the priests and the Levites ceased or came to an end; as Christ Himself says in Matt. 11:13: "All the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And because the Lord Christ was now present, Moses, the priests and prophets had done their part, and taught and governed the people of Israel according to the law. For their time was not determined longer than until Christ came; when he came, Moses' regime with its worldly laws (as of judicial affairs, of marriage, item, divorce, of inheritance and succession, of punishments and of all kinds of vices, of church laws, of the temple, priesthood, divine and church service, of circumcision, feasts and sacrifices) was to cease.
The ten commandments, which speak of holy conduct and life toward God and man, cease so that they cannot condemn us who believe in Christ, who put himself under the law, that he might redeem us who were under the law, even that he might become a curse for us, that he might save us from the curse of the law. But the ten commandments remain, and concern all of us Christians, as far as obedience is concerned. For the righteousness required by the law is fulfilled in believers by grace and the help of the
Holy Spirit, which they receive. Therefore, all the exhortations of the prophets in the Old Testament, and of Christ and the apostles in the New Testament, about godly conduct, are beautiful sermons and explanations about the Ten Commandments.
Now Christ has just come to the time, which Jacob determined in Genesis 49:10 and Daniel in Genesis 9:24, which Isaiah in Genesis 49:8 and 61 Cap. 1:1 and St. Paul after him in 2 Corinthians 6:2 call a gracious or pleasant time, "a gracious year of the Lord" and "a day of salvation. Since Christ (before he entered his ministry, began to preach and perform miraculous signs) had himself baptized by John before, John the Baptist had to go before the Lord Christ, so that he would not only have an inward, secret calling of his ministry, for which he was provided before the foundation of the world was laid, but also a public, visible calling, namely, when the divine majesty was revealed at the Jordan above his baptism. The eternal Father makes himself known by his voice, saying, "This is my dear Son." Thus the Son stands in the water, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him in bodily form, like a dove. For a great and glorious change was to take place, not unlike the Flood, when a new world came out of the old. For the law, together with the Jewish priesthood and kingdom, was to be done away with, and a new world was to be established through the gospel, so that henceforth not only the Jews, but all peoples on earth were to be called and be God's people. John was to begin this new kingdom. God gave him the command, and the office of preaching and baptizing was given to him, as Lucas the Evangelist indicates with many words: "The word of the Lord came to John, the son of Zachariah, who made the change. In him the old testament ends and the new one begins. He no longer preaches the law of Moses, but teaches about the grace that was to come through Christ, after which he soon baptizes. For there was something new and great, which greatly disturbed the Jews.
- the Jews stood firm and firm.
1578 Erl. 45/339-342. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1448-1451. 1579
They also boasted gloriously, saying: We are Abraha's seed, flesh and blood, item, God's people, to whom God promised the Messiah; and for a sign, we have the law, Moses, the prophets, the temple, the holy city, the service of God, fully established and ordered by God through Moses, the circumcision; we also dwell in the land of Canaan, which God promised to our fathers and to us, their descendants, to dwell in forever. They had great glory, the like of which no people on earth had ever had; for this reason they wanted to be God's people alone, who would be blessed, and no one else, because they had been Jews before.
This delusion and glory, on which the Jews have stood for fifteen hundred years and are still standing, God wanted to change at the same time and push to the ground; Christ wanted to take away their honor and glory, saying that all this (told above) should not have lasted longer than until John; then it should have an end, and the eternal, blessed kingdom of Christ should begin, of which the 2nd Psalm sings: "Give thee the Gentiles for an inheritance, and the end of the world for a possession. Psalm, v. 8, sings: "Cry unto me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the end of the world for thine own possession." That now not only the Jews, who were a small, small group, to be counted against all peoples on earth, and had a small, narrow corner in Judea, but also, as before, all Gentiles should be God's people, and thus the kingdom of Christ should be planted and spread in all the world through the gospel, in which Christ would be King and Lord. Then the Jews should have opened their eyes and ears, and believed and followed John, when he preached that Christ also wanted to be the Savior of the Gentiles and of all peoples in the world, and that the Jews would not be cast out if they would only accept Christ and rejoice in his kingdom, which would be much different from the fleshly thoughts they otherwise had about it.
One of the rabbis wrote that in the time of Messiah Jerusalem should be so wide, broad and long that its walls should reach to the end of the world; so gloriously great should the city be. But how is it possible that the whole world should become one city? There must be streams, large and small
Water, forests, fields, meadows, gardens, meadows, mountains and valleys, where else would the people get food, clothing and everything that serves to maintain this temporal life? From where and on what should the cattle live, if grass and all kinds of feed did not grow annually? 2c. Therefore the opinion that the fleshly Jerusalem should become so great, which forty years after the resurrection of Christ was so torn and pulled down by the Romans that not one stone was left upon another, does not lie. But the spiritual Jerusalem, that is, the kingdom of Christ was to be spread out into all the world through the gospel, which first came out of the physical Jerusalem, Is. 2, 3. 4, 2. This also came to pass, that the gospel was preached, and thereby the kingdom of Christ was greatly established in all places under heaven, so that it now extends to the ends of the earth, where we also, by the grace and mercy of God, are citizens and dwellers, having the Bible, hearing the blessed gospel of Christ, and being called Christians of Him, are His brethren, and joint heirs of all His eternal, heavenly goods; In such heavenly walls of the city of Jerusalem we also dwell, and all cities also are shut up therein, which hear the word of God, and have the same citizenship.
- Before the future of Messiah, the Jews were to adhere to their priests and Levites, who preached to them Moses and the prophets, and on all Sabbaths read the priesthood with its laws and rights, established and ordered by God through Moses; who also admonished them to wait patiently for the future of Messiah, preached about the future Christ, and said: He will come, wait, be patient, wait, he will not remain outside, but will certainly come at a certain time. For this purpose Moses and the prophets were to bear witness of the Messiah who was to come and be born. As we do now, preach and comfort the devout Christians, who are being afflicted and persecuted by the devil and the evil world, both within and without, to have patience and wait for the blessed day of their salvation, when Christ the Lord will come to judge.
1580"" Erl. 4s, 342-sit. Lucher's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4-. W. vu, i4Sl-i454. 1581
the living and the dead, and then put an end to all miseries and misery.
The Jews did not want to accept this, but insisted that the earthly Jerusalem should be the seat and dwelling place of the Messiah. As the apostles themselves were still under the fleshly delusion, after Christ had risen from the dead, as if the Messiah would raise a worldly kingdom, and when he came, he would come with great splendor and glory, as an emperor, and force all the world under him by might, 1) making the Jews vain princes and lords, and the Gentiles mere servants. Thus they understood the sayings of the prophets, which prophesied gloriously of the kingdom of Christ. As they still comfort and admonish one another, saying: "Dear brothers, wait for the Messiah, who will surely come as he is promised to us, and rebuild the old Jerusalem, establish the law, the priesthood, the temple, and the service of God anew. 2c. Therefore, we want to span the kingdom of Messiah and bind it to the earthly Jerusalem, where he shall dwell, and from there send the Jews into all the world and make them great rulers in Rome, Babylon, Constantinople 2c. They will make them rulers there and bring treasures, gold and silver to Jerusalem, which will be the court of their Messiah (as they dream), the most powerful king and lord over all the world, and there he will have a beautiful woman's room, according to the 45th Psalm, v. 15. There he will sit, as Solomon did in the past, and the Jews will ride there abundantly, bringing in customs, interest and the womb of the Gentiles everywhere. So they wanted it, and did not object, because it was written in clear words that Messiah should suffer and die. How they still persist in the delusion and superstition until the fifteenth year, and yet have had no sign from God that he would have taken care of them and saved them from the power of their enemies, as before; but Jerusalem, together with the temple, is now destroyed, and they have had no prophet since that time. God leaves them without
- Erlanger: and.
- Erlanger; hundred.
The harder God punishes them, the more hardened they become, and they still console themselves with the fact that they are Abraham's seed and God's people.
Because this false delusion and opinion was so deep in the hearts of the Jews, that Messiah's kingdom should be a fleshly, worldly kingdom, which their fathers and prophets had never said nor taught, much less believed, and Christ came with no such outward splendor as they hoped, John the Baptist was sent to warn them and to talk the people out of this fleshly thought, which was deeply ingrained in them, so that they would not miss the future of the Messiah, nor 3) sleep through it.
For Christ was not to come, as Cyrus, Alexander, Julius, with worldly splendor, armor, silver, gold; but came poor, as the prophet Zacharias had proclaimed, riding into Jerusalem on a strange donkey (as he had nothing of his own), and yet brought all grace and blessedness. Therefore, with beautiful, glorious, comforting words, the prophet promises the people of Israel (who, tired of the old heavy life under the law, had a heartfelt desire and longing for Christ and his kingdom of grace): O daughter of Zion, rejoice greatly, and O daughter of Jerusalem, exult: behold, thy King cometh unto thee, a just man and a helper Zech. 9:9. As if to say, "Do not be misled or disbelieve that he comes so poorly and has nothing, but see that he comes to you to save you from sins and eternal death, and to give you eternal righteousness and blessedness.
- Because Christ should come so badly and simple, without all appearance and splendor, on which carnal hearts have special respect, to win the world by word and miraculous signs, not by guns, sword or bodily force, after Moses, all prophets, priests and Levites, not an angel but a man named John was sent by God, priests and Levites, not an angel, but a man called John, who was more than a prophet (as Christ testifies of him), sent by God (not from himself, not called) before the Lord to knock and wake up the Jews and testify of the Lord,
- Erlanger: and.
who was promised to them, saying: "Open the door, your Savior is here, for whom you have waited so long; wake up! Behold, the new light, which was from the beginning with God and eternal God, and has now become man, is present; see that you do not let it pass by; that is, Christ, the Lord, for whom you have waited so long and sighed for him, is at the door, yes, in the midst of you. Only go out to meet him, receive and accept your Lord; and you will have no excuse to make that you would gladly have accepted him, if someone had told you, but it is now abundantly told and testified to you, first of all with the new miracle of baptism, and by the dear, worthy one, John the Baptist, whom the Jewish people held in great honor.
95 And he was also an excellent holy man, who had the reputation of being Christ among the people, Luc. 3:15, Joh. 1:20. And even though he did not perform a miracle, the angel sent by God to Zacharias gave him this glorious testimony before he was conceived, that he would be great in the sight of the Lord; he was filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother's womb; he was miraculously conceived by Elizabeth and born of her, who was barren and old; so the father was mute because he did not believe the angel's words, and he spoke again when the child was born. All of which came to pass among the Jewish people and became notorious, as Lucas the Evangelist writes, Cap. 1, 65. 66. So he also has a precious name, called John, that is, Kingdom of Grace, which the angel himself gave him before he was born; did not have to be called by a random name, like other people, but by such a name, which would bring with it that which he is called. He did not have to be called by a random name like other people, but by such a name that would bring with it what he reads, like all names that God makes and gives, just as his beloved Son was not called Jesus in vain, so that he should help his people from sins. So John does not bear this name for his own sake, but for the sake of his ministry and testimony. For he was not to testify of himself, of his food, clothing, 2c. but of Christ, and to preach that
he would be present, not only for the comfort and salvation of the Jews, but also for the whole world. Therefore he points to him with his fingers and says: "Behold, this is the Lamb of God, who bears the sin of the world. Because of this testimony and preaching, he is called a loving, gracious preacher, who does not preach the law (by which sin is recognized and strengthened, causing terror and wrath), but the gospel, that God is gracious to us for Christ's sake, who bore our sin and was sufficient for it.
96 Thus the evangelist describes John the Baptist in his ministry, to which he soon takes hold, as said. From this we see that Christ's kingdom did not begin at his, the Lord Christ's, nor John's birth, but in the thirtieth year of both their ages, although John was half a year older than Christ. Then came the command of God from heaven to John in the wilderness, that he should stand forth before the people of Israel, and testify that the consolation and Savior was present to all the world, and admonish them that they should look to him, and take good heed, and not suffer him to pass by, or neglect him. Item, that he should baptize all who hear his preaching and desire his baptism.
97 After this command, he immediately appeared and preached in all the region around the Jordan River, where there were many towns and villages on both sides. For to him it is said, "Go, my John, and preach of the presence of the Messiah, and awaken them by new baptism from the shadow of death, and bring them to Christ. Therefore he says: "Repent, the. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. I baptize you with water unto repentance, but he that cometh after me shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." What he preached further, read Matthäi Cap. 3, 1. f. and Lucä at the 3rd chapter, v. 3. ff. So he preached at the Jordan, where on both sides of the water lay many cities, towns and villages, and said: Christ is there; and consecrated to the Lamb of God. Just as we would say: This man preaches on the Elbe, that is, he preaches at Wittenberg, Torgau, or Magdeburg; and many people came to St. John's, and heard his sermon, especially
1582 Erl. 45, 344-347. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VI," 1454-1457. 1583
1584 Erl. 45, S47-S4S. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, I4S7-14SS. 1585
the Pharisees, 1) scribes and priests; as Lucas indicates.
98 St. John also led a strict life, was in the desert from his youth, Luc. 1, 80. 15. Matth. 3, 4., drank water, needed no other food than locusts and wild honey, ate no other cooked food, and wore no linen shirt, nor any clothing, had no shoes on, walked strangely: Summa, he led such an outward nature and peculiar life that everyone wondered about it. Not that he wanted to be something special, but so that his sermon would be more respected by the people. The Jews were to be moved by it and think, "What will be behind this man? and wonder at his teaching. As they did, saying, "John is a good man, God did not send him in vain, the man's teaching must not be in vain. And St. John's special life and character, by command of God and as it was proclaimed by the angel, had to serve his baptism and the sermon he preached, so that it would have the greater reputation among the people. It was also so that the Jews would have no excuse to say, "If it had been announced to us by a prophet or other holy man that Christ was present, we would have received him cheerfully, with all reverence and gratitude.
- Not long after this, the Lord Christ Himself showed Himself, and came not armed, nor rumbling in with many thousands on horseback and on foot, nor with some armor of war, like a worldly king, with many people, horses and chariots, but as a spiritual king and preacher, appointed by God Himself on His holy mountain Zion, who was to preach "in such a way that the Lord said to Him: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee", Ps. 2, 7. This was much different preaching than they had heard from their priests and Levites. This teaching began in Zion and then spread throughout the world.
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(100) And the Lord proved this doctrine of his with great and marvelous miraculous signs, such as no man had seen or heard before that time. For whomever he touched, whether he was sick, blind, deaf, lame, crippled or leprous, 2c. was soon healed. He also raised the dead, such as Lazarum, who had been in the grave four days, and two others, the son of the widow of Nain, and Jairi, the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue. These works and miracles of Christ were so that the people would believe his preaching. The same miraculous signs and much more were done by the apostles afterward, as St. Peter's shadow healed and made people whole Acts 5:15, which were such great miraculous deeds that no emperor, king, ruler or lord in the world, indeed no man, could have done.
All these things moved the common people, so that many from Jerusalem and from all the land of Judea and other countries near the Jordan went out to John, heard his preaching, and were baptized by him into Christ, to whom he pointed out that he would soon follow him, forgive their sins, and baptize them with the Holy Spirit. This is what Lucas means when he says, Cap. 7, 29: "All the people who heard him, and also the tax collectors, justified God and were baptized with the baptism of John." But the great Hanses, the Pharisees, chief priests and scribes, would not listen, but remained stiff-necked in their minds, saying: We are Abraham's and the fathers' descendants, to whom God has promised the Messiah; therefore we are the chief heads and rulers of God's people. If God wants to bring about a change, He will let us, the great princes and rulers, know about it beforehand through a prophet, and will not need such a poor beggar as John to do it. Yes, one should order it to them.
102 But our Lord God is pleased not to do as we suggest; therefore they remained obstinate, "despising God's counsel, to their great hurt, and would not be baptized by Him," Luc. 7:30. So also John 7:45-49, when the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees, whom they had sent out, returned.
1586 Erl. 45, 349-351. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1459-1462. 1587
had to take hold of Christ, and they said, "Why did you not bring him? And the servants answered: No man ever spoke like this man. Then said the Pharisees unto them, Are ye also deceived? Does any Pharisee or ruler believe in him? but the people who know nothing of the law are accursed." But it is a great wonder that John, Christ and the apostles' future, preaching and miraculous works they could thus despise and throw to the winds. They should ever have been moved by these great and high people to believe their doctrine. Because they did not do so, the Jews will have so many misfortunes, miseries and hardships for fifteen hundred years. But they are still mad and foolish to this day, blaspheming the Virgin Mary, saying that she is a harlot, and that the Lord Christ is a harlot, and a murderer or an avenger 2c.
Furthermore, it was highly necessary that John the Baptist (who had a great reputation among all the people) went before the Lord and testified that he was the Messiah. For when Christ came, stood up and began to preach, he had a contemptible, lowly appearance, having been a carpenter until then, as Marcus writes Cap. 6, 3. that many were astonished at his teaching, wisdom and deeds, and said: 1) "Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary? and were offended at him." Therefore, although in him was the life and light of men, and the light was not hidden, but kindled, and gave forth a bright shining, and shined unto men with miracles and words (as the two disciples say, Luc. 24:19, "He 2) was a prophet mighty in deeds and words"), yet there was none, or very few of them, that took heed to the Lord Christ. Since he had no reputation, St. John the Baptist had to come and point to him with his finger and say, v. 27: "This is he"; item, v. 26, 27: "I baptize with water, but he has come among you whom you do not know. This is the one who
- Erlanger: say.
- So set by us according to the Bible. Erlanger: It.
I will come (that is, before I die I will stand up and preach), who was before me, that I am not worthy to loose his shoe laces." Item v. 16: "From his fullness we have all received grace for grace." That now the evangelist speaks:
V. 6. 7. There was a man sent by God 2c. He came to testify.
This is once again a strong thunderclap against the pagans and enthusiasts of our time, who despise the oral word. But mark these words well, in honor of the outward word. The desperate peelers, the enthusiasts, would like to bring us to the point that the light, Christ, should remain hidden from us, saying: the spirit, the spirit must do it. If this is the case, as they claim, it would have been unnecessary for John, sent by God, to come to testify. For the Spirit would have moved all the people (especially since Christ himself was present, preaching in the midst of the people and performing miraculous signs) to accept him as the Messiah. But it did not happen, because the people were offended by his contemptible appearance. Therefore John had to come with an outward word or testimony, and stretch out his fingers, and say, There he goes. Otherwise there was no remedy nor counsel.
For though (as I said) the Lord Christ himself shone forth with works and words, and wrought wonders before their eyes, that he helped all the sick that were brought unto him, and taught and preached so mightily that the people marveled at it, yet it did not help. But these spirits of the rotten can soon advise and help people to be converted, but not to God, but to the wretched devil. That is why they, who are so full of the swarm spirit, do not know how much it costs to reject and overcome one's own thoughts, good conceit and opinion. It takes effort and work to get people to believe by means that God Himself ordains, such as preaching, absolution, sacrament. Thus, John was not able to bring it about that all who heard him believed his
- Erlanger: to be opposed.
1588 Erl. 45, 351-354. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1462-1465. 1589
They believed the testimony, saw Christ and knew that he was the life and light of men and the Savior of the world. Yes, his disciples themselves did not want it at first, so he had to send two of them to the Lord Christ and let them ask him: "Are you the one who is to come? Luc. 7, 19 so that they could hear him for themselves and see the miraculous deeds he was doing at the same time, and then show them to the others. If John, who was sent by God and had no equal among all those born of women, could not have made all the Jews believe his testimony, then what do the blasphemous prophets pretend that the Spirit, the Spirit must do it? It is a spirit that rides them and speaks through them, but from hell. Therefore beware of them.
Not all of those who heard John's testimony and listened to him remained steadfast; many will have been offended when Herod seized him, put him in prison and finally beheaded him, which happened in time, Matth. 4, 12, and Luc. 3, 20. 12, and Luc. 3, 20. They will have been much more offended at Christ, when they saw that he died such an ignominious death, hanged between two murderers, as a blasphemer and rebel, and will have thrown John's testimony to the wind. Yes, many who received the Lord on Palm Day with joy and great reverence, and joyfully sang Matth. 21, 9.: "Hosanna, praise be to him who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest" 2c., will have been of a different mind on Char Friday. Therefore he does not say in vain Matth. 11, 6., "Blessed is he who does not take offense at me." He who does not hold firmly to the word of God, who soon allows himself to be challenged in this and that (for what evil happens, the devil uses his blasphemers to stir up and blames it on the blessed Gospel), who sees so much of the aggravations that he goes astray, and thinks: I want to stay with the old faith. And there are many of them in our time.
V. 7. The same came to testify that he testified of the light.
107 The evangelist gives a low praise to John the Baptist, keeping thus to reckon,
nothing, or even little of him, does not give him more than that he should be a witness, who should testify and preach to the Jews about him who is the life and light of men; Do not say that he taught them of his hard, severe life, how he drank water, wore a garment of camel's hair, ate forest honey and locusts, so that he then started a new sect, that people should follow his example and think to be saved by it, and thus he attracted people to himself, started a new doctrine and sect. No, he does not do that, but he comes to testify, that is, his office is to point his finger at Christ and testify that he is the Lamb of God; thus he points the people, even his own disciples, away from him to the Lord Christ. As if he wanted to say: I am not Christ, I am not the light, I cannot enlighten you nor give you life, but believe and follow him, of whom I am a witness. I shall preach and testify of Christ, and not of my camel skin, or any other of my stern life. But I am to encourage and awaken you with these my hideous gestures, so that you may listen to me all the more diligently, who testify of Christ, of the life and light of men, who has been God and Creator of heaven and earth from all eternity, and has now taken on human nature, is in your midst; he is the bridegroom, to him belongs the bride.
- If John the Baptist, the great holy man, as Christ himself calls him, was the only witness who testified of Christ, what are we to think of Francisco, Dominico and others who have created a peculiar being, founded new orders, They have separated themselves from the people with their brothers in all things, for clothing and food, and have even undertaken a new way of life, pretending that they are holy orders and right ways to salvation, have not consecrated the people to Christ, as John did, but have drawn them to themselves and led them to their orders and rule.
The pope confirmed all this and called it a spiritual, perfect state, and also blessed and praised for two-fold saints those who follow their rule and their way of life,
1590 Erl. 45, 354-356. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1465-1467. 1591
They have given themselves to the order. Through this pretense, so many people, high and low, indeed, all the world, have been deceived, who have fallen for it and thought: Let this be something great; the dear fathers lead a strict life, serve God with praying, singing, singing, singing. They serve God by praying, singing, fasting, reading day and night. Yes, if you want to bring people up, you have to do something special. If you want to catch birds, you have to set them up, grain them and lure them, even put birds of prey on the flock of finches. If you want to catch mice, you must tie bacon to the traps. Then everyone has been inclined and willing to give abundantly and with hands, so that now and then in the whole of Christendom innumerable monasteries have sprung up, and many, even of high dynasties, have become monks and nuns. The others have relied on the good works and other merits of the holy fathers. This means that they have been led to the fool's seat, because people have broken their necks.
But John did not do this: he did not urge the people to follow his example, to put on a camel's skin, to have a leather belt around their loins, but to point with his finger to Christ, the eternal Father's Word, life and light of men, and testify of him that he is the Lamb of God who bears the sin of the world. So Franciscus should also have done, and said: "Dear friends, I will gladly be poor, wear a gray cap, a rope around my body, but you should not do the same to me, much less think to attain salvation through it. All that I do is done for your sake, that I, free from all business and cares, may preach to you without hindrance; not of my rule or order, but of Christ, the Savior of the world, who took your sin upon himself, bore it, and sacrificed it in his body on the wood: the word and gospel of this man shall you hear from my mouth; for I alone teach Christ, who is our true abbot and Lord. So Dominicus also should have consecrated the people to Christ, the true Lord, bishop and shepherd of souls.
But they have proclaimed their rules and orders sacred, and they have attached the people to themselves, saying, "Whoever keeps their rule?
Be in the way of blessedness. Which is vain error, blindness, darkness, yes, horrible idolatry, if you look at it right. The pope has given a great indulgence for this and commanded the angels to carry the souls of those who die on the way to St. James to heaven, and has only led and drawn the people to himself and to their holy life. As St. Paul also warns against this in the 20th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, v. 29 f., when he says: "I know that after my departure there will arise from among you men who speak perverse doctrine, to draw the disciples after yourselves. For this is the true sign and characteristic by which false teachers are to be recognized, because they draw the hearers to themselves and to their life, and do not point to Christ from themselves.
I believe, however, that the monks mentioned above recognized and confessed this error before their end, and relied on Christ, who is the only true light, by which alone, and by no one else, men are enlightened, and thus God, who is merciful, forgave their sin for Christ's sake. As we also read of St. Bernard that he also had to do this: when it was time for him to die, he let go of these words: I have spent my life shamefully and lost it; but I take comfort in knowing that Jesus Christ, my Lord, has a twofold right to the kingdom of heaven. First, he has it for himself, because he is a true, natural Son of God, and reigns with the Father in eternity, so heaven is due to him hereditarily from eternity; I do not have to console myself about this; but secondly, he has acquired heaven through his holy suffering and death, and has given it to me; so I also get heaven in this way. If he had not differed in this faith, he would have gone to the devil in the abyss of hell with his monasticism and monastic life.
So, all monks in the papacy, however holy and strict a life they have led, must (if they have been otherwise blessed) come here, that they must also confess: I have spent my life shamefully, I cannot rely on my cap, rule, order, but I believe in Jesus.
1592 Erl. 45, 358-358. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. I-4. W. VII, 1467-1470. 159Z
Christ, who died for my sins and for the sins of all the world; to him I cling, and go to his comforting word Matth. 11, 28.: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. According to this, I hope, Franciscus, Dominicus 2c. will also have kept; if not, then I would not like to go to heaven, where they have gone.
So St. John the Baptist begat of Christ and consecrated everyone to him. Therefore he is called a gracious teacher, a gracious preacher, who preaches loving grace and favor from Christ, that he may be our light. And tell us nothing of his locusts or camel-skin. Just as we still testify of Christ today, that he alone is the Well Savior and the Lamb of God, yes, he is our Shepherd, our Abbot, our Bridegroom and Messiah; acting solely from this gracious preaching. Follows:
That they all might believe through him.
The evangelist does not exclude the Jews, as if they should no longer be God's people, but groups both Jews and Gentiles together, so that they should all believe in this Christ. John the Baptist lifts up the kingdom of Christ, makes a being, and testifies of the light, for this cause, that they all, Jews and Gentiles, might believe through him. And should the glory of the Jews no longer count for anything, that they alone were God's people; as they also were in truth, as in the 5th chapter of Moses Cap. 4, v. 7. 20. and in the 147th Psalm, v. 19. The Gentiles should now also be God's people; for John the Baptist brings a new testimony, which reads thus: Whoever believes in the Son of God, who is the true light, is a child of Abraha, belongs among the multitude that is God's people, whether one is a Jew or a Gentile. For now such a kingdom begins, in which nothing is counted, whether Abraham's seed, Abraham's flesh and blood, or Abraham's breeches and lambs, but only faith in the Son of God, that whoever believes in the light shall be saved and shall abide forever, as John the Baptist testifies, John 3:36: "Whoever believes in all the light of God shall be saved and shall abide forever.
Son, he has eternal life. He who does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
But the greater part of the Jews, especially their spiritual prelates and chief rulers, rejected John's testimony, cast it from them, and did not desire the eternal life of which he testified. Therefore it is their own fault that they were rejected, and later the Gentiles came in their place and became God's people, because they believed the testimony of John, which was preached to them by the apostles and their disciples, and thus through the same testimony Christ's kingdom was planted and established in all the world, since there is even a new service of God, for which we do not need circumcision, temple, Jerusalem, or anything else, but only faith is necessary.
Here we must also diligently remember this word, that John was sent by God to bear witness to the light, because they all believed through him. For the Anabaptists, and their like, harmful, poisonous enthusiasts, pretend, as you often hear, and it is highly necessary that you be warned to beware of them: The spirit, the spirit must do it; for what is the use of hearing the outward word and relying on it, as if it were the way and means by which we come to faith and receive the spirit, when it is written with ink and feathers, and when it is spoken it goes up into the air and soon passes away? Thus they mock the blessed word to which John was called and sent by God Himself to testify, as if John were a monster whose testimony should not be allowed.
The evangelist praises John the Baptist and says that his ministry is indispensable. For he testifies of Christ, and points to him, who is the life and light that enlightens all men. So that he indicates that the outward word serves to make one come to faith through it and receive the Holy Spirit. For God has decreed that no one should or can believe or receive the Holy Spirit without the Gospel, which is preached or taught orally; as experience with Jews and
1594 Erl. 45, 358-361. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1470-1473. 1595
Pagans it proves. The Holy Scripture also testifies to this. To Romans 10, v. 17, Paul says: "Faith comes from preaching, preaching by the word of God." To Galatians Cap. 3, 2. "Ye have received the Spirit through the preaching of faith." In Acts, 10th chapter, v. 44: "While Peter was still speaking these words of Christ (that all who believe in him receive forgiveness of sins 2c.), the Holy Spirit fell on all who listened to the word." Therefore it is also called a word of grace, peace, life and salvation.
119 Therefore, do not be offended when the fools say, "The scribes of Wittenberg can do nothing but preach, exalting the outward word; therefore neither faith, love, patience, nor other good fruits follow with them. But we have the Spirit (they say), who works in us faith, love, patience, contempt for temporal honor and goods, constancy in all kinds of tribulations, hardship and death. They are hopeful, presumptuous hypocrites, who can judge and judge anyone, see the mote in our eye, but are not aware of the beam in theirs. Therefore let them go, and judge according to these words, "That they may all believe through him." For it is said in short: Either John's testimony is heard, or you remain without faith forever.
(120) Though not all believe the word, or come to faith by the word, nor receive the Holy Ghost, yet the gospel is not unrighteous. Therefore behold Christ and John, both of whom testify and preach with great power; but how many are converted thereby, or who steadfastly hold to their testimony, and let no trouble turn away from it? I am led to believe that God's word goes forth and bears fruit almost as powerfully and mightily in our time as it did in their time and in the time of the apostles. There have always been few righteous disciples of the gospel. Many are indeed called, and the great multitude hears it, and knows much to speak of it; but few are chosen, who bear fruit in patience. For faith is not for everyone. If they all believed, no one would pursue the gospel.
Therefore, where these hypocrites want to go with their spirit, I do not intend to go. The merciful God protects me from the Christian church, in which all are saints. I want to be and remain in the church and among the small group, in which there are the fainthearted, the weak and the sick, who recognize and feel their sin, misery and sorrow, and who also sigh and cry to God without ceasing for consolation and help, and who believe in the forgiveness of sins and suffer persecution for the sake of the Word (which they teach and confess purely and unadulterated). Satan is a cunning mischief-maker; he wants to make the simple think, by means of his enthusiasts, that there is nothing wrong with the preaching of the gospel, that we must attack ourselves in some other way than by leading a holy life, bearing the cross and suffering much persecution; and by such false pretenses of self-chosen holiness (which is contrary to God's word) many are deceived. But our holiness and righteousness is Christ, in whom, and not in us, we are perfect, Coloss. 2, 10. And there I take comfort and hold to the word of St. Paul, when he says 1 Cor. 1, 30: "Let Christ be made unto us of God for wisdom, for righteousness, for sanctification, and for redemption."
There is therefore no other way or means by which we can come to faith than to hear, learn and contemplate the gospel, so that we may be able to counter the spirits of the Gentiles when they claim that the Spirit must be present so that man can preach, confess and suffer. No, here you hear the contradiction that John was sent by God to testify about Christ, so that all may believe through him, that is, through his testimony. For this reason, one should not despise the oral word, but hold it high, great, dear and valuable. For this reason God has established the ministry of reconciliation and the word of reconciliation, that is, the gospel, among us, 2 Cor. 5:19, so that it may be diligently practiced and heard.
This is the beginning of the Christian Church in the New Testament, or the Kingdom of Christ, since John was sent by God and began to testify, not of himself, but of the Light, that is, of the Son of God, that he might be of the Eternal Father.
1596 Erl. 45, 361-Z63. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1473-1475. 1597
Word, which was in the beginning with God, and all things were created through him, he also being the life and light of men. And so John is a servant and guide to the light, which is Christ, our dear Savior. As his whole testimony and all the apostles' preaching is directed to this end, that we may learn to recognize him who is the true light. And this was also highly necessary, that he should testify of the light, that the whole world might know where it should abide, and to whom it should cleave, and accept him. And follows:
The fourth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On Saturday after Laurentii August 11, 1537. 1)
V. 8. He was not the light, but that he might bear witness to the light.
It is a beautiful text that leads us to the one Savior, Christ, and John the Evangelist takes great pains, placing all his words very carefully, so that each one has something special behind it. He would have liked to portray the man Christ, who is the true light and life, also true God and man, and to separate him purely, and to persuade all the world that it should see itself well and know of no other light but the true light, Christ, from whom all creatures have life and their whole being, and thus remain pure from all sects. For the world always has the heartache that it is full of masters and clever ones, full of wise men and lights, who seek their own ways to heaven, and want to be lights for the world, and teach them and lead them to God, which John warns against. And there were many false prophets among the Jews, who wanted to be vain lights, who had a greater reputation among the kings and the people of Israel than the pious, righteous prophets. They were soon found to be liars and perished with shame, as you can read in the first book of Kings, Cap. 18, 40, and in the first book of Kings, Cap. 22 2 Kings 10:25 and Jeremiah, chapter 28, v. 12 ff.
- "The fourth sermon" and the timing is in the margin in the original.
So John also saw that in the future time many would come and pretend to be lights and teachers, as soon, while he was still alive, Cerinthus began to dispute the Lord Christ's divinity; and after that the world became full of redness, and one foolish, senseless saint after another arose, wanting to be master and teacher, and to shine, so that people would find the right way to God. As the apostle St. Peter also proclaims in the other epistle in chapter 2, v. 1, where he says: "Just as there were false prophets among the people, so there will also be false teachers among you. And indeed the Lord Christ himself warns his Christians against such false prophets Matth. 24, 24. when he says: "There will arise false Christs and false prophets" 2c., that is, they will pretend: "Here or there is Christ"; my order is holy, my rule is the way to heaven. "Behold," saith he, "I have told you before." John the Evangelist also saw this; therefore he comes before, and, warning all men, that they be not deceived, nor turned away from thy one light, Christo.
For this reason he casts far behind John the Baptist, not wanting to let him be the light, who has the testimony and praise of Christ himself, that among all those born of women there does not arise one greater than he; since the Lord excludes no one who comes from man or woman, whether prophet or apostle, but says: they are all under John, except himself alone, who was born of a virgin and not of a woman in the common way. And now the evangelist John takes the honor of light from the Baptist (the chosen and most distinguished of all the saints), when he says: "He was not the light", that is, he could not help people out of darkness by himself, nor enlighten them, nor give them eternal life, who nevertheless led such a holy, strict life, but he was sent by God to turn people away from him to Christ, and witness that he alone was the true light.
127.' What then shall we say of those who draw people to themselves from Christ, and
1598 Erl. 45, 363-368. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1475-1478. 1599
have claimed to be teachers and lux mundi? Soon after the time of the apostles, one after the other arose, until the world was completely filled with them, and each of them promised to lead people out of darkness onto the right path of light, and through their rules promised eternal life and bliss to all who kept them. We cannot say anything else of them, except that they have been deceivers and deceivers, and both master and disciple have gone to the devil; for some of them have recognized their error, and have taken hold of Christ, the one true light, through faith; as I said above § 112 of St. Bernard.
But above all others, the blasphemous See of Rome, that is, one pope after the other, now some hundred years ago, has arrogated itself to be the highest light and head of Christendom, as it boasts in all bulls, books and spiritual laws; for this reason it has also wanted to shine. But I mean, he has shone, namely, like a dirt in the lantern. For he has put the gospel under the bench and buried it, and in its place the world, with its filth, stink and filth, that is, with false and devilish doctrine, nasty decrees and decrees, idolatries, idolatry, abominations, and an arch- and chief heretic, filled and flooded with innumerable sects and rotteries, as with a flood of sin, and made everything necessary for blessedness, proclaimed blessed those who obeyed him, kept his laws and commandments of men; Again, all those who were not obedient nor subject to him, banished and cursed. And yet all his light has been darkness, foolishness and idolatry. Idolatry. And I mean, he shone so brightly that we were all almost blinded together with him, and we went groping, not knowing where to go.
Thus, when one despises God's word, people believe the lie to their eternal destruction. For, dear God, what lights are lit under the papacy, who would seek and count them all together? St. John looks at these lights here, and needs very good and bold words to keep us from all the other lights that have arisen, be it in the Old Testament or among the prophets,
or afterwards in the New Testament, at the time of the apostles.
130 For we should seek no other light than this one light, Christ. And we should diligently keep this and similar texts that point us to Christ, that he alone is the life, light of men, and Savior of the world, and well imagine them, for they serve against all sects, false appearances, and hypocrisy. For whoever reports that St. John, the greatest man, by his strict, holy life could not help people to salvation, nor did he want to: a thousand times less will another saint do it than Franciscus, Dominic, or the Pope with his hard orders, caps, cords or rules, all of which cannot hold a candle to St. John the Baptist. For they are vain filth in the lantern, and nothing else. And if they remained with their own and peculiar filth in the lantern, and did not take hold of the one true light, Christ, at their last end, then they have gone into the abyss of hell. That is why the pope and all the others, they call themselves whatever they want, as devout and spiritual as they can be, hide themselves away, who show people a different way to salvation than the Lord Christ.
131, The world has no more light than the sun, which makes the day; no other physical light can illuminate, make, or govern the day than the one visible sun, as the Lord Christ also calls it, when he says in the Gospel of John, 11 Capital 9, 10: "He that walketh by day walketh safely, because he seeth the light of this world: but he that walketh by night stumbleth. 2c, For though other lights are more than the moon and all the stars, which also shine, yet if they shine most brightly, and all their light were together, they could not make a quarter of an hour of day, or make the fourth part of the light of the sun; yea, they still take all their light and brightness from the sun, so that the sun alone makes and rules the day: Much more can there be no other light in the Christian church and in the spiritual kingdom of Christ, but one, which is Christ, the eternal Sun of righteousness, who alone is the true light of men, and who alone is the light of the world.
1600 Erl. 45, 366-368. luther's interpretation on john cap. 1-4. w. VII, 1478-1481. ' 1601.
nothing else. Therefore, whoever is not enlightened by him remains in darkness forever.
132 Therefore, when the Christian church is scattered to and fro from all nations throughout the world, from the beginning and the end, from noon and midnight, let it be equal and united in this matter, that it may know and hold Christ alone as its light, and know and preach of Christ alone; as we (praise God!) do here, and direct all our teaching, writing, and preaching to this end.
Reason may exalt and boast of its light, and even be wise with it in worldly transitory things; but it certainly does not climb up to heaven with it, or be taken to counsel in this matter concerning salvation. For the world and reason are quite blind, remain in darkness, and do not shine or shine for eternity. But the only light is Christ alone, he can and will advise and help.
If this were to happen, and we were to continue to do so, Christians would have the same knowledge, doctrine and faith, and would teach and preach the same in all places of the world. Just as we are of the same mind here, so would our brothers who live in the Orient be of the same mind. If someone from Babylon came here and heard our lecture or sermon, he would say, "I believe just as you teach; I hold to the one light, Christ," and would confess, "that we both preach from the light, Christ. And if I came to Turkey to a Christian, and heard him speak of Christian doctrine and faith from the Scriptures, I would also say, So do I believe and hold. Therefore we are all called Christians by our Lord Christ, that we, according to our name, should know that he alone is our light, life, way, hope and salvation 2c. Anchors may be called Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians, Carthusians, Mahometans and Papists, or whatever they like, but they are not light but darkness. For if I had all the lights in one heap, which otherwise call themselves lights; they are nevertheless vain wizards and field devils, which are seen at night, and lead one that he falls at last into a water and drowns, [or else perishes in quarries or glue pits.
From this we see which are true or false teachers. Pious, Christian teachers point people away from themselves to Christ; as St. John also does here, and leads his testimony; as we (praise God!) and others do much more. For all our sermons are to the effect that you and we should all know and believe that Christ alone is the only Savior and Consoler of the world, Shepherd and Bishop of our souls; as the Gospel definitely points to Christ, therefore nothing is different from St. John's testimony. Therefore we do not draw people to ourselves, but lead them to Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life. Again, false teachers are all those who preach and testify not about Christ but about themselves; As the wicked pope does before all other heretics and false teachers, who makes all his laws and statutes of men and commandments necessary for salvation, also raises and sets his authority over all bishops, kings, emperors, even angels, whom he has to command, and in his letters of excommunication so flashes and thunders with threats that whoever does not obey him and his laws shall know that he will fall from God's grace. Item, speaks in the mandamus, aggravamus, reaggravamus, excommunicamus, etc. Thus terrifyingly roars the cruel, three-horned ox. 1)
- Because the pope blasphemes God so horribly through his lies and devilish teachings, has deceived countless thousands of souls with them for so long, and now curses and condemns the pure doctrine with all power through himself and his powerful followers, and persecutes it as the worst heresy, subordinates himself to eradicate it, together with all those who spread it, teach it, recognize it, and are attached to it, and in short defends and wants to preserve its blasphemous abominations as right and holy: then he is the greatest bear-wolf and soul-murderer, the like of which has never come on earth. We should therefore thank the dear God from the bottom of our hearts that He has graciously delivered us from His heavy prison and iron yoke, and has allowed the blessed light of the Gospel to shine so clearly and brightly for us at this last time, which will lead us to the right, eternal light.
- i.e. the pope with his triple crown.
1602 Erl. 48, 368-371. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1481-1483. 1603
points. And we are now sure that the pope is the real anti-Christ, and all his teachings, which he has praised for the light of the world, are devilish lies, stink and filth. Therefore damn them to the abyss of hell, and hope that our dear Lord Christ will put an end to his blasphemous, accursed reign by the appearance of his blessed future. Amen.
But if anyone should think, how can the evangelist so boldly say, "John was not the light," when the Lord himself calls him a burning and shining light, John 5:35? Both are true. He is not the light by which men are enlightened to eternal life; as he himself constantly confesses, and afterwards the evangelist highly praises his constancy when he says v. 20: "And he confessed and did not deny, and he confessed: I am not Christ." Item v. 27: "I am not worthy to undo the laces of his shoes." And yet he is a light that is not set under a bushel, but that burns and shines to everyone; that is, he appears freely in public, shining to those to whom he was sent, who not only sat in darkness, but were all darkness and blindness, as you heard above §68 ff: "The light shines in the darkness." He shone, he testified and preached to them, saying Luc. 3, 4. ff., "Repent." "Prepare ye the way of your Lord." "Ye viper-bred, who hath shewed you that ye shall escape the wrath to come?" Item Luc. 3, 9.: "The ax is already laid to the root of the trees; whichever tree bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire." Item Luc. 3, 17: "He will sweep his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his sheds, but the chaff will be burned with eternal fire."
This was a sharp sermon to all the people of Israel, Luc. 3, 7. 9. Item, the Pharisees and Sadducees, to whom John was especially harsh, Matth. 3, 7. But they did not turn to it, but "despised God's counsel". But he does not leave it at that, but further instructs those who were frightened by this harsh sermon, and it had gone through their hearts, how they should escape the future wrath. He directs them to the true light, which gives the poor sinners their
Forgives sin, enlightens to eternal life, and baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire, points to the same light, Christ, and says, v. 29: "Behold, this is the Lamb of God, who bears not only your sins, but the sins of the whole world. Therefore the Lord calls him a burning and shining light'. For all who have accepted his testimony and believed in Christ (who is not only the life and light of men, but also the Lamb of God who bears and takes away their sin and the sin of all the world) have been enlightened by it and have become children of the eternal light, have received eternal life and blessedness.
So Christ also calls his disciples "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world. For they have just preached the sermon of St. John: first, they have salted the whole world, that is, they have preached repentance to all people on the whole face of the earth, namely, that everything in the world that is called flesh or man, they have punished and salted as rotten and corrupt before God because of sin. Item, that all the world's wisdom, holiness, worship, without God's word, invented out of their own delusion and devotion, counts for nothing before God, yes, is an abomination and condemned before Him. Therefore they are called "the salt of the earth". After that they are also "the light of the world"; For they not only salted, but also shone, that is, preached grace and forgiveness of sins to the penitent in the name of Christ, and comforted them that through him the devil's head was crushed, God's wrath and judgment against sinners was reconciled and abolished through him, and now the promise is fulfilled that through Christ all nations on earth are blessed, so that from now on all who believe in him are redeemed from sin and death, are righteous before God, and have eternal life; as Christ himself speaks Joh. 3:16: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." As many as heard her preaching and believed in Christ have been saved.
- The apostles' disciples, and subsequently all pious, godly bishops and teachers, preached repentance and forgiveness of sins in the following way.
1604 Erl. 45, 371-373. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1483-1486. 1605
The heretics preached in the name of Christ, pointing people to Christ, until false teachers and heretics gained the upper hand, perverted pure doctrine, and spread arrogance in their hearts. However, God raised up some godly, learned men who resisted the heretics and brought back the doctrine; but one time more and clearer than the other.
Of the pious preachers Daniel speaks in the 12th chapter, v. 3: "The teachers shall shine (after the resurrection) as the brightness of heaven, and they that lead many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. But of those who seek their own glory and not Christ's, Christ says Matt. 7:23, "Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity." There is no change in their saying, v. 22: "Lord, Lord, we have prophesied in thy name, cast out devils, and done other miraculous works." Follows:
But that he bore witness to the light.
The papists blame me, I teach: One should fear God alone and have Him in mind, but I do not think anything of the saints, I reject their strict life and good works, as if they had never done anything good and useful. Is John the Baptist (they say) nothing? Item, I think nothing of the church, of the pope's power, cancel his obedience 2c.
I do not reject St. John, but honor and exalt him. But I make a distinction between him and Christ, of whom he testifies; between his ministry and life. He is a servant and a servant, not the Lord himself. He is the instructor and guide to the true light, not the light itself. He leads a higher, more glorious office than the prophets. For he does not prophesy of the Lord to come in a long or short time, but presently points his finger at him: Behold, there he is. Therefore I think highly of his ministry, and thank God that he has given us such a faithful witness, a blessed mouth and finger, who witnesses to us of the right light, and points to him with his finger. I thank God for having given us such a faithful witness, a blessed mouth and finger, who testified to the true light and led us to it, so that we may be enlightened by it, so that it may shine and shine in our hearts forever, pointing with fingers to God's Lamb. I
But I will not and cannot put my trust, as far as salvation is concerned, in him, John, nor rely on his holiness, strict life and excellent works; for he is not Christ (as he himself confesses John 3:28: "You are my witnesses that I said: I am not Christ." Item, he says v. 30: "He must increase; but I must decrease"), who alone is the life and light of men.
If this distinction had been kept before this time, our ancestors, and we the ancients ourselves, would not have bought the good works and other merits of the monks, would not have redeemed the pope's indulgences, would not have called upon the saints as helpers in need, would not have founded and established many masses and various saintly services. For John, the greatest man among all the mother children, who is more than a prophet, cannot help me and you to attain eternal life and blessedness by his holiness, strict life, unusual food and clothing, item that he did not drink wine; he is not the light there, his life is even rejected here; much less will a lesser saint do it. And may Franciscus, Dominic and all the popes, with monks, nuns and priests, go into hiding and extinguish their light. For if they do not put Christ but themselves as light, they do not shine in any other way than like dirt in a lantern; it may stink, but it does not shine.
Nevertheless, the saints (I am not speaking of those whom the pope has canonized, but those who bore John's testimony and preached repentance and forgiveness of sins in the name of Christ) are to be exalted for the sake of their ministry, because they taught and preached God's word purely and truthfully. For the apostle to the Hebrews in the 13th chapter, v. 7, says: "Remember your teachers who have told you the word of God, which end look upon, and follow their faith" (not their order, rule, works, strict life). Item, St. Paul 1 Tim. 5, 17: "The elders who are well to lead are held in double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in doctrine." But if they should be held against Christ, the true light, or only be compared to him (as the
1606 Erl. 45, 373-375. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1486-1489. 1607
If the frenzied barefooters have compared their Franciscum with > Christ, yes, have proclaimed Franciscum to Christianity in Christ's > place), then their shining and shining is over. As John himself says: > "I baptize you with water, but he has come in the midst of you, whom > you do not know. He is the one who will come after me, the one who was > before me, whom I am not worthy to untie," John 1:26, 27. > > I praise the moon and the stars because they shine brightly and > clearly at night, even though they have all the brilliance of the sun. > But when the night has passed, they are not able to make the day with > their light; indeed, they lose their brilliance and light so that it > is no longer visible, and even though they are in the sky, they do not > shine. So I praise and extol the true saints, who are graced and > adorned with the understanding of the Holy Scriptures and many > beautiful, glorious gifts of the Holy Spirit, which they also use for > the betterment and comfort of Christianity. But that they should > thereby redeem people from sins and make them righteous before God, > they may be silent; yes, pray with St. David this little verse Ps. > 143:2: "Do not go into judgment with your servant, for before you > no living person is righteous." Item Ps. 130, 3., "If thou wilt > impute sin, O Lord, who shall stand?" Then their brightness and shine > cease, they cannot make that happy, blessed day; but Christ alone, of > whom it is written in the 118th Psalm, v. 24: "This is the day which > the LORD hath made." He who sees that day lives forever.
- Now when St. John the Baptist is held against Christ, he is promised, 1) as he himself says, "I am not worthy to undo his shoe laces." But for the sake of his ministry he is praised for preaching about Christ with his mouth, pointing to him with his fingers, and leading people from himself to him, as to him who alone is the light and life of men. Summa, he is not the light, but a servant and Zenge of Christ, he is to preach how and whom I should believe. He is a witness of the
- promise - to speak disparagingly of someone.
He helps us by his ministry to become children of the light, so he shines and is a fine light. But if one would set him against Christ and hold him, he is a noisy darkness; just as the moon and stars shine at night, but in the daytime they do not shine, and are nothing compared to the sun; for none of their lights can make day. So the holy people shine beautifully and live splendidly, but in themselves they cannot help anyone to salvation. John is not the light, though he brings much to the light; but for his ministry we honor and praise John the Baptist, and there he is also a great man. So we still honor the ministry of preaching, baptism, the Lord's Supper, and absolution, 2c., for they are offices ordained by God to point us to the light. Follows:
V. 9. This was the true light that enlightens all men who come into this world.
He cannot stop, St. John, that he may keep the one light, Christ alone, and says in short: Except the Son of God, who was with the Father from the beginning, and through whom all things have life and light, there is no other light: whatever men are enlightened on earth, they are enlightened by this one light, and nowhere else. Now this is a strange and whimsical thing to say, and to him who is not instructed in Christian doctrine and faith, these words are dark and gloomy. For shall all be enlightened by Christ? yet do not all believe in him, but the less part of the world only believe.
St. John the Evangelist presented the doctrine of faith to Christianity with all diligence and faithfulness, and warned them sufficiently against all kinds of sects and cults, if they, contrary to God's word, pretended new spirituality, holiness, revelation and enlightenment, by which people should be freed from sins and become righteous, and exhorted that Christ is the one, true light: where this shines and is recognized, there is life and blessedness. But what did it help? His gospel, yes, the whole holy scripture, has lain under the bench for several hundred years, and in its place, the sorry Pabst
1608 Erl. 45, 375-378. . Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. w. VII, 1489-1491. 1609
The light of the pope's teachings, the commandments of men, and spiritual rights has divided Christianity into so many sects. That is why there have been so few people in the papacy who have known about this light, although it should be known to all people who are to be enlightened differently by it.
But let us see what is the opinion of the evangelist. He saw, as a highly enlightened apostle, that the devil rules and leads the world in such a way that he causes many sectarian aberrations, and at the same time lights and casts out many new lights, all of which are responsible for showing people the right way to heaven, and each one wants to be the light, or a master and teacher, who draws people to himself, so that they should follow him. When, before Christ's future, he stirred up many false prophets among the people of Israel. After the birth of Christ, he also raised heretics in Graecia, as he raised heretics in the time of John the Evangelist, Cerinthum and others. Therefore he speaks in his I Epistle at the 4th chapter, v. 1. 3.: "Many false 1) prophets have gone out into the world, and you have heard that the Antichrist is coming"; Cap. 2, 18.: "and now many have become antichrists." And adds a warning, saying, "Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God." As if he wanted to say: Beware, the devil will raise up many more such fellows. As it happened. One after the other, Marcion, Ebion, Novatus, Manes, Arius, Pelagius, Mahomet, arose; until finally in the papacy innumerable sects and cults were formed.
151 John the evangelist has seen that every fluttering spirit wants to be a light for the people to follow; one wants to go out there, the other there. As he said above v. 4: "In him was life, and the life was the light of men"; so he repeats it here again, saying: "This was the true light. He would like to impress it on the people, so that they should not forget it. He also wants to say: "It is only this one light; but the world is and will be full of lights, that is, teachers, and each one wants to be the best, and gives one of them the best light.
- Erlanger: false teacher and.
As we old people, unfortunately, have experienced too much in the papacy: one directed the people to Rome, another to St. James, the third to the monastery, and there was no end to the separation and shining of the false wives. Even this does not do, the evangelist wants to say, this is not the right way; if a man, living before or after Christ's future in the world, is to be saved from darkness, sin and death, he must be enlightened by this (no other) light, attain eternal righteousness and life, or he will probably remain unenlightened. For no one brings this light with him when he is born into the world, nor does he find it on earth; but if he is to receive it, he must receive it from Christ, who alone enlightens all men who come into this world.
152 Yes, you say, are not all men enlightened, because many on earth are the enemies of our Lord Christ, as Jews, Turks, Tarians, Papists 2c., how then does the evangelist say, this light enlightens all men? He speaks in a common way, as we are wont to speak: In this city all the citizens must hear this priest, all the pupils this schoolmaster (for they have no other), and learn from him; yet all the citizens do not hear the priest, nor do all the pupils learn anything from the schoolmaster; and though they hear the priest and the schoolmaster alike, yet the greatest number are not improved, but only some. Therefore, when I say: All citizens and pupils hear the priest and schoolmaster, I mean to indicate that there is no other priest or preacher, nor schoolmaster in this city, except Mr. Johannes, or Magister Peter. Now, if anyone is to hear God's word, learn it, and accept it with faith, he must listen to John. So, if a pupil is to learn something, to be taught, he must listen to Magister Peter; for the pastor remains their teacher of all. So also here in the world the Lord Christ is the only light of men, there is no other light but this. If anyone is to be enlightened, he must be enlightened by him and by no one else, because without him and apart from him there is no other light by which men can be enlightened.
1610 Erl. 45, 378-386. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1491-1494. 1611
But the fact that not all, even the lesser part of men, are enlightened is not the fault of the light of our Lord Christ. For he is called and is the light of the world and of all men, shining also for and for; he is also ordained by God to be so, as God speaks through the prophet Isaiah Cap. 49, 6.: "It is a small thing that thou art my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob; but I have also made thee a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be my salvation unto the end of the world." This promise was in full swing soon after the time of the apostles, Acts 13:47. 13:47, "For the gospel hath sounded as far as heaven, and hath shined and glowed, not only in the possession of Christ, that is, among the Jews, to whom it was promised, and according to the flesh Christ came forth from their fathers, but in all the world. But because all have not received the blessed light, nor do they now receive it, the light does not lose its name and honor.
- "The light" (he said above, v. 5) "shines in the darkness," that is, in all the world, which without this light is absolutely stagnant and blind, yes, is pure darkness in God's matters; "but the darkness has not understood it. Therefore, there is no lack of light, but of those who do not want to accept it; indeed, who love darkness more than light (as Christ says John 3:19). What does the dear Sun shine and shine, so that I close my eyes, and do not want to see its light, or hide from it under the earth? Nevertheless, she shines for herself, to all those who want to accept and use her light.
Our dear Gospel, which we preach by the grace of God from the light, is not only well known in German lands, but also in foreign dominions and kingdoms. Yes, the pope at Rome, the cardinals, bishops, and the whole rabble of the papal dregs know more about it than they would like. That our testimony, which agrees with the testimony of John and the apostles (for we preach nothing else than they preached), is strong and powerful (praise God!), and the blessed light shines brightly. But that they thereby
not wanting to be enlightened, but desecrating, persecuting and condemning it as darkness and lies of the devil, it does not follow that Christ is not the light of all men. They feel the brightness and light of our teaching, but they do not want to see it. Now this is not the fault of the light, that not all accept it.
I preach to all of you who are here in Wittenberg, but how many of you are reformed by my preaching and accept the blessed light with faith, so that they are enlightened by it? Truly, the fewest believe my sermon. Nevertheless, I am and remain the teacher and preacher of you all. So, even if not all believe Christ's preaching, that does not take away from his ministry; nevertheless, he is and remains the light that enlightens all people who come into the world. He is the true light from the beginning to the end of the world; that is, as many as have come, and are yet to come into the world, and are enlightened, they have had and will have no other light or Savior but Christ. In sum, the holy evangelist will allow no other means by which men may be enlightened and saved: all the world must have this one light alone, or remain in darkness forever.
157 This light shone before the flood to the forefathers, to whom the seed of the woman was promised to crush the serpent's head, and he was also their life and light, enlightening them to eternal life, and they comforted themselves with the promise and strengthened their faith with it, preached it in the places where they lived, and thus brought it to their descendants. Similarly, after the flood, this light shone to the patriarchs and shone brightly and clearly in all the world through the preaching of the apostles. For the whole world shall not and cannot have any other light by which they can be enlightened, but Christ alone.
This faith and confession is the right foundation on which the Christian church is built. This is also the church's unique characteristic and landmark, by which it is to be recognized as the most certain sign. And it is highly necessary that such teaching, through which people come to this faith and confession, should be taught.
1612 Erl. 45, 380-382. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, I494-E. 1613
be diligently pursued. For the devil does not celebrate, he does not cease, as we see and experience, until he divides the true church and tears it apart into various factions and sects. Just open your eyes and look into the world, and you will find many lights that St. Francis, Dominic, Mahomet and others have lit. The world is found to be full of idolatry, false faith, monasticism, sects and cults, since none agrees with the other, and yet each wants to be the best.
Therefore, stay with the one light; do not be disturbed by the fact that this or another saint has led a hard order and an austere life, has not eaten meat, has worn a hard shirt. For the world soon came to this place, spreading the orders and accepting them, thinking that they would be saved by them. Listen, do not turn away from it, but say: Even if the same founders of the order have performed miraculous signs, raised the dead, fasted or whipped themselves to death in front of great devotion and spirituality, it still does not move me. Yea, though an angel come down from heaven, and work great miracles, and make bread of stones; yet if he come without this light, Christ, I shall say, I will not hear thee, I will not have thee, for I am Christ's, baptized into Christ, cleansed and washed from sins with his shed blood. Your fasting, praying and whipping do not help me; I believe John the Baptist, who points me, not to strict life nor holiness, but only to Christ, the one light, by which all men are enlightened and saved. One must believe Christ, the true light, and no one else. I accept the testimony of anyone who testifies of Christ and points me to him. But he, the same preacher, shall not be my life and light for his person.
160 These and other such beautiful, comforting texts, of which St. John's Gospel is full, be commanded, take them well, and remember them diligently, for they serve against the beautiful, majestic devil, who disguises himself as an angel of light; indeed, they serve against all ruthlessness. For one
Otherwise, as soon as the life of a Carthusian or a barefoot monk is loved and pleasing to the world, it attracts the peasants and the simple, foolish, common man, so that they rush to monasticism, as the forest birds fall on a flock of birds. But these texts keep us in the right knowledge of Christ and faith - that we may know who Christ is, what we should relate to him, and what we have in him. According to this, we can judge all kinds of teaching and life, whether it is right or wrong, so that we do not allow any appearance of spirituality, humility and holiness, however beautiful they may shine, to be contested. For these texts show us Christ, who he is and what he is coming to. I hold this text under the noses of the pretend angels and saints of works when they want to teach me something else than this light, and I do not believe them when St. John the Baptist himself told me so.
- Now others of the saints exalt the austere life, that they have lain on the earth, had a sackcloth of hairs around their loins, served God day and night, eaten no flesh, chastened themselves and toiled, then I say: Yes, I let it be something, and praise it; but what more do you say of it? Let us follow their example, that by such a rigorous life we may be saved. Not yet by a long shot, dear brother; lift them as high as you can, but only do not make a way, nor life, nor light out of them; for they are not. Christ alone is the Lamb of God, who bears the sin of the world; he alone is the true light. I will praise St. John the Baptist's strict, holy life, camel skin, drinking water, eating locusts; but I will not say that it is the way to heaven. For he himself does not testify to his holiness, hard life, but points me to the Lord Christ, saying: "Behold, this is God's Lamb, who bears the sin of the world"; this is the one who sacrificed himself for your sin and was sufficient for it. I remain in this.
162 Therefore the holy evangelist concludes, saying: "The word was the true light. As if to say, "If you do not want to err, but take the right and certain path to heaven, follow this single, true light, from which we
1614 Erl. 45, SSS-38S. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1497-1499. 1615
all light and splendor, if we 1) want to be enlightened and saved in any other way, or remain in the darkness and shadow of eternal death. For this alone is the true light, whereas all other lights, which draw people to themselves and reject Christ, as the pope and all kinds of orders have done, are false lights and false wives, and lead people into harm and danger. For those who follow them go astray in darkness, are stuck in an evil conscience, and remain unsoled in their sins, and thus must die and perish in them.
The fifth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On August 18 1537, Saturday after the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. 2)
V. 10. It 3) was in the world, and the world was made by it, and the world did not know it.
The evangelist John says further: the Word (who was from eternity, is of the same power and glory as the Father, through whom all things were made, and is also the life and light of men) took on human nature, was born of Mary, and came into the world, dwelt among men in this temporal life, became like another man in all things, and was found in the bodily parts to be a man like myself and you, and had all human infirmities, as St. Paul says to the Philippians, Cap. 2:7; that is, he ate, drank, slept, watched, was tired, sad, happy, wept, laughed, hungered, thirsted, froze, sweated, talked, worked, prayed. In sum, he has used everything for the need and preservation of this life, has done and suffered like another man, except that he has been without sin; otherwise he has suffered good and evil, like another man, that there was no difference between him and other men; only that he was God with, and no
- "we" is missing in the Erlanger.
- In the original margin.
- Erlanger: He,
He was the man by whom the whole world was created and made, as he also said before, the dear John, and now with great and special diligence repeats the same words.
This is why he says: He was in the world, and (although the world was made through him) the world did not know him. For he lived as another man, and was with his mother Mary for thirty years, as a child usually does. In his youth, he behaved and behaved like another boy, was subject to his parents, and did what they told him. And although he let it be known when he was twelve years old that he was to become a great man, when he listened to the teachers in the temple and asked them questions in such a way that all who listened to him were amazed at his understanding and his answer, it was forgotten afterwards. Mary alone (says Lucas Cap. 2, 51.) kept these words in her heart. Further, Lucas says, v. 51, 52, he went down from Jerusalem with his parents, came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, increasing in wisdom, age, and grace with God and men. And, as he says shortly before, v. 40: "The child grew and became strong in spirit, Full of wisdom, and God's grace was with him."
The Creator is in the world, living among the people, but deeply hidden. The world did not know him, nor did it accept him, especially before he was thirty years old and before he began to preach. To heal the sick. Raise the dead. And his mother Mary, the virgin, because she had been taken for a carpenter's wife, was considered like another bad woman. I mean, the world has proven that it did not know him. She does not know that this child (who lies in his mother's womb, washed and bathed like another child) is the light of the world, and that through him the world was created.
166 But we must pay attention to the words of the evangelist. Just now v. 3 he said, "All things are made by the word. He does not leave it at that, but with diligence and careful counsel repeats the same word again and says:
1616 Erl. 45, 385-887. Luther's interpretation of Joh-. Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1499-1562. 1617
The light was in the world, and the world was made by it. For with this he wants to firmly establish and make certain the article on which all our faith stands, that Jesus Christ is of nature and kind, both true, natural God and man; as if he wanted to say: "The same infant lying in the manger and feeding in the breasts of Mary's mother, and afterward being her subject, is the life and light of men, yes, God creator of all things; for the world was made through him.
This is our main article (we who have our name from Christ), and this is our right, true, Christian faith, and no other faith, namely, that Christ is true God and man; and faith alone makes one blessed. Whoever then wishes to have a different faith, let him always go and see where he remains. If reason does not believe that God could have become man, let it be. But we Christians believe it, because God's word says so. And nothing is impossible to faith; reason may be upset and annoyed by it as it pleases. It must therefore be that whoever thinks of being redeemed and saved from the devil's power, sins and death, must believe that Christ is true God, through whom the world was made, also true man, born of Mary. This faith alone, and no other, be it what it may, makes one blessed; as Scripture shows in Matthew 1:21: "Mary shall bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins. And Luc. 2, 11: "The Savior is born to you today, who is Christ the Lord" 2c. Joh. 3, 18.: "He that believeth on the Son is not judged, but hath everlasting life."
For this reason, the evangelist always indicates that Christ, our Lord, is the true, natural God. No angel is said to have created the sun, moon, stars, heaven and earth. For it is not the work of an angel to create the world, but a divine work, or the work of the true God, who is not a painted or carved God, but a natural, essential God.
Therefore, these texts: "Through the
Word, all things were made," item: "The world was made by the same," strong testimonies and certain proofs against the Arians, who confessed that the Word was indeed a high, great, divine person, in which two natures, divine and human, were united; but denied that the Word was not a natural, essential God, born of the Father in eternity, but a named God. Arius confessed that Christ was a true man, and also confessed that he was God; but he would not allow that he was God with the Father and the Holy Spirit naturally, but he would have created him before all other creatures, even the angels, more glorious, nobler and higher than all the angels, and called him God. So reason is clever in the matters of God. But hear what the evangelist says: "All things," he says, "were made by the Word," item: "The light was in the world, and the world was made by it." Now this title, as I said, is not due to any angel or any creature, that all things were made by them, but only to the one, true God. Since the Scriptures give the same title and divine, omnipotent power to Christ, our Lord, the Virgin Mary's right natural Son, that the world was made through Him, it follows irrefutably that He is the true, essential God and Creator of all things, and thus that two natures, divine and human, are inseparably united in One Person, Christ. For he is nevertheless a child and a true man, as you will hear hereafter.
This is the highest article of the Christian faith, which is found only among Christians, and is their highest honor, comfort, and joy, 1) namely, that the true Son of God took on human nature, became their flesh and blood, sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, in equal majesty and power, and is their Advocate, representing them.
Among the Jews, the Tartars, the Turks, and the Epicureans, of whom the world is now full, it is of no value; indeed, they laugh at us and mock that we Christians are such great fools,
- "is" sehtt in the Erlanger.
1618 Erl. 45, 387-389. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1502-1505. 1619
Let us be persuaded that the Creator of heaven and earth is man, murdered, and crucified for us'. These may always continue with their erroneous, false faith, for they teach and believe what is pleasing to reason; their faith is provided and comprehended by the foolish, blind reason, namely, that there is only One God; as also the pagans and Mahomet confess. But when we say that three distinct Persons are inseparable in One Divine Being, and that the middle Person, the Son, became man, crushed the serpent's head, blessed the human race, that is, redeemed it from sin and death, then they become mad and foolish, for reason cannot impute it.
We Christians believe in God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit; we confess that it is a high article that reason cannot grasp, but nothing is too high or impossible for faith. For he clings to God's word, and according to the same, not according to reason, he is guided, and knows for certain that the divine truth remains; for God has said it, and his word testifies to it. This doctrine is not derived from reason, but from the Holy Spirit; therefore, even without the Holy Spirit, it will remain incomprehensible to reason.
The world did not recognize him.
Is it not a miracle that the Creator was in the world, dwelling among the people, and yet his own creature did not know him? Especially before he took up his preaching ministry and performed miracles, there was no one who knew of him. Nevertheless, there were some in the world at that time who knew him not by reason, but from above, by revelation of the Holy Spirit; as, some pious people, Zacharias, Elisabeth, Simeon, Hannah the prophetess, the shepherds, Maris, Joseph, and
others more. For Elizabeth, full of the holy
The Holy Spirit spoke to Mary, the mother of the Lord, when she came to her Luc 1:42: "You are blessed among women, and the fruit of your womb is blessed. Item v. 44: "The child John leaped with joy in my womb." And Zacharias,
John's father, full of the Holy Spirit, said v. 68: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people. Item Luc. 2, 17.: "The shepherds, when they had seen all things, spread abroad the word which au told them of this child.
was said." Item Luc. 2, 28. ff. Simeon said: "Now you, Lord, let your servant go in peace, as you have said. For mine eyes have seen thy servant Savior 2c.
For this is set to a case and
Resurrection of many in Israel." Item v. 38: "Hannah preached the Lord when he was brought into the temple, and spoke of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Israel."
The rulers of the people of Israel and the great crowd, because he did not come as they had thought of him (he came in badly and simple and had no reputation), did not want to recognize him as the Messiah, much less accept him, even though St. John went before him and testified of him, and he himself soon appeared afterwards, preaching mightily and performing miraculous signs, so that he would be recognized by his miraculous works, word and sermon. But this did not help much. For the world nevertheless crucified him, which would not have happened if it had believed him to be what he was.
But we know him and believe in him. And one must also come there, if one wants to be saved through the faith that Jesus Christ is God and man. All will be saved who believe in this person. Whoever does not have faith must be condemned with all other superstitions, spiritualities, righteousnesses and services. For whoever lacks this faith will never be saved.
V. 11. He came into his own, and his own did not receive him.
Now the evangelist speaks of another coming. Before he said: He was in the world, born of Mary, a true man, walking among men; but they knew him not, that the world was made by him. But now he says of the future, when he was thirty years old, and entered upon his ministry, and was baptized of St. John the Baptist, and was baptized by a
1620 Erl. 45, 38S-39L. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1505-1507. 1621
He was consecrated by the Heavenly Father to the ministry of preaching, and anointed as teacher and king of all Christendom. He has received the right doctor's jewel and royal crown, the Holy Spirit, and has been appointed a right king and priest with these words, when he cried out from heaven: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, and you shall hear him," for in him alone am I well pleased 2c.When the Son of God stood in the water in fine holy humanity, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove, Luc. 3, 22. Joh. 1, 32. So now the Lord, called and confirmed by the Father, comes publicly into His ministry as promised before, Deut. 18, 15. when the Lord says: "I will raise up a prophet (like you) from among their brethren" 2c. Begin to preach and do miracles, first among the Jews to whom he was promised, whom the evangelist calls his own, as God Himself through Moses, 2nd book, chap. 19, 5, calls the people of Israel His own, saying: "You shall be My own before all nations. And Deut. 7, 6, item Cap. 26, 18: "God has chosen you, your Lord, to be His own people, out of all the nations that are on the earth." Just as Moses called the Jews the property of God, so the evangelist calls them the property of our Lord Christ, indicating that Christ is truly God, like the Father. What he says and speaks should be judged by it, for he is the prophet of whom Moses proclaimed: He that heareth not this man shall be cast out of my people for ever. As the Jews, alas, have well learned. But he comes to them, and knocks at their door, and finds neither lodging nor place with them.
- Is it not frightening that this one true shepherd and bishop, the teacher, ordained and put into office by the Father Himself (on whom the Holy Spirit descended from heaven like a dove and remained on him, Jn 1:33), and that the Father commands from heaven that his voice be obeyed and believed, even that St. John the Baptist's testimony was directed so that they all believed through him, and long before that through Moses.
(Deut. 18:15, when Messiah would come, that they should obey him; and now the Lord himself comes into his own possession, of whom he was God, and they his people, begins to perform and fulfill what was promised by him, and enters into his commanded office from the Father, preaches mightily, does miracles), but 1) is not received by his own. The time that the prophets had determined about the future of Messiah was fulfilled; so all the miracles that the Messiah was supposed to do went into full swing; yet they did not move it all.
178 For what reason? Only because he did not come as they said he would. He, the head of the serpent and savior of the world, came to deliver them and all peoples on earth from the eternal curse, that is, from the devil's power, sin and death, to make God's children righteous and blessed, as the promise, Adae and Abraha, Gen. 3, 15. and Cap. 22, 18. Then they did not want such a Messiah and Christ, but who made them temporally rich, great and mighty lords, who ruled over all nations on earth. Oh, a mortal king in the flesh could have done the same as Alexander 2c. But of him the prophet Zacharias had said in the 9th Cap. V. 9. said: "Daughter of Zion, rejoice. Behold, thy king cometh unto thee, a righteous man and a 2) helper." According to this and many other prophecies, the dear Lord came and did great signs and wonders, the like of which no prophet before him had ever done. The time had passed, as the Jews themselves knew and were aware, according to the prophecy of the archfather Jacob, Gen. 49, 10, and Daniel, Cap. 9, 25, that Messiah should and must come; therefore they should have looked upon him and perceived him well, especially because he preached so powerfully and such blessed words came out of his mouth that the people marveled at them, and also performed such glorious miraculous signs, as Isaiah had proclaimed long before, Cap. 35, 5. how he, the Lord himself, points out the same prophecy to the disciples of John, Matthäi, chapter 11, v. 5.
- Erlanger: so doch.
- "a" is missing in the Erlanger.
1622 Erl. 45, 392-394. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1507-1510. 1623
179 All this should have moved them to go within themselves and think: This is truly the Messiah, promised to us in the prophets. Praise God forever that we have experienced this blessed time, for which our fathers so long ago had great longing and desire. We should therefore have received it with all reverence and a joyful heart. But the evangelist says (which is a frightening word), "He came into his own, and his own received him not." For this prophecy of Isaiah was to be fulfilled, Cap. 53, 1. ff.: "Who shall believe our preaching, and to whom shall the arm of the Lord be revealed? He had no form nor comeliness; we saw him, but there was no form that pleased us. He was the most despised and unworthy, full of pain and sickness; he was so despised that they hid their faces from him; therefore we esteemed him nothing."
But I see, alas, that it is the same in our time as it was in the time of John the apostle, and after that, when the gospel had its course, namely, that the Lord comes to us, graciously visits us, and yet very few 1) receive him. We are now (praise God) the property of our Lord Christ, accepted in place of the Jews; therefore these words also apply to us. We also bear witness to him now, as did St. John and the apostles, that he is the life and light of men, and God's Lamb who bears the sin of the world. He comes to us so kindly through his Word and dear Gospel, and wants to take us for his own Christians. What happens? We stand by him just like the Jews. They saw that he did miracles that no one had ever done, nor did they want him. Thus our doctrine is still desecrated and condemned as heresy and doctrine of the devil, many are driven into misery because of it, some are miserably murdered as heretics and rebels, only because we teach and confess that people become righteous and blessed before God through faith in Christ. We praise and exalt this faith according to the Gospel, but say: the Pope together with his followers, and all the
- Erlanger: a little.
others, that they are called and be whoever they want, if they do not testify of Christ, nor point people to him, are deceivers and murderers of souls. It is not Turks or other public enemies of the Christian name, but our brothers, who are called Christians and want to be Christians, who must persecute, banish and kill us, with such a pretense and title, as if they were doing God a service. This is the way it should be, and has always been, that Christ, His word and His church have suffered the greatest harm and plague from those who wanted to be the most holy and best, as He Himself says in Luc. 13:33: "It is not good that a prophet should perish outside Jerusalem"; that is, he must be slain by his own, they must hate the Lord Christ, persecute Him and His preachers.
We are angry and wicked with the Turk, because he is the hereditary enemy of the Christian church, and we call upon the ecclesiastical prelates, the emperor, kings, princes, lords, and all the estates of Christendom for help to fight against the Turk, and we want to protect and defend the church of Christ against him, and we do not see that we are much worse and fiercer enemies of the Lord Christ than the Turks. For we also crucify Christ today, spit in his face, trample his sacraments underfoot, and defile our hands with the blood of Christians; yet we want to go out against the Turk and strike him, and be protectors of the church, since we are worse enemies of Christ than the Turks. For although the Turk wages war, as the Romans also did, yet he has the use that what he has taken, he lets everyone believe what he wants. But ours boast of being good Christians, teach and confess the gospel, and yet blaspheme it, even defile it as heresy, persecute the right Christians, shed their innocent blood, would like to have them all dead, and yet the majority know that our doctrine is right and divine truth; and they consider this persecution to be no sin, indeed, it must still be called right and Christianly done.
- therefore we are worse than the Jews, the Gentiles, the Turks, which none of them can touch.
1624 Erl. 45, 394-3S7. Luther's interpretation on Joh.'Cap. 1-4. W. VII, I5W-1SI3. 1625
They do not hate, persecute, banish, or sacrifice to the flesh bank for the sake of faith, but agree and unanimously defend their faith. But we, who are called Christ's property, do the opposite; so that not only does one unknown persecute another who is neither related to him, but one brother delivers up another, the father delivers up the son to death, Matth. 10, 36, of which the Lord Christ Himself says: "A man's enemies are his household. This hatred and irreconcilable enmity was aroused by the devil soon in the beginning of the world, so that the devil's church is always persecuting and murdering the true saints of God, as Cain murdered Abel, his brother; Ishmael persecuted Isaac; Esau Jacob, and Saul David 2c.
Nevertheless, we pretend to be good Christians, we are devout, we call upon God, we always have the name of Jesus on our lips; especially the priest's household, monks, nuns, who have the praise of the world for serving God day and night. Truly, the Jews did likewise, indeed, they were much more pious and holy in their mind than we, sacrificing, giving alms, praying, fasting much. But how pleasant their service was to God, says the prophet Isaiah in chapter 29, v. 13, and Christ Matthew in chapter 15, v. 8: "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me." This they proved by the fact that their heart was far from God. For they crucified Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father, and were still so horribly blinded by the devil that they thought they were doing God a service. We do not make it better now, if not worse. For the pope, the cardinals, kings, princes and lords of our time persecute and blaspheme the divinely recognized truth, consider it lies and heresy, shed the innocent blood of many pious Christians, or even consent to it for the sake of great lords, or for the sake of the shameful belly, nor do they want to be Christians, defend Christ's Church against the Turks, but especially against the Lutheran heretics.
184 Thus it shall be, that other murderers of Christians shall not be invented, for
Those who bear the name of Christ and are his worst enemies under the same title. This they show by the fact that they unanimously rage and rage against the gospel of Christ, and subject themselves to defend with force and cunning and to preserve the wicked Antichrist's lies, devilish doctrine and shameful faith, which leads straight to hell. For the wicked pope in all his books teaches nothing of Christ, of faith, of God's commandments; but so he goes in: he is the head of all Christendom, a lord of the church, also of the whole world; whoever is obedient to him will be saved. He does this in the beginning, middle and end of all his writings and books; whoever does and speaks against this must die.
What then should our Lord God give such protectors (as they boast) of His church for happiness and victory against the Turk, who condemn and curse His divine word as a doctrine of the devil, punish Christ with lies, persecute, torment and strangle His faithful in all ways, and then pretend that they want to march, fight and strike against the Turk in honor of Christ and for the salvation of His church? I mean, they have beaten him so far that he has stayed ahead of them for several hundred years and has lost almost half of Europe, and the Turk is now invading one country after another, and has now come through Hungary and Austria to the land of Bohemia, that he could not be closer to us; for he has come to Vienna, to the lands where we never thought that his name should come from.
- One reads in histories that the Christian potentates, emperors, kings, princes, lords, spiritual and secular, from all over the German land, with foreign kingdoms and dominions, some hundred years ago, often fought together, raised a great power, that there was no lack of people, all kinds of armor, weapons, and other things that serve for war and seriousness, went against the Turks, fought with him; But what they did and broke off from him, our ancestors, and they themselves in part, together with their lands and people, have experienced all too much with their great suffering, damage and destruction, so that we now have to fight the Turks.
1626 Erl. 45, 397-393. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1513-ISI6. 1627
even in front of the door. This makes it clear that God has not given us any happiness or welfare. For it is an abominable blasphemy against God the Father, against Christ and the Holy Spirit, to strike the Turk, and to protect Christendom against him, and to revile and desecrate his holy word in us as lies of the devil; item, to plague his Christians, to drive them into misery and to kill them, moreover, to subordinate himself with all power to completely exterminate them, together with the teachings of the Gospel, to reinstate the pope in his former state and dignities, and to reestablish his diabolical regime anew.
So one must not wage war against the Turk, that one would blaspheme God and strangle his Christians, also call his word heresy. For such a war cannot be waged without harm. That is why the Turk raged and raged, took everything, mocked us, and called us women, but called himself a man. Who does this? Our Lord God, whom we have angered with our blasphemies and persecutions. For thus says God Deut. 28:25: Behold, when thou goest forth to war, that thou load thyself with no evil thing. For, O Israel, if thou wilt not take me for thy God, I will send enemies upon thy neck, and give thee a cowardly and fainthearted heart; and if thou wilt go one way against them, thou shalt go seven ways back again. The Turk does not know where it comes from that he has such great victory and luck; he does not think otherwise than that it happens by chance. But God has thrown him into the world so that he may be God's rod and whip, so that his property, which does not want to accept him, may be awakened and encouraged by him.
Therefore these patrons of the church are as blind and obdurate as the Jews were at that time. If only they would not swear by the name of Christ and pretend to be Christians. But they want to be Christian lords, princes, kings, emperors, yes, they want to be gloriously praised as the patrons of Christianity and God's people. Thus, they lead and misuse the precious rain of God disgracefully, contrary to the other commandment, scolding and calling those who follow God's commandments.
They persecute and murder the children of the devil, who have the word, teach and confess, believe in Christ, and are children of God according to hope. But they want to be the dear children of God, the true Christians, and the true church. What shall our Lord God do to them? He comes to us Germans, graciously visits us with His word of peace, life and salvation; so our spiritual and temporal rulers slap Him on the mouth, saying, like those of Luc. 19:14: "We do not want this one to rule over us."
Thus our Lord God says again: If they want to go out there, so that they do not want to suffer the dear Lord Christ to rule over them for their good and for their eternal blessedness, then they may be found obedient children in the faith of the Antichrist at Rome and of his platitudes, and they may keep quite stiffly to it, which thus reads: They cannot have happiness and victory against the Turk before, unless they have first exterminated the Lutheran heretics together with their doctrine and all those who are attached to it. As our princes and lords are now baked into the pope's ass, and do not want to leave him, clinging to him, since he cannot help them, nor has he ever been able to help them against the Turk. For the Turk asks nothing of the pope's interdict; his sword is sharper than the pope's ban. And because our princes do not hold it against the pope, they have no luck against the Turk, 1) but it shall happen to them as it happened to the Jews, who, since they were rid of the apostles and all Christians (the bad boys, as they thought) from Jerusalem and Judea, and now thought they wanted to re-establish the former regiment of their favor, then the Romans came, made it all over with them, dragged Jerusalem so that not one stone remained on the other, devastated and devastated all Judeaam. So they had to learn with their eternal destruction that Christ, whom they rejected and crucified, would be a ruler, and after their downfall would only begin to reign, also to rule through the gospel in all the world.
190 Although I am mistaken, it is now almost at an end. Christ now sweeps through the
- Cf. Tischreden, Cap. 62, § 1. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 1438.
1628 Erl. 45, 3SS-40I. Luther's Interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, ISI6-I5I8. 1629
Gospel his threshing floor, gathers the wheat into his sheds, and will burn up the chaff with everlasting fire. But if the world shall stand longer, and they shall go forth and fight against the Turk, they shall know that they shall have neither fortune nor victory against him: for the Lord fighteth against them, saying Deut. 28:25.I will give thee a cowardly and fainthearted heart before thine enemies, that if thou goest out to them by one way, thou mayest flee from them by seven; so that the Turk may not destroy them and their people by the power of his army (for it is not difficult for the Lord to help by much or little 1 Sam. 14, 6.), but by the power of God, for the sake of their abominable sin, for which punishment he needs the Turk as his rod. Demi it becomes nothing else, either the son kissed, so that he is not angry, or you will perish on the way Ps. 2, 12..
- If it now comes to pass that God will visit Germany through the Turk or other barbarians, and use it as an iron rod (not only because Germany has not recognized the gracious visitation of the Lord Christ at this last time, since he has come to us Germans through the Word, to accept us as his own, But all this still the several part persecutes, desecrates and condemns as devil's doctrine and lies), then they may call upon the pope, the Antichrist at Rome, their idol, for advice and help, that he may do the Turk, or whoever it will be, in Baun, and by his teaching, faith, prayer, drive out their enemies. But as little as the Turk respects his ban, but goes through with the sword: so little will the Antichrist take care of their lamentation and destruction (as he cannot), yes, he will still laugh at them in his fist and mock. For as God is, so shall the help be.
Therefore let them always go, because they do not want it any other way, but it does not help; they will continue their contempt and persecution of the divine word until the German land is overrun and we have to stand up for them. But we small group of people, who are Christ's property, and live in the world, and in this
If we are in danger, we may love the word of God, accept it, and give thanks for all the benefits we have received through the future of His word. But if we are to endure, perish and be slain with them, we nevertheless have two advantages that comfort us. The first is that we know that we have a gracious God who is not angry with us, even if He makes us suffer a little, and our conscience is clear, we have the blessed hope that we are God's children. The other is that we die in his obedience, and from this evil world, the devil's kingdom, we ascend to heaven from our Lord Christ's mouth to his eternal kingdom, where we will be delivered from all misfortune and filled with eternal joy. What advantages our adversaries, even Christ's persecutors and enemies, do not have. For they are Judas' companions, who see nothing but God's wrath and terror in their suffering, and remain in their misfortune forever, going into the abyss of hell.
Therefore, the end makes a great difference between the suffering of the Christian and the wicked. For even though they are both stabbed and killed at the same time, a Christian goes up from the mouth into eternal joy, but the wicked into the abyss of hell. But it is terrible that the great multitude, and especially the high leaders on earth who bear Christ's name, do not receive him; nevertheless he has among them, as among the Jews, and among the pope, those who accept him. As follows:
V. 12 But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the children of God, who believe in his name.
194 For when Peter preached the first sermon in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, when they had received the Holy Spirit, they gladly received his word, saith Lucas, Acts 2:41. 2:41, and were baptized about three thousand souls. After this, many more were converted at Jerusalem through the apostles' preaching, not counting those outside Jerusalem, in the countryside, and others in the Roman Empire, Persia and elsewhere, scattered now and then throughout the world, who came here through the preaching of the apostles and their disciples.
1630 Erl. 45, 401-7-404. interpretations on John the Evangelist. M vii, isis-issi. 1631
In our time some will come to us who will be converted from his own and accept him, believing in him that he died for us and shed his blood for us, redeeming us from the power of death, the devil and hell.
- They then become the true children of God and his heirs; before they were the children of wrath and the devil's own: but if they receive Christ, they become the children of God; only that they persevere in this faith. This is what the evangelist means when he continues:
The sixth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On August 25 1537 Saturday after Bartholomew. 1)
V. 12 But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the children of God 2c.
Here you hear what a great, mighty glory and unspeakable, eternal treasure is, which through God's Son with His future is established among those who accept Him, believe in Him and consider Him to be the man sent by God to help the world; namely, that this shall be the new work and being, that He shall give power and right to become children of God to all those who believe in His name. If then we believe that he is the eternal Word of the Father, through whom all things were made; item, the life and light of men, and is God's Lamb, who bears the sin of the world, takes it away, and casts it into the depths of the sea, as the prophet Michaeas says in 7 Cap, V. 19; and also to call upon him in all kinds of trouble, and to thank him for his unspeakable grace and benefits, so we are brought to the great glory, and we are granted the excellent right, the glorious power and freedom, that we have a gracious Father in heaven, yes, we are his dear children, and heirs of all his eternal heavenly goods, and as Paul says to the Romans on 8 Cap.V. 17, we are Christ's brethren and joint heirs, having eternal life and blessedness.
197 How? Has he given all men this power and freedom, when they are all children?
- In the original margin.
Who are of the wrath? No, says the evangelist, but to all those, as many as there are, none excluded, who believe in his name; that is, as I said, who accept his word with faith, and hold fast to it, calling on him. Here you will hear in a nutshell that by no other way, means or manner (be it strict life, Carthusian order, Franciscan rule, free will, human powers, devotion, holiness, and what you can call on earth, yes, angelic spirituality and humility, not even by God's laws) do we come to this high honor, glorious freedom and power, that we become God's children, but only through knowledge and faith in Christ.
- This glory is preached and offered to us every year and every day, and it is so great that no man, be he what he may, can sufficiently contemplate it, much less express it in a few words; namely, that we poor sacks of maggots and damned miserable sinners, through the first birth from Adam, shall come to these highest honors and nobility, that GOD, who is eternal and almighty, shall be our Father, we his children, Christ our brother, we his fellow heirs, and the dear angels, as Michael and Gabriel, shall not be our lords, but our brothers and servants. For they also call God a father, just as we do. It is too great and overpowering, that whoever thinks about it (worldly people do not, of course, but Christians do, but not all of them either), must immediately be horrified by it, so that it occurs to him: "Dear, is it also possible and true?
Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be the master here, writing this knowledge and faith into our hearts, and giving witness to our spirit that it is certain and amen that we have become children of God through faith in Christ, and remain forever. For St. John did not bring forth his gospel out of human will, but was driven by the Holy Spirit, who is a Spirit of truth; therefore he will certainly not deceive us. Otherwise it is a great thing that a poor man should be the son of God and the heir of Christ.
The Lord Christ says rightly Luc. 16, 8: "The children of this world are wiser,
1632 Erl. 45, 404-40". Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, , 821-1524. 1633
for the children of light. For a rich farmer's son lets himself think that he is a great nobleman. The son of a respectable burgher relies on his father's honor and property. So a mighty man of nobility thinks he is a prince in the land, thinks much and great of himself. Now it is a great thing that one can boast with truth that he is the son of a great lord, prince, king or emperor. For the high estates (like everything else) are God's good creatures. For this purpose, God has commanded that one should give what is due to them, fear them, honor them and be subject to them. Therefore it is a great honor and glory, since the world thinks more highly of, than of God's spiritual goods, a prince, king or count 2c. To be a son and heir, yet they are vain maggots, and all things stink against this glory.
But hold it against this unspeakable dignity and majesty, of which the evangelist says: "As many as received him," that is, believed in his name, "to them he gave power to become the children of God. If we believed with all our hearts, with certainty and firmness, that the eternal God, Creator and Lord of the world, was our Father, with whom we should remain eternally as children and heirs, not of the perishable evil wager, but of all His eternal, heavenly, unspeakable treasures: verily, we would not much care for that which the wager alone eighteth high and great, much less seek after it; yea, we would set all the world's riches, treasures, glory, splendor, and power 2c. against our dignity and honor (which would not be that of a mortal emperor, but of the eternal, almighty God's children and heirs) low, contemptible, nasty, leprous, yes, for a stinking filth and poison. For their glory, however high and great it may be, is at last eaten by worms and serpents in the grave; and if those who have sat in such glory and honor do not depart in the knowledge and faith of Christ, they go to the devil; their worm does not die, and their fire does not go out.
St. Paul knew this art, and held Christ's knowledge higher and greater than all the world's power, wisdom, holiness, yes, than the righteousness that comes from
Therefore he says Gal. 6, v. 14: "Far be it from me to boast, but only of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. Item Phil. 3, 7. 8.: "That which was gain to me I counted loss for Christ's sake. For I reckoned it all as harm against the abundant knowledge of Christ my Lord, for which I reckoned all things as harm, and reckoned them as filth." 2c.
- So then, through Christ, the Son of God, this authority and glorious freedom, that they should be children of God, is offered and given to those who believe in His name, But it is terrible to say and to hear that this high, glorious rule of being God's children is not only despised, mocked and ridiculed by the blind, damned race, but is also desecrated and considered the highest blasphemy, so that they execute those who believe in Christ, confess his name and word, and are therefore God's children, as children of the devil, blasphemers and rebels; as the Jews themselves did to Christ, the only begotten son of God, blaming him for stirring up the people and forbidding the emperor to give him the womb; item, making himself the son of God: if the world should take this rule on its hands and knees, if it were to be found on the other side of Babylon. But you can see how we oppose it.
Moreover, the devil sometimes strikes the devout Christian hearts so hard with his fiery arrows that they not only forget the exuberant glory that they are God's children, but also have perverse thoughts, as if God had forgotten them, abandoned them, cast them out of His sight 2c. St. Paul also did not always go in leaps and bounds, rejoicing in the great glory (that he was God's son), defying the devil and the false world. These and similar speeches show this, since he says 1 Cor. 2:3: "I was with you in weakness, with fear and great trembling. Item 2. Epist. 7, 5., that he speaks to the Corinthians, that in him there is outward strife, inward fear.
- that is why our. Faith still very
1634 Erl. 43, 406-409. interpretations on the evangelist 'John. W. VII, 1524-1526. 1635
weak and cold. Thus, if he were certain and strong, as he should be, we would not be able to live with great joy. But, praise God, we know that even the weak believers are God's children. For Christ does not say in vain Luc. 12, 32., "Fear not, little host" 2c. But we should always sigh and pray with the apostles: "Lord, strengthen our faith, Luke 17, v. 5, and like him, Marci 9, v. 24: "I believe, dear Lord, help my unbelief."
- This then is our consolation, that whosoever believeth in Christ is set apart to be an heir of God; that he be not a servant or a handmaid, but a son, the heir of all goods. This dominion we should take at the end of the world on our knees, yes, with bare feet. Follows:
V. 13. Who are not born of the womb, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Now this is like a confutatio, so that the evangelist answers all those in whom there is something to boast about; it is so good and so delicious, and as much as it wants, it does not help to become God's child. On the other hand, with these words he clearly indicates who are truly God's children and heirs, who have the authority to call God their Father. Here you must put out of sight all that is high, great and glorious before the world, even forgetting all creatures. For although all these things have their origin and coming from God, they cannot serve to make one God's child. For everything that is of us belongs to hell, and is condemned and damned to death. There is nothing more valid here than to be born of God through faith in the Son of God who became man.
The evangelist divides and summarizes all fatherhood and filiation, and what else is best in the world, on which people can build or defy, into three bundles, or three parts. The first birth is from the womb, which God created, as Genesis 1:27, 28 is written: "God created man, he created them male and female.
and maidens, and God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply. Now this is the birth of the flower, that is, those who are born of flesh and blood, and are natural children of men; so that they can boast of their father and mother. And this is a glorious birth.
And with this word "not of the blood" John refers especially to the Jews, although at the same time he includes the whole world with the Jews; he means: What is natural, father, mother, son, daughter, everything that is born of the blood, or what is born naturally, coming from man and woman, all this is not valid, they are not God's children. Even if father and mother were as noble as a hundred thousand emperors and empresses, they could not and could not make anyone God's child or blessed by means of their blood, although fatherhood and motherhood are God's good creatures; indeed, all the emperors and kings on earth could not, with all their power, make and create one little hair, let alone a man or a woman.
210 Therefore it is not enough for the sonship of God that we are called his creatures, father, mother, or husband and wife, although heaven and earth, and all that is therein, were created for the sake of the marriage state (which is the fountain of all ranks), and he was gifted with it, but the evangelist here adds that it is something special, and comes from a special blossoming, which is a divine birth; just as God specially chose the Jews out of all the Gentiles to be his people. Otherwise, going through all the ranks, from the highest to the lowest, you will find that emperors, kings, princes, citizens, peasants, are all called flesh and blood, and are born of the flower.
But this bodily birth is a temporal, perishable creature, corrupted by sin, not assured of its essence for a moment, but ceases and dies; for this reason it is badly cast away before God, as it does not serve eternal life. For we all born of flesh and blood, none excepted, are a rotten apple, stinking carrion before God, which does me and you no good (even if we are of the noblest emperor,
1636 Erl. 45, 40S-411. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4, W. VII, 1526-1529. 1637
who ever came on earth were children or sons) to the filiation of God, but it remains birth; and there must belong another birth, namely, to be born of God, or of the water and the Spirit.
The Jews are by blood the noblest on earth, and if one wanted to paint a noble birth, one would have to take the Jews for the sake of their calling and election. For they have been set apart and exalted by God on earth, and the promise of Christ has been made to them. For God spoke to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Genesis 12, 3, Cap. 22, 18. Cap. 26, 4. Cap. 28, 14: "Through your seed all nations or generations on earth shall be blessed"; not only spiritually through Christ, but also bodily. From their blossom were born the greatest and highest people on earth, as the holy, highly enlightened patriarchs, prophets, kings, of whom we have the Scriptures of the Old Testament, both of whom were excellent teachers and warriors, through whom God performed great deeds and miracles; because of them the mighty kings of Babylon, as Belshazzar and Sanherib, item, before at Nineveh, and after them many others more punished, as the Bible testifies; not to mention that Christ the Lord, their cousin, was born of their seed, according to the flesh, therefore he says Joh. 4, 22: "Salvation comes from the Jews."
That God has chosen this generation and especially chosen it for the bodily birth of His newborn Son, according to the promise made to their fathers and finally to David: "I will set the fruit of your womb on your throne," Ps. 132:11, therefore, is a noble blood or birth, so it should be right for the Jews. They were well aware of this and insisted on it, and they gloriously know how to boast: We are Abraham's children, Abraham's seed, and therefore God's people. Therefore St. John the Baptist, Matth. 3, 9, punishes them severely because of such pride that they insisted that they were Abraham's seed and says: "Do not think that you want to say among yourselves: We have Abraham as our father. I tell you, God is able to give Abraham from these stones.
to raise up 1) children." As if he wanted to say: You insist very much on your nobility, that Abraham is your father; it is true, you are Abraha and the change fathers children and descendants, from whom (as God promised them) great prophets, kings, princes 2c. are born. But do not defy them. For the chosen seed, promised to them, is present, and he now wants to establish a new being, to abolish the old. Look to him and receive him; if not, it will not help you that you are Abraham's seed; yes, you will be rejected, your priesthood and kingdom will have its end. For "the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire" Matt. 3:10.
Thus both John the Baptist and the Evangelist reject all the blood of men, from which they were born, even the blood of the Jews especially called in Abraham, since they were truly the most noble in the world, above all emperors, kings and princes, and had the greatest advantage and glory. But it shall not help nor serve for the spiritual birth, which alone is God's work and preserves us eternally.
With this, he does not want to make a mess and even reject the natural birth of man, which is a great, glorious thing before the world, yes, everything; as from which all classes, high and low, as § 209 said, originate, which God also wants to have feared and honored as his creatures. For God has decreed and laid down a commandment that one should honor one's parents; item, be obedient to spiritual and secular authorities, and keep the differences, that the fatherhood and dominion should be higher and more glorious than the children's and subjects' and servants' status, a woman be inferior to the man 2c., that the son to the father, the daughter to the mother, the subjects to their overlord, the servants to their lord, and women shall not say, I am as good as thou, though thou be father, prince, lord, wife, for I am as well God's creature as thou; go not forth thus.
- "to" added by us according to the Bible.
1638 Erl. 45, 411-413. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, I52S-1S32. 1639
This bodily contempt is of no use at all. For in this place we speak of spiritual birth, not of the birth of blood, since parents are over children, authorities over subjects, masters over their servants, which God has thus ordered and commanded. And if you are a true Christian and God's child, you will not despise or trample on God's creatures, order and creatures, but will say: "For this very reason, that I have been born anew of God through faith in Christ, and that he is my biological father, I will do what he commands me to do, honor my parents according to creation, be obedient to my overlords, serve my master and wife faithfully. For although God gives birth to believers in Christ anew for eternal life, he nevertheless preserves in the world paternity, maternity, filiality, dominion, servitude, and magdalities, and does not allow either marital status or other statuses to perish. So also in the world the difference of the persons must remain, so that the lower classes do not rise against the upper classes, and the chairs do not rise on the benches, also the children do not grow over the heads of the parents.
217 It is true that you are as good as a father, a mother, an overlord, a householder, 2c. when you speak of faith and of spiritual birth and eternal goods; yes, it may well be that you are better when they are godless. As if the father is a Turk or otherwise unbelieving, and contrary to divine teaching, or does not want to hear it or suffer it, and you are a Christian and God's child. Nevertheless, 1) spiritual birth does not cancel the obedience of parents and authorities 2c. but confirms it. Both, spiritual and physical birth, should have their own special circle. According to the spiritual birth, you are a child of God and a lord over everything; but according to the temporal birth, your parents, overlords 2c. are better and more honest than you, if they are not as pious before God as you are. For it is God's creature and order that we should hold our parents, overlords 2c. better and more glorious than ourselves; it is
- Erlanger:, holds.
shall be masters and wives over menservants and maidservants. And then you say: When I am in the circle of creation, father and mother, lord and wife, king and prince, are much greater and more glorious than I am, and I will be a godly son; for I shall honor father and mother, and know that they are better than I am. Why? Because God's creature and creature is like that; God wants me to be a son, servant or subject.
218 But one should be careful here and not mix these two births together. For as far as the spiritual life is concerned, the physical birth is rejected here. If you are a nobleman, do not pride yourself on your nobility and do not plague your peasants, do not think of them as dogs, do not think that for the sake of your nobility you are better before God than a preacher, a burgher or a peasant; otherwise all other people must now stink before the nobility. Well, God did not give you nobility for court, but only for your benefit and use. But the world cannot let it go, it must misuse these gifts. A nobleman is the peasants' martyr and shackle; a rich citizen sucks the poor one dry; so the peasants also shake and scrape the citizens. This is what is done now in all classes; it has become a loud throbbing and rumbling. But God did not create it this way; that is why God did not give birth to a king, a nobleman and a rich citizen, but created and gave it all for help, benefit and use, so that people might be served with it.
- Parents are not placed by God in their position to see only their air in the children and to make a fuss over them, much less to provoke them to anger and to provoke them with too harsh punishment, but to raise them in discipline and admonition to the Lord. Thus, the authority of God is not given to the overlords and rulers, so that they may insist on it and defy it, and protect and oppress their subjects in all ways, but so that they may lead a quiet life under its protection and protection in all godliness and respectability, 1 Tim. 2, 2.
1640 Erl. 45, 413-415. Luther's interpretation on Johl Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1532-1534. 1641
To the praise of the pious". For such their service one should give them lap and duty, respect and honor them; yes, the better and in a higher and more honest state one is, the more and more diligently he should think about how he would be helpful, helpful and comforting to others. For what God gives us, whether spiritual or physical gifts, wisdom, understanding, art, power, wealth, money and goods, we should use for the benefit and improvement of our neighbor.
But the world does not; it abuses all creatures, money, wine and grain; it is meager, stingy, 2c., and makes a show of it. He who is learned, rich, and noble, boasts and prides himself on it, despising others who are not like him; no one remembers that our Lord God will at the last day demand of each one an account of how he has presided over his office or profession, and say, "I gifted you before others with nobility, high understanding, wisdom and power, riches and other things; did you also use them for the benefit, improvement and comfort of your neighbor, loving him as yourself? Since then your conscience itself will say: No, Lord, I have not taken care of his need, seeking only my own, forsaking him, and taking others for geese, 2c. Then God will say, "Go away from me, you cursed one, into the abyss of hell, into eternal purgatory; I did not create you for this purpose and give you my goods superfluously, so that you should become proud and despise others, 2c. but use them properly and invest them well. Nor will he have the wife to commit adultery, nor the husband to commit fornication or fornication; but they shall beget children together in wedlock, one comforting and succoring the other. Whoever then abuses his gifts, let him beware.
This is why St. John the Evangelist rejects the birth of blood, however high and noble it may be, so that it does not serve or help us to become children of God, and also rejects the Jews, who were the cousins of the Lord Christ, who insisted on the birth of blood, and made it useful to them that they were Abraham's seed. As they do even to this day, and all the
They say that God has performed great miracles, eradicated kingdoms and monarchies, for the sake of the blood of Abraha; therefore, they want to be better before God than other people. But one does not become God's child because one is born of a peculiar mother and father. If a hundred thousand emperors, where possible, were our fathers, we would not have a hair's breadth of advantage before God to become His children by it; such cannot belong to heaven. However, God does not reject the birth of blood for this reason, but allows it to remain in the world in its dignity, yes, commands that the children should honor their parents, even if they were poor and beggars, that the subjects should be obedient to the authorities, and that they in turn should use their fatherhood and dominion for the benefit and improvement of the children and subjects, that they should preside over their office well; but are not thereby born again to eternal life. The evangelist continues:
Nor of the will of the flesh.
The birth from the flower is in the Scriptures, as you have heard in 2101, the main source of all births and states. After this there is another birth, when children are born of the will of the flesh. Another may interpret and divide it according to his liking, but I will interpret it thus, that they have become children by the will of the flesh, which are not children by birth, but by the will of him who takes one for a child, and makes him heir to his goods. As when one takes in marriage a widow who has a son or daughter begotten with her former husband, who is now deceased, he or she is her other husband's half-son or half-daughter. Or, if a husband and wife, who are without heirs, take a child to be their son or daughter, who is not their child by nature or flesh and blood.
In the Law of Moses, these first children are called half-children, who are not children by blood, and yet they call their stepfather, whose children they are not by nature, father, or they call the stepmother mother. The other children, as physical children, according to the lawyers and rights legal children, so that the right to kin-
1642 Erl. 45, 415-418. Interpretations On St. John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1534-1537. 1643
Even those who have chosen to be children are called father and mother, although they are not their parents according to the flesh. This is what St. John calls "being born of the will of the flesh," that is, being born of man; for man is flesh.
Now it is true that in the eyes of the world this filiation is a great thing, and it is common for great people who do not have natural children of their own to make poor orphans their children and heirs. For poor people have hardly to feed themselves, therefore they do not care much where they take heirs. Nor shall such childbearing be counted in the sight of God, as high and great as it ever will be, in the sight of the world. "For that which is born of the flesh is flesh." Let it be and remain in the world that people choose to have children who are not born of them, but are set and ordered according to the law, that is, "according to the will of the flesh," that is, of a human being, be it man or woman, or both man and woman at the same time, if they willingly and unnecessarily accept a child for a son or daughter, who is not of course their flesh and blood, but want to take it for their child and make it heir to all their goods. As it was common among the Jews, and is still the custom in the world, for one to say, "I will be your father, and you shall be my son or daughter. But these children by right and by will, whom men have chosen on earth, as I said, are not; they do not become children of God by this will.
- And, that I say it clearly: Many Greeks and also other Gentiles joined the Jews in David's and Solomon's time (when Judaism was in its highest bloom) and other kings after that, yes, at all times, accepting their faith, worship and religion, being circumcised and keeping all things according to the law of Moses, like the Jews; these, even though they were guests and strangers, were not Jews by nature, born according to the blood of Abraham; nevertheless, they were Abraham's seed, ex adoptione, and were nevertheless fellow Jews,
- Erlanger: er.
- Erlanger: other.
all the honor and glory of the Jews, who were of course Abraha's seed. Now if they had boasted and said, "We are better than the Gentiles, for we have come to Judaism by the right and will of the flesh or of men, are members of the people of God, and His children, and thereby want to be blessed: No, says the evangelist, if you are called a child by nature or blood, if you have attained 3) sonship by right or by will, it is not so, unless you come to Christ. For the will of the flesh is that which is established and ordained by men; than that they should make sonship, since there is no birth, but only the will. Neither shall they be. In short, the evangelist does not want to leave anything that is called father, son or will, be it by birth or by granted and established fatherhood, that one is a son; it does not help and is not valid for eternal life, another birth is needed to become children of God.
Nor of the will of the man.
(226) Of the two births, as of the blood and will of the flesh, none serves to make a man a child of God and heir to the kingdom of heaven. So also the third one, which the evangelist calls "of the will of the man," does nothing. What filiation is like when I call a man father for honor's sake; or when a man calls his pastor, preceptor, or schoolmaster father, because he teaches and instructs him; and again, they call their hearers parishioners, and their pupils sons, for the sake of their faith, godliness, and obedience. So the prophets were also called fathers. Just as St. Paul is called Timothy and Titum his sons. Now they are fathers, not because of blood or choice, but because of the honor they receive from their listeners, who consider and honor them as their lords and fathers. And God wills that in this way an old, honest man shall be called a father. So Paul also commands Timothy in 1 Tim. 5, 1. f. to admonish the old men as fathers, the young ones as brothers, the
- "have" put by us instead of: have.
1644 Erl. 45, 418-420. Luther's Interpretation On John Cap. 1-4. W.VII, 1537-1540. 1645
old women as mothers, the young as sisters. Romans 12:10: "Let each one precede the other with reverence. Phil. 2:3: "By humility one esteemeth another better than himself. This is fine, right, honest and well done, a fine discipline among people, and is done by the will or counsel of a man, the holy apostle Paul, that an old man says to a young fellow, Dear son; and a young fellow to an old man, or who instructs him, Dear father; a young woman to an honest, old matron, Dear mother, she in turn, Dear daughter.
227 This third way of childship is not to be considered that I am God's child, it is not just in the sight of God. And even if I could say and boast: I have heard Abraham and Moses, Samuelem or David, Eliam and Jesaiam, or if I had been a disciple of John the Baptist, yes, of the Lord Christ himself, had heard him preach and seen miraculous signs (as some boasted against St. Paul: "Well, we have heard Christ preach ourselves, that is what you lack, St. Paul"). Yes, if St. Paul had been my schoolmaster and preceptor, it should not make me a child of God. If I had had all the prophets and apostles as fathers, that is, as schoolmasters, I am therefore no better than others who do not have them. St. John casts away as pure as a rotten apple everything that a man could insist on or defy, so that only he may be valid before God and make God's children who are born of him, that is, who accept Christ; they shall have righteousness and authority, so that they can boast that they are God's children, and that God is their Father.
Nevertheless, it is all good and right, whether it be paternity of blood, of choice, or of honor, for they are God's creatures, in which He is pleased and has confirmed them, and He also wants these three kinds of children, those 1) who are the originators of their blood, will, or right, and of honor, to be kept in mind, loved, and valued. For he wills that in
- "those" and "also" inserted by us for the sake of understanding.
It is pleasing to God that we honor our pastors, preachers, preceptors, 2c., and consider them our fathers, even though we do not inherit anything corporeal from them. Item, to have our authorities before our eyes, to obey them, to hold pious, godly people in honor and to call them our fathers. As Naaman the Syrian's servants called him lord and father (for the sake of honor). We do this by the will and counsel of a highly enlightened man. It is therefore a good, useful, honest and divine work, done according to God's will and command. But we do not thereby attain the power and the right to become God's children. Therefore, such honor and obedience is a beautiful, glorious, exquisite virtue in the eyes of the world, but not in the eyes of God, if we intend to become blessed by it; there it is all dead, and counts for nothing, because something higher belongs to it.
229 So these three kinds of births are good, useful, honest, divine works, especially the birth of offspring, which God created, established, and blessed, that husbands and wives beget children. God also pleases the other two births, namely, that those who are without heirs accept other people's children as sons and daughters and make them their heirs; and the third, that we honor our parents, pastors, preceptors, authorities, according to His commandment and commandment, on which all laws and rights are and will be based, and all good virtue and good use are included in them. But they are corrupted by original sin, and for this reason they count for nothing before God; indeed, they are rejected in that they should help us to eternal life.
This means, in short and purely, to cut off all glory and praise of the above-mentioned three births, so that no one would think of becoming a child of God through one of them. Therefore something higher belongs to it, as 207 ff.] that we become children of God, namely, that we accept Christ, the Son of God, our dear Lord, and believe in his name, from whom, and no one else in heaven and earth, we received authority to become children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.
1646 Erl. 48, 420-4L2. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1540-1542. 1647
- So we distinguish diligently between the creation, which only happened, and the new birth, which brings us back what we lost after the creation. Here we are in a different place when we read this text here, and when one speaks of the creation. That remains: A prince is better than a subject; a father better than the son; a lord better than the servant: this difference God has thus created, and wants to have kept, as a creature and order; but such difference does not make God's children. This difference ceases with this life; our high status or nobility eats away worms and snakes; but we become children of God only because we believe in Christ. Follow on:
But are born of God.
This is even a new birth, which kills and condemns the previous three, with all their praise, honor and dignity, if they are to serve eternal bliss. For so far the evangelist has said: "We are born of the blood of our parents by God's creation and blessing; item, some children, poor, miserable and abandoned, are adopted and raised by godly people as children and heirs; and our students here are pupils and disciples under their preceptors, whom they honor as their fathers (one more than the other), as God has ordered and commanded. But by works none, neither the fathers of blood, right and honor, nor we, their children, become righteous and blessed in the sight of God. But to the high honor and glory of becoming children of God we come only by birth from or of God, that is, by believing in the name of the man called Jesus Christ, true, natural son of Mary, born of her in time, but begotten of the Father from eternity, of which enough has been said above § 8 ff. This Jesus Christ, our Lord, alone brings this birth, gives freedom, right and power to those who believe in him, that they are children of God, who alone gives sonship. Therefore, only those who are born of God, that is, those who believe in Jesus, are God's children.
Believe in Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Mary. And these believers are not born of blood, nor will of the flesh, nor will of the man, but of God.
233 Thus the evangelist cuts off all the glory, power and authority of the world, saying, "It does not promote salvation for a man to be emperor, king, prince, pious, wise, learned or rich; for all men, high and low, are flesh, but all flesh is hay, and like a flower of the field; the hay withers, the flower fades, but the word of God endures forever," Isa. 40:6, 7, 8. 40:6, 7, 8. Whoever keeps the word and accepts John's testimony (which Isaiah also strongly advocates in the same 40th chapter of Christ) and believes in his rains, he comes to this unspeakable glory, be it emperor, king, 2c., citizen, peasant, servant, shepherd, beggar 2c., that he is God's child: so that all, no one excluded, whether man or woman, who hear Christ's word, believe in him, have the power and the right that they can say with truth: I am God's child through Christ and an heir of all His heavenly goods, and God is my Father.
Therefore we should hear this blessed sermon with all our hearts, and on our knees (if we did not have it here) fetch it over a hundred miles, and well imagine in our hearts that we would become certain of the matter. For he who strongly and firmly believed that he was God's child would be a blessed man, safe and unafraid of only misfortune, the devil, sin and death.
Now this is the preaching of the Gospel, which is much different from what is found in all philosophers, worldly wise men, the Pope and his scribes' books, which, since they are the best, cannot advise a hair's breadth in the matter we are dealing with here. Who, unfortunately, have many more disciples than the dear Gospel, which belongs only to Christians, as the Lord says: pauperes evangelisantur Matth. 11, 5., God help us that we accept such preaching of the Gospel, and are found among the multitude, of which the Evangelist says: "How many
accepted him, to them he gave power to become children of GOD."
1648 Erl. 48, 1-s. Luther's interpretation on Jn. cap. 1-4. w. vu, 1542-IS4Z. 1649
The seventh sermon on the Gospel of John.
September 1 1537. 1)
V. 14. And the Word became flesh.
But here the word gets another name; which he called God above, and a light that came into the world, created the world, and yet was not accepted by the world, now becomes flesh here, lets himself down so deeply that he takes on my flesh and blood, my body and soul, and does not become an angel or any other glorious creature, but becomes a man. It is too great an exuberant treasure and grace that God has exercised with the poor human race; it is not possible for a human heart to grasp nor to comprehend, much less to express.
Therefore, we Christians should do the least and get used to keeping much of these words, which have remained and been preserved in honor even under the papacy. For although the Antichrist at Rome, and the devil as well, disgracefully tore apart and perverted everything that is divine in the church, God nevertheless miraculously preserved the holy Scriptures (although darkened and blinded) under his accursed rule, and brought them down to our time. In the same way, he preserved the text of the Gospel, which was read to the people from the pulpit every Sunday, but without understanding. So also, according to the words, the Ten Commandments, the faith, the Lord's Prayer, the baptism, the one form of the sacrament, remained in the church under his diabolical rule. And yet God resisted him, so that he did not have to trample everything underfoot and destroy it, so that God still preserved His own, as everything was completely darkened, and the right understanding was hidden, nor did it remain. So also this word: Et Verbum caro factum est, has remained in great honor, and has been sung daily in all masses, and with slower and more special notes than the other words; that when one has sung: Ex Maria virgine, et homo factus est, everyone bent his knees and took off his little hat-
- In the original margin.
drawn. And it would still be fair and right that one kneels down before the word: Et homo factus est, and sings with lukewarm notes (as before) and hears with a happy heart that the divine majesty has lowered itself so low that it has become like us poor maggot sacks, and we thank God for his unspeakable grace and mercy that the Godhead itself has become flesh. For who can sufficiently explain this?
The dear fathers in the church also had a special play of joy over these words, and held them high, and praised (as one reads in their books from time to time) that we have come to the great honor that God did not take the angelic nature, which are much higher, more glorious and nobler than we, but humbled Himself, and took the seed of Abraha to Himself, Hebr. 2, 16, and became our flesh and blood. Who can explain this? The angels are much holier than we poor sinners are; nor does he take our nature unto himself, and was born of the Virgin Mary in the flesh and blood of man.
Especially in his devotion, Saint Bernard has had many good thoughts about it, and is very surprised, and says: he believes that the Archdevil, Lucifer, fell above the play and was pushed out of heaven, that perhaps he saw and noted before his fall that God in eternity decided to become a man in time, and to take on human nature, and not angelic. Thus, he had fallen into a hopelessness against God. For he saw that he was a much more glorious and beautiful creature than a man. He also fell into an envy against the human race and did not grant such high honor to men, whose nature God would accept. He and his companions were displeased by this and were disgusted that God would despise them and accept human nature; therefore he fell with his group and was cast out of heaven. For if an emperor put a beggar at the top, and despised great and mighty lords, kings, princes, scholars, wise counsellors, 2c. and let them sit at the bottom, they would also be displeased. We humans on earth cannot do any better.
1650 Erl. 4", 3-". Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vn. 1545-1548. 1651
For the older son Luc. 15, 29, when he heard that his brother, the prodigal son, the glutton and spendthrift, who had become a beggar, had come, it displeased him and made him sickly-eyed that the father had slaughtered a fattened calf for the unhappy son, who had devoured his inheritance with harlots and knaves, and had not given him, who had never transgressed his commandment, a goat.
Thus (St. Bernard thinks) Lucifer and his company were also displeased that God should become a man and not an angel. For if we consider it ourselves, we conclude that it would have been much better and more honest that God would have taken the noblest nature, as the angel, to himself, than that he took the sinful human nature, which the devil, the old serpent, drank poison into himself in paradise. Now that God has taken humanity upon Himself, and humanity has been united with divinity in the person of Christ, is like putting some sow and filth at a table, and pushing holy, pious people away.
And St. Bernard also said that the good angels were pleased with it and said: If it pleases our Lord, God and Creator, then it should also please us. They stayed and recognized him as their God and Lord. As the angel said to Mary Magdalene and other women, Matt. 28, v. 6: "Come and see the place where the Lord has lain.
This, thought Bernhardi is no article of the faith; is, nevertheless, the truth similar. For nature cannot think otherwise. It is also truly very annoying that one should see that God Himself has taken this poor, weak and corrupt human nature to Himself, and let the holy, glorious, angelic nature go. Thus, St. Bernard had his play, wonder and joy with such thoughts, which his heart and mind indicated against these words, and also wanted us to imagine.
243 So, I say, the dear fathers were astonished that the divine majesty accepted the poor maggot sack of human nature, nothing excluded, because the
Sin, and that he was not guilty of death. He ate, drank, slept, and watched 2c., only that he was not born in sins as we are. It is, of course, an unspeakable, incomprehensible thing, so that whoever really believes it must marvel at it; indeed, heaven, earth and all creatures should be astonished at the fact that, since a man is a wretched creature compared to an angel, God should nevertheless esteem men nobler and more precious than the angelic nature. This might well make some eyes pale that God prefers the human nature to the angelic one. But it is all for the purpose of showing us what great glory has befallen us. For it pleases the angels in heaven very much; therefore they are always around the Lord Christ, and also serve him; since he rose from the dead, they are around his grave.
Therefore the holy fathers did not have so much thought on the word: Et homo factus est without cause. It would not be surprising that we still wept with joy. Yes, even if I should never become blessed (since the dear God is for me), it should still make me happy that Christ, my flesh, bone and soul, is sitting in heaven at the right hand of God; no bones, flesh and blood have come to glory. St. Bernard continues to speak of this in a very comforting way, saying: "Now I realize that God, my Lord, is not angry with me, for he is my flesh and blood, and sits at the right hand of the heavenly Father, a Lord over all creatures. If he were angry with me, he would not have taken my flesh and blood. So with these words, Et homo factus est, we should also perform miracles, and begin the words with long notes, as is customary in the church; for it is just and right, and herein stands 1) all our comfort and joy, against sin, death, the devil, hell, and despair, and shall nowhere.
245 One reads that it once happened that one stood, a coarse ruler and felt, when one said these words in the church:
et homo factus est sung, and neither the
Baret pulled off, nor his knees bent, nor
- Erlanger: is.
1652 Erl. 4", s-s. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, IS48-ISS0. 1653
I did not show any honor against it, but stood there like a stick (otherwise the whole crowd of the people had knelt down when these words were sung in the Patrem 1), and prayed devoutly), then the devil came to him, gave him a muzzle so that his face was gone, cursed him horribly, and said: "That the infernal fire may burn you, you coarse ass! If God had become an angel of my nature, as I was one, and one sang: God has become an angel; I would not only bend my knees, but my whole body to the earth; yes, I would have crawled ten cubits deep into the earth: and you hopeless man stand there, like a stick or a stone, and hear that God has not become an angel, but man, and equal to you, and you stand there, and grumble, like a log of wood. Whether it happened or not, it is similar to faith that the holy fathers wanted to admonish the youth by such examples, how great and unspeakable a thing it is that the true Son of God became man, and that we opened our eyes and considered such words.
246 Item: I have read more such examples, that one, when he could not have rest from the devil, marked himself with the cross, and said, "The word was made flesh," or, which is like saying, "I am a Christian," so the devil was driven out and smitten, and he had peace. And I believe it to be true, if he spoke these words from a believing heart. With long disputation one does not gain much from him, but with short words and statements, as: I am a Christian, of flesh and blood, because the Lord Christ, the Son of God, is here; take a bite, devil, and he will not stay long.
247 For it is certain that one who could speak the word, Et Verbum caro factum est, with right faith and strong confidence, even in the greatest of temptations, would certainly be saved from his troubles and distress. For where there is a believer, the devil must shun this word; and I have often read it, and also seen that many of them in
- katrsm - the Nicene Creed.
The devil has left them, and they have spoken these words in the greatest distress and terror: Et Verbum caro factum est, and with their hands made a cross before them, so that the devil departed from them. For the faith in these words was so strong that it overcame the world and the devil. As one reads another history or legend, that at a time when this Gospel of John was read from the beginning: In principio erat Verbum, the devil stood there motionless and listened, until the word: "And the Word became flesh", then he disappeared. Whether it is fictitious or happened, it is nevertheless the truth that whoever speaks or contemplates these words from the heart in a right faith, the devil must certainly flee him. Otherwise the devil can very well suffer that God's Son is a light and life of men, and laughs in his heart that people do not accept it, as John said above v. 11. But here all his thoughts are cut in two: God's Son became man.
248 But it has also been a terrible abuse and sorcery that one reads this Gospel of John: In principio erat Verbum, written on a small piece of paper, enclosed in a quill or otherwise, hung on the neck or elsewhere; item, against the thunder and weather, as this has been common in the papacy. As then also the magicians of the names: Jesus, Mary, the four evangelists, Matthew, Marcus, Lucas, John, the three holy kings; item, the words: Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum, are used to abuse, and do it in their evil evil and boasting.
This is because the wicked saw that the apostles, their disciples, and after them many pious bishops and saints, performed miracles and signs when they only spoke some words from the Gospel. Then they also took the words, and immediately wanted to do similar signs according to them, as the Jews also said that they had done miraculous signs by the word Tetragrammaton 2) of Christ. Therefore they thought, if they would do it to them without faith,
- d. i. rnrv, which consists of four letters.
1654 Erl. 46, 8-10. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1550-1553. 1655
it would also happen; as Apost. 19, 13. Lucas shows an example.
But by no means, brother, do you make a work of it without faith. The words of a believer and an unbeliever are not at all the same; there is no power in the words unless there is faith. The devil asks nothing of it if a godless pope or sorcerer uses the same words (unless he wants to confirm error by them) that a Christian speaks in faith, since he truly cannot despise them. And if you speak the words out of faith, it will be done to you according to the words; it will not go off without great fruit. Therefore, there is a great difference between the one who speaks such words in faith and the one who performs magic with them. Every magician pretends holiness, saying: You must speak three or five paternosters, the names: JEsus, Mary, Lucas, John; item, Verbum caro factum est etc., lead. Without these words they cannot perform magic. Yes, they say, they are good words, founded in the holy scripture! Thank the devil for that! They are not ordained that thou shouldest abuse them, but that thou shouldest believe in them, and in and by faith obtain what thou wilt or desirest. But if you do not respect faith, and do sorcery and your monkey business with it, that is, shamefully misuse the words and do magic with them.
251 Simon Magus was just such a journeyman, who, when he saw that the Holy Spirit was visibly given when the apostles laid their hands on him, Acts 8. 8, Simon wanted to buy this from the apostles, offered them money, and said, v. 19: "Give me also power, that, when I lay hands on any man, he may receive the Holy Ghost." He asked nothing about faith, but desired only that he might have the power to give the Holy Spirit to others, and wanted to buy it from the apostles, to do such a work without faith, and to make a trade or fair out of it, and to make money out of it. Then St. Peter also spoke harshly to him, saying, v. 20: "The devil lead you away with your money! "That thou mayest be damned! Do you think it is possible that God's gifts through money
be attained?" It is for those who believe it, not for those who speak it without faith. Because the evil men saw that the holy fathers used such words and protected themselves with them, they also began to do magic with these words.
252 One reads of a holy nun, I believe it to be true (for many devout hearts have been miraculously preserved in the right faith in the papacy by God's grace, like Abraham at Ur in Chaldea, and Lot at Sodom), when she was challenged by Satan, she said no more than: Christiana sum. With these words she protected herself against the devil, so that he had to depart from her. And it is true that whoever could sing such words against the real terrors of the devil and against the evil world, the devil would not be able to deceive him. It is a short word, but it has much in it; where it is spoken with faith, there the devil certainly does not remain; otherwise these words do not help an adulterer, whoremonger and miser at all.
253 Therefore let us always have such words and such like in our hearts and mouths, and be accustomed, when the wicked Satan assails us, not to confess to him any disputation; for he is far superior to us in force, cunning, and understanding, even of the Scriptures; but briefly reject him, saying, The Word is made flesh, or, I am a Christian. Or, I believe in Jesus Christ our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of Mary, the Virgin, and became man, 2c.
But if an ungodly man repeats these or other words from Scripture to a believer and they do not come true, it is no wonder, for where there is no faith, there follows no power. ,
255: Therefore the dear fathers have not written in vain of these words: Verbum caro factum est, et: Homo factus est, so much and often written, all of the opinion that they should be held in great honor; as happened before this time in the Pabstthum, that when they were sung or read, one bared the head, bent the knees, or at some
1656 Erl. 46, 10-13. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1553-1556. 1657
places has even knelt down. Much more could we now sing and hear it with higher, greater joy, because we now know and understand (praise to God) what an inexpressible treasure is offered to us through these words, yes, given to us as our own. For those who accept and keep it with faith are God's children.
- summa: No angel, much less a prophet or apostle, can say that the eternal Son of God, who, as Isaiah Cap. 53, 9. and 1 Petr. 2, 22. st. Peter, "did no sin, neither was any deceit found in His mouth," and therefore was not guilty of death, yet for our comfort and salvation He became man, even a curse and sin for us, that He redeemed us from the eternal curse and made us righteous, Gal. 3, 13. Rom. 8, 3. 2 Cor. 5, 21.
257 So John the Evangelist preached about the Word who was in the beginning, who was with and together with the Father, the eternal God, through whom he created all things, who was the life and light of men, and who shone in the darkness, and who came into the world, became man, and dwelt among men, and yet they did not know him. But that he might be revealed 1) and known, God sent John the Baptist before him to testify of him; to which testimony the great hand did not turn. For when he came into his own possession, preaching and performing miracles, his own did not receive him; but those who received him, to them he gave power to become the children of God. We have spoken of all these things in particular.
258 And John does not remember Mary, the mother of the Lord, with a few words; but Lucas in chapter 2 writes at length that she gave birth to him in Bethlehem. John did not care much about the mother, as Paul also says badly: "Born of a woman", Gal. 4, 4. For the higher people are, and the greater the spirit in men, the more and more diligently they looked at the fruit than at the mother, and wanted us to look at the fruit, that is, at the Son of God,
- Erlanger: apparently.
who created and made all things, and was the light of the world, and became truly man. Otherwise, it is true that she is a holy, pure, chaste virgin, "blessed among women", as the angel Luc. 1, 42. says to her, and she sings in her song: "All the children's children will call me blessed"; but she grieves that the true Son of God has become man. In the 2nd chapter John speaks of the mother, when he writes that Christ said to her at the wedding in Cana (scolds her, v. 4): "Woman, what have I to do with you?" All because he painted the person of Christ correctly 2c.
And the Word became flesh.
259 "The Word," says the evangelist, "of which I preached that it was in the beginning, by which all things were made, the life and light of men," 2c. "was made flesh. Flesh in Scripture means a whole man, as is said below in the 3rd chapter, v. 6. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh." Now body and soul are born of a woman, not a dead lump of flesh, but a bodily child, having flesh and blood, which together the Scripture calls in one word flesh; item, fleshly wisdom, glory, power, strength; all these we call in German human wisdom, glory, power, and what is high and great in the world.
(260) Therefore, the noblest treasure and the highest comfort that we Christians have is that the Word, the true, natural Son of God, became man, having flesh and blood like another man, and became man for our sake, so that we might come to the great glory, that our flesh and blood, skin and hair, hands and feet, belly and back, might be seated like God in heaven above; that we might boldly defy the devil and whatever else challenges us. For then we are sure that they who belong to heaven are heirs of the kingdom of heaven.
261 But just as Arius, Cerinthus and similar heretics have challenged the article of the Godhead, so there have been heretics who have wanted to take the humanity of Christ and pretend that the true Son of God is the Christ, but that he has not yet taken the humanity of God.
1658 Erl. 46, 13-15. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1556-1558. 1659
He did not have a soul, because the evangelist says: "The Word became flesh", and does not think of a soul. So the Apollonists said that he took only a human body, not body and soul; for the soul he had his divinity.
Now these were coarse asses. Accordingly, I could say that he also had no body, for flesh and body are not one thing. We follow the scripture, therefore cannot err, which says of Adam and Eve, when they were created, Genesis 2:24: They shall be one flesh; which we speak in our language thus: Adam and Eve shall be one body. Thus the word flesh, according to the scriptural custom, grasps or comprehends both body and soul; for without the soul the body is dead.
The rough asses do not understand the word flesh differently, as dogs and wolves have; but in the Scriptures through and through body and soul, together with all their powers, are called flesh; they have had no understanding of the Scriptures. [We have the text, "The Word became flesh," for us. "The Word," that is, the eternal Son of God, "became flesh," that is, man, born of Mary the Virgin. For in German, Leib is not called a dead man, but a living one, having body and soul. Therefore, this is a gross heresy, and easily remembered, and may we see to it that we gladly hear of this article preached, and with firm faith and cheerful heart accept, praise and thank GOD for calling us to this blessed preaching.
The evangelist could have said, "The Word became man," but he says, according to scriptural custom, "it became flesh," indicating weakness and mortality. For Christ took on human nature, which is mortal, and subject to the terrible wrath and judgment of God, on account of the sin of the human race; which wrath this weak and mortal flesh felt and suffered in Christ. The evangelist wanted to indicate this high humility, which no tongue can utter, by the little word "flesh". So also Isaiah says in the 53rd chapter, v. 10: "When he has given his soul", that is, life, "for a guilt offering, then he will give seed".
and live for a long time. As St. Paul also says to the Galatians on the 3rd, v. 13: "Christ became a curse for us, that he might redeem us from the curse."
But we should not think that it is a small, bad thing that the evangelist uses the word "flesh". Human reason does not understand the greatness of divine wrath against sin, and therefore does not understand what St. Paul means when he says: "Christ became a sin and a curse for us", 2 Cor. 5, 21. Gal. 3, 13. But he, the dear Lord, understood it well, felt and endured this great, terrible wrath so strongly that the sweat of blood poured out of him, an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him, Luc. 22, 43.
And dwelt among us.
The same Word, who became man, suckled Mary, carried her child in her arms like another mother, came to the people, lived and dwelt among them; therefore he was not a ghost, but a true man, as Paul says Phil. 2, 7-, being found to be a man, seeing, hearing, speaking, eating, drinking, sleeping and waking, so that all who saw and heard him must confess and say that he was a true, natural man; He did not withdraw from the people, hide in a corner, nor run into the wilderness, where no one could have heard, seen, or touched him, but appeared publicly, preached, and performed miracles, so that all the people around whom and with whom he lived and dwelt might have heard and touched him. As John testifies in the beginning of his (first) 1) epistle: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have touched" 2c., and yet was the Word of life and Creator of all creatures. This is what the evangelist means when he says, "And dwelt among us." He was not a ghost, but a true man; as St. Paul also says to the Philippians in the 2nd chapter, v. 6. f., "Being in divine form, he did not think it robbery, but
- "first" is missing in the Erlanger. ,
1660 -Erl. 48, 15-18. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1S58-1S61. 1661
has taken on the form of a servant, has been found to be like another man."
The heretics of Manichaei, being such wicked boys, were angry that the Son of God should have become man; and to adorn their error, they pretended great prudence and holiness, saying: It would be too close to the divine majesty that she should be born of the poor and by sin corrupted, impure, mortal flesh, and moreover of a female image; indeed impossible that the divine purity (brighter than the sun) should sink into the miserable mud. For this reason, Mary would not have been a true, natural, bodily mother of Christ, but, as a red glass gives a glow on the wall, so that one sees the red color modestly, and yet it is no color; or the sunshine shines through a blue glass, so the glow also sees blue: so also a shadow or shade would have passed through Mary, like a ghost, which had neither a true body nor soul. Christ would have looked like a man, but he was not a true man. So they only made a ghost out of him, and thus a ghost should have been crucified by the Jews.
This was called giving heresy a fine nose and shape; that is why they seduced many fine people. For it is a glorious, glittering heresy. St. Augustine spent nine whole years in this blasphemous heresy and would have remained in it if he had not been saved from it by the diligent prayer of his mother Monica. It is frightening to hear that they claimed that Christ had neither eaten nor drunk, that the Jews had not crucified the true Christ, but a ghost; thus they wanted to show God great honor, and thus they were all angry with Christ.
- but we believe the holy Scriptures, and confess with holy Christendom, which hath been at all times, and shall remain unto the end of the world, that this article of our holy Christian faith, with all the rest, is firmly and strongly established by certain testimonies of the holy prophets and apostles, whereby
- modest - assigned, communicated.
the Holy Spirit has spoken that Christ, our Lord and God, has taken on true human nature, not a ghost, and has become a natural man, like another, having flesh and blood; has not fluttered as a ghost; but has lived among people 2c., Eyes, ears, mouth, nose, breast, belly, hands and feet, like me and you, has had, sucked milk, the mother has nursed his like another child, he has kept himself like another man, he is truly man born of the Virgin Mary; only that he is not born in sins as we are, he also "has done no sin, and no deceit has been found in his mouth" 1 Pet. 2, 22..
270 And the evangelist says: "He dwelt among us". As if to say, He did not appear as the angel Gabriel, who came to Mary, and delivered God's command to her, and soon departed from her; for angels do not dwell visibly among men; but he dwelt with us (says the Evangelist) in his human nature (which, after his incarnation, is inseparably united with the divine), ate and drank with us, was angry, prayed, mourned, wept 2c., Until the fourth and thirtieth year, he was sent by the Father, suffered persecution, and finally the death of his own people; so that the Jews crucified the true Son of God, the Lord of glory, and we have seen that his blood was shed and poured out on the earth.
This is the article that we Christians believe, which is our highest consolation, through which we become children of God. We should not argue much about whether it is God's shame or glory that God became man; yes, I should gladly accept it with all my heart, for it has been done for my good and comfort; and I should thank God from the bottom of my heart for it. Follows:
And we saw his glory.
What is this? The evangelist wants to say: He has not only shown himself to be a true man with gestures. He lived among the people who saw him, heard him, talked with him, and lived with him until he died.
1662 Erl. 46, 18-20. Interpretations On John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1S61-IS63. 1663
into the fourth and thirtieth year, and in this weak, miserable form and human nature suffered cold, hunger and thirst, 2c. but also let his glory and power be seen, that he was God. His teaching, preaching, miracles and miraculous deeds proved that whoever had not been blinded and hardened by the devil, as the chief priests and scribes were, could see that he was of course God; As he proved by words and deeds, when he healed the sick and raised the dead, and, in sum, performed such great and many miraculous signs, the like of which no prophet had done before him, and which no other man had been able to do, so that, just as God by word (that is, through him) created heaven and earth, so also, what he willed, directed and did, he spoke only one word, as Marc. 5, 41: "Little girl, get up." Item Luc. 7, 14.: "Young man, get up." Joh. 11, 43.: "Lazare, come out"; to the gout-ridden Matth. 9, 6.: "Arise, take up thy bed, and go home"; be rid of thy sickness; item, to the 1) leper [Matth. 8, 3. 1: "Be cleansed"; item Matth. 14, 19. 21., with five loaves and two fishes fed five thousand men 2c., that they which saw such signs said John 6:14, "This is truly the prophet which is to come into the world." So also when great tempests arose in the sea, and the Lord troubled the sea, and it was still, they that were in the ship marveled, saying Matt. 8:27, "Who is this to whom the wind and the sea obey?" Item Matth. 17, 18.: He commanded the devils, so they had to go out. He was able to do all this with one word.
As the only begotten son of the father.
This is the first time John calls the Word the only begotten Son of the Father. Do you ask what he means when he says: "In the beginning was the Word"; item: "All things were made through the Word"; item: "He was the life and light of men"?
- "To" put by us instead of "the"; also following: "be" instead of "be", because the passage refers to Matth. 8, 3. not to Luc. 17, 14.
He interprets himself here and says: "The Word is called the only begotten Son of the Father. There you hear clearly and distinctly that the Word, who was with the Father from eternity and is the light of men, is called the Son, yes, the only begotten Son of God. He alone is it, no one else. There it is, what he wanted to understand through the "word" above, v. 1, and now wants to preach clearly about the kingdom of Christ. He now wants to preach clearly about the kingdom of Christ, which he has done so far with hidden and strange words that do not sound good in any language, saying that this is God's only begotten Son.
For God has many other sons and children, but only One is the only begotten Son, of whom it is said that all things were made through Him; the other sons are not the Word, through whom all things were made, but were created through this only begotten Son, who, like the Father, is the Creator of heaven and earth. The others all become sons through this only-begotten Son, who is our Lord and God, and we are called many-born sons, but this alone is the only-begotten Son, whom he has begotten in the Godhead from eternity. So then the Word, by whom all things were created and preserved, became flesh, that is, was made man, born after the flesh of the seed of Abraha and David, dwelt among us, and redeemed us from the curse and the power of the devil. And because he became man, and yet was the Lord of glory from eternity, we poor people who believe in his name become children of God, and God becomes our Father; but he alone is the only begotten Son, as St. Paul says, through whom God creates, governs and makes all things.
We are to hold this text in high esteem, comforting ourselves with it in all our tribulations and temptations; and whoever grasps it with faith has no need, he is a child of eternal blessedness, to which honor he comes through the only begotten Son, who is God from eternity. Now this gospel becomes bright and light; for before that the evangelist needs unusual and strange speech in all languages, as he speaks: "In the beginning was the Word", "by the Word the world was created", and "the Word became flesh". Who ever heard such speech? Now finds
1664 Erl. 46, so-22. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1563-1S66. 1665
It is clear: "the Word", says the evangelist, of which I have spoken, is "the only begotten Son of God", true God and Creator with the Father, only that he is born of the Father, not the Father of him; as we confess and pray: "And to Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son. Moses, 1st book, Cap. 1, 3rd, needs such speech: "GOD spoke"; but John puts the interpretation to it, as said.
This is our Christian faith, that Jesus Christ is truly God and man, the only begotten Son of the Father, begotten of Him from eternity, and born of Mary the Virgin in time, and that those who believe in Him are redeemed from sins and all evil. He alone makes them Christians, implanted, and not natural children of God; for Christ our Head alone is the implanted, natural, true Son of God the Father. This gospel we should esteem high and great, as the holy fathers also did. For he who has the Son has no need, but is also God's child. Even though he is not the only begotten son of God, through him he becomes the son of God and a co-heir and brother of Christ.
277 And the evangelist said, "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," as another man; we have learned that he was a natural man. After that, "we have also seen his glory, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father," which he proves by raising the dead, and himself rising from the dead by divine power, as he says John 10:18: "I have power to lay down my life, and have power to take it again"; thus he showed himself alive forty days, and gave the Holy Spirit, so that the same Word that became man "is full of grace and truth. Makes therefore a distinction between Christ, the patriarchs, Moses, and all the prophets, as he who is much higher and greater than they, yea, who is the Lord over all. As if he wanted to say: In all times (but in one more than in the other) there have been great, holy people, as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Elijah,
The first two of St. Elias, who proved by words and deeds that they were God's friends and children, through whom God also did many great miracles, preached and taught them much, which is written in the Holy Scriptures and brought down to us and inherited; were therefore excellent, great people, even in the eyes of the world, and believed in Christ, the future Savior, are God's children, born of or from God, just as we are. They have thus shown themselves in word and deed, that divine glory, not fleshly or worldly, was felt in them, as the Scriptures of the Old Testament show; but nowhere to be compared with the Word that became flesh.
The eighth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On the Saturday after Crucis September 15, 1537. 1)
Therefore the evangelist distinguishes the only begotten Son of God from all other saints and children of God, and says: "We saw his glory", which was not a piece of grace and truth, as in the other children of God, but was "full", or "full of grace and truth", "as of the only begotten Son of the Father". For he has shown himself much more different and glorious than all other sons and children on earth; for this reason he stands high above all his sons and daughters. He has his own special glory from the Father, since he is set apart from all other children and sons; as the 45th Psalm, v. 8, also sings: "Thou lovest righteousness, thou hatest wickedness; therefore, O God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness, more than thy fellows." He also showed himself in such a way that one knew he was not one of the common children.
God the Father also gave him testimony from heaven in his baptism that he was His beloved Son in whom He was well pleased, and the Holy Spirit was seen above him in the form of a dove 2c. [Therefore he is not a son of God, like Abraham and David.
- In the original margin.-Either this or the following time determination is wrong, because the following sermon bears the same date, "the 15th of September".
1666 ed. 4Ü, 22-25. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1566-1569. 1667
God's sons, but he is an offspring, the nucleus of all God's children, and the only Son of God, as we confess in the articles of our Christian faith: I believe in JEsum Christum, the Father's united Son. By this word "unite" he is set apart from all other sons. For we who believe in his name are also God's children, as said, born of God through the water bath or baptism in the Word. But he is the head and firstborn among his brethren, the only Son, by whom all the others also received the adoption. So that there is no need to look for many mediators or saviors. For we come to this adoption neither by the holiness of patriarchs or prophets, nor by the innocence of angels, but only by the only begotten Son of the Father. In the papacy we wanted to become children of God through the intercession of St. Christopher, St. Barbara, St. Mary and other saints, but it was in vain.
280 On the other hand, all the miracles of Christ before and after his resurrection, when he sent the Holy Spirit from heaven and preserved his church against all mobs and tyrants, sufficiently testify that he is the supreme and firstborn Son, who gives power and right to all those who believe in his name to become children of God. Abraham, David, Elijah, Peter and Paul are also children of God; but they are not able to give this power, right and freedom of filiation to others, but received it, as all believers, from Him. Therefore he alone is the only natural Son of God, who has such power and right through his eternal birth from the Father. For by him, as the only begotten Son, and by none other, were all things made; but that we should be joint heirs of grace, eternal life, and blessedness, we have by him. Let us therefore joyfully praise and thank God that we, who by nature and character are not children but foundlings, come to such power and glory through Him; that we are adopted as children of grace and born of God (as much as we believe in His name) of water and the Spirit.
281 Therefore he is called with all honor the only begotten son of the Father. For
according to nature, no one is like him. By nature we are not children, but by grace we are heirs. Therefore it is comforting that he says to us Joh. 12, 26.: "Where I am, there you shall be also"; item Joh. 14, 19.: "I live, and you shall live also"; we may be content with this, and may well thank the dear Lord that we shall live by grace and mercy, not by nature, as he. Many of us are born of God out of grace and mercy, and therefore cannot be the only begotten Son, as he is the only one, born of the divine nature of the Father from eternity.
Full of grace and truth.
This phrasim, language or speech of the Scriptures, even of the Holy Spirit, which is unknown to the heathen, the worldly wise, and all unbelievers, we Christians are to learn to understand. Now the evangelist says: "The Word who became flesh and dwelt among us, whose preaching we have heard and whose miraculous signs we have seen, has shown Himself and kept Himself in such a way that we must say that He is the true, natural Son of God, full of grace and truth.
In order that we may understand these words the better, we must hold Adam and Christ against each other. Adam, through his disobedience and fall, brought original sin out of us, so that we fell into sin and death, became guilty of God's wrath, condemnation and eternal punishment, so that from Adam's side there is nothing to be seen, but only God's wrath and disgrace (as our miserable, laborious, short life on earth, all kinds of plagues, sickness, fear, distress, sorrow, heartache, and finally death, well prove), so that all the world cries and laments over this miserable life. We also experience daily that no man is safe of his life, not even for a moment; one dies of pestilence, another drowns, the third is stabbed to death: and there is no more stinking, foul carrion than a man's corpse; therefore one also hastens to the earth, where the worms find their food. But few are concerned about it, although they see such misery daily before their eyes, until the misfortune itself hits them. That is why the world is such a
1668 Erl. 46, 25-27. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1569-1571. 1669
A misery, a displeasure, a mess, because Adam and all people are seen as full of God's disgrace, disfavor, wrath, curse and malediction. Adam is not full of grace.
234 But in Christ there is nothing to be seen, but grace, love, peace, joy, and favor; with which he is abundant, that he is the dear child of the heavenly Father. Therefore he is a different man from Adam. They are to be held against each other as an angel and the devil. What Christ speaks and does, God is pleased with, and this is only spoken and done in the very best way; as Isaiah says in Isaiah 42, v. 1.God says: "Behold, this is My chosen one, in whom My soul is well pleased"; and the Father Himself at the Jordan in the baptism of Christ, and on Mount Thabor, calls down from heaven and testifies publicly, saying: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, him you shall hear" Marc. 9, 7..
Now Christ says Matth. 9, 2: "Your sins are forgiven"; item Joh. 11, 43 to the deceased Lazaro: "Come out"; this is both well said and done. The Father says yes to this, so that everything he says and does is all grace, love and joy; for he is the dear child, and the only begotten Son, he cannot destroy it. Therefore, when we hear the word of Christ our Lord, when we baptize our children according to His command, and when we receive the holy sacrament, we should not doubt that God the Father is well pleased with us for the sake of His beloved, only begotten Son, through whom He made us acceptable and ordained us to filial piety toward Himself before the foundation of the world was laid, according to Ephesians, chapter 1, V. 3. 4. And as he says afterwards John 1:16, "Of his fulness have we all" (includes also) "grace for grace."
Thus the evangelist presents Christ to us in the most lovely and friendly way, saying of him that he is full of grace and truth. As if he wanted to say: He, and no one else, leads this rhyme, Isaiah, chapter 53, v. 9: "No deceit was found in his mouth.
den." "He is full of grace and truth," that is. Summa Summarum, all things are well pleasing to God in Christ: the Father loves him, and is gracious and favorable to him. The Father has no lack or defect in him. For not only is what the Son says and does pleasing to God by grace, but what he says and does is also righteously good in himself; God has nothing to forgive in it; just as Christ himself says in John, "Whatever the Father wills, that will I do." He loves the Father with all his heart 2c.
Thus the saints have not been in this world; they have always done things that were not pleasing to God, and have been sinners. Moses was a holy, great prophet, to whom God Himself spoke, and through him gave the Law to the people of Israel; nor, if he was as holy as he could be, was he nevertheless a sinner, and therefore did not have to come to the Promised Land, Numbers 20:12. Abraham, the great, excellent, holy man, worshipped the idols in Chaldea. Aaron also had his sin. In sum: Old of all saints, from Adam old to this hour, you find a click, 1) that you must say: They have been men. Christ was promised to Abraham, not because of his worthiness or holiness; for before God called him from Chaldea, he served other gods, as Joshua is written in chapter 24, v. 2. And this word Gen. 18, 27: "I am earth and ashes", testifies sufficiently that he did not rely on his glory. The following fathers, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Aaron, were all sinners, the Spirit of God does not lie when he says: Omnes peccaverunt. I mean, David, who is especially praised, also fell into grave, noticeable sin, and wants to keep silent about the main sin. So the other saints all have great, gross sins: Peter denied Christ, Paul persecuted him. And if they were not under the great, wide heaven of grace and forgiveness of sins, the devil would abuse them and us.
But here is the only Son of God, of whom Isaiah says Cap. 53, 9.
- Click - blob, blemish.
1670 Erl. 46, 27-28. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vu, 1571-1574. 1671
No one was wronged, and, as St. Peter 1 Ep. 2, 22 says, no sin was committed, nor was any deceit found in his mouth; that is, everything he did, said, and thought 2c. was good, useful, and beneficial. So then all believers, from the beginning of the world to its end, are sanctified and made children of God, as highly as they are otherwise enlightened and endowed with divine graces, not through their holiness, miracles, and praiseworthy deeds, but through this only begotten Son from the Father, of whom alone John says he is full of grace and truth, as through whom alone they are redeemed and blessed from the curse.
(289) Yea, would one say, how if it were a counterfeit thing, as it is with other men in the world, that for one thing I am gracious to one, and ungracious to another, and that such grace in Christ was not righteous? No, says the evangelist, it was not a fictitious, made-up grace, but without all lies, hypocrisy, falsehood, so that everything that this Son spoke and did was not only pleasing, dear and precious to the Father, but righteous and the truth. It is a righteous grace. He did not have to earn such grace, but he had it by nature. Therefore, this grace and truth was righteous in itself. For the person was pure and righteous, not born in sins, nor having committed any; all his words were sure and firm, without all lies and falsehood; they were not only gracious or in grace, but also righteous. He gave his body for us out of pure love, and laid down his life; this pleased the Father: there was no fault or blameworthiness in such love and obedience, Philippians 2:9, but all righteousness.
Therefore God is well pleased with us who believe in Christ and are made partakers of this grace and truth through him; but if he would be right with us and grace would cease, we would be far lacking. Therefore he must forgive and pardon our sin and foolishness; therefore we have only this to comfort us, that if
we believe in His name, are also children of grace and truth, have received the Holy Spirit, and therefore should not doubt that God loves us, and is well pleased with us, for the sake of His only begotten Son, in whom we believe.
But if he should come to judgment with us, and say, Thou boastest thyself to be a child of grace, and my son; lovest thou me with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself, even as my only begotten Son hath done? Where such thoughts often occur to pious hearts, and they are greatly grieved by them, and are also sorry, and heartily lament over them; as many psalms testify, that they are far lacking in them: there is no other counsel, but that we hold fast to Christ, and take comfort in the saying which the evangelist has adduced, "But as many as received him," 2c., and stand firm on it, and in the name of Christ call upon God the Father to make the cross over us, saying, "They are sinners, not pious nor pure, as they ought to be; but because they believe in my only begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, I will not be angry with them, neither will the rest of their sins harm them; only that they persevere in the faith. So we protect and shelter ourselves under the shadow of the wings of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that the wrath of God will not strike us.
But those who do not believe in him, and therefore are not found under his wings, are and remain under God's wrath; no holiness helps them, neither the law of God, nor the honorable life and wisdom of philosophers and worldly wise men. Yes, if all Jews with their Moses, and all honorable Gentiles with their exquisite virtues and deeds would come before God, all their deeds would be nothing but disgrace, lies and hypocrisy. For since the person is not righteous (who becomes righteous only through faith in Christ), works are of no use (however holy and good they may be) for attaining salvation.
293 Therefore we should hold (as said) Moses and Christ well against each other. If Adam and his descendants already do the best works, have a high intellect, and have the best of all.
1672 Erl. 46, 29-31. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1574-1576. 1673
and reason, judge virtue and respectability, make good law and order, order house and world government in the best way (which are great glorious gifts in the sight of the world, and have a great reputation, and are also necessary and useful, as the world cannot do without them), but all this is not the right essence; it cannot stand before God; one cannot thereby become children of grace and truth, nor attain eternal life and blessedness. First of all, because of the person on whom Adam inherited both sin and death, and because of this he is in the wrath and disgrace of God. After that, although it does much more good, it is not serious, but false, not righteous nor truthful; yes, it is a mere mirror-image fencing, a carnival and carnival play before God, not the right person or being. Thus the whole human race, with all its doings, is, without Christ's grace and knowledge, a false hypocrisy, a ghost and a spook.
But if we are to become gracious, righteous and true children of God, and partakers of His grace, there is no other means to this end than to believe in the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth, for whom God the Father loves us and pleases Him with our works. Thus we enjoy our Lord Christ and become partakers of his grace and truth. For of Him alone sings the 45th Psalm, v. 8: "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore hath thy God anointed thee with the oil of gladness, more than thy fellows." Will say: In the world no man is found that hateth righteousness, and hateth iniquity (except the iniquity of the carnival play, where one pretends to be righteous from without), save thee, O Lord, who alone hast earnestly and thoroughly done such things; Therefore your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness, that is, with the Holy Spirit, more than your companions, so that you may be glad, comfort and make glad all who believe in you and cling to you continually, that they may also enjoy your ointment. He has another righteousness and truth than the world has, namely, that he is anointed and full of grace.
and truth, and others all received such grace from him and through him.
The righteousness of the world (since one often thinks that he is doing right, and yet is wrong) does not count for a hair's breadth in the sight of God; otherwise he can well suffer it in the world for the sake of peace, and he respects and holds it as his carnival play on earth. But in heaven it is of no use anywhere; there belongs another righteousness, through which we have forgiveness of sins, because we believe in the only begotten Son of God.
So then Christ our Lord, true God and man, whom the Father has ordained and set apart for this purpose. For he is to be the main source and fountain, from which all grace and truth and righteousness flow, so that we may receive and enjoy grace and righteousness from him, and receive from him (as follows) grace for grace, truth for truth. We have seen him (says the evangelist), heard him, touched him with our eyes, ears, and hands, and have known by his words and works that he is the Word of life and the inexpressible source of all grace and truth. Whoever then desires to be made partaker of them, whether he be Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, John Baptist, or whosoever he will, let him come hither, and receive them of him, and not of another; or else he must be eternally lost. For we all (none excepted), saith the evangelist, have received of his fulness grace for grace, truth for truth. And to Colossians, in the 2nd chapter, v. 10: "In him we are made perfect." So all Scripture, from beginning to end, points to Christ alone, and is silent about all other saints in this passage, where grace and truth are to be sought and found 1). Now if any man is to obtain them, his fullness must do it: our fragments, parcels, and little drops or pieces will not do it. 2)
- Erlanger: to find and search.
- Here follows in the Erlangen edition the sermon on Joh. 1, 1-14. from the year 1542, which is given by Walch immediately after this interpretation of the first four chapters of John. The note of the Erlangen edition: "This sermon is missing in Walch" is erroneous. Cf. Erl, vol. 48, p. 410.
1674 Erl. 46, 48-50. interpretations on the evangelist 'John. W. VII, 1576-1584. 1675
The ninth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On September 15 1537.1)
So far we have heard how the holy. Evangelist St. John described that the eternal Word became flesh or man, dwelt among us, and that his glory was seen, as the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth, in whom is found no sin, no falsehood, not even a pretense or deceit; but with him all things are righteous and well done, and he is full of grace before all the children of men, that is, without all sin, wrath, and unkindness; full of truth, that is, what he does is not a sham, but true, righteous, and essentially good. Hereby the Son of God is set apart from all the children of men.
It is the opposite with all of us humans, as we, after Adam and Eve, our first parents, fell in paradise, from grace to wrath, and from truth to lies, from righteousness to sin, from life to death, became unpleasant before God, that now with us is all sin, all wrath, all unkindness, and there is no truth with us. In addition, all our work, wisdom, everything we write, strive for and do in the affairs of God, is not righteous nor true, but is vain deceit, falsehood and lies, as the 116th Psalm, v. 11, says: "All men are liars." And so (no one excluded, let him be called what he will) all are in disgrace and wrath of God, also all sinners and guilty of eternal death. If we do everything that we are able to do with our bodies, it is only a sham and a lie, hypocrisy and falsehood. For the sin into which we have fallen does not allow us to do or work anything good. The blind, damned world, which is in trouble, does not believe this, much less the hypocrites and false saints; yes, they consider all their teachings, life and deeds to be righteous, holy, Godly and holy.
- In the original in the margin. - Compare the note to the superscription of the previous sermon, Col. 1665. Because the previous sermon was already preached on September 15 (Saturday after Orucüs), this one is assumed to be September 22.
yet all things are false and untruthful. For the wrath of God, sin, and iniquity, in which they are over their ears, make them do nothing good, righteous, or true. From this we see what the word is and what we are against it. Follows in the text:
V. 15. John testifies about him, calls and says:
The sermons that follow are as strange and as adventurous, and are as unknown to reason as the previous ones you have heard, and are not found in any of the books of the wise men called philosophers, jurists, sophists, or pontiffs, so they are not understood by human reason. Only the Christians learn this art, but they remain ABC students, studying it all their lives, even if they reach a hundred years. To a worldly-wise man this speech (as that John the Baptist speaks: "He has been before me"; item: "From his fullness we have taken grace for grace") seems strange and unusual speech and word, yes, it is unrhymed, clumsy and audible; but no one understands it except the Christians.
V. 15. 16. He who was before me will come after me. For he was before me. And from his fullness we have all received grace for grace.
You have heard above § 107 ff that John the Baptist is described as being sent by God to bear witness to the light, first of all so that the coming of the Messiah would be known to everyone. For when the Messiah appeared and began to preach and to perform miracles, he came in a lowly, contemptible form, so that his deeds had no reputation. Therefore he was to preach that they should not oversleep Christ, as they did while they waited for another Messiah. Secondly, John was also to testify of Christ, so that the Jews would not cling to him and think that he was the Messiah, because he led a strict, holy life. As the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" Jn. 1, v. 19. And St. John's severe
1676 Erl. 46, 56-53. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1584-1586. 1677
His life was only directed so that his testimony of Christ would have more prestige. However, it was not respected by the greatest merchants; they regarded him only as a blacksmith and carpenter, and were more offended by his small person than they were by his teachings and miraculous works.
But St. John kept to his profession, faithfully testified that he had been sent by God, testified of Christ the Lord, and pointed people away from him to him. The Jews should have had a good regard for his testimony, well aware and convinced that he testified of Christ, not of himself. As he then says, "I am not Christ, but I am sent to testify of him"; I call and shout of him, that he is the life and light of men, full of grace and truth. He should point to Christ with his fingers and lead all people in the world to this Christ, so that he would make alive and enlighten all who were dead in sins and sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, so that they would come to him, believe in him, and become partakers of his grace and truth. For to this end he became man, died for the human race, and rose again, that whoever believes in him may be justified and saved. Thus says the holy evangelist:
This was the one I said would come after me, the one who had been before me.
302 This is spoken of a former time, when John the Baptist was sent by God to preach, before Christ began to teach, saying: If I listen, immediately, without means, the right man and preacher will come; pay attention to this. For John does not speak here of the birth of Christ, which followed six months after John's birth, but of the ministry, which means: I preached about Christ as an honest, upright man, my testimony went freely in public, I did not speak in any corner, but went about Jordan and all the surrounding cities, as it is written in Luke chapter 3, v. 3. And this was my testimony or sermon: See
not to me, but to the one who follows at my heels. When I begin to cease from testifying of him, know that he himself is present and present. For no other will come after me but he, the Lord Christ; between me and him there will be no other teacher or preacher, nor any other preaching or teaching, there will be no other prophet.
You see that St. John is a faithful and true witness, who does not draw people to himself, but points them to Christ, saying, "I preach to you that you should prepare the way for the Lord and make his paths straight; I also baptize you with water. But I say beside this: He that cometh after me is stronger than I, to whom I am not sufficient to loose his bootstraps; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. So you see and hear that everything I say and do is directed to him, the Lord Christ. Thus the evangelist praises and extols St. John the Baptist's testimony that he pointed all the world away from him to Christ.
304 No one can deny that this happened. For as soon as Herod had seized John, put him in prison, and stopped his mouth so that he could no longer preach, Christ showed himself, stood up and preached, made John's testimony true and confirmed it with all his might, and performed such miracles and signs as had never been seen or heard before in Jerusalem and Judea. John also preached mightily, so that the city of Jerusalem, all the land of Judaea, and all the countries of Jordan went out to him in the wilderness and heard him; but he did no sign, but with great earnestness he testified of the Lord, saying: Now you see and hear me, but if I cease and go down (for Herod, the arch hypocrite, who has many followers in our day, had him beheaded for the sake of Herodias the harlot), see then that you do not let him pass by, but receive him with joy, who will follow me straightway, and recognize him for the one who was promised to our fathers, that he should crush the head of the serpent, and bless all generations on earth, and not only us Jews.
- now St. John the Baptist would have
1678 Erl. 46, 53-55. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1586-1589. 1679
He could not have given them a better or more certain testimony than that he said, "Look at him who is coming soon after me, and who will cause a greater stir and clamor in the world with his preaching and miraculous signs than I have done. And Christ also soon follows John's preaching. For Annas and Caiphas did not preach soon after John the Baptist, but Christ came and preached mightily.
306 Many then, whose eyes God opened and whose hearts He opened, followed John's counsel and testimony, and believed in the Lord Christ, saying, "John did no sign, but all that he said about Jesus was true, and many believed in him," as it is written in John, chapter 10, vv. 41-42, and John, chapter 7, vv. 40-41: "Many of the people who heard his words said: This is a true prophet; others: He is Christ." And Martha, John 11, v. 27, says: "Lord, I believe that thou art Christ, the Son of God, which is come into the world." And John, in the 9th chapter, v. 38, the man born blind, whom the Lord made to see, believed that he was the Son of God, and worshipped him.
But the rulers and the great crowd would not accept it; indeed, it was ridiculous and annoying to them that they should recognize and accept a poor beggar from Nazareth (whose parents and friends were lowly, despised people) for the Messiah promised to their fathers. The dear Lord came from Nazareth on foot, not on horseback, there was neither goods nor power. If he had been the son of Caipheh in Jerusalem, or the son of Ann, it would have had a reputation; but that he came from Nazareth, they take offense at it, and say, Shall Christ come from Galilee? Jn. 7, v. 52. and Jn. 1, v. 45, 46, when Philip says to Nathanael, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets wrote, JEsum the son of Joseph, of Nazareth"; pious Nathanael says, "What good can come to us from Nazareth?" But the others say, "He has the devil, and is senseless; what are you listening to him for?
308 These are nothing improved, that John warned them, saying, He that hath made me swift.
He is the right man, he will do it; there you will hear a preacher and see miracles; he will attack things differently than I do. Take heed to him, do not miss him, but receive him with a glad heart, praise and thanksgiving. If you do, you will meet the right man. But it did not help. They were shocked that he was the son of a poor carpenter and his mother was a poor beggar woman; they were more offended by his little person than by St. John's testimony or by his wonderful teaching and miraculous work. When the servants of the Pharisees and chief priests said, John 7:45, 46, that they had been sent to catch Christ, and were asked why they did not bring him, they answered, "No man ever spake so as this man"; therefore it is not right that he should be persecuted. So the Pharisees also should have done and said. But they rewarded the dear Lord for it, as Herod rewarded John the Baptist, the witness and forerunner of the Lord Christ. But both of them should have remembered the prophecies and turned to John the Baptist's sermon. But it did not help, because the person was not according to it; Caiphas or another high priest should have done it. On the other hand, some pious hearts had to confess that no prophet had ever preached in this way, nor had he ever performed such signs; therefore they also cried out: "O a great prophet has risen among us, by whom God has redeemed His people"; and pointed with their hands to Christ, that in Him the prophecy of Moses about the great prophet, whom God would send to the Jewish people, would be fulfilled Deut. 18:15.
He who will come after me, who was before me; for he was before, as I am.
309 St. John the Baptist wants to say: "So that you will not be offended by his small and contemptible person and appearance, I will tell you who he is. I preached that he would soon come after me, and let me tell you that he is already among you; but since you do not know him, do not want to know him either, know that he is a much higher and better person than I am. For he is
1680 Erl. 46, 63-58. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1589-1592. 1681
not for the sake of mankind; for according to them St. John was conceived, created, and born before the Lord, namely, half a year before the Lord, as around St. John's day, or St. Peter's and Paul's days; but he, the Lord, around Christmas, that he is half a year older than the Lord Christ.
(310) St. John therefore says that Christ was the Lord before him, for he became man, and Christ was before him; not because of age, for he was half a year older than the Lord; but that he is the Word who was in the beginning, the true Son of God, who is the life and light of men, through whom all things were created. Just as if I had said of a child that was before its mother, or before it was conceived and born in its mother's womb; truly, this is not found in the nativity, therefore it must be a special child and God. So St. John also wants to say here: This man, Christ, has been before me, has lived before I have been, yes, he has also been before, because his mother has been born. This is said as much as that he is God from eternity. For the angels also were before Mary; but Christ was before all angels, yea, before all creatures.
This your Lord, God and Savior, you shall see coming to you; yes, he is already among you in humanity, and lowly, contemptible form; but he was before he was born bodily from Mary, before his humanity came to the sun, that is, he is true God and man in One Person. The angels, heaven, earth, sun, moon, have been from the beginning of creatures; but he has been before them all, indeed, their Creator. Therefore you will have such a teacher and preacher in him, the like of whom has never come on earth, nor will ever come, who is not only greater and better than I (though Christ prefers him to all the children of the world), item, than all the prophets, patriarchs and old fathers, but is also older than he who has neither beginning nor end according to his divine nature.
312 And that you do not look at him alone and recognize that he is true God and man.
I will tell you further why he has come and dwells among you: truly, he has not come in vain, nor does he seek his own, but your salvation and happiness. I am sent before him to testify of him, and to baptize you with water. Moses had a command from God to lead our fathers out of Egypt; the other prophets' calling was to punish the sin of the people of Israel, especially idolatry, and to comfort the pious with the future of Christ; they also testified gloriously about his person and ministry, as I am doing now, and performed great miracles and praiseworthy deeds. But I and they all cannot hold a candle to him; indeed, we are not worthy to untie the straps of his shoes. For it is he alone who has done no sin, in whom is all righteousness, holiness, righteous life and character, yes, who is full of grace and truth, but we, on the other hand, are full of disgrace, wrath and falsehood. But if we are to obtain these divine gifts, we must enjoy them. This is what St. John the Baptist means when he continues:
V. 16. And from his fullness we have all taken grace for grace.
313 This is also one of the golden texts in St. John's, like the one above.
148 ff] have said: The Son of God is the true light, which enlightens all men who come into this world. Therefore, whoever does not recognize Christ, or does not believe in him, and does not have him as his own, is and remains a child of wrath and condemnation, be he called and be he who he will. But if he is to come to grace, it must be through Christ alone, who alone makes our poverty rich through his abundance, casts out our sin through his righteousness, devours our death through his life, and makes of us children of wrath, full of sins, hypocrisy, lies and falsehood, children of grace and truth. He who does not have the man has nothing.
- then St. John the Baptist takes in one bite all the people in the whole wide world who have ever been and will be until the last day, concludes a judgment about them that they are by nature merciless and
1682 Erl. 46, 58-60. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vn, 1592-1595. 1683
But say besides, how they may be counselled. O, says he, you will have a blessed, comforting preacher, who will not only proclaim to you, but also bring and give to you by grace, which neither Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, nor an angel from heaven, nor a prophet, nor a saint, nor I (says he) could proclaim and bring or give to you at the same time. Namely, that all men, from Adam to the end of the world, none excepted, who shall come to the grace and truth, must receive it, and be made partakers of the fulness thereof. For he came into the world, taking on our human nature, to redeem us from wrath and make us children of God, and that we might enjoy his fullness.
The holy evangelist also said above v. 4 that apart from Christ there is no life, no light, no grace to be obtained; only those who believe in his name have the right and authority to become children of God. That is, to throw into one heap not only all men, but also all saints, as they are called, badly, to make them sinners, merciless and liars, as far as they stand on their own, and do not have Christ. For all the children of Adam are born in sins and iniquity, so that nothing righteous but everything false, full of hypocrisy, lies and deceit is in them; do not help them to pretend to be pious and holy, to pretend to be good, to want to be kept humble and spiritual, for they become children of God through faith in Christ.
- But we see that the godless, blind world has nature, naughtiness and shameful vice in it, that it neither wants nor can suffer that its good opinion, devotion, delicious works, wisdom, self-chosen spirituality, supposed holiness and idolatry are blamed and punished for being wrong, false, lies, hypocrisy, so that they only heap up God's wrath, and the longer the more they are lacking in truth - yes, it advocates error with all its might, persecutes and murders those who speak against it; as we see today with the papists.
317 "Well," you say, "it is imperial rights, secular regiment, good order, that the pious are protected. Evil punished, discipline and respectability
2c, Are they also evil and wrong? No, but are good, necessary and useful in their use, for which God has ordained them. Therefore St. Peter speaks in his first epistle in the 2nd chapter, v. 13, 14: "Be subject to all human ordinances for the sake of the Lord, whether to the king as the ruler, or to the captains as the messengers from him, for vengeance on the wicked, and for praise to the pious." But in the sight of God, if one remembers and thereby wants to put away sin, attain God's grace, eternal life and blessedness, everything is wrong and ineffective; indeed, Moses with his law cannot help there. "No man (says Paul Rom. 3, 20.) is justified before God by the works of the law; for by the law comes only the knowledge of sin." Here He alone can counsel and help, who says Joh. 15, 5.: "Without me you can do nothing", Joh. 14, 6.: "I am the way, the truth and the life", [Joh. 16, 33.: "I have overcome the world."
Therefore, it is a terrible, horrible blindness and devilish presumption when a man presumes (as all saints of works and hypocrites do) to atone for sin by his work. 2c. It is a lousy hope when a lawyer, worldly wise man, monk or nun want to boast of this. It reminds me of this, as if a poor beggar (who would be full of lice, of French, leprosy and full of filth, would stink badly, and would be full of maggots and worms all over his body) would nevertheless want to be proud and hopeful, boast and say: "Well, I am a fine fellow. What are you then? I have a head, five fingers, two feet; item, shall I not be happy and hopeful? I have a beautiful, clean, healthy body. Yes, you are a fine mess, full of ulcers, full of pus, and full of Frenchmen, so that it is a wonder that any man can suffer you, and that there are still people who wait for you. They do not do this because of your beauty, but so that they will be pious, and have patience and compassion with you, and show mercy to you, so that you will not perish in your stink and filth, and so that lice, worms and maggots will not eat you. But if he would
1684 Erl. 46, 60-62. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII. 1595-1597. 1685
boast, let him say thus: I, a wretched, leprous man, or a man full of Frenchmen, boast that I have been granted grace and charity, that I have been treated in a hospital, that I have been given food, drink and shelter, and that I have been cared for; I thank pious people who do not ruin me in my misery nor let me be eaten by worms; I may well boast of their alms, charity and help, otherwise, for my sake, I have nothing to boast of, except that pious people do everything good for me, an unworthy, wretched man.
Therefore, we must not pretend to boast or brag much if we want to appear before God. For even if we live in the highest and best positions on earth, and want to boast as much as we do, we are nothing else before God but sacks of maggots, filthy sacks, full of lice, maggots, stench and filth. Therefore St. Paul says Rom. 3, 23: "They are all sinners", all the world is guilty before God. And Isaiah on the 64th, v. 6: "We are all like the unclean, and all our righteousness is like an insolent garment." But that our dear God (regardless of our infirmities) still shows us mercy, has kept us alive until now, who would have good right and cause to cast us into the abyss of hell every hour, and tolerates us poor sacks of maggots in the world and in this pit of misery (which is the hospital and infirmary of us all, who are all French and lepers before God), we have to thank His grace and mercy, not our good works. If they are good, they are good only because God sees through our fingers and is patient with us. For if He were to impute sin, who could stand before Him? Therefore, we have nothing to boast of but His grace and mercy, which Christ imparts to us out of His fullness, which is inexhaustible.
It is therefore to be wondered at that we are so proud, boast, insist and defy our beauty, wealth, nobility, power, art, wisdom, honorable life, good works, orders, merit 2c. For in the sight of God there is wrath, unkindness, falsehood, filthiness and dirt; there is no grace and truth, Phil.
- "us" is missing in the Erlanger.
If we were not blind with our eyes of sight, we should see that God has humbled us enough to inflict many plagues, diseases, and finally death as the punishment for our sin; so that we are not sure of our life for a moment, and if we do not have Christ as our Lord and Savior, we would be eternally lost and condemned.
But if we want to boast, we may boast that we take from the fullness of the Lord Christ, are enlightened by Him, obtain forgiveness of sins, and become children of God. For this is the sum of it: Whoever wants to be preserved from the power of the devil, to escape sin and death, must draw from this fountain, Christ, from which all salvation and blessedness shall flow. This fountain is inexhaustible, it is full of grace and truth before God, it loses nothing in it, we draw as much as we want; even if we draw from this fountain without ceasing, it cannot be exhausted, but remains an infinite source of all grace and truth, a fountain without reason, and eternal source; the more one draws from it, the more abundantly it gives, such water, as he says afterwards, which springs up to eternal life.
Just as the dear sun is not darkened or eclipsed by the fact that it must shine for many, yes, the whole world enjoys its light, shine and brilliance; it nevertheless retains its light completely, nothing is lost from it, it is an inordinate light, could well illuminate ten worlds. Item, a hundred thousand lights can be lit from one light, and yet nothing is lost from the same light (from which many other lights or candles are lit). So a learned man can make a thousand learned men, and nothing is taken from him in his art; the more he gives to others, the more he has. Thus Christ our Lord (in whom we must have recourse, and ask all things of him) is an infinite fountain and chief source of all grace, truth, righteousness, wisdom, life, which is without measure, end, or reason; so that even if the whole world drew out so much grace and 2) truth that
- "and" is missing in the Erlanger.
1686 Erl. 46, "2-65. Interpretations On John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1597-1600. 1687
The spring is always overflowing, full of grace. Whoever now wants to enjoy (no excluded) his grace, let him come and get it from him. You will not dry up this fountain of living water; it will not run dry; you will all get abundantly from it, and yet it will remain an unending fountain. Such a preacher, says John the Baptist, you will have; do not deceive him that you are devout, keep the law of Moses, do many good works 2c. Your deeds do not keep the sting; and though they glisten deliciously, they are all false and a sorry sham. For you not only walk in darkness, but are darkness itself, subject to sin and death, as well as all men on earth. But if you truly want to become pious, pure, righteous and blessed, then call on him whom God the Father has sealed, who is the rich, infinite source and abundance, from which all the patriarchs, prophets, in sum, all the saints, I John himself, have also drawn, and always draw, have drawn and still draw. We all (no one excepted, let him be as holy as he wants) come alone, and draw our little barrels full from his source and abundance.
Neither should anyone be fainthearted, nor think, "How can we all take from Him? neither am I worthy, I do not belong among the number of the saints, I am a Gentile; therefore they will despair. Thus says St. John: Hear what I, sent by God, say to you: The Gentiles have just as good a right, yet out of pure mercy, to take of His fullness, as the Jews, Abraham's seed, and those who had the Law; which neither promotes nor benefits that they are called God's people; nor does it hinder the Gentiles that they are idolatrous people. All, all, whether Jews or Gentiles, if they want to come to grace in another way, and be truly found before God, should and must draw from this fountain, fill their vial, which always flows and overflows for and for, and drink their fill from this main source of living water, which wells up into eternal life. In sum, its abundance has neither measure nor end; therefore only pour out confidently, and drink with
Pleasure and joys. For here is superfluous enough until eternal life; for this you will have enough to praise and thank God for eternity.
324 What then do we take? "Grace for grace." John says of two kinds of grace: Christ's grace is the unfathomable source and main well of all grace, which he called his fullness; our grace is what we draw from him and he distributes among us, and is given to us for his grace's sake, as that I may be pleasing and acceptable to God.
So John draws us away from confidence and defiance in our work and merit, and leads us out to the grace of Christ and love of God, not only here in this text, but through the whole gospel and epistle. As if to say: What does God look at, what moves Him to be favorable to you, to remit sin? Does he do it for the sake of your sacrifice, circumcision, worship, which you perform for him in the temple? No. Much less does he do it for the sake of my monasticism, in which I spent my life shamefully for fifteen years, crucified Christ, my dear Lord, by my blasphemous mass-keeping, and lost my best time, to my and other people's great detriment. So he does not do it for the sake of a hair shirt that a Carthusian or other friar wears and sleeps in; not even because one goes to St. James in full armor, whether he is blood-sore or not. No, he does not sell his rich, exuberant grace for the sake of your nasty, lousy cap, or stinking oil frescoes, or other works, they shine or glisten as deliciously as they can. For because they lack grace and truth, they do not last at all; indeed, they are false before God, a vain appearance and abomination. Therefore, God looks at something else. He is gracious and merciful, for the sake of this fullness and inexpressible grace of His only begotten Son JEsu Christ, because Christ is in the presence of God in all grace; we enjoy the same of His grace, and are pleasing to God for the sake of the Lord Christ; He is gracious to us for the sake of the beloved Son, Eph. 1, 7.
326 Therefore, all the effort and labor is lost and in vain, so that we can find other ways to get to the
1688 Erl. 4S, SS-S7. Luther's Ausleguyg on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, I6W-I602. 1689
This is the only right way, and none other, taken from its fullness, so that we may obtain grace, that is, forgiveness of sins, become children of God and heirs of eternal life, receive blessedness because of His (our Lord Christ's) grace, in whom God finds no sin, deceit or falsehood, but only grace, truth, righteousness and life. Therefore he loves him dearly and commands us to hear him. Now he says Joh. 7, 37. 38.: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He that believeth on me, of his body shall rivers flow." I therefore believe in him, and come to him, my dear Lord and Savior, as to him who is full of grace, and ask that he quench my thirst with his living, fresh, rich, and unending fountain. That he will do this I am sure, for he has come to us into the world full of grace, that we may enjoy and be made partakers of his graces.
This is the true, comforting preaching of the blessed Gospel, which the wretched, blasphemous See of Rome has now trampled underfoot for several hundred years, and in its place has swept its lies and doctrine of the devil into all Christendom as a flood of sin, and has instigated worship and innumerable other abominations. This has caused so much that Christianity has miserably lost this main source and fountain, which overflows richly and full of grace, and in Christ's place has called upon his mother Maricun, seeking grace, that only these words: Hail Mary, full of grace, have remained in custom, and this text has even been forgotten. For thus it is said: "We have all taken from his fullness grace for grace."
Yes, it did not stop there; each one chose a special saint and helper: this St. George, that St. Christopher, the third St. Franciscum, the fourth St. Dominicum, the fifth St. Barbara. Barbara; yet the Scripture clearly says, "there is only One God and One Mediator between God and man, namely, the man Jesus Christ", 1 Tim. 2, 5. And no example is to be found in all Scripture that the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, should be called to be
Let alone St. George and St. Barbara, who perhaps never lived, and other saints raised by the pope, such as St. Franciscum, St. Dominicum, of whom no one knows for sure who they are. But I suppose that they are full of grace, so they cannot communicate it to me.
329 If this blessed doctrine had remained in the right, full, pure swing and custom in Christendom, then the pope, who spiritually murders with false doctrine, nor the Turk, who physically murders with the sword, would not have arisen. But so it goes: if one does not want to accept the good word and divine truth, or that one soon gets tired of it, that God sends powerful errors, through which people believe the lie, and are then lost, 1) after which country and people are miserably torn apart, destroyed and devastated. The most beautiful and glorious kingdoms and countries, where the apostles planted the gospel and where it was preached purely for a long time by pious bishops and teachers, are now held by the cruel tyrant, the Turk, where no public preaching of Christ is heard (unless it is done secretly where there are Christians), the devil, Mahomet, is worshipped and honored in Christ's place. Germany will not have it better in its time. For the ingratitude and contempt of the same word among us, who are called evangelicals, and among our enemies, the papists, who persecute, blaspheme and heresy the gospel, is too great and overwhelming that God will not let it go unpunished, be it for long or short.
330 St. Paul, Rom. 5, 12, contrasts Adam and Christ when he says: "Sin entered the world through one man" 2c. As with Christ grace goes for grace, so here 2) sin goes for sin. Adam fell into sin through his disobedience and transgression of the divine commandment, thereby his body and soul are corrupted, that he is full of sin, wrath and disgrace. This misery and horrible corruption he has passed on to all his descendants.
- Erlanger: has been. It seems as if a mediating "thought is missing here, for example: As such has often happened, and thereafter, etc,
- "here" is missing in the Erlanger.
1690 Erl. 46, 67-69. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vn, 1602-isos. 1691
That is, inherited by the whole human race, that just as he fell into sin and was subject to death, so all of us who come from him must bear sin, all kinds of tribulations, and death, which are the punishment of sin, and yet have done nothing to it, except that we were born of the sinful flesh that he had after the fall. That is, sin for sin. Paul says it like this Rom. 5, 12, "that sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death has come to all men, because they have all sinned. And David, Ps. 51:7, says, "Behold, I am begotten of sinful seed, and in sins did my mother bear me"; that is, all children are conceived, borne, and born in sins in their mother's womb. For they are begotten of seed poisoned with sins; there comes sin upon sin, which we inherit by birth. We are! begotten of sinful seed and corruptible flesh; not that we have sinned, but that we are born of him who once sinned.
Further, St. Paul says (Rom. 5, 19): "As through one disobedience many sinners have become; so again, through one, Jesus Christ's obedience," who was the only man in grace, "many become righteous. Christ, he wants to say, is alone holy, righteous, full of grace and truth; who did the will of the Father, as it is written in the 40th Psalm, v. 9: "Thy will, my God, do I gladly"; and was obedient to him even unto death on the cross (Phil. 2, 8.). This grace, truth, holiness and righteousness of our Lord we all enjoy; he puts his word into our mouths, and faith into our hearts, that we may cleave to him, knowing that he cleanses us by the bath of water in the word, and communicates to us the grace and righteousness which he has. Just as Adam is the main source of all sins, misery and death, and all these things are inherited by us, so that it is called "sin for sin": so Christ is the main source of all grace, truth and life, from whom we receive the fullness of grace,
- Erlanger: the.
of life and truth. This means "grace for grace", that we also please the Father for the sake of the Lord Christ, that we also receive the Holy Spirit through Christ and are justified.
The tenth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On Saturday after Francisci 6 October 1337. 2)
What then are Moses and the other prophets? Have they done nothing? To this St. John says: They have faithfully carried out their ministry, which God commanded them to do. Therefore he says:
V. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Ye have heard that Christ is full of grace and truth, and hath purchased for us by his righteousness, innocency, and obedience, that we also should enjoy his grace and truth, and partake of his fulness. Here the question is: If it is all grace and no merit, as you say, that we must all take of his fullness, then it follows that we are not justified nor saved by our work and merit. What then is Moses to us with his law? Why does God burden and afflict us with the law, and what have we wrought, that with so much toil and labor we have made ourselves sore to keep and fulfill it? What have we fools done, that we have thus martyred ourselves with the law? St. Paul also argues this to the Romans and Galatians. For this thought and unwillingness naturally follows, when reason hears preaching of the grace that we obtain through Christ, and that one does not become blessed by works, but that God considers the grace of Christ, that he was born man for us, suffered, died, and rose from the dead, but the law only causes wrath, and one only comes to the knowledge of sin through it, then one asks further: What does the law serve? Out! To the gallows with Moses and the law; as now the lawbreakers also blaspheme. On it
- In the original margin.
[**1692 Erl. 46, s-71.** Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1605-1608. 1693
St. John answers and says, "It is true, the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth through Christ."
334 What "truth" and "grace" are, you have heard above 282 ff]. However, it does not hurt that we have recently touched upon it again, for one may well sing a good little song often. "Grace" is that God is merciful to us, and for the sake of the Lord Christ shows himself gracious, and forgives all sin, not wanting to impute it to our eternal death; that is, grace, as, forgiveness of sins for the sake of the Lord Christ, since all sins are covered. This is one.
- But "truth" is called that God will not only be gracious and merciful to us, and give us sin and remit it, but that which we live in peace shall be delicious; regardless of whether we still feel on our necks much infirmity and sin, also flesh and blood, and so many evil lusts after baptism, since we have to fight and wrestle with the flesh, which sin God would like to punish and judge justly. For there is still much of the old Adam running among us; there is nothing different about it.
Marriage is also created and instituted by God; that man and woman should dwell together and beget children is God's order; but it is not so pure, we are all conceived and born in sins. The estates are good, but it is not so pure in the estates. It may well be reproached in itself; 1) but still it shall be called righteously well done. So in the worldly government and in housekeeping, not everything is pure that God would want to rebuke. Therefore, where the essence is not thoroughly good, as it is no different in itself, what is done in the worldly government, in the household and in the church out of faith should still be called well done. And the worldly government and housekeeping, and whatever position believing Christians may lead, should be righteous,
- The thought here is not rendered by the writer in a very clear way. The meaning of this sentence will be: The way in which things are done in the estates for the sake of human sinfulness may well be scolded, but so on.
because it accepts and approves of God. For this is called truth, when a thing is not false, not only in essence, life, but also in deed and words; as it is written in the prophet: "No deceit has been found in his mouth". Isa. 53, 9. So the life of a Christian should be counted as forgiven of sins and accepted for righteousness, even though we are not entirely pure. But because we believe in the man alone, God will hide us under his wings and not impute sin to us; not for our sake, but for the sake of the Lord Christ in whom we believe.
This grace and truth was not taught by the law, nor given to Moses, and thus distinguishes Christ from Moses; and the law is not to be rejected, as if it were of no use anywhere. It is given for good, as it is said to Romans Cap. 7, 10. ff. that it is given for life, but I am given for death. Now this is my fault, and not of the law, for the law is holy, good and God's glory. So also St. Stephen says Apost. 7:38: "You received from Moses the word of life, not that it gives life, for we have not been able to keep it, but that it should help us. Therefore the law is holy and good. For God's commandments cannot be evil or false, for God has also given them. John leaves it at that, saying: "The law is given, but it has brought neither grace nor truth; it only points to eternal life, but gives it to no one; and the guilt is not his, but ours, who do not keep the law.
The law says: You shall not have other gods, you shall not take the name of God in vain, you shall keep the holiday holy, you shall honor your father and mother. 2c. These are indeed delicious, holy, right and good things; the ten commandments are a good sermon. What does the law do more? It is a word that indicates life to me, but it does not give it. To indicate and to give are two different things; they are far apart. The law says, "He who glories in God shall call on him, and keep the Sabbath, and honor his parents.
1694 Erl. 48, 71-74. Interpretations On St. John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1608-1610. 1695
The first, second, and third commandments of the first tablet are commanded; and he that doeth the other works also in the other tablet shall live. These are words which instruct what a man ought to do, that he may live; but they do not give life. For where are they that do it?
Now two kinds of disciples fall into this. On the one hand, when they hear the preaching of the law, they think that they can keep it by themselves, they become presumptuous and proud, fall into pure hypocrisy, become false saints, bow their knees, beat their breasts, tithe as the Pharisee did in the temple, look sour, humble themselves. This is only an outward noise and pretense; for they otherwise strive against the truth in deed/ Nevertheless they go along in presumption and delusion, as if they had kept all the commandments of God by their own powers and might, and want to find life in the law; yes, they want to seek life in their own powers, and do not think otherwise: Whoever hears the law alone can do it immediately. But it is not the same to hear the law and to do the law; for non auditores legis, sed factores justificabuntur.
So the Sophists and the Pope also taught that men can love God above all things by their natural powers. This is to say: I can give myself life; whoever preaches to me, I can soon do it. Yes, if only I could hear what I should do, and how I should love God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength! The young man in the Gospel Matth. 19, 20 also says: "I have kept all these things from my youth." In the same way, the Pope also teaches that if our Lord God only wanted to tell us, we would keep it well, it should have no deficiency, we would have thought it was only preached well. These are double-minded sinners, drowned in sins and even dead, and yet let them dream that they are righteous and can fulfill the law. In such wickedness are still the Papists, Turks, Jews, and all the ungodly; this is the Turkish, Papist, and Jewish belief, that if they only
O they have already arranged everything. And I have been one of those same fellows.
341 Then there are other disciples of the law who attack it, work, live in hard discipline, and torture themselves, and yet feel in their heart that they cannot keep the law by works. And I too have been such a one. Those who want to try with their works, and always work, wear hard shirts, mortify themselves, fast and whip themselves, and want to bring it about that they may do what the law commands. But this I have also experienced, when one is filled with temptation, and death terrifies one, or otherwise comes into danger, 1) then they want to despair, flee from God, as from the devil; for there is no heart in them that could say: I believe in God, and trust Him that He will be gracious and merciful to me. Yes, soon the saints called: O holy Virgin Mary, O St. Jacob, O St. Barbara, help me! and then cannot stand against some terror, if it is against the text, 2 Mos. 20, 2: "I am the Lord, your God" 2c. This text is clear; nevertheless such disciples of the law could not say so, but say: You are not my God, but are the wretched devil, and I would that there were no God at all. These are the other disciples of the law, who labor in the law until they see their inability and infirmity, and must despair of keeping the law, and come to think that it is impossible for them to do the law; indeed, we all still do that which is contrary to the law.
- Item, I must also say about the gross sins, which happened in the other table. As that we should honor our parents and love our enemies, we learn how a son is often hostile to his father, even cursing him when he punishes him, since he should honor his father; but he wanted his father to be on the gallows. So also see how enemies are used to be hanged, that one would like them to be nine fathoms under the earth. Item, I shall not be angry with my brother, but-
- Erlanger: gerieth.
1696 Erl. 46, 74-76. Luther's Interpretation On John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1610-1613. 1697
For if he grieves me, I shall forget it and love him. So the heart is not right. Even if we in the priesthood wanted to be chaste, and tortured ourselves with fasting, the more we resisted the shameful lust, the worse it became for us. They have experienced that it is impossible for man to fulfill the law by our works. So the first disciples are righteous hypocrites, like the Pharisee in the temple, double-minded boys; the others feel the law, but if they cannot do it, they despair.
343 Therefore I say that the law is a doctrine and a word of life, but to the man who does and keeps all that is written therein. For the law showeth thee in detail what thou shalt do: qui fecerit ea (it is said), vivet in eis. Now where are those who can do it? The hypocrites are not doers of the law. There is still something lacking in the fact that God, at the loss of eternal blessedness, wants you to have your heart trust in Him and to rely on Him completely. Again, pray earnestly that you should not flee from Him, nor despair and mistrust Him, but carry a heartfelt confidence to Him as to our Father. But I cannot do this; when a temptation comes, or that I should die, I consider him to be the devil, yes, an angry God who is angry with me.
344 It should be so: the law and commandment of God show me rightly, they show me life, righteousness and eternal life, they preach and tell me many things about it; the law is a sermon that shows me life, and one should and must keep this teaching, but it does not give it to me. As a hand that leadeth me the way, it is a useful member of the body; but if I have not feet, nor a chariot to ride upon, nor horses to ride upon, I shall leave the way alone. The hand shall not lead me the way; and yet the hand showeth the way aright. So the law serves to indicate God's will, and that we may believe that we cannot keep the law. For it also tells us what man is, and what he can and cannot do. And it is the
The law was also given to us for the purpose of revealing sin, but it cannot help us out of sin, nor can it save us. It shows us a mirror, which we should look at and realize that we do not have righteousness and life. So then the cry goes forth: O come, Lord Jesus Christ, and help us, and give us grace, that we may do what the law requires of us.
345 This then is what the evangelist says here: "The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth through Christ. As if to say, "The law is indeed a law of life, righteousness, and all good things, given through Moses; but through Christ something more has come to pass; who comes and fills the empty bag and empty hand, and brings what the law teaches and requires of us. He brings grace and truth, and through Christ it is brought to us that I now fulfill the law, and keep the first, second and third commandments, and so attain a trust and faith in God that He is my Father, and begin to praise His name with a glad heart, and sanctify His name. But from what do I get this? It is not because I could have done it, nor because I obtained it by the works and merits of the law; but because we have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, and have been born again through the word of God, and have believed in Christ. Then we have a different courage, that we like his word and law, and it is good in my heart that I should trust in God above all things, and I feel that I can do it, and I have begun and know the ABC; so the first commandment is good in my heart, through the grace that Christ has brought me, because I believe in him.
346 But one increases in this more than the other. Before I did not find it in myself; but now the law is delicious and good, and given to me for life, and pleases me. Before it instructed me what I should do; now I lift up and do according to it, so that I now praise, extol and serve God. This I have through Christ, because I believe in Him. Then comes the Holy Spirit, who causes such delight in my heart that I take pleasure in his words and works, even though he chastises me,
1698 Erl. 46, 7S-7S. Expositions On the Evangelist John. W. VII, 1613-1616. 1699
that I must lie under the cross and temptation. For as a pious child does when it loves its father with all its heart, and is obedient to him, and knows that the father loves it again, even though it is chastised by him, it nevertheless kisses the little rue, prefers the shilling to all apples, and says: Dearest Ruth, you do me a lot of good, how finely you have been able to behead it; and then it can well suffer the punishment, and becomes all the more loyal to its father (for the love and trust of the child in its father makes all punishment sweet); so it is with us too; when we recognize the good deeds in Christ, my heart laughs; then I look at him when he sends me a misfortune, tribulation and danger, and thank him, saying: Praise be to God forever that he chastises me in this way; before I would have thought that I had been abandoned by God; but now illness is as dear to me as health, and a tower and prison seem to me to be a royal hall. For because God is a gracious Father, all this is lovely and delicious.
347 Therefore he calls it, "Grace and truth are established through Christ"; that I have come to grace, I have all this from Christ, through his grace, and truly through his truth. The law cannot do this, nor give it; it alone knows it. If we had kept the law, and could have obtained it by our own efforts, there would have been no need of grace for us to receive grace for grace, and John would have had to say: The law gives God, and the truth comes from our own strength, so that we would have done it. But so it is not said, but: Moses gave the law, and I have not done it, I have left it.
How then are we helped? Yes, what happens to us happens because of the man Christ, who has the true grace that is communicated to me through him. This is the high article of our Christian faith, of which we preach daily, and it is to be learned diligently. For all power is attached to this article. For those who fall outside this article into the teaching of the law, and seek righteousness in it, become Turks, Tarians, Papists,
and utterly ungodly; since they teach among the papists and Jews: If you want to be saved, hear the commandments of God; if you can do them, God will be gracious and merciful to you. For natural reason and human wisdom cannot come any higher; this is their method, that 1) we should rely on our powers until we learn that we must despair of what we do.
349 Therefore we should learn this glorious distinction between law and grace, that we may rightly distinguish the ministry of Christ and Moses, Moses and Christ, and that we may each of us may know what is his right ministry and work, so that we do not mix them together; as we have all done up to now, and still do much. I have not known this confusion any other way for over thirty years, and have not been able to believe that Christ would be merciful to me, but have wanted to attain righteousness before God through the merit of the saints; hence the intercession and invocation of the saints. And St. Bernard was also painted in such a way that he worships the Virgin Mary, who shows her son Christ the breasts he sucked. Ah! what kisses we have given to Mary. But I do not like Mary's breasts nor her milk, for she has not redeemed me nor made me blessed. So also the other saints have been called, since all the Scriptures speak that we should hear God the Son, love Him, and trust Him with all our heart in all temptations, as the first commandment requires.
(350) And no greater worship can be taught than preaching the works of the law. The first commandment says: God wants you to have a hearty confidence that you will fear him above all things; just as a child who is being beheaded still carries a kind heart to the father, that he loves it. This work of the first commandment is greater, yea, much greater, than all monastic caps, fasting, praying, and all their works. And so the works of the first commandment are holy works of the law, but who can do them? Truly no man; for they are all sinners, except Christ. When he cometh, and saith, I
. 1) Erlanger: because that.
1700 Erl. 4", 7S-S1. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. I-4. W. VII, 1616-1618. 1701
have shed my blood for you, my blood that cries out for you; who brings forgiveness of our sins by grace alone and freely, and gives us the Holy Spirit, who is our Comforter and Advocate, saying, "The law teaches you this and that which you ought to do, but you have not done it. Now the same sin wherein thou wast born, and which thou hast committed, it shall be forgiven thee: so God giveth help, that through Christ, in whom thou believest, thou mayest begin to do the law. And these things are called all things by the grace and truth of Christ.
351 But let not the law be cast away: for if we forsake the law, we shall not long keep Christ. As we see in the spirits who think they have done all things, and become mere Turks, or despair.
But those who teach and understand the law of God rightly, so that with the law they bring people to the knowledge of sins and frighten them, and those who are saddened and frightened are comforted and rejoiced with the gospel, these teach the law rightly, for the law is a holy doctrine. But the others, who rely on their works when they are to die, must despair.
The monks used to comfort the thieves and malefactors who were to be killed: "Do not despair, I will put you to torture and shameful death, which you must suffer, for all your sins. Fie on you with the doctrine that in extreme distress, when one may have counsel and help, one should point one to one's own work. Yes, so-one should have said: You are a poor sinner and transgressor, and deserve death; do enough to the world, and suffer the punishments of worldly rights, as you have deserved. But against God there is no other satisfaction than the death of Jesus Christ, who alone has brought us grace and truth, who died and shed his blood, so that all who believe in him and call upon him may have forgiveness of sins.
- Erlanger: Intercession. That "Fürsprech" i.e. Advocat, Advocate, is to be read, results from Luther's marginal gloss to Joh. 14, 16: "Paracletus is called an Advocat, Advocate or Advocate in court, who comforts, strengthens and helps the guilty.
and be accepted as righteous children of God. And then a thief and murderer could say: Come here, dear executioner, do what you are commanded, I have restored my soul to Christ. And to such a one the rope and the sword would not become sour nor heavy, would patiently suffer the well-deserved punishment. Thus many have been preserved in the Christian faith on their deathbeds, who were given a crucifix so that they might die confidently on Christ crucified.
Therefore, you young men who have not yet been in this pool of sweat, and who were born in a blessed time, should learn and know the difference between Moses and Christ. Moses is a fine, useful and delicious preacher, who diligently teaches the three commandments of the first table, so that one learns to love, fear and trust God. Moses' ministry, then, is a precious ministry and a blessed preaching; but not further than that it teaches what I should do and how I should come to another man, that is, to Christ. For after Moses, and beside Moses, Christ, the Son of God, is given to us as a preacher, to teach us what he has done; namely, that he has brought us grace and truth, and helps me to do what the law would have me do; that is, he has brought forgiveness of sins, and made us a gracious God: who has obtained grace, that is, forgiveness of sins, so that whoever believes in him, his sins are forgiven.
Truth" means that everything will be righteous from now on. This is Christ's office. Therefore see to it, and do not mix them together; do not make Christ out of Moses, as the pope and the Turk have done, who have made a Moses out of Christ, and, still standing in the thought, as if they could keep the law, and pretend: If only you hear the commandments of God, you can do them. No, not so; it is said, "From his fullness we have all taken grace for grace." In sum, Moses is not to teach anything, nor to give me authority and power to do the law, but he is only to teach me that I may rightly understand the law and know what it requires of me; but Christ alone is to give it. Thus the "can do" and "perfect" remain with
1702 Erl. <6, 81-8Z. Interpretations on the evangelist John. W. vn, rice-egg. 1703
Christ, and not with Moses, or with us and in our strength. And so the law is good and precious to me, but I do not keep it, I do not do it. Who then? Jesus Christ, who has brought grace and truth; for it is the only begotten Son, who has revealed it to us from the Father.
The eleventh sermon on the Gospel of John.
On the Saturday after St. Lucas' day 20 Oct. 1537.1)
356 Next we heard how the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth through Christ. What this means, we have done. Follow on:
V. 18. No one has seen God; the only begotten Son, who sits in the bosom of the Father, he has revealed it to us.
357 We must become accustomed to the Scriptures, which have their peculiar language and manner of speaking, and learn what it is to "sit in the bosom of the father. For fathers and men do not have wombs, they take children in their arms and breasts; but women and virgins are spoken of in this way, that they take children in their wombs, and that mothers have a womb. 2) But a womb is called a womb, which is between two children. But it is called a Schooß, which is between both arms. We Germans call it "heart" and "taken in the arms"; and this language of John cannot well be pronounced in German. But he wants to say this much: From the only begotten Son of God we have received it, who hangs on the neck of the Father and is in his arms. This is John's way of making us understand and assuring our hearts that there is no doubt about the word revealed through the Son. For the Son is in the bosom and arms of the Father, and is so near to him that he certainly knows what the Father has decided in his heart.
Until now he has said what truth came through Christ, but the law through Moses. Now it soon follows that he says: "God has never seen anyone.
- In the original margin.
- "one" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Erlanger: an.
except the only begotten son, who lies in his father's arms. In the high schools, however, this text was discussed without much ado, and it was asked: "Since no one has seen God, can man know God by his natural powers, and do we know for ourselves that there is a God? And everyone has said yes to this; and have brought here the text of Paul to Romans 1, v. 19. 20. that it is evident to the Gentiles that there is a God, and they know God from the works of creation, so that they have no excuse. For the law of nature is known to all. The Gentiles all know that murder, adultery, stealing, cursing, lying, cheating and blasphemy are wrong, and they have not been so foolish as to understand that there is a God who punishes such vices. Item, they have been able to find out so much from their reason that certain things in heaven could not have their existence and nature without a ruler. Thus Paul says Rom. 1, 20. 21.: "The invisible nature of God, that is, his eternal power and divinity, is seen when it is perceived in the works, namely, in the creation of the world 2c. But even though they knew that there is a God, they did not praise him as a God, nor did they give thanks to him, but became vain in their thoughts, and their incomprehensible hearts were "darkened," became blind, worshipped oxen, calves, swine, storks and serpents. Now one asks: Because St. Paul confesses that one has known God, and St. John says outright that no one has seen God, that he is so wise, so sensible and prudent, without the only begotten Son, who has revealed him to us; so Christ also says to the Jews: "You say that you know God, and do not know him", calling him your Father, and you do not know who he is. (Such things Christ puts up, not to the 5) Epicureans, mastiffs, nor secure despisers, or godless people, who asked nothing of GOD, but to the holy Pharisees, who were concerned about it and sought GOD. Nor does he speak to them: If the son does not
- Erlanger: kennet.
- "den" is missing in the Erlanger.
1704 Erl. 46, 83-88. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. vu, 1621-1623. 1705
had come, whom the Father in the Godhead has in his arm, and had told us, no one would have known; and yet they want to know that there is a God). Who wants to rhyme this together? For the little word "no one" excludes all those who ask for God according to reason and want to find Him.
This question will cause misfortune one day. You must therefore answer: There are two kinds of knowledge of God. One is called the knowledge of the law; the other, the knowledge of the gospel. For God gave the two teachings, the Law and the Gospel, so that He might be known from them. The knowledge from the law is known to reason, and reason has almost grasped and smelled God. For it has seen from the law what is right and what is wrong; and the law is written in our hearts, as St. Paul also testifies to the Romans. Although it was given more clearly by Moses, it is nevertheless true that by nature all rational people come to the point that they know it is wrong to disobey father and mother, or the authorities, as well as to murder, commit adultery, steal, curse and blaspheme; therefore they have punished the transgressors of the law, as fornicators, murderers, thieves, with more serious punishment than the Romans and other pagans. They have also written many books about it, and these same murderers, thieves, peelers and such bad boys (when they have been taken by the neck and done to them as they have done to others) have had to confess before the court that their abuse 1) was unjust. For their own conscience says: it is not right for one to strangle another. For they have this account of the law of God and ten commandments written in their hearts by nature, and they see it both in themselves and in others, without punishing it in other people, as St. Paul says, Rom. 2:20 ff, and they do not punish it in themselves, but if they can do it secretly, they do it as well as others.
(360) So also the Sadducees recognized God, because they believed in such a God who gave his law for this reason.
- Abuse - what they have done wrong.
that human nature on earth would be preserved in good peace; and those who served him with this outward righteousness of the Ten Commandments and kept the Law would have their life and bliss here; God would give them riches, but to the wicked he would also give evil. So far have they come that God alone, according to their thoughts and knowledge, should help us and do good here on earth. And it is nevertheless a knowledge that they confessed that one must do good and avoid evil. But they misused this knowledge, and did evil, and left the good, thus recognizing the law of Moses, which was also written in their hearts, and punished the sins against it; but nevertheless they themselves did it, because of which they punished others. For the great thieves hanged the petty thieves, punished others, and did it themselves. A thief who has stolen five guilders must go to the gallows; a rich citizen, peasant or nobleman who steals 100 or 300 guilders a year at the market, and they know it is not right; but they are not punished because they do it secretly. A nobleman can steal 1, 2 or 3000 guilders in a year, and still go out with his marten hood and golden chains. But because they know in their conscience and by nature that they do wrong, they are not excused, and their own heart must testify to them that they are worthy of punishment.
Reason comes so far in God's knowledge that it has cognitionem legalem, that it knows God's commandment and what is right or wrong. And the philosophers have also had this knowledge of God; but it is not the right knowledge of God that comes through the law, whether it be of Moses, or that is planted in our nature. For people do not follow him, especially when they see in the world and realize that the worse the evil, the better the happiness, so they think that there is no God to punish sin, and so they follow the crowd that lives in sin. Or those who want to be the most pious think: I will honor my father and mother, not offend anyone, not kill anyone, not deceive anyone, not deprive anyone of his wife, child, goods and honor; if I do this, I will be blessed.
1706 Erl. 46, 85-88. Interpretations On John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1623-1626. 1707
After that, from this knowledge of the law, others come who want to do better, and they are not as good as these, indeed, they do not hold a candle to them. As, a monk paints such a god before him, who sits above and cuts caps and plates, makes ropes and hard shirts and wooden shoes, so that whoever puts them on and wears them not only has heaven for himself, but can also help others into it. This is called blindness above all blindness, which every man must take hold of, and nothing better than the heathen, who worshipped oxen and calves, and are not at all to be compared with those who would keep the law of Moses, or what nature has taught us. For what is a monk's lousy, shabby fool's cap and rope and all their jugglery to respect, compared to that one should honor father, mother, authority 2c.? The pagans are much better, they have come closer to our Lord God, because they have come so far that they have received God's commandment and know what God requires of them. This is called smelling, where it is not tasted that there is a God. This is how far the pagans and all wise people and philosophers have come, that they have known God through the law. But what this knowledge accomplishes, you have heard.
The other knowledge of God comes from the Gospel. As how all the world is by nature an abomination before God, and eternally condemned under God's wrath and the devil's power, from which it could not be saved, because God's Son, who is in the Father's arms, became man, died, and rose again from the dead, eradicating sin, death and the devil.
This is the right and thorough knowledge, wisdom and thoughts of God, which is called the knowledge of grace and truth, the evangelical knowledge of God. But it does not grow in our garden; reason does not know a drop of it. On the left hand it can know God according to the law of nature and according to Moses; for the law is written in our hearts. But that it should otherwise know the abyss of divine wisdom and will, and the depth of his graces and mercies, as it is in the eternal
The reason does not know a drop of it, and it is even hidden from it, it talks about it as the blind talk about the color. John rightly says: "No one has seen God, only His only begotten Son, who is in His arms, has proclaimed it to the world.
And this is the right way to know God, to hold oneself to the right hand, and to know what God thinks and wills; otherwise no man knows. But it is so with the human race that we must have grace through the Son. But reason remains with the first knowledge of God, which comes from the law, and speaks of it in a very dark way. All Turks, Jews, Papists, Tarthers and pagans also say that there is one God, Creator of heaven and earth, who wills to do this and to leave that, so that we may live. Above this, the Pope also speaks of Christ, but in a straightforward and merely historical way. But the piece and knowledge that all men are born in sins and are condemned, and that no one can come to grace except through the Son of God, Christ, and only through JESUS Christ, who is grace and truth, can we be saved, that is, our Lord God is not known in the Mosaic way or according to the law, but according to the Lord Christ and in the Gospel way.
The Christian knowledge of God is this, when I hear that the whole human race has fallen so deeply into sin that no one can keep the commandments of God, nor does anyone want to keep them; that we must condemn ourselves from God's righteous judgment, unless the Son of God comes and takes on human nature, and takes us upon his neck, and drowns our sin in his blood, so that whoever believes in him may be saved. No human reason knows anything about this; not a word is found about it in all lawyers' and wise men's books, not even in the Law of Moses.
Therefore, the school teachers should not dispute whether a man knows from himself that there is a God? As they have considered it, and want to know God according to the law that is in the hearts of all men.
1708 Eri. is, [s-so. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. w. vn. 1626-I6W. 1709
is written.' But one should ask how one would know God according to truth and grace, and not according to the law? For the same knowledge is found all too much when one is in terror or otherwise in mortal distress. But to know God in His grace has been revealed from heaven, and otherwise has been hidden from men. The first way to know God is natural and common, also negated by the Law of Moses; but the Law must not be there alone, but also grace and truth. And this way of knowing God in grace is the art and wisdom that the Son alone has revealed to us, and all the saints have had to know this from the beginning of the world, or else they have been lost. For when Adam and Eve fell, immediately the knowledge of grace was revealed to them, and Christ promised, namely, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, that is, that by this grace Adam should be saved, which the promised seed would bring to the world.
That is, the spiritual and Christian knowledge of God. This knowledge is carnal and earthly, and grows out of reason, for it is written in us. But this knowledge must be proclaimed from above and formed in the heart, which means that one learns that God gives grace and truth through His beloved Son. Therefore, see how blind the world is in the other way of knowing God.
Therefore, we should take good note of this bright, clear text (namely, that God has seen no one). For according to the evangelical way, it is true, and no one can recognize God from Himself. The barefoot monks were much more blind than the pagans. For they thought that if I put on a gray cap and girded myself with a rope, and vowed poverty, chastity and obedience to the pope, then I would please God, and not only would I be blessed, but I could also communicate my good works to others. Where is this written? You will find this neither in Moses, nor in reason, nor in the Gospel. For God is not thought of in any other way than that he sits in heaven and cuts barefoot caps, ropes and plates. It is the very knowledge
God, which the pagans also had; yes, Cato was much better, who said: Si Deus est animus nobis, ut carmina dicunt etc.. God is a different thing than man, therefore honor and worship are due to Him, that He may be feared. But the monks come here and put on a fool's cap for our Lord God, vow chastity and obedience, and to be in the monastery under the Guardian. Do you recognize God? How do you know that? Then they say, "It seems good to me. But it is not enough. Why do you not look at the Law of Moses, which teaches many and better works than to fear God, to praise and serve, to be obedient to parents, not to kill anyone, to live chastely? These are better works than all men's discretion.
Moses is better and older with his commandments than that one should wear a monk's cap; nor has it been thus proclaimed to the people, and it must have been called a holy order. But it was not a knowledge of God, but a blindness. Nevertheless, they pretended: O, this is a right way to live. But listen, dear monk, where did you get your works from, what devil did it make you? Yes, they say, it is my devotion. So Moses and our reason know much better, saying: one should not steal; item, one should be obedient to parents and authorities. This is a teacher who speaks full of things that serve this temporal life. And since the law of Moses is nothing compared to the knowledge of God in the Gospel, what can the fictitious works of human righteousness accomplish? Nor may the papists prefer the human statutes to the law of Moses, putting caps, plates, and cords over the obedience of parents; so mad and foolish are they; and is this blindness above all blindness. But so it goes when our reason deviates from the Law and the Gospel.
In sum, we are so grievously corrupted by sin that we not only know nothing of our first and natural knowledge of God, but have also fallen away from the righteousness of the law, and have fallen into lies; nor have we wished to propitiate God with our imaginary works.
1710 Erl. 4", so-83. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1629-1631. 1711
Therefore, reason knows God by your Laws of Moses, as it is written in Romans 1:19, but according to your Gospel, reason knows nothing of God. For there is a new revelation which came down from heaven, not only instructing us and teaching us the ten commandments, but that we men are all conceived in sins and are lost, and that no man keepeth the law; but they which would be saved must be saved by grace and truth alone through Jesus Christ. This is the abyss of his nature and divine will, according to which each one must judge himself. If each one has Moses for himself, or is drowned in his own righteousness, there is no salvation or knowledge of God outside of Christ; no one counts for anything with him, unless he comes under the grace and truth of the Son. This knowledge is hidden from reason, as even today the papists and all other people know nothing about it.
I must come and crawl to Christ, and let myself be found under the Son, and also obtain all things by His grace and truth; and this is His divine will and mind; that is, to know God rightly. Thus Adam, after the fall, and all the patriarchs and prophets knew God through the Son, and hoped for the future and promised Messiah, and through him came to God's favor; they did not remain under the law, but looked to Christ through faith. For when they realized that they did not want to fully obey the law, Christ came to such sorrowful and hesitant hearts, proclaiming to them God the Father's grace and will, how he, the Son, became man for them from a virgin and died. Then it is said that no one can see God, neither by the law nor by reason, no one has seen it, no one has been able to conceive it or to climb it, it is too high for us; it is said, not of those who are born of the flower, but of those who are born of God.
Where does the knowledge of God of grace and truth come from? The only begotten Son of the Father, who brings it; the Son of God, whom God has inwardly, and himself
- Erlanger: by.
God is, he belongs to it. For he knows what is true, and he comes from the Father; otherwise there is no doctor, master, nor preacher, but the one doctor, Christ, who is inwardly in the Godhead, in his arms; the Father has him, in a human way, seated in his arms, and he hearts him, and he is in the divine essence, and descends to us from heaven and becomes man, who else would have revealed it to us? Otherwise, all lawyers, philosophers and pagans will not get further than the knowledge of the Law of Moses, that one should not steal, nor swear falsely that one loves the authorities and parents. This is a knowledge of God on the left side, since one knows from your laws that there is a God, but who turns his back on them. Therefore, turn around and see what the right face of God is, or what his will is. For in Christ alone is he seen, namely, that all who desire to be saved must confess that they are sinners and condemned, and must hold fast to him who is full of grace and truth, so that through him we also may obtain grace and truth. Thus God is minded; we must trust in Christ; this is called the right knowledge of God.
See the holy Scriptures. Since the time of Adam, Christ has always revealed the knowledge of God to men, and has not ceased to preach this knowledge of God, that through him comes grace and truth, that is, eternal life; this he has wanted to preach, not to cows and pigs, but to poor fallen men. Therefore, let no one boast that he knows God, whether he is a Carthusian or a Barefoot, a Jew, a Turk or a Tartar. Yes, Moses himself could not see God. For when he asked to see him in Exodus 33:18, 19, 20, he said, "Show me your face. Yea, said God, if thou shouldest see me, thou must die: but I will shew thee my back and my mantle: for he that seeth my face is dead. So Moses saw the mercy of God backwards, as, in the divine word. Otherwise, Moses knew what he should do, but what God would do, and what God would do, he could not see.
1712 Eri. "s, 93-95. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. I-4. W. vn, i63i-issi. 1713
Therefore, through the only begotten Son, and through the Gospel, one learns to look God straight in the face, and when this happens, all that is in man dies; for a man must confess that he is a sinner, and blind, and knows nothing of Christ, and straightway appeal to Christ. And when a monk in his heart rightly realizes that he must be preserved by an alien righteousness that comes to us by grace for Christ's sake, he says, "What am I doing with my cap, order and rule? There lies cap and rule down; and all that he thought was holy, he considers filth, yes, 1) a dead thing, and dies away all his righteousness and holiness, and what else comes from human powers. Everything must be buried, man does not want to know anything about it.
This knowledge of the gospel is the face of God, that we have grace and truth through the death of Christ. Whoever does not have Jesus Christ will not be saved; be it Moses, Pope, Cardinal, Mass, Purgatory, Vigils, or Mass of the soul, everything is death, death, yes, the devil himself. For God has placed His grace only in the only Son; apart from Him we will fast to death, confess, watch, and no conscience can ever be happy. For this reason St. John entices us here, so that we do not lose sight of the mercy of God and of Christ. For everything rests on him alone. Let the Carthusians boast, but it is all in vain if the grace and truth of Christ do not come. Life is only in the grace and truth of the dear Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, and he who abides in him alone knows God.
The twelfth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On the Saturday after All Saints' Day November 3, 1537. 2)
378 Next we have heard how St. John describes John the Baptist.
- This "yes" is in the Erlanger only after the word "justice".
- In the original margin.
fer that he is a witness, and has testified of the light, that is, of the Son of God. Item, that we take of his fullness all things, grace for grace. And that the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Christ. And that no one has ever seen God, but the only begotten Son of God, who sits in the bosom of the Father, he has revealed it to us. We have so far listened to such testimony and preaching of St. John the Baptist, as much as God has given grace, and have learned from it the sum of the whole Christian doctrine and faith, namely, that Christ is true God and man, and has come into the world for this purpose, so that we may also obtain grace through His grace and receive everything from His fullness. Thus everything looks to the Son, so that no one knows anything about God, but the Son, who knows the Father's heart, reveals it to him, so that the whole world may be drawn under the Lord Christ and be subject to him, for without him no one can be saved. This is an excellent testimony and sermon, which we cannot sufficiently investigate in this life, but which we will grasp with faith until we fully understand and see it in the life to come. These are short words, but they contain the whole content of Christian teaching and life. For this reason, continue:
^4^) V. 29. The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, this is the Lamb of God.
It is clear from Matthew and Luke that John did not know the Lord Christ before he baptized him. But this he knew well (for it was proclaimed by the angel before he was conceived in his mother's womb), that he should precede the Lord, that he should be his harbinger and forerunner, that he should prepare the way for the Lord, and that he should give the people knowledge of the salvation that is written in the forgiveness of their sins 2c. Also Jo-
- Erlanger: "short" twice.
- Marginal gloss: The text, as the Jews send to John, is not interpreted here, but postponed until the 4th Sunday of Advent, when it is customary to preach it. - The sermons on Joh. 1, 19-28. can be found in the St. Louis edition, Vol. XI, 96 and Vol. XIII, 32.
1714 Erl. 4s, [s-97. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vii, issi-iW7. 1715
John knew that the Lord would soon come after him. Therefore, when he was in the wilderness and had not yet entered the preaching ministry, he was commanded to preach to the Jewish people in every place from time to time that the Lord was present, and also to baptize with water, so that, since he would not be easily recognized because of his small person, the Jews would have no excuse for failing to see him, since no one had said that he was.
- For this reason, since John knows that he was born for the ministry and that he was sanctified and ordained from his mother's womb to prepare the way for the Lord, he has been working since the day the word of the Lord came to him and he was commanded to proclaim the presence of Messiah to the people, He went up and down the Jordan River, driving it faithfully from one place to another, preaching to the people that they should pay attention and see that the Savior was present, of whom the Scriptures and the prophets had prophesied that the time had come for them to open their eyes and ears. This is what he preached to the people, that they should be ready to accept him. But he did not know the person of Christ until he was told by the one who had appointed him to preach, "On whom you will see the Holy Spirit descend and remain, this is the one. When the Lord came to Jordan and was baptized by John, and the heavens were opened, the Father said, "This is my beloved Son," and the Holy Spirit hovered over him in the form of a dove, John thought that he must be the man. Therefore he opens his mouth, preaches that Christ, the Messiah, is born and exists, they should accept him and not let him pass by. So that the Jews would not accuse God of having sent the Messiah secretly, and not reveal anything to them, since he appeared in such a poor and small form, God sends John to baptize, goes up and down the Jordan, and exhorts that the Messiah is present. When Christ came to him to be baptized, John did not know him yet.
But in and under the conversation he becomes aware of it; as we will hear later, in the first chapter, when he was baptized by John (for what is said about John in this text, as we now intend, happened afterwards, after the baptism of the Lord Christ). But at that time he let himself think that he must be a special man (he had certain suspicions that Christ would come to his baptism one day). For when he saw heaven open above the baptism of Christ, and heard the voice of the Father, saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, saw the glorious splendor, John was certain that he was the Messiah. And John fell into a hearty humility and fear or reverence: Have I baptized him on whom the heavens open? Therefore saith he, Oh that I should be baptized of thee, thou wouldest be baptized of me. And the Lord answered, Let it be done; and he came up out of the water, and went on to his work.
381 And although it is written in Matthew that these words were spoken between John and the Lord before the baptism, I will not argue about it, I will let it pass; although it may well be that it happened after the baptism. For the evangelists sometimes reverse the order, and put afterwards that which was before, and again. But I believe that when he baptized him, and saw what took place, and is certain by the beautiful revelation, not only that Christ exists, but also who he is, then John preached the right noticeable sermon, that he is the man of whom it is prophesied in the law and all the prophets, who should redeem his people, and from whose fullness we should all receive grace for grace. God had given his law through Moses, but it had not become better, only worse; grace and truth had not come into the world through the law of Moses or through anything else, but only through Christ. Therefore, whoever wanted to help him, they should go to him here; it would no longer apply, because the man had come, for whose sake everything had been done that was kept in the law; he himself also, John, had come to him.
1716 Erl. 4s, S7-SS. Luther's interpretation of Jn. cap. 1-4. w. vii, iM-iM. 1717
He wanted his ministry to be directed, because he would be present who would not only baptize with water, but with the Holy Spirit. This testimony will have taken place after Christ's baptism, when he saw him and baptized him.
382 This beautiful sermon, which is described here in the Summa, also belongs here. For the evangelist speaks: "The next day," understand, since the Lord was baptized, let it be what day it was; for it may not have happened immediately the day after, since from the baptism the Lord went into the wilderness, and was there forty days; But some other day, when the Lord was ascending and descending the Jordan, and had entered upon his ministry, and was seeking disciples, John saw Jesus coming to him, and knowing him well from his baptism, fell into a hearty, friendly fear and humility (that I may call it so), and not esteeming himself worthy to come near to him, began from afar to honor and praise him, pointing to him with his fingers from afar, and saying:
Behold, this is the Lamb of God.
. 383 This is a beautiful, glorious testimony of John about the new reign and kingdom of Christ, how it should all go, and are clear, bright words, in which John clearly expresses what one should think of Christ, and is a powerful saying. When he said earlier v. 17, "The law was given through Moses," he did not almost praise Moses; but here he attacks him much more harshly and violently, as if to say, "You Jews slaughter a paschal lamb every year, as Moses commanded you, and slaughter two lambs daily, which are sacrificed and burned in the morning and in the evening. It is a lamb, that is true; but you Jews make such a show of it, praising and extolling these sacrifices so much that our Lord God is nothing before their holiness, obscured and honored. Therefore they should keep the right lamb against one another, and Moses' lamb, which was commanded in the Law of Moses to be slain and eaten, which is a lamb that men take from the shepherd. But this is "God's lamb," much another lamb;
For it shall be appointed to bear on its back all the sins of the world: but all your lambs, which ye roast and eat every year, and slay in the temple, shall be counted for nothing.
The paschal lamb was a fine game for the children in the law, and a discipline, and it was also arranged that it should remind you of this righteous lamb of God; so you drag it along as if such slaughter and sacrifice should take away your sin. You must not remember this; your lambs will not do it, but only this Lamb of God. Those little lambs in the law were only supposed to be the people's game birds, so that they would remember the real paschal lamb that was to be sacrificed. But they despised all this and thought that they would have enough if they slaughtered a little lamb at Easter Ex. 12. That is why John sets Moses' little lamb and Christ, the true lamb, against each other. For the law did not go any further than Christ, saying, "Your lamb was taken from man, as Moses commanded in the law of God; but this is the lamb of God, and the paschal lamb is the lamb of our Lord God, not a human lamb taken from sheep, as that was the shepherd's or man's lamb. As if to say: This is the true lamb that takes away the sin of the people. You looked for the taking away of sins in the other lambs at the Easter feasts, but you did not find it. With this lamb you find it, and it is born of a virgin. It is not a natural lamb or lamb like those in the law; nevertheless it is a lamb. For God ordained that he should be a lamb, slain and roasted on the cross for our sins. Otherwise he was a man, like another man; but God made him a lamb to bear the sin of the whole world.
It is preached by Christ our Savior in an exceedingly fine and comforting way; we can never attain it with words, even with our thoughts. In that life we shall have our joy and delight in eternity, that the Son of God
1718 Erl. 46, 99-102. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vn, iWs-1642. 1719
and takes my sin on his back; yes, not only my sin, but also the sin of the whole world, which has been done from Adam to the very last man, which he wants to have done, and also suffer and die for it, so that I may be without sin and attain eternal life and blessedness. Who can speak or think that the whole world, with all its holiness, righteousness, power and glory, is closed in on sin, and is of no account before God, and that anyone who wants to be saved and rid of his sin knows that his sins have all been laid on the back of the Lamb? Therefore John points out this lamb to his disciples and says: "Do you want to know where the sins of the world have been laid, so that they can be forgiven? Do not look at the Law of Moses, nor otherwise run to the devil; for there you will find sin, from which you will be shocked and condemned. But if you want to know and find a place where the sins of the world have been killed and taken away, look at the cross, and on the back of this Lamb the Lord has laid all our sins; as the prophet Isaiah says in chapter 53, v. 6.We have all gone astray, like lost and wandering sheep, each going his own way," one to this place, the other to that, one seeking God in this way, the other in another way, and there were countless ways and means of finding God.
As it must be, if one lacks the right road and path, and comes to crossroads or wood paths, then one wrong way makes another hundred wrong ways; there St. Francisci Rule should help one, the other St. Benedicti Order. And the pope and the Turk, each according to his own discretion, make his own way to atone for sin. to atone for sin. But it is said, "they all go astray in the 1) way." What then is the right way, so that one may not go astray? For the farther you go from the right road, the more you go astray. Then Isaiah answered, "This is he, that the Lord hath cast all our sins upon him, and hath smitten him for the sins of his people; because we all go astray.
- "the" is missing in the Erlanger.
God placed all our sins on the back of His Lamb, and on no one else. He appointed the lamb to bear the sin of the whole world.
387 Therefore a Christian should remain simple in this saying and not let it be taken away from him. For there is no other comfort either in heaven or on earth, that we may be able to stand against all temptations, and especially in the time of death. And whoever believes that the sins of the whole world have been laid on this Lamb, the Pope and the Turk must be the Antichrist. For the pope has thus taught that a Christian must henceforth remember how he bears his sin, and blot out sin by almsgiving and the like; as they still brazenly lie today. But if this is true, then the sins are on my neck, and not on Christ, your lamb; and then I should be damned and lost. But this one bears the sin, not mine, or thine, or any man's, or kingdom's, or country's, but the whole world's; and thou also art a part of the world.
388 But for a good year, in the papacy of St. John, they painted on all the walls, and carved his image and the little lamb in wood and stone, in silver and gold, and made pictures of it, celebrated it once a year, painted his fingers pointing to the lamb; but it did not come to the heart. No one has understood what this painting and figure means; and the papists are still so blind, mad and foolish, they have the image painted, carved and cast, and hold it in great honor; but their doctrine and life goes straight against it. For they have called upon St. Franciscum, Benedictum, St. Catharina and Barbara, and other saints to do it. Is this not blindness, since we have been mad and foolish? Not only have we been taught that this is the Lamb who bears the sin of the world, but we have also seen the image of John pointing to Christ with his fingers, even carrying Christ on his left arm, and have celebrated great feasts from it; and yet we have not looked at it with right eyes, nor understood what it is, or why John points out the Lamb to us.
1720 Erl. 46, ios-104. Luther's interpretation on Jn. cap. 1-4.] W. vii, 1721
389 This is the foundation of all Christian doctrine; he who believes it is a Christian; he who does not believe it is not a Christian, he will also find his part. It is said clearly enough: This is the little lamb of God, which bears the sin of the world, and the text is God's word, and not our word, nor devised by us, that God has slain this lamb for this purpose, and the little lamb has taken upon itself the sin of the whole world out of obedience to your Father. But the world does not want to go there, it does not want to grant the dear little lamb the honor that we alone would be blessed because it bears our sin. It also wants to be something, and the more it wants to do and atone for sin, the worse it makes it. For apart from this little lamb, there is no sin-bearer; God does not want to know about anyone else. Now would it not be right and just to put these words into our hearts, that we might know how to discern our sin?
(390) Now learn here that the Law of Moses shows you your sin and teaches you how to be obedient to God and man; it also says that I am an enemy of God, blaspheming Him, and that I do not live according to it, as the Ten Commandments otherwise properly direct. In sum, the law shows what I am, reveals sin, and puts it on my neck, and does right by it. Then I am afraid, and would gladly be rid of sin. But the law says, "I cannot help you. Then one runs to the saints, and calls on the Virgin Mary, saying: Ask your son for me, show him your breasts. Another calls on St. Christopher, even though he has never been on earth. Another runs to St. Barbara, and wants to have intercession full of her; others become monks, want to be holy themselves and be their own beatific. We each see our sin, and promise to amend ourselves from day to day, saying, "O Christ, save me my life, and I will become pious and atone for my sin. But is not this a cruel and terrible blindness? It is the sin on your neck that presses and presses, and reason can give no other advice or teaching. For when it sees that it has sinned, it says: I will amend myself and become pious. But there comes
St. John says that the whole world is full of sin, and by the law sin is on our backs; but do not leave it there where the law has put it, that is, where it is in your bosom. For if they remain there, you are condemned and lost, for you are too weak to overcome sin.
391 Therefore St. John and his testimony or sermon point us to another, since God the Father has laid our sins on, namely, the Lord Christ. The law lays them on me, but God takes them from me and lays them on this Lamb; there they lie well and better than on me. And God will say: I see that sin presses you, and you should fall to the ground under the heavy burden, but I will deliver you from the burden, and I will take the sin from your neck (since the law reproves you, you have committed the same sins, and condemn you also for that), and out of pure grace I will lay them on the neck of this lamb, which shall bear them.
Let this image be dear to you, that Christ is made a servant of sins, yes, a sin-bearer and the very least and most despised of men, who swallows up all sin by Himself, and says Matth. 20, 28: "I have come to serve others, not to be served. There is no greater bondage nor servitude than for the Son of God to become the servant of every man, however poor and miserable or despised he may be, and to bear his sin. It would be a great thing and astonishment, since all the world would open their ears and eyes, mouth and noses, and could not think enough, if some great king's son came into a beggar's house, and nursed his sickness, wiped off his filth, and did everything that the beggar would otherwise have to do. Wouldn't that be great humility? Yes, whoever would see it, or whoever would receive this honor, would have to confess that he had seen something strange and wonderful, yes, something great had happened to him. But what is a king or emperor against the Son of God? And furthermore, what is a beggar's filth or stink?
1722 Erl. 46, 104-106. Interpretations On St. John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1645-1647. 1723
against the sinful filth that we have in us by nature, which stinks a hundred thousand times more, and looks more hideous in God's eyes, than all the filth that might be in a wicked house? Nor is the love of the Son of God so great toward us; the more stink and filth there is in us, the more he takes to us, purifies us, and takes all sin and misery from our necks, and puts them on his back. For this, the holiness of all monks stinks against these benefits of Christ, that the dear little lamb, the great man, yes, the son of the high majesty comes down from the high heaven, and wants to serve me.
Therefore, it would be worthwhile to sing, preach and speak about it all the time, and also to love and praise God for such good deeds, so that we would gladly die and rejoice in all kinds of suffering. For what is it that the Son of God becomes my servant, and lowers himself so much that he should also take and bear on his neck my sorrow and sin, yes, the whole world's sin and death, and say to me: You are no longer a sinner, but I am; I take your place; you have not sinned, but I have; the whole world is in sins; but you are not in sins, but I am: on me shall all your sins be, and not on you. No one can understand it, we will see ourselves eternally blessed by the love of God there in that life. And who would not gladly die for the sake of Christ? Thus the Son of Man does the most disgraceful and unrighteous work. He does not put on some beggar's torn garment, or old pants, or wipe us as a mother wipes a child; but he bears our sin, death, hell, our misery in body and soul. When the devil says, You are a sinner, Christ says, I will repent, I will be a sinner, you shall go forth free. Who can be sufficiently grateful to our Lord God for this grace?
394 Whoever then could believe this, or whoever only thought it certain that the sin of the world and his own sin were laid on Christ's shoulders, would not easily be deceived nor seduced by the rotten spirits, which some
- Erlanger: from.
The first verse reproaches us with good works and alms, which have the reputation of eradicating sin, and that one must be saved by works. Since a Christian could conclude against this that the mobs may have sayings about good works as they wish, the main saying always remains, which is thus: that I cannot bear my sin or pay for it, but God has ordered a sacrifice to be slaughtered, roasted on the cross and eaten; on this lamb all our sins are laid. He does not let himself be carried away by this, nor does he let himself be brought fully to the right understanding of the Gospel. If one teaches or preaches whatever one wants in the world, he remains on the simple, right faith and clear words, namely: If I could have acquired something, then God's Son should not have died for me. It is only the little lamb, says St. John, that bears the sin of the whole world, otherwise it will remain unborne; to him I will also have my refuge, and let you do what you will.
The law may well command that one should do this and that, also how one should live; says: Do not lust after one's neighbor's wife, goods, honor, do not kill, do not break marriage 2c., give alms. And these things are good to do, that we may beware of outward sins in the world, but to blot out sin before God by the law is nothing; but this is what is said here: Ecce Agnus Dei, qui tollit peccata mundi. And as it is written in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, v. 6: "The Lord hath laid all our sin upon him." Item, v. 8: "Because of the sin of his people, the Lord wanted to smite him"; it is all on Christ.
For this reason a Christian should remain simple in this saying, and not let it be taken away from him, so that he knows that all pagans, papists and godless people (who want to do enough with their pilgrimages and good works and boast much about them, comforting themselves with the fire of fire) are blind. For the Holy Scripture says that the sins of the world are not upon the world, nor St. John's sin upon St. John, nor St. Peter's sin upon St. Peter, for they cannot bear them,
1724 Erl. 46, 106-los. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1647-1620. 1725
but on Christ, the Lamb of God, who comes and becomes a common sinner, even a sin 2 Cor. 5:21, as if he had sinned against the whole world (from the beginning of the world to the end).
If then there are sayings in the Scriptures which seem that one should do enough by works, let the sayings come down in the Hanseatic League, or in the worldly government, command the fathers and mothers, and do not draw them to be a payment for your sin before God. Here it is unbearable and unpaid, the lamb bears it all.
Therefore consider for yourself whether God has not been justly angry with us and punished us for falling into the clutches of the pope and the Turk. For the Lamb himself preaches to us, saying, "See how I bear your sin, but no one will accept it; and if we believed and accepted it, no one would be condemned. What more shall the Lamb do? He says, "You are all condemned, but I will take your sin upon me; I have become the whole world, I have taken on the person of all men from Adam, so that if one has received sin from Adam, he will give us righteousness for it. Then I should say: I will believe that my dear Lord, the Lamb of God, has taken all sin upon himself. The world will not yet believe or accept it; and if it did, no one would be lost.
So we hear that we have all fallen into sin through the devil, and that the Lamb alone leads us out. But the fact that one does not believe is not for lack of the Lord Christ, but the guilt is mine. If I do not believe, then I lie in my condemnation. In short, I must say that God's little lamb has borne the sin of the world, and I am earnestly commanded to believe and confess it, even to die on it.
Yes, you may say, who knows if he also bears my sin? I believe that he bore the sins of St. Peter, St. Paul and other saints, who were pious people; if I were also St. Peter or St. Paul. Do you not hear what
here St. John says: "This is the Lamb of God, who bears the sin of the world"? Now you cannot deny that you are also a part of the world, because you were born of man and woman, you are not a cow or a pig: so your sins must also be there, as well as St. Peter's or St. Paul's. And as little as thou canst atone for thy sins, so little may they atone for theirs; here no man is exempt. Therefore, do not follow your thoughts, and keep the word that promises you forgiveness of sins through this little lamb, which bears the sins of all the world, whoever believes it. Do you hear, your little lamb is not lacking, it carries all sin from the beginning of the world; therefore it must also carry your sin and offer you mercy.
But if someone does not receive such grace and mercy, nor enjoy it, what else is the fault but that he neither believes nor accepts it, but thinks, O it is none of your business, St. Paul or St. Peter will help; I must become a monk, call upon the saints, and go on pilgrimages. Yes, go to the devil, if you do not want to believe these words. For if you are in the world, and your sins are a piece of the world's sin, here is the text: All that is called sin, the world and the sin of the world, from the beginning of the world to the end, rests on the Lamb of God alone; and because you are also a piece of the world, and remain in the world, you will also enjoy the things of which the text says in this place.
402 Therefore this is our main reason, that we know where our sins are laid. For the law puts them on our conscience, thrusts them into our bosom, but God takes them from us and puts them on the shoulder of the lamb. For if they were laid upon me and upon the world, we are lost; for sin is too strong and mighty. And God says: I know that your sins are too heavy for you to bear, so behold, I will put them on my little lamb and take them away from you. Believe this, for if you do it, you will be free from sin. Otherwise, sin has only two alternatives where it is: either it is with you, so that it is on your back, or it is with you, so that it is on your back.
1726 Erl, 46, 109-111. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1650-1653. 1727
If it lies on your back, you are lost; but if it lies on Christ, the Lamb of God. If then it lies on your back, you are lost; but if it rests on Christ, you are set free and will be saved; now take hold of whichever one you like. That sins should remain on thee, that ought to be according to law and right; but by grace they are cast upon Christ the Lamb; otherwise, if God would be right with us, it would be done for us.
These are bright, clear texts and strong words, and have been confirmed by the beautiful, magnificent painting that St. John has been painted with the little lamb, pointing with his fingers to the lamb. And I liked to see such paintings. It has been confirmed that the paschal lamb was painted with an ensign, as well as the picture of Christ being crucified. But we in the papacy did not understand what was meant by it. For this is what was meant: "Behold, man, your sins should have been laid upon you according to law and justice; but the Lamb, whom I show to you, by grace bears your sins; they are laid upon the Lamb, that you may be blessed, holy, righteous, and free from sin, because of the Lamb. Therefore know that you do not bear your sins, for then you would be lost, the law would kill you; but see that God has taken away your sins and placed them on the Lamb, so that you may be blessed not for your own sake but for His.
The thirteenth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On the Saturday after Elizabeth November 24, 1537. 1)
V. 30. 31. This is he of whom I said to you: After me comes a man who was before me, for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he might be made manifest in Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
- next you heard how the dear St. John preached the glorious sermon, pointing to Christ the Lord: "Behold, this is the Lamb of God, which bears
- In the original margin.
the sin of the world." For from this also stands the foundation of our faith, and the main articles of our Christian doctrine. And this Lamb must be well known, who he is, what he is to do, and what his office is; namely, that he bears the sin, not only of us, but of the whole world. These are short words, but they comprehend and include much and almost everything that is written about Christ, which he did for us, namely, that he was born, suffered, died, and rose from the dead. For this he says, God's Lamb, sent by God and not chosen by men.
405 Now follows another testimony that the Lord Christ is the true God; for John says that he was before him and that he did not know him, but that he knew that he existed. And so the command was given him in the wilderness to proclaim these things to the people, but he did not know who he was until God Himself revealed it to him with a beautiful and special sign, when heaven was opened, the Father's voice was heard, and the Holy Spirit hovered over him. Now you have heard from the beginning of this Gospel of John that the evangelist wants to describe John the Baptist in this way, that he is a witness of the Lamb, that he is truly God and the Son of God, also a natural man, because God became man. Which Lamb afterwards allowed Himself to be slain, and sacrificed for us, and bore the sin of the whole world. And this preaching and testimony of John shall be and remain unto the end of the world, that this is the Lamb which bare on Himself the sin of the world.
V. 32. And John said: I saw the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven, and remaining on him, and I did not know him 2c.
406 The evangelist always rests on the word that John was a witness, and calls all his preaching a testimony, which testimony goes only to Christ, the Son of God, that he is truly God and man, and given for us. But concerning that John had begotten and preached (that one would come after him who was before him, who would be God, and that he would call him the Son of God), he says
1728 Erl. 46, 111-11S, Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1653-1655. 1729
(John has not yet seen and known him, as he himself says: "I did not know him"; item, that it was said to him: "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him, the same is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit" 2c. and thus John bears poor and simple witness of Christ, before he knows him), then God comes and also gives an outward sign, so that the preaching of John the Baptist would be confirmed. John also remembers here that over the verbal testimony that John had said: "Prepare the way for the Lord", he will come, God nevertheless also gives a sign, so that John's preaching ministry is confirmed with a public appearance and revelation that he has seen the Spirit, as a dove, over Christ.
407 But these things are more properly described by Matthew and Luke, and with more words. For John speaks only of the testimony of the Baptist, what he said, what he saw, and what took place at that time. Lucas and Matthew say that when Christ came up out of the Jordan, out of the new bath, heaven opened upon him, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in a bodily form, and John heard the voice from heaven: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I 1) am well pleased; him shall ye hear." This is also what St. John the Evangelist means when he says, "I have seen heaven open, and the Holy Spirit descending and abiding over him," which is understood after baptism. But the other words that John heard, namely, "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending," 2c., were said to him in the wilderness; as Lucas Cap. 3, 2. reports that the word of the Lord was spoken concerning John the son of Zachariah, 2c.
408 But what those words were, Lucas does not tell; but John the Evangelist says, that he should go and preach baptism for repentance and remission of sins. By this sign thou shalt see the future of the Holy Ghost concerning Christ, that on whomsoever thou shalt baptize the
- Erlanger: one.
When you see the Holy Spirit descending from heaven, it is he. When you see the sign, be sure that it is the one whose forerunner and forerunner you were to be. This was the command of John, which he had, to baptize with water, for repentance of the remission of sins, which should come to all men through Christ. He also had the promise that he would see the sign by which Christ would be recognized. This command was received by St. John the Baptist in the wilderness, and Lucas the Evangelist sums it up in only one word, saying: "The word of the Lord was spoken to John. In this text John the Baptist says: "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and blowing on him", did not flutter on, but rested over him, remained hovering over him.
409 All these things were done, and for this cause also they were described, that John the Baptist's testimony and preaching might be confirmed thereby, not only for his own sake, but also for the sake of others who heard his preaching, and afterward might see the great miracles and wondrous works which Christ did when he preached. And with this testimony of John all men should be satisfied. We do not want to go further into this text this time, because we have preached about it many times in Matthew, and it would be a nuisance to repeat it here.
Now behold what a great glory baptism is, and what a great thing it is, that when Christ is baptized, heaven is opened, the Father is heard in a voice, and the Holy Spirit descends, not as a ghost, but in the form and likeness of a natural dove. Just as the Father's voice was not a ghost when he spoke these words from heaven: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." They were true, natural and human words. So this dove (in which form the Holy Spirit was seen) was also a real natural dove, and yet the Holy Spirit. All this was done in honor and praise of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. For it is not a human
1730 Erl. 46, 113-116. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, I6S6-1658. 1731
work, but a great and holy thing. Even too great persons come to it. The father who gives and speaks here. The Son, who receives, is baptized. The Holy Spirit, who hovers over it, lets himself be seen in the form of a dove. And there is the heavenly choir of all the angels, leaping, jumping, and rejoicing over the work. Also the whole heaven is wide open. Now if baptism were a human work and deed, such high things would not take place here.
411 And beware of the Anabaptists and the riffraff, who speak mockingly of baptism and cry out that it is only bad water if no one helps; they look at the holy work as a cow looks at a new gate. For they see a poor preacher standing there, or some woman in distress baptizing; at this they are angry, saying, "Well, what is baptism? They also pretend that he who does not believe has not been baptized, and so they desecrate and blaspheme the holy sacrament, because they see no further than a horse or cow sees, that is, only the water. Item, that a man, the preacher, the midwives are little people, who draw water with their fist and pour it over the child. A sow and a cow also see this; therefore they go mad about it and blaspheme baptism.
But here it is written that when Christ is baptized, all three persons are present in the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, with all the elect angels, although the same have not been seen; also heaven has been open. Yes, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are still standing daily around and at our baptism. Otherwise, few persons were present as Christ was baptized, and had no outwardly great appearance. There is John the Baptist's hand baptizing, but nevertheless the heavenly hosts of angels are also present.
Because it is a divine work, since God Himself performs it, and the three high Persons of the Godhead are present, baptism should be held in high esteem, honored, and said: "Baptism was not conceived by any man, but was instituted by God, and is not an act of God.
bad water, but which has God's word on and with it, which makes such water the bath of the soul and the bath of disciples.
- item, that the tariff is nevertheless a true, right baptism, whether the one who is baptized is equally godless and unbelieving. Dem<, should God also be unrighteous for the sake of my unbelief? [The unrighteous boys themselves truly do not know whether those they use to baptize again also believe. But we know that our little children believe, for we have from them a sure word of Christ Marc. 10, 14.: "Suffer the little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." They do not have such a word from those who baptize them again; so they are not, as we are, the proclaimers of hearts, so that they can see into the heart of someone.
(415) We have also said many times that the ten commandments remain and are true, even though you do not live by them or keep them. For the Ten Commandments do not fall if you disobey or disobey your parents, or if you are a liar, a murderer and a fornicator; nevertheless they remain God's commandment. In the other commandment it is said: You shall not swear, but because of your swearing 1) the other commandment does not become false; for the abuse does not abrogate the law of God.
416 If a Jew were to come today and be baptized for the sake of the patronage money, or for some other reason, or otherwise for his own benefit, which he alone would be aware of, nevertheless baptism is right and true baptism is administered to him. Therefore, it need not be said that baptism is unjust, that he abuses it. So God's command remains when I say: Honor your father and mother, and you go and do the contrary. So baptism is also right and remains true, even if it is proven that a child or an old person who is baptized does not believe. For baptism is not our work: I believe or do not believe, so baptism in itself is and remains right and good. But this is also true: if I believe, baptism is of use to me; again, if I do not believe, baptism is of no use to me for eternity. For thus says Chri-
- Erlanger: so will.
1732 Erl. 46, H6-1IS. Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1658-1661. 1733
stus: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." For this is God's word, and so it shall stand.
- After this, we must know that God works and is powerful in baptism, and does not look at my work or yours. For the Persons are present in baptism, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Son has done enough with his body, the Holy Spirit with his appearance, that he lets himself be seen in the form of a dove. But the Holy Spirit can be seen in the form of a dove, not that he has united himself with the natural dove, just as the Son has united himself with our humanity. But the Father lets himself be heard in the voice. He therefore that is baptized, and believeth, is saved: but if he believe not, then is not baptism false.
418 St. John therefore says, "I have seen this, and I preach it to you concerning Christ, that at the baptism of Christ the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were witnesses. If you now believe in him, he is the Messiah. After this you also heard my testimony before I saw Christ; translated I testify again, 1) that in this heavenly revelation I saw the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But this testimony was given so that you may know that another baptism will come after mine, which I, John, have administered, that of the Holy Spirit. I have baptized with water until now, but he will come who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
419 There has been much debate from this text about the difference between the baptism of John and that of Christ. But you know that in the law of Moses there was much baptism, and the Jews bathed themselves, washed themselves, baptized themselves, and purified themselves exceedingly often. A woman, if she gave birth to a son, had to be unclean for several weeks, and had to cleanse herself with water for six whole weeks. But if it was a maiden, she was unclean as many weeks as twelve weeks. As often as they touched a dead person, they had to bathe and baptize themselves again, so that they would be clean.
- Erlanger: afterward.
they would become pure. But we have another bath and cleansing, which washes away not primarily the body but the soul. Therefore, St. Paul calls baptism "a water bath in the word" to the Ephesians in chapter 5, v. 26, 27, by which we are cleansed so that neither wrinkles nor stains remain on us. And to Tito in chapter 3, v. 5, he calls it "a bath of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit"; calls it a washing and cleansing. Therefore John also used the word, begat and preached, that they might be bathed and baptized, that they might amend themselves and be sent to the right baptism, namely, to receive forgiveness of sins from Christ. For I, he said, give no one forgiveness of sins.
(420) Now this is the difference between the baptism of Christ and that of John, that John says, "I baptize with water"; I do not give the Holy Spirit, so I do not forgive sin, but my preaching is for man to repent and send himself, for the Lord would be present to forgive sin; point to Christ, he will not give it, but says, "After me he will come," which baptism will not only serve for repentance, but also for the forgiveness of sins. Thus John begat of Christ, and was the forerunner of the Lord Christ, and his baptism points to the Holy Spirit, whom Christ would bring and give. Therefore, John's baptism points to the future forgiveness of sin, which was at the door. It was not yet present; John could not give it either, therefore he baptized for repentance and for the forgiveness of sins. As if to say, "Upon this preaching and testimony I baptize you with water, that you may send yourselves to Christ and amend, who is coming soon. It is also said of this in the Acts of the Apostles in chapter 19, v. 4: "John baptized you for him who was to come, that is, he preaches to you that you should be baptized and repent, so that you may have the forgiveness of sins that Christ brings with him; he, John, does not give it. So the Lord Christ also takes these very words of John the Baptist out of his mouth and uses them to give it to you: "Repent,
1734 Erl. 46, 118-120. interpretation^ on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1601-1663. 1735
For the kingdom of heaven is at hand," if he is the one who gives forgiveness of sins. As if to say, "As John prophesied about me, so shall it be: Ye shall have forgiveness of sins in me: all ye that believe on me shall not be put to shame, but shall assuredly be saved: as John said, so shall it be. For he was a preacher of the forgiveness of sins, which came immediately through the Lord Christ. All the people in the world were to be pointed to this sermon of John.
421 Therefore, this is the difference between the baptism of Christ and John. John does not give nor bring forgiveness of sins, but only points them to the one who gives them. In John's baptism the forgiveness of sins is promised; in Christ's baptism it is forgiven, therefore John's baptism is no longer valid. If one said, I baptize thee with John the Baptist's baptism for the remission of sins, that would not be right baptism; for his baptism alone was a prelude and forerunner to the remission of sins; John goes before, Christ follows after; but badly therefore shall we say: All thy sins are forgiven thee in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ: I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: that is, I take away all thy sins, and wash thee from them presently; I send thee no further, as John did. But John had to say, Send ye, receive him that in baptism shall give you the Holy Ghost, and bring forgiveness of sins.
422 John's baptism differed from Christ's in two ways. First, that he exhorted everyone to repent, and that they should prepare themselves for the coming Christ. Secondly, that they should wait for the forgiveness of sins, which was to be brought by the one who was to come; it has the promise of the future forgiveness of sins through Christ. The repentance precedes, since 1) he says: "You viper-bred, repent"; you are peelers and evil-doers, and neither skin nor 2) hair is good on you,
- Erlanger: that.
- Erlanger: or.
Therefore learn that you are not under God's grace and mercy, but that sin exists, otherwise it could not be forgiven you. Therefore John must say: You are sinners, even if you were the most holy Pharisees.
423 This must also be preached today to all wicked and stiff-necked people, so that they recognize their sin and learn that they need forgiveness of sins. For though we have obtained forgiveness of sins, yet, while we still carry the old Adam by the neck, we sin daily, and sin is not yet swept away, neither is the devil dead, who provokes our flesh and blood to all evil. Therefore, repentance must still be taught and practiced on earth until the old Adam dies and man ceases to sin.
424 But here we must speak differently of sins that are forgiven and of sins that are not forgiven. For there is a wide and great difference. Unforgivable sins are those that are not only present, but also those that lead to condemnation. Forgivable sins are sins that are forgiven and not imputed to one; even if they are not immediately taken away, they shall not harm, but the guilt is taken away, God will not punish with eternal death. The serpent's head has been crushed, although the serpent's body still remains, surges and rages, and one still has to deal with it and send it to be resisted daily. For this reason one should repent, torture and mortify oneself, improve oneself, so that sin may be subdued and we may one day be redeemed from all sins. These sins are not condemnable, because for Christ's sake they are not reckoned to eternal death for believers.
425 Therefore in this life sin is not wholly taken away, but there it shall not only be forgiven, but wholly swept out, and wholly put away. Therefore St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 5:7 that in this life it is said, "Sweep out the old leaven, that ye may be a new dough." How does that rhyme? If I am a new sweet dough, then I have no old leaven; why then does he say that the
1736 Erl. 48, 120-12S. Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. vn. 16G-I66." 1737
old leaven should sweep out? Is St. Panlus great and foolish? Does he not know what he is talking about? Well, we are a new dough through the forgiveness of sin, God accepts us for His children, and because we have also become a new dough by God's unspeakable great grace, for the forgiveness of sin, nevertheless there is still leaven in us according to the truth and nature; for there is flesh and blood, against which fight and sweep out without ceasing. In Galatians chapter 5, v. 17, it is also said: "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the 1) Spirit against the flesh: they are contrary one to another, that ye do not the things that ye would." Dear, what is this saying? If we are spirit, we are not flesh; and again 2c. It seems as if Paul does not know what he is talking about. In Romans, chapter 7, v. 5, 6, he also says that "when we were in the flesh, sinful lusts were strong in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death: but now are we loosed from the law, and are dead to it that held us captive; that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit" 2c.
But it cannot be otherwise in this life, we will not be entirely spirit, as we should be. But there, in that life, on the last day, body and soul will do nothing else, but what the spirit wants, that is, I will love God above all things, with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength. For there I will be pure spirit, and will want what God wants, will also have my will in His word, and will be like the dear angels, merciful, kind, friendly 2c. Here on earth I would like to love God with all my heart, but the sack I wear around my neck, flesh and blood, pulls me down and hinders me; for the flesh is opposed to the spirit in this life, it upsets me when someone is too close to me. Therefore one must sweep out the leaven, kill the flesh, resist the sin that still stirs in us. There is not one flesh, nor one spirit. The world is all flesh, but the angels are all spirit. The
- "the" put by us instead of "the", "ah the Bible.
Christians have something of both, as is said to the Galatians. The spirit has forgiveness of sin, and lives for the sake of righteousness, which Christ imputes to us freely, but the flesh is delivered to death for the sake of sin. For it is always grumbling against Christ, and we cannot get rid of sin from our nature; we have enough to sweep out of it all our lives.
In German, we call it a sin taken away, when we have forgiveness of sins through Christ, even though the sin is not yet completely gone; but we must fight against the sin in our body for and for. Therefore we must learn to sweep out, that we resist the flesh and blood, even sin; and nevertheless we are new dough, and contend with sin, because we are spirit, and have the hope of remission of sins, and are under the heaven of mercies. And it is certain that I have the forgiveness of sins; the forgiveness I have obtained, and yet I cleanse and purge sin from me. So it rhymes that before God our sins are forgiven if we believe in Christ; but with us the dirt still remains because we live here; this must be swept out.
So then the Lord Christ accepts from John the baptism of water, but he adds fire to it, that is, he gives us the Holy Spirit, who sets us on fire with his virtues. And so baptism still remains for and for, that we are baptized in Christ, and he forgives our sins, baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sins, that we may have forgiveness of sins for the sake of the lamb who bears the sin of the world. But still we are baptized to repentance for the sake of the old Adam; then we must always repent, always die to the body, that is, always be corrected and cleansed, and still always hope for the forgiveness of sins, which we have at present. If we have been baptized and believe in Christ, we are even with one another. For our baptism is not as John's baptism was, which pointed to him that should bring remission of sins; but
1738 Erl. 4", 1LS-1LS. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1666-1671. -1739
Our baptism is Christ's, which has already brought forgiveness. And Christ also says: I baptize and call you to repentance, but at the same time I also give the spiritual fire, that is, the Holy Spirit, that you may live under the forgiveness of sins, and daily feast, repent, and amend yourselves against the afflicted flesh, which fights against the Spirit.
This is the difference between Christ's baptism and John's baptism, that John there points to Christ, that is, baptizes with the Holy Spirit. Even if someone is a prankster and does not believe this, it is still true, and baptism is right. And even if you did not believe that Christ died for you, what of it? The words I hear are nevertheless true, and are not false or fabricated because of my unbelief. So also, if thou art baptized, thou art truly and righteously baptized; thou believest or believest not. Likewise, if you receive absolution from a preacher or Christian brother, be sure that your sins are forgiven; if Judas or another absolved you, absolution is still God's word and a divine office. Such teachings must always be repeated for the sake of the scoundrels and the spirits of the mob, who pretend that baptism and the gospel are valid only when people accept and believe them. And the devil is always plagued by the fact that he does not allow a distinction to be made between God's work and man's work. The Anabaptists pretend that if a person believes and is baptized in this way, then baptism is righteous. But know this, that if no man believed baptism and the gospel, yet the gospel and baptism would be righteous; for both are not mine, but God's word and works. The pope and his disciples, even the Anabaptists, did not know this.
430 So we have seen from this text what a glorious thing it is about baptism, and that we should hold baptism high. For John hears the Father in a voice preaching about the Son; the Son stands in the Jordan as a man; the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove, and is even glorious.
- Erlanger: am.
The baptism is not the work of man, but of God, the heavenly Father, who speaks over it, saying, "Behold, this is my beloved Son. Item, the work of God the Holy Spirit, who hovers over it in the form of a dove. Also the work of God the Son, who takes the baptism of Johanne. Our baptism has such a glorious adornment that it is not the work of any man, but only the work of God, the high Majesty, the three Persons in the Godhead, who are of one divine nature, power and majesty. This is to know the glory of our baptism, for which it is to be held, and that Christ may be recognized as the Savior of the world; therefore, not only did St. John testify to it with his sermon, but it is also confirmed here by the Holy Trinity.
The fourteenth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On Saturday after St. Andrew's Day December 1, 1537. 2)
The next day John stood with two of his disciples. And when he saw Jesus walking, he said, Behold, this is the Lamb of God: and two of his disciples heard him speak, and followed Jesus.
431 We have heard before how John the Baptist testified that he saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, abiding on the Lord Christ, and how it was said to him, "To whom thou shalt see the Holy Spirit descending, he it is that hath seen and begotten these things. But we have spoken enough about it, and also about the glory of baptism, that it should not be regarded as bad water, which some cow or horse feeds on, but that the Holy Trinity is present with all its dear angels, and that it is a divine and heavenly water, in which God Himself works, washes us from sins, saves us from eternal death, and gives us eternal life. This is what true and God-fearing Christians think of baptism and do not let it be taken away from them.
- In the original margin.
1740 Erl. 46, 125-127. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. vn, isn-E. 1741
432 Now follows the profession of the apostles. It might have been a wonder why John the Evangelist described this little history in so many words and so abundantly; but we cannot speak enough of it in one sermon. In the 4th chapter of Matthew, v. 18 ff., we read that Christ went about by the Sea of Galilee, and saw the two brothers, Simon and Andream, and said to them, "Follow me, for you shall be fishers of men"; so they left everything and followed him. When he had gone further, he saw Jacob and John, to whom he also said, "Follow me." So they also leave their father and follow him. So Matthew tells the profession of the apostles, and according to Matthew's account, St. Peter and Andrew were the first to be called to the apostleship, and then John and James.
But here it is different and almost contradictory, namely, that Andrew was the first apostle and that he was John the Baptist's disciple and then followed Christ; otherwise one does not read of any disciple of John the Baptist who came to Christ. But after Andrew comes Peter, after Peter Philip, after Philip Nathanael, 1) who is the fourth; but he was not an apostle. And it can be seen that Matthew and John are against each other. For Matthew describes four apostles' professions, and John also describes four professions. St. Peter was called by his right name Simon, which was his baptismal name; that he was called Simon son of Jonah is his name, which he received in circumcision; for the Jews commonly called children by the name of their fathers. But Christ afterwards gives him another name, as Cephas in Chaldee, which in Greek is called Petra, in German a rock, hard as a rock, where one can build something on that stands firm. And if the word Peter is not Latin nor German, but Greek, it means that he should be a hard rock; therefore Christ says: You are now called Simon, but you shall be called a hard rock or Peter.
But how do we rhyme these two texts?
- In the Erlanger: Nathaniel.
Matthew and John, together? Do thus. When Christ was baptized by John, he did not yet have disciples, but began to preach, and did not take a new way before him, but a common way, and was friendly to the people, joined friendly to everyone. For this reason, one after the other gradually joined him again; now one, soon another came to him. As John the Evangelist testifies here, that after the baptism of Christ, Andrew came to him, then others, and so one after another gradually found their way to him, and wanted to have his fellowship and listen to his conversation, which he also accepted in a friendly way, as you see here, because he was able to send himself to the people, so that they loved him and followed him.
435 For this reason John the Evangelist does not speak of the apostles' profession, but that they alone joined Christ in a social way and walked with him, while he was friendly with the people. The disciples of John also took a liking to him because of their master, John the Baptist's testimony and preaching of Christ, that they heard and saw Christ and came to know him. They go away again and return home when they have made friendship and acquaintance with him, and have not yet become Christ's disciples or been called to do so. But afterwards Christ comes to the Sea of Galilee, walks around there and calls them to be his apostles; they had seen him before at the Jordan, but did not think at that time that they would become his disciples.
436 And the evangelist indicates with these words that the Lord Christ had a special way of drawing people to himself and taking them in. And when he comes to the Sea of Galilee, and performs miracles, such as turning water into wine, and is known by all men, he finds these four, and begins the calling. John does not speak of the profession this time, but only of the clientele, how Christ was an affable man, who made friends with everyone, so that people were glad to deal with him. But Matthew speaks
1742 Erl. 46, IL7-130. Exegeses On St. John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1674-1677. 1743
Only of the apostles' profession, leaving their clientele in line, as John says. And here Philip also brings Nathanael, and Christ speaks to him in a very friendly way, draws closer to him than to the apostles, calls him by his name, since he has never seen him before; item, he praises him very much. So Christ was very friendly to the people until he called the four of them.
437 The "other day," not in the morning, but on another day, when John's disciples were not all at home, and only two of his disciples were with him; for John had more than two disciples. Before this they saw Christ when he was baptized, and John preached of him, saying, "This is the Lamb of God"; as if to say, "I said before that this was the Lamb of God; behold, here he is now. For above, v. 29, he said, "which beareth the sin of the world." With this, St. John (as is his office) directs his disciples to Christ, and hands over the mastery, not keeping it to himself, but saying, "He is the Master, baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire. When the disciples hear this, as simple, pious people, they believe it, and are moved by his speech to follow him, since he says, "This man is the Lamb, and the right Master. Therefore these two disciples follow him to the place where he was lodging.
438 Then Christ turned back, and said (v. 38), Whom seek ye? Then they say: We would like to know where you live, and we stayed with him all day. This is a fine announcement and kindness to me, that they want to hear from him the testimony John gave about him, because they wanted to be around him, to see him, to hear him, to talk with him and to do business with him; but he does not call them. Nor did they spend the whole day, but at the tenth hour, at four o'clock in the evening, that is how long they stayed with him. What they did or said here is not written, but the evangelist only wants to show that Christ was very friendly to them and attracted the people to himself until he accepted twelve apostles and seventy-two disciples [Luc.
10, 17.]. He did not begin his kingdom with violence, nor with rumbling and storms, as the Jews made them dream that he would come like a mighty emperor, but he is friendly to the people, is affable, does not come with worldly splendor, nor with horses, armor, spear and rifle, but he is kind and willing, he welcomes all who come to him, chats with them, excludes no one from his company. As the prophet Isaiah described him in the 42nd chapter, v. 3. 4. that he would not be quarrelsome and quarrel, that he would not extinguish the smoldering wick, and that he would not crush the broken reed 2c.
439 So Andrew, one of John's disciples, is the first to come to Christ and make an appointment with him. Then he goes away and talks with his brother Simon, as if saying, "Shall I not tell you some strange news? John, our Master, preached to us about this man, that he was the Lamb of God and the Messiah. Which no doubt John preached many times in many words, because Andrew believes this, and comes to his brother and says, "We have found the Messiah," to whom John pointed, and said that he is the Messiah. And so Andrew is the first preacher and witness that Christ is the Messiah. He immediately proclaimed this to his brother Petro when he met him, saying that he had found the one about whom the Law of Moses and the Prophets were written. This happened in Bethsaida, when Peter met with Andrew, and they came to Christ, and this is the new news that they have the Messiah of whom the prophets prophesied.
440 When Andrew came to him with Petro and said, "This is Christ," the Lord was very friendly and confirmed Andrew's words, proving that he was a Lord who knew everything. Christ had never seen him before, nor known his parents or friends; nor did he say to him v. 42, "Behold, thou art Simon son of Jonah, thou shalt be called Cephas. These are very friendly and sociable speeches and words, just as good friends would like to talk to each other over tables. And here nothing is said about St. Peter's profession or ordination to the apostleship, but there
1744 Erl. 46, 130-132. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, I677-I67S. 1745
When Peter was first called Simon, he was given another name, that he should be called Cephas. As if he should say: I know you very well, your name is not only Simon, but you should be called Peter over the whole world. This is the proclamation of Christ made to St. Peter, when Christ reveals his divinity, that he is indeed human, but that he is also truly God. Which also moved Peter, since Christ addressed him so kindly, knew his name, and also gave him a special name, that he would have said: These are prophetic words and divine thoughts, and for this reason he held Christ in high esteem.
441 Now we must say a little what the little word "Cephas" is and means. For in the papacy we were such incompetent, coarse asses that we did not understand this text, nor did we know what the word "Cephas" was. But it is a Hebrew word, and in Greek it is called Petra, but in Latin it is called Rupes, a rock, where one may build a castle on it, a mountain stone. But the asses in Pabstism and in spiritual law have pretended that the word "Cephas" comes from the Greek word Kephali which means a head, that St. Peter should be the head and overlord of the other apostles. And from this text they have made the pope the head of the church, as being the successor and descendant of St. Peter; also the foolish, wretched people have written such things about themselves in their decrees, that Christ should say here to Peter: You are the head; therefore the pope is also the head of the church; and they are not ashamed that they write it into their rights, and spread it throughout the whole world for 1) articles of the Christian faith.
442 But the text does not say Cephali, but Cephas; therefore Christ gives him a new name, calls him a rock. Why is he called Peter? This can be seen in Matth. 16, 18: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church." But with these words Petro is not commanded, nor is a certain office imposed on him, but only another name is given, that he should be called a rock. In the circumcision he is called Simon;
- Erlanger: as for.
but he should be called Cephas. When he says, "On the rock I will build my church," Christ means himself. Therefore, this text does not allow the Pope to be the head of the whole Christianity (as they so glumly boast throughout the world), but the papists shamefully lie about it, because it does not command St. Peter, but only gives him another name.
443 Now also the third disciple, Philip, comes to this; but where he will have found Christ, I do not know, but it will not have happened far from Bethsaida, because these three were citizens of Bethsaida. There, in the middle of the country, the Jordan makes a very large lake, from which the Jordan flows out again to the Dead Sea, where Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. For in this place, where the Jordan goes out again and flows to the dead sea, 2) John baptized. Therefore it is credible that these three disciples came to Christ not far from Bethsaida (because they were children of the city there), because Christ preached much around Bethsaida and performed miracles. As in the Gospel, Matth. 11, 21. ff., he cries out against Bethsaida, Chorazim, saying: "Woe to you, Capernaum", where my city, my bishopric is, where I have my parish church, you will perish and be thrown into the abyss of hell. And these cities are all situated around the sea; also Andrew, Simon Peter and Philip are countrymen. Therefore John the Evangelist says that first Andrew came, then Simon Peter, and thirdly Philip, who made an announcement.
The fourth is Nathanael, who is more highly praised and exalted than the other three apostles, yet he does not become an apostle. But God wanted to indicate that Christ had made great apostles, but they should not be proud for the sake of glory; for he did not ask about the status of the apostles or prophets, and did not ask about any of them.
- In Walch's old edition and in the Erlangen: "Rothen".
1746 Erl. 46, 132-134. Interpretations On St. John the Evangelist. W. VII. 1679-1682. 1747
Persons. He is not an observer of the person, but those who believe, do and live as Christians, they have a great name or a small name, they are great Hans or small Hans. Although God wills the classes in the world, and that there is also a difference of classes. But he who is not pious is of no use at all for salvation, even if he is in the honest offices of the ranks. A cobbler is as blessed as a king or a great emperor, if he believes otherwise. Judas is an apostle, and the highest or noblest, who rules all the others; and yet he went to the devil. Balaam was an outlier and abbot among the prophets, Numbers 24:1 ff, yet he was lost. Because of this, the statuses do not make one blessed. To be a father and a mother are honest and good people, but if they do not believe in Christ, God does not ask anything about them.
445 Thus Christ spoke very kindly to Nathaniel, whom he did not call to be an apostle; and we do not read that he spoke such things to Peter or the other apostles, or even to John the Baptist himself, since Nathaniel alone became his good friend and companion. It is spoken in a friendly way, v. 47: "Behold, a true Israelite, in whom is no falsehood." Item, v. 51: "From now on you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." He is not a prophet, nor an apostle; nor does he come into the announcement of Christ as great as any of the other three who knew Christ before him.
V. 45. Philip finds Nathanael.
446 As Andrew said to his brother Simon, "We have found the Messiah," so Philip says to Nathaniel, "We have received one from Nazareth, called Jesus, who is the Messiah of whom Moses wrote in the Law and the Prophets. They are good silly people, and it is a miracle that they can grasp the thoughts and
- Maybe: or Stande?
- that this Jesus should be Messiah, since there is no outward appearance. We must also consider what it meant among the Jews when one was taken for the Messiah. For it was as 3) a great name, as if one were now called an emperor, a king, or otherwise a great man. For the Jews thought that he would be ruler of the world; but the Messiah was to be the Savior of the world.
447 Therefore it is a great wonder that they called this beggar and single man their Messiah; but they did not do it out of mischievousness, but must have been informed from the holy Scriptures that God's way and custom has always been to lift up the poor and the lowly, and to make kings out of shepherds. Just as David was a shepherd and shepherd of sheep, tending his father's sheep. Saul was a donkey driver, a garbage collector (that I speak thus), and other kings have often risen high from the dust and mud. Also in the Roman empire sow-shepherds 4) became emperors, who kept themselves manly and bravely, that one elected them to colonels. So these also thought: "God can make a king out of a beggar, just as he can make a beggar out of a king. This is what the good people heard preached, and it was the thought of the poor people that they hoped for the Messiah and Savior, so that they would receive the King and be freed from the power of the Romans. Therefore they gladly heard about their king, and thought, "Well, who knows? our Lord God has played it more like this, that one has been made a king out of a shepherd servant and a poor beggar; how if this one were also the king, Messiah and Lord?
448 Especially because John the Baptist testified so gloriously of him, which they did not understand of his divinity, but only thought that this son of Joseph would one day rush forth, and be
- In the issues: "to look after." We would expect: "and hold on to it."
- Erlanger: so.
- Erlanger: is a sow herder.
1748 Erl. rs, 13t-13". Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1682-1684. 1749
to exalt himself above kings and Roman emperors, just as David and Solomon did. For Messiah was held as high among them as an emperor might be now. In German, "Messiam" means an anointed one; for the kings were anointed with balsam and delicious water on their heads; as now the three spiritual princes anoint and smear the emperor on his back. So the good fellows also wanted Christ to be the Anointed One, the most noble King in heaven and on earth, and to redeem them from the Romans; therefore they say, O we have found the Messiah. As if they should say: Until now we have been under the servitude of the Romans; but praise God, our horn has come, who will show himself to be a right judge. But Nathanael is also a good silly sheep, saying, "What good can come from Nazareth?" If it came from Jerusalem or any other great city of Judah, one would believe it.
The fifteenth sermon on the Gospel of John.
Saturday after Nicolai 8 December 1537. 1)
- Our previous sermon was about how the Lord Christ, after his baptism, so kindly attracts his disciples to himself, and makes himself known to them, and is completely friendly to them, before he calls them to be his apostles, and we have heard how he was introduced to the four persons, as Andreae, Petro, Philippo and Nathanael. And he went about Jordan through the wretched cities and villages, and gathered unto him out of all the people of Israel such as he considered the best, and were pleasing in his sight, that they should serve him in his kingdom. Take great care that he does not go up to the royal city of Jerusalem, where the mightiest, the richest and the cleverest were seated, where the royal throne was, and where he appointed the chief priests and regents, but leaves the head of all the people and goes about in the wilderness through the towns and villages, gathering together the poorest and most miserable beggars, whom he has chosen to serve him.
- In the original margin.
He can find no more than poor fishermen and good, coarse dolts; he does not call to himself the mighty. It is as if he could not order his kingdom differently if he did not have such lowly people; he lets the great nobles sit in Jerusalem and in other famous cities, since everyone thought that when the Messiah came, he would be found in Jerusalem with the great men, the wise men and the scholars Matth. 2, 2. But he even turns it around and does it according to his head, sews his regiment so foolishly and lowly that all wise men are justly offended by it.
- And he does all this so that those who are high, strong, wise and mighty in the world will not think that they alone belong to the kingdom of Christ and run roughshod over the others, but he wanted to found and establish a kingdom and government that would be based solely on God's grace and mercy and would be called a kingdom of grace, since nothing else would be valid, it would be as good and delicious as it always wanted to be; and that such a kingdom also would not stand on reason and human wisdom. So the kingdom is built and preserved until then. He 2) does not ask much about great kings or mighty lords, or about worldly kingdoms, about royal lineage and great being, which otherwise applies on earth. And if he had chosen only mighty, learned and holy men to be apostles, the world could not have persuaded that even the poor should belong to the kingdom of God, but only the saints and the rich. And now also, when he takes the least of these, and picks up what the world rejects as useless and unfit, as St. Paul also says to the Corinthians 1 Epistle 1:27: Elegit Deus infirma, since he has established his kingdom here through beggars, rude idiots and vain people, the apostles, we can hardly maintain that Christ's kingdom should also belong to the poor. For he wants to be praised as the one who deals with us by grace, not because of our yellow hair, or what else might be good in us, which we insist on and defy.
451 It does not yet help the world, which nevertheless has the heartache that always those
- Erlanger: It.
1750 Erl. 46, 136-139. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vir, i68i-i687. 1751
want to be called and be the church, so great, mighty, noble and holy are. This misfortune cannot be avoided, they insist on their money and goods, honor and power; what would have happened if the Lord had hung himself with great houses? But let it not be understood that the kingdom of Christ rejects the powerful and the rich, and that they do not also belong to this kingdom, or that those who live piously, honorably and virtuously should not have a place with him, but that he cannot suffer me to think that the kingdom of Christ is neatly built on our wisdom and wealth, just as if the kingdom of Christ could not stand firm nor remain firm unless kings, princes and lords protected and handled it with their counsel, help and service; He can well do without them; so that this may be certain and certain, that whoever wants to come to the kingdom must come to it out of true grace, he does not look at one because of his amount of gold florins, beauty, wisdom or yellow hair, or that he has a piece of gold or silver, or a gray coat, but it should be said: out of pure grace; item, a kingdom of grace and mercy, which shall belong to them that are wretched and poor, whether they be man or woman, rich or poor.
452 This is the reason why Christ goes through the small towns and villages, picks up the beggars, takes no one to Jerusalem, and leaves the rulers and scholars. For if he had done so, and had accepted such, no one would have been called a Christian, except those noble and great men who otherwise want to seize the kingdom of Christ by force, so that it belongs to them alone, although they see here that God accepts the lowly first.
453 And you have often heard that the Jews still today are stuck in the opinion that their Messiah will only deal with vain rich lords and princes, that he will put on them vain pieces of gold and put on crowns, and that he will not let a poor man or a beggar be in his kingdom, saying: Whoever is poor and despised, God is also hostile to him.
The Turk does the same. Because all his undertakings are proceeding happily, he quickly concludes that he is God's people,
and God be his friend, be merciful to him; for he has happiness, salvation and victory against his enemies, and overcomes all whom he only attacks, even those who boast of the Christian name. The shameful delusion cannot be resisted, he does not consider God to be a right judge, insists and defies that God is with him; therefore he also confidently strangles, all under the pretense that God is his friend.
The pope and his cardinals and bishops do the same; they say they are the right people of God. Why? They sit at the top of the regiment, and have what they want, therefore let God be their Lord and God. How can he leave it, why should he not look at us? We are the wisest, the most learned and the holiest. Yes, we are not lacking by a hair's breadth, otherwise we would have to be as broad as the world is. But still far from it, journeyman. Yes, what do I say about the great and the mighty? No one from the village has a hundred thalers, he doesn't know how proud he should be, he also thinks that he has a more gracious God than someone else who has nothing. But God can give you a whole mountain full of silver and gold and then throw you into the hellish fire, as we see commonly happens.
For this reason, Christ here presents his kingdom in a contemptible and pitiful manner, so that poor beggars and fishermen, the apostles, are as highly esteemed before him as those who are highly esteemed before the world. He himself rides poorly into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey, has not one hand on earth that would be his property when he laid down his head; he is so much a guest on earth that he must die on the cross even in the air. Therefore Christ chooses as apostles the poorest and most miserable people he could have met, as: Andream, Petrum, Philippum, Johannem and others, whom nobody would have liked to trust, that he would have let them get fire in his house. And this is not because he despised the estates, or because he rejected and condemned his gifts, or because he was hostile to the people for the sake of the gifts; but this is what God means, that you should not think: God gives me this, I give you that.
1752 Erl. 46, 139-141. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1687-1690. 1753
have these or those gifts, therefore God is also gracious to me, and such goods make me a child of God, that I may be eternally blessed.
This opinion does not have it at all. He does not give these gifts for the purpose of seeking salvation in them, but so that they may be used in the fear of God for the service and benefit of us and other people in this life; our power, wealth and wisdom are to serve this purpose. But to be called the child of God requires something better than gold and silver, wisdom and power, namely, the Lamb of God, who bears the sin of the world, since only the world abuses these goods and gifts, and is proud by nature, and makes of the gifts also a spiritual hope that God will be gracious to one because 1) he has money and goods; item, that he be wise and prudent, and lead an austere life, that he may become a child of God; as the monks have prescribed. So Christ came here, indicating that he only wants to choose beggars, bumblers and fools as his disciples, even if it is the poor whore Mary Magdalene, or the murderer and prankster Paul, and the thief on the cross; so that it may be known and revealed to everyone that no one receives his grace because of the gifts of riches, wisdom and power. And why should we insist on these things, that God should celebrate us for them? For does he not throw it all into the rapture, giving it to the wicked as well as to the pious, yes, even more to the ungodly than to his Christians? Just as he lets his sun shine on the evil and the good at the same time, and lets his rain fall on the field of the wicked as well as on the pious. But whoever 2) now thinks to become blessed with this, will deceive himself.
For this reason Christ leaves the great multitude at Jerusalem and leaves the great men in the great cities, where wise, learned and holy people dwell around the temple, and want to serve God day and night, and does not call them to the beginning of his life.
- Here we have deleted "therefore" because it is too much.
- Erlanger: who there.
He also asks them to come here, but he goes to the beggars and picks out the poorest and least beggars in Bethsaida. He goes to the beggars and picks out the "poorest and least" beggars in Bethsaida; whom other people would not have looked upon, he accepts kindly, so that no one may boast, "I have these or those gifts, therefore I am God's child and belong to Christ. For this is how it usually happens, that one is proud of the gifts of God; as it is said in Proverbs, "When a louse is bruised, it becomes hopeful. The 144th Psalm, v. 12, 13, sings that the wicked desire "that their sons grow up like plants, and their daughters like hewn-out oriels, like palaces, and that their chambers be full"; so they think they are in paradise, interpret it, and draw it there, when they are well for a while, that God is certainly their best friend; but not by a long shot, fellow. The 17th Psalm, v. 13, 14, also testifies to this, where David prays: "Deliver me, O Lord, from the people of your hand, from the people of this world, who have their portion in their life, whom you fill in their belly with your treasure, who have children in abundance, and leave their leftovers to their young. And in the 49th Psalm, v. 12. 14.: "Their houses endure forever, their dwellings remain forever, and have great honor on earth. This their doing is vain foolishness; yet their descendants praise it with their mouths." When one has what his heart desires, people praise him blessedly. As in the 144th Psalm, v. 15, it is also said: "Blessed are thy people, whose fate is like this; but blessed is the people, whose God is the Lord.
Now it is true that one must have these gifts of God, that is, be strong and healthy; so one must also have rich and learned people, and there must also be a difference of persons and classes in the world, since one is a ruler and the other a subject; so there must also be wise and prudent people; but to be proud of this against our Lord God, that he cannot stand, that is, in short, what he has decided. This is what the Jews, Turks, popes and bishops, all citizens and peasants, even the nobility, do, that they want to have their own heaven for the sake of their wealth and gifts, so that God may be gracious to them.
1754 Erl. 48, 141-143. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII. 1690-1692. 1755
He will leave it alone. Even if you have the whole world and are adorned with all kinds of gifts of the flesh, it will not help you to be happy, for his kingdom is built on grace alone.
(460) Now what Philip said to the Lord when he came to him is not written; but it is evident from the words which he said to Nathanael, that he came of whom Moses and all the prophets prophesied, whose name was Jesus, and who was the son of Joseph of Nazareth. The pious people had still kept this, since they had heard that one should come who should redeem them. Then Nathanael answered:
V. 46. What good was to come from Nazareth?
461 Nathanael spoke these words out of no evil heart, as the words of Christ afterwards indicate, when he gives him the great praise that he is a right and true Israelite, in whom there is no falsehood. Since this is the case, his words should not be interpreted as evil, as if a proud Pharisee or Annas or Caiphas had spoken them to the Lord. For then they would have been vile, poisonous words, and these would have said, "What are you talking about Jesus of Nazareth? are you mad and foolish? do you not see that we are lords, and 1) have authority to interpret the Scriptures? There it would have been poison. For such men despised Christ, and spoke such things out of high pride and contempt of Christ; as if they spoke: What do you mean? Who is the Christ? For according to that the person is, according to that also are their words, and according to that also are their speeches understood. Just as every bell has its own sound and tone, so here Nathanael speaks these words as a pious and simple good man who believes the words of Moses and the prophets, and speaks without deceit and malice in a good, simple heart, and out of astonishment: "Well, shall so much good come to us from Nazareth? Who would have thought of that? These are words for a man to be astonished, and to speak such words in great joy and wonder: Is it true, my dear, that he should be from Nazareth?
- Erlanger: and us.
A father often calls his son, and says: You knave, you rogue. These words, because they are spoken by the father, are only delicious and flush words. But if another spoke them, the son would say, "No, fellow, you are not my father, I will not suffer it from you everywhere; and quarreling and strife would follow, and such words would be vile poison. So the mother also says to her little daughter, "You little hurdle, you little sack, you little cow, this is all delicious sugar and sweet honey. If anyone else spoke these words, they would be poison, death and murder. Otherwise a good friend would speak an unkind and harsh word against me, but he could not spoil it; otherwise, if it were said to me by my enemy, it would be very unpleasant to me. So Nathanael also speaks out of a good heart, Shall Christ come from Nazareth? do it not out of contempt, but out of wonder; for he had hoped that the Messiah should come from Bethlehem, and that he would dwell at Jerusalem, as all the prophets and all the Scriptures had prophesied of it.' Zechariah am. 9. chapter, v. 9, it is written: 'Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King comes to you meekly' 2c. And in the prophet Isaiah it is said that Jerusalem will be Messiah's royal court, his own house and castle, and that there the father of the house will have his hearth and kitchen, even his household. Then he will say, "I will not speak against this or dispute it, but I am very surprised that much good will come out of Nazareth.
463 Philip also understands these things, that Nathanael speaketh them plainly: therefore saith he, Why wonderest thou much? "Come and see." When he hears this, he soon follows Philip. And when the Lord gets him in the face, he says:
V. 47. This is a right Israelite in whom there is no falsehood.
464 That is, a simple believing Israelite. Divide the people of Israel, to whom Christ was promised, into two multitudes, that the Israelites are two kinds; that is, My people are divided into two kinds. First, the whole multitude, who are all Israelites, but
1756 Erl. 46, 143-146. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, IK92-I695.' 1757
Some of them are false, boasting that they are of the tribe and bloodline of the patriarch Israel or Jacob's descent, Abraham's children, flesh and blood, and that they are based on Abraham; but some of them have departed from Abraham and his promises made to him, and have fallen for the works of the law and false, fabricated worship. The other and true Israelites are called those who were of the faith of Abraham. Now Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah were full of Israelites, but I find few true Israelites whom I would bring into my kingdom; I find few true Israelites. John the Baptist testified and preached much about me, but Annas and Caiphas, also the other Pharisees, despised his baptism and preaching, and they considered me a fool and possessed by the devil.
465 And the words of the Lord Christ are like those of a half-wrathful and impatient man; as he also says to the centurion in the eighth chapter of Matthew, v. 10: "Verily, I have not found such faith in Israel. As if he wanted to say: Israel has the glory of being a chosen people of God, I find them to be the most wicked boys under the sun. O what a hopeless, cursed and accursed people is Israel compared to the holy and pious people, Abraham and Israel. As St. Paul tells the Romans in the 9th chapter, v. 4. ff, also speaks of this: They have great liberty, glory, and dominion, "that the adoption, the covenant, the law, the worship, and the promise, which also the fathers had, belong unto them"; but all is corrupt in reason; they all boast that they are Israelites, and of the seed of Abraham; but there is but the name; they are not true Israelites, they are only of the tribe and flower of Abraha, which they insist on, and think that they are therefore God's people; they do not consider that they should follow the faith of Abraha on the promise of Christ, which faith Abraham and other God-fearing people otherwise had; so they want that only this alone should be considered, that they come from Abraham.
Now Abraham had two wives and also two kinds of children, Isaac and Ishmael; Isaac had Jacob and Esau; all these children did not remain in the faith of Abraham. Though they were of the tribe of the patriarchs, yet Ishmael and Esau clung to idols, practiced idolatry, went after pagan idols, and did not abide by the promises made to their fathers. Therefore it did not help them at all, even if they boasted that they were of the flower of the patriarchs, because they did not believe in the promise. For this reason, in the 8th chapter of John, the Lord Christ also quarreled with the Jews, who were very proud that they were Abraham's children, and said, v. 39: "If you were Abraham's children, you would do Abraham's works. 2c. Then they answered, v. 41: "We were not born out of wedlock. But Christ says, v. 44: It is true, you are not children of whores, but "you are of the father the devil, and according to your father's desire you will do, and murder me" 2c.
For this reason Christ also says here, "There are righteous Israelites and false Israelites; the Israelites are of two kinds, who both came from the patriarch Israel, but did not all keep the promise and faith of Abraha. Just as now there are two kinds of Christians. We are all called Christians when we are baptized and born again through baptism, but we do not all stay with baptism; many fall away from Christ and become false Christians, but the righteous Christians are thinly sown. Is therefore also a false and true Christian church. And yet the false Christians boast that they are the true church and Christians, just as the Jews said they were the true Israelites; they boast only of the title and name: "We have been baptized and have the name of Christians. We must grant them the same; but they are not so. So there are two kinds of Christians: First, those who have only the name and are Christians in the flesh, as the Israelites boasted of the fleshly seed of Abraham, but do not abide in baptism, the forgiveness of sins, and in the promise of Christ, but turn away by false doctrines, falling away from faith and the Lord.
1758 Erl. 46, 146-148. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1695-1698. 1759
Christ. Therefore they are also called Christians, as the Jews were called Israelites and Abraham's seed, but they are Christians only by name. Nothing is said that one pretends: I am born of Abraham, baptized, and live among the number of Christians.
There are two kinds of Israelites and Christians. This is a true Israelite who has the promise and faith of Abraham, and believes in the prophets' teachings without falsehood and simple-mindedness, and keeps the promise of Abraham, as Nathaniel does here, and as all Christians do: when they are baptized, they hear the gospel, read the Scriptures, go to the sacrament, and love their neighbor. These use the Christian name rightly, and are true Christians. But after them are false Christians, who need baptism and the Lord's Supper, and can speak of the Scriptures as much as true Christians, and both we and they have the divine word before us; but they are Christians only in outward appearance and name. For they believe not, and are inwardly full of unbelief, envy, and hatred, full of vice, lying in adultery, avarice, and wickedness, and in all the sins and iniquities wherein the world is now utterly drowned, and living like Turks and Tarthers.
469 Therefore the Lord Christ wills that no man should boast that he is an Israelite or a Christian; item: I am baptized, I am a bishop, a canon, or a preacher. It is not enough; you must see that you believe and hold yourself out as a Christian, that you are righteous in heart and outwardly in life, and that you can boast of the Lord Christ and of faith. But if you do not do this, you are a false Christian, as many Israelites were. For the heart believes not, therefore all is false delusion and darkness; neither is the life righteous, and thou art a Christian only by outward appearance, and the deed follows not at all; for thou art envious, hateful, lewd 2c.
If then Christians were to be divided and separated from one another, how many Christians do you think should be found now? For the world is mad and foolish, wild.
and desolate, and laden with all manner of vices, as fornication, drunkenness, revenge, and' other sins. It is no longer a disgrace nor a sin, even if one now deceives the other; and yet all still want to be good Christians. But believe me, you deceive no one but yourself. God cannot be deceived or fooled; he soon recognizes you in a moment, as he knows this Nathanael, that he is a true Israelite, or a devout Christian who believes the prophets. So he will also say to you, "This is a true Christian. To the other false Christians he gives an angry look, as happened to those at Jerusalem whom he leaves sitting, and judges them here in this text that they are false Israelites who are to be cast out of the kingdom of Christ. But of Nathanael he says: "This is a true Israelite, in whom there is no falsehood," no falsehood in his heart, nor falsehood in his life; he keeps the promise of Abraha, and is neither stingy nor hopeful in his life. And he is pleased that he has seen and found a righteous Israelite, who waited for the promised Messiah with all earnestness. For he also wants to have such people in his kingdom, who believed the promise made to Abraham and lived according to it.
V. 48 Nathanael saith unto him, How knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
This is spoken in the manner of the Hebrew language. For the Jews had this promise, that they should dwell safely and peaceably, and that every man should sit under his vine and under his fig tree; therefore they had throughout the land before their houses (as it was a fertile land) vines, and fig trees, for tabernacles; as we see in the villages before the peasants' houses apple trees and pear trees, or great lime trees. So the promised land was full of good trees, such as fig trees, oil trees, and grapevines, sitting under them or dwelling not far from the trees. So Nathanael was also in some village, a pious farmer, not rich.
1760 Erl. 46, 148-150. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1698-1700. 1761
For being pious and rich do not rhyme together, especially at that time.
472 Therefore the Lord Christ saith, Before Philip came unto thee into thine house, and called unto thee, when thou wast sitting at thy door, in thy court, under thy fig tree, in the shadow, I saw thee. And here is not described what Philip said; but doubtless he must have heard something from Christ that moved him to run to Nathanael, and say unto him, "Come and see."
473 And are these not evil words of a man, that Christ saith here, While thou wast sitting in the court, or in the garden, working a little, even before Philip came unto thee, I stood here, and saw thee there. When Nathanael hears this (says the evangelist), he marvels that Christ has seen all that he has done in his house, as he sits under the fig tree with his wife and children, and perhaps speaks of the Messiah to come, which he had learned from the dear prophets. Then he must confess and say, This is a strange man; and lifting up au, agrees with Philippo, who had said to him, "We have found the Messiah." Then Nathanael, as a bad and right Israelite, says that the man who saw him in his house under the fig tree must not be a man alone, and Philip will have said to him: O Nathanael, now thou seest who the Nazarene is. And saith Nathanael:
V. 49. Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.
474 That is, you must truly be a prophet; why do you not go to Jerusalem? or you must be something more, that is, the Son of God; because you have seen me sitting under the fig tree, you will be able to do more. Whether Nathanael meant that he was the natural son of God cannot be taken from this. For Christ was not yet transfigured as the Son of God, preached by the apostles in the world, but I take it that he calls him simply a Son of God, as we 1) call a pious one,
- Erlanger: we him.
holy man is called a man of God, so that Nathanael also speaks of him as of a prophet. As if he said: "Here is God, here is God; if you can do that, you can do more: Now I see that something good can also come out of Nazareth, and I believe what Philip said.
- "You are the King of Israel", that is, you are the Messiah. Messiah was called a priest and a king. One person always held these two offices, especially before Moses came. After that Moses arranged it differently and gave the kingdom to the tribe of Judah and the priesthood to the tribe of Levi. From that time on this custom was not kept, especially in Christianity, but in the time of Christ it became a thing again. Demi Christ was both priest and king, but not a secular but a spiritual king. And the word Messiah also means a King and Saviour, who would be anointed, not with balm, but with precious water and balm, more precious than water of roses or spikenard. 2) As kings are anointed this day, that they may smell well. So Nathanael speaks out of a good simple heart, saying: Now I see you that you are the Son of God and Messiah. These are simple, bad words, as a child would speak; but he uses the right names and titles that are due to Christ, so that he makes a beautiful confession that Christ is truly God and man: Son of God, according to the divine nature, and King in Israel, according to the human nature. And so much is said: You are the Son of God, the true Christ of the children of Israel, of whom all the prophets said that when Christ would come, he would be called the Son of God and King of the whole world. The pious man has heard this from some pious preacher or prophet, so he baptizes him with the very names the prophets called him. Then the Lord Christ said:
V. 50. You believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree; you will see greater things than that.
- d. i. Lavender water. Spike - lavender.
1762 Erl. 46, 150-153. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1701-1703. 1763
- Christ, seeing that he does not yet thoroughly understand that he is God, says: "You believe in me because of some work and miracle, that I am standing here, and you are far from me, and hear that I have seen you, and believe that I am the person of whom the prophets prophesied. But thou shalt see more and greater works (that thy faith may grow and become stronger) than that I saw thee under the fig tree.
V. 51, And says to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, from now on you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.
This is also a strange speech. But we read in the first book of Moses at the 28th chapter, v. 10. ff, Jacob went from his father Isaac to Mesopotamia, and there he wanted to take a wife, and when he came to the place where Jerusalem was built, especially where the temple of Solomon stood, where Christ preached, he lay down to sleep, and having no pillow, he took a stone, and the holy man fell asleep on it; for he was afraid and grieved for the sake of his brother Esau, who was pursuing him. Then God comforted him by this vision, that He would be his gracious God and protector, and that the angels should be present with him and protect him. For he saw that the heavens were open, and a ladder was set on the earth, reaching up to heaven; and up on the ladder was our Lord GOD, and the angels were ascending and descending. And Jacob heard these words v. 13 ff., I will be thy God, and will guide thee, and bring thee home again; fear not in thy affliction, for the angels shall be with thee.
- This history of the dear arch-father the Lord Christ points out to Himself, that the angels shall ascend and descend on Him as on a ladder. And wants to say: As Jacob saw this face, so shall you all see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. This means that Nathanael will see greater things.
Now the question is here: When did this happen, that Nathanael had reached heaven?
Nowhere in the New Testament is it said that heaven was opened, except at the baptism of Christ: when Christ was baptized by John and came up out of the Jordan, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove, and the Father made Himself heard in a voice (2c), Luc. 3, 21. 22. Item, Matth. 17, 1. ff., on Mount Thabor, when Moses and Elijah appeared to Christ, and He had the three disciples with Him, the heavens were almost opened, for a white cloud came, and their faces and clothes were as bright and shining as the sun. But there the three apostles see only the sky open, and Nathanael is not there, nor other people. Therefore this text must have another interpretation, namely, as Christ himself interprets it, and we must see how Christ draws this history to himself. (For the evangelist is silent of the leader, and says only that the angels will ascend and descend upon the Son of man). Therefore, this history must be understood in a spiritual way. This vision, which met the patriarch in the place and place where Jerusalem was built afterwards, goes to Christ. For when Christ was made man, and entered upon the ministry of preaching, and began to preach, then heaven was opened, and remaineth open; and from the time of Christ's baptism at Jordan, when he was opened, it was never shut up, neither shall it be shut up, though we see it not with our bodily eyes. When heaven is open and God the Father speaks to us, we see it only with our spiritual eyes.
Before the future of Christ, heaven was firmly closed, and the devil ruled powerfully; but through Christ and in Christ, heaven has been opened again, and Christians now see heaven open, and hear God, the heavenly Father, always speaking with them, and the dear angels continually going up and down to us. For the word "this is my beloved Son" the heavenly Father still speaks to us, does not cease to speak such things until the last day, and heaven is not shut. If you come to baptism, or take communion, or get absolution, or if one preaches, heaven is open,
1764 Lrl. 48, 1S3-1S5. Luther's Interpretation On John Cap. 1-4. W. VII. 1703-1706. 1765
and we hear the voice of the heavenly Father, and these works all come from heaven, and heaven is open above us. For God speaks with us, and governs us, and cares for us, and Christ hovers over us, but invisibly. And even if iron and steel clouds were above us and covered the sky, it would not hinder us; we still hear God speaking to us from heaven, and we cry out and call to him, and he hears and answers us, and we hear him again when he speaks to us in baptism, in the Lord's Supper, in confession, and in his words through their mouths, who proclaim the word to the people, and the sky is open above us; just as St. Stephen also sees the sky open above us. Stephen sees heaven open in the stories of the apostles, Cap. 7, 56.
The sixteenth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On Saturday after Antonii January 19 Anno 1538. 1)
481 Next we have begun to treat the last part of the first chapter of the Gospel of John, where Christ says to Nathanael: "Thou believest, because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, but henceforth ye shall see heaven open. And we have heard that this is the opinion that the righteous Christian church is one body with Christ in faith, and that she is Christ's bride, and he her bridegroom and head, but she his own; and the bridegroom wants the bride to share all his goods, as eternal righteousness, holiness and blessedness, through faith in him; for this reason he has also adorned and decorated her with heavenly wisdom and strength, so that she is glorious and great in the sight of God. Wherever the Christian church is, and the divine word is preached purely, and the sacraments are administered with faithful diligence, from the word of God, heard and accepted with a believing heart, and the articles of our Christian faith are practiced unadulterated, there heaven is wide open, and there is not a single thing in it.
- In the original in the margin; on the other hand, in the text the superscription: "Annus Christi MDXXXVIII".
more closed. Before Christ became man, heaven was closed, but now it is open again, because the child Jesus is born, and the angels preach to the shepherds at night before the city of Bethlehem about the child, saying: "Behold, we proclaim great joy to you, Christ the Savior is born to you"; and then they sing: "Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, and goodwill toward men" 2c. And from that time on heaven is open, and we also belong, as St. Paul says to Ephesians 2, 19, among the citizenship of the angels. And to Philippians in chapter 3, v. 20, St. Paul says: "We are citizens and members of the household of the saints", and "our citizenship" is not worldly nor earthly, but above "in heaven, from where we expect the Savior Jesus Christ" 2c. There is the right city and the right Jerusalem, where we are fellow citizens of the angels and householders, and countrymen of those who dwell in heaven, and act and walk in it. The angels look down on us, and we go up to them again. This is what Christas wants to say: You are now heavenly citizens, and now have your citizenship up in the heavenly Jerusalem, and are in the fellowship of the dear angels, who ascend and descend to you without ceasing. Now heaven and earth have become one thing, and it is just as much as if you were sitting up there, and the dear angels were serving you; for you are one body with your Lord; they wait for you, they talk with you, and you with them, and thus carry on one word and one speech. They sing Gloria in excelsis Deo to our Lord God; you also sing that you have come to the great graces, that you have become God's children and heirs, and joint heirs with His dear Son, of the Holy Spirit and of all goods. This truly does not mean that heaven has been closed, but that the door and the lock have been removed and have been open without interruption.
482 Even though I do not see it with my bodily eyes, as a cow looks at a gate, that does no harm; yet I see it with my spiritual eyes of faith, which is better for me than if I saw it with my bodily eyes. Just as Christ said to the Natha-
1766 Erl. 46, 155-157. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1706-1708. 1767
nael says, "I saw you under the fig tree," which was a spiritual seeing, which is more certain than the bodily seeing. For I cannot see Christ face to face with my bodily eyes; and even if I could see him in this way, as St. Stephen saw him, I would not be so sure as if I saw him in faith. For then I may open my mouth, and pray with hearty confidence, saying, "Our Father which art in heaven." Item, say: Dear God, be merciful to me and hear me for the sake of your dear Son Jesus Christ; and then we can pray as surely as if God were present before our eyes. Yes, when one sees God in faith, the spiritual vision is more certain than the bodily vision. And I would not wish for another face. The reason is this, that the devil can easily make a noise and a ghost before my bodily eyes, so that I think I see something for sure, which I do not see; item, that I think it is a beautiful angel, and yet it is a coal-black devil; as there are many examples. He made himself God in the Gospel, when he tempted Christ in the wilderness and pretended to fall down before Him and worship Him Matth. 4, 1. 9.. But so he cannot deceive the spiritual eyes of faith. For there one relies and hangs on the divine word, and by the word one sees it, and does not let it make a noise before his eyes. For the word is sure. Otherwise our physical eyes are much too dark to see such beautiful spirits, the angels; but faith sees so sharply that it sees through clouds and through the sky, yes, even our Lord God in his heart. This is what we want to see.
So we still see heaven open; indeed, we ourselves dwell in heaven. For even though we live in the world in some ways, we are spiritually inscribed in heaven among the heavenly citizens, and have our walk there before God with our prayer, in faith and in the divine word, also in the sacraments, walking in love toward our neighbor, growing in the word and in salvation.
We know Christ and increase in all that we need for eternal life. This is our heavenly walk, which faith begins here, and heaven is open to us, and our dwelling and walk is in heaven, and we live there like citizens, even though our bodies are still on earth, which must be armored here in this life by the cross and temporal death.
Now this is that heaven is open, and angels ascend and descend, and in the kingdom of Christ minister to the faithful, protecting us, being messengers between God and us, faithful servants, as the epistle to the Hebrews, Cap. 1:14, calls them, "ministering spirits, sent out to minister to those who are to be saved. For otherwise Christianity in the world, as it happened to its head, Christ, suffers much and is given much to eat. The devil torments them inwardly with heavy thoughts; item, their own flesh, which they still carry around their necks; the same, evil neighbors, as now 1) the Turk takes us away with heaps, murders and tortures us, the pope also chases us away, hangs us, burns us, beheads us and drowns us, and what is more of heartache. There is truly no entertainment in it; wherever one looks around, there is no help, but only mourning and all kinds of persecution; emperors and kings, princes and lords, and everything else that is powerful on earth, have only to do with the fact that we Christians have no peace.
- Now our dear Lord wants us to lift up our eyes and think that we are not humbled here; 2) we are in a foreign hostel, and that we have our citizenship somewhere else than in heaven, if we ever do not want to have a place in the world; therefore we should consider suffering. However, we should know that we are not abandoned. For God sometimes also helps His Christians physically, and that the Christians are protected; just as we have protection under our sovereign as long as God wills. Where he no longer wants to protect, we will continue to tolerate and suffer what he will impose on us. But we are sure that
- Cf. Luther's speech on January 5, 1538, Tischreden, cap. 62, 81. Walch, St. Louis ed. vol. XXII, 1438.
- i.e. not dependent on the earthly.
1768 Erl. 4", 157-1KV. Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, I708-I7I1. 1769
the dear angels are all around us, and see that no harm befalls us, indeed that not a hair is bent, unless it pleases him who sits above, and sends up and down the dear angels, who lead our prayer up to heaven, and bring us the message again that our prayer has been heard. And if the angels did not protect us in this way, and descend and approach the body of Christ, that is, and remain with us for such a long time, our adversaries would have devoured us alive for a long time. So many attempts, practices and violent deeds of the bishops he has probably put to shame so far. For God is still postponing that others may also come to His kingdom, and that the Word of God may still be spread in many lands. Then the angels are there, and ward off the bloodhounds, who have been strangely clever in the courts of the cardinals and bishops, who have not lacked counsel, wisdom, suggestions, power, cunning, and all kinds of practices to exterminate us at this time. But it is said: the angels are there, therefore we still live by the grace of God against the wrath and will of those who are our mortal enemy and spidergram. For we have with us the dear angels who descend from heaven and ascend again, and care for us and watch over us.
486 This is shown in this place, so that we may know how to comfort ourselves with it. For if the devil and his scales attack us (as the devil is not far from the children of God, indeed, he himself often stands before God and would gladly harm us Job 1:6), we are such a body and members of the body that the angels must look upon us and ascend and descend to heaven. Therefore we have a protection, so that no harm or evil can befall us; or if a misfortune befalls us, that it does not happen without the foreknowledge and will of the angels. Yes, they also have the power to disturb the cardinals, bishops, kings, princes, and rulers of their plots, and the angels know it beforehand when the wicked are about to harm the Christians, or when an adversity is about to befall the Christians, the angels know it beforehand. And if our Lord God wills the world
If we are punished, and we also have to suffer damage (as one neighbor has to suffer fire damage with the other), we cannot prevent it; but even if we are killed, nothing bad can happen to us. For we are brought the sooner from the uncertain citizenship to the certain, where our name is written in heaven, in the citizenship and city book of the angels.
487 Although we should pray that God will preserve the devout Christians in the world, so that the descendants of God's word may also be pure and have a righteous faith, as we have had. For it is a great wrath of God when God takes away pious people and lets the teaching of His Word wander, so that the descendants find nothing but error and corruption of doctrine; this is a great sorrow and heartache of the consciences. Now, we should faithfully pray to God, as we owe it, that the youth, and those who are yet to be born, and those who are weak in faith, and are not yet well instructed, even the old people, may have and keep a right understanding of doctrine, that they may also become fellow citizens of the angels, as we are who believe in Christ; for this is why it is necessary that the angels should ascend and descend over them.
Therefore, we Christians learn that the angels ascend and descend (to our comfort), and we are not abandoned by God, but believe that we are fellow citizens of the dear angels in heaven and stand in their company. For we preach Christ and praise Him as our Savior, sing to Him Gloria in excelsis Deo, and see the wonderful help of God toward us, also the presence of the dear angels, who help us out of many troubles. We have to thank the angels for these benefits, for they are our guardians, as the 34th Psalm, v. 8, says: "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and helps them out." And the 91st Psalm, v. 11: "He hath commanded the angels concerning thee, to keep thee, and to bear thee up in their hands, that thou strike not thy foot against any stone." We also often experience the same, how the Christians
1770 Erl, "6, iso-162. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vu, 1711-1714. 1771
that before the hour God has set for a Christian comes, no devil or tyrant so powerful and mighty may have harmed the Christians.
In our time, the pope did not have to do what he would have liked to do. We have now preached here in Wittenberg for many years (praise be to God), and many a cunning and poisonous counsel has gone against us, and those who wanted us dead have never lacked either wisdom or force. But they lack that one little angel, which is around us, is so powerful and skillful that it can ruin and destroy all the plots of our enemies, until once the hour comes that they are left room to execute us. Then it is up to the maggot bag alone, we will have no harm; but they will still have to let Christianity remain until the end.
490 In the same way the Jews had to leave Christ unsworn. For when they wanted to stone him in the temple, he hid himself and went away in the midst of them; item, when they wanted to throw him down from the mountain; until his hour came (the hour of darkness), that they crucified him and dealt with him in the most shameful way. But no evil happened to Christ, and while it lasted, he became much more glorious than before, because he was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven. 2c. And the Jews were punished again, and their land and people destroyed, because Christ was dead. So it will also happen to our adversaries, who are hostile to the gospel and to us, that when they have driven out the teaching of the divine word, such a lamentation, tribulation and plague will come over Germany that it will be said: Here Germany has stood. Therefore, we may well ask for our descendants and children's children that we bequeath the teaching to them, and that the name of God be sanctified, that the kingdom of God remain with us, and that we live according to the will of God.
491 Thus is fulfilled the ladder of Jacob, of which Gen. 28, 10. ff. is written, as the Historia is to be read there, when Jacob went into Mesopotamia, and was to fetch Rachel according to his father's command, and he was to go to the
When he came to the same place where Jerusalem stood afterwards, he saw this vision, namely, the ladder that touched the sky and stood on the earth, and God was on top of the ladder, and the angels were ascending and descending to Jacob. And when he awoke from the vision, he said, "Here dwelleth the LORD, there is the house of GOD," here is paradise; for there is heaven open, and here is the gate of the kingdom of heaven.
This is a beautiful image and figure, and it happened for the sake of one man, that Jacob was comforted in his danger, when his brother wanted to kill him, that God strengthened him through the dream and the vision of the angels; although he went into misery, and had to flee his brother Esau's wrath, God did not want to leave him, but to be with him, and that he should also have the dear angels around him. As he saw them, indeed, he saw God Himself above the ladder, not with open eyes, but in a dream. How much more does he now do it to the whole of Christendom, that he lets his dear angels be around them without ceasing, who preserve them, for it is the little company in which he has his delight and pleasure, and for whose sake he also preserved Jacob and all the dear fathers in the Old Testament, so that they might keep the promise until Christ, who was to shed his blood and die for that same little company.
Now Jacob boasts that he saw heaven open, and that he touched the ladder to heaven, and that he saw God on the ladder, though he did not see it in bodily form, for his eyes were asleep, but saw it in sight. So now we also see God. It is not only for one patriarch, but it is a picture of the whole church. And Christ says: "It is true that what Jacob saw before in his great misery and distress, you now see in me. Ye see these things indeed, not with sleeping eyes, nor in the sight, as Jacob; but much more surely and openly by faith, that is, by the divine word, we see heaven open. For, as St. Paul says, God dwells in us, and we see the gates of heaven open, as far as Christians are in the world. For where there are Christians, there is God, there is also the
1772 Erl. 46, 162-165. Luthers Auslegung Über Joh. Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1714-1716. 1773
Heaven is open, and there is no door in front of it, but is wide open; there are the dear angels who protect us against the devil in our misery and suffering.
For this reason, Christ wants to hold up the figure and image of the church with the patriarch Jacob to us with this text, and also comfort and strengthen us Christians, just as God comforted the patriarch Jacob at that time. For if we believe all that he says, and let the word be our comfort, then faith says: "Heaven is open to us, it is no longer closed. For if we hold the word of God in high esteem, we will feel the presence of Christ and the dear angels in our hearts, and faith will certainly believe that God's house is there. And even if the Christians were in the field or in a desolate forest, faith still makes them the church of Christ. For where such people are, who have their hearts enlightened by the divine Word and have the Holy Spirit, God must also be there, and that as our gracious, dear Father; and through Christ we also have joyful access to God, so that we say, Abba, dear Father, which otherwise would not happen without Christ. For before, God was to us as a terrifying master of the rod and judge, hostile to sin. But where the light of the divine word rises, we consider God to be our Father, and Christ to be our mediator, bishop and teacher, who teaches and baptizes us, and faith knows for certain that Christ has ascended to heaven and is sitting there at the right hand of God, his Father, so that he may certainly see us and also inquire after us, and we in turn may also see him. After that we are also in the company and citizenship of the angels in heaven, and deal with the angels. If we are in trouble in the worldly society, and the devil is hostile to us and does not want to suffer us in his kingdom in the world, how shall we do to him? It does not matter much; we must suffer him to strangle us by the pope, the Turk, or by some pestilence; God will not leave us, but we want to have an eternal shelter and dwelling in heaven. God will preserve His church, even if it is small and narrow.
If it becomes small, as it already is, some Christians will remain.
The patriarchs and all the prophets have such a glorious report of the protection and guard of the dear angels. In the 4th book of Moses, chapter 24, v. 1 ff, Abraham only sends his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac, and when the servant asks: Where shall I find the bride? he answers v. 7: The angel of the Lord will lead you 2c. So surely they could speak of the angels. The servant did not know the place, nor the name of the bride's father, but he heard, "Go to the place; do not know the name of the citizen or the bride.
496 Thus we read 2 Kings 6:13 ff of Elisha the prophet, who was besieged by the Syrians in the city of Dothan, he and his son; when they went out of the city, and there was no one about Elisha but his 1) son (for he was a poor beggar; as all prophets, and even the pious preachers of this day, are poor), the son saw all the corners of the city full of deputies and people of war. When the boy was very afraid, he said to his master, "Where are we going? What are we going to do to him?" The prophet said, "Be quiet, for there are more of them with us than with them. The man speaks this in such a fine and simple way, as if he wanted to go to a dance or to a good life, and as if the enemies were painted men, and then falls down on his knees and prays to God that he would open the eyes of the boy. And Elisaeus saw with his bodily eyes the people of war; still he is so sure, only prays to GOD and says v. 17., "Open the eyes of the boy" 2c. Then he sees the whole mountain full of rods and fiery chariots around them. These were the dear angels, the heavenly princes of war, the mountains were full of angels, because one angel alone could have killed the whole army of the Syrians.
497 The prophets knew that the heavens were open and that the angels ascended and descended, and they made it clear that the heavens were open and that the angels ascended and descended.
- Erlanger: one.
- "and" is missing in the Erlanger.
1774 Erl. 46, 165f. Auslegungen Über den Evangelisten Johannes. W. VII, 1716-1719. 1775
Elisaeus went fearlessly among the enemies and asked God to blind their eyes, so that they would be struck with blindness; which happened, that the enemies became blind, because they did not know Elisaeus. Then he went to the warriors and said to them that he would show them the way. Then he led them into the midst of the city of Samaria and again asked God to open their eyes. Then they saw that they were in the midst of the city among their enemies, and he led them by the word alone. After that, when the king of Israel asks if he should strike them dead? No, says the prophet, for you did not win them with the sword, but give them food and drink, and send them home again. So the man played with the enemies, knowing that he would be well guarded with the dear angels, who are strong and powerful enough for the enemies.
498 An angel, 2 Kings 19:35, slew an hundred and five and eighty thousand men in one night, when Sennacherib lay before Jerusalem. If this happened in the Old Testament, when the heavens were still closed; how much more does it happen in the New Testament, when the heavens are open without ceasing, and the angels ascend and descend, and take heed lest harm come to us!
499 Therefore it is a great comfort to all Christians that they know from this and other places of the Holy Scriptures that they shall not be abandoned in their cross (which they encounter in many ways throughout their lives). For they have the dear angels as guardians and watchmen with them, about which also God Himself is always with them by His gifts, since One is strong enough for all His enemies. So the Syrians had to leave Elishaeum alone and did not return to Israel.
They thought, "Should we fight with such warriors? If we now also had such people against the Turk, we would do much. But this is why it is written, so that we may be sure that God and His dear angels are with us. And where there is faith, and the divine word is greatly respected, there is such a radiance in the heart that I see for certain that God is my Father, and that heaven is open, and the dear angels are with us, and we shall obtain help. The divine word and the Christian faith are such a delightful thing.
But the world, according to its kind, does not ask anything about the word, laughs at it and despises it, because it does not know its power and effect, namely, that it opens heaven for Christians, and sets us among the angels, makes us fellow citizens of the angels, since God the Father is the master of the city, the supreme Father, and we are already in heaven, with faith, love, thoughts and prayer, where there will be eternal praise to God and alleluia. For such works shall be done in heaven; as we now begin on earth, and sing praises and alleluias to God forever.
The pope and the Turk do not ask anything about it, nor should they; for he does not consider God to be his father, therefore heaven is not open to him, but he runs to a monastery for it, and has his purgatory, there he will have his joy, and there he is heir. Even though he scorns us, let us in the meantime sing joyfully with the angels: "Glory to God in the highest", and Alleluia. That is enough said about the first chapter of John.
- "the" is missing in the Erlanger.
1776 Erl. 46, 167-170. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1719-1726. 1777
Interpretation of the second chapter.
(1) You heard the beginning of this chapter the other day, (1) and it is preached annually on the Sunday after Epiphany; therefore it is unnecessary for me to speak of it now and to spend the time in vain, but we will proceed to what follows (2).
V.12. Then he went down to Capernaum, he, his mother, his brothers and his disciples, and did not stay there long.
This is a part of the legend of the Lord Christ, which the evangelist describes to us in this way, that he lived in Nazareth until he entered his office after his baptism, to which he was called. However, Joseph must have died, because the Scriptures do not remember him any further than when he again came from Egypt and went to Nazareth. When he was to take up his ministry and preach, he went to Capernaum, where he sat down, as St. Matthew says. For it was to be his city, where he would have his ministry, preach, and perform miraculous signs. That is why it is called his city in the Gospel, because he lived there with his mother and his brothers and disciples, who were undoubtedly good, poor people, and therefore went with him from Nazareth to this city by the sea, so that they might have their food there all the better.
(3) Now here they wonder how the Lord Christ could have had brothers, when he was the only son of Mary, and the Virgin Mary was the mother of no more children. Some say that Joseph, before he married Mary, also had a wife, from whom he produced children, who were afterwards called brothers of the Lord Christ.
- "the other day," that is, January 13, 1538, on the 1st Sunday after Epiphany. (Cf. Erl., 2nd ed., vol. 20, p. 12. Buchwald, ungedr. Predigten, vol. Ill, p. 207.)
- Erlanger: the one so.
Jews were allowed to have two wives at the same time. For so it is read in the book of Ruth, that if there was any poor child, they left him, and were not freed. This displeased God, and he commanded that they should also be provided for; therefore the closest friends and relatives had to marry the mothers who were orphans and poor. So Mary was also a poor orphan, whom Joseph took by reason of necessity; for since she was poor, no one would take her. Because they were born of Joseph and of the other women, they were half brothers of the Lord Christ. So some have pretended, but I hold more with others who say that brothers are called cousins here; for the Jews and holy Scripture call all their cousins brothers. But be it as it may, there is nothing great in it, it gives nothing to faith, so it takes nothing from it, God grant, they are his cousins, or brothers, born of Joseph, so they went with him to Capernaum, took the parish there. And it seems from this text that they were a poor little family, unable to support themselves after Joseph's death in Nazareth, and so they left there and went to Capernaum. But how this happened, that has its ways. He was born in Bethlehem, but brought up in Nazareth. Now he sits in Capernaum as a priest, and the same city is Christ's parish, which he chose for him to be bishop and citizen there; just as our priest lives here and is our bishop.
4 But he did not remain there for ever, but returned to Nazareth, and went forth, and traveled through all Galilee, preaching and performing miraculous signs, and then returned to his seat and dwelling at Capernaum, and did as the other prophets did; for Samuel dwelt at Ramoth, and wandered in
1778 Erl. 46, 170-172. Auslegungen Über den Evangelisten Johannes. W. VII, 1726-1729. 1779
the surrounding countries and preached there 1 Sam. 7, 16. 17.. So Christ also had his own dwelling place in Capernaum, yet he always traveled out, went through the whole country; as can be seen in the Evangelist Matthew, and after that he came again to Capernaum. As our pastor, D. Pommer, has his dwelling here, and sometimes goes out elsewhere; as he is now in Denmark, and comes again, and has nevertheless his house and seat here. So Christ did not stay long in Capernaum, but went out and preached by the sea and in all Galilee, and then came again to Capernaum; so he spent almost two years in Galilee, but did not come much to Jerusalem. For after he was baptized, he began to preach, and did not celebrate much; he sat in Capernaum, that he might be found there; he departed from there to the surrounding cities by the sea, where Capernaum was also situated; he preached, performed miracles, healed the sick in Galilee, and then returned to his mother in Capernaum.
5 This is the legend of our dear Lord Christ, what he did, how he preached and healed the diseases and sicknesses in Galilee; then he went to Jerusalem three times a year according to the law, at the feast of Easter, Pentecost, and around Michaelmas, at the feast of leaves, especially because he was a firstborn son; but he did not preach there until the third year, when he arose and went straight away to Jerusalem. For two years he ministered the gospel to many people and provoked the wrath of the chief priests and Pharisees against him, so that they were all angry with him. During this journey he preached and performed many miracles. But when the last year came, and the time was present that he should die for us poor sinners, he went again to Jerusalem, and blessed Capernaum, when he would not come thither again; wherefore his mother, and especially many women (as the gospel saith), followed him. Then he preached and performed miraculous signs all the way through Samaria and Galilee to Jerusalem, where the royal capital was, and spent a good while before he came there.
as a king and lord of the same kingdom, as we hear on the first Sunday of Advent. But he earns himself with preaching for the clergy so that they sacrifice him on the cross.
(6) Therefore Christ, before he was crucified, must have dwelt in these places of Galilee, which the prophets had foretold: as the evangelist Matthew saith in the fourth chapter, v. 12 and following, when he says: "When Jesus heard that John had been delivered up, he went into the Galilean country, and left the city of Nazareth, and came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, on the borders of Zabulon and Naphtalim, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet Esaias, saying: The land of Zabulon, and the land of Naphtalim by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, and Gentile Galilee, the people that sat in darkness, have seen a great light, and they that sat in the shadow of death, a light hath gone out unto them." And when the Lord journeyed from that country to Jerusalem, preaching and working great miracles, the chief priests also accused and condemned him, saying that he had deceived the people from Galilee to Jerusalem.
(7) This is written for the sole purpose that the evangelists might indicate in brief the legend of Christ, that we might know where Christ dwelt, namely, at Capernaum, where he was a priest, ministering the word of God, visiting those who had need of his help, and ministering to all night and day, dwelling also where they pleased, as by the sea, in the wilderness, or in other places, performing miracles, as the Acts of the Apostles indicate in the 10th chapter.V. 37. 38. is also indicated. And in the history of the Lord Christ there is nothing else to be found, except how he enlightened men with the divine word, comforted the sorrowful, preached to the Jews and the Gentiles, cast out devils, fed the hungry, and healed all kinds of diseases, as was prophesied of him. And in no holy legend are such works or deeds found as Christ performed. Although John describes such things in brief words, they are found more abundantly in the other evangelists.
1780 Erl. 46, 17S-175. Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1729-1731. 1781
8 Now he says that when the Lord went to Jerusalem, he rumbled in the temple, overturned the exchange banks, and made it known that he was the Lord of the temple (which I take to have happened in the first year after baptism), he presents himself as their king and Lord.
The seventeenth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On the Saturday after Dorothea February 9, 1538. 1)
V. 13-16 When the Jews' Easter was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem and found them sitting in the temple, selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers. And he made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple 2c.
(9) We have recently heard how St. John described the miracle of Christ turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana in Galilee, so that he could show his first glory. Item, how he then went with his own from Nazareth to Capernaum, and lived and preached there for three whole years. Now follows how he goes up to Jerusalem on the feast of Easter, and makes a noise in the temple, of which we have spoken next 2) in the midweek sermon from the twenty-first chapter of the Evangelist Matthew, where this very act is also found, of which John speaks here, and have heard that Christ, after his riding into Jerusalem, immediately went into the temple, and there made a noise.
(10) But here the question is, first of all, how the two evangelists, Matthew and John, rhyme together. For Matthew writes that it happened on the day of the palm tree, when the Lord rode into Jerusalem; here in John it reads as if it happened soon after the Easter, after the baptism of Christ; just as the miracle of Christ turning water into wine also happened around Easter, and after that he went to Capernaum. For about the three kings' days he
- In the original margin.
- "Next", that is, recently, namely in the first sermon on the twenty-first chapter of Matthew, delivered Wednesday, January 23, 1538, which is found in this volume, Col. 1047.
He was baptized and could easily have stayed in Capernaum for a short time until Easter, when he began to preach and did the things John speaks of here.
(11) But there are questions, and they remain questions, which I do not wish to resolve; nor is there much in them, unless there are many people who are so sharp and perspicacious, and raise all kinds of questions, and want to have exact answers to them. But if we have the right understanding of the Scriptures and the right articles of our faith, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died and suffered for us, there is no great lack, although we cannot answer everything else that is asked. The evangelists do not keep the same order; what one puts in front, the other sometimes puts behind; as also Marcus writes of this story that it happened on the next day after Palm Day. It is also possible that the Lord did this more than once, and that John describes the first time, Matthew the other. Be it as it may, whether it happened before or after, one or two times, it does not affect our faith.
- But we must reckon, as all historians do, that Christ was baptized in the thirtieth year of his age, and after baptism began to preach, and preached three years perfectly; The rest of the time, which followed the third year, as the beginning of the fourth year, to begin from the circumcision of Christ, 3) or on the day of Epiphany, until Easter (which is then counted as almost half a year), when he also preached fully, for he preached four and a half years (though not fully). Now it may well be, when Christ was thirty years old and baptized, that the Lord did this about the first Easter of his preaching ministry; but there is not much to it. If there is a controversy in the Scriptures, and it cannot be compared, let it alone. This does not dispute the articles of the Christian faith. For in this all the evangelists agree with one another, that
- d. i. New Year.
1782 Erl. 46, 175-177. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1731-1734. 1783
Christ died for our sins; otherwise, of his deeds and miracles. They do not keep order about his deeds and miracles, because they often put something beforehand that only happened afterwards.
But it seems to me that John is skipping the first three years, in which the Lord preached after his baptism, and is only talking about the fourth year and describing how he drove the buyers and sellers out of the temple around Easter, when his passion was to begin. For he otherwise writes much about what Christ did about the Easter feast, although nowhere else does one read that he took on much of the temple and preaching ministry in Jerusalem before he was twelve years old. Otherwise he kept himself quiet as often as he came; as he also did the three high feasts all the time. So John would almost coincide with the other evangelists, and I think it happened only once; but if it happened three times, it is not heresy.
(14) You have heard in Matthew where this kind of thing came from in the temple, that the stingy priests were not satisfied with what God had provided for their entertainment, and which the people otherwise gave them willingly; but they taught that the people had to sacrifice, that they took it where they wanted it, and thus made the temple into a grocery and a store. This was a great abuse, that at the same time they sold God and all His gifts, the Temple, the sacrifices and all worship services, which God had established and ordered out of pure grace and mercy, that they should be distributed to the people for free and not take a penny for it. As Christ says to his disciples in the Gospel: Gratis accepistis, gratis date; they are to do it freely for free, just as they received it for free, and not make a merchant's business 1) or a marketplace out of it.
- but God commands those who hear the word of God to give food and drink to the priests, just as Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying
- Erlanger: "a merchant's treasure". Our reading is confirmed by s 16 at the beginning.
they should give the Levites their food and entertainment. And the Lord Christ says in the New Testament Luc. 10, 7. "Go and preach, and eat what is set before you"; wants the hearers to feed the preachers, they shall neither eat nor drink of theirs. Now this is not wrong, that a preacher should be fed again, and therefore baptism and the gospel are not sold nor given for money, but everything is given for free; and so both are kept, that I should not sell them, but teach them for free, and the hearers should not buy them, but have them for free. I am to preach to you, and you are to feed me. If then thou givest me not, another giveth me. If you give me something for God's sake, so that the word and the preaching chair may be preserved, and I teach you the divine word, then it is right.
But if it happens, as it is said here, that all sacraments in the church have been sold for oxen and sheep, 2c. as they then preached: You must sacrifice, then it is bad. For that is bought and sold, that is nothing but merchandising. So they should have said: Dear man, I do not force you; if you want to give something, it is up to you. The priest should do the same, and not sell indulgences, masses, and other gimmicks for money, but say: "Dear friends, I will preach to you the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have forgiveness of sins by grace, so that you may believe in him, and I will serve you with my preaching for the sake of God and your salvation. Item, I will give you the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, and freely forgive your sin through absolution, as often as you desire it of me; I will not sell it to you. For if I would learn to buy and gain, I would learn any craft. Again, if I have not food to eat, help me again, and give me monkeys and drink. Yes, yes, everything that is done for me must be paid for in full, or the pope would not see it. A louder drudgery is made of it; there one has written butter letters, brotherhood and society, pilgrimage and
1784 Erl. 177-17". Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1734-1736. 1785
The cathedral lords sit in their cathedrals and whinge their seventh hour 1) only so that they have their prebends from it. If they no longer had them, their service would also be over. So the priests of Jerusalem also sought only their own enjoyment, leaving everything that God had commanded them, and waiting only for that which served their avarice Mal. 1:14. That is to say, they made a store out of the house of God. Therefore the LORD took charge of the temple, became angry, made a whip or scourge of cords, and beat them all out of the temple.
V. 15. He made a scourge of cords.
(17) It was a strange thing that he should make a scourge of cords, and therewith smite all things in the temple. And here a great question arises: Where did the Lord Christ get ropes? And some teachers say that Christ girded himself with a rope, like a barefoot monk, from which he made a whip. So the dear Lord must have been a barefoot monk; perhaps his mother was a nun or abbess; and the unholy people still mock the Lord Christ.
018 But no doubt he found ropes, because there were many oxen, cattle, sheep, lambs, and other cattle in the temple; so there must have been ropes enough. Soon he caught one or two and made a scourge of them, beating away the buyers and sellers with oxen, calves, sheep and pigeons, in the temple and outside the temple. For the cattle were kept outside the temple, except for the pigeons, which could have been kept in the temple. So this useless question and lie is also justified, whether the Lord was a barefoot monk or not, and took his belt as a scourge?
- but this is worth a question: why the Lord here with his fist three times?
- i.e. the Iioras eanonieas.
when before he had done everything by word alone? And now he wants to take it by force and by deed, strikes with his fists, if he did not want to start such a regiment, and therefore he has really strictly forbidden his apostles that they should not take the sword and worldly regiment, but let princes and lords tame them with it. How is it, then, that he himself takes hold with his fists, and makes himself strange and whimsical enough, as if he wanted to rule by force, and drive the lords of Jerusalem into the ground, like a worldly lord, if he has come to set up another kingdom? Not a world empire, where he would throw his fist, but one that would deal with preaching, teaching, punishing and comforting, so that the people would know how to stand against God, so that they would believe in the Son; if not, that it would be lost with them. And so it was prophesied in the prophet Isaiah Cap. 11, 4. that when Messiah came, he would bring with him a club or rod, but that he would carry this rod in his mouth. Just as the Lord Christ was also painted in the Pabst, that out of his mouth went a sword on one side and a lily branch on the other, and that he should turn the point of the sword toward man.
(20) But Christ was not painted in the right way, but in the way he was supposed to be depicted, that a sword, a club, a rod or a whip came out of his mouth; just as in the Revelation of John, Cap. 1, 16, the evangelist sees a man, "out of his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face shone like the bright sun. And so he is also painted in Isaiah, Cap. 11, 4, that he will strike the earth with the rod and sword of his mouth. And in the Revelation of John, Cap. 19, 20. 21., it is said that "those who worshiped the beast were thrown into the lake of fire, and the others were slain with the sword of him who sat on the horse that proceeded out of his mouth" 2c. But it is a sword that did not go into his mouth, but that went out; signifies that he should have his regiment or sword in his mouth. For Christ not to lead his regiment, sword and rod in his fist
1786 Erl. 46, 17S-18I. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1737-1739. 1787
For this belongs to the parents, who are to use the rod; the authorities and Master Hans, the executioner, are to use the sword; but it is to be called a mouth rod or mouth sword. And so St. Paul also calls God's word "the sword of the Spirit" Eph. 6, 17, and St. Paul wants to illustrate Christ and all preachers of the divine word, how they should conduct themselves, namely, that they will teach the people by the sword of the mouth, by the sword of the Spirit, or by the divine word. And this is the rod to punish and rebuke, which also shall proceed out of the mouth; as Isaias saith [Cap. 11, he will strike the land with the rod of his mouth and kill the wicked; call the rod of the mouth the word of God.
21 This is what happens when God condemns and punishes the unbelieving world, saying, "He who does not believe is lost; he who breaks marriage, steals, and blasphemes against God, disobeys parents, does not live godly and honorably, is already dead and judged. This is the sword of the divine word, for I condemn all that men do and cast the whole world under sin. With it I do not cut off anyone's head, I do not strike out anyone with rods, but with my mouth I strike, punish, strike out and judge. So Christ has the oral sword, not the fleshly sword; the word of God is his sword and rod, that he may punish the whole world.
(22) Since his kingdom is not a sword of the fist, but a sword of the spirit and of the mouth, how is it that he acts harshly and unkindly against the priests of the temple, and reaches in with his fist and with his rod, and takes upon himself that which otherwise belonged to the temporal authorities? Is he not acting rebelliously here? The teachers have argued about why it is not enough for him to punish them with his mouth, but why he also uses his fist? But let us learn to answer that the Lord was at that time in the middle between the Old and New Testaments, or between that which Moses had established in the people of Israel and that which Christ will establish after his death through his Holy Spirit and the preaching of the Gospel.
- He sometimes acts like a Moslem and keeps the law in many ways, gets circumcised, sacrifices in the temple, goes to the feast of Jerusalem three times a year, like other people; for God commanded this in the Old Testament. Item, he gives the lepers to show themselves to the priests, according to the law; so he does many things according to the law of Moses.
23 Again, he does much according to the New Testament. When Matth. 12, 1. ff., when the disciples plucked up the ears on the Sabbath day, and he was reproached by the Pharisees, who murmured and said: John's disciples keep the Sabbath, but your disciples do not. Then he goes and defends his disciples, and does not keep the Sabbath, saying, "The Sabbath is nothing to me; I am its master, and he is not my master. Therefore he keeps the Sabbath, and sometimes does not keep it. And John, in the 5th chapter, v. 5 ff., when he made the blind man see on the Sabbath, and they wanted to kill him for it, he says, "I am also a Lord over the Sabbath." And the Lord does not act like Mosi's disciples, but as one who was now under the New Testament, in which Mosi's law was to be abolished, and now a spiritual reign was to be established in the whole world through the preaching of the Gospel, since one was not to presume on the outward reign, but to rule with the word. If he will, he keeps Moses; if he will not, he goes over Moses. And that is why he presents himself here as seriously as Moses himself, or as Moses' disciple. Again, he immediately shows himself to be a lord who has both regimes, the temporal and the spiritual, as he does here. For if Moses, David, Elijah, Elisha, or any other of the pious kings and prophets of the Jewish people had come to the temple at that time, he would have done just as the Lord does here, and would have beaten them with fists; yes, not only with fists, but also with stones; just as Moses had commanded in the Law that the idols should be stoned.
- "da" is missing in the Erlanger.
- Erlanger: "die" instead of: zu der.
1788 Erl. 46, 181-181, Luthers Auslegung Über Joh. Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1738-1742. 1789
(24) Now the Lord acts to him as if he were only Moses' disciple, and as if he were under the Muses' rule, since none of the priests had their office, but all were deceivers of the people. And he does this not as Christ, but as Moses, and as one who has given himself under the law, and thus shows that he is a lord who has both regiments in his hand, as teaching and punishing with action, as Moses did; and according to the law of Moses he attacks the matter with his fist and action. As he does now, so it is well done. If he will give himself under Moses, it is right; if he will not, it is not wrong, for he is not guilty, because he is a master of the law and the Sabbath. He may do it according to his will and pleasure, for he is a king and a baron, and has at times used the law of Moses and kept it strictly, as one subject to must. He has not been guilty of going to the temple three times a year, but when he does, he does it willingly and gladly. Again, if he will not keep the law, he does it justly and rightly.
(25) Therefore Christ does not do wrong here, or as a rebel, for he has the law of Moses for himself, which commands that those who commit idolatry should be put to death. Although if he had refrained from doing so, and had not scourged them with scourges, he might have done so. Christ has just been in the middle between the New and Old Testament, and has drunk and tasted both. Here he keeps the law of Moses, as he has often done elsewhere. For what I owe, that I must do; but what I do willingly, that I may well omit. And so Christ gradually overturned the law of Moses when he did not keep it. In chapter 11, v. 16, it is written that the Lord was so angry and unwilling that he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. Why not? Not that it was such a great sin for anyone to carry a basket or a barrel through the temple, for it is very foolish of him to refuse to allow anything to be carried through the temple; but that he wished to cleanse the temple, and to show that
It would not be sinful according to Moses' rule, and because Moses' rule was still in place, it would be well to keep it; but when Christ came, and it had come to an end with Moses, then everything would be forbidden. Therefore, he needs a Mosaic authority here and does not act according to the Gospel.
(26) Therefore this deed of Christ should not be taken as an example, which he did not as a minister of the New Testament, but as a minister of the Old Testament, and a disciple of Moses. The devil has called the Anabaptists, the Coiner and the Pope to take up the sword that Christ completely forbade his apostles and preachers to wield. Nor are we to act in this way, for we are not like Christ. He is a lord over Moses; we are not. There is no one above Moses but Christ alone.
(27) And now, until the end of the world, the two regiments shall not be blended together, as was done in the Old Testament times among the Jewish people, but shall remain separate and distinct from one another, otherwise the right gospel and the right faith shall be preserved. For the kingdom of Christ is far different from the temporal government, which is commanded to princes and lords. And he that is a preacher, let him leave the temporal government alone, lest he make a muddle and disorder. For we are to rule the church with the word or oral sword, and to guide the rod of the mouth. On the other hand, the secular authorities have a sword other than a fist sword and wooden rods to strike the body. But the preacher's rod strikes only the conscience, which feels what is said.
28 Therefore these two rods and swords must be distinguished, so that one does not fall into the office of the other. For they all reach for the sword, the Anabaptists, the minters, the pope and all the bishops have wanted to rule and govern, but not in their profession; that is the wretched devil. On the other hand, the secular authorities, the princes, kings and nobles in the countryside, even the judges in the villages, want to use the oral sword, and teach the pastors what and how to preach and to teach the churches.
1790 Erl. 46, 184-186. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vii, 1742-1745. 1791
shall preside. 1) But you tell them: You fool and hopeless fool, wait for your profession, do not preach, let your priest do it. Again, the red spirits will not stop nor remain with the oral sword, but, as the rebels, will reach for the secular sword and want to rule in the council house. All this is done by the devil, who does not celebrate until he mixes these two swords together. It is not new that the devil mixes everything together. But know thou that the emperor or secular authorities shall wield a sword of iron and a wooden rod, but we preachers have the rod and sword of the wound. The rod of the secular authorities is none of the business of us preachers of the divine word; we are to wield our spiritual sword and mouth rod. If anyone does not believe or ask for it, let him go away forever; if anyone does not believe, he will be condemned. As when a man is condemned for being a murderer, a fornicator, an adulterer, and the like, I have struck him, they are spiritual sword blows. If thou wilt not feel them, and thinkest not, nor wilt thou be beaten any more, what shall I ask of thee? You will understand it one day.
29 And I urge you, who are to be teachers of conscience and of the Christian church, see to it that you keep the difference. For if it is mixed, nothing will come of it. For if the prince says, "Listen, preacher, teach me so and so, do not rebuke and punish in this way," it is mixed. Again, if a preacher also pretends: Hear thou, authorities or judges, thou shalt do justice as I will; it is also unjust. For I am to say, Thou hast thy statutes, thy laws, thy custom, and thy way; therefore thou shalt not do justice according to my head, nor according to my will, nor according to my writing, but according to thy laws.
(30) You will see that the devil will mix again. Just as the pope mixed the spiritual sword into the physical sword before, and wanted to take a mirror or example from this text, but it is a lie. For Christ has not
- Erlanger: want.
He does not act in the same way as the pope, but he acts here as a disciple and disciple of Moses, who would be under Moses, as otherwise David or another would have done. No apostle has imitated Christ. But the bishops now want to have both swords in their fists, and to rule over kings and princes, and mix it up with each other; which is all wrong and unjust.
Therefore the pope will not harm us, and will hardly take the gospel, for he is too much beaten, but our nobles and princes, even the wicked lawyers, will do it, who go along with violence, and want to teach the preachers what they should preach, want to force the people for the sake of the sacrament, for their liking, because they must always be obedient to the secular authorities; therefore you must do as we wish. And then the secular and ecclesiastical government is one kitchen. This is also what the pope did, he brought the oral sword into the secular regiment, thus the word of God is extinguished.
Now the tables are turned. For the office of fist is made an oral office, and the secular lords want to lead the spiritual regiment, and rule the preaching seat and the church, so that I should preach what the prince likes to hear. Let the devil then come in my place and preach; for they take the sword of the spirit and mouth, and make scourges and whips of it, and drive out of the church, not the buyers or sellers, but the true teachers and preachers. This is going on nowadays, and that is why serious edicts and mandates are being put on all church doors, stating that the laity are to use only one form of the Lord's Supper, and that they are to preach what pleases them. And they are allowed to write and advise so impudently to receive one form of the Lord's Supper, because the kings, princes and lords want to have it now. So that I almost do not know what to do. For the devil is too fierce on both sides and turns everything around. Either the pope wants to rule with both swords, or the princes, nobles, burghers and peasants want to master their parish lords and have both swords as well. But that
1792 Erl. 46, 186-188. luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. w. VII, 1745-1747. ' 1793
The oral sword is to remain with the preachers, and consequently the office of the fist with the secular rulers.
(33) Let this be said of the question why Christ takes hold with his fist and drives the buyers and sellers out of the temple. For he does this after the example of Moses. And he could even have beaten them to death if he had wanted to. But we are not to use this as an example, for we do not have both swords, as Moses had, as the sword of the mouth and the sword of the fist; but after the law has been abrogated, the iron sword has been given to the temporal emperors, kings and princes, but the oral sword has been given to the apostles and us preachers. So let it remain divided, and let those who can help keep it. For if the princes want to mix such things together, as they are doing now, God help us that we do not live long, so that we do not see such misfortune; for then everything in the Christian religion must fall to ruins. As happened under the papacy, when the bishops became secular princes. And if now the worldly lords become popes and bishops, so that one preaches to them and says what they like to hear, then preach at that time the wretched devil; he will also preach. But we may ask God that both parts do not abuse their office in this way.
The eighteenth sermon on the Gospel of John.
Sabbato post cathedra Petri February 23, 1538. 1)
V.17. But his disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for your house has eaten me up.
34 We heard next, after the disciples of the Lord Christ saw and heard how the Lord reproached the Jews for making the temple a storehouse,
- In the original in the margin. There, however, is erroneously "vinerüa ketri" (Peter's chain celebration, the first of August), which we have changed to eutüecira kotri (Peter's chair celebration, the 22nd of February). In Buchwaid, Ungedruckte Predigten, vol. 3, p. 230, the corresponding sermon has the time designation: "kridie (should read: ?ri-
<ii6 Nattüiae), 23 Feb, confirming the date we set.
and drove out the buyers and sellers by force, which is a strange work, that he makes a whip out of ropes, and grasps it with his fist, so that it was seen as if he wanted to rule with his fist, although it was written about him, as reported next 2) that he would rule by the spirit or sword of his mouth; because he wanted to set up a kingdom, where it would not happen with sword blows, but which would be a kingdom of word and spirit. Therefore they were astonished at it, and it was quite strange to them, and they were almost angry at it, because they had not seen anything like it from him before, and they sensed nothing in him but sweetness and kindness, that he first wanted it with his fist. But John the Evangelist adds: "The disciples remembered the saying that was written in Psalm 69:10: 'Zeal for your house has devoured me'"; which Psalm is definitely spoken of Christ.
35 Nevertheless it is seen that among this people the holy scriptures were well known, and that they were diligently practiced in the synagogues and synagogues. In particular, the Psalter was presented to the people and made known to them, and they read, preached and acted upon the Psalms, so that it can be seen that in all the cities and towns there were priests and Levites who had their parishes, churches and schools (which are called synagogues), where the people gathered to hear and learn God's word; and they were thus provided for, so that the Scriptures of the prophets and the Psalms were diligently interpreted. The temple at Jerusalem nevertheless remained in its dignities, and the highest or main parish church, where they came three times a year, as a testimony that they kept to the God who had promised to dwell there, and gave account of their faith and doctrine. So finely were the churches ordered and arranged among this people, and the Scriptures acted daily, that even the simple had quite an understanding of what was written in the Psalms and the Prophets, and could understand it.
- i.e. recently; the last time.
1794 Erl. 46, 188-1SI. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, I747-17K0. 4795
hold. Just as now, praise and thanks be to God, our churches are so equipped that people nevertheless come together to call on God, to praise and give thanks, and the Word of God is abundantly practiced in them, so that even a simple, coarse man can understand the Scriptures to some extent; as was also the case with the Jews. We know what kind of people the disciples of the Lord Christ were; they were not wise men, high priests, Pharisees and scholars of Christ, but poor beggars and fishermen, lowly people, Peter, Andrew and Bartholomew, yet they knew the Psalter, heard it read, sang and preached, thus learned the Scriptures, had to learn badly from listening, that they kept it and remembered it.
(36) Thus it is seen what discipline and exhortation to the divine word do, when the people are faithfully and diligently taught, and the people also listen diligently. And there must have been especially fine discipline, diligence and obedience among this people, so that they listened diligently when people sang and read in their schools or churches, when they came together on the Sabbath to preach, pray and sing, as we do in our churches.
This example of the disciples should also inspire us to gladly hear God's word, to believe and accept it, to receive absolution, and to use the sacraments. Since this was the case with the Jews, it is no wonder that the dear disciples in Galilee kept the saying from the psalm in their schools. But it is to be wondered at that they can interpret it to this very deed of Christ, as if it were spoken of the incitement of the healers and sellers, and of nothing else.
038 But it is strangely spoken, "Zeal hath devoured me. But they understood it according to the Hebrew tongue, and this speech was not unrecognizable to them, for they read the prophets diligently. Since they cannot condemn this deed of Christ, and yet they think, "Why did he strike with the whip in this way, and rumble against them in this way? they interpret it out of pure goodwill in the best way, that they excuse him. As if they wanted to say: It is yes
It is true that it is a little too much for him to cause such a hullabaloo among the people, but how should one do to him? He who loves God and his house cannot suffer such a creature. He does it out of a great and right zeal; as then the saying goes. So they interpret the saying (which they generally understand of all good preachers and teachers who are to lead the word of God and govern the people of God, and must have a zeal 2c.) to the deed of Christ, that he does it as one who loves God and means the church with earnestness; he cannot but be zealous, let whoever be angry with it. Even though godly hearts say that one does too much, it is written that all Christians should have this zeal, but especially the Messiah; therefore the apostles draw this text.
(39) As is often done in Scripture, and it may well be done (if it is not contrary to any article of faith), that sometimes ex genere speciem or individuum is done, that a common sentence is pronounced on a person. Moses says in general of all who are hanged: "Cursed is he who hangs on the wood.
Deut. 21, 23. St. Paul applies this saying to the Galatians in chapter 3, v. 13, to Christ alone, although he does not speak of him. For he did not die like a mischievous and accursed man. Yet it is still rightly spoken. For Christ was willing to bear the curse in obedience for our sake. And in Isaiah Cap. 53, 12. 1 it is also said: "He is counted among the wicked," although he is holy and righteous, and makes others righteous, and for his person was not included in this saying, because he was innocent. The hanging was equal in that he was hanged with the others as a highwayman; item, the wood was also equal with the others, so the curse and the hanging are also equal; but the persons were not equal. Therefore we must interpret this saying in the same way, as it happened in truth, that Christ became a curse before God, and hung on the cross like another thief. For Moses speaks of all who are hanged. Yours: when the law says: "Cursed be he who hangs on the wood";
1796 Erl. 46, 1S1-IS3. Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1750-1752. 1797
It may well happen that the pious and godly are wronged. Should they therefore be cursed? Let that be far away. How certainly many have been wronged in the uprising, who have had to suffer with the guilty. The curse, as well as death, passes over the guilty as well as the innocent.
40 The chief priests and the devil did not think otherwise than to make the people believe that they were cursed before God. Therefore they thought: Wait, let us bring him to the wood, and we will have won the game; for there is a clear saying that he who hangs on the wood is cursed by God. Not yet, for one may be wronged; so the wood on which he hangs does not make him guilty and cursed. So one can cut off a man's head, but it does not soon follow that he has been wronged, for it is well known that some are wronged. So I can say of a father who has lost his only, most beloved son: "He has sacrificed his Isaac to our Lord God; and yet the father is not Abraham, nor is the son Isaac. But I give you to understand that this father is just like the dear Abraham with his son. So I speak then in general of all fathers, what the Scripture says only of Abraham. Yes, I can say of Christ that he, as Isaac, was also sacrificed on the cross.
(41) This rule, I say, is kept not only in the holy Scriptures, but also in all others, where the individual is drawn into the genus, and again goes ex genere ad speciem vel individuum; and thus no article of the Christian faith is sinned against. Therefore, the disciples do the same here, and apply the saying of the psalm to Christ: "Zeal for your house has eaten me up," which they generally understand to mean this deed of Christ, only out of a good opinion to excuse him with it.
- what is this now spoken "the zeal for your house" 2c.] The Jews, as those in the Prophets and Psalms were known, understood the saying well, and spoke it in this way in their language. Uus reads it strangely, because it does not rhyme in our language. But I have the word
zelus zeal; another one makes it better, I don't know a better one to find; in the Latin language one also has none, so that one could give the word zelus. It is called aemulationem; whether it is right or wrong, I will leave to the grammarians. In German, however, zelus actually means a friendly and yet sweet envy or anger that occurs between such people who are so loyal to each other that one does not want the other to be harmed or to suffer evil. I could not have called this better in one word than zeal. Although the same is said of man and woman alone, that the man allows the woman, and the woman the man, 1) to deal too kindly with others. There is also said to be such zeal among them that one has a friendly regard for the other, and is a little envious with it; but so that one does not make it too much. For for a woman to love her husband in this way, to give way to him out of love, to go after another, that would be a shameful love. Just as this is not a true love, which is among harlots and boys; for it is a carnal and devilish love, and not from God.
43 Thus our language is fine in common and daily usage, that one can say: This is a good envy, this is an evil envy. Even though not only envy, but also pride is the devil's vice, our language still makes it possible to say, "This is good pride, this is evil pride;" "This is good chastity, this is evil chastity;" "This is good humility, this is evil humility. As an example, I can have a good, godly hope, which God gives, and I want to have it from me and from everyone, that I say: I do not want to give way to the devil, I did not want to look at the devil, that I wanted to follow him. What courage comes from spiritual hope, that the dear martyrs said to the tyrants: I do not look at you that I would deny God, my Lord. This is a good hope. And if I were not hopeful here, but humble.
- grudge - begrudge.
1798 Erl. 46, 193-ISS. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1752-1755. 1799
and said: Dear pope, dear bishops, I will gladly do what you call me; that would be a right devilish and cursed humility, if I want to let myself be driven by the divine word. And such humility would be of no use anywhere, for you would be humble here, since you should otherwise be hopeful. But this is good humility, when I say with thanksgiving to God: Your will be done, do it, dear Lord Christ, as it pleases you, I will gladly suffer it.
(44) Such language teaches us the need and the nature in which we live. For me to say, I will be with no other woman but mine alone, and love her, is an honest and godly unchastity. But if a man were to leave his own and be attached to another, that would be a devilish unchastity. So anger is also of two kinds, good and evil. First, good, because the prince is angry with a bad boy, grabs him by the neck, strangles him, or has him tied to the gallows and pushed onto the wheel, or has his head cut off or otherwise killed; that is good and merciful anger. But if he would not be angry, and let every wicked man go, that would not be the kind of mercy called leniency; it would be a twofold disgrace, tyranny and wrath. For in this way many people are murdered, damaged, and all misfortunes are laid upon them. It is the same when a father hurriedly punishes his child, or a preceptor is not angry with his disciple when he does wrong; no greater disgrace could he prove to the child and disciple. Therefore it is a merciful and good, divine anger, even if death-slayers are punished and thieves are hanged, so that other people may live in peace.
(45) So zeal is an angry love or envious love, since no husband or wife can suffer another to be lewd to his wife, or another to her husband; so they say: I am not envious. But verily thou shalt be envious, I shall not suffer my wife to commit adultery, or both to be fornicators and adulterers, thou shalt be angry: for it is good envy and jealousy. On the other hand, it is a wicked and shameful one.
Envy, when it grieves me in my heart that another is doing well, that he has more favor with people or more luck, or is richer, and I grant him such, since it gives me nothing to create, and I have no cause to hate him, but only out of pure devilish malice. As the envy of spiritual, devilish sins and vices is one on earth, since the devil himself deals with it, who only out of malice does not grant us men that we should live or be saved for a moment, he cannot suffer that it should go well with us.
(46) Just as it is a shameful vice when one has hateful envy, so good zeal is a delicious, noble virtue when one, out of love and loyalty, forgives another when he does wrong and stumbles. As one is therefore wont to say: Ah, I am so heartily and faithfully sorry for the person, I begrudge him, I envy him, and am angry that he has fallen into misfortune, disgrace or vice. If I love someone and see him doing something bad, I am sorry. Now, to give and to forgive are two different things: one is good, the other evil. In this case, it is reversed, and the bestowal becomes an evil, shameful vice, and the bestowal becomes a virtue that is in God alone, and in the hearts that are especially moved by God. For there is a little bit of God in a heart, where there is the same kindness, so that a good friend can be warmly accepted in his sins and disgraces, and can be dealt with severely. As can happen, and often does happen, between husband and wife, among whom one does not even know how he got into a misfortune; then the other, out of great love, goes to him, laments and weeps: "Oh, that it had not happened, how heartily I am sorry! A father, when he has an unborn child, is exceedingly sorry for it, and is sorry that it is not otherwise; he forgives it. This is what one friend does to another. This pardon, or kind envy, or kind anger, is a merciful, kind envy, because we are heartily sorry for it, and one says, Oh, I do not like to see or hear it, that one lives thus, that one is his own shame and disgrace; I will not call that hatred, for it is
1800 Erl. 46, i9s-is7. Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. w. vn, 1755-1757. 1801
is good and is done out of love; but where there is love, there can be no hatred. This is what the Scripture calls zeal, which I have called zeal in a word that you can well understand from the reported words and examples, because that is what it actually means.
(47) Thus the Lord Christ is also minded here, that he is not moved to the anger that he shows here out of any hatred, but out of friendly love towards God, who had founded this temple in his honor, for the action of the divine word, so that the people in the church should learn how to become blessed and serve God. That this was completely reversed, and that Christ should see that God was publicly acted against in it, that the people were also deceived by the sacrifices, for the sake of which he had come to earth and murdered men; this grieves him that he should see such abomination and sorrow in his Father's house, where souls are miserably corrupted. He is unwilling and displeased about it, he has a zeal and a displeasure that his church and foundation should thus be desecrated and abused; for he loved God, and he is concerned about the preservation of the divine word, and the poor people, who have thus been deprived of their salvation; I want to say: I forgive the fine, glorious temple, and the people, that they should thus be miserably abused and led astray into damnation.
But what does "eat" mean? This is somewhat closer to the German language. For we also use to speak of someone who bites and grieves himself, who eats himself, in such a way that one says: something must be wrong with him, he is not well. That means well eaten, but not as one eats bread and meat; but it is the sad courage before which one's heart pines away, disappears, and is, as it were, 1) consumed, as moths consume a garment. This is what happened to the Lord Christ, the prophets and all the apostles. And out of a holy, great zeal our heart should also almost disappear, that we would be heartily sorry, and have an envy and displeasure over the fact that
- "gleichsam" taken over by us from the old edition instead of: "gleich" in the Erlanger.
the pope with his idolatries has thus miserably deceived and seduced the world. Shouldn't this bite us and move us to fight so that the pure teaching of the divine word is no longer and further falsified?
49 Therefore this is spoken not only of Christ, but also of all preachers of the divine word. So look at a pious father and mother when they have a disobedient child; just watch them, and you will soon see what it means: "Zeal has devoured me. Then they go and bite and grieve, their hearts pining away until they die of great grief and sorrow. Therefore such children are murderers of fathers and mothers, and not bad murderers; for they afflict them for some time, until they die; they strangle their parents. This is also spoken of by Solomon, Prov. 10, 1., and Jesus Sirach (Cap. 3.): "A wise son is a father's joy"; but Prov. 17, 25. "a wicked son is a father's sorrow", and a wicked daughter is an abomination to the mother. 2) And St. Paul, 2 Tim. 1, 9. also speaks of father-killers and mother-killers 2c. Parents, of course, feel this if they are godly, for it bites them day and night until they have to chew the earth over it. So the children kill the parents; not by sticking a knife into their body, but with their evil ungodly life. There is no greater cross or heartache for parents than the wickedness of children, and so when their children make their parents old, they kill them with sorrow, so that they lament, "Alas, my son, alas, my daughter! And yet the father's heart and love for the child, even if it is evil, do not acquire a devilish hatred for them, even though the advised and unwise life of the children brings the parents to the pit. As we read about David 2 Sam. 18, 5, that he commanded Joab and the warriors not to harm the life of his son Absalon. This was the fatherly heart and love, whether Absalon had chased him out of the kingdom; and since he was stabbed to death
- "Abomination" should perhaps mean "grievance" according to Prov. 10:1.
1802 Erl. 46, 197-soo. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1757-1760. 1803
he cried out, v. 33: "O Absalon, my son, my son" 2c. I say this so that you may understand what it means, "Zeal has eaten me up," when something is so painful that it eats away or tears away one's heart.
50 But Christ suffered much greater famine when he hung on the cross, and heeded the wickedness and hardening of the Jewish people. Item, that he wept with great zeal when he looked upon the city of Jerusalem, and sweated bloody sweat in the garden. He had such great sorrow and grief that he never became happy because he was on earth, that if he had not been crucified, he would have been grieved to death, because all was lost, as he attacked the Jewish people.
(51) So ask a pious prince in the temporal government, and a pious householder, what it is to eat, and if it be evil to bite and gnaw; what matter, thou shalt find an answer! All the apostles and bishops have tried this, and still do; they know quite well when they see that their faithful care, toil and labor are all in vain, and a devil's head comes and makes a noise, and breaks in one day more than one has built or can build in several years; or sees how the devil drives it, that people become wild and rough, and are not corrected to the teaching of the divine word; he will also say: "The zeal for your house has eaten me up. For the more pious a pastor or preacher is, the more he feels zeal; he should feel it.
- (52) So love is not happy; when a good friend is well, and has happiness and salvation, it is in good spirits; but when it sees that things are going badly, love must mourn and pine away. The same happened to the Lord when he saw the abuse of the temple, not only of the outward house built of stones, but of the spiritual temple, as the people of God, which was so miserably corrupted by idolatry, for which reason he is also zealous. It would also be the duty of all of us to be zealous for God's word, and to be serious about the abominable behavior of the pope, the Turk and all the evil spirits.
would accept it. He who did so would understand this verse and would alone know what eating is.
(53) And if, in the household, father and mother die of sorrow and grief because of love, what should not happen in the temporal government, since many kings and princes have seen that they have not been able to take hold of and order the government as they would have liked, and have died of grief over it? This happens much more in the church government, when discord and disagreement arise in the doctrine, when the pious Christians and saints are perverted; then the angry love is grieved, so that one's heart would break.
This zeal is a friendly envy, which is experienced in the household, in the courts of kings and princes, and also in the Christian church. For there people love each other in a divine way. But it is not a whore's envy, but an envy and wrath that consumes heart and life. Therefore one does not read of Christ that he was much merry all his life long; but he had a heart that was always zealous, that he was always devouring himself for the temple and people of God. And there was no envious anger; as is seen in the Gospel, where he says Matt. 23:37, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often have I desired to gather thee?" 2c. These are not words of a laughing heart; but this office was also laid upon him by his heavenly Father, that he should be diligent for us, and granted his zeal unto the cross. 1) Now follows further:
The nineteenth sermon on the Gospel of John.
Saturday after Matthieu March 2, 1538. 2)
V. 18 Then the Jews answered him and said: What sign do you show us that you can do this?
- This sermon, as already mentioned in the note to the heading, is also found in Buchwald's "Ungedruckte Predigten", but only in a meager excerpt in Latin, which takes up about one and a half pages. - The following sermon is also there, p. 237, also in Latin and very short (three pages).
- In the original margin.
1804 Erl. 46, 200-262. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1760-1763. 1805
(55) This text serves so that we may better understand the false testimonies that they later presented against Christ in the Passion, of which Matthew Cap. 26:61 and Mark Cap. 14:58 wrote that he would tear down the temple and rebuild it in three days. This history is described by John alone; but they diligently noted this answer and interpreted it to mean that it was blasphemy, punishable by death, that he had said that he would build the temple in three days, which was a divine work, and therefore he made himself a god, because he presumed to be equal to God; for no one else could do this, since he was God.
(56) But it does not sound, it does not please the nobles of Jerusalem everywhere, that the Lord is so immodest, and reaches into their fair, drives out the sellers and buyers, and overturns everything; they were not used to it, that other private persons had done it before. They come and want to read a chapter to him, and do it with a great pretense before the people, saying that it is still not a good thing, even if he is still so delicious; in such a city, moreover in God's house, he should not make himself so powerful and start a ruckus. If those who had the proper authority to do so, as Annas and Caiphas, who were appointed by God to govern the people and the temple, had begun a change and reformation, it would have failed. For all the people knew well that the temple was commanded to the Levites; therefore that they sold the sacrifices, 1) neither should any man attack or overthrow it, if he had commanded it. Now Christ had no command either. Just as we could not, nor should we, suffer anyone to take away our preaching stand and break it down, or otherwise interfere with our ministry. It was the same with them, since only Aaron and the tribe of Levi were commanded how to handle the sacrifices and sell the livestock, and no one else was allowed to do so.
- In Walch and in the Erlanger with wrong jnterpunction: "that the temple was commanded to the Levites, therefore, that they sold the sacrifices" etc.
thuu. And if he would say: I have come from God, and do this by divine authority," they answered, "Then do a sign; for God has hitherto preserved this order for the Levites, which was instituted by holy men, even by God Himself. If you now want to reverse this, then do a sign by which we will know that God has now revoked His words and no longer wants to suffer the sacrifices.
57 And if an Anabaptist came today and wanted to sit in the town hall and pretend that he was the mayor, he should not be allowed to do so. Or if he were to say, "I am a lord of this house, a priest in this city," one must do likewise and say, "If you are a mayor or a landlord in this house, let it be seen, prove it by a sign that you are from God, for this is commanded to me and not to you. So shall you do. And so the Jews here, as it can be seen, have done right and not wrong in keeping it. For God had commanded the tribe of Levi to rule. Why then do you take hold of this, since you are not a Levite, but a poor beggar, and the carpenter's, Joseph's, and Mary's son of Nazareth? Put it on him as if he were doing it out of thirst. Therefore let him give a sign of himself, by what power he does it; or let them report him to Anna, Caipha, and Pilato, to whom the regiment is ordered; they will take him by the neck, and judge him as he deserves. Read him a pretty good chapter, that he acts contrary to their command and will in the temple.
V. 19. Jesus answered and said to them: Break down this temple, and on the third day I will raise it up.
058 This is a foolish and unruly answer, that he saith, In three days I will raise him up again. What is this saying? The matter is entirely because you have heard that God sent John the Baptist to the Jewish people, who had the cry among all the people that he was a prophet, baptizing, not seeking his glory, but bringing the people to Christ, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.
1806 Erl. 46, S02-204. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vii, 17W-irss. 1807
and perform miracles. They all knew this sermon of John's and considered him a prophet. That was sign enough. As the Lord Christ also says in another place: John came, and you asked 1) him, and he pointed you to me; he baptized you to repentance and led you to me. Therefore, because I am now present, you should remember that I am, and look to me, especially since John is my forerunner. You should pay good attention to the sign, because he has warned you with all diligence, you should pay attention to it, the Messiah would follow him quickly on his foot; yes, he has pointed to him with fingers.
- Matthäi 21, 23. ff. this history is described more abundantly. When the Lord was about to suffer, and made a noise and a fuss when he entered Jerusalem, so that the chief priests and elders came to him and said, "By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? then Jesus answered and said: I also will ask you one word; if ye tell me, I will tell you also by what authority I do these things. Whence was the baptism of John? Was it from heaven, or from men?" When they also desired a sign from him, he asked them again, and drove them into the council chamber, so that they doubted, and knew not what to answer. "For they thought to themselves: If we say that she was from heaven, he will say to us, Why did you not believe him? But if we say she was of men, we shall be afraid of the people, because every man took John for a prophet. Therefore they answered him, "We do not know. Then said he unto them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." Therefore, when you have heard John speak and preach, you will know by what authority or power I do these things.
(60) Thus the Lord had caught them so that they could not turn aside, as he had masterfully met them in every way. But he does not answer sweetly. It is also a proud question. They should have thought: Jo-
- Walch and the Erlanger: fraget.
John, who is now a prisoner, preached this very thing about a man, that he would come and follow him, baptizing with fire and the Holy Spirit; so the people cling to him; he will be true. Therefore it is an untimely question, since they do not want to know whether he is the Messiah or not, when they should and could have known from John's preaching that he certainly is. As if he were to say, "Was John a liar? So Christ's answer is pointed and harsh. Because you will not accept John and his preaching, you will not accept me. Now John points his fingers at Christ and points him out to the people; they did not want to suffer this. They should not have asked, but should have accepted him for their Lord.
61 Then he will say, "I will paint it for you as you want it. Yes, I will paint it for you. Ye are wilful, and will not believe John, neither believe ye me: therefore will I give you a sign, which shall be called a sign. Because ye will not believe the doctrine of John the Baptist, which was from heaven, whom many of the Jews received, and were baptized of him, even the publicans and whoremongers; and because ye are proud in your wickedness, and are defiant, and want a sign, I will give you one; neither shall ye be worthy of any better. And saith, Break ye the temple 2c.
- but it is an answer just as Matthew says on the 12th, when the Jews, having heard his sermons and seen his miracles, and seeing that he was a great prophet, said, v. 38, "Master, let us see a sign from heaven. Then he answers them, v. 39: "This wicked and adulterous 'kind' wants a sign, and none is given to it but the sign of the prophet Jonah. "2c. So the Lord also wants to say here: Because you want to have a sign, no other sign shall be given to you than: "Break down the temple" 2c. If he had given a sign in the air," they would not have believed him, but would have desecrated the sign and blasphemed it, saying, "Behold, the executioner has led the juggler away. How then did they pervert all that he had done?
1808 Erl. 48, LV4-LV7. Luther's interpretation of John Cap, 1-4, W. vu, 176S-I768. 1809
Miraculous works had to be done by the power of the devil. If he had given them a sign from heaven, they would have called him a sorcerer. For such were the great miracles as casting out devils. Raising the dead and other miracles that no one else can do except God Himself, not helpers, yet they had to assume that he was a different man than other people; what would the signs in the air or from heaven have meant to them that could not be so great? For if he had already let your unusual, new star shine, or had done something else, they would have said: "The devil has his game in the air.
(63) The wicked do not believe; do with them as you will, they are thistleheads who only prick and scratch, that is, blaspheme and defile. That is why Solomon says, "If someone has to deal with a fool, whether he laughs or cries, he does nothing. Just as the pope and his crowd do to us; as we do, so it is wrong for them. If we are humble and speak kindly to them, and make it a little mild, then they say: "Oh, oh, they are afraid, so it is clear that they have lost. If we are sharp, they cry out, we are proud and hopeful. How then shall we do to him? We must let them go on like this until they become completely mad and foolish, and their heads are split in two. Do with you (he will say) as you will, then it is lost.
In Matthew Cap. 11, v. 16 ff. he says: "I am reminded of you in no other way than as children sing and shout to the others: We have whistled to you, and yet you have not danced; we have meant, yet you will not howl. John the Baptist came and neither ate nor drank like other people, and you said to him that he had the devil; I came and ate and drank with the people, and you said that I was a winebibber. The way you do it is not the same for you. Go where you belong, and see who wins. Therefore, if a man's thing is laughed at, let him be silent all the more. It is the same whether he gives a sign or refrains from it. If he gives a sign, they say
they say it is the work of the devil. I have often said that I do not desire that God should have given me the grace to perform miracles, but am glad that I can stick straight to the word of God and deal with it. For otherwise one would soon say: The devil does it through you.
The Lord shines a terrible light on them here. And how could he do otherwise to them? Dear Lord God! Because he tries to do good to them in so many ways, and they always make him angry, they don't like it, and it is extremely annoying. Therefore, notice what desperate, spiteful and poisonous boys the Lord is talking to here, and you will not be surprised that he deals with them so harshly. For they know John's preaching, send messages to him, the people clung to him, see also the miraculous works of Christ in the temple; yet they want a sign from him. And if he had answered them, and given them a sign, they would have received it, saying, Behold, what can the devil do? But if he does not, they say, "There is no God, but the devil. Therefore the Lord answers them in the same way as it is written in Matthew Cap. 12, 39, 40, that no other sign should be given to them, the people who have perished, but that of the prophet Jonah: As he was three days in the whale, so shall the Son of Man also be three days in the earth. In the same way, he also gives them a sign here; only that he changes the words and figures and says: "This shall be your sign: "Break down this temple of mine, and I will raise it up again"; that is, I will be Jonah, whom you will throw into the sea, into the mouth of the whale, whom you will crucify and kill, but on the third day I will rise again. This is a joyful sign to the godly, but to the wicked it is a sign of stumbling, a stumbling block.
(66) So it is with our adversaries, the papists. As it is done with them, so it is wrong; they are angry and offended at us, pretending that the devil has made this people. But they should not see any sign of us. They think badly of us
1810 Erl. 46, 207-209. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, I768-I77I. 1811
are heretics and must therefore be led away. The same is what the Lord Christ says here: "Because you do not believe John and all the people, nor my preaching and miracles, I will help you completely to become mad and foolish, as you are very angry. Because I have touched your temple without asking you, and have harmed oxen and sheep, you will touch my temple again, I bet. But you shall have a sign with it, which you shall not deny me. I will raise up my temple again as soon as you have killed me. I will rise again and cause you to be shouted out through the whole world as murderers and evil-doers who have shed innocent blood. Then you shall come to me all the more. I will be a stone and rock that will fall on you broken pieces and crush you. Because you will resist such preaching and be mad and foolish, I will come after you and drag this city, so that not one stone will be left upon another, and you will be scattered to the ends of the earth in all countries, and may never come to a regiment. So I will deal with you. That means traun answered sharply enough.
(67) And what else can we answer our enemies, the papists, with whom > there is no pleading, no entreaty, no patience, no kindness, no > earnestness? Therefore I also say to them: As you will; if neither > entreaty nor supplication shall help, go your way; you shall start > aright. If you want to bang your heads, you will find your reward. > They know that they do wrong against us, and yet they will not accept > our teaching. What then do they do? Well, they say, we will strike you > dead, as they have slain many saints. Go on, gentlemen, break the > temple; you will see whom you have killed. Our temple will be raised > up again, so that the gospel may remain in the Christian church. But > when you papists have become mad and foolish about the gospel, and > have perished, it will be said, "You wanted it so, it serves you > right.
68 Therefore this is the sign of the Jews, that is, the death of Christ, that they should crucify him and strangle him, and that he should rise again the third day. They shall have the sign of Jonah, and it shall be preached unto them. As if he were to say, "When you see that I have risen from the dead, and that you have done wrong to me by crucifying him in whose mouth no deceit has been found, and that I have risen of myself out of death, then this will be the right sign for you. This still hurts them today. They have broken this temple, Christ, and now they have to push themselves against the heap of stones, and still hear only this one, whom they have killed; and they have to accept the broken and raised or resurrected temple; or they are all eternally lost. And the LORD will say, After the calamity ye struggle, and would smite me, and break me; but I will raise me up again, and break you. So God must judge, if one does not want to hear or believe, but one often lets the devil ride.
This answer is bright and clear, since the Jews did not want to believe in him, even though they knew or could have known from the Scriptures that he was Christ or the Messiah. For St. John had proclaimed this before, and his miracles and sermons proved it; also the whole people confessed it, and yet they wanted him dead because of it; that he again despised them and did not consider them worthy of him, to whom he should give a sign. In the same way our papists are doing now: they see that they are wrong, they are also hostile to the pope, they seize the founders and monasteries and spoliate them, they do not give a damn about the pope's condemnation and banishment; nor do they want us dead, and mock our teachings, since they know that we teach right and are convinced in their conscience that they act wrong; nor do they want to believe, hear, or accept our sermon out of pure malice and hatred. But we, who hear, act, believe and accept God's word, let ourselves be banished and do not run against Christ. Let the evil despisers and persecutors run away forever; they will receive their punishment.
1812 Eri. 46, 209-211. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. vn. 1771-1773. 1813
well find. So now they have their sign, that Christ says here: I have cleansed your temple, and you want to kill me; but break my temple, and I will break yours again.
V. 20: Then said the Jews, This temple was built in forty and six years, and thou wilt build it in three days?
The foolish, blind Jews do not understand these words, or what Christ means by them; as is the case with all those who follow their own judgment and head, contrary to God's word; they are under the curse that is written in the prophet Isaiah Cap. 6, 10, that they do not see with seeing eyes, and do not hear with hearing ears; for they are drowned in their carnal judgment, so deep that they can neither grasp nor understand anything that is spiritual. So here they interpret the words of the Lord carnally, to the temple that was built of stones, and interpret these words most fiercely according to their own way and pleasure, and begin to blaspheme and desecrate his words, and even make hell and death out of one word, and do not interpret it where he interprets it. Just as our adversaries do, when they hear a word from us, they make it a living hell.
71 Therefore this is also a bitter word, that they say, "This temple was built in forty-six years, and thou wilt set it up in three days?" Which only God and no man can do. Therefore they accuse him here almost as if he were making himself God, because he wanted to rebuild the temple in three days, which before was hardly built in forty-six years. There they want to say: If you can do this art, then you are either God or the devil. Therefore they think that they have him now certainly in the bag; as they therefore accuse him before Pilate, and say that he has blasphemed God, and made himself God. Or, if he is not God, he must be a juggler, that he would build such a temple in three days, and is such either a devil's ghost, or ascribes to him works of divine majesty. Therefore, they think that they have now caught him in his own words, that he has either blasphemed God, or is with the devil.
He was a sorcerer or a blasphemer. Whichever he was, a sorcerer or a blasphemer, he was guilty of death according to the law of Moses. Wherever he wanted to go out, they would have caught him. For if he turned to God, he was guilty of death as a blasphemer; but if he dealt with the devil, he would not have to live. 1) For Moses did both. For Moses expressed it both ways, that a blasphemer and a devil's comrade, sorcerer or juggler should not suffer among the people of God, but should soon be destroyed and exterminated without any argument.
(72) But they falsely interpret the words of the Lord to mean the temple that was built of stones, and they make it a grievous thing. For if he had spoken of the temple built by men, as they interpret it, it is easy to understand that it is not human to build such a temple as this in three days, over which they say it was built forty-six years. Not that they built it through and through the same time, but from the beginning to the end of the construction forty-six years passed. For they were often prevented by war, and otherwise by the surrounding neighbors, who gave them neither rest nor peace. Otherwise they would have built such a temple in six or seven years, and the ban was not so heavy as the obstacles. That is why they think that the emperor of Persia, Cyrus, allowed them to leave Babylon for Jerusalem and to rebuild the city and the temple there until the temple was finished. Then they were attacked here and there by the neighbors, who did not like to see the construction, until almost forty-six years had passed, and they could not get away, and had to travel up and down in Persia to the kings, who not only issued edicts and commands for the building of this city and temple, but also gave a lot of money and goods for it. There were officials and other servants at the court, and if they could exchange and prevent it, they did so. As the devil of the court does not rest, and in Daniel Cap. 10, 13 it is also said that he was sent by the angel from Persia, and by the angel from the land of the gods.
- Again - again.
1814 Erl. 46, 211-214. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vii, 1773-1776. 1815
Angels from Greece were prevented. This is said of the court devils, who have a great deal to do at court and cause all kinds of misfortune in kings' and princes' courts and hinder all that is good. For the devil has very bad boys at court; if any prince decides a matter, such a devil comes in quickly and contradicts it. And there are also such devils in the cities, and in the houses, as house devils. So these same evil angels hindered and prevented the temple from being built and the right worship from being restored.
So now the temple has been built for forty-six years, not because of the work, but because of the obstacles. Now it is as great an effort to overcome the obstacle as it is to build, and the obstacles here are greater than all the expense and labor. Therefore it is right to say that the temple was built in forty-six years, because the building lasted forty-six years, and the building could not continue. But they wanted to indicate with it: Since the temple took us so much trouble, labor and expense, that it could not be built in forty-six years, how would you build it again in three days? Therefore you are a blasphemer, because you pretend that you can do divine works. So let the LORD do what he will, and it shall not be right for them: but they shall begin to stumble before his temple or his body be broken: for they cannot bear him at all.
These things are written for our learning and warning, that we may do what faith and the Holy Spirit teach. If we cannot convert or win over our adversaries, the blasphemers, either with laughter or mourning (for we do what we want, and none of it helps), they may be sent away, thinking that the same thing will happen to the Lord Christ here; but if he does it well, they will blame him and blaspheme him. Therefore let them always go, and break and tarnish the temple.
75 But the Lord Christ confesses here that he is truly God and man, because he does not speak of the
It was not the temple of Solomon, of which the Jews understood his language, but his body and his humanity, in which the Godhead dwelt bodily and personally. For it is a divine work to raise the dead and give life; no one else can do this, except God. The devil can murder, man can do the same, but he cannot resurrect and bring back to life. It is God's work alone who raises the dead and gives life to those who do not have it, and makes something out of that which is nothing. The devil can break what is made, but not build it again. He can also burn down a house by fire, but not raise it up again. Therefore, when he says, "In three days I will raise him up again," he confesses that the death of his body is in his power, and that he leaves his life and takes it again when he wants to; therefore he is not only man, but also God. That he is man is indicated by the fact that he will be broken and die; but that he will rise again, that he will raise himself, indicates that he is also God, and by divine power makes the dead alive; for this is no man's work.
Thus he shows the Jews that he is truly God and man. Just as we believe in him, that in the one person of Christ there are two natures, the Godhead and humanity. This is the sign and vexation of the Jews, who to this day are still angry and resentful when they hear Christ preach that he whom they crucified is the eternal, true God and man. They confess that they crucified a man, namely a thief and a bad boy, for which they considered him, as Isaiah Cap. 53, 12 testifies, that he was counted among the wicked; but that he should have raised himself again from the dead, as he says here: "I will raise him up again", that is what they object to.
Now these things are the doctrine of the Holy Ghost, which is from heaven, and is not found in our understanding; and the Holy Ghost writeth them in our hearts with his fiery tongue, that we may believe them.
1816 Erl. 46, 214-216. Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1776-1779. 1817
Otherwise, if it had flowed from our reason, the Jews would have believed it too. Now if you hear these things earnestly and believe them with all your heart, the Holy Spirit is your teacher and you are his disciple. And if thou abide with Christ, thou art a child of eternal blessedness. And just as he died and raised himself from the dead, so he will raise from the dead all who believe.
This is prescribed for our comfort, as it is also said to the Romans in chapter 10, v. 9: "If you believe in your heart that God raised Christ from the dead, you will be saved. But those who do not believe these things stumble at them, fall down and are condemned. Therefore this is not the teaching of reason, but is preached from heaven through the oral word of the gospel by the Holy Spirit, who also gives power to it, so that it remains in the heart, and one lives and dies by it. The Turk does not believe this. The pope may speak of it with his mouth, but he asks nothing of it, and thinks more of his Judas bag than of the gospel. Therefore, they do not understand the word of God, and they are not worthy of it.
V. 21, 22: And he spake of the temple of his body. And when he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had spoken these things, and believed the scripture and the words which Jesus had spoken.
79 The evangelist interprets the word of the Lord himself and says that he spoke of his body. For this is the true temple, where God now dwells and wants to be, and all other temples belong here in the temple, that is, in the humanity of Christ, which he took from the Virgin Mary. The same body was God's temple, His castle and palace, His royal hall; which is well to be noted. As then 'to the temple at Jerusalem, which is now to cease, God bound Himself; not for His own sake, but for the sake of the people, that they might have a certain place where they might know to find God. Therefore he would be nowhere else; and whosoever would call upon him, and come before him, must come to Jerusalem to the temple.
Or even turn his face thither, he was in what place of the world he would; for at Jerusalem there was the temple and tabernacle of God.
- But now, in the New Testament, God has prepared another temple, where God wants to dwell, that is, the dear humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ; there God wants to be found, and nowhere else, calling Christ's body God's temple, where God dwells, so that all our hearts and eyes may be directed to Christ, and we may worship him alone, who sits at the right hand of God in heaven, as we confess in our Christian faith 2c, that we should no longer run to the mountains or green valleys, as the idolatrous Jews and pagans did, and seek and worship God there, for there we would not find God: but he who wants to call upon God, in whatever place he may be in the world, should turn his face toward heaven to Christ, and so come to God through Christ, the right true temple. For Christ is the true seat of grace, in whom all grace, all love, all kindness is found. Otherwise, whoever wants to seek God apart from Christ will find a God, as it says in Genesis 5th book, chap. 4, 24, who is "a consuming fire".
- Whoever now wants to come before God and deal with Him and call upon Him, let him know that he is no longer bound to a certain place, as in the Old Testament He was to be found in the temple at Jerusalem alone; but where there are only people throughout the whole world who say from the heart: Lord Jesus Christ, who is true God and man, and died for us, and sits at the right hand of God, in Your name I pray that God, the heavenly Father, may be merciful to me; or who say: Our Father, who art in heaven, for thy dear Son's sake I beseech thee, 2c., he will surely find God, he must not run to Jerusalem, to Rome, or to St. James: he has God with him at home in the Lord Christ. Therefore, whoever desires to be saved, and to have a gracious God, and to obtain from Him what he desires, let him turn his heart and eyes toward heaven, and look to Christ, who sits at the right hand of God. He who also wants to serve God, to find him and
1818 Erl. 46, siK-218. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vii, 1779-1781. 1819
He will come to this spiritual and right temple, Christ, before whom he will fall down, and there he will pray and believe in him.
Now there is much to be said here about the Pope's, item, the orders and brotherhoods that have lured us to Rome, Compostel and Jerusalem 1) and have devised one pilgrimage after another, where the people should run and pray; as if we could not find God at home in our house, in our bedchamber, or wherever else we would like to be. For God is no more bound to a place than He was when He came to dwell in Jerusalem, before the true Temple, the Lord Christ, came; just as it is also said in the fourth chapter of John, v. 23: "Behold, the time cometh, that neither in Jerusalem, nor in this mountain, shall men worship; but the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth." The temple at Jerusalem has ceased, and now in every place where there is one, let him worship God, and set his heart and eyes on the faith of the person of Christ, who is both God and man, saying, "I believe that He not only ascended into heaven, but also sits at the right hand of His Father and is like God. And if you ask anything in his name, he will give it, because you are meeting the right temple. We in the papacy have not understood these glorious words, nor have we acted upon them. For if Christ sits at the right hand of His Father, why do we seek Him in Rome, in Compostel, and in Ach, or in the Oak? You will not find him there, but the wretched devil; for he will not let himself be found according to our will and pleasure.
This is what I wanted to say here, that Christ calls Himself a temple, that is, that in Christ the Godhead dwells bodily, as St. Paul says Col. 2:9. If anyone then will seek God apart from Christ, let him know that he lacks God. For if in the days of old God was lacking to those who sought Him outside Jerusalem, many more will now come to wrong who seek God outside Christ. For in Christ dwells the fullness of the Godhead, and without Christ is
- i.e. curled.
no God, and all who seek God without Christ, as the Turks and Jews do, will find no God at all and perish, for there is no help outside of Christ. This is why this piece is so comforting, that the Lord calls his body a temple of God, as if God always wants to dwell in it and be in it, and nowhere else.
The twentieth sermon on the Gospel of John.
Saturday March 16, 1538. 2)
V. 23, 24: And when he was at Jerusalem, at the feast of the passover, many believed on his name, because they saw the signs which he did. But Jesus did not trust in them, for he knew them all, and had no need that any man should bear witness of any man, for he knew well what was in man.
84 The text also says about the feast of Easter, when all the Jews had to come to Jerusalem, and many of the Gentiles gathered there to pray before God, who was the God of the Jews. For the temple was to be a house of prayer, not only for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles; for the Gentiles were also saved in the Old Testament. And down in the 12th chapter of John, v. 21, it is written that in the coming of the Lord Christ to Jerusalem, the Gentiles came to the apostle Philip and desired to see Christ, because they also believed in the God who was the God of the Jews, who promised the world a Savior. And they were saved without the law of Moses or circumcision, but only through faith in the Messiah who was to come. When many of them had come to Jerusalem from all parts of the earth under the sun, and had heard the cry of the Lord Christ, that he had wrought many miracles and wondrous works
- In the original in the margin. This time determination is confirmed by the manuscript of the princely Wallerstein library, which Buchwald published in 1885: "Andreas Poachs handwritten collection of unprinted sermons 1)r. Martin Luthers aus den Jahren 1528 bis 1546" u. s. w., where with this sermon (in another, shorter redaction) the time determination is found: krittis lieminisoere [16. Märzs. (Vol. Ill, first half. )
1820 Erl. 4", 218-LLi. Lutber's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. vn, nsi-1784. 1821
(For these things were sounded and spread abroad), and therefore more flocks ran to Jerusalem than otherwise would have happened, that they might hear the preaching of Christ, and see his wondrous works. And when they themselves saw his signs, the evangelist says that many believed in him.
But what is this "believing"? Nothing else, but that they considered and accepted him as the Messiah of the world. For the text does not say that they believed in God through him, but that they believed in him, and not a small number of them, but many of them, almost the majority of the Jewish people, who believed in him. But the same faith is still a milk faith and a young faith, of those who easily fall or burst and believe, and when they hear something that they do not like, or that they would not have thought of, they bounce back quickly, and fall back on their old dreams. Therefore this text says that you believed in him a lot because of the miraculous signs. But what these miraculous signs were is not described here. And in the last chapter of his Gospel, v. 25, St. John says that Christ performed many miraculous signs in the presence of the disciples and other people, and also preached and spoke many other things, none of which are described. But the things that were described were done so that people would believe in Christ, that he was the Savior of the world, and that through faith in him they would have eternal life John 20:30, 31.
But what is this, that the evangelist says they believed in him, and thought him to be the Messiah, and yet the Lord would not trust them; for he knew what was in man? Here it should be known that John the Evangelist adds these words for two reasons. First, that he might show us, for a lesson, that our dear Savior, Jesus Christ, is truly God, knowing the hearts of all men, and knowing every one. Neither I, nor you, nor any other man can do this. This is what the prophets were able to do, that they sometimes knew, from a revelation of God, one man's plans and schemes against another, even the
It is written about Elisha 2 Kings 6:8 ff that he showed the king of Judah how the king of Syria was coming with a great army to fight against him, so he said to the king: Prepare thyself, and go into the same place: for this and that have his counsellors determined 2c. But this he had not from himself, but it was revealed to him by God; item, he could not do of all men, nor know of all the thoughts of one man, neither can he know all men. But this man sees so deeply into all men's hearts that nothing can be done secretly from him, he knows it, he knows everything, and it must not be revealed to him, he also knows all, he is a heart-revealer, as in the stories of the apostles St. Lucas says Cap. 15, 8.. But such is a divine work and not human. For not all things are revealed to a man; he, the Lord Christ, alone is a revealer of hearts. What then did he see? That they believed in him, but when a temptation or adversity struck them in the face, they fell away again, as Matthew 13:21 says of the seed that fell on the rock, and when the sun shone hot, it withered, because it had no root. So he has seen here that many of them believe well at first and want to be good Christians, but when a shock comes, they fall back. Just as many people have done in Germany in our time, who started well, but when the trouble broke out, and the uproar came, red spirits and heretics rose up, they fell away again, and the same then became worse than they had ever been before; yes, even worse than the pope himself.
Therefore this is the first cause, that Christ is true God, and a heart-cleaner; but the world is so foolish (as also Junker Pabst and his cardinals do), that it does not think otherwise, that it can hide its counsels from our Lord God. No, he is called in the holy scripture χμρ8ιογνώστης*,* a heart-annunciator. This is true, as Jeremiah says Cap. 17, 9., man's heart is such a desperate, bottomless
1822 Erl. 46, LL4-LL3. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. ' W. VII, 1784-1786. 1823
and groundless thing, which is inscrutable, yes, with the people. For there one can masterfully hide the mischief, give good words, and have something arideres in the heart, there is mean the simulatio, dissimulatio, perfidia, nequitia unb malitia etc.. But God sees it nevertheless probably up to the ground away, if it would be still so deep.
And what a mischievous thing it is for a man's heart, that we know well. I have experienced it in the case of the pope and the priest of Mainz, who have been able to mend their ways with us with exquisite, good words, and thus pretend to be holy and pious, as if they were angels, yes, God Himself; and yet they have been wretched devils. But they are as devious as they always want to be, yet they should not be too clever for him who knows the hearts of all men. As the Lord Christ in the Gospel of John sees well in the hearts of the people who believed in him at Jerusalem, that they would not hold fast or remain steadfast in the faith they now had. As it happened afterward, when it came to his suffering, everyone fell away from him, just as the leaves fall from the trees in autumn.
Again, if a man is devout and God-fearing, his heart cannot be judged nor searched. For it is written 1 Cor. 2:15: Spiritualis a nemine judicabitur. Who will search it out? says the Scripture. But God says Jer. 17, 9. 10.: I will do it, I can do it, and I alone know it, and should a man hide himself from me, and I should not see him? As if he should say, By no means will it be done.
90] Secondly, this text is given us as an example and warning that we should not trust or rely on any man's faith or holiness, as the Lord does here. He sees their hearts and knows that they believe, yet he does not want to trust them, because "he knew well what was in man, and did not need to have a man's testimony given to him," so that people would say to him, "O Lord, this is a righteous man, for he knew them all before.
- "dem" put by us instead of "den"; "dem Pfaffen von Mainz", Cardinal Albrecht.
This is a necessary doctrine, that we should always be on our best behavior toward people, especially toward believers, and yet know that they can fall short and err. What a doctrine, if it had been firmly held in Christendom, we would have had neither the pope nor all his filth and stench of antichristian doctrine, with which the Christian church was subsequently deceived. For in the papacy they soon concluded and said: "Oh, he is a holy man, therefore everything he says is right. Take before you the examples of St. Ambrose, St. Gregory, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome, and after that, Bernhardt, St. Benedict, St. Dominic, and St. Francis, until finally everything was gathered up that was said and taught by anyone who was considered a holy man.
(92) From this I am to be warned here, and say: I will gladly believe that the above-mentioned people, as St. Gregory, Ambrose and Augustine, were holy people; but I do not trust them. For even though they are holy, you must not say that they could not err and be wrong, and that one should trust and build on all the sayings of the fathers; item, accept as true and believe everything they taught. But take the touchstone or touchstone before the hand, namely the divine word, and try, judge, and judge according to it all that the fathers have written, preached, and spoken, and also otherwise made of rules, statutes of men, and other things. For if you do not do this, you will be corruptly deceived and deceived. And because the pope was not led to this grinding mill in the past, he did well and flooded the church with error, like a flood of sin, and made people accept and believe all speeches and teachings, even what the monks and priests dreamed of at night, as holy and delicious. Therefore, all the harmful and horrible errors, about which we have fought, fought and fought with the pope, such as monastic life, indulgences, pilgrimages, invocation of the deceased saints, masses, vigils and masses for the souls of the deceased, have grown.
1824 -Erl. 46, 223-225. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1786-1789. 1825
are in purgatory; item, rosaries, and other fool's works more.
But be diligentlyware of this. For no saint is pure and without sin in this life; he still has flesh and blood clinging to him, and the devil next to him, who may well cause him to stumble and fall; as St. Paul laments to the Romans Cap. 7, 23, 19. I see another law in my members, which is contrary to the law in my mind, and takes me captive to the law of sins, so that I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want, that is what I do. For flesh and blood always contends against the Spirit, and at times does not let the saints pray, give thanks and praise to God, or otherwise rejoice, as they should. For we should always rejoice, dance, leap, and sing the Te Deum laudamus. But we are often so distressed, sad and afflicted that we forget to give thanks and pray. So also the carnal devotion, which wants to be spiritual, sometimes goes astray and errs.
Because we see that many believe in the divine word, and yet they soon fall away, I should not easily trust a person (whoever he may be, even if he is already a believer) and cling to him as if he could not be mistaken. As the pope has used this title, that he does not err, and has placed under the appearance of the church the Beggar's Belly, Thomam of Aquinas, Scotum and Bonaventuram 2) as holy people, who could never err. He did the same with the other fathers, whom he raised so high in heaven that he made of them pillars of the Christian Church.
95 Against them one should have said: Yes, dear pope, they believe well and are pious people, but I should not trust them; for I must see here whether they also remain with Christ or fall away from him, as may well happen, for they are human beings. Therefore I must pay attention to them,
- "under the appearance," namely, that he could not err.
- aufscllen - to act up, to hang up. In Low German: Kleiderseller - those who trade in worn clothing.
whether their doctrine everywhere agrees with the doctrine of Christ and is conformable to it, or whether it strives against it. For Christ alone is to be presented to us, on whom we are to look, and to have our eyes fixed on him, and not to look at Ambrosium or Gregory, and to cling entirely to their speeches and teachings alone.
96 Therefore say, I will see whether the doctrine rhymes with Christ. Just as St. Paul gives Christians this certain rule, that they should pay careful attention to what rhymes with the teachings of Christ and the faith (I should not forget this), and says Rom. 12:7: Ut sit analogon fidei, that is, it should be found to rhyme with Christ and be similar to him. So also St. Peter says 4 Ep. 4, 11, "He that speaketh, speaketh as the word of God." For you must not only go to St. Bernard or Ambrosio, but also go with them to Christ, and see whether they rhyme with his teaching. If they do not do this, but have also invented and taught something out of their own devotion over and above what Christ taught before, then I must let them answer for this and not make an article of faith out of it; nor must I believe them, because they do not agree with Christ in the same way. For I am to abide with Christ alone, who has done neither too much nor too little for him. He has taught me to know God the Father, and has explained Himself to me, and has also given me the Holy Spirit to know Him rightly; He has taught me how I should live and how I should die, or what I should wait for; what more do I want? Now if anyone wants to teach me anything, let him see that he brings nothing new, or let me say to him, "I will not do it, my dear priest, my dear preacher, my dear St. Ambrose, my dear St. Augustine; for what is outside the man who is called Christ is not pure; it is still flesh and blood, from which Christ earnestly warns us not to trust, for he himself did not believe men either.
Because we have not followed such teachings of Christ until now, everything that St. Gregory and Thomas Aquinas and others have said has been right. And therefore all the monks and nuns have come, yes, all the
1826 Erl. 46, 325-228. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, I78K-179S. 1827
Pilgrimages, and the invocation of the saints emerged from it.
But no one can believe how great an annoyance this is, and how grievously it offends one (as it has often done to me), that one should teach and believe something against the fathers; item, when one sees that so many excellent, understanding, and learned people, indeed, the best and greatest part of the world, have held and taught in such a way; and also so many holy people, as St. Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine 2c. But nevertheless, the one man, my dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, must be more important to me than all the holiest people on earth; yes, even more than all the angels in heaven, if they taught something else than the gospel, or if they did or broke off something for the teaching of the divine word. When I read St. Augustine's books and find that he has done this and that himself, truly, it makes me very upset. If the clamor is added to this, that they cry: "Church, church! that offends most of all. For it is indeed a hard thing to be able to overcome one's own heart in these matters, and to differ from people who have a great reputation and bear such a holy name, yes, from the church itself, and no longer trust or believe its teachings. But I mean the church, of which they say: "The church has decided that St. Francis' and St. Dominic's rule, and the monks' and nuns' order is right, Christian and good; this truly knocks one over the head. But I must answer in sum that I do not have to accept everything that a man says, for one can be a pious and God-fearing man and still be mistaken. For this reason I will not trust everyone, as it is said here that the Lord Christ also did not trust men. In the Gospel of Matthew Cap. 7, 15 Christ warns to beware of false prophets who will come and not only teach that they are Christians, but also perform miraculous signs so that the elect may be led astray Matth. 24, 24.
99 Therefore, we should not trust any fathers, nor any of their writings, but under
the wings of our glorious hen, the Lord Christ, and look at him alone. For God, the heavenly Father, says of Himself Matth. 3, 17: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, Him you shall hear"; He wants us to hear Christ alone, for He has not spoken too little, nor too much.
Moses has the greatest glory and honor in the Scriptures) who may say: You shall not do anything to me for the law, nor take anything from it, but leave it as I have taught you Deut. 4:2. If Moses, as the servant, wants to have such honor and glory, how much more is it due to the Lord Christ, to whom God the Father has given the testimony from heaven that we should hear him and no one else! For He has taught us to know the Father and Himself, and how each one should conduct himself in his position, and how to endure trials and temptations, for which He has given us His Word and Sacrament, so that we may not suffer any addition or detraction.
- But the pope does it as he pleases, and he is not allowed to add to it, and to break off from it; as he took the one form of the Lord's Supper from the laity, contrary to this text, when God says: "This you shall hear. But who told him to break it off? And, if one should not break off the word of Moses, the servant, why would one want to break off and take something from the word of the Lord, Christ? Therefore, whether you are a priest or not, I will believe that you are pious, but I will not trust you, for you break off from the divine word, and your preaching and teaching is not according to and similar to faith, as St. Paul requires. But the pope also does something in addition, as indulgences, pilgrimages; item, that he sells meat and butter, and whoever eats it on forbidden days, that the same sins on it. Who has allowed him the addition? For my Lord Christ says that I shall not be caught; if I only know the Father and believe in him, I shall eat what God provides and is set before me by men.
But they cry out against it in the Pabstium: Fathers, fathers! Then you answer: I believe it well, and gladly allow it that they sanctify.
1828 Erl. 4S, 228-230. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1792-1795. 1829
But if they teach and speak anything against Christ, I do not believe them. For how does it rhyme that the pope says: Whoever eats meat on Friday is of the devil, maledicted and cursed, when Christ teaches the contrary? And St. Paul wants 1 Tim. 4, 4 that all food should be received and used with thanksgiving to God. Does this rhyme with the teaching of Christ? I let it be that Ambrose and Augustine have said and taught that one should not eat meat on the same day; nevertheless, because it is contrary to the holy Scriptures, I will not do it, nor will I obey you.
- He also pretended that he who goes to Rome to get indulgences will be saved, and forced the monks to keep their rules, so that they would go barefoot, wear wooden shoes, be bare-headed and bald like fools, and have ropes around their necks like thieves; whoever of the monks and nuns did not do this would be eternally lost: But Christ has given thee liberty in such matters, saying, If thou hast not a gray tunic, put on a black one; and he would not have the rope of man's statutes cast over thy horns, and thy conscience taken captive, but that thou shouldest believe in him alone, and then love thy neighbor, and be patient in suffering, when God sends thee a cross, and hope for eternal blessedness.
But all these things have been taught in the papacy, and many great people have been caught and blinded by them, so that they have held much to them, and have made articles of faith out of them. How then still many are deceived by their pretense that the church does not err. But answer thou this, O yes, she erreth, and may well err and be erring. For the church cannot be gathered together into one place, or into one congregation, but is a common Christian church, which is scattered abroad, and is often found in one place, where thou wouldest have least imagined it. Therefore the Lord Christ alone does not err, but the Christian church can err. And that it can err, we have well learned from the fact that it
She accepted and approved the custom of the One Form of the Lord's Supper, proposed by the pope, and did not oppose it, nor did she oppose it. But Christ has preserved it by praying daily in the Christian faith for forgiveness of sins; as we still ask in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
For this reason you think that the church is holy, but I do not trust it because I see an example of the church under the papacy. But if they teach Christ well, I will also believe and trust; for in Christ I know no sin, error or lie, for he alone is the truth, and God the Father's will is in him. For of him he says: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, him you shall hear" 2c. But where I shall hear another, error shall not be left out.
Therefore, let this be a warning to me, and see what I do when someone comes along who is foolish and wants to preach to me in such a way. But I tell you, it is hard to stand here and overcome this puff that the holy people, as St. Augustine and others, could err. I have had a lot to do with this for twenty years, and have argued about it with myself, and have thrown myself over with the proposition that one should not believe everything that the pope says; item, that the church is wrong; and that I should believe only what the fathers say; These have indeed had a great appearance and reputation, for they have been taken for great teachers of the church, and all the emperors, kings, and princes of the world adhere to them and their doctrine, and the whole multitude of the papacy (which possesses the kingdoms and estates of the world) hold with them. But what are we in comparison? A small, poor, small group.
But God the Father has warned us against this; likewise also the Son. For thus prophesies the Lord Christ, saying Matth. 24, 24: "False prophets shall arise, preaching such errors, that even the saints and the elect may be deceived and beguiled." Now, I admit that the holy fathers, Ambrose and Bernard, believed that
1830 Erl. is, sZo-LZZ. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vn, nss-iwr. 1831
and elect; but Christ Himself says here that even the saints may err, and the elect may be deceived.
108 Therefore, it is not enough, nor does the consequence follow, that I say: St. Benedict is a holy man, St. Gregory a pious, select man; therefore, what he has done and said, that should also be done and taught, because it is all holy and good. Do not blame them, because they were also human beings. So the text here says that many believed in Christ, but he did not trust them. Why then will you trust them and follow them? Because there is more in man than faith, namely, the old Adam, flesh and blood, which are still hanging around our necks. Item, the devil also desires to sift men, just as one sifts wheat; as the Lord Christ says to St. Peter Luc. 22, 31. Therefore a man may well err and fall.
What do you want to do, do you want to condemn them? No, I will not condemn the Benedictum and others, but I will take their books and run with them to Christ and his word, as the touchstone, and hold them against each other, and bring St. Francis' rule to Christ's gospel; if then their doctrine agrees with it, then I will accept it, if not, then I say: You may well be a holy man, but you will not bring me into your rule, because your rule is a man's rule, therefore the devil accept it in my place.
110 So it should have been done. But no one wants to do it, nor can they do it today. For they will not admit it, nor yield to the fact that the church errs. But hold thou to Christ; as John the Baptist also sent his disciples to Christ. In the same way, place the saints under Christ, for what the prophets and holy men have done', there is no need to make a rule out of it. And you are to judge from the words of the Lord Christ alone, for it is written, "This is the one you shall hear. If therefore ye shall hear this, know that all things which ye shall speak and do in the faith of the Son shall please me; if not, then please me.
Again, nothing that you will say and do, and then go (as we have learned) that one has looked at the people alone. If St. Augustine, Jerome or Ambrose said or taught something, we closed our eyes and 1) did not ask further questions, but accepted and believed it without some disputation, and thought that one must hold the church and the saints in honor. But one has not considered that one does not know everything that is in one, namely, to sin and to err. From afar I see that he is flesh and blood, and that these things in man fight against one another, as was shown in chapter 7, v. 18 ff. to the Romans, and in chapter 5, v. 16 ff. to the Galatians.
For this reason, you say, "I admit that St. Jerome, our pastor, is a pious and godly man, but I do not trust him, nor do I believe that everything they do and say is true and Christian, for I know that there is still a piece of Adam in them, as there is in me. For at times I come and speak a vain word, reproach, become angry, slothful and indolent to hear the divine word, or to live by it; item, am cold to faith and prayer, am sure, snore and sleep, and cleave to flesh and blood and my evil lusts too much, and do too much to him. And who is there among us who has not often stumbled and sinned?
(112) It requires great diligence and effort, therefore, not to make all these things an example and a model, but to learn what one may do or refrain from doing with a clear conscience. For if it is said, "This man teaches as Christ taught in his Gospel, and lives as Christ taught," believe it, and follow such a teacher, if you draw his preaching, teaching, and life to Christ; otherwise do not follow. And so also St. Paul says 1 Cor. 11, 1.: Estote imitatores mei, sicut et ego Christi. Teach how we should follow him and look at his example, but not higher than how he looked at Christ's example.
- Erlanger: us.
1832 Erl. 46, 233-235. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1797-1800. 1833
For otherwise it would not be enough, nor would it be everything. For this reason he adds: sicut et ego Christi, as if he should say: If I therefore follow in the footsteps of the Lord Christ, then you also follow me. But if there is a lack of a saint, do not follow him; as if there were anger, unchastity, laziness, that one should be left in faith and love; in such things do not follow.
It is dangerous to speak as the pope did, namely, that St. Benedict was a holy man and did not eat meat on Fridays and Saturdays; therefore, it is good that I follow him in this matter. How, if St. Benedictus had done it out of ambition and carnal devotion? So also, if the pope pretends that St. Francis was a pious man, that he did not touch money, and that he wore a gray cap and wooden shoes, and then you wanted to say: Well, I want to do the same. No, Christ did not command that one must wear a gray cap. But St. Franciscum was very good about it. How, then, if he had done it not out of the Holy Spirit, but out of the old Adam, who always wants to be wise in spiritual matters? He did it out of human devotion and reason. For the Lord Christ is well pleased with it, you clothe yourself with whatever clothes you want; only stay with Christ, and do not let yourself be led away from him, creep under his wings; just as the young chicks creep under the mother hen, and follow her where she lures the chicks, otherwise the vulture tears them apart and eats them.
(114) Let this example of Christ be seen, and let it be learned that we believe men to be holy and pious, and that we hold in honor the dear fathers and saints, and also the church; but do not rely on them, as if they could not err. The Church must pray daily: "Forgive us our trespasses"; item, she also believes in forgiveness of sin. And here in the text it is said: Many believed in Jesus, but he did not trust them, because he knew that they were men.
(115) But if the church and the fathers act in such a way as to give the Lord Christ, their
The bridegroom, the beatific and the shepherds, follow them, and I will gladly follow them. This is what the Lord wanted to admonish us about. For he saw that the devil would play such a game in the church, and that the pope would gain great dominion by teaching that the church and the fathers could not err, for by this teaching he deceived the world miserably. Let this be a warning to us, and let us follow the example of the Lord Christ, that we should think all good of men, but trust none.
The twenty-first sermon on the Gospel of John.
Saturday 23 March 1538. 1)
We have heard how the Lord taught us by his example that we should not trust in men. For when he preached in Jerusalem, he did not trust those who believed in him. For thus the text reads, "JEsus trusted not in them, for he knew well what was in man." From this we have learned that we should be armed and strengthened against the great clamor, not only of the papists, but also of our consciences, who are always telling us and advancing: "This is what the holy men, Augustine, Ambrose and others, did, this and that they wrote and said; therefore it must be believed and followed. For the Lord does not speak here of those who disbelieve and are wicked, but of those who believed in him, that he did not trust them either, and the text says: he did it because he knew what was in man. As if the evangelist were to say that he did not need anyone to come and say, "O dear Lord, these are truly pious people and good Christians who believe well, you may well trust them, they are serious in what they do and say. But he would have answered: Oh, dear, do not teach me to know men; I know very well that they believe, but I do not trust them. Why? The two can go together, that men-
- In the original margin.
1834 Erl. 46, 235-237. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1800-1803. 1835
believers are believers, and that believers are also human beings, and yet they should not be trusted. For men can err and sin, and have not yet stripped themselves of their old hardness. For though we are believers and spiritual, we are not yet purified as we ought to be. The old Adam is still hanging around our necks, and in a person there are still both the flesh and the spirit, and our flesh is not yet pure; we are not even saints, as we want to become on the last day. And even though God begins to purify us through death, so that we become ashes and dust, the last fire must still come and purify everything that is otherwise not yet sufficiently pure in us through rotting in the grave, so that then there is no longer any stain or defect in us, and we become as the bright sun, even as the angels. But this has not yet happened; we hope for it now and die for it; but before this happens, and we live here in such knowledge and faith, and hope for the perfect cleansing of the old Adam, you must not think that you should not err and stumble much in this life. Therefore trust no man. For a thought may come into my heart that deceives me. And what happened to me could have happened to St. Augustine, Ambrosio and the other fathers.
117 Therefore say not, This man believeth, or this man hath the Holy Ghost: therefore all that he doeth is right. Not yet, journeyman; you must be accustomed to trust neither in yourself nor in any man. For thou and all men are flesh, and all saints, being yet in the flesh, may err and fall short, until their bodies be cleansed by fire at the last day, which by rotting is not made clean.
- Take the example of Gideon, as it is written in the 8th chapter of the book of Judges, v. 24 ff: He was chosen by God Himself to govern His people, and is praised in Scripture for being a holy and excellent man, as he was. For by God's command he commanded with three hundred men more than a hundred thousand men.
struck. Everyone can well think, especially since it happened without any sword stroke, that God's power had to be with him. Who would not consider Gideon a great saint, as he is to be considered, because God did the great battle against the Midianites through him? And when he came home again after the battle, he fell into devotion, that he would establish a chapel in honor of our Lord GOD (who had given him such a glorious victory) in the village where he was at home, and there he would hold a service, and he took all the earrings that the people had received from the enemies and made a golden idol out of them. This was a delicious worship and good opinion. The Holy Scripture says that Gideon greatly angered God, and condemns it, saying that Gideon sank and fell in the excellent devotion, and because of the great sin, all his family and children, of whom he had seventy, lost their lives on a stone. And one of his sons, whom he had begotten with a black sheep, did this. For at that time it was customary for everyone to take his closest friends to himself, even if he had a wife before. So he was rewarded for his beautiful devotion, even though he was pious and holy in his own person, and was undoubtedly blessed; for the epistle to the Hebrews on the 11th, v. 32, praises him and counts him among the saints. But great sorrow, saith the holy scripture, was visited upon his house, because of this service of God, and in case, that all his seed and natural heirs were cut off.
(119) Such examples and the like are many in the Scriptures, where great and excellent men have fallen and stumbled; that we may well understand this text, that no man is to be trusted to be as holy as he always will be. For is it not a great thing that St. Peter is punished by St. Paul, as is shown in Galatians 2, v. 14? St. Paul himself complains about himself in Romans 7:23, 24, that he cannot be powerful enough against sin in his body or overcome it, but must always fight and struggle against it. If then the saints of God, to whom the Holy Spirit has been given
1836 Erl. 46, 237-240. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1803-1805. 1837
The Lord is the one who can provide and fall, if they do not fight day and night against sin, flesh and blood, and against the devil; ei, we will not be pure either.
. 120 But we do not believe that the great men and true saints are generally fallen by themselves. For Gideon, who slew a hundred and twenty thousand men, is overcome by himself. You also know what an abominable fall the great man David committed when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Therefore we should be prudent and pay attention, so that nothing is considered that is done out of our own holiness and wisdom, or even good opinion and devotion, no matter how good it may be, unless it is based on God's word and is in accordance with it, and, as St. Paul teaches to the Romans on the 12th, v. 7, that it is similar to faith. Therefore I should first go to Christ and see if it rhymes with his word. So St. Paul does not reject prophecy, but wants it to be similar to faith.
(121) This doctrine is to be diligently remembered. For it is not described in vain in this other chapter of John, that Christ did not trust in man. St. Paul also admonishes all Easterners not to rely on human wisdom; and in Galatians 6, v. 4, it is said: "Let every man examine his own work, and then he will have glory in himself and not in another. I am not to see or ask how St. Jerome, Augustine, Ambrose, or Franciscus and others lived, but whether they also preach Christ and lead us to Him. For then we should keep it with them, and follow them in their faith and doctrine; otherwise I should not imitate all that they have done, for they still have their flesh and blood on their necks. So then I say: I believe that St. Ambrose, Jerome, Bernard were holy, pious people, but I do not trust them because none of them suffered or died for me. And even if someone had died for me, his death does not help me a drop to make me a gracious God.
- and no one thinks here that these people were holier or better than Gideon, Peter or St. Paul and David. For no one can lead the rhyme, but only the Lord Christ, which rhyme is written in the 1st epistle of Peter in the 2nd chapter, v. 22, that he did no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth; and Isaiah Cap. 53, 9, that he did no wrong, nor was any deceit found in his mouth. No one is like the Lord Christ; he alone has this honor, that he is holy and free from sin. Which we ought to endeavor to do after him, but we fall far short.
123 For this reason, if it is said that the Christian church and the fathers have decreed and established this and that, therefore it must be kept; then answer, Yes, yes, dear brother, I will keep them for the holy Christian church and for holy fathers; but so far from Christ being supreme, and that they follow Christ, for they want to be called Christians and also to be Christians. Otherwise, if this were not the case, holy people might well be lacking, be it the pope or the Concilio.
124 If therefore it be said, The church and the bishops have ordained these things; say thou, Well, I will ask thee again, Whereupon have they done it? out of their own devotion, or hath the Holy Ghost inspired them? Nay, the Holy Ghost forsaketh not the church: therefore what she ordaineth, that is right. Not yet, the consequence does not apply for a long time; but come here, let us go to the pestle, and let us measure with the right yardstick, and see whether it rhymes with the Lord's Prayer and the articles of the Christian faith, and whether it also teaches and believes forgiveness of sins. If it then rhymes with what Christ taught, let us accept and follow it. Therefore, one must soon run to the touchstone and see if it agrees with it before accepting it.
- Christ commanded us to eat his body and drink his blood, saying, "This is my body," and "This is my blood." Then the concilium and the pope come and say: You shall believe that in
1838 Erl. 46, 240-242. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1805-1808. 1839
One form or part of the Lord's Supper, as, under the bread, is as much as under both forms, namely, the body and the blood; for a body cannot be without blood. Ei, they say, the Holy Spirit does not leave the church, I believe the church and the fathers. Then you answer, "I ask nothing of them; I am to follow Christ alone in these and other matters, and hear only those who have God's word for themselves, and ask nothing of what this or that one says to the contrary. For I know that the fathers, apart from Christ, did many things out of their own devotion and the lust of their flesh; so I am not to follow them anywhere. For they were not only spirit, but also flesh and blood; therefore they had not always spiritual, but also carnal thoughts. Therefore bring against them this text of John the Evangelist, 2, v. 24, 25, where it is written that many believed in Christ, but he did not trust in them. These examples of Christ are to be diligently remembered. For we are concerned to follow our Lord Christ, and not the examples of all the saints in their lives, and to give faith to the dear saints, if they believe in Christ, and lead us to him with their teaching and examples. Otherwise St. Paul says to the Galatians Cap. 1, 8: "If an angel from heaven preaches to you another gospel than the one I preached to you, let him be accursed.
In the rough parts one could understand it well, and make the difference. As that St. Jerome himself wrote of him, he had thus chastised and chastised his flesh with fasting, that his skin was even wrinkled, yes, so black, like a coal, yes, like a Moor's skin. Even when he was lying on the ground in his cap, he dreamed in his sleep as if he had gone to Rome to dance with a young maiden and had joked with her in a friendly way; and otherwise he would often have had such lewd thoughts during the day. This is truly a rude feeling of a holy man. If this were written down in the decree or otherwise, and thus read: St. Jerome danced in his sleep with a virgin; or that
Otherwise, someone would come up and say, "St. Jerome thought like this and like that; therefore, I should also think like this, as I woo with a beautiful matzo; or, "Do the same and follow him. Truly everyone would say that this is not right. He was still a holy man, even though there is filth and evil desire in him; but one should not follow him in such evil thoughts.
St. Augustine also complains vehemently about his shameful dreams and other evil thoughts, of which there is nothing to be said. Who would now say: Well, I want to follow him in this matter? Then all pious hearts would say: No; but follow St. Augustine in that, if he preaches Christ purely, and not in other things.
128 Thus, when St. Ambrose, bishop of the church in Mediola, 1) put the pious emperor Theodosium under ban, and tractirte very badly, for no just cause; that can be well noted - it was not right, and was done to him too much. Nor was the pope allowed to say: "If St. Ambrose has done this, we may also trample the emperor underfoot. And the popes, following his example, have become so pious that they have trampled on emperors and kings. This is wrong. These rough pieces can soon be understood and judged when they happen in the other panel.
But when it comes to the first table, that the saints perform a beautiful service out of devotion to their flesh, one cannot see it that way, and it takes understanding that one does not soon follow. As that St. Anthony runs into the desert and becomes a hermit there. Item, that some prince endows a mass or builds a church, that one holds vigils and masses for the dead in it; this cannot be rebuked soon, because reason is too weak for it. Then the great cry arises that one pretends: The holy Christian Church has decreed this; St. Francis, St. Dominic, and St. Anthony have commanded that one should wear ropes, caps, and plates; they were holy people; this is what the saints have ordered.
- d. i. Milan.
18-40 Erl. 46, 242-245. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, 1808-I8II. 1841
Fathers, that of the Conciliar Decreta decided, and so the church has held it until now, and the pope has confirmed it: whoever condemns it, let him be cursed. So I answer it: I leave it in its value that such pious, holy people have been; but I do not trust them for that reason. I believe that Anthony, Ambrose and Augustine were quite pious and believed in Christ; but that I should trust them, that everything they did and said was true, that I will not do for a long time. I follow St. Bernard (whom I love very much, as among all scribes he preaches Christ most lovingly) when he preaches Christ; and in the faith in which St. Bernard prayed, I also pray to Christ. But that I should put up with his cap and his hard shirt, and his monkish clothing, I do not. Otherwise, I would condemn all other Christians, as if they were not in as good a condition, honor and dignity as the monk Bernard. For a father, mother, and child, item, maid and servant in one house can be in the same faith in which St. Bernard was; for they have the same baptism and faith; item, the same Christ and God as he had. Therefore, they are as good as St. Bernard. Yes, another Christian can have a stronger faith than he. What difference should a cap or a rope make among people? Truly nothing at all.
130 Therefore I should make a distinction between them, and say that they are not the same holiness; but this devotion is Gideoni's own devotion when he built the church; item, this is St. Jerome's chastity, since he dreamed of dancing in his sleep; but it does not rhyme with Christ at all. I believe that Gideon and Jerome are holy people, but I do not trust them. For if I should believe, as it is certain that I am cleansed from sins by Christ's blood, what should my cap and plate, or the masses and pilgrimages help me from sins?
But if you say, "This is how St. Francis lived, keep his three vows,
and you will be saved. Then you answer, "Does this also rhyme with the teaching of Christ? Then you will find that these beautiful, exquisite services, religion and devotion are all error and stumbling blocks and old infirmities of Adam, because they chose this and that out of their own reason before other people and thought they had the Holy Spirit. But with them there was still vanity of flesh, which is only of the blind and poor reason: which thinketh it good that they should not deal with other men, and that they should lead a peculiar life with meat and drink. But say thou, I allow it, wear a cap; but see that thy faith be not set thereon. But it is said in the papacy that we should put our trust in caps, orders and rules, for through them we would be saved. But this is called the devil. For our trust should be in Christ alone, and in nothing else.
I have preached this many times before, but I still have to do it a lot. For we have played it so far with the papists that they must lie down in all things, and leave us the glory that we have the holy Scriptures for ourselves. But now they offer us the horns and say: They hold it with the holy church; cry: Church, church! But there is no talk. We also hold with the Christian church, but with the church which preaches to us Christ our Bridegroom, that he was born, crucified, and died for us. And if she did not do this, I would not consider her to be the church. For Christ says that the church and the fathers believe in him; the church relies on him alone, and teaches that we should trust in him.
For this reason, if the fathers have already thought of a devotion that may be glorious, I know that they have not died in it; otherwise they would be lost. And even when they are on their deathbed, they can trust in nothing else if they want to be saved other than in Christ, the only Savior. As St. Bernard also did; although he had kept his order strictly, even when he was about to die, he singled out the dear Lord Christ above all other teachers.
1842 Erl. 46, 245-L47. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, I8II-1813. 1843
and had his pleasure and joy in him, and said: The Lord Christ is my Lord, and has obtained the kingdom of heaven in two ways, and has obtained the same for me; by this I also will be saved. (Yes, that is talking about God.) How then? First, for his own person, as an heir who has inherited heaven; for he is the Son of God. Then, as one who deserved heaven, because he died and was crucified, and gave us heaven; and the same belongs to me. So they all crawled to the cross before they died, and there they fell down and sought forgiveness of sins. So Gideon will not have died on his devotion either.
But we cannot take that away from the papists; they also do not want to believe that I believe that the church is holy. But therefore it does not follow soon, as they make them dream, that I believe and accept everything for right that they do or have done. They stand firm that they believe a holy Christian church. But we say: When the church baptizes and is baptized, administers the sacraments, absolves and is absolved from sins, hears the word of God, receives and administers absolution, then it is right, there are the right churches; for there are the right works of faith. Otherwise, one dresses in this way, the other in a different and special way. For example, the Augustinians had a different dress than the Bernardines; item, the Barefooters had a different dress and rule than the Carthusians. Such then is not the baptism, communion, faith, power of the key; but it is a way and devotion of its own. Then I can also say: I admit, dear church, that you are holy; item, dear Father Francisce, that you are also a holy man; but I do not trust you.
But they do not want to know this. For they do not think otherwise, that everything that is in the church, also everything that is said and done by the fathers, and what is still done in the church today, must be accepted as Christian. But it is Gideon's foolishness; and in the church there is much vexation, that some are saints, and yet have much infirmity in them. Then I say, Where the church
I will stay there, and what the church believes, that I also believe: I believe with her the articles of the Christian faith, as, in God the Father, in God the Son, and in God the Holy Spirit; after that, I also pray with the church the Lord's Prayer, and then I perform my office, profession and command, if I am a man or a woman, it is good; what I do after that, I do because God has commanded it. But if I am to do something that is outside or even contrary to God's word and command, such as wearing caps and plates, I do not follow it, nor do I listen to it. For the cap is not commanded by God, but by St. Francisco, St. Augustine, and others; therefore I shall not do it. Do they then say: Why would you not do this to the holy people? Then answer that a holy man has two things in him, the soul and the body. Now as far as the soul is holy, I follow him, but after his body I do not follow him, as they would have it. For there is still flesh and blood. For there is flesh and blood, as anger, impatience, fornication and heresy, against the first three commandments; which sins and vices of the body must not be followed. And then, my dear man, the body is also heresy and error, as when a man conceives of any religion and worship contrary to God's word.
For this reason, the church and the saints must be viewed in two ways. First, according to the spirit, and then also according to the flesh. Now if the church's devotion, religion, word and work smell like the flesh; item, if the saints have an erroneous opinion and speak of carnal things, then say:. No, no, here I do not hear nor follow, for they speak according to the flesh; it is St. Hieronymi's sleeping dance, and St. Ambrosii's wrath in the church at Milan. Item, if from time to time an erroneous doctrine escapes them, as one finds many erroneous and controversial sayings in their books, which they have written without any particular Christian thought, or even my other intention; then everyone sees that one should not insist on such sayings nor defy them, but I should remain stiff, firm and certain in the teaching of the divine word alone.
137 But the papists do not want such things
1844 Erl. 46, 247-250. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. W. VII, I8I3-I8I6. 1845
They hear, and make a mixture of things, so that they cannot be distinguished; they cry out, "Church, church! They make a mess of it, as if flesh and spirit were one thing; and will not be led to the judge who is called Christ, that he may pass judgment with the gospel in such matters, but say badly, "The church has said it, the fathers have said it; and he who will not believe it must then be their heretic. He must be a heretic. But say thou, Be it ever so, I will not hear you, nor any man ever more, nor follow him in the church. For St. Paul sternly declares, and says Gal. 1:8, that even if an angel from heaven preaches another gospel, he is not to be believed. So then, neither should we believe an angel who is much holier than all the monks and priests; much less should we believe them who have taught us that we should build on our good works, and that whoever is buried in a monk's cap should ascend from the mouth to heaven; item, that they have sold their good works, merit, brotherhood and pilgrimage to others for this purpose. See here, does it also rhyme with Christ? Dear, did the cap die for you? did it shed blood for you? Well, they say, St. Francis said it, and so they took it for that. But you speak: I do not inquire; it is the stink of his flesh, and not the good smell of his spirit. Item, the monks have often persuaded princes, counts and noblemen to give them a thousand florins in their monastery, they wanted to ask God for them day and night. Then ask whether the lousy works of the monks have died for you? whether they too have shed their blood for you? Then you will see that all this has nothing to do with Christ.
- therefore let it be well kept that we believe that these holy men may have been saved; but that Christ died for us alone, and that we put our trust in the only Savior Christ alone, and not in others; nor in you, nor in your own thoughts, however good they may be; do not trust in them, but in Christ alone.
But first bring them to Christ, and see if they are in accordance with the faith and the words of the holy gospel. For I also sometimes have beautiful, glorious thoughts, so that I think the Holy Spirit has inspired them in me. But when I hold them against each other with faith, they are all filth and impure, sinful thoughts. Therefore, a Christian heart should know for certain and for certain that Christ's innocent life, his holy blood and his holy death are our salvation, and that we, together with all the saints, must hold on to Christ alone, and that no saint in heaven has ever been allowed to trust in himself or in his own righteousness.
Therefore the evangelist says: The Lord knew well what was in man, that is, flesh and spirit. Therefore, in St. Jerome there is still flesh and blood; and, as St. Paul says Gal. 5:17, flesh and spirit war against one another in us. Therefore one should make a distinction and see where the spirit goes and where the flesh is. If then their doctrine and life is according to the Spirit, then I shall follow; for it leads me straight to Christ. I will certainly go, for she teaches me Christ and the faith. But when I see that St. Jerome, as a monk, girds himself with a belt and begs, does not want to have anything of his own, wants to be dressed in such and such a way, then I say: Always away with him, he may be holy, but I do not want to follow him, but want to trust in Christ. Therefore the evangelist says rightly: "Jesus did not need anyone to bear witness to a man, for he knew what was in man," namely, that even all the great saints still had flesh and blood in them; and the more holy they are, and the more spiritual they are, the less flesh there is in them. They have little flesh and much spirit; but because they are also flesh, they often err, lack and sin. But because they abide in this foundation, Jesus Christ, as apart from him no other foundation can be laid, as 1 Corinthians 3:11 says St. Paul; though they sometimes slip, slide and stumble, or build hay, straw, stubble and wood on it, they are still preserved. For the straw, hay, stubble, and timber must be
1846 ed. 46, 250-252. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1816-I8IS. 1847
Everything in my heart will be set on fire on that day, burned and consumed 1 Cor. 3:12, as there are: Caps, plates, horae canonicae, and whatsoever else the feet of men are, all of which cannot stand the sting, nor stand before the judgment of God.
So our faith must not stand on human wisdom, but on God and the Lord Christ's wisdom and righteousness, otherwise flesh and blood will not leave its kind and wickedness. And if St. Jerome cannot be rid of the fathers' disease, namely, of lewd thoughts (so that young fellows are still plagued today), what do you think he should not have done in the first tablet? Oh, how many false, evil and ungodly thoughts and speeches will have escaped from him in his books, since he did not pay attention to them, and that the devil should not have come behind him in an excellent devotion! The books of St. Francis, Dominic and all the monks, and especially the pope in his books, are full of beautiful devotion and wonderful, excellent thoughts. St. Gregory also put all his dreams and apparitions in his books, so that the Church of God became full of idolatry. But the holy fathers are forgiven by grace, because they have raised themselves up again through faith in Christ, and have risen from the mud, as St. Bernard. Now others have wanted to imitate such evil works of the saints; this is wrong, because St. Paul in the epistle to the Hebrews Cap. 13, 7. says: "Look at their faith, and follow their faith"; and tells there in the 11th chapter a long register of the saints and their faith.
But this was not done in the papacy: the monks did not follow St. Bernhardt's or Francis' faith with their rules, in which they died, but looked at St. Francis' cap and outward life, and how he wore a rope, had nothing of his own, and looked only at such ragwork, which is not worthy to be called good works. For if thou wilt call this holiness, when one wears lowly, poor garments, so shall the husbandmen, the cobblers, the carters be saints.
and craftsmen, who wear wicked clothes; item, the day laborers, masons, who cannot dress deliciously for the sake of their work; item. Servants and maids, who always have to peep, 1) work and feel 2) and wear more torn clothes than St. Francis wore; for they often have to stand in the barn with bare feet, so that the dung hangs around them, since the monks otherwise have white, clean legs and walk on wooden! shoes.
In this way, the lives of the saints and great teachers have not been properly considered. For one should pay attention to their faith and follow it: so we leave the same as the best and want to imitate their works. Yes, they say, the pope has nevertheless made them saints. Yes, the devil thanks him that the pope has taught us, if they have erred, to imitate them. But if the pope had been pious and learned, he would have said, "Let us do as the epistle to the Hebrews teaches us, Cap. 11, where Paul says, vv. 32, 33: "Consider Gideon, Barak, Samson, David, and others, who by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained the promise." I do not have to say that Gideon was holy and built a church, but I will do the same. Not so; he sinned against it, and did wrong and evil, therefore thou wouldst not earn indulgence herewith; but follow his faith, and thou shalt do well. David also was a holy man, but he fell into adultery and murder. If any man therefore shall come and say, David is an adulterer and a murderer; therefore will I do likewise unto him, and will commit fornication and murder. Nay, behold his faith, and do unto him the works which he did rightly in the faith. If the pope, the conciliar authorities and the bishops had done this, there would not have been so many idolatries and idolatrousnesses in the Christian church. But they have stirred up flesh and spirit in the saints, and have brewed and boiled all together, and is
- peulen", perhaps to do dirty work. The word is probably related to Pfuhl. Compare the following.
- to feel - to defile.
1848 Erl. 46, 253-255. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. I-4. W. VII, I8IS. 1849
For they were blind and foolish, and did not think that man had flesh and blood in him, and that it would remain in him until his last hour. For they were blind and foolish, and thought not that man should have flesh and blood in him, and that such should remain in him until his last hour, though he should begin to live by the spirit. For thus the holy scripture divides man into
The flesh and the spirit are always wrestling and fighting with each other, and the flesh, through the instigation of the devil, always causes evil and ungodly thoughts to the soul and the spirit, as experience shows.
End of the other chapter.
The third chapter of John.
The twenty-second sermon on the Gospel of John.
Saturday, March 30, 1538. 1)
V. 1. 2. Now there was a man among the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you have come as a teacher from God, for no one can do the signs that you do unless God is with him. 2)
So far we have dealt with two chapters of John, and now follows the third chapter. We could, however, leave the beginning of this chapter because such a gospel is preached on the Sunday of Trinity, just as the following text and almost the entire third chapter of the year is preached at a special time. However, one may sing a good song now and then, and because one should read kings' and princes' letters now and then or three times, yes, often, and one must listen to them diligently, much more one should act on God's word day and night, as the first Psalm says. For there is such divine wisdom in it that cannot be reasoned with, nor even understood; it is an infinite and unfathomable wisdom, in which we all have enough to study.
In particular, however, this chapter teaches above all
- The time determination is missing in the manuscript. But if the 21st sermon was preached on March 23 (cf. 2. Eisleb. Theil, col. 492 d) and the 23rd sermon on April 6, the date for the 22nd sermon can be no other than March 30. (Hock.)
- The text of the 2nd verse is missing in the Erlanger.
the other is the high part, namely, faith in Christ, so that by it alone we may be justified before God. For you have often heard me say that the Christian life consists of these two things, namely, in faith and then in good works, that one should be pious according to faith and lead an outwardly good life. But the first is more important than faith, and the other is nowhere equal to the first, although the world thinks more highly of it than of faith, preferring good works to faith.
The pope fell from the faith and fell only on good works, of which he thought up many by his own choice. The Jews and the Turks did the same and were drowned in works, so that the other part, namely good works, has always been held higher and more valuable in the world. Now it is true that one should do good works, and good works are to be held in high esteem. But see to it that this is done in such a way that faith and Christ are not put down. For if works are exalted too high, they become the greatest idolatry, even the devil himself, as happened in the papacy and in Turkey. For they exalt good works too highly and forget faith in Christ altogether, and boast or preach not of God's works but of their good works. But faith is to be put first and then taught about good works, and faith must bring us to heaven without and before good works, for it is through faith that we come to God.
1850 Erl. 46, 255-257. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1851
The Gospel of John teaches us this with the example of Nicodemus. He has the other part for himself, that he is praised for his good works; he lived holy and honest in the world, and kept the part with the good works. But look how he runs out. He comes to Christ at night, shunning 1) the other Jews, as the elders and chief priests. For he was not one of the chief priests or other priests, but was a pious layman and a great lord, a ruler of the world or most distinguished among the people, as our counts and knights are now, as John says, "One of the best, of the secular regiment. For the mayors have been princes. That is why they are called princes of the people in the Gospel; and Joseph of Arimathea and others were also such great princes. The others will have kept it with the priests, with Anna and Caipha, who did not consider Christ worthy to be addressed. But Nicodemus brings with him a blameless life, discipline, honor and obedience according to the law of Moses, a fine, chaste and honest councilor, as honest people should be in the secular government. When he heard of the preaching and miraculous signs of the Lord Christ, he was moved and came to Christ and wanted to talk to him. He must not tell anyone in the council, otherwise he would have been taken by the head or chased out of the council or out of the city or robbed of all his goods. For the elders of the people were all attached to the chief priests. Therefore he wants to speak to him secretly about the great serious matter, and does this at night, because he is afraid of Caipha and the other chief priests and rulers of the people; therefore he comes to Christ, thinking that he is blameless and a pious man, and will hear this judgment and sentence from Christ, so that Christ will say to him, "You are pious; go and do more like this. But it will be a strange thing to him, preached much differently and more than he had thought, because of which he will be able to prove the deception.
- Handwriting: shoo.
in the head and does not know where to turn.
He recognizes that Christ is a true prophet and teacher and comes from God, because he proves this with his teaching and with the miracles, as he attributes such to him and says: "It is impossible that someone does such signs, unless he is from God; which is a great testimony. He speaks it as it is in his heart, that Jesus is a true prophet and teacher, for he proves it not only with words, 2) but also with great miraculous deeds, which no one else could do, because he is God. So he greets Christ, saying: "Rabbi, we know that you have come from God, a master, and teach the way of God rightly.
How then does the Lord receive him? Truly this is how he strikes him down, because his hope and good opinion must come to nothing and perish. Why is this? He lets him off the hook by confessing that he is a teacher of the truth, that he comes from God, and that he praises his miracles. But he answers: I will tell you, my Nicodeme, the truth. Since you consider me a prophet of the truth, I will also perform my office and tell you the truth. But this is the truth: Do not think that I will preach the Law or Moses to you, as is done in your schools and churches, where the Ten Commandments are diligently practiced, and Moses and the prophets are much spoken of, but nothing is understood. I have come to bring you a much different and higher teaching than has been preached in the schools and synagogues up to now; just as, in the 23rd chapter of Matthew, the Lord also says: "The Pharisees and scribes sit on the chair of Moses. Do what they tell you, but do not do according to their works." So is the opinion of the Lord also here, when he speaks:
V. 3. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
- Erlanger: "Works". That "words" must be read, proves the beginning of this paragraph: "that he proves with his teaching and with the miracles".
1852 Erl. 46, 257-sso. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1853
These words make very little the good works or the other piece of the. Doctrine, namely, preaching about good works. Not that he rejects them at all, for works are also good, but they are to remain in their circle, in their place and place, for they are so very small before the piece of doctrine which I lead (namely, of faith and regeneration) that they do not bring to heaven, nor promote men to 1) see the kingdom of heaven or come into eternal life, but one must be born again. Otherwise no one belongs among the heaps of the church unless he is born again. Now these words are bright and clear, and Nicodemus is also pious enough and does not lack good works, he humbles himself and comes to the Lord Christ; this would not have been done by Annas and Caiphas; he confesses that he is a teacher of the truth. Nevertheless, the Lord says to him, "This humility and holiness is worth nothing, and he will not go to heaven unless he is born again.
Whoever believed this and considered it to be true could easily answer the Turk's and the Papist's, yes, all men's righteousness and holy thoughts, when one binds himself with ropes, another puts on a cap, the third goes on pilgrimages, saying: If you pray and fast as long as you do or build small houses, you will not go to heaven because of it. Putting on a cap does not do anything either, but it is said: You must be born elsewhere. This is as much as to say: Now you are dead with all your works, being and life, and in this holy and Pharisaic righteousness you are condemned and of no value; as if one said now to the pope and the cardinals: In the being in which you are, you are dead, condemned and lost; but they do not believe it.
Take an example. It is certain that a child that is to be born after two years is nothing now. The maid who is to carry and bear the child is still in the wreath. The child that is yet to be born of her is nothing, it can do nothing, because what does not have life before, that can not do anything.
- Erlanger: fodern.
They have no effect, everyone must confess that. So also here all works, however excellent and good they may be, are nothing at all if they are done before the new birth; these works are only sin and death. Therefore the Lord Christ also casts a shadow so that Nicodemus and all the Pharisees, yes, the whole Jewish people, who do not accept Christ and believe in him, are nothing at all, because they have not yet been born again.
But what will become of those here who do much lesser works than Nicodemus, than the monks and nuns, and all the papists' works, which works are nothing compared to Nicodemus? Because they are not born again, they cannot do good works. Even if they put many works on the people as great and delicious works, it is still all nothing.
Hereby we do not condemn good works, but we want people to be first prepared and born again, who could then do good works. We would like to have such people who would do righteous good works; one must preach about people who can do good works.
Then our adversaries say, "Well, I want to go into a monastery, put on a cap and a hard shirt, read the Mass, and become a Carthusian. All this is nothing, because you are not yet born again. You must first become a man who can do good works. Now the papists and our adversaries, the monks, do not understand this, so they cry out that we forbid good works, but they are lying. For we preach good works in the best possible way, saying that good works cannot be done except by those who are born again, who are born and made for good works, and forbid that some should do good works when they are not yet born. For good works ought to be done, but they are not done except by those who are born new men, and by those who ought or are able to do good works. If a carpenter is to build a house, his person must be there first. For what should he build if he is not yet born? So judge also here of all good men.
1854 Erl. 46, 260-262. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1855
Works. For what is it that thou puttest on a cap, and hast a scalp clipped, and doest many other such works? I ask you if this cap makes you a newborn man, which it does not. But this is true: A cap covers many a rogue, but it does not make one pious. I can adorn myself with the cap, but first ask if you are born again, then ask about the works you should do. But they do not do this, but become straight monks and nuns, and think that they want to be saved by such works. But first see if you are born again; if not, your good works are worthless.
Therefore this is our doctrine, that all men's works are nothing, and are done in vain, unless one is first born again; and therefore we call it also the chief part, whereof men ought to be instructed, how they must first be born again; that therefore it should be said first, that they are all dead, and whatsoever else there may be of life, ordinances, fasting, and other things, that it is of no avail to obtain remission of sins, until they be born again, and become new men.
But what such a birth must be, we will hear. But it is written that Christ swears twice, saying, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again 2c.; as if he should say, Remember not, Nicodeme, because thou art an honest and devout man, therefore be thou blessed. For it is true that one should live honestly and chastely and blessedly in this world. For if you do not, Master Hans, the executioner, is here with a sword and a rope, telling you not to do it anymore, saying, "If you will not, you must. But if you want to interpret it in such a way that you want to see the kingdom of heaven through it, then it is nothing with the same good works. For these same works, this same piety, give only temporal life, or preserve thee, that thou be not strangled, or else put out of house and home, wife and children, or hanged on the gallows. So, if you are a citizen of Jerusalem, you have life, honor and glory through this honor. But as for the kingdom of heaven, the church and the kingdom of Christ, remember this,
That thou mayest become a new man, and hold thyself no otherwise than as a child, which not only cannot yet do one work, but hath not yet his nature or life. These are the sermons of Christians.
Christian doctrine teaches us that we must first become different people, that is, be born again. But how does this happen? Through the Holy Spirit and through water. When I am born again, having become devout and godly, I go, and what I do in the new birth is good.
As, Adam, if he had remained in the innocence and in the state in which he was created, he would have gone and done what he would have wanted, as any fishing, catching red herrings or planting trees: these would have been vain good, holy works and no sin; and Eve had suckled the children, wiped them 1): these would have been vain delicious, good works. For the person was created good, righteous, pure and holy; therefore all his works were also good, he eat or drink, it was all right. But after a person has fallen into sin, he does nothing good after the fall, but sins in all his works, even if he prays, because he does it like a sinner; everything he does is not right, even if he fasts, prays, leads a strict life as a Carthusian, wears a monk's robe, goes barefoot. For all these things are sinful, because the person is evil and not born again, and all that he does is of no avail.
Therefore Christ says to Nicodemo: I am come to preach another doctrine, how that ye must be born again, that ye may be made good. This teaching has been understood and described in the Scriptures, but you do not read it, and even if you do read it, you do not understand it, namely, that before one does good works, he must be born again, because from sinners other sinners are begotten, and the person is corrupt. The Lord Christ says in the 7th chapter of Matthew: Where the tree is evil, there
- Erlanger: gewuschet. Handwriting "gewusschet", which Höck had erroneously dissolved with "gewaschen".
1856 Erl. 46, 262-26S. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. I-4. 1857
it does not bear good fruit, thistles do not bear figs, nor thorns 1) grapes.
But here they say, "The papists do many good deeds, for they pray, fast, and perform masses. Then you answer, "They count for nothing; they are evil works, like thistles and thorns. Why? The tree is evil, that is, the person is not good. Therefore whatever they do, whether they read or pray, it is all evil, for they are an old birth and maligned, and because they are evil, they can do no good. Who then could persuade the Papists and the Turks that they are all thistles and thorns! For they are not born again, but are all still of the old birth.
Thus, saith Christ, I begin to teach men, that I will make them from the foundation of godliness, not with outward vices, or with sour looks, or that they may otherwise walk uprightly in the world. I will not lead them to this, but I will show them how to be born otherwise. I will build from the bottom up and purify the heart, for by good works we are not born again. Therefore saith he, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot possess the kingdom of God; as if he should say, Do what thou wilt, keep of works what thou wilt, give, 2) as much as pleaseth thee, clothe thyself also as thou wilt; yet is it all nothing, except thou be born again. There the text says, it does not say: If someone is so and so adorned with all kinds of virtues, or is clothed with worldly clothes or with monk's caps, and so and so dresses, but it must do the new birth. But what is the new birth? Namely, when man becomes that which he was not before. For birth brings a thing into a being 3) that was not before. Now this happens by no order, caps or plates, but I am and remain the one, so I am born of my parents. So Nicodemus is just the one who was born of his mother, as a pious, wise man, and still the old Nicodemus among the beautiful works. The-
- Erlanger: Dörner.
- Erlanger: gives. .
- "Being" - the being, the existence.
The same, when one goes into a monastery, one is not born anew under the cap, he brings the old man, the flesh and blood into the cap, the cap is the devil's carnival larva. But one must take off the old skin and birth, and put on the new; which Nicodemus does not yet understand, and thinks that Christ speaks of birth, since one is born bodily 4) and speaks:
V. 4. How can a man be born when he is old? Can he again go into his mother's womb and be born?
There he rests 5) that he wants to say: I see what is to be born, but I understand it from the mother in the flesh, as when a child is born from its mother; as if to say, "You are a strange teacher, preaching strange things; you are a teacher from God, but you attack us harshly, as if we were nothing and unborn. Have you no eyes? Do you not see me, or the whole city of Jerusalem? Or do you mean that the old man, this body, should be crushed, crushed and destroyed, and come again into his mother's womb? But if Christ's words were to be understood in this way, then one birth would be like the other, and the first like the last, for Nicodemus thinks that man cannot be born again unless it happens in this bodily way, and no other way.
The Lord answered him and explained himself more clearly, saying: "You are to be born again, but not of the mother, for what would this birth be other than the first birth, if we are first born of the mother? but you must be born of the spirit and water, and whoever does not do this cannot be saved. There he has explained himself clearly and brightly enough; as if he should say: I mean a spiritual birth, because it is a twofold birth, first of all, a bodily one, since we are born of women, therefore we all come from Adam and Eve. Now this alone is a fleshly birth, of which he does not speak here, but of the spiritual birth, which comes from water.
- Erlanger: bodily.
- Erlanger: rüget.
1858 Erl. 46, 265-267. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1859
and the spirit. If Nicodemus did not understand this above, much less will he understand it now. It is a ridiculous doctrine, even to our papists, that one should be born again, and that nothing should be added to it but the Spirit and water. They do not understand it, nor do they believe it, and all who still do not respect the doctrine of faith, to them it is a ridiculous and mocking sermon. Therefore they cry out, "Good works must be done!" and then they press home the main point, namely, that all is lost unless one is born otherwise than of water and the Spirit. But do not think that you will enter the kingdom of God, for you will only be born again of water and the Spirit. These are hard and mighty words, that we must be born again, that is, we must come from the birth of sin to the birth of righteousness, otherwise we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. This birth of righteousness must be followed by good works.
The Lord Christ speaks of these things much to Nicodemo, but he cannot understand them. Nor can it be understood, unless one has experienced such things and has been in spiritual birth. But let these words stand and do not exaggerate them, for they seem to be very foolish and strange to reason, and understand them plainly as they are, not as some have interpreted such words, that water should be understood here for tribulation and anguish, as Münzer thus interpreted them. One should not be bold in the word of God. It is better that you remember: I do not understand the words; before I want to change them, or take something from God's words or add to them, I will rather leave it and command God. For one should treat the holy Scriptures with reverence and great fear. But this is not done by the riffraff and insolent spirits, for they are bold, as it says in the 2nd Epistle of S. Peter in the 2nd chapter, for they do not take God's word for anything but the word of men. But remain unconfused with God's word. If thou understandest it not, then do him the honor, and say, I will wait till I understand it; and do not act as a coiner, who out of the water doth
In this place it means tribulation or temptation, although it is true that in the Scriptures and in the Psalms water quite often means temptation. But in this place it does not have to be understood in this way, because Christ speaks here of baptism, of the right natural water, which otherwise a cow drinks, of which baptism you shall hear in the sermons on baptism; and so water here is not only called tribulation, but right natural water, which has God's word with it, since through the Holy Spirit or through the whole Trinity a right spiritual bath is made out.
So he puts here also the Holy Spirit and taught us to look at the baptism, that it is hastily spiritual, yes, a spiritual water, in which the Holy Spirit is and works, yes, the whole Holy Trinity is present; and then the man who is baptized is called born again, as S. Paul to Tito in the third chapter calls the baptism a bath of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit; and Marci in the last chapter says that whoever is baptized and believes shall be blessed. Paul to Tito in the third chapter baptism is called a bath of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit; and Marci in the last chapter it is said that whoever is baptized and believes shall be saved; and here in this place Christ says: Unless one is born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Therefore, God's words cannot be changed. We know that baptism is natural water, but when the Holy Spirit is added, it becomes something more than water, namely, a true bath of discipleship, a living bath that washes and cleanses people of sins and death, and washes away all sin.
Then Christ will say, Ye are not yet born again; but I am come to bring you a new way of being born again, as by water and the Holy Ghost, and to preach unto you that ye must be born again, and to bring you such a bath as shall make you new, that the person may be new. With this he gives Nicodemo and the whole Jewish people a hard blow and slap, who thought thus: We are circumcised, we are Abraham's and Isaac's seed, we have the Law or the Ten Commandments, the Temple, all of which is ordered and commanded by God. For this reason they boasted greatly,
- Erlanger: lernet.
1860 Erl. 46, 267-270. Luther's Interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1861
that they alone would be saved. No, says the Lord Christ, I bring you another being. Moses, the law, the temple and all Levitical worship now cease. The words of all are now finished. For what is written of these things is all preached unto me, that ye should wait upon me, and hear my doctrine. My teaching even takes away Mosi's teaching, and I] do not speak now of circumcision and temple, but of a new bath. And all the Jewish people knew well that the Messiah would bring a new teaching, as the Samaritan woman, John in chapter 4 v. 25, also testifies when she says: "We know that when the Messiah comes, he will teach us everything.
This then was the faith of the godly Jews before the future of Christ, not that they would be saved by the law or by circumcision, but that through circumcision they were directed to the Messiah who would bring a new bath and doctrine; 'and were all born and died, yea, were also saved, unto the Christ that was to come, and believed on him, though he was not yet born into the world, building nothing at all upon their own righteousness, but what he would teach, that also they believed before his coming.
For thus Moses, in the fifth book, in the 18th chapter, points them to Christ, saying:-God will raise up another prophet for you from among your brethren, besides me, whom you shall hear. So Moses came and brought a new teaching into the world, saying, "Just as I have now come with a new teaching, so God will also raise up a new prophet over you, who will be your Messiah, who will bring a teaching (as I bring you a new law and teaching), 1) which is not written in nature, but is unknown to the world, and as you have accepted my teaching and followed me, so you shall then hear him as me; my teaching will then cease, and you will not hear me, but him.
From this and similar sayings there has always been a certain faith among the Jewish people in the Messiah, that Christ will come.
- These brackets are set by us.
for whom they also waited, who would preach to them as Moses said here, who would teach them all things; And they also which died on this faith were saved as well as we, who now believe that Christ ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of his Father, and will raise us up again at the last day, and make us fairer and brighter than the sun is now, and will judge the dead and the living, and save all them that believe, and raise up the body also from the earth. Even though we must all die before we experience this, we believe it to be true, and we believe that it will happen, and we die confidently, and we are saved because of this belief, even though we do not see how it will happen. But even if we do not see it, grasp it or foresee it, nevertheless, whoever believes it will be saved.
So, even though they did not know or understand in the Old Testament what the Messiah would preach, namely, about baptism and the Lord's Supper and about the power of the keys or absolution, they still believed in the future Christ, and their delusion was that the Messiah would come and teach them all this. Therefore they took hold of him by faith, since they did not yet see him. So we also still take hold of eternal life by faith, and yet we do not understand what eternal life is, but we still believe that we shall have it.
Therefore Christ says here to Nicodemo: "The time has come for your circumcision, the Law and Moses to cease. For ye have hitherto waited for me, of whom the prophets and Moses prophesied that ye should hear me. Because I am now come, hear me, and hide yourselves with your good works, with the ceremonies, sacrifices, and other services of the temple, and come unto me, and be baptized with water and the Holy Ghost, which baptism shall bring you forth anew, and make you new men, bringing a new birth or renewal of nature. For the Holy Spirit works faith in us, through such faith we then receive God's image again,
1862 Erl. 46, 27Ü-L7L. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1863
so we had lost in paradise. If we are baptized and believe that Christ died for us, we grow in faith from day to day, even in the fruits and good works of the Holy Spirit. Whoever then desires to be saved, let him receive my teaching, for I shall preach and Moses shall now be silent.
Neither the pope nor the Turk believes that Christ died for me; no one else believes it or knows it, except the Holy Spirit, who gives it to him through the preaching of the gospel. For the Holy Spirit must give it to be preached; the Holy Spirit also is the scribe that presseth it into our hearts, that I may believe, and say, I believe on Jesus Christ.
This is what the Holy Spirit preaches in the word new birth, which he teaches and writes. Whoever believes in Christ, that he was born for us, died and was buried, and rose again from the dead, the same is born again or born anew. Then one is a new man, because you have such thoughts, which otherwise no Papist or Turk has, namely, that Christ died for you and rose from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of God. If you now remain in this faith, the Holy Spirit is there and baptizes you, strengthens and increases your faith, and gives you new understanding in your heart; he also awakens in you holy and new thoughts and affections, so that you may begin to love God and renounce all ungodly deeds, and do from the heart what God wants you to do, love your neighbor, avoid anger, hatred and envy. Such works are done by those who are born again beforehand, namely, through baptism, in which the Holy Spirit is and makes the person new.
When the person is born again, the new man begins to use all kinds of messengers, food and drink, and a Christian says: If you do not want to wear a cap, put on a skirt; if you do not have a gray skirt, take a red one. It does not matter how you dress, just as it does not matter whether you are a woman or a man. For this does not make you newborn, but that I believe in Christ who died for me. I know this from the
divine Word through the Holy Spirit, even from baptism. What do I need the cap for? A Christian does not need these ceremonies anywhere, but only to be baptized by the Holy Spirit and receive faith through Him, that he may be born again; and after that I serve God in the three commandments of the first table of the Law of Moses; after that in the other table I attend to my office and profession according to my ability, love my neighbor, and have a fine quiet life with my wife. If the cross then comes, I also suffer it with joy, then go to the sermon and hear Christ, my bishop, but may not then run to Rome or to St. James.
This will be the new preaching, how we become new men, and after that, as the newborn, also do good works; and this is the main part of our Christian teaching, that men should be taught how to be born again by water and the Holy Spirit, not that they should put on a cap and wear plates. For the cap only covers the old peelings, and does not make new men. But Nicodemus does not understand any of this.
The 23rd sermon on the Gospel of John.
lSunday] April 6, 1538. 1)
V. 6. that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
- In the original in the margin; however, there is erroneously written ,, 16. priiis". On the other hand, before a short repetition of the previous sermon, but which is crossed out in the manuscript, is the date we have set. About the omission of the crossed-out section, Buchwald, "Ungedruckte Predigten," Vol. Ill, p. 261, notes: "Our manuscript shows that these words belong to the sermon." All that the redaction offers in Buchwald in place of what is omitted here is this: "Baptism is the new for Rebirth, by which we obtain forgiveness of sins. In the first birth we are born in sin and to sin. But here we are born to righteousness, to the forgiveness of sins. From this it is clear that our justification does not begin from our doing, but from our becoming. Mas is born of the flesh*" and so on. To us the omission seems justified. Incidentally, it follows from the index given in Buchwald 1. e., p. 205: riUw 3uäieu" that the date we have set is correct.
1864 Erl. 48, 272-275. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. I-4. 1865
These two pieces are so separated from each other that one must not wait for a remedy. There is nothing between the flesh and the spirit, for man is either flesh or spirit. So S. John says: What is born of the flesh is flesh or remains flesh. He does not speak of the flesh that is slaughtered and roped in the flesh banks, but he speaks of such a fleshly birth, since a man who is born must be a living flesh and have a bodily life. Then Christ says that the bodily birth remains and is a bodily life and nothing more, and that man is flesh as much as there is in him.
He understands all this in one word and calls it flesh, saying, "Everything that is born of the flesh is flesh, that is, people who are born in the flesh alone are nothing but flesh. By this is condemned that which is high and exquisite in the world, call it what you will, noble or ignoble, mighty, wise, understanding, rich, wise, sensible, even all learned men. For what is born in the flesh is a thing in the flesh, and if it is not born otherwise, it becomes nothing but a thing in the flesh, and remains a thing in the flesh, which perishes. With this, we are truly deprived of much, indeed, we are even condemned in this.
Notice also here that what we call fleshly, the Hebrews call flesh or carnal.
So this saying is a mighty judgment on the whole world, which is also filled by S. Paulo to the Romans in the eleventh chapter, that God has closed all under sin, so that he may have mercy on all; item, Rom. 3.They are all sinners and lack the glory they should have in God" 2c.; and to the Ephesians in the second chapter: "By grace you have been saved through faith; and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; not from works, lest anyone should boast." Now if we believed this to be true, we would be humbled enough. For what would it be if you were born a lord, and were a king or the Turkish emperor, and had the highest wisdom and reason on earth, dear, what would it be? It is flesh. In the sight of the world it is great and is highly praised, but
In the sight of God it is nothing, therefore Christ says: "That which is born of flesh is flesh", that is bodily birth, is also a bodily thing. It also gives nothing more than bodily things, as can be seen in the great merchants, whose power, honor, riches, glory, money and goods finally pass away.
So herewith a sharp lesson is read to Nicodemo and he is treated badly. For it will not help him that he has Moses and the whole law for himself, he will remain carnal if he is not born again. What is it, Nicodeme, he wants to say, that you will follow Mosi for a long time? You will probably remain carnal. So what does it help the pope and the Turks that the gospel is preached? They hear it and see it all; it is painted, written, sung and said to them: yet they are not converted, for as they are born flesh, so they remain flesh. It is the same with Nicodemo. He and his Pharisees have the law of Moses, the temple and the worship: still they remain flesh-born. It is not much different with us today. We may hear the gospel preached, sung, read, but we do not become more devout or better from it. For we are flesh and remain flesh. But what is born of the spirit is spirit.
There is no middle ground, as said above, between the two: what is bodily remains flesh; what is born of the Spirit is also spiritual. But what is the spiritual birth? When I am born again through baptism and the Holy Spirit into a new being and believe in Christ, from whom I then do not expect riches, power, glory (as many seek such things in this world alone), for God has given me these things before: But if the bodily birth should end and I should die, whether by fire or by water, or be buried in the earth, I hope and expect eternal life, eternal joy and blessedness, that I may then be eternally blessed, even though I do not have this life, money and goods, riches or power, after which one otherwise runs and runs in the world.
So we are born again to the new being, which is not equal to this world being.
1866 Erl. 46, 275-278. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1867
For the mother in the flesh does not serve this purpose with her womb, with her teats and milk when a child sucks; item, since the child must also have porridge and cradle, clothes and shoes, house and yard, it must also be brought up in discipline and respectability. But all these things are a result of the bodily birth, since the parents feed me. But when all this must cease, as when you lie in the grave and your good friend, father and mother, authorities and princes do not follow you, but leave you and cannot help you, all that is mighty and powerful leaves you and falls away, favor, honor, money and goods, and what else you had on earth, nothing follows you into the grave: You must have a new birth and look to another being, to which I am called through the gospel and baptism, namely, when the Holy Spirit gives birth to eternal life again and begets, nourishes and clothes me anew 2c. This then is another breast, another teat, another room and another garment, by which I am nourished and brought up, that is, to eternal life, that I may be sent to the kingdom of heaven.
So the spiritual birth happens through the word of God, through baptism and faith, and we are all ready in this birth, while we still live here on earth, if we believe; and I have said above that the new birth or spiritual life is not felt with the five senses. There is no sword, power, gold, silver, crown, scepter or kingdom to help us to this life, but it is given through this rebirth; and it is such a life, which will be and last only after this bodily life is all over, and this fleshly birth is destroyed and flown away, and nothing is seen or felt anymore, that then the same spiritual life will be, and we will be alive again and raised from the dead.
This birth is not seen nor grasped, but only believed that what is born of the spiritual being is spiritual, and its treasure, with which it primarily deals, is forgiveness of sin and eternal life. Nevertheless, Christians still need the external being. The
Because they live here, they let themselves be fed by their father and mother, they let themselves be governed, they govern themselves, they eat and drink, they wear clothes and shoes, they have house and farm, money and goods; but they need it as guests who travel overland until they come to the city where they are going. Then they ask nothing more of the inns in which they have lain on the way, and have always thought in the same inns: Today a guest here, tomorrow 1) again on the journey 2c. So a Christian also remembers: Today all here a guest on earth, here eaten and drunk, lived honorably and chastely according to the flesh and blood; but tomorrow wandered to eternal life, where we are citizens and have our citizenship in the kingdom of heaven; And so Christians pass away through father and mother, through eating and drinking, through clothing and shoes, and when they come to their end, they leave everything that is bodily, and come into a spiritual life, which will never cease, and since they no longer use the bodily life and being.
So now the Lord Christ says: You must be one of the two, either a physical man or a spiritual man. Now choose which one you want, for there is no middle ground between the two; it must be either physical or spiritual. If a man wants to be corporeal, he may think how he can create good, gentle days for himself here, eat and drink, and live according to all pleasures, for he will get nothing more after that; he will take neither money nor goods, neither power nor wealth, neither gold nor pearls with him; everything remains here with each other. You may be a Turkish emperor, but you will not be saved. But he who would rather have eternal life must think how he will have blessedness after this life, and that God is his patron, and that for the sake of the dear Lord, in whom he has been baptized and born again, he can let go of everything that is bodily if it is necessary, and need it only according to need, because he lives, and through it come into eternal life after this life, which he does not see, does not understand, does not grasp, but only believes. Who otherwise
- Erlanger: morning.
1868 Erl. 46, 278-280. Luther's Interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1869
remains in the bodily birth, he goes into the abyss of hell. For that which is born in the flesh gives things in the flesh, such as swaddling clothes, porridge, father and mother, and needs only this present life. But if you want to be saved, you must have other parents who will take you to heaven. This is done by Christ, who places you in your Christianity through baptism and the word of God in the bosom of the Christian church, as our dear mother. He obtained this through his suffering and death, so that we might live forever through his death and blood.
V. 7. Do not be surprised that I told you: You must be born again.
Now this is a hidden and unusual doctrine for reason, it cannot fit itself into it. Therefore, the good, pious man, Nicodemus, will have sat and remained silent, shaking his head in melancholy and posing strangely, as he cannot get himself into it; he has indeed thought about the matter, but he does not understand it. Since he now turns up his nose at it, as if he did not like it, and remains silent, Christ continues and says: "Why do you wonder about it for so long, dear Nicodeme? Because you have been worrying for a long time about how it should be, you will still leave it unconceived. Give yourself up and remember that you learn it from me. There is more to it than this, and yet you do not understand it, and you have to give yourself up with your beautiful dark reason and have to believe it alone. So do the same here and believe that a man must be a new creature and born again if he is to be saved, even though you do not know how it happens. So I will give you a gross and tangible example from nature.
V. 8 The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So is every one that is born of the Spirit.
As if the Lord should say: It is a strange speech to you that I said: You must be born again. But listen, I want to tell you something great, and which everyone is well aware of. You live every moment in your
Wind, and if you did not have it, you could not live. You hear it and feel its whispering in your hand, nose and all over your body, especially when it often blows your skirt and coat over your head. Yes, everything in the world feels the wind, leaves and grass, wood and stone, the high towers and houses, yes, all animals on earth feel the wind. Yet you cannot tell me from which hole it comes if it starts a span behind you, nor can you tell me how far it goes and where it ends if it stays right in front of your nose. The eye or sight is the sharpest part of the human body, nor does it see the wind, although the wind is very harmful to the eyes. Only with the two senses, as with the ear and hand, or with feeling it is comprehended. You have nothing more from it than that you feel it with your hand and only hear its whirring with your ears, although the ear does not hear its blowing and weaving, but only its whirring when it hits the ear, and a deaf person does not hear the whirring, he only feels it in his body.
Therefore the Lord will say: Since the wind is a bodily thing by which you live and without which you cannot live, and you feel it with your whole body and hear it also with your ears, dear one, tell me where it comes from and where it blows? tell me the mother from whom the wind is born and the grave in which it is buried. Thou canst not tell me; neither canst thou believe that there is a wind, and yet knowest not how the wind is. It starts before the ear and stops at the ear, and even if it blows so hard that it knocks down houses, I do not see it, but I only hear its whirring; and because I do not feel it in my body or skin, it is not there at all, I do not know whether it is far away from me, or whether it is in front of me or behind me, or where it stays and is; And even if it tears trees out of the earth, I see neither the beginning nor the end of the wind, only that I hear its whirring, and feel it in my body with its blowing; but where it begins and ends is unconscious. You can do this,
1870 Erl. 46, 280-283. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1871
Dear Nicodeme, do not deny, you experience this in your own body, you hear the whispering of the wind, but do not know where it comes from. Nor has anyone ever been found, even if all the people on earth were arguing about it, who could have said or taught what the wind is, where it comes from, and where it has such strength and power that it can break the strong trees in forests, overthrow the great hens, and smash and drown the mighty ships. For Aristotle disputes a lot about the origin of the wind, that it comes ex cavernis montium vel terrae, that the wind is locked in the hollow gaps of the mountains, and when it gets a little air, it 1) blows out: thus it hits it just as when the children of the pot are playing in the alley, 2) when they think that they hit at noon, they hit at midnight. It is vain jugglery, and eill Philosophus should be ashamed to have such thoughts.
But the holy scripture teaches us differently about the wind. It says Psalmo 135, 7 Vulg.: "God lets his winds go out of his secret treasures", which, of course, neither Aristotle nor any man has never seen where it comes from. One cannot recognize a step of it, so secretly it goes on, as they, the philosophers, would have to confess themselves, where it would not be too close to their wisdom not to know something, and it is a great folly that they pretend that the wind comes from the hollow mountains; a wise man should not speak so.
But the Lord Christ says here that the wind, in which we live without ceasing, cannot be said where it blows or from where it comes. So it does not blow as we wish or from where we desire it, so it roars and storms without your knowledge, strength, will, power and force, wherever it wants, in all places of the earth, now from morning to evening or sunset from noon to midnight. Only we feel the whirring and blowing, and must believe it badly and give ourselves captive.
- Erlanger: wuscht.
- i.e. blindly.
This is certainly a bodily thing, which all men feel and hear, and is subject to our five senses, and yet do not know what it is, and whence or whither it comes. Why then will we not give glory to our dear God and believe His words when He says that we are born again through baptism, and through the grave we shall enter into eternal life and be saved, since we are still sinners, when we cannot grasp or understand it with our reason, and feel nothing but the water and the sound of the Holy Spirit, that is, hear His word? For this reason the Lord also says to Nicodemo afterwards: "If you cannot understand earthly things, such as where the wind comes from and where it goes, how will you understand when I tell you about heavenly things? You must do God the honor of knowing something more than you can understand, as if the Lord were to say, "Know that I will speak many things to you, which you will not understand, nor shall you understand. Especially thou shalt not understand how they that are born again of water and of the Holy Ghost shall come into everlasting life: for such thou only must believe. You do not need to know where the wind comes from, and you are satisfied with just hearing and feeling its whirring, if you do not know what the wind is, and where it blows from or where it goes to; and it is to be greatly wondered at that such a wise and prudent man, indeed, all of us men today, should not know the origin, beginning or end of the wind, nor know it, who nevertheless draw the wind to ourselves, and must get breath from the wind and live. It is a hard speech, yes, a great shame. But, he wants to say, if you, Nicodeme, do not know this, but must let him start where he wants; why do you not also say here: I will gladly humble myself and let him teach me, yet I do not and cannot know how it is with the wind. So I will also do here: even if I cannot understand the new birth with my reason, I will believe it; and let it be the truth that we must be born again of water and the Holy Spirit.
Whether you do not understand zero, so listen here.
1872 Erl. 48, 283-28S. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1873
Thou hast here also a wind or a sound, that thou mayest hear the word of God: I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; item, thou hast also the water, which is also the wind; item, the Holy Ghost also hath his blowing. Thou shalt not understand how of the water and the Holy Ghost a man is made new, nor how he that is dead may live again: but believe it, receive it, and be satisfied in that thou hearest the sound of the water, and feelest also the sound of the water and the sound of the Holy Ghost. There is nothing in it, though thou canst not understand how thou mayest be renewed, but say, I will believe it; for I know not whence the wind cometh, and yet I know that the wind is there, because I hear it, and feel it. So I also want to believe God that through baptism a new birth begins, even though I do not understand how I can become new through it, and how I can remain and be preserved for eternal life through it; I only want to hear the word and accept the water of baptism and believe; I must believe little if I cannot understand it. It is just as true that I am born again as it is that I hear the wind. I must know that I hear and feel the wind, and yet I do not know where it comes from: so I will also believe that I am born again through water and the Holy Spirit, and the old man must die if I want to enter eternal life in any other way.
It is such a new rebirth, since one does not see the mother or midwife; no female image or male image comes to this birth: nor does it start, and so we are born anew. So I also die, and depart from this life, and am laid in coffin. But where I come and where I stay, I do not know, it is all invisible and far out of the reason and human understanding set. But the whirring and weaving of the wind is there, for I see that I die and yet shall live; but I do not see how the same life begins and ceases, and I feel, yes, experience it, that I shall thus live. So I also see that I am poured over with water in baptism, but how I was born again I do not see.
So the Lord taught him with a physical and rough example, that if he does not understand it, he should believe it, because he does not understand how it happens that one hears with the ears. No philosopher nor wise man has ever been able to say how the ear hears over two miles away when a rifle is fired, and the sound travels as swiftly and quickly as any bolt from a crossbow would travel.
Yes, there is still a lesser thing than the wind, which we cannot understand, which no wise man has ever understood. No man on earth has ever been able to say how the angel can see so far into the world, that if one stands on a high tower, he can overlook a ten mile stretch of land, and in an instant see the sun, which is much larger and farther than much of the world may be, and yet one does not understand how it happens. One has probably written a lot about it, but they have not understood it. No man on earth has ever been able to say how it is done, that the tongue in the mouth overthrows and babbles, and takes the voice to help, and breaks the voice, so that many people can hear and understand the speech. No one has ever been able to say what laughter is, or what weeping is, or what sleep is, or how the bread I eat today and the drink I drink tomorrow become my flesh and blood and dung, or how food is changed in the body, since it is not as hot as it is in the pot; and even if it remains in the pot for many years and boils by the fire, it does not become flesh and blood, but remains flesh: Nor in twenty-four hours shall eating and drinking in the body become delicious flesh and blood.
No one has ever been born who could have said how leaves come out of a tree, which is dead in winter, with power in spring, and through a thin stalk a large fruit comes out, beautifully colored, with a hard core inside.
Who will also tell me how it happens that from a rotten grain a stalk comes, and that on the stalk grains grow?
1874 Erl, 46, 285-288. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1875
the? Such things are almost all that can be seen, which we do not know, and we are not at all careful here and leave ourselves unconcerned, are very well satisfied that we do not know. But what God works in particular, we want to deal with and be very clever, and deal with the shameful, so that our first parents in paradise were deceived by the devil, which still today leads us into all heresy and misfortune. Therefore we should learn from ourselves and from all creatures that we believe God and His word and accept it, even if we do not understand it. For since we do not know such bodily things, why are we so foolish and foolish, and want to dispute about baptism, what it means, or about the resurrection of the dead, or how a virgin can be a mother and bear a child, or how the Trinity is in the Godhead, and want to work it out? Is it not sin and shame? We cannot understand what is in front of our eyes and ears, but that I approach you and you hear me speak; what is it then that we search for the secret of God, if God does something higher than that which we otherwise have in our body? than how I am born again in baptism, or how there are three persons in the one Godhead, or how Christ fei in the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper, for this belongs to faith alone. Truly, we should be crowned with asses, that we so foolishly siild and so soon follow when the devil brings his old quare.
Well, we cannot understand the doings in which we live. A mother cannot tell how she conceives a child, how it nourishes itself from her heart and grows from her drops of blood, nor how she gets milk in her breasts; yet she carries the child and gives birth to it. So there are many things that we understand with the five senses and yet do not understand. Should I not then do God the honor and say: O God, should I not believe you? for I myself do not know how I was created. But I will believe that you can do more than I can see or understand, yet I do not understand everything that I see, therefore I will
Do not argue much with Christ and God, nor elaborate on the mysteries that God the Father wants believed.
The Lord Christ has given us only one example here, but if we look at the whole creature, it is full of such examples. You cannot explain how a grain grows into a stalk, or how an apple, pear, or cherry grows from a tree, or how a tree is dry in winter and grows green again in summer: nor are we foolish and foolish with the quare, wanting to argue about the things that are to be believed alone. In other things than how I fall asleep or awake, how I am born or die again, it does not matter to me if I do not know or understand how it happens; why then do we ponder and investigate this in the articles of faith? Therefore, the pope, the Turk, and all the wicked devil's disciples, who want to know everything about God and believe nothing, do not want to get caught up in the things that must be believed and not seen, and yet they must do it in other bodily things, since they otherwise grasp and feel.
Therefore he says: Dear Nicodeme, don't be surprised, be content with these things, and believe it alone, how you will be born again, if you don't understand it. You have before you a rough, understandable similitude of the wind, in which you see that we understand nothing in small things, and should we burst over it. Now I am speaking here of much higher things than the whispering of the wind: therefore believe that you must be born again. Even if you do not understand, do not be surprised, believe it.
It is very annoying and burdensome that the wiser and wiser people are, the more they want to know, understand and investigate everything in God's matters, and there is no end of questions with them, and in worldly and lesser matters, they ask little or nothing at all; and where they should believe, they want to know why; and where they should be diligent, they are even careless.
1876 Erl. 46, 288-2SI. Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. 1877
Are 24. sermon on the Gospel of John.
[Saturday, May 4, 1538. 1)
So too is anyone born of the Spirit.
This text gives two meanings in our language. The word spirit is very widely used in Greek, Latin and Hebrew, that it means the Holy Spirit, the reborn nature in the believers, item, that which has neither flesh nor blood, item, the soul, the life, the wind. But we Germans go right through with the word wind, so that we make a big difference between the words wind and spirit. For when we speak wind, we mean a strong, restless, weaving air, by which the trees, water and everything is moved. This is clearly spoken and no one understands anything else. But when we speak of the word spirit, we mean something that can neither be felt nor comprehended with the five senses, which is not a bodily thing, as there is God, or an angel, or the soul of man, so that one says: He gave up his spirit, that is, he died. In other languages it is not so. For the Hebrew, Greek and Latin languages do not have two different words, but call it all spirit, both spirit and wind, just as with us Germans the word Lord is a very broad word. We call everything Lord, from God the Creator down to the king, sovereign, item, landlord or father in the crowd. Now one must be careful where the word Lord is called God, or where it is called a man; and yet in the Hebrew language there is much another word when one calls God a Lord, and when one calls a man a Lord. And as with us Germans the word Lord has a broad meaning, it means God and also the creature: so with them is the word Spirit; and because it means all kinds of things, it may be noticed if the word Spirit means the wind or the breath that is blown when one speaks, or if it means the Holy Spirit.
- In the original margin: "den 4. Tag Maji 1538."
Spirit means. Yours: some go to and German these two little words: Spiritus spirat, thus: The spirit blows, so that spiritus allhie means to them the Holy Spirit. But we have given it thus: The wind blows. We do not want to quarrel about the words, only that we do not deviate from the right opinion and understanding of these words. For grammatica is to be a servant, not a judge, in the holy Scriptures.
But since we have here translated the word spirit as wind, this is the reason that the Lord says: "You hear its sound", item, that the Lord says: "So is every one that is begotten of the spirit". For here he uses the similitude of the wind, that he might tell Nicodemus by a gross example how it is with the other and spiritual birth, that as it is with the wind, so it is with the spirit; even as this is, so is this. Therefore it is fitting that the first part should be understood in terms of the wind. In this we remain, although it is neither error nor heresy, if one also follows the other understanding, that some interpret the word Spiritus for the Holy Spirit, and compare in these words not the wind and spiritual birth with each other, but the Holy Spirit Himself with those who are born of Him, that as He is, so are those who are born of Him. No one sees him, no one grasps him, I don't know where he comes from, I don't know where he goes: so I don't see a Christian either, I can't say myself: This hour or in this place I will become a Christian. In sum, it does not see itself, it does not time itself, it does not place itself, it does not grasp itself, it does not feel itself, it does not clothe itself, it does not stand in this or that, what one sees and feels, it is nothing.
Yes, then what is it to me if it is nothing? Yes, it is nothing, if you ask your five senses about it, and consult your reason and your wisdom. But you have to put your senses and your reason aside and think that it is something else that makes a Christian, of which you hear nothing more than the whispering and hissing. If you hear the voice, follow it and believe it, and you will be born again. As in the baptism, there I hear nothing more than the sow-
1878 Erl. 48, 291-293. interpretations on the evangelist^John. 1879
sen: I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. What is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Yes, if you ask your reason, it is nothing; it sees nothing but water, and even thinks it is bad water. But if I am to be saved, it must not be something that reason can reckon and measure, which comprehends and understands nothing but bodily things; it must be something that is not bodily but spiritual. For my soul is spirit, which cannot be helped by anything physical. So also in the sacrament of the altar I see nothing but bread and wine; there I see neither flesh nor blood: nevertheless flesh and blood are there, but I have nothing more of them/ than the mere sound, a voice of the Holy Spirit, which speaks that it is flesh and blood. If I now keep to the sansen, good for me; if not, then the damage is mine.
Although the other opinion is also true, that that of the natural wind, which we hear and see, is also that it rushes around a pillar, item, when it blows into the trees or comes under and into the water, then one hears it whizzing. But no one has yet been found who could tell where the wind began to blow or where it stopped, nor say anything about the two sides of the wind, how wide, how thin, how long or short it blows, that is unknown to the whole world. It can be heard, but if someone gropes for it, it cannot be found. So, says Christas, it is with the wind. You do not have to think that it blows from the beginning of the sun to the end, from the beginning to the end of the world. It does not blow according to the wind; it blows for the city and then stops, or for half the city, or for one house, and is not heard in other parts of the streets.
The philosophers were very concerned about the wind and pretended that it came from the hollow holes in the earth when they opened up, so that then the wind blew. But there is nothing to it; we are not to know how short or long it blows, only that we feel its whirring; it can only be heard and not measured, how low or high. This understanding is good and right.
But if one wanted to use the other understanding, then we say that the Holy Spirit is called figuratively here wind. For the Holy Spirit is here pictured like the wind, for one hears him blowing, but one does not know where he comes from or where he goes. For we have heard above that we must be born of the Holy Spirit.
But how? We only hear the preaching, namely that whoever believes and is baptized is blessed, item, the Holy Spirit punishes us for sin, but also comforts us. When I receive zero absolution and get comfort from my brother, that is what I hear, that is the Holy Spirit's voice, his whistling and whistling. But how a man comes to this, how it begins or happens, is not known; nor can it be understood that he who is baptized shall be saved, and he who is absolved from sins shall attain eternal life. For this is not in the power of reason and our nature, nor is it found in it, that a man should believe in Christ; it has never entered into any man's heart. So when we die, we do not know where we are, for it is the work of the Holy Spirit and not of man. Since we cannot tell how the wind of the flesh blows, where it begins and where it ends, since we feel the wind in our bodies, how can we understand where the Holy Spirit's nest and dwelling place are?
What then do all other doctrines than those of the Turk, the Jew, the pope and the monks, who have created very foolish and unrighteous doctrines with their orders and brotherhoods, as if it were in their arbitrariness, devotion and pleasure to obtain forgiveness of sins and to be born again? For these all teach us such a way to blessedness, 1) which I know and understand where it comes from and how it is done. I can well say: I want to put on a cap, because I see where the cap comes from, namely, from human arbitrariness and thoughts, item, that the cap comes from the tailor, the cloth is made by the weaver and the wool is taken from the sheep. I understand that very well. So I understand all their
- Erlanger: learn.
1880 Erl. 46, 293-2SS. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1881
Glory, which is nothing but vain things of the flesh, which are in food and drink, in raiment, and the like.
But I do not understand that I should believe in Christ, item, that I am baptized, then I will be saved, die also on such faith in Christ, and Peter and Paul suffer all kinds of tribulation and adversity for the sake of the Christian name. Where this comes from, no one knows, there is a spiritual life. The Holy Spirit is given to us, and His gifts are given to us in such a way that we do not know how to receive them; no one can determine the time, place or person how and when one will be converted to God. The Holy Spirit with his gifts is not given by human will, and if this came from reason, the pagan master Aristotle, our papists and monks could also have invented it and judged it. For we have diligently sought it in the papacy, prayed much and chastened ourselves with fasting, and still have not found it, and one has run into a church, who has become a priest, another a monk and nun, until God comes and gives it without our caps or good works, or without such our seeking.
Whoever is converted to the faith, then, cannot say otherwise than that the Holy Spirit comes when he wants, and to what place he wants, and to what person he wants, also at what time it pleases him. He comes when and where he wants, and also gives one gifts as much as he wants. In the papacy, one does not yet hear anything about the gospel, and even if they hear it, they do not understand it. But now we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, but the human faculty has not given it.
So then every man that is converted is like unto the Holy Ghost. To whomsoever this grammatica pleaseth, let him keep it; and to whomsoever it pleaseth not, let him keep the other understanding: The wind bloweth where it will; so also is every one that is born of the Spirit. But this is the opinion that the Christian life does not stand in the things that are understood by reason, for a Christian is and lives from beginning to end from the Holy Spirit alone, not from the
Reason, nor from good works, but only from what God and the Holy Spirit will. Reason does not teach that I should be baptized and that I should believe, but the Holy Spirit does. Therefore, my life must be in the Holy Spirit, who blows where he wills.
Therefore, it should not be said here, "I will do and begin this and that. My works, which I do, as putting on a cap and girding a rope around myself, are well within my lifting, will and reason. I can do what I want, how much I want and how big I want, because all works that are conceived by my own efforts are such that one knows when such works begin or end.
The 26th sermon on the Gospel of John.
Saturday after Jubilate [the 18th of May, 1538. 1)
The Lord Christ told the good man Nicodemo that no one would see the kingdom of heaven if he remained in the old birth, for heaven is closed to all who are born of men. But if they are to enter, they must be born again of the Holy! Spirit through water, and not through the flesh. Otherwise there is no path, road or way to the kingdom of heaven except through water and the Holy Spirit, by which we must be born again. . And hath presented unto him a likeness of the wind, which bloweth whithersoever it listeth, and the sound thereof is heard 2c., but it is not known whence it cometh, or whither it bloweth. So also be a man born again; he cannot be known otherwise than as the wind by the sound thereof, though it whisper, that is, speaketh and acteth of the divine word, of baptism, of the supper of the body and blood of Christ, item, of the power of the keys or absolution, which are visible things and signs. These things alone we hear, the sound is heard, but we do not know where it comes from. To this Nicodemus replies:
V. 9. 10. How can this happen? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things?
- In the original in the margin. But there it is erroneously "24th sermon".
1882 Erl. 46, 296-298. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1883
Nicodemus does not understand how man is to be born again through water and the Holy Spirit, for he is always stuck with his thoughts in the bodily birth, even though he has many examples of the new birth in the holy Scriptures, 1) so that he should have understood it. Therefore also the Lord answers him, when he asks, "How can this be?" and says, "Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not this?" You do not understand, how can you believe it? If you are a doctor in Israel, since Israel should learn from you, what do you teach other people if you do not know it yourself? It behooves a doctor to know and teach these things, especially if he wants to be a teacher in Israel. Therefore the Lord continues, saying:
V. 11. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and testify that which we have seen; and ye receive not our testimony.
As if he should say: Do not think, Nicodeme, that you can understand this thing; you must remain alone with the whirring and with the wind, that is, with the word. One does not know the whispering of the wind, where it begins or where it stops.
And the Lord tells us what the sound is, namely, the bodily word that is heard, the testimony or the speeches that the preachers give, that is, the preaching of the divine word. For in all Christianity we have nothing higher or greater than the Word. The whispering of the wind is heard, and the holy scripture holds the word before us everywhere, but in baptism the word is the main part, because one hears the word and feels the water, and without the word baptism is nothing. For what can water do without the Word of God? So also in the Lord's Supper, the bread and the wine are nothing without the Word. For there bread would remain bread for and for, also wine would remain wine. But when the word is grasped by the sacrament of baptism and the Lord's Supper, it is felt as one feels the blowing of the wind. For when the word is heard, we feel the sound of the word before our ears.
- Erlanger: hab.
That is how far God reveals Himself, and we should not believe otherwise. We alone must believe and know that it is true as we teach; we cannot know and see it, just as we cannot know where the wind comes from. I cannot see nor feel how I would be delivered from death and sins, for even the saints of God have much sin in them, and as other people feel temptation bodily and spiritually against both tables of Moses, but especially in the first table, as there is impatience against God, item, that they have much dispute about His works and judgments: this the Christians feel just as well as other people. But it is forbidden, I shall not see it, feel it, know it, nor recognize it, but only hear it, and hang on to it with faith, and stand on the mere word of God.
And deal with us in the same way as with one who has a dizziness in his head: if he is to climb a high tower or cross a bridge under which deep water flows, he must be blinded badly, led by the eye and have a cloak hung around his head, lead him and carry him; otherwise he will fall from the tower and break his neck, or fall into the water and drown. Therefore, if we want to be saved, we must also follow our leader; then we will be safe. We must also close our eyes badly here and follow the guide, the divine word, and say: I will be wrapped in swaddling clothes and have a cloak put around my head, and I will be led to that which I believe and do not see, and I will live and die on it. We will not feel otherwise if we are torn about it right away.
Many people were concerned about this and wanted to know where our home or inn was, where we would go when we died, and many great people were unsure that they did not know, and therefore they made the proverb:
I live and don't know how long, I die and don't know when, I go and > don't know where, It's a wonder I'm happy.
And it is true that an unchristian cannot know it at all; but a Christian must know it differently.
1884 Erl. 46, 2S8-30V. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1885
He has a faithful guide. He has a faithful guide, he also follows his leader and guide, Christ, who says what one should do, says: "Listen to what we say, because we know what we say, our speeches are the truth, trust me, hand yourself over and put yourself in my cloak, which I have wrapped around your head, I will carry you over. If thou do these things, thou shalt not be deceived by him. But thou sayest, I know not whither I go, I feel nothing, I grope not, neither do I take hold of anything. This is true, but you must rely on God's word and trust God, who will preserve you; if not, you will fall from the tower, break your neck, or shoot out of the ship and drown. But there seems to be nothing there; you do not know where the ladder or the step is, or the rope on which the ladder hangs; you cannot see a way that goes to heaven. But in Christ alone the way to heaven is presented to us, which is held out to us by the divine word; otherwise you will rise into the air and fall.
Therefore Christ says: My dear Nicodeme, you alone must believe and follow where the word will lead you, you must let the whispering of the wind be commanded to you, and hear what we speak and testify, for we speak the truth, and what we have seen we testify. So now we are born again and made blessed, and not otherwise.
Now this is the difference between Christians and pagans, that an ungodly and pagan goes like a cow, sees, judges and judges everything according to the old birth, as he feels and grasps. But a Christian does not follow what he sees, but follows what he does not see or feel, and remains with the testimony of Christ, hears what Christ says, and follows it into darkness. So we are in sackcloth and wrapped in his mantle, and then he leads us to where he himself is, and in Christ we ascend to heaven, who makes us blessed.
We teach this doctrine daily, that the life of the Christian is a life of faith. But the devil hinders it in all places, so that the world asks nothing at all about it, and many people have their laughter from it, as,
The pope, cardinals, bishops and their other vermin, like the peasants and the nobility, become Epicureans. Others the devil wants to exalt too high, so that when they begin to believe, they are led to jump from the faith and fall on things that are not written in God's word, disputing with God why he does not draw the whole world to believe and be saved, and speculating about God's miracles, how he rules the world, and about God's judgments. But let a man be wise in all these things, and cast out the devil, and say, I will abide in the wind, as it is said here, that is, in faith. If I stay with the wind, then I am at ease, I am sure and certain of my things; what is not revealed by God in His word, that I do not want to know, but I will command it to the angels.
What I see and hear, that seeing and hearing even a cow can do to me and does not help me, it is the old birth.... But the other, as how God's judgment, sentence and rule is, that is not revealed to me. Here on earth I have too little, there too much. Nicodemus is also concerned about the things of the world that belong to this life, and about other things that are strictly contrary to God's ten commandments, such as the seductive nature of Anna and Caiphas. Others want to be too clever and know too much. But we are to walk in righteousness, not straying too much to the right or to the left, not seeking the wisdom of angels, but keeping to the highway of the word. If I then stay with that which is revealed to me through the sound (for I should not throw away everything on the left hand), then I cannot err. Otherwise, what I am not commanded to know, that I command to God, Christ will not deceive me; it is not for me to climb, and to step out of the way, lest I break my neck.
So those want to come higher than faith. But stay on the right path, on the paved road, from which one must turn neither to the left nor to the right, that is, do nothing of one's own free will, choice, or
- Erlanger: schlechts and rechts.
1886 Erl. 46, 300-303. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1887
Devotion. I do not want to speculate too sharply into the sun, for it seems too bright and sharp to me; but I want to hang a cloth in front of it and only hear the whirring. If you do this, you will know everything, have everything, even what you need physically, and will also have life without any worries here and there. Then I will see why he gives me faith and enlightens me and others do not; item, that God will also transfigure this body of mine, and when I have only once walked this road to heaven, then I can ask nothing of the scoffers who want to be too high.
Paul 2 Corinthians 12 says that he was raptured in the third heaven, and there he saw that a man, even he himself, could not speak out. But here with us it is not said in this way, but it has been decided in heaven that no other way is prescribed for us men, by which we may pass from death to life, except the testimony of God, that is, the divine word, the blowing of the wind. We should follow the word, testimony, or this sermon, and even command it, because in the sermon of the divine word he lets himself be heard. Consider this with all your heart, as 1 Peter 1 says. So when you are wrapped up in him, let yourself be dragged along and command him; now let him take you to heaven or lead you to hell, there is no harm in it, for God is with you, it can do you no harm.
But the devil hinders and prevents all this, so that we should not understand it; and when we come to know these things, he leaves us unwillingly in them, and sends us spiritual and bodily temptations, bodily ones, as avarice, fornication, and pleasure, 2c., spiritual ones, so that everything seems small to us, and we immediately consider the words of God as nothing, which are spoken to us in baptism, in the Lord's Supper, and in absolution. But is it not a miserable bargain when one hears: I baptize you, item: He who believes and is baptized, item: I absolve you, and that Christ gives us his body and blood in the Lord's Supper, that it should all be a small thing? For this reason, the clever and the riffraff take offense at it and despise it, just as the preaching of the gospel is always rejected for its own sake.
that the persons who preach the gospel are few. The same clever ones think, "Yes, God ought to present us with something greater," and they also despise baptism as a bad thing, but they praise and speak much of the Spirit.
But we are to know that God is doing his work and accomplishing great things through this small form of the word and the sacraments, for he is true. He who testifies here cannot deceive, for he is not a man who can lie. Neither does a man baptize and preach, but God. If then he says, "I will save you through the word," you should believe it, for God graciously deals with us in this way, holding out his word and sacrament to us. And God could pull a great whale out of the sea with one hair, which we could not accomplish with many thousands of ropes. Therefore, we should consider who and how great is the person who acts with us in the Sacrament or speaks with us through the ministry of preaching. He created heaven and earth in six days; what hands did he have to do it? certainly not my fingers.
For this reason we are to keep his voice, testimony and words glorious. For this very reason, God deals with us in this way, and presents it to us in such a simple way, so that we can cling to it, tolerate it and suffer it. For if he came in his person and majesty to deal with us, we would be lost, if he gave such a strong word that reached from heaven to earth, and was as powerful as on Mount Sinai, when he spoke with trumpets and thunderclaps, and the whole mountain burned and smoked, and was a great clap of thunder, as Exodus 19 and 20 are written. and 20. is written, no one would believe it, no one would be able to hear the speech, as it happened at that time, because it was too great and too terrifying: therefore they would not come to God, but asked Moses to speak to them 1) so that they would not all die. Then Moses also said to them: You have said right; and said further that God would give an external prophet.
- "them" in the original, which is correct according to Ex. 20, 19. The Erlanger has changed this to "him".
1888 Erl. 46, 3Ü3-3V6. Luther's Interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1889
to whom they should cling, that is, to Christ, let him put his words in his mouth, let him speak kindly to us. But what happens at Mount Sinai? There we could not bear God's language and complained that we would die if we heard God speak to us. Therefore, Christ was to make what he spoke and testified so small and so gentle that we might well cling to it and believe.
That was too terrifying when God came in His majesty, but now that He has come in a small form, we do not want it either; therefore, we do not want to suffer that, as the preaching of the law, for the sake of its splendor and glory, and this we despise as a small thing, since there is not much in it.
Therefore, we may look on and hold it in high esteem, also thanking God that we now have His knowledge so abundantly. But the Lord says to Nicodemo: Though many things be said unto you, yet ask ye nothing of them, but have them as ye understand them, and as seemeth you good; and believe me not. A barefoot monk or a Carthusian asks nothing about the whispering of the wind, but paints and imagines God as if he were sitting in heaven and looking only at his stinking cap. He cannot stand the high divine majesty to deal with us humans through his word. Again, God cannot tolerate that he should approve and accept everyone's dreams, and thus be their fool. We would also not like to have such a God who would accept the ways of every fool of a stick.
Therefore he says: I will be your God. I spoke to you in a terrible way on Mount Sinai, but you could not bear it. Now I will send you a prophet, that is, my Son, who will be a man and speak to you through human speech and words. You shall hear his testimony and his words, Nicodeme; if not, go. Do you not know this, and are you a master and doctor in Israel? Have you never read what Moses did in Egypt, Exodi chapter 4, 2? When he read the
- Erlanger: red.
- Erlanger: "3."; in the marginal gloss correctly: "Exod. 4."
Moses said, "O Lord, send whom you will, but do not send me, for I cannot do it. Who am I to go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt? I could not lead a sheep out, nor take a step. O God said, I will be with you. Moses had to listen to this word and believe in it, he had to follow the word and carry out the children of Israel; and God was a little angry and said: "Let Aaron, your brother, speak to the king for you, so that he will let the people go. Moses might have said, "The king is too powerful, shall I go into his court and hall? The land is his and all is fenced; and I see no way nor path how I may bring the people out of the land. Moses had such thoughts and became a fool. But he followed the blowing of the wind, the testimony and word of God, which said: "Go, I will find the way, and find a way where not a mosquito could get out. How did God help him? When many signs would not help, God put to death all the firstborn of men and cattle in Egypt. Then he himself made a way for Pharaoh to drive out the people of Israel himself, so that the whole land was open on all sides, and he asked them to go out, and he opened the doors and the windows, and they were glad to be rid of them.
Item, when they Exodi came in the 14th chapter in the departure from Egypt to the red sea, and on the sides were high mountains, where not well a bird could have flown over, and the Egyptians were behind them with their war power, and they were thus surrounded in the narrowness, because on the sides were the high mountains, rocks and stone cliffs, but in front the sea: there they could not escape. Therefore women and children cried out as they stood before the sea: O, were there not graves in Egypt, that we should die there? and they despaired. Behold now, Moses, thou hast brought us forth, and brought us into the sweat-bath. But why did they speak thus? O, they were still in the first birth. Moses cried out to the Lord, and did not his heart beat and tremble a little?
1890 Erl. 46, 306-308. interpretations on John the Evangelist. , 1891
God was angry with him and said, "Why are you crying out? Yes, he seeks the way where he may deliver the people out of the hands of the enemy, for they were in the midst of death. It was said here: Where now? We cannot go over the mountains, we cannot go into the hands of the enemy. But what happens? Moses was pleased with the sound of the wind, and God said, "Take your staff and strike the sea. And there was a wide way, as it might have been from Wittenberg to Kemberg, or a little farther, through the midst of the Red Sea, that the children of Israel passed through at leisure, with six times an hundred thousand armed men, without any other thing: and the waters were as mountains on either side.
The whole of Scripture is full of such examples, as they are cited in the eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, that the saints of God have done great deeds and overcome kingdoms through faith. So we must also still cling to the word of God by faith. Moses has only one word here, which God spoke: "Strike the sea with the rod; there must be a dry way through the sea quickly. Otherwise, a hundred thousand ships would not have plowed the sea, so he can do it with just one word.
This is what you, dear Nicodeme, as a teacher of the holy Scriptures, should ever know. For the whole Psalter and all the prophets say that God is wonderful and that God's ways are unknowable, which cannot be easily searched out; and in Psalm 77:20 it is said: His way is in deep waters, and yet His footsteps are not known. Therefore you should not say, "How can this happen? How is it possible? but cling straight to the word of God, and do not argue according to reason or old birth, whether it is possible or not; but say thus: Lord, you have said it, yes, I believe in your testimonies, 2) I will follow your word; whether into the sea or through the sea, into heaven or into hell, so I will cross over, if I follow the sow.
- Erlanger: him.
- Erlanger: Zeugnuss.
or blowing of the wind, that is, the divine word.
Moses might well have thought: "That God should strike me with a stick into the sea will be far too small. For what is a stick compared to the whole wide, deep and broad sea? But Moses must not understand how it is possible, but his eyes shall be blinded. Therefore God says: Strike ius water. Moses might have said, "O Lord, it is a rod, not a spoon or a ship; how shall the sea be dry, that we may have a ford through it? Nor shall the sea be divided from the rod on either side, and stand as a wall. Then Moses thought, "I would not have provided a way through, but as he thinks, so it will happen to him. There was a way through it, not a footpath, but a great, wide way, that the water, stretched out as walls, went back on both sides and stood farther apart than between Wittenberg and Kemberg. The staff and Mosi's work truly did not do it, but the word of God made his heart and mind different when it was said to him: Strike into the water. Immediately the work followed. He also believed the testimony and was born again; he only believed the word, which he neither knew nor understood how it would work.
Thus says the Lord: "Because you are a master in Israel, you should know this; read in the Psalms and in the prophet Isaiah, and you will find many examples that everything is done through the word, and when God gives the word and it is accepted, everything is preserved through it. For believers must think and do differently than our old birth knows and understands; it is a different thing and work, it is not a thing of reason, but of faith. Therefore we must also know that the Christian's life or new birth is not in outward things, as we may understand, but in faith and in the word of God, in speaking and witnessing. Because you do not yet believe, you are not saved again.
- Erlanger: Fort.
1892 Erl. 46, 308-311. Luther's Interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1893
born. But if you believe the word, ask not whether your head should be cut off, or whether you should be burned, or whether you should die of pestilence, or whether you should be driven into misery and made a beggar. But believe your word, and ask not, How is it possible that I should live? but believe the word and testimony of God, and it shall be done. But if you grope, nothing will come of it.
We see in the holy scriptures how the prophets and patriarchs always had to do this, and follow the word, and believe and do that which seemed impossible to reason. Otherwise they remained behind after the old birth, but they had to follow the new birth. There are many examples of this in the Holy Scriptures, which you, Nicodeme, should know. The devil and sin are strong and powerful, what should you do? Listen to the Spirit who is rushing, and be baptized and believe, and then let me command you. For I will open a new sea, wherein all men shall be cleansed, and washed, and bathed, and born again. Then say not, Water and word is a bad thing or worth nothing, but say, I will accept the word, the sound, and dare to come into death or into life. Then you will see how you are brought out of Egypt, and how Pharaoh and his whole army are drowned in the sea. Then everything will be easier, you will be happy and in good spirits, and you will pass through the Red Sea. Though the children of Israel passed through with great fear, yet all was well afterward, as it is in the bodily birth. Then ask the mother of the womb what pain, anguish and agony there was. But the suffering is soon turned into great joy when the child is born. It is the same with the old Adam. When he dies, and he is to be muffled and killed, and go along in faith; when he is to suffer fire, pestilence, war and other hardships: this then pains the old Adam, it hurts. But hold on there and do only one pressure, then you are recovered and come into the kingdom of God. Mau must suffer something and endure well in the cross.
This is what we preach daily, so that God's word is held in high esteem, which is said to have been greatly despised in the papacy. For this was neither taught nor understood in the papacy; there was great contempt for the divine word, and the devil would still like to tear away the word of God today. If that is also gone, then the devil can suffer that you only do everything you want, and makes you wear caps and plates. But if the word and faith stand, then the sea and Jordan must begin to move; and if there had been mountains in the sea on either side, they would have become as soft as feathers of fluff, and would have receded, as Christ says Matt. 17:20, If ye have faith, ye may say unto the mountain, Take thee up, and cast thee into the sea, and it shall be done.
So also follow the divine word, as the children of Israel did when they came out of Egypt. For Christ still says to us, "The sea shall become a paradise for you," Isaiah 64; and he breaks the way for us, so that we may come to it, saying, "Arise, come to me, and I will wrap you in my mantle and carry you over, and bring you through the red sea from the shore fresh and healthy, and help you out of this life into eternal life. We do not see it, but he knows it, and then we see that the rushing has not been in vain, but God the Almighty's voice and word, in which if we let ourselves be taken, we will never be lost.
The 26th sermon on the Gospel of John.
Sunday May 19, 1538. 1)
So we have heard how the Lord Jesus in the words to Nicodemum wants to bind us badly to the testimony or word of God, so that we should not learn, know, see, hear or accept anything in matters of salvation, except what God has spoken. We are to abide by His word, and neither
- In the manuscript: "Marin", which cannot be correct after the time determination of the preceding and the following sermon. - It should be called "Maji".
1894 Erl. 46, 311-318. Auslegunsien über den Evangelisten Johannes. 1895
make better, nor follow something else 1). For whoever wants to be blessed without the word, or whoever wants to make it better, will be lacking. One does not have to give way, neither to the right nor to the left side.
For the devil deceives people in two ways. On the one hand, he draws them to the left side, so that they believe nothing; on the other hand, he draws them to the right side, which he plagues with holiness and human wisdom, so that they ever believe something, but always want to do better and go higher than God has done, as the heretics have always done.
So the devil also deceived our first parents, Adam and Eve, in paradise. For the serpent wanted to make them wiser, since they were wise enough 2) if they had remained in the same wisdom. But since they wanted to go higher and know what was due to God alone, as the serpent said, "You will be like God," the devil led them with the shameful quare (as if they should eat from all the trees in the garden and not also from the forbidden tree) into sin, death and all the misery in which we are all still stuck, and fell from divine wisdom and followed the devil, who brought us into hell and eternal damnation.
So the heretic Arius also disputed, saying: "It is impossible that God should become man, and how should it happen that what is born of Mary should be the Son of God, that a man should also be God? That would be too close to the divine majesty's honor, that the divinity and humanity should be in the person of Christ. Item, one disputes also, how it is possible that one God is, but nevertheless in the Godhead three different persons. There is a similar dispute about baptism, how a drop of water can wash away sin, and in the Lord's Supper a piece of bread can be the body of Christ. There is also the dispute about eternal providence and how God governs the world, how he lets the Turk and the Pope rage and rage against his vineyard,
- Erlanger: Anders.
- full -enough.
the Christian church: all this is done by the little word Quare. This is all great cleverness, which the devil puts before us, to deceive us with it and to lead us away from what God has commanded us to know, to something else, which God alone has reserved for him.
But we cannot go any further here in this text, but let it suffice us that we know from this saying that we should not despise God's word with the great multitude who deviate to the left, nor be too wise with those who go too far to the right; but only ask and search for what God has revealed to us in His word, in baptism and in the Lord's Supper, and has commanded us to know. This pleases Him more than that you should be baptized and believe in Christ, receive the Lord's Supper, be subject to the worldly authorities, be obedient to your father and mother, and whatever else God has commanded and appointed you to do. In this he has revealed to us more than we can do and accomplish. But how else it is that the Trinity is one God, you are not to know, but believe it; item, how God rules the world, that also command him, and follow his word in this. If you needed to know something more, he would have revealed it to us.
This is what the Lord Christ says here v. 11: "We speak what we know and testify what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. That is, our testimony and teaching is certainly true, but what does it help? For either you do not accept it and thus go out to the left side, or you want to go too high and master it and overclock it. But nothing else 3) comes of it, where one does not keep to the voice and preaching, or to the whispering, then all is lost, as Isaiah is also told in the 7th chapter: "If you will not be quiet and believe, then you will perish." What is it then that we torture ourselves to death, and want to investigate God's nature, and want to know what we are not supposed to know? We do not do much differently than the sick, who
- Erlanger: not different.
1896 Erl. 48, 313-316. Luther's Interpretation of Jn. cap. 1-4. ' 1897.
want to get well and yet do not want to follow the doctor, nor use his medicine, but despise the doctor and the pharmacies and say: Well, if I am to get well, it will do me no harm, though I eat and drink all that my parents give me, even if the physician has forbidden it. 1)
But we have not time to speak further of this matter; and the Lord continues, saying, Ye will not believe our testimony, saying:
V. 12. If ye believe not, when I tell you of earthly things, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
Although these words may be interpreted more widely, and have many a meaning, let us interpret them more briefly and make them simple.
We have said above about the wind that no one can know or recognize where it begins and comes from, or where it goes. So no one knows how a man is conceived and born in the womb, how he grows and becomes great, also how the food, as, eating and drinking, is transformed into flesh and blood in one day and night and is also made into dung again. The philosophers have discussed a lot about how it should be with the food of man, but they could not manage it. For they have seen that bread and wine are not flesh and blood; item, that flesh is not blood, and wine and bread would never become flesh and blood if it remained outside of man. But when it is eaten and boiled in the stomach, it becomes flesh and blood in four and twenty hours. Thus much has been written about how a child is born, nourished, and often has only water to drink and dry bread to eat, and yet becomes fleshy, pretty and beautiful.
These are all earthly things, which we see, as how the women get pregnant with the children; but how it is done, we cannot know. Since you do not understand such earthly things, why do you bother to find out how three persons are connected?
- Erlanger: hab.
A God are, item, as a virgin can be a mother, and you want to grasp this with your reason? Just as the sacramentans also want to know how bread can be the body of Christ: if you do not know how you fall asleep and wake up, we live in these things and deal with them daily, and still want to know what is far above and beyond our understanding, and is too high for us; but let the works of our Lord God go and remain as they are, and keep to the sound.
Therefore we should follow what the Lord has said, that we must be born again, as we see and experience that some people are so changed and become different people that they are almost no longer known to have been the same people, as can be seen in Abraham, Isaac, David, Samson and Gideon. These became different people through faith and the word of God; as Gideon, who slew a hundred thousand men and did not draw a sword, only had his own carry a burning torch and a jar in their hands and crush them and blow the trumpets. He did not do this from his first birth, but because he was born again. So Abraham also became another man, chasing four mighty kings with three hundred servants. This was not the son of Tara, but another man; for Abraham was the son of God, and had the word of God, and believed it.
Know thou therefore, that if thou believest not that the old birth doeth nothing; as thou canst not understand the things which are done in the world, and of which we have so many examples in the holy scriptures: how then shall we understand when they preach of heavenly things, that is, of the holy trinity? Item, how Christ would rise from the dead on the third day, and how he should sit at the right hand of God? or of other higher articles of the Christian faith? as he will then begin to preach. For if you, Nicodeme, do not believe this, the Lord will tell you what is written in your books, and that you have examples, such as Samsonis, Gideonis, Abrahaeus and other great people who became other people through faith (for whoever does not believe in the faith of God).
1898 ' Erl. 48, 318-318. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1899.
is now so strong as to tear a man's mouth open, but Samson and David, who were born of the Spirit, could do it), then Christ will say, If thou canst not understand how thou must become another man, what should 1) thou understand when I tell thee that I am the Son of God? as he then says to Nicodemo, No man goeth up to heaven, but he that descendeth from heaven, even the Son of man, which is in heaven. This is almost the text that is written in the 6th chapter of John: "If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. There the Lord speaks of spiritual eating and drinking, not as the mouth of man eats, but as the soul eats. Then the body is the food of the soul, and the blood of Christ, shed for us, is the drink of the soul. How this comes about, I do not know. But faith accepts it, and eats of it, and grows fat and fat, and grows strong unto eternal life.
They also murmur in the same place, and go astray, and dispute much, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat? And when they were thus offended, Jesus answered, "Does this offend you so much? How then, when the Son of Man shall raise you from the dead at the last day? He speaks of a different and higher article than eating and drinking, as if to say, "You do not understand that I speak of the food of faith and of the heart, for my body and blood remain whole. Therefore it seems to you to be a hard speech, since you know what eating and drinking is. But this eating and drinking is something different than the earthly, which can be partly felt and seen. If you cannot grasp this, what would you do if it were said to you that he who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and descended to hell would again ascend to heaven and sit at the right hand of his heavenly Father, just as he was before? This would seem much higher and heavier to you.
So the Lord also tells them here about heavenly things, how he is truly God and man, and about other greater things.
- Erlanger: shall.
ticle. But Nicodemus could not understand how he should become a different man; he only understands that he should be born again from his mother, cannot understand that he should give leave to his reason and accept faith. If one does not want to understand this, how should one understand that God's Son has become man and is going to heaven again? That would be much more licentious 2) speaking: You will not go to heaven, but hear the word of God and believe in the Son of God, who came from heaven, was crucified, died and was buried, and is going up to heaven again. But at first reason becomes mad and foolish about the fact that Christ came from heaven and ascended again. What shall it be then, if you hear that I have suffered, died, been crucified, risen from the dead, that I have come from heaven, and yet have always remained in heaven, and am still a Lord in heaven and on earth? If you do not believe this at the beginning, and are not baptized to become new men, how can you believe that three persons are One God, and that the middle person became man?
I remain with the simple sentence that he says so much here, we must remain with the word that is, in the whispering of the wind. What else does this same wind blow but that we must be born again through the Word and baptism? But on the day of Pentecost there is a mighty sound, and it blows and blows something else, although it is also the former wind, namely, that Christ is Lord over all creatures, Creator of heaven and earth, sitting at the right hand of His Father, and is Lord over the angels and over the heavenly and earthly creatures, even over those who are in hell, and is over all authority on earth; And this is not only a testimony, but a higher and more heavenly article than this, which we have of baptism. There is something higher above it, which goes beyond the word. 3) But we want to speak of higher
- dissolute - light.
- That goes beyond the word - that cannot be expressed in words.
1900 He. 46, 318-321. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1901
Do not talk about things, but remain in the bad simple things. S. Paul ascended higher and was raptured into the third heaven, whereof we ought not to teach others. For we have only two heavens, one which we see with our eyes hovering over us, and then the other, of which the eighth Psalm says, "I will see the heavens, the work of your fingers," 2c., namely, the kingdom of heaven, as Christ in the New Testament calls his word and kingdom the kingdom of heaven, where the word of God and the gospel are preached and taught; and in this kingdom we hear that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved and enter the kingdom. After that we will also enter the third heaven, when we will rise from the dead, of which S. Paul says that he has seen wonderful things. Paul says that he has seen wonderful things, which do not belong to preach.
Elijah and Moses also appeared to Christ on Mount Thabor, when the sky became bright and clear. But I am told only of the other heaven, where Christ sits at the right hand of his Father, and where it is preached, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. But if we also rise from the dead on the last day, then we will also see these words, which no one else has seen except S. Paul, Moses and Elijah.
And Christ wants to capture reason with it, so that one follows the whispering of the wind alone. For one is not saved by reason; one must become a spiritual man and believe. And I think that the Jews could be persuaded to believe that one must be born again and become a different person. But if one said that Christ is God, and in the Godhead there are three persons, and the Virgin Mary did not get milk naturally, but milk from heaven: they cannot stand that, they are repulsed by it, because it is too high for them. But who does not want to believe the lesser, how should he believe the greater?
So let us leave it at this interpretation. The Jews were like this because they did not want to believe Christ while he was still on earth; much less will they believe him now that he is in heaven.
governs. Therefore, it only makes the Nicodemum more foolish.
Now the Lord goes on and interprets what it is to speak of heavenly things, and says:
V. 13. No one goes up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
After this, Christ will explain and interpret Himself more fully, saying: "As Moses lifted up a serpent in the wilderness" 2c. This will become another article, he will say, which will be higher than that, that you cannot be saved by flesh and blood or by your reason. The old birth does not do it, so it does not help that Abraham is your father; and says: No one goes to heaven (says: No one), but only the one man who has come down.
With this he makes poor Nicodemum more and more incomprehensible and foolish. For he would like to say here: What does it help that I am born again of water and the Spirit, if no one goes to heaven but he who descends? Truly, I will not go up even if I am born again, because I have never been to heaven.
That's where it comes to a head. We have never come from heaven. He who has not been to heaven does not enter it. But how do these things agree with each other? Christ came from heaven, and is up in heaven, and yet goes back to heaven? These are strange and heavenly words; it is a sharper sermon than he preached before. How does it rhyme? Ask reason: What is in heaven and remains in heaven, should nevertheless come down and go up again? and no one should do this but Christ alone? Then reason soon concludes, "Oh, then no one will be saved but he alone who descends from heaven. What then do you preach: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved? Why then are we baptized unto salvation?
But everything still goes to the new birth, that Christ will kill the reason and the presumption of the Jews, who wanted God to accept them as holy and pious because of their sacrifices, good works, religion and worship.
1902 Erl. 46, 321-323. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1903
for the sake of it. Then he says, "The righteousness of the law and of our reason is dead. He that is born of a woman only, and hath nothing else but the natural birth, ascendeth not up to heaven; and all things are here abolished, and taken away, human wisdom, good works, and all that the first birth bringeth with it, that all these things are nothing. For our powers and reason did not come from heaven, therefore they will not go up again.
If one had understood the saying in the papacy, then one could have easily warded off all error. Truly, one would not have put on the deceased monk's caps, because the cap S. Francisci did not come from heaven. But this sermon shocks them when they hear that their order is nothing. They could still hear that and tolerate that we say: You must be born again. But to say: Nobody goes to heaven, that is too much. For the particle no one, it takes away everything and leaves nothing, excludes everything, without Christ.
Therefore, by these words he cuts off all the glory of the world in one fell swoop. Words at one blow all the glory of the world, so that it all withers like grass, as Isaiah says in the 40th chapter vv. 6-8: "All flesh is hay, and all its goodness is like a flower of the field. The hay withers, the flower fades, for the Spirit of the Lord blows in it. Yes, the people are the hay. The hay withers and the flower fades." So God blows into the holiness of all people, that it withers as the hay.
Therefore all our salvation and happiness is placed in the one man Christ alone, and here the work of our redemption is described in the three words, as that Christ came from heaven, and is up in heaven, and is going back to heaven. For first it is stated who the person is, secondly, what he has done, and thirdly, why he has done it.
First of all, the person is so formed that he is up in heaven, that is, he has been with the Father eternal true God from eternity and still is, as he also says to the Jews, John in the 8th chapter, "Before Abraham was, there am I." That is, His essence is a heavenly essence, He is
He is not from the earth, or from his mother, the Virgin Mary, but has his divine nature before birth, in birth, and after birth; he came from heaven and remained in heaven, and ascends again, as he did. For St. John also says in the sixth chapter: "You will see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before"; in which words the person of Christ is also described as being truly God from eternity. But reason cannot comprehend how he can descend and yet remain where he was before. And so the person of Christ is depicted as being true God in heaven, in the eternal Godhead, and then descends to us, and is born of a virgin, and then ascends to heaven again, so that he may be true God and man. For he is here on earth, and is also in heaven above, and having died and risen from the dead, he ascends again to heaven, and is called the Son of man, who has his being here and above.
This is our faith, that Christ is truly God and man, and his ascension and descent show what he has done; thus we have a heavenly article, that he is the Son of God and man in heaven, and has always remained there. What the work of the ascension and descent will mean, we will spare, because now it is too much to talk about it. Let us now be content with learning how Christ is true God and man.
The 27th sermon on the Gospel of John.
May 26, 1538, on the Sunday Vocem Jucunditatis.
We have heard how our Lord Christ instructed us to believe the testimony of the sermon, that no one can be saved and become blessed unless he abides by his word, which he himself and the apostles preached. This is our
- In the original wrong: "1548" and "Saturday". In 1538, the Sunday Vocem Jucunditatis fell on May 26.
1904 Erl. 46, 3S8-326. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. I-4. . 1905
Comfort and blessedness, which is not in our thoughts, grows also in our garden, but stands only on his knowledge and witness, which we must believe, and ask no further how it is. For whoever steps out of the word, 1) either to the right or to the left, will have his neck broken. But we do not want to speak here of the enthusiasts who despise the word of God, and boast only of 2) their illuminations, revelations and angelic visions. He speaks:
V. 13. No one goes up to heaven except the one who came down.
Now the Lord expresses what is to be believed, that is, the testimony and the strange sermon, which is only due to Christ; and how can reason also get involved in this strange speech, so that it could hear how it rhymes together: to descend and yet to be up there, and to go up again, and yet always to have been up there. This cannot come into anyone's heart or mind. It is impossible, says reason, that "descending from heaven" and "nevertheless remaining above" could both be true at the same time. That is why we Christians are so foolish that we believe such an impossible thing, which strives straight against reason.
But whoever does not want to believe it, let it be. It does no harm that we cannot understand it at first; if we are considered fools in this, then foolishness shall bring us no harm. For we Christians are not at all foolish; we know well what we believe, also where we should seek and find counsel and help in all kinds of things, and when we are delivered from them, live forever. If others do not want to believe it, let them leave it alone. They want to work it out, and each one of them takes it into his own head, now this, soon that, so that he thinks he will find God. But it will not do. One must adhere only to the witness that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, brought down from heaven, and believe it, which is what Christians do. Otherwise, they could boast of God's revelation and visions, but they do not.
- Erlanger: screams.
- Erlanger: "on" and "angelic visions".
Only hear what the man testifies, believe him, and give him the honor against all sense and reason that it is certainly true, and so dare to do it in the name of God.
According to reason it is not spoken, it does not work, nor does it sound, that Christ descended, but according to faith it does rhyme; and we also believe that Christ our Savior is the true Son of Mary and the only begotten Son of God, and yet not two, but one only Son of God the Father and of the Virgin Mary; [that he is eternal God and natural man, and that he has two natures in him, the Godhead and humanity, but is nevertheless an only son, both of God and of the Virgin Mary, and not two sons. The humanity he took (when the time was fulfilled) from the Virgin Mary, but the divinity he got from eternity from the Father, that the same Son of God, who is from eternity, is also the Son of the Virgin Mary. There are two distinct natures, but only one Son, Christ Jesus. This is our belief that God has no other Son than the one born of the Virgin Mary, and that the Son, whom the Father has begotten from the beginning of the world, is in the womb of the Mother Mary.
This we must believe against the heretics. For here the Turk says that Mary is not a mother of the Son of God, and the Nestorians have said that Mary is not a mother of God, but only of the man Jesus, who is only naturally her son. These made from One Son two sons. But there is only one Son, and yet two natures, so that Marie can say: This Son JEsus, whom I have born and nursed at my breast, is God's Son, born of the Father in eternity, and also my Son. Likewise, God also says: Mary's son is my only son. Therefore, if Mary is God's Mother, and Christ is truly God from eternity with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, and was born of man in time, then God the Father does not have another Son than Mary, nor Mary another Son than God the Father. This is the reason for our faith, that Jesus Christ has two natures, whether He is
1906 Erl. 46, 326-328. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1907
is already one, inseparable person. It is not two sons, nor two persons, but One Son and One Person.
But if Christ is separated, that there are two sons, then there are also two persons, then my salvation is nothing, nor is there forgiveness of sin; but it must be so, that the two natures are the one Christ. Otherwise not enough could be done for our sin, and then nothing would come of our blessedness. For if Christ alone were man, his suffering would be of no use, for no human suffering was able to overcome my sin and yours, item, death, the devil's power, God's wrath and eternal damnation. Therefore he had to be God, and yet also a true man, so that he could suffer. If there were two persons, he could not sit at the right hand of God after mankind alone.
If now the reason wants to philosophize and puzzle: How can God Almighty be born of a virgin and become a man? How can God become a man? You answer: I do not understand it, but I should believe that both, Mary and God, had one Son, who was born from eternity, from the Father and temporally from the Mother Mary, two natures and only One Person; which natures cannot be separated from each other in eternity. For Christ, God and man, does not want to be separated, otherwise we are lost. Therefore, it is the highest comfort in all troubles that God and man are one and not two. For Mary shall have no other son than God the heavenly Father has, nor God the heavenly Father another son than the mother has, except that he takes the human nature from the virgin Mary and the divine nature from God the heavenly Father.
Otherwise, the spirits of the rotten have always had this plague, that they have wanted to separate the people. But our faith does not suffer this. The natures are well divided, but there remains only one Son, both of God and of the Virgin Mary.
Now we come to our text, which is easy to understand for this reason: It is
no one goes to heaven except the one who came down. For Christ actually shows his two natures in him, which nevertheless remain in one person, and that the Father is God, and the Mother is man, and they both have one Son, our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as our faith thus teaches. Inasmuch then as he is God, he is with the Father from eternity, and is above in heaven; but that he is born of the Virgin Mary, he descended, and yet remained above; item, he ascended, and yet was above before.
That means coming down, that is, that he is sent from the Father into the world, who never came from the Father's side, and the Son, who remained above, who became man, becomes the Son of Mary. This is how all the Fathers interpreted it, including S. Augustine. The descent is that the Son of God gave Himself into our poor flesh, became man and was born of the Virgin Mary, and not only came into the flesh, but also descended into death, into the grave, yes, even into hell, as we then confess in faith: Descended into hell; and yet, as a mighty God, he has not only been and remained here on earth, but also in heaven (for no place or place can contain the Godhead, as it is written in the prophet Is. 66:1: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; and he ascended again into heaven, and yet he sat without ceasing at the right hand of God his heavenly Father, yea, after the Godhead he abode eternally, and yet here on earth he was manifested, and appeared personally and bodily as a man, having assumed body and soul as ours, was crucified, drenched with vinegar, buried and died, descended into hell, and yet in the Godhead nothing departed from him. There is no other person called God, and has been from eternity, than the one who took on humanity; and is therefore a son, the son of God and Mary, and being born of the virgin, he takes on human sonship from the mother.
Such things cannot be understood by reason. But one must believe it, and the holy
1908 Erl. 46, [Ls-331. Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. 1909
Scripture also testifies that Christ is true God and also became a natural man. Therefore it is both true that he remains eternally above and yet descends without change and change of the Godhead, and takes on the sonship from the mother.
How this happens I do not understand, just as we cannot understand many other natural things than how it happens that we hear, see and speak, or that our food and drink become flesh and blood. Since we do not know these things, we are to keep silent and listen to God's word, which says: "We speak that we know. If we do not understand it, it is preached to us, so that we may believe it, and not ponder how it can happen, but believe it badly. But if thou wilt not believe, but take hold, and understand with thy reason, thou art lost. Therefore be satisfied with this, and say, I believe in the Son of God, born of Mary the Virgin, One Son of God the Father and of the Virgin Mary, who has two natures, but is One Son, not two Christs, nor two sons. How it happened, that cannot be grasped by reason. But you have enough that you know that two natures are united in one person.
So this text exists here, that he ascended from heaven, and when he has accomplished his office, he again visibly goes to heaven, and sits at the right hand of his Father, reigns there mightily, not only according to his divine nature, as from eternity, but also according to his humanity. For the Son of Mary, who is truly man, is also subject to all things, namely, the angels, principalities, and all creatures, for Godhead and humanity have now become one thing and one person in Christ; as John also said of Christ to his disciples in the 6th chapter v. 61 f.: "Does this offend you? How, then, when ye shall see the Son of man ascending to the place where he was before?" So it is also said here in this chapter: He is above and below, for he ascends, since he is the Son of God, and descends, since he becomes man. According to the human nature he was here, died and was buried; but according to the divinity he descends.
He went up again, and because the divine nature is in him, he remained up in heaven; and so Christ is the highest, the middle, and the lowest, in sum, he is; as S. Paul also says to the Ephesians in chapter 4 vv. 8-10: "He ascended on high, and led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. But that he ascended, what is it but that he first descended into the lowest parts of the earth? He that descended is he that ascended above all heavens, that he might fill all things." So Christ is the lowest and the highest, and no other like him can be found.
Therefore, the Son of the Father is also the Son of Mary, and the Son of Mary has remained true God. He has unchangeably retained his divinity, and has descended according to human nature, has become man, and has gone down to the lowest places, namely hell, and up to heaven again. Since there is only one Son, there cannot be two of them, but the only Son descended and ascended and remained above, and therefore it can rightly be said that the Son of God descended and ascended, although the one descent alone was according to human nature; but since the two natures are in the undivided person of Christ, what is otherwise proper and due to human nature is also ascribed to the divine nature. Therefore it is not wrong to say: The Son of God and Mary descended to hell, suffered, and died; item: The Son of God and Mary ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of his heavenly Father.
Because there is so much at stake, I would like to illustrate this article by means of parables if I could. But we must take them as we can. You see, a man has body and soul with each other. Now body is a much different nature than soul, and soul a much different nature than body. Nor is the body without the soul called a man, nor the soul without the body a man, but body and soul together are called one man, not two men.
1910 Erl. 46, 331-333. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1911.
Two are thus united, that whoever touches a little hair on a man must mean that he has touched the whole man; item, whoever strikes an arm or leg, that he has struck the whole man with body and soul. 1) Thus it is seen in the man who sleeps, that the body sleeps, but nevertheless the soul does not sleep, but has its thoughts and movement, its breath or life; thus the man sleeps and does not sleep, lives and does not live, smells and does not smell, and nevertheless the two natures are One Thing and One Body, although they are two different natures. But body and soul cannot be separated from each other, if one is to be a living man.
So also, if a woman has given birth to a child, and the child is alive and perfect, it has body and soul, nor does the mother say that she has given birth to two sons, or two children, or two persons, but only one child. But the child has two natures, and yet is one person, since one nature is not like the other. The child's soul is not taken from the mother's soul, nor from her blossom; but the body comes from the mother's drop of blood, and this is what God works and creates strangely, that a fruit grows in the mother's womb, and the soul does not. For God infuses the soul into man and makes him alive.
From this similitude (as that body and soul are two pieces, two natures, and yet one and undivided man, for no one says: This mother has given birth to two men, but one man, although the same has two natures, 1)) one can nevertheless somewhat follow the article, how the one Christ has two natures, and is in one person both God and man at the same time. Although the simile does not rhyme through and through, it may nevertheless be as good as it can be for the simple, so that one may understand from it how two natures in one person may be one being.
So also one says: A highwayman has beaten a man, if he has cut him any wound, or cut off an arm; and when one speaks of a slain man, one does not speak:
- Erlanger: hab.
He stabbed his soul, but only his body; and yet we say: The whole man was wounded, because the body and the soul are united in one person.
The same is said here, that Christ, true God and man born, descended after his humanity, and is the Son of God, died, and descended into hell, and ascended again into heaven, and yet God remained above, because the Godhead does not descend anywhere, not there or thereabouts, but is everywhere, and after humanity he ascended above all. Therefore, since in One Person and in One Being there are two natures, it should be said that the Son of God descended into the womb of the Virgin Mary and went to hell. Although this is the condition of human nature alone, it is also granted to the other nature for the sake of personal unity in Christ. Nam quae uni naturae conveniunt, toti personae conveniunt in concreto. We separate the natures as body and soul are separated from each other, but one person remains. So Christ suffered for us not only as body and soul, but also as the Son of God; as we confess in the articles of our Christian faith: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, the Son of God, and born of the Virgin Mary; and this Son, born of Mary, is also the Son of God, who afterwards suffered, was crucified, and ascended again into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of his Father. This is not two sons, but One Son. Above he was born eternally of the Father, below he was born of Mary.
This is our faith, and so we should believe, and whoever understands it, let him thank God for it and pray that he may remain in it, and take the words well to heart: "No one goes up to heaven except the Son of Man who descends, who is in heaven"; and the word "Son of Man who is in heaven" is added with special diligence. Otherwise he could have said: "No one leads to heaven but the Son of God. But he said shortly before that the Son of God had descended. Again he says: "No one is going to heaven but the Son of God.
1912 Erl- 46, 33S-83S. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. 1913
mel, for (who then?) the Son of Man." Well, aren't you up there? Here he answers that the Son of Man, that is, the Son of the Virgin Mary, went up and came down and stayed up in heaven.
O dear Lord, if you walk here on earth, hang on the cross, suffer and die, how do I rhyme these pieces together: descend and go up again, and remain above, or always have been above before? Can you be the Son of Man on earth and the Son of God in heaven?
To this you answer: Our Christian faith rhymes, and this text here, that Christ himself says: "I am here on earth as the Son of Man, and carry out my ministry on earth, suffer and die, and even though I am born a man, yet at the same time I am in heaven the Son of God, and do not lose my divine nature, and am in heaven: This is the reason for our faith, that Jesus Christ, our Savior, has two natures, although he is one, inseparable person, as true God from eternity with the Father and Holy Spirit, and also became man in time from Mary. These two natures are united in the one person of Christ.
Now they ask, "Since no one goes up to heaven except the one who descended and the one who remained above, where are we who have not descended from heaven or been above in heaven? For we came from paradise, and were born in sins; therefore we shall not be able to go up. Where then shall we go? To the abyss of hell. And it is certainly true that no one can go to heaven except the Son of God and Mary. For he also knows the road alone. But he does not keep it for himself alone, otherwise he would have remained there; but he also shows us the same road through his dear gospel, namely, that we also come to heaven, where we are born again through water and the Holy Spirit, and keep his testimony, and believe in him. Then we go to heaven, not as for our own person, but wrapped and nestled in Him who alone goes to heaven.
And hereafter the Lord will interpret for Himself what the descent and ascent are, and speaks these things here as a summa, so that He may kill human reason and strike down our presumption of our own righteousness and spiritual hope. For the world is full of fluttering spirits, which storm against this text, and want to ascend by force into heaven for our Lord God, and do not offer our Lord God and Christ a good morning because of it. A Jew truly thinks he will go to heaven if he is circumcised and keeps the Law of Moses. The Turk wants to go to heaven if he keeps the Alkoran. So the pope also has his ladders and footpaths to heaven, and every order among the monks has its own ways and ascents to heaven. The Frauciscans want to be blessed by their rule, the Augustinian monks also want to go to heaven by another rule.
Against all of these, the Lord Christ says: "No one leads to heaven, except the one who descended" 2c.; as if he wanted to say: "Let no one think that he will go to heaven, although they all hope to go to heaven. For there is only One who has ascended, Jesus Christ 2c. So he also said above that he would enlighten all men who come into the world 2c.; item, that not of the will of man, nor of the blood, nor of the will of the flesh, shall one be saved, but of those who are born of God. For no birth helps, even if one may be born of great and holy people; neither does law, work nor devotion help. They mean well that they want to go to heaven through their holy life. But there is no other way, ladder or bridge to ascend, except this, namely Christ, the Son of Man, who alone ascends. But if someone takes another way, they are all fictitious and dreamed-up ladders and bridges, yes, vain lost ways, as S. Franciscus and others have had.
Therefore, this text should be well remembered, because it is a thunderclap against all works saints, and speaks here exclusive et negative, non affirmative, and rejects all other ways, lest someone here
1914 Erl. 46, 335-338. Interpretations on the Evangelist John. 1915
a hole, crack, crevice, or escape; says, "No one goes to heaven." There we lie, we are called monks or whatever else we want. But if there is a way to heaven, no one has shown it or found it or made it, except Christ alone, as he also says in the 14th chapter of John: "No one comes to the Father except through me"; item: "Without me you can do nothing"; item: "I am the way, the truth and the life"; as if he should say: Dear Nicodeme, you do not understand the Scriptures and the prophets who have spoken of me, and yet you are proud and want to be holy. But this will not happen through your work, but through this new preaching, which also the prophets have led of the one way to go to heaven, which is me.
This is the little word "no one" that we are. We have not gone up to heaven, but he who came down and went up and stayed up there, that is he? What shall we do then? Shall we despair? No, for he shows us the way to go up, and explains why he came into the world, just as he has prepared for us a firm, certain, and good bridge, so that we may go to heaven without danger, which is he himself; and he explains his going up and coming down and remaining up, saying, "Just as Moses lifted up a serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man also be lifted up, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Truly, this means: no longer to remain in the wilderness, nor to be lost, but to go up, which is done through faith in him. For he hath prepared the way for us, and hath drawn us up to himself after him.
But we want to talk more about this golden text in the next sermon.
The twenty-eighth sermon on the Gospel of John.
June 1, the Saturday after the Ascension of Christ, 1538. 1)
We have heard next of the saying, in whom all power is laid up for us, because of Christ,
- This timing is in the original margin.
The Lord says of Himself: "No one is going to heaven except the one who has come from heaven, that is, the one who is in heaven"; which article we must learn and keep, for it is very important to us that we recognize the Savior correctly and remain with Him in firm faith. For he who lacks the article lacks God; but he who meets it meets God. For in the person of Christ all is lost, and apart from the Son all is lost; and therefore it is not a small thing to preach this about the Son of God, for it has been decided that without the Son we shall seek nothing, nor find anything either in heaven or on earth, for there all is lost.
Therefore, while we live, we must exhort godly, pious hearts to learn this article well and to practice it diligently. For from the beginning of the world it has had great opposition, and the heretics and devils have stormed against it. But it has remained, and will still be preserved, even against the gates of hell; and these are few words: I believe in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, the heavenly Father, and after that born of the holy Virgin Mary, suffered, died 2c. Such words the children pray in faith, and also the simple people die blessedly in such faith. But we old people, when we grow up, are seduced by the devil in many ways, so that flesh and blood also have a thousand obstacles to the article, and so that the devil takes it from us and we become wise to the child's faith. But whoever learns the article correctly can rhyme the three words together: to descend, and to ascend again, and to remain above; which words are and say nothing else than what we confess in our faith: I believe in Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God and the Son of the Virgin Mary, is God and man, abode in heaven, and as the Son of God comes down to earth and becomes man, dies; for to descend means that he became man and humbled himself to the death of the cross, after which he ascended again, and yet always abode, for he is God.
Now he lays out what is there, from heaven
19. 16 Erl. 46, 3S8-340. Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. 1917
or the descent, and explains why he was born, namely, that he ascended from heaven for our sake and also ascended again. For for our sake he is not the Son of God, for he was the Son of God before heaven and earth were created; therefore for our sake he did not remain above; from which we are to learn that this descending and ascending is not for him alone, but rather for us, as this seems clear from the following text.
V. 14. As Moses lifted up a serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up 2c.
Let us remember and keep this text, for truly the Lord Christ was the best preacher of all before the other apostles. Therefore we should also listen diligently to what he says, and these words are well known to us and are also often used in sermons. Thus he has been painted on the wall and stamped on the coin in almost every place. But if God wanted it to be imprinted and written in our hearts in the same way, then it would be right for it to be sealed in the heart; as the bride in the Song of Solomon Cap. 8, 6 says: "Press me on your arm, and seal me in the heart."
Now these are high words, and the greatest article of our Christian doctrine, and the whole world hears such words; but few accept them, that they press the same words into the heart, but become hostile to the article, and will not suffer it. The Turk also thinks much of Christ, says that he was a great prophet, and that he was born of Mary the Virgin, and that the mother was not conceived in original sin; but nevertheless he will not let him be his God and Lord, but sets his Mahomet over him, or even like Christ, and is meanwhile very pious, as they say of him, and leads a hard life, and keeps his own way to heaven.
So you also know that 1) the pope did not think much of this text, and the article was almost lost in the papacy.
- "that" put by us instead of "what" in the Erlanger.
He may have kept the mere words of the text in the Gospel, but he denied the power of these words altogether. Thus, only baptism has remained pure in the papacy, and the pope basically does not think much more of Christ than the Turk does. For so the pope and the cardinals write that Christ alone has done enough for original sin, but for real and daily sins we must atone; which all goes to the end that Christ, who is our bridegroom by faith, should be taken away from us, for the devil rushes in a thousand ways to the article to destroy it. But he must still keep the bride and the bridegroom together, which cannot be done otherwise than by faith. For faith is the wedding ring, so that we are betrothed to Christ. By faith we take hold of Christ and say to him, "You alone have ascended on high," just as he said above, "No one goes up to heaven unless he has descended.
This article, that Christ is our Lord, makes Christians alone. It is the precious stone, the jewel and gold chain that hangs on the bride's neck, so that she believes Christ to be the true God from the beginning, and to have descended, and to have been made man by Mary the Virgin, and to have ascended again, and no one else but He ascended to heaven; so that He is declared to be the Son of God and to sit at the right hand of His heavenly Father. And although it seems much different, it is nevertheless true. For if he had not sat at the right hand of his Father, this article would never have come to us. Nor could he have remained against so many kings, and great tyrants in the world have for ever opposed it.
But he interprets his ascension in such a way that we should also go up in him, for it is true that no one goes up to heaven except Jesus Christ, who descended. For otherwise someone would say, "Where are we then? To this he answers, "As Moses lifted up a serpent in the wilderness, so" 2c. Then we will also go up in him. This you can reproach all Jews, Turks, Papists, who themselves with their orders, rules and good works want to be the ascent to heaven (as they then have many ways to heaven).
1918 Erl. 46, 840-342, Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1919
Heaven), saying, "No one goes up to heaven except the one who has come down. He, the Lord Christ, has taken up his body and his bride, which he purchased and prepared for him on earth. Apart from him, no one else has ever gone to heaven.
With the word "no one" he calls out all those who adhere to Christ. He, the bridegroom, ascended and did not descend to remain alone on earth, but took a bride from him and led the bride up with him. But the Turks say: He who holds the Alkoran goes to heaven. The Jews pretend: He that keepeth the law of Moses hath the way and ascension into heaven. The pope says: He who is obedient to me goes to heaven; and there is no end nor measure to the ascension. But it will be a journey where one's neck will fall; they are evil journeys and wrong ways, because Christns speaks all here: "No one goes to heaven" 2c.
It is said of the Turks that they live seemingly and beautifully, with praying, fasting, almsgiving, make many foundations and build churches, are willing to help others, and with this appearance of holiness they deceived many people; as the pope also did with us. Then we did not know otherwise than that the orders and monasteries were the right way and footpaths to reach heaven. For he who is not well armed with this article, and has it pressed into his heart, is soon seduced by the glorious outward appearance of holiness, and also by the glorious names and titles of the prophets and teachers 1). Forasmuch then as they have made many ascensions, let us say, We abide in One Ascension, and in Him that descended, and abode above, who also alone is our resurrection, as John is told in the 11th chapter, "I am the resurrection, the truth, and the life. "2c. Therefore he alone is the exit to heaven, for he alone ascended, he alone is the way that leads to heaven, and he who keeps the article abides.
- Erlanger: "Teachers". That "teacher" is to be read, shows on the one hand the parallelism with "prophets", on the other hand the beginning of the following paragraph.
With Christ. For even if he were led captive into Turkey and had to look at the religion of the Turks there, that the Turks prayed and fasted a lot, he could say, "None of this concerns me. For even if the pope and the Turk also raised the dead, and stroked themselves with rods so that the blood flowed from them, and fasted for several weeks on water and bread, I still know that you are not the resurrection, nor the life, nor the ascension and the way to heaven, but you deceive and mislead me with all these things. For Christ alone is the way, and no one else.
So a Christian can easily defend himself against all false teachers and deceivers, also against all our own thoughts, if we keep this article pure and right. Yes, they also remain in life and are preserved in death through the one faith in Christ, namely, that they believe that he alone has gone to heaven; therefore they will not be lost.
It is said that a Turk can fast for three days and remain uneaten, and St. Bernard abstained from eating and drinking so much that his lungs began to rot and the breath from his throat stank so much that he was no longer allowed to go to choir, nor otherwise be around his brothers. I can still say here: Fasting is not evil, but a good work; but it 2) is not therefore the resurrection or life. They are indeed good works, and I should do them; but fasting is not therefore in heaven, nor has it gone from heaven, much less brings and leads to heaven. So, wearing a hard shirt is also not the ascent to heaven. One does not go to heaven with it. For these works, though they are good, yet they have not ascended from heaven, nor have they been up in heaven; they are far from being like the man of whom it is said here that he alone descended, and remained up there, and ascended again. St. Bernard truly did not come from heaven, but from the earth, for he was born of a woman and wept like another child.
- Erlanger: er.
1920 Erl. 46, 342-345. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1921
come up from below and not from above; neither is he the one who has remained above.
So now I conclude and judge from all works, as good as they may always be, also from the lives of the saints, that they are not the Son of God, nor the ascent and way to heaven. Otherwise, I shall live morally, piously and righteously in the world, but not want to ascend to heaven by doing so. For no one ascends to heaven except he who also descends, and who has remained in heaven, which is Christ Jesus alone. To Him alone must glory be given; the rest are all but men, and born of men. If then they believe in Christ, they have received it from Him and from the fullness of His ascension and descent, and nowhere else.
Therefore, there are two kinds of human persons, first, a man by himself, and then a man of God. Man alone, who may be pious in the world and do wrong to no one, is still a human person and cannot go to heaven, but we must have the person who is God and man, which is not like other men, for he has gone back to heaven from where he came down. For the high majesty of his person, his sleep and fasting of a moment or hour is better than all the works and fasting of all the saints on earth. Saints on earth. For there is no man like unto him. The person is God and man, greater than other men, for he is the Son of God, but we are all men and born of women. Now if a Christian presses the article into his heart, so that it is sealed that Christ has ascended and descended again, he remains well on the way to salvation, and must not be afraid of any noise 1) or appearance. But when he is lost, and the article is gone, and the seal is broken, then is no error so foolish, he goeth up, for he is out of the ship, or out of the way, and goeth as one that cometh out of the highway and out of the right way. Now let him go as he will, but he goes astray, for he is not in the right course or road.
- Blaring - dazzling.
Therefore, we wedge and drive diligently at this article, because it alone has overthrown the pope. God grant that he may also overthrow the Turk before Judgment Day. The pope and the Turk have had many good, excellent and learned people, just as the Turk still has many monks; but here they have all erred, for they have not known this article, which alone is to govern all good works and the life of men, and also alone makes blessed, and whatever one does is pleasing to God for the sake of the article. And you young people, who do not yet know what the devil can do against this article (for you have not yet been in the battle and strife), should stand firm over the article. We old teachers have not yet gotten rid of the mobs that have all stormed against the article. For even if one overcomes them once, they do not let up, they grow and rise again and again, just as those who once fall away full of Christ do, that they go astray the longer the more, until they even come to ruin. But take hold of the precious stone, and keep the saying, "No one falleth into heaven" 2c.
But let us look at the likeness. The Lord preached a beautiful sermon to Nicodemo, who was a Jew and thought that the way to heaven would be if he kept his law given by Moses, and that on his fasting, praying, and austere living would be the ascension, so that he would go to heaven. Then Christ lays out Moses to him aright, and winds him up; answering him, It shall not do: thy ascension is not the way, but thou must be born again. Therefore hear what I say to you. You are a Jew, I will take your Moses before me and tell you something from it that you have not yet understood. And who also would have interpreted it there? saith Numbers, in the twenty-first chapter, where thou readest, when the children of Israel murmured against the LORD, that he would not do according to their pleasure: therefore our LORD God caused fiery serpents to come among them, as there are in that same land, where the heat is so great, such serpents also, called latine aspides; which serpents, when they sting a man, swell the man, and turn him red, and the whole body is filled with such a hot fever as this.
1922 Erl. 48, 345-317. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1923
so that there is no help nor salvation, so that the limb that was injured is soon cut off. For if this serpent stings a man's finger or foot, the limb must be cut off quickly, lest the fire or heat enter the body and destroy the other limbs, so that the man must die; and Moses in his hymn in the fifth chapter of chapter 32 says: Venenum aspidum insanabile. That is why they call them fiery serpents, because they set fire to a man's body, so that when a man was bitten, he was dead, and soon the same limb was cut off; and these same serpents were not fiery, but when they bit a man, the people were so inflamed that the flesh became flaming red, and the heat so great that they died of thirst. The Greeks called it from thirst. For the heat makes one thirsty, and it is written that when this serpent lets out its breath in anger, it gives off such heat that the air becomes hot from it and is ignited as if by a fire. Therefore they have been called fiery serpents. We Germans have no name, because the snakes are unknown to us in our countries, although I hear that one has seen them also here in our bacon 1) outside.
With these serpents God punished the people of Israel in the desert because of their grumbling and disobedience, so that the people were quickly choked away. When the people were in torment and sought help everywhere, Moses asked God on behalf of the people to relieve the punishment. Then God said, "Set up a seraphim (for He uses the word here), that is, a house that stands in light, just as the seraphim are fiery angels. So, he says, set up a fiery serpent, so that whoever looks at it will not die. Then Moses came and cast a serpent of brass, like the serpents of fire, and hung it on a pole; and the serpent had the word of God and the promise upon it, that if any man were stung by serpents, he should look upon the serpent of brass, and it would not hurt him. This is a great miracle that
- "Speck" a grove near Wittenberg.
The great damage has been healed in such a small way. They were not allowed to do anything to it, but only believe the word of Moses, which the Lord is called here. It was a strange remedy, and the Jews would have found it strange and strangely satisfying. But necessity breaks iron, they say, and necessity will have forced them to believe this, since they saw that it helped in part; and it is to be wondered at that the human heart could believe that what Moses' words promised was true. For the people have learned that the poison of the fiery serpents was an insurmountable venom. Then they thought, "This is a ridiculous remedy for the sting and bite of snakes. Moses, are you mad and foolish? What good would the appearance of the serpent of brass do us, who looks like those who have bitten us, whom we cannot look at because of great terror? If you would give us any other drink, a cooling plaster, a cooling drink, so that the poison and heat would be extinguished. What should words and sight alone do? Item, what should the dead thing help us that has no life in it?
But not only necessity will have done it, but also faith; and consider it that many have despised it, and died in unbelief, and will not be persuaded of it, saying, What good will the appearance do? and no one will have looked at the bronze serpent, but only the faithful. The others will have turned away their eyes and said: Why do you mock me with your appearance? What good would that do? But it was not the appearance that did it, but the word, that they believed the word. Then the believers will have said: Moses is God's servant, God has commanded Mosiah, it will also be powerful. For the reputation did not do it, but the faith in the word helped. They accepted the word of God as a certain promise that they would be delivered from the poison and be healed.
This is now the history, since many will have been offended by the low splendor of it. But the believers have understood Mosi's word, and no one else, and through faith in the word they have also recovered. But who
1924 Erl. 46, 347-349. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1925
would have been allowed to point this Historia to Christ? So I would not have been bold to interpret it like this, as he himself interprets it hard enough and points to himself, saying: This is the serpent of brass, but I am the Son of man; those had to look at the serpent bodily, but you have to look at me spiritually and in faith; those are full of a bodily poison, but through me you are delivered from an eternal poison; item, to look at the serpent is: faith in me; item, they have recovered bodily, but I give eternal life to those who believe in me. These are very strange phrases and speeches.
But the Lord gives us the right handle to interpret Moses and all the prophets, and makes it clear that Moses, with all the stories and images, points to him, and belongs to Christ, and means him, namely, that Christ is the point in the circle, since the whole circle is drawn out, and looks to him, 1) and whoever follows him also belongs to it. For he is the central point in the circle, and all the histories in the holy scriptures, if they are rightly regarded, go to Christ.
The Lord Christ presented many such texts and histories to his disciples, when he was with them from the forty days after his resurrection until the day of his ascension, item, when he was with Moses and Elijah on Mount Thabor; as here he also points this figure to himself, and opens 2) Moses as a beautiful little box, and shows them the hidden nut, knowing what Moses wants with all his figures and stories, namely, that he alone points to Christ. Moses carries the glorious treasure in his skin between flesh and skin, that he has looked to Christ. He is also our serpent, as he 3) is signified by the bronze serpent, through which we have been helped. For we were also bitten by the poisoning serpents in Paradise, since Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and murmured against Him, since God wanted the tree untouched. But they wanted to know why God had forbidden them the tree.
- Erlanger: sehet.
- Erlanger: schleuscht.
- Erlanger: ers.
- poison - toxic.
Yes, says the devil: God has commanded it? curses our Lord God and taught Adam also to curse, and this follows the poisonous worm. Then he also gave him a sting, so that when Adam got the sting, there was no salvation, but he had to die; just as we all still have to die and are all subject to death by nature. There is no help nor counsel for this; no man can escape sin and death, for we have drunk the serpent's deadly and unconquerable poison, and have all received the same from Adam, so that we must all die, as this testifies to our experience.
Many philosophers have come who wanted to help nature, and to create counsel against this snake venom and death; and among the Jews the prophets and Moses should have done the same, who have applied plasters and cool water, but it has not helped; item, the magicians in Egypt should also have given Arzu nei 6) against it, but it has all been in vain, because it is an insurmountable poison; until it has come that one preaches: The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head: then shall the serpent's venom be taken away, that he can do no more hurt.
This is what Christ says: "No one leads to heaven" 2c., item: "As Moses lifted up a serpent in the wilderness", that here it has been meant, that God sets up a bronze serpent, which was like the other serpents, so that whoever looks at it should recover, that is, let his Son depart from heaven and be crucified, where he also hangs as a serpent and worm in great contempt, as he himself complains about it in the 22nd Psalm. But he that believeth on Christ crucified shall not perish, neither perish, but have everlasting life: as they that looked on the serpent of brass in the wilderness died not.
Now the Jews who were bitten by the serpents should have been terrified that they would have fled from the medicine 7). For it is natural that one should fear and be afraid of the snake.
- Erlanger: lernet.
- Erlanger: Aerztei.
- Erlanger: flown for the Arztei.
1926 Erl. 46, 349-352. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1927
Schell has done us harm. Even if you look at it alone, it still makes us sad and disgusted. But Moses said, "Do not be afraid," and he gave them the plaster of coolness and set up the serpent, which was shaped like the serpent that had bitten them, from which they fled and were afraid. What must the Jews have thought? Moses, are you mad and foolish? Do you want to frighten us even more with your medicine and even scare us with fear? What good would the serpent do us? But Moses goes on and casts a bronze serpent, in the shape and form that the other living fiery serpents were, and hangs a serpent before their eyes again. For if one is bitten by a mad dog, one must tie on the hair of the dog again, and the bite will be healed.
Thus, those who were bitten by fiery serpents, that is, brought into sin, death and eternal damnation by the devil, should again look at this serpent of brass, that is, believe in Christ, so that they would be brought to righteousness, life and salvation. Faith in Christ, if he is the Son of God and a natural man, would do it.
But what does it mean that Moses does not 1) take the serpent that did the harm, and does not hang a dead natural serpent on the wood, as one would like to look at it, but makes a bronze serpent, which they had to believe in? But it indicates that Jesus Christ, Son of God, born of a virgin, became like us damned men, and hung on the cross as a poisonous, evil and harmful worm. Yes, he seems to be like the serpent that made us sweat in paradise, that is, the devil. For he was so esteemed, condemned and despised before the world, that he was not executed otherwise than with an ignominious death, and is hanged in the midst of the murderers as an arch-villain,
- This "not" is missing in the Erlangen edition, so that exactly the opposite of what should be said is stated. In the Erlanger this sentence reads: "But what does this mean, that Moses takes the snake, which has done the damage, and does not hang a dead snake on the wood, as one would like to look at, but" 2c.
As Isaiah prophesied in the 53rd chapter: "He was counted among the evildoers"; as if Isaiah should say: he who is rightly among the murderers, as one who should be defiled, blasphemed, and counted among all evildoers. Therefore the title is also written over his head, that he was a rebel who acted against temporal and spiritual authorities. No one took him for a pious man, but for a poisoned worm, who was not worthy of the sun to shine upon him, but who would do harm to the whole world.
Christ has the reputation before the world, and his Christians also have the reputation. If we preach Christ, we infect the world with the most harmful poison. The pope considers our doctrine to be the devil's doctrine, so we must also be the most poisonous worms and dragons when we preach the gospel; as S. Paul also says 1 Cor. 4:4: We are regarded as the most pernicious and poisonous worms, which deceive and corrupt all the world, as καζάρματα*.* and περιψήματα*,* as
the most damned, poisonous people who are the world's curse or purgatory, and in which one would only be doing God a great service by getting rid of them from the world.
That is how it has been with Christians since the beginning of the world, and that is why we are still slaughtered daily as sheep. Therefore, today the Turk makes so many martyrs that the Turk would rather see a snake or the devil himself than a Christian or preacher of the divine word. The pope also prefers to see a wolf and all worms than us, and thinks that if he had us away, he would soon beat the Turk. So it shall be with us, who heal the world and help men, that we are held as damned people who only infect, seduce and corrupt others, just as Christ must also be held as a poisonous worm before which one runs.
But this is the divine wisdom, which does not do otherwise to him. So he helps the world by putting the world's wisdom to shame. For the wisdom of the world must become foolishness before him, and it pleases him again to make the faithful blessed through foolish preaching.
1928 Erl. 46, 35L-3S4. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1929
be a brazen, solid serpent, that is, become the most contemptible man, and the same serpent must do us no harm with its venom. For it is a wholesome serpent and has no poison. It has only the form of a serpent, and under the form of the brazen serpent is such a power and being, so greater and better than all plasters. For it heals people and helps us from sins, death and condemnation, just as that serpent in the desert helped people from physical illness.
So the world looks at Christ only in outward appearance, not otherwise than as a devil; and to those who fall into despair, to the stiff-necked and godless, he also wants to be a serpent, devil and judge, yes, their tyrant and persecutor, as they themselves make a serpent out of him and run before him. He must have this form, but if he has an ugly appearance, so that he is considered a devil and an evil worm, then I should learn to despise this form and appearance of Christ and say: "They may consider him whatever they want in the world, but what is it to me? He may be a murderer to others and bear the shameful title on the cross of a rebel in the world, it is none of my business. I will seek the power and not let this outward appearance bother me; I look at him as my Savior; and whoever looks at the serpent in this way, who has been so miserably condemned and blasphemed, will be blessed.
Therefore say thou also thus: All this shall not hinder me. I will tear through this figure and ask nothing of it, make or paint the serpent as poisonous as one wishes, and the world will cry heresy, poison and murder over Christ; as one cannot make it any worse. But let them be angry at the figure. But know that the serpent of brass is not a true serpent, but has only the appearance and form of a serpent; item, he is a serpent of brass, which has no poison with him.
And when I look at God's word, I find in Christ not only a mere appearance of a snake, which has no poison at all, but I also feel in him a power that helps me from the poison. Therefore I let go of the scoffers who pretend: Ah, what should
Will he help us who is dead and laid in the grave, and as the Jews paint him, a murderer, a rebel, a blasphemer, having the devil, and being a Samaritan? And I say, Christ may be looked upon and cried out in the world, but I ask nothing of him; I will look upon the evil worm as the Saviour of the world, and as my Saviour and Lord, and not as a worm, serpent, or dragon, as a rebel, devil, or judge, but as one who gives me help and strength.
So God had a painting presented to the people of Israel at that time, that His Son would be the Savior of the world in the form of a cursed and damned man, even a serpent. For the world would otherwise seek salvation through good works; but God was pleased to help people in this way, so that His Son would be held by the world as a poisoned worm, and yet He would save all who believe in Him.
And although in the desolation many did not believe, nevertheless some believed, who said: If thou wilt not have this serpent, let me get strength there. So shall we do also now, saying, I will cleave unto Christ; he deceiveth me not, but maketh me whole and alive. If then the pope will not accept him, and through Christ alone, that serpent, without good works and our merit, have salvation, mocking faith, says, O, it is a bad thing about faith, then you answer, O dear Lord, always go away, I will nevertheless hold to Christ and regard him as the brazen serpent, even though he is not a real serpent. For he is the Lamb of God, which taketh away my sin, and the sin of the whole world, and saveth me from death. But for our sake he became a serpent.
If then the enemies and adversaries of the Lord Christ also reproach us and consider us reprobates, they say: You have the devil, it is heresy with your teaching, as Paul also says that they call us καζάρματα, that there could not be more poisonous people on earth: so suffer this with the Lord Christ, continue, teach and preach, it harms me the
1930 Erl. 46, 354-356, Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1931
Blasphemy not. Has my Lord Christ also had to bear such reproaches, that they have regarded him as a poisonous worm: nor has he helped all believers with his preaching: why then would not a Christian preacher and a devout Christian also suffer this?
So now Christ will raise up Moses and show what the children of Israel did when they were bitten by the fiery serpents, namely, that Moses raised up the bronze serpent, so that He, Christ, will also be hanged as a serpent and will have to bear this rebellious title: Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews, that is, who acted against the Roman emperor and the chief priests, and betrayed the Jewish people to the Roman emperor and wanted to sacrifice them on the meat-bank, so that they would all be killed. There he hangs, and must be a serpent, and have done such harm as is not to be atoned for; therefore only away with him.
Just as it is said of us today: "If only the Lutherans were gone, we would soon prevail over the Turk. But enough has been preached to them, written, printed, read, sung, said and painted before their eyes, that they should ever know that he is not a serpent or a poisonous worm and dragon, nor that he should be scolded for being of the devil, but that he should make blessed all who believe in him. But they willfully will not know it, therefore they also may perish. But we know that he gives us salvation, and is given to us by God as King and Lord or Savior, and has made Jews and Gentiles of such wisdom that no reason can understand. Item, he is our resurrection, as he then says: I rise again, and all who accept me and believe in me shall also rise and go to heaven.
But it will be hard, and it is only God's power, to believe that Christ was hung on the cross for us, was killed and condemned; as S. Paul also says to the Corinthians 1 Ep. 1, 23: "We preach Christ crucified, an offense to the Jews and a foolishness to the Gentiles. It still passes, for such a sermon is a
Power of God, which makes all blessed who believe in it. Otherwise, if I were to ask reason for advice, it would say: "Does the wretched devil believe in such a wretched man who was crucified? Nor have the holy martyrs allowed themselves to be burned and strangled on such faith, whether it is even too horribly painted that such a damned man should be the savior of the world.
So Moses had to preach to Nicodemus and transfigure Christ, that a serpent should come, which would not have bodily poison, but devilish poison, that is, sin and eternal death, for which there is no counsel; for only the Lord Christ, who in the form of a damned evil worm would deliver men from death, sin and the devil's power, and make them eternally blessed.
This is what I wanted to say recently about this text, because who can speak enough about it? John and Moses here wanted to indicate the divinity of the Lord Christ, because this serpent, Christ, heals all men with his appearance and saves them from death, so that this serpent must be the true God. But it would take too long to talk about it now.
The twenty-ninth sermon on the Gospel of John.
June 1538 1)
Next we heard in John that the Lord Christ himself said that he was signified by the serpent of brass in the wilderness. Now he shows that the Son of Man was therefore exalted:
V.15. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, and have said that John in this word describes the deity and humanity of the Lord Christ, that he is God and man; and the humanity is seen in these words, that the serpent was crucified and died; but the deity is reported in that the serpent gives eternal life to all who believe in him.
And John does this almost at all
- This sermon lacks a more detailed time determination.
1932 Erl. 46, 356-359. Luther's Interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1933
Oertern in his gospel describes Christ as God and man. But especially here he says of mankind that the Son of Man must be lifted up, that is, hanged on the wood or cross, which is the right of human nature to die and suffer. Again, it belongs to no man that he who is hanged should have eternal life, and he who looks upon Christ crucified should have eternal life. Now no one has been lifted up and hung on a tree except the Son of Mary, who is the one who saves all believers, so that the Son of Man is also the Son of God; as it was said above, "No one descends to heaven except the Son of Man who is in heaven," which is due only to the divine Majesty.
So in the evangelist John the saying goes for and for, that he preaches nothing else but: "The Word became flesh," that is, Christ, the eternal true Son of God, is also a natural true man born of the Virgin Mary; and wonderfully unites the two natures in the one person of Christ; saying that the Son of Man is exalted, so that all who believe in him may have eternal life, thus making them blessed, redeeming them from death, and giving them eternal life is not the work of the Son of Man, nor does it belong to man alone, but to God alone. Nevertheless, he does not distinguish between them by saying, "He who believes in the Son of God has eternal life," but rather, "He who believes in the Son of Man has eternal life: He that believeth on the Son of man 2c. Therefore the two natures are united in the one person of Christ, and the person is God and man. Yes, the two natures, Godhead and humanity, are found in the person, and are attributed to this person of both natures, so that whoever believes in the Son of man believes not only in a man, but also in God. For otherwise the man Christ could not make anyone blessed. For there are otherwise many higher persons, the holy patriarchs, prophets, as Isaiah, Elijah, David, also angels, as Gabriel and others: nor can they save anyone from sin nor death, and is not said of them that, so
It is written here: He that believeth on me shall have eternal life. For it is impossible that a man should have this honor, that he who believes in him should have eternal life; but of this person alone it is said that he makes blessed. For the two natures are united in the one Person, in One Being, so that whoever believes in the Son of Man also believes in the Son of God; whoever touches the Man Christ also touches the Son of God, yes, the whole Trinity is in the man.
Here one might ask: If it is true that the believers in the Son of God have eternal life, will the serpent also be God? For whoever looked at the serpent of brass was healed and did not die in the wilderness, but at the same time gave life to the children of Israel. And so the false prophets and miserly priests and priests, the evil-doers, along with other false teachers, interpreted and colored and decorated their idolatry, when they erected the serpent of brass at Jerusalem, and burned incense to it and sacrificed to it, and made their own pilgrimage to it, and honored the serpent of brass as God Himself: just as we have in our time the holy images, as St. Christopher, St. Mary, St. Peter, St. John, St. John the Baptist, and St. John the Baptist. Christophori, S. Maria and others, on the altars, and worshipped them, and gave great money and goods to them, that they built great cathedrals, churches and monasteries; although the bronze serpent had a greater reputation, because whoever was bitten by the fiery serpents, and only looked at them, he recovered. Therefore the people said: In this brazen serpent, there is a divine power inside, and then they sacrificed sheep and oxen to this serpent; and I have often wondered about the fact that the serpent remained so long in the people of Israel that Samuel, David, 1) or Elijah did not take it away. But I believe that in David's time they were somewhere in a corner or secret place of the land.
- Here we have erased "Solomon, Daniel". The name "Daniel" is wrong here, because the prophet Daniel lived about hundred years later than Hezekiah, who destroyed the brazen serpent. It seems to us that "Solomon, Daniel" is an inverted transcription (digraph) of the preceding "Samuel, David", because Solomon also fell into idolatry. 1 Kings 11:5 ff.
1934 Erl. 46, p59-361. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1935
and there was no crowd or pilgrimage to worship it, but it was only kept as a sign and testimony of the glorious redemption from Egypt. But after that, in the time of the prophet Isaiah, it was made an idolatry, and the people of Israel ran there, sacrificed and worshipped the bronze serpent, then it was broken by the pious king Ezekiam, and the pilgrimage was destroyed 2 Kings 18:4.
At that time, we Germans also did the same as the Jews, called upon the saints, and always invented one new saint and helper in need after another, as Saut Anna and Joachim were not more than thirty years old when they appeared. In their greatest distress, especially when Sanherib lay before Jerusalem, they raised up the bronze serpent, and the people ran into the wilderness and worshipped it. For when they had fallen away from the true faith and knowledge of God, they sought help wherever they knew or could.
Now one asks whether God was with the serpent and helped there. For the Jews have pretended: If the serpent helped then, it is God, just as the Lord Christ helps now. To this belongs this answer: The serpent of brass by itself helped no one, so no one believed in the serpent, nor did anyone worship it. Nor was it sacrificed in the wilderness at that time, for Moses would not have suffered it to be worshipped; but the word helped the people of Israel, which God had said, "Whoever looks at this serpent of brass, no fiery serpent's bite or sting shall harm him. This word (namely, "He who looks at the serpent") does it, because God speaks and promises help, and the serpent does not speak here. He who believes the God who speaks and promises and looks at the serpent is obedient to God. But in the days of Jeshua the word of God was gone from the serpent of brass, and the word was lost. For the work was prepared in the wilderness for which the serpent of brass was to serve, that those who were bitten by the fiery serpents might, through the appearance of the serpent, believe in God.
would be restored to health. Therefore the help was no longer there in the days of Jeshua, just as the word is gone (which God says to the children of Israel: "Go through the Red Sea"), since the passage had happened. So Gideon also had a skin, which was now wet, and soon dry, but now it is nothing. Therefore the serpent of brass did not help in the days of Jeshua, nor was it ever worshipped or believed in, except when Ahaz 1) died. But before, in the wilderness, God promised the people of Israel, saying that whoever looked at the serpent would not die. Now those who believed the same word that God spoke and obeyed and followed the word were preserved.
Therefore, the reputation of the serpent and the reputation of the Lord Christ are two different things and not equal. For it is written here, that Christ the Son of God is not only to be regarded, but also to be believed in. For when the Jews crucified Christ, they all looked upon Christ also, but they were not saved on that account. Seeing and feeling are two different things, but one must also believe. The commandment of faith has not the brazen serpent, that one should believe in brass or metal, as here the command is, that one should believe in Christ.
Now Christ says here that he is the right serpent, which was signified by the serpent in the wilderness, and this serpent must be seen through the spiritual image, namely, through faith. But there one had to believe in the word that spoke from heaven; there the faith did not go to the serpent, but to him, 2) who spoke. But here it is not only the word that is spoken, but it is said, He that believeth on him shall have eternal life. Therefore the serpent of brass was an image of Christ, and here we are given a goal and a measure, that we should not only hear Christ, but also what and how of the Word of God.
- "Ahaz" put by us instead of "Ezechias" in the Erlanger, because this one (Hezekiah) "destroyed the brazen serpent", 2 Kings 18, 4., so also, "since Ezechias had died", the idolatry of the brazen serpent will not have started first.
- Erlanger: those.
1936 Erl. 48, 361-363. Luther's Interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1937
of the serpent, Christ, we are to believe, namely, that all who believe in Christ shall have eternal life.
Now this is a great and marvelous work, which the world and our reason will not hear nor suffer, but ridicules and despises, and that is ridiculous, that from the appearance of the brazen serpent one should be healed. Then would reason have thought, Thou shalt not see the serpents gone, but take a pair of pincers, or other instruments, and see if by force thou wilt drive the serpents away. What is this big thing? If even a cow would look at a snake, what good would that do her? Therefore it is a small thing to look at something or to look at it. And it is true, it is an easy work; yet they that have obeyed the word, and believed that it should be done, have recovered. Looking has been a bad art; but to be able to believe that the small, easy work of opening one's eyes and looking at the stake and the bronze serpent should help against the serpent's poison and make one well, that is difficult. Otherwise nothing is done more easily than to give a look, and no doubt there were many among the Jews who would have mocked Moses and said: Alas, if with knife and awl, with water and sword, the serpents cannot be driven out, alas, what good will the poor sight of the serpent do? Just as our sects and sectarians still do, who despise and destroy baptism and the Lord's Supper, saying, "What should water, wine, or bread do? But this is the nature of our Lord God, that he accomplishes great things by small, unsightly and foolish works. It also seems to be a small thing to our papists, faith. What, they say, faith, faith, what is faith? It is not enough to have faith, you must also do good works, put on a cap, fast, pray, give alms. Such things then have a delicious appearance, that they think: Oh, faith is a bad thing, you must also do good works. But try it, for you will see how easy faith is. For soon the devil will be found who will blow such things into your head: Well, shall one be saved by such an easy thing? So also the Jews have said
says: You must take a pair of tongs and snatch the serpent away, or run into water and cool yourself; what should the sight of the serpent help you? But our Lord God is so mighty that he leads by a straw and rules the whole world, and with a drop of water can make blessed and help from sin, death, the devil and hell. It is a small thing when it is said: All who believe in him shall have eternal life; but God acts thus mightily and strangely. But see thou to the word, and hear not the cry of the papists, that we must also do good works for our salvation.
Notice these and similar sayings, which not only indicate that Christ is God and man, as this text does here, but also tell how one should enjoy and use the Lord Christ, namely, that all who believe in him and hear him shall not perish, but have salvation.
Who can say what this is: "not to be lost"? There has been a hard and frightening preaching about purgatory, hell and eternal damnation, and it is also a great pity, since one cannot sufficiently speak of what it is to be eternally damned and burn in hell; yet Christ here makes it a very easy work to be delivered from sins, death, the devil and hell, namely, to believe in the Son of God; then one should not only not be lost, but have eternal life. Such eternal life is a much greater thing than that a man could sufficiently understand that God should not only forgive the sin of a sinner and condemned man, but also promise eternal life through faith in Christ.
And when these things in the Gospel seemed strange to the disciples themselves, who asked Christ, "Who then can be saved? Luc. 12, 32. "Fear not, little multitude, for it hath pleased your heavenly Father to give you the kingdom"; as if to say, Remember not, where the greatest multitude is, there we will also abide; but
- Erlanger: them.
1938 Erl. 46, 363-365. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1939
Since it pleases the Father to give you eternal life by grace, accept it. Otherwise, by nature and by our reason, these words cannot easily be believed, that we shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Thus it is to be preached of Christ that this serpent is the Son of God and of Mary, and that whoever looks upon him in faith is assured of eternal life. Then he goes on and eliminates this, and sets forth causes why faith can do such great things, and says:
V. 16. Thus God loved the world.
Just before this he said: "The Son of Man must be exalted, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. But here he says: "God so loved the world, that he gave his Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Therefore, what he said above about the Son of Man, that he must be exalted, he says here about the Son of God, that God gave His Son to the world out of great love. There he said that Mary had given her Son; here he says: God the Father gave His Son to be crucified; and the Son of God and the Son of Mary are nevertheless only one person, and both natures are suitable for salvation and redemption from eternal death, and John the Evangelist always joins the two natures together as the Godhead and humanity.
But how is it possible for someone to say that the Son of Man should be saved and give eternal life? Item, how can it happen that the Son of God should be given and crucified? That the Son of Man should be hanged on the cross is all right, but to give eternal life does not rhyme. So it does not rhyme that the Son of God should die and be given life for the world, just as it does not rhyme that the Son of Man should be hanged and give eternal life. Here you must understand that when we speak of Christ, the two natures are to be one person, and that which belongs to both natures is to be understood in the same way.
The truth that is written is actually understood in One Person, that I can rightly say of the Son of Man that He created heaven and earth, as I say of the Son of God that He is the Creator of heaven and earth. For we should not follow the heretics, as the Nestoriani (from where the Turks come) claim that not the Son of God, but only the Son of Mary suffered and died for us. For here it is clearly said and written: God gave His Son for the world, which Son is truly not only Mary's Son and born of Mary, but also God's Son; and when Christ is to be crucified, and is delivered into Pilate's hand to lead him out of the judgment house, he has not only the Son of man, but also God's Son at hand, whom he allows to be crucified; therefore S. Paul 1 Cor. 12:8 says: "If they had known, they would not have crucified the King of honor," whom all creatures otherwise worship. Thus the Son of God was conceived by Mary, suffered and died, was buried, descended to hell, and rose again from the dead.
So it must be understood when the apostles, bishops and ancient teachers write: O Son of David, or: Son of Mary, have mercy on me! O dear JEsu, born of the Virgin Mary, have mercy on me! Since thou hast worshipped GOD, and is as much as if thou saidst, O JEsu, thou Son of GOD, have mercy on me! For then you also worshipped the Son of Mary, for the two natures are in one Christ.
The words of this text indicate that God gave His Son for us, and that the Son of Man gave His life for us. For there are not two Jesus, one coming from the Father alone, the other born of Mary alone, but there is only One Jesus. Therefore, the ancient Fathers said that the attributes of both natures are added and imputed to the whole person of Christ in concreto, and made communicationem idiomatum, and that it is a communion, since the attribute of one nature is imparted to the other nature. For every nature has its own kind; as, of human nature, the quality is that Christ should be born of the Virgin Mary.
1940 Erl. 46, 365-368, Luther's Interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1941
but the divine nature has other characteristics. But because one does not have to separate the person, a community is made, that one says: The child Christ, who lies in the cradle and sucks milk from Mary the Virgin's breasts, has created heaven and earth. Item: God's Son, who is God with the Father from eternity, hangs on the mother's breast, is crucified and dies. Nam communicatio naturarum adducit etiam communicationem idiomatum. Of it the old fathers have diligently taught and written.
We should also do the use and custom here, and learn why the person, who is God and man, was given into the world. This is also what the Lord Christ says, that whoever believes in Him should be free from eternal death and have assurance of eternal life. Angels, nor any other principalities and powers, have not given themselves into our flesh and died for us, for the human and angelic nature would have been too weak to do so, but the divine nature takes humanity upon itself and gives itself to Christ in our flesh and blood, so that we might be saved through Him.
So you see how the evangelist John can speak gloriously of Christ and of the high article of our Christian faith, that Christ is God and man, and always does this in his gospel, and does not preach about good works, necessary for salvation, as the unholy Pope did.
The thirtieth sermon on the Gospel of John.
The 4th day after Trinity Wednesday, June 19 1538.
Next we heard how the Lord Nicodemus preached a beautiful sermon that no one would enter heaven or possess the kingdom of God unless he were born again and believed in the serpent hanging on the cross, that is, in the Son of Man who was raised up, so that all who believe in him would not perish but have eternal life. This then is the new spiritual birth, by which man is brought to eternal life, if one believes in the Son of Man.
He believes in the Son who was crucified. Now he crosses this out and preaches a beautiful sermon to the one man Nicodemo, and it is a wonder that he preaches to him so gloriously. But he justifies this by saying that he loves Christ not only while he is alive, but also after his death 2c. For this is also the end of the sermon which Christ preached to Nicodemus, that he converted him. And these words, "God so loved the world," 2c. do not need much elaboration or interpretation, for they are preached annually; therefore we will speak of them recently.
But he says: "'As Moses lifted up a serpent, so must the Son of Man be lifted up'" 2c. Now this is followed by:
V. 16. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life;
repeat what he said above, and would like to make a great miracle to Nicodemus, as if he were to say: "Dear Nicodemus, is it not a wonderful thing that the Son of Man is hanged on the cross and raised, and that the Son of Man, born of Mary the Virgin, is a true man, body and soul, and also the Son of God? Is this not a great wonder, that the Son of Man and the Son of God are One Son? For he speaks both things (that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life) as the Son of man and the Son of God, and attributes them both to him. Therefore I preach great things to you, which may well cause you to wonder, such as how a man is to be born again. But this is still more wonderful, that one should know how the rebirth takes place. For one cannot come again into the womb of the mother, but it happens 1) in this way that God gave His only begotten Son for us in death: by this we are born again. Item, should this not seem strange to you, namely, that for the sake of this rebirth God does such a wonderful thing, that he does not give any angel or patriarch, but his only begotten Son, for he has otherwise
- Erlanger: go.
1942 Erl. 46, 368-370. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1943
no other, and made him man; and being born, and having given him unto us, he giveth him not evil, 1) but unto death, and causeth him to be lifted up, even as Moses lifted up the serpent? Is this not a great thing? Is not the medicine strong enough? Who could ever have desired it, that by it death might be healed and sin swallowed up? Such a strong help and mighty medicine shall do it for thee.
Because you do not understand all this, and you think about what it is that a man should be born again and be redeemed from sins, since we are sinners and are in the jaws of death, it is true that it seems strange and strange to you that we should remain before death, God's severe judgment and wrath, and before sin. Yes, of course it is strange. But see, what does God do about it? You would not have thought of it. He gives against sin, death and your old nature and birth, out of his divine wisdom, counsel and mercy, his only begotten Son, who is also the Son of man, and is thus given to us to die and be buried. There is another miracle and a greater miracle. If you are surprised and think it is unbelievable that a man should be born again, then this is still a greater miracle, that God so loves a poor sinner that he gives him, not an angel or prophet, but his only Son, and so gives him to become man and to be crucified. Learn this, and when you have learned it, and see these strange things, your heart will be troubled: These are strange things, how is it possible? But if you can grasp it and believe it, you will conclude: "If the Son of God is the remedy and the medicine against death and sin, what wonder is it? because the Son of God is greater and stronger than sin, the devil and my death. But believe it, and you will know that he is greater. For this is actually true, that I, out of my strength, whether I have
- In the Erlanger this sentence reads: "and lets them become man; and if he is born and has given us to them, then he does not give them bad dohm" etc.
- Erlanger: holds.
If a person puts on a monk's cap and accepts all the orders and rules, and goes on pilgrimages, and has all their good works, on which they rely, they still do not drive out death, but must die. For it is not the right prescription or medicine. But if I can believe here and accept this remedy, that God gives us His Son, and not one of the common sons, such as Abraham, Isaac and David, of whom He has many other sons, but His only begotten Son, then it is certain that because such a Son is given to us, He will bring about a new rebirth, that He will be a victor and conqueror of the devil. For this is the reason that God's Son is far, far greater than death, and stronger than sin, the devil; and is kinder to us, and we have more grace of God than wrath through him, or what may be more. If you wonder how a man can be brought from the devil into God's kingdom, it is worth even more wonder that God has given us His Son. Now that you believe this, the other wonderings will cease. For if we have the Son of God, who stands for us against death and opposes the devil, let the devil be as evil as he wills; if the Son of God has died for me, death devours me and devours me; he shall restore me, and I shall be at ease before him. Christ died, and death swallowed up the Son of God; but death made a snare of him, that he should give him again, because it was impossible that he should abide in death. For the person is God, and since God and man are one person, unseparated, in the belly of death and the devil, death has eaten a morsel of him that tears his belly.
This has also been God the Father's counsel from eternity, that He would thus devour death and destroy the devil's kingdom, and give the devil a little pill to eat with delight, but with it make such a mess in his belly and in the world. Now the Lord will say: Dear
- dere - such.
1944 Erl. 46, 370-372. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1945
Nicodeme, you see it is a miracle that God has given such a great, precious treasure to our rebirth. For is it not a miracle that I am the Son of Man and the Son of God, in One Person, and that I have been given into death, so that I may enter into the jaws of the devil and death? But I will not stay inside, and not only go out again, but also tear his belly, because the poison is too strong that death must die from it.
And lest he separate himself from the Father, he soon turns our heart away to the Father, saying that the Father also loves us, just as Christ loves us, and dies for us out of great love; that is, he who sees God's love sees mine also, for we have one love. I love you that I may redeem you from sin and death. It is also a miracle that God the Father loved you in this way and gave you the Son.
Furthermore, he says, how it happens that he tears death, and I also do not perish in death. He wants to be the poison of death. But death and the law will condemn him, so that he must die and be destroyed, but he will rise again from the dead. Where I will then be, there the devil must depart. But how do I get to this Savior and Redeemer? Is it through caps, orders and rules of the monks 2c.? No. Only cling to the Son by faith, who overcame death and tore the devil's belly, who will rule and reign again, even though he was crucified under Hannah and Caipha. Therefore abide in him, 1) and thou shalt tear through death and the devil: for thus saith the text, All they that believe on him shall have everlasting life." Hold it for the truth the miracle that God loved the world, and say: I believe in the Son of God and Mary, who was crucified and lifted up. Then you will know that you have been born again, for death and sin will no longer accuse you, nor cause you any harm, suffering or pain, for whoever believes in the Son will have eternal life. Cling to his neck or to his garment, that is,
- Erlanger: ihne.
Believe that he became man and suffered for you, and put the cross before you, saying, "I am a Christian," and tear through it, and death will be overcome. For just as death could not keep Christ, as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles in chapter 2, that S. Peter says, "It was impossible for death to keep him, because the Godhead and humanity were united in one person.
So also Christ John prays in the 17th chapter, saying: "As I and the Father are one, so let them also be one in me. If then I believe in him and am in Christ, it is impossible for me to be accused and condemned by sin and death, for he has torn it asunder; and it is not of our own strength, but by faith that we believe in him, and so remain on the back of Christ, the faithful Shepherd, as a godly little sheep.
Therefore, he who is a Christian and takes hold of Christ by faith is not very afraid of the devil, nor frightened by death and sins; and though he feels sin and is frightened and saddened by it, yet he pulls through and is not oppressed, for he soon says, "I believe in the Son of God and Mary, who is the devil's poison and death, and is my salvation, medicine and life.
Thus one reads a fine example of a nun (of whom 2) our Lord God has had some in all classes who have been preserved and saved). She had 3) high temptation of death and sins, as all who have not been belly servants have felt God's wrath and judgment; therefore, one has sought refuge in the saints. Because the nun was also afraid of God's wrath and would have liked to be saved, when the devil plagued her with his temptations, she had become accustomed to saying to the devil: "Leave me alone, I am a
- In the manuscript "der", which Höck and the Erlanger have changed into "denn".
- Erlanger: has.
1946 Erl. 46, 372-374. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1947
Christian; then the devil had to leave her satisfied. This seems to be an easy thing, and soon learned. But see to it that one also speaks it out of faith, as this little nun has done. For these words: I am a Christian, the devil did not greatly fear, but her faith, that she firmly relied on it and said: I have been baptized into Christ, and in him alone do I trust, for he is my life, salvation, and wisdom; and when a speech thus proceeds from faith, it is a vain fiery air to the devil, which breaks him, and grieves him that he cannot stay. But when it is cold, as the common man is wont to speak of the things of God and of salvation, the devil laughs. But if the speech boils in the heart, then you chase him, so that he does not remain. For there is Christ, the eater of death and the ripper of death, 1) as Hosea is told in the thirteenth chapter v. 14, who also saith here, He that believeth on me shall not perish, but have everlasting life. If then he is to have eternal life, he must live and be free from death and sin. Now when the devil hears the name, he flees, for he cannot bear it. But if he does not feel the one who tore him apart, then he avenges one into hell.
I say this for the sake of those who think it is enough, who can only speak and tell the words and not also believe with the heart, as many of them hear these words and think they want to do it afterwards, as I will tell you an example or history of it. There was a doctor of Arzu ei in Italy, a godless man, who was asked to be godfather for a time. Now, above the baptism, he heard the glorious words of the institution and endowment of baptism, how the child would become an heir of the kingdom of heaven through Christ, and how the church had asked God for the child that Christ would also accept this child. When he came home after the baptism, and contemplated these words in his heart, and was quite upset and saddened by them, and when he had just invited guests to his home for supper, and the guests asked him why he had thus
- Erlanger: "Todenfresser und Todenreißer".
sighed deeply and had such great thoughts in his heart: then he 2) came out and said: I became a godfather today, and heard great and also strange words, and if I knew that I had also been baptized in the same way, oh, I would never be afraid of the devil; and because an old man had just been sitting at the table, who had lifted the doctor out of the baptism, he said: My dear doctor, my dear doctor, you should not doubt it, for I stood at your baptism and was your godfather, and I can testify that you were baptized in the same way. When he was very happy about this, and soon after got up from the guests and went into his room, he saw that in one room there were two large, long horns sticking out of the wall, where there had been none before, because the devil was tormenting him and disguised himself in the horns. When the doctor saw this, he thought to himself: "You have been baptized and are a Christian, why would you fear the devil? 3) With such strong faith, he went to the wall, broke off one of the horns, and ran into the chamber to the guests with joy, and told them what had happened in the chamber. When the guests all got up and ran into the chamber to see if the one horn was still there, and found two horns on the wall again, another came and wanted to do the same, and put in a great honor, saying, "I am also a Christian," and went to the wall and wanted to tear off one horn. Then the devil broke his neck and strangled him. For this one wanted to scold with the things and to seek only a temporal honor with it. Then his head was torn off, because otherwise the other, who needed in the challenge of faith, was not harmed nor hurt.
This history is easy to believe, and I am telling it so that one not only learns to speak the words of the Holy Scriptures, but also believes in them from the heart, even in all kinds of danger and in death. For many say with their mouth: I am a Christian; but in the heart
- Erlanger: lead.
- Erlanger: wollst.
1948 Erl. 46, 374-377. Luther's interpretation on "Joh" Cap. 1-4. 1949
they do not believe it. But if they are serious, then you will know when the need arises. But take hold of the word of God by faith, pray and say with all seriousness: I am a Christian, then you will know if you believe. Otherwise, if there is no need, you will not feel it. The rough people, who are in no need or temptation, do not know anything about it. For it is not learned behind the tiled stove either, of which Christ says here that we must be born again. If you are a Christian and believe, say with the nun: I am a Christian. What is the point? You will feel relief, so that your heart will be satisfied, and you will be able to thank God, and the devil will have to leave, because he cannot stand these fiery words.
So now it is all because of the great, wonderful miracle that I believe that God has given His Son for us. If I do not doubt this, then I can say in my affliction: It is true, devil, I must confess that I am a sinner, that I wear the old Adam on my neck, and that I am under the wrath of God. But what do you say to me that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life? These words I believe. And such words you speak out of a hearty faith. For Christ passed through death and sin, and death could not swallow him up. If then thou believest in me, saith he, he shall not devour thee: though he keep thee three days, as he kept me Christ three days in the earth, and Jonah three days in the belly of the whale, yet shall he spue thee out again. You should be amazed, not only that you should be born again, but that God so loved the world that he gave us such a strong plaster, medicine and syrnp against sin, death, the devil and hell, that whoever puts this on his heart shall be undestroyed.
On the other hand, see what an abomination and error this is to those who have pointed us to other works than that people run to the deserts and monasteries and make pilgrimages.
- Erlanger: sollest.
We should go to the monastery and do all this so that we would not be lost but have eternal life. I also entered the monastery for this reason, so that I would not be lost but have eternal life; I wanted to advise and help myself with the cap. It is truly a troublesome and burdensome business: even today, this is taught in Turkey and in the papacy. The Jews also teach this way. But it is spoken from the devil's mouth.
But one would like to say: Eh, should such a big bunch of people also be able to err? Know then that the Son of God is greater than all the gates of hell, greater also than all the monks and their caps. Nicodemus also wanted to hear how he should be born again and saved from death, and asked how this should be done. The Lord answered: "This is how it is: the Son of Man must be raised, and the Son of God must be given in death, so that people may believe in him. For what if the world were full of monks' caps and rules, or of the statutes of the pope, or of Alcoran the Turk, or of the laws of the Jews? nevertheless Christ is greater than all these things. For he is still the Creator of heaven and earth, and Lord over all creatures, and has not given for me S. Franciscum, nor any of the monks of the same, nor the mother of Christ, S. Petrum, nor any vain angel, nor caps or plates, but much greater treasure. For it takes more not to be lost and to overcome death than that a man or an angel could accomplish it, but the only begotten Son of God. The Son devours death.
Our adversaries also read this text, but they do not understand it, just as we also had these words in the papacy, but understood nothing of them, but our thoughts were directed only to our works; although some have grasped the words by faith, and have been preserved when that nun said: I am a Christian; and I saw a monk catching a cross of Christ in his hand 2) and sawing (when the other monks praised all their works):
- Erlanger: erwuschete.
1950 Eri. 46, 377 f. 47, i f. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1951
I know of no 1) merits of mine, but only of the merit of him who died for me on the cross, and died on it. For otherwise, in the papacy, one used to reproach the dying in the monastery, they wanted to be mindful of their and other 2) merits, or good works, and die on them. But as the pious monk died blessedly, solely on the merit of Jesus Christ, so many an avenger on the gallows has been redeemed from sins and saved by faith.
S. St. Bernard also did this, who was an excellent monk and kept his order hard, and fasted himself so much that his breath stank so much that no one could stay with him. When he was about to die, he said: "Oh, I have spent my life badly! But heavenly Father, you have given me your Son, who has the kingdom of heaven by two rights, firstly, from eternity that he is your Son, and secondly, he has also acquired it heaven as the Son of man, with his suffering, death and resurrection, and in this way he has also given it to me and shared it with me. Then he falls from the monks, orders, caps and rules, on Christ, that he did not tear death for himself, but for the sake of us the people, so that all who believe in the Son would not be lost, but have eternal life; and so St. Bernard became blessed.
Now these are golden words that should be kept in our Christianity, for they alone make Christians. Otherwise you will see how shamefully wrong those are who want to escape eternal damnation through monasticism, caps and plates and their merits, and have also sold and shared their superfluous good works with others. Thus, unfortunately, we have lived in piety. But, young people, be grateful to God for this, and learn these words well. For it is the devil and death with the pope and the Turk Alkoran, since people only cling to their evil works, so that they will not be lost. But there is something more to it than our good works, because even the angelic sanctity is not lost.
- Erlanger: none.
- Erlanger: other merit.
nothing helps, but the Son of God must be given to rend death; and he shall not have heaven and victory over death alone, but that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, Again, whosoever believeth not, there is no help, neither is there salvation for ever; as he further saith, "He that believeth not is already judged."
The thirty-first sermon on the Gospel of John.
[Saturday, the 29th day of June, on the day of Peter and Paul, Anno 1538.
We have heard that the Christ said to Nicodemo: "Thus God loved the world" 2c.; item, that God did not send His Son to judge the world, and learned from the same words that the Son of God and the Son of Man are One Person, and that the Son of Man is hanged and lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness. For this also belongs to human nature alone, for God could not suffer nor be crucified. Nor does he say here that the Son of God was given to death and hung on the cross, so that we may learn from this communicationem idiomatum that the attributes of both natures are drawn to this one person, and thus attributes of both natures belong to the one person; and although it is true that they are two different things, the Creator and the creature, and are as far apart as nothing and something or everything, or as heaven and earth: nevertheless they are united here.
I do not diligently do this in vain, for there have been many heretics, and there will be many more, who will dispute this article, and who have taken offense at the fact that God should suffer, for the Godhead is an eternal majesty, but humanity is a temporal creature; and because there are two natures in Christ, they have played and pretended with this article, partly that Mary is not the mother of God's Son, and that Christ, Mary's Son, is not God's Son, and have
1952 Erl. 47, 2-4. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1953
The two men were offended by the fact that two natures are found in Christ, and therefore they also wanted to make two persons. But according to the Holy Scripture we say that there are two natures in Christ, but only one and not two persons, so that this person, God and man, suffered, item, Son of God and Son of Mary was crucified. Although an enthusiastic spirit would like to say, "God cannot be crucified," you say that this person, who is God and man, was crucified. For since God thus rhymes, we should also do so and say that Mary is not only the mother of Christ according to humanity, but also the mother of God's Son, and that her Son is both God and man. For this is also what S. Paul says to the Hebrews in chapter 6, where he speaks of the false Christians, and says that they themselves crucify the Son of God and hold him up to ridicule. Item, in the first to Corinthians at the 2nd chapter: "If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." Since S. Paul and the Scriptures speak in this way that the Son of God and the King of honor was crucified, we should also speak and believe in this way without hesitation, and whoever believes this book of the Scriptures will not object. For we can also say: This child, born of Mary, who hangs on her breasts or lies in her womb, created heaven and earth; and if someone wants to say: "Well, what should the child create? then I answer: The holy scripture says it. So also the dear angels sing it in Christmas, Luke in the 2nd chapter, and say: "Christ the Lord is born to you in the city of David. This is what the angels sing about the child when the mother was still suckling him at her breasts, and they call the child a Lord.
The old fathers fought very hard about this, and preserved it against the heretics, that in Christ there are two natures, but not two persons, but only one Son. Thus speaketh the Scriptures, and we also ought to speak thus. According to mankind, there is crucified, and according to the Godhead alone heaven and earth were created. But because this person is God and man, it is rightly said: God's Son is the creator of heaven and earth, and will be the creator of heaven and earth.
also crucified. It is not necessary to separate the person, so that only humanity remains, but he was also God, as S. Hilarius says: Christus passus est requiescente verbo; and if we do not receive that this person is God and man, who died on the cross, we would be eternally damned and lost. For we must have a Savior who is more than a saint or an angel, for if he were not more, greater and better, we would not be helped. But if he is God, the treasure is so heavy that it not only weighs away and cancels sin and death, but also gives eternal life. Otherwise, no man could give or do this, or overcome the devil and death.
This is our Christian faith, and therefore we rightly confess: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of Mary, suffered and died. Hold fast to this faith, and let the heathen and the heretics always be wise, and thou shalt be saved. Therefore it follows: He that believeth on the Son of man, which was born of Mary, and suffered, and is buried, shall not perish; he is the Son of God, and hath everlasting life: and the devil, and sin, and death, can do nothing against him; for he hath everlasting life.
For this reason the text adds: God gave His only Son so that the world would not perish but have eternal life. For God has many other sons, as we boast that He is our God and Father, as we also pray in the Lord's Prayer; and S. Paul says that we are chosen for sonship, because God the Father wants us to be His children. But the evangelist distinguishes the sons, saying: They are sons who believe in the Son. Since we are sons of God who believe in Him, it must follow that the same Son who is believed in is much more different and greater than all those who believe in Him. Otherwise, others are sons of God, but not such sons as he is, in whom one must believe, but those such as 1) we must believe in the only begotten Son.
- "like" added by us.
1954 Erl. 47, 4-6. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1955
Believe in God. He does not become a son of God because he believed in us, but we become sons of God because we all believe in him and become sons through him. Therefore, he is much more another son than we are.
The heretics have disgracefully torn up the Holy Scriptures and pretended that Christ is metaphorically called the Son of God, just as we humans are called sons of God. But in Job the angels are also called sons of God, for so it is said Job 38, 4. 7.: "Where were you when all the children of God in heaven worshipped me?" that is, all the angels; so Christ would also be the Son of God. But no, look at this text here. He is the Son to be believed in, and we holy men, and the angels are not sons of God as he is Son, for we are all made sons through him alone when we believe in him. The angels are made children of God through him, for they are created through the Son, as is written to Colossians Cap. 1, 16.. In the same way, we human beings were created through him, and we condemned and lost sinners are made sons of God by believing in him. Therefore he is God and the Son of God, for it is another thing for all to believe and then all to be believed; and to whom it is due the honor that men should believe in him, and through him become the children of God and be born again, he must be true God. If the angels were created through him, he must be the Lord of all creatures, for the angels are the highest creatures. If we are created through him, he must not be the Son of God, as we or John the Baptist is the Son of God.
This is the real difference between God's children and this Son of God, as God Himself is. But we are made sons through Him, and He gives us eternal life, overcoming death through Himself. These are. differentiae essentiales. So you must look at the holy scriptures, not only for yourself, but that you may also meet the red spirits who lead the holy scriptures after their own head, and know that this son is holy and safe from the devil and
Death, is not lost as we men; so he also does not attain blessedness to him, because he is the blessedness and the life itself before. For he is truly God, not only in all his person, but also in his office and works, which bear full witness that he is God, as he says in John Cap. 10, 38: "If you will not believe me, believe me for the works' sake" 2c. Therefore it is quite essentialis definitio that it is said of him here: He that believeth on him hath eternal life, that the Son should give eternal life, and choke death by himself, and make all believers blessed, for this belongs to God alone.
So you can justify your faith that Christ is true God not only because of his being but also because of his work. He is personally God, and also does divine works, for he who believes in him makes him blessed. This is not written of any angel called Gabriel or Michael, nor of John the Baptist, nor of the Virgin Mary, that whoever believes in them becomes the Son of God, but only of the Son is it said that he helps from death and gives eternal life. Thus, God has set the Son high not only according to the person and majesty, but also according to the work. Therefore we should write this text with large, even golden letters on all walls, and also in our hearts, for they are words of life and blessedness, because we can know from them how to escape from death, and also defend ourselves with them against all heretics, also against the pope and the Turk, who all also read this text, but with sleepy eyes and deaf ears. For if they heard, understood and believed it, they would not have fallen into such foolishness, but would have said: I alone am saved through Christ, the Son of God, who was given and crucified for me. For if this is true, I soon say: What am I doing in the monastery? Why did I run to Rome or to St. James? (because I did all this in order to be saved by it) and then judge all religion and faith to be false and unjust, be it the Turk's, Mahomet's, Pabst's or the Jews' faith, which these religions and faiths are.
1956 Erl. 47, 7-9. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1957
Read and sing the words, but sleepily, as if the nuns read the psaltery and do not know what they are singing or reading; speak these words, but not like a parrot. But consider these words carefully, and search them out in your heart; and when you have understood them aright, then you can judge and search by faith, and confidently defend yourself against the spirits of the wicked.
Christ further says: "Look at it, dear Nicodeme, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that we might be saved through him; as if he should say: The work that is saving from sins and death I do; and then the work that he himself does he gives to the Father, so that the work of the Father and the work of the Son are one and the same, as the evangelist John is wont to do for and for, that he distinguishes the persons and draws the work together. For the Father is not the Son of the Virgin Mary, nor crucified, but the Son alone, and yet the Father and Son are and remain true God, and the Son draws us to the Father through Himself.
But we have heard that he said: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit"; item: "No one goes up to heaven except he who has come down. This is a harsh and terrifying speech, condemning the whole world to have no God at all, and to be damned and lost, and there is only the wrath of God. Yes, God is a pure tyrant; and so you have heard the wrath and judgment of God, that we men are all conceived and born in sins. But hear now also of the love of God, that he favors thee, and loves thee. For if you want to have a gracious God and Father, and know that He loves you, this is the way to do it: So you come to God, because you believe in the Son, whom he gave for you, and who let himself be hanged on the cross. Because you have no faith, it is impossible that you should not feel the unspeakable love of God. God's unspeakable love that he will not let you be condemned, but rather gave his Son for you so that you might live. Take this well, because you want to be saved. For if thou
If you believe this, you will ascend to heaven through me and find not an angry judge, but a loving Father who is so disposed toward me that he does not want me to perish, but has given his Son for me; otherwise I would perish in death. Then I can say, If God so loved me that He also gave His Son for me, that I might be saved, why should I fear His wrath?
In the papacy, much has been preached about sin, death and hell, also about the wrath of God. But how do you get rid of all that? They wanted us to do enough for our sin with our good works and atone with monastic life, pilgrimages and masses. But here it is said: Whoever does not believe in the Son, the wrath of God remains upon him; since the Pope wants me to put on a cap and have a plate made for me, and do other foolish things, so that I may be rid of the wrath of God. So the Turk, the Pope and the Jews are painting our Lord God to be an angry God, but to be satisfied and made merciful to me, because I humble myself, fast, sacrifice, and do good works, and atone for my sin with an austere life. This is the wicked devil, that one should point people to their good works, and not to Christ, the Son of God, when God does not want you to stand on your own, nor to insist on your works (however good they may be), but you should go and take hold of the Son, hang on his neck alone, and believe in him and say: I believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who was born of Mary, and suffered and died for me. 2c.
This is what the papists sang every day in their churches, and pushed the faith in their children. But no one understood it, they did not say: I want to escape from hell with my monasticism and order. For this reason, the Lord wants us to renounce all thoughts of God and eternal blessedness, to attain it through our good works, and to flee to the Lord Christ alone, for no one seeks God except the Lord Christ, otherwise he will remain eternally damned and lost. There would be much to preach about this, if the time were right.
1958 Erl. 47, 8-11. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1959
wanted to suffer. However, there have always been many red spirits who have let Christ go and have wanted to climb up to heaven and seek God with their sharp thoughts and good works, and therefore all heresies have arisen among the Jews, so that the hermits or Levites in their gardens, beautiful meadows, pleasant pastures, or where there was a beautiful lime tree or mountain, there they built altars, sacrificed and wanted to perform worship there, and tempted the people to run to the same altars, and the devil did miracles there from time to time, and the poor people were miserably deceived. Against this the prophets cried out earnestly, and condemned that one should serve God out of one's own devotion. For when the priests said: This must be done in this place, this is pleasing to God, then the devil struck, so that the people ran to it with crowds, and only made their own devotion to God. But if God were also like them. He had let Moses tell them where they should worship him; not where there was a beautiful place, a tree, a pleasant valley, meadow or mountain, but where the tabernacle of the congregation was, where they should worship him, and therefore God wanted to be found alone in the temple at Jerusalem. But the spirits of the Jews said, "Is not God also on this mountain, or in the place where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob also worshipped God? God can hear us here as well as in Jerusalem. That meant climbing to God with our own devotion. So we did. We were not satisfied with God's saying, "No one leads to heaven except the one who descends"; item: "He who does not want to be condemned and lost, but to have eternal life, let him believe in the Son who was crucified; but it was also said, "You must truly do good works, and not only the good works commanded in the Ten Commandments, but you must also do the works commanded by the pope, with fasting and feasting," 2c, and then mock us that preach of faith, saying, What faith? what faith? but he that preacheth this 1) or that
- Erlanger: this.
He who accepts the order will be blessed. That is the plague, and that is to seek our Lord God and to climb up to heaven with our thoughts by our own way. Learn this against the devil, who is called enthusiasm, because people do not think anything of the verbal word, but say: The spirit must do it, lead vain spirit in the mouth. Now Nicodemus in this form could well have received the Holy Spirit, but here he hears from Christ the word of truth that Christ preaches to him: "No one leads to heaven" 2c. Therefore, the word must still be preached and read orally, and it must be said: "I believe in the only begotten Son of God, who died for me," 2c., and thus conclude our faith badly, and say: "I know of no other God, but of Him who is written here: He that believeth on the Son of man hath everlasting life. This I cannot attain by any other thoughts or works, but the only and right way to God is to believe in the Son. For this reason, God has so diligently commanded us to preach, and for this reason has given us the oral ministry, and instituted the sacraments, and commanded us absolution, so that this preaching may remain known among Christians, and that faith may be led with a stout heart, as we confess: I believe in the Son who was given to die for me; which words the papists also hear, for they have the Bible as well as we do, but they slumber and snore, blind with seeing eyes and deaf with hearing ears, thinking, O if I had only done what S. Augustine or Franciscus commanded! The laity then invoke the Virgin Mary to ask her Son for them, and since I was in the monastery for twenty years, I thought of nowhere else to go but to keep my rules. So we were drowned and absorbed in the sleep of our good works that we did not see nor understand these words. But if you want to meet God, write these words in your heart, do not sleep, wake up, learn and consider them well, that Christ says: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish.
1960 Erl. 47, 11-14. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1961
but have eternal life." Here let him who is able to write write; item, read and act, write poetry, and seek it in the morning and evening, whether he sleeps or wakes. For the devil brings you into this severe temptation, that you think Christ is not the Son of God, and your faith does not please Him, and afflicts you with eternal misfortune, with the wrath and judgment of God. Then you say: I do not want to know God, nor do I want to know or hear God, except that He loves me; I do not want to know about some angry God, about His judgment and wrath, hell, death and damnation. But if I see his wrath, I know that he drives me to the Son, that I have refuge in him, and if I come to him, I have a gracious Father. For, as S. John says in his epistle, the Father loved me rather than we loved or knew him, and forgave me sin and gave me blessedness.
If you hear these words and believe them, they make you a true Christian; but if you lose these words, all is lost, God grant you be a Carthusian or whatever you want.
These are big words that I cannot talk out. "Not to be lost" means not to be in sin, not to have an evil conscience, nor to be under the law. For the law otherwise punishes sin, but if anyone here feels sin and the wrath of God, he shall not have an evil conscience because of sin, for it is forgiven him. The law shall not accuse him, sin shall not bite nor afflict him, death shall not devour him, for because he believes, he is safe and secure.
This is what we preach and believe, but if anyone does not believe it, let him ask God to give him such faith. But see to it that you do not contradict this faith, or disgrace and blaspheme, as the pope does, who says: "Well, I also believe that Christ makes blessed, but not me. Well, the devil also knows that God has saved S. Peter. Therefore, faith is not a small thing, as the pope despises it, but is a heartfelt trust in God through Christ, so that Christ's suffering and death will make you 1)
- Erlanger: you.
and should be your own. Otherwise, the devil and the pope also have faith, but it is only fides historica; but true faith does not doubt, it surrenders with its heart that the Son of God was given for it in death, and took away sin, strangled death, and not only took away evil, but restored eternal life, righteousness, blessedness and glory, yes, what God Himself is, and made us His children through the Son.
These are living words that Christ speaks to us, to you and to me, namely, whoever accepts the Son shall be blessed, death, the devil and hell shall be gone. These words comfort in anguish and affliction, and when one is to contend against the spirits of the wicked, and quench the fiery darts of the devil, item, that we may retain the glory, that God's Son is our gift and present: this otherwise no monastic order or rule can give you, it is called S. Augustini, or whatever it may be, but you must say: I believe in Christ, in whom S. Augustine also believed. But if I wanted to say: O dear Virgin Mary, you are holier than I am, and you, S. Francisce, have many merits, tell me your merits, nothing will come of it, and you would be answered as one said to the mad virgins in the 25th chapter of Matthew (who wanted to have oil from the wise virgins who had their lamps full): Go, buy you also oil in the market from the merchants, that is, from your preachers and teachers, who have taught you thus.
And so in this text are rich, excellent and blessed words to be diligently remembered.
The thirty-second sermon on the Gospel of John.
Sabbatho post Aegidii, 7. Septembris. Anno 1538.
Mau used to preach this gospel to the common man every year on the Monday of Pentecost, and because it is rich in words, it can never be preached enough. But we have often interpreted the first part abundantly, namely that God sent His Son into the world, so that whoever
1962 Erl. 47, 14-16. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1963
who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Enough has been said about this. But we also want to deal with the other part, that the world does not want to accept the judgment, nor to hear the word of God.
Now it is a great wonder that the world should be so mad and foolish, 1) that it cannot stand when it is preached to it that through Christ, the Son of God, it should be saved, have eternal life, be redeemed from sin and death, and fear nothing at the last judgment. This is truly the most beautiful and best sermon. Even when it is carried to the people's house and court, it shall be thrust away. How is it that we always regard our blessedness so lightly? See how it is with the papists and the spirits of the rot. They can all hear and suffer this sermon so far away that they say: God sent His Son into the world and gave Him for me. But when it comes to the point that our good works are punished by this, and they are to count for nothing, that one says: You monks must believe in this Christ, and through Christ alone, and not through your masses, pilgrimages or other ceremonies, become blessed: then the quarrel arises that it should all be condemned, and be called pure heresy. If this were said of Turks, I would not believe it. But because I myself hear and see that many become evangelicals because they are gently preached to, but when they hear or see a little something that they do not like, and that their good works are rejected, they recoil, and want to become mad and foolish, and the anger, strife and hatred of all comes from this, that we are saved by the Son whom God has sent us, and not by the caps, plates or some of our good works.
And this is also contained in the text in glorious words, namely, that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Is this not German enough? It does not help yet, because when people hear that their thing shall be nothing, then it is over. Your
- "his" added by us.
The thing must be right and remain right, God grant that heaven and earth fall upon it. It is to be wondered at that such wickedness should be to men, that they cannot throw away their good works without great wrath and unwillingness, since it should be dear and pleasant to them to become blessed by an alien help and benefit. But they do not want to let their bad deeds be condemned in the first table. And what do I say of the sins in the first table, but idolatry, blasphemy, swearing, swearing, which the world will not allow to be punished in it? Nor can it suffer them to be punished in the other table. For tell a peasant 2) that he must believe in Christ, for through Christ he is offered salvation, but also beware that he is not a fornicator or an adulterer. If this is said to them, they soon get angry and throw away the word of God and the teaching. Thus, when the nobles hear a punitive sermon, they want to become mad and foolish. Item, the princes also want to be unpunished. If one says to them: If you do this, you are not a Christian, they have now learned to call the punitive sermon a disgraceful and blasphemous sermon, and to complain to the preachers that they are speaking to people's honor. One should only preach that "God so loved the world that He gave His Son to it. Item: "He who believes in the Son shall have eternal life." O, this is a delicious sermon! But the other part, namely, that the world hates the light and does not accept it, I am to leave quietly, and not to punish anyone for loving darkness, and this is what the kings, princes, lords and nobles would like to have. But let the devil do this, that it should not be said to them, for Christ himself says it here, that the world hates the light.
What do you think will happen if the nobility and others are not punished? You might well send them home to the devil, covered with may. Still they boast 3) nevertheless good evangelical. What shall we do here?
- Erlanger: "a baurn".
- "themselves" inserted by us.
1964 Erl. 47, 16-18. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1965
Shall we stop preaching and let them always go into the devil's jaws? And it would be no wonder if I threw the keys at the feet of our Lord God and said: "Lord, preach yourself, you could do it differently, because we have preached to them and they do not want to hear us. But God wants us to stand firm in our profession and ministry, and to carry it out, and to punish it. For He wants to govern His church through the preachers, through the outward Word and Sacrament, just as He otherwise governs the world through mayors, kings, princes and lords, and punishes the wicked with the sword. Otherwise, he would not be allowed to use the executioner and the authorities anywhere, as is written in the 13th chapter of Romans, because otherwise he could punish the wicked much better himself. So he also wants to use us for the penal office in the church, just as he needs the princes in the secular government; and if this were not God's order and appointment, I would not want to preach for the rest of my life. But if God says: You shall do it, and remain in your office, be it over you, as it may, - if you are now in the preaching office, and see that you have husbands and boys, fornicators, adulterers and robbers for parishioners, then say: Because I am to do it, I will denounce the sin of the peasants, citizens and nobles, and punish them for such vices, and ask nothing of them, so that they may say, "My honor is being questioned. For by this means I shall bring your sin upon myself. But how can I go to hell for you? Well, they say, I do not desire it, I do not force you to it. Yes, but you do not want me to punish you, and you do not want to hear that your vices are punished by me, but you should keep quiet about it, since I have such an office that I should punish the vices, as the prophet Ezekiel says in the 3rd v. 17 f. and 33rd chapters v. 7 f.: "Son of man, I have set you as a watchman over the house of Israel. If therefore I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou sayest not unto him, that the wicked may beware of his nature; then shall the wicked die for his wickedness' sake, but his blood will I take from thee.
Hand demand." Behold, to lay such a burden upon the neck of a ruler, thinkest thou that it is a small thing? And now the poor preachers are burdened with it, item, all those who are otherwise in offices, as, mayors, princes and authorities. They must not be silent about their sins, nor sin themselves, for if I see adultery or other vices in others and do not punish them, God will punish me. For we in the spiritual and temporal government are commanded to punish, but no one does it. Where will you great kings and teachers of the church remain, who hear and see much vice and sin, and yet remain silent about it and do not punish? And many of them go to hell because of other and foreign sins.
Therefore, it is very difficult to be in a regiment, be it spiritual or secular, in secular regiment or in the church. But still there must be regents and authorities, and you should not be hostile to the authorities. For they carry a heavy burden on their necks, and they will find it expensive enough, who keep bad house in the regiment; and even if they carry a golden chain on their necks, so let them have it, because they have enough danger with it, if they do not govern rightly and do not punish sin. But the common man does not think of that. He does not know that if I, as a preacher, keep quiet and do not punish, then all the sin of this city will be on my neck. Now you see how everything in the world is scourging, scratching, stinging and proliferating, and when you tell them, they get angry and want to fly off the handle. Is that good evangelical preaching, if I should let you do as you wish, and should keep quiet about it? But why do you want to burden me with your sins? I will not let them lie on me, you bear them alone. Yes, why don't you keep quiet? Do you hear that I cannot and should not be silent for the sake of my office, for what do you give me that I should be condemned for your sake and be made a party to your sins? Therefore it comes to pass that the good gospel has this virtue and thanksgiving in the sight of the world, that the world loves darkness rather than light; so the gospel of Christ is a delicious, sweet sermon, but shameful to him is the gospel of Christ.
1966 Erl. 47, 18-20. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1967
It is also a sweet sermon when one says: Christ will give his body and soul for you; but if one attacks one rightly, and punishes the sins in him, then it is the devil, and one does not want to suffer it. But one must teach that one can be saved through Christ alone, and then also reproach the ungodly with the judgment, namely, that men cannot suffer the light which shows how men are to be saved, but they want to remain in their usury and other sins. But let us deal with these finely one after another. He says: "Thus God loved the world" 2c. This is an unspeakable sermon, that God, the heavenly Father, has had mercy on us, and out of grace and mercy has given us His Son. In addition, write that we did not deserve it, that it did not happen for the sake of our piety or merit, but out of pure grace. But to whom does this grace happen? To the world, that is, to those who were damned and lost. So we like to hear that God loved the world, but that the world should be lost, that sermon is not acceptable. What then does he give? Oh, it is an unspeakable love that he loves us in this way, that he does not give us a kingdom or a thousand angels, which would be a great and expressive gift, but he gives himself, gives his Son, who is truly God, and the most beloved thing that he has and is.
To whom does he give it? To the world, that is, to the lost multitude, which did not deserve it, but had to wait for the antitype, that they should be damned and lost. But the Son is given to them for this reason, so that, since they were lost, they might now be saved through him.
What should you do for this love of God again? Nothing? You should not go on pilgrimage to Rome, become a monk or a nun, do this or that work, but only believe in Christ, that one may come out of the lost being and cling to him, but that it is also such a faith, which is not without good works.
So, if this gift and offering, namely, the Son of the Father, is not grasped with any hand, finger or foot, not even in a monastery
When this gift comes into your heart, so that you believe in Christ from the heart, you do not remain an old man, as a thief, adulterer or murderer, but become a new man, because you have the light in your heart. Therefore, our Lord God first wants to have the heart thoroughly, which alone must believe. Our Lord God takes the very best, as the innermost man, not the mouth or the hand, but the heart, so that you may be devout from within. Then it is true that when you believe in Christ, the heart becomes pure, as S. Peter says in the 15th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, v. 9: "Through faith the heart is cleansed; and this same faith does not make you hopeful or proud, for when the heart is cleansed, the hands, eyes, feet, and all the other members are also clean and do other works than before. Faith does not make you a sinner, fornicator or adulterer, but as the heart is, so the whole life follows.
Now he transfigured himself further, and expressed it more gloriously; he said that the world was indeed condemned, but that the Son was sent to save the condemned and lost world, and because he was given and bestowed upon us out of great love, that we accept him with our hearts and believe in him, whoever is able to do so. Then it is to be said that we will be brought out of condemnation and into eternal life, so that death, hell and the power of the devil will be gone.
And as he talked affirmative until now, so now he says negative:
For God did not send His Son to judge the world 2c.
As if he should say: The whole world, if it is pious and best, fears God and shrinks from him, for it knows that God is angry, that there is also a hell, judgment of God, and eternal damnation; and that this is so, it also shows the diseases, pestilences, fevers, wars, troubles, and other afflictions and miseries that are in the world, and are punishments or plagues of God, as
1968 Erl. 47, 20-23. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1969
God shows His wrath and judgment against the wicked; and what little pious hearts there are, they know that God is angry and a reproachful one, and fear His judgment as they fear the devil. The outer crude and godless people fear nothing from war and pestilence; indeed, they become even more angry and impatient with wars, pestilence and the French.
Now it is in the hearts of all men that God is angry and an angry judge of sin, as we see His wrath in the world, punishing one here and another there. Thus man cannot be happy, but must always fear that God is behind him with a club and wants to strike. Here the Lord Christ says: "Let us put these thoughts aside, for God does not want us to think about them any more. For let him stand as he wills, even though he lets his four plagues go forth in the world, as diseases, wars, theurge, and wild beasts, yet the judgment shall be abolished, it shall not be wrath; as he also often stands against the saints wrathfully and scoldingly 1) as when he attacks Job, Jeremiah, David, and others, all of which then shall not be a judgment, since God would even destroy them, but a probation, as 2 Cor. 1, 7. 2) and in the 30th Psalm 2c. Therefore he also says here: The judgment is over, the Father and I judge no one. God is not angry, for I am the pledge and the certain sign, yes, the gift and present, by which you shall know that God is not angry. For I am not sent to judge the world, and you should flee from me, and I should drive you from me as an angry judge, and the negative, the no, is all.
time stronger than the affirmative, or yes; as if to say, It is not that I would judge you, nor that the Father would judge you also, for if he would condemn and judge you, why then did he send me into the world? but wrath is gone, and love only in him, and he also sent me for this purpose, that I should not judge the world, but should make it blessed.
- impish - impatient, angry.
- Erlanger: 1 Cor. 2.
These are glorious and comforting words that devout Christians should take to their hearts, knowing that God does not judge. With these words we should comfort ourselves (if we were not desperate boys) that God does not want to strike us dead, nor throw us into hell. The wicked shall fear, flee, and not come to him with gladness. But you who believe in me shall not be judged, nor flee from me as a fierce judge. For through the means of believing in me, judgment is abolished, and I have been sent to bring judgment to an end. Therefore, the thoughts of your heart are wrong, for he who accepts me in faith lets go of the shameful words of the wrath of God, hell and eternal damnation.
These are his bright and clear words "shall not be judged", which we did not devise, but he spoke them. Why? Because he is not sent to judge the world, but to make it blessed, and to make it escape judgment. For it has me then, who am its God, and whoever has the Son of God and believes in him cannot be judged, for through him the Father has abolished judgment. Otherwise, the dear Son Christ would also have to be condemned, but it is impossible that he should be condemned. Therefore, where he is, there we also should be, so that we also would not be condemned, because if I believe in him, I cannot be judged. So then, we should not flee from Christ and God, the heavenly Father, but he wants us to take refuge in him; as little chicks gather under the wings of a hen, and as children take refuge in their parents, so we should also take refuge in Christ and the heavenly Father.
But the world is already judged by original sin, inheritance and the law of Moses, because it is deceived by the devil. Such judgment is already indicated by the law of Moses, our conscience and heart, as Romans 1 says that our own conscience accuses and condemns us, and therefore no longer needs a judge. For the world before is full of judgment, full of death, and not worthy of love. Therefore there was no need of a judge.
1970 Erl. 47, S3-2S. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1971
The Son is sent so that we may know that our thoughts must be put to death.
Now this is a comforting teaching. Nevertheless, the devil under the papacy beat it down, and even today this doctrine is despised. I fled from Christ under the papacy and trembled before his name. For my heart had 1) these thoughts full of Christ, that he would be a judge, to whom I would have to give an account of all words and works on the last day, since I knew these words well, and read them daily, but without understanding, because I thought Christ was a judge; we thus strayed horribly. St. Bernard, who was otherwise a pious man, also says: "See in the whole Gospel how often Christ scolds, punishes and condemns the Pharisees, and goes swiftly with them, whereas the Virgin Mary is always kind and gentle, and has never spoken a harsh word, and therefore has the thought: Christ scolds and punishes, but with Mary there is only sweetness and love. Therefore they were afraid of Christ, and from him we all ran to the saints, and called upon Mary and others for helpers in need; and if they were all holier than Christ, Christ alone was the executioner, but the saints were our mediators. And no one has been able to see this glorious text, nor to imagine in our hearts the words which he says here: I did not come into the world to judge the world, that he should not be a judge, but a mediator, a helper, a comforter, a throne of grace, a bishop, a shepherd, a brother, an advocate, 2) our gift and helper in need, and not a judge, for he was given to us and bestowed upon us, that we should not flee from him. And these wounds are not yet healed in our hearts, for nature is inclined that we do not give much credit to God, 3) and when evil teachers, as sects and cults, come to this, it is soon done. But I must learn from these words, 4) like a young child,
- Erlanger: has.
- Erlanger: Intercession.
- Erlanger: to believe.
- Erlanger: teach.
that Christ did not come to judge the world.
But the fact that he rumbles, rumbles and punishes in the Gospel now and then, all this is because he wanted to make the world blessed and not to condemn and judge it, because they are judged and condemned beforehand, as he says here in the text. But he wants us to accept him, not to hate the light, and to become new people, to let our hearts be attached to him, to trust him, and to say: You did not come to condemn me, but I would be saved through you. But one wants to believe in him so that one nevertheless remains in the old nature. But this does not do, for those who lie in vices cannot love Christ or follow him, for Christ and Belial cannot remain together. Faith must change the heart, and when faith is present, you will no longer rely on your money and goods, nor be proud or secure. But if the confidence of money and goods remains, then there is no faith. For faith alone holds Christ for its comfort. But before the world forsakes good, it forsakes Christ; that is, it does evil works and loves darkness.
But those who are truly terrified by God's wrath should write these words in their hearts and believe them to be true, that God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world would be saved through Him. Then you will learn in the struggles and anxieties of conscience that Christ is not lying, that he does not want to judge the world, but that the world would be saved through him, only that faith is right. So then it stands against death, for these words sustain you in all temptations. This is what true faith does, if it is not false or a changeling. After this, one will also live outwardly in such a way that one will use all kinds of food and drink and goods for the body's necessities, saying, "What should I be proud of? Today I am alive, but tomorrow 5) I am dead, and so let my heart cleave unto Christ alone.
But am I jealous, a whoremonger or
- Erlanger: morning.
1972 Erl. 47,SS-S7. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1973
Adulterer, robber, and knave, go therefore, and then say: O, God did not send His Son to judge the world, then you will see it well, you do not belong to it, you are not in the love of the Father, but under the Father's wrath, and love darkness, and are apart from Christ and the love of the Father. For if you were in Christ, and remained under the Father's love, you would not do such sin and vice, and then it would be said: God did not send His Son to condemn the world. But you do not, and yet you do not want to be punished.
The world is under judgment beforehand through the law of nature, which Moses also puffed up, so that our judgment and condemnation would be revealed to us through the law. But if thou art in peril and temptation, run hither, and receive Christ, and thou shalt be preserved, and not judged; but if thou wilt not, thou shalt be lost; and let Christ punish thee. For when he punishes someone with his word, he does it so that he will not condemn him. When he says, Woe to you, it is so that he may make him blessed, and with harsh words he may make him respect the love of the Father. For if one remains proud and persists in wickedness, he is lost.
A father and mother do not scold, push and punish a child because they would strangle it, execute it and beat it to death, but chastise it so that it does not come into the hands of the executioner, so that he would have to pull it or execute it. In the same way, God does not want to let us go wild, and judges or chastises us, so that He will control and defend us, so that we will not be condemned, but will remain under God's protection and be heirs to the kingdom of heaven.
So God does with the elect and gives them much trial. Now when these thoughts occur to you: O, God is angry with you, then say: I believe in you and in your words, they will not lie to me; and even if you send me many plagues, it is not because of that that I should be condemned, you will not cast me out from you because of that, as also the Psalm 143, 2 says: "Do not go into judgment with your servant" 2c. For you are not sent for this reason,
that you should judge the world. Even though God sends pestilence and other plagues, His heart is not set on destroying everything; and since in 1 Corinthians 11 many had acted unreasonably and unwise with the Lord's Supper, so that God caused many of them to fall into sickness and die, S. Paul says: "If we judge ourselves, we will not be judged by the Lord; but if we are judged by Him, we will be chastened, so that we may be judged by the Lord. Paul says: "If we judge ourselves, we shall not be judged by the Lord; but if we are judged by Him, we shall be chastened, that we, together with the ungodly world, may not be condemned."
So God's ruths are to be understood, that it is such a judgment, where we shall be saved and not remain condemned. He wants to withdraw us from the condemnation and judgment of the world with the same judgment, so that we would not also be judged. For Christ did not come to judge; he is not to be regarded as an executioner, or as one who would be evil and condemn us, but as one who wants to help the world. But the devil has his game, and can paint Christ in such a way and make him so evil to us that he is like death in our eyes. But if you remain under the wings of this hen, the Lord Christ, you can say: "God did not send His Son to judge the world", you do not have to make Christ a devil for me. For he was not sent to be my judge, tyrant, poison, death, wrath and pestilence, but is called a helper. This is his office, for this he was sent, as he himself says Matth. 11, 28.: "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" 2c. For the Father sent him to us out of heartfelt, great love, "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Therefore he concludes and says: He who believes in him will not be judged, adds the affirmative again and says: The believer is already out of the judgment that already exists through Christ. For all men are judged and in prison, to be eternally condemned; but the Son of God is given to deliver us from judgment. No matter how wicked the devil and your conscience may be, this teaching and consolation is still certain, if only
1974 Erl. 47, 27-29. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1975
your faith is righteous; and then you must not fear that Christ will say to you on the last day, "Go to eternal damnation," but say Matth. 25, 34., "Come here, you sons of my Father. If we could grasp this in our heart, what joy we would cause within, so that the last judgment would not be feared! For the word, "Go, ye reprobates," is dead, and the word is upon me, "Come, ye reprobates," 2c. Therefore, if judgment is gone, so is sin gone, item, death, the devil, hell, and all evil.
Therefore, learn these words, whoever can. But we wretched people are even more attached to money, property, honor and violence, to avarice and sins, we don't want to let it go and practice injustice, and we don't mean these words. If you hear them only once, you think that you have learned it all. For if we consider the words: He who believes in me must not fear the last judgment. For the judgment is abolished; it concerns him as little as it concerns the angels. He has no need of a mediator on that day, for the judgment is past. He does not need the saints to intercede, nor is he afraid of purgatory. Unless Christ be a false preacher, it is certain that as little as He fears your judgment, or that He may be judged, so little shall we also be judged, if we believe; and that is still more, we shall then judge with Christ the world and all the ungodly, as S. Paul says 1 Cor. 6:3, "Know ye not that we shall also judge the angels?" This is a great comfort to us, so that we will not be afraid, for because of faith in Christ, the judgment is over.
These words are true. But they do not want to go into our hearts, nor can they be unlearned soon. For even pious hearts still have the old thoughts and poison, and cannot be taken away from them. This text is a delicious remedy against the devil's poisonous thoughts, even though many are sure of it and have learned it too soon. But whether we believe it or not, it is still the truth that all who believe in the Son are free.
and are safe from judgment, whether they be children or old men. For we also have the same Christ and the same baptism that S. Peter and S. Paul had; and even if you were as deep in sins 1) as S. Paul, who strangled many Christians and shed innocent blood, or as S. Peter, who denied Christ, you are still baptized, and if you believe in Christ, you are saved from judgment just as much as they.
This teaching cannot be lacking. Therefore learn it in time, whoever can, that he may know it at the hour of death, or else be lost forever; and see that every man have a righteous faith, and pray continually. But if thou art weak in faith, why prayest thou not? Item, if your life, led in unbelief, avarice and other vices, provokes you against faith, then you have the prayer, call upon God, that His name may be sanctified, and His kingdom come to us, and that we may become strong in faith, and not be so hopeful and angry 2c. For the Lord Christ knows well that we are weak and still have sin in us. But we are to say, O Lord, help us to be kind and gentle, not fornicators, covetous, robbers, 2c., and that I may be saved through the Son whom God has sent to the world.
Now here I, and whoever else from the wide world would like to be, will be made blessed if he believes. For thus it is said here, "God so loved the world, that everyone who believes in Him should be saved through Him," not only S. Paul or S. Peter, but all, and all pass from this life without judgment into the kingdom of heaven, and become the judge of others also; and these are bright words, which we did not devise, but are words of eternal life, which God has preached to us through His Son.
Now hereafter shall follow of them that love their evil works rather than the light, that is, who despise the word of God, saying Christ, "He that believeth not is already judged."
- Erlanger: liegest.
1976 Erl. 47, 30-32. ' Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4.... 1977
The thirty-third sermon on the Gospel of John.
Saturday the 14th day of Septembris Anno 1538.
Next you heard how the Lord preached to Nicodemus and the whole world that God sent His Son into the world, not that the world should be condemned, but that it should be saved, and that this should be done through faith, for whoever believes in Him will not come into judgment. Now this is such a sermon, which should justly 1) put an end to all discord, and make us united, that we thank God for it day and night, and the whole world go in rejoicing and leaping. But this is the happiness of this sermon, that the world cannot stand it. For since a man cannot bear to have good things and joy preached to him, how should he suffer if he were told of sadness that he was damned and lost?
Now follows a joyful sermon that the judgment is over, that is, the wrath of God, hell and damnation are gone. For the Son of God came for this reason, that we might be saved and saved from death and hell. What then is lacking? That people do not want to believe it. For God gives His Son to save the world, and the world speaks against it: No, it is not true that it lies in sin and is condemned. This is the complaint. Therefore it follows:
V. 19. This is the judgment, that light has come into the world, and men have darkness 2c.
As if to say: He who believes will not go to hell, but he who does not believe has hell on his hands. Why? Because he does not believe in Christ; and this is the judgment, that an unspeakable comforting doctrine of God's grace, which has come to the world through Christ, is preached, and the world prefers to believe the devil rather than God and His beloved Son, when God says to us, "Through the Son, sin, hell, judgment and the wrath of God have been abolished. We poor people might well have lamented over the sin in which
- Erlanger: solle.
we have fallen through Adam, and have fallen into death and all miseries, and must also bear the judgment of God; from which it often appears that God is angry with us, and acts as an unjust judge, and is too harsh and severe. But here God will say: "Well, I will annul the complaint through my Son, so that you will not have to complain about it. You have indeed sinned, and thereby deserved the judgment of God; but sin shall be forgiven you, death also shall be abolished, and I will remember no more the sin of man, wherein he was born, and wherein he hath lived. However, all shall be right and wrong. He will remember no more sin; only believe in my Son.
What is lacking? Where does the judgment come from, if all sin is taken away through the Son? This is the judgment that they do not accept Christ, the Son of God. This is their sin, not only that they have sin from Adam, and which they themselves have committed, all of which would be worthy of death, but this is the judgment, that they will not hear, suffer, or accept the Savior, who has taken away sin and carried it on his shoulders, and has closed up hell.
For if a doctor were with a sick person, who could help him, and he certainly promised help, so that it would not be necessary, he would give him advice against the weakness or poison, which the sick person had eaten, and the sick person would also know that the doctor could help him, and the sick person would still say: Troll away, I will not need your advice, you are not a doctor, but a highwayman, I am not sick, I have not eaten poison, it will not hurt me, and if this sick man wanted to strangle the doctor, would it not be said that he was not only sick, but furious, mad and foolish, who pursued his doctor and killed him? Or if a prisoner wanted to blaspheme a king, prince or lord, spit at him and shout evil words at him, and wanted to harm or kill him, when the prince wanted to release him from prison and do him all good? But this spiritual nonsense, since God's Son has given us
1978 Erl. 47, 32-3t. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1979
and we do not want to accept the help, is ten times worse. Should not our Lord God be angry and rain down hellish fire, brimstone and pitch on such ingrates? For because we are sinners, we are also so hopeless that we turn away help and chase away and kill those who drive us to it, so that the saying is rightly said here: He who delivers one from the gallows gladly hangs or hangs him again. 1)
This is what is said here: Christ is come, and hath taken away the sin of the world, that it should be vile, and clean, and even forgotten. But not to receive and hear the man who takes away sin, but to kill him, and to continue in sin, is evil and wicked, if we will not hear the Savior. It is frightening to hear that this preaching brings salvation from sins and death, and yet it is called heresy; and that such a helper is still persecuted. Now we preach this sermon daily: nor do we see that it is so. We have not plucked it out of our fingers, what I speak, so you hear that Christ himself speaks it: nor shall it be called heresy. Should not our Lord God be angry? Shouldn't he send pestilence, the holy time, the pope, the Turks, the Tatters, the Sacramentans, the Anabaptists, and all kinds of mobs to plague us? Because we do not want to accept the Son, we well deserve these punishments. It is a terrible sermon that one should not love and accept such a helper and savior who forgives sin; and he who is beaten over the bar, and thus becomes ungrateful to God, may then justly accept that God punishes him with Turks, deceivers, Anabaptists, and that it rains and snows 2) on him from mobs, sects and false brothers.
Now this is not a harmful sermon, but the one that helps and saves. Nevertheless, it is despised by almost everyone, especially by the pope,
- This saying is found in Luther, Walch, old edition, Vol. XVI, 1126, §11, in this form: "He who helps another from the gallows, the same would gladly bring him up."
- Erlanger: cutting.
who even tramples this doctrine underfoot. Thus the nobles, burghers and peasants do not know how they can show themselves to be courageous enough against it. The preachers also quarrel with each other, since they should do nothing else but praise God and give thanks, and rejoice in Christ and say: "Praise be to God forever, that the judgment is gone; I will rejoice forever. But it does not happen. The judgment is gone, and hell and the wrath of God are abolished, item, security and peace are made between God and us through the Son, who did not come to condemn the world, for it was condemned before, but to make it blessed. Now the only thing that is lacking is that one accepts only the Son. But it happens, as it is said in the book of Proverbs: God greets many who cannot thank Him. Now the greeting would have deserved thanks if the greeting had read: "Here I come, your Savior, and the judgment shall be taken away. To this then the world says: Have hellish fire on your head with this sermon! So the Savior also comes to Jerusalem, visits the city and greets it, but after the greeting they crucify and strangle him. This is well due to this friendly greeting and hearty kiss; and if Christ were still preaching today, he would still be contradicted by the very things the world is doing to us now. Therefore Christ says: They are already judged, for they do not want to be sinners, nor to be delivered from the wrath and judgment of God.
This is why Christ says here: "This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world"; as if he should say: "There is a great blessed light that shines into our hearts and says: "Do not be afraid of the wrath of God, for God is merciful to you. For though your sin and conscience afflict and oppress you, and you are afraid of God's judgment, know that it is now reversed, and the judgment is gone. You must not fear the last judgment, but desire it and have a longing for it - for it is not a judgment but a salvation for you. For there we shall be saved
- Erlanger: beautiful.
1980 Erl. 47, 34-86. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1981
Our body shall rise again from the earth, and then the devil, death and worms must cease, and God's displeasure must be gone, and that same judgment will pull you out of the grave and deliver you from all evil. Therefore, the Last Judgment will be a day of joy for you, and you will be more happy about it than any bride would be about her wedding day, because this frightening day has been turned into a joyful and desirous day 1). So it goes; if you believe, it is all bad. But the contrary happens, that men love the darkness more than the light; therefore they also may fear the last day; but to the faithful it is a comforting one, because the condemnation and the terrible judgment shall be gone.
We are astonished that the Turk is now becoming so powerful and tyrannizing so horribly, item, that the pope and the false teachers are tearing down everywhere. But S. Paul answers this in the 2nd epistle to the Thessalonians in the 2nd chapter, and says that it is because they did not accept the love of the truth that they would be saved. Therefore God will send them strong errors, so that they will believe the lie, so that they will be judged. For they do not want the truth and grace of God, so he also gives them what they want, namely, strong errors and punishments, also teachers, who will prick their ears, and teach lies, which they like to hear, and for which 2) they have a desire; and then goes on, as Moses in the 5th book in the 29th 3) chapter, to the truth and grace of God, so that they will be judged. Book 29. 3) Chapter V. 19. says, that the drunk leads the thirsty, that one is thirsty after strange teachings, and when one becomes full of them, that one then spits them out. Therefore, he who does not want to hear the truth and Christ may hear lies. Therefore, the pope came and told us to call on the saints, such as St. George, St. Barbara, item, St. Christopher, who was never born into the world; he also taught us to go on pilgrimage and to fight against the poltergeists.
- Erlanger: "in a happy and eager day". 2) Erlanger: den.
- Original: "32".
ghosts read measurement. These lies had to be heard and accepted, because they did not want to hear the truth. For when they said, "Believe in the Son of God," it was all nothing. If they said, "Believe in the apostles' doctrine," they must be liars, preaching only harmful things; and when the doctrine of the gospel falls after us, spirits will come who will preach such foolish things, of which we would now be ashamed, and would not listen. Nevertheless, it will be worshipped and accepted as holy, just as the great emperors, kings, doctors of the holy scriptures, and the wise people of old have been fooled into believing that monks' caps and plates, which they put on when they were in mortal danger and had themselves buried inside, should lead them from the mouth up to heaven and make them blessed, as is still believed in Hispania and France. But is this not frightening, that a Christian man, who is baptized in the blood of the Son of God, the innocent lamb, and is redeemed from the last judgment and eternal death, should nevertheless forget all this so soon, and put on a cap instead, and trust that he will be saved by it? And yet this happens where the gospel is not preached, and it is in the day that this was done in the priesthood of old.
Dear, what would we do today if someone died who did not ask about Christ's blood, baptism, suffering and death, but put on a monk's cap and died like that? Truly, I would help him carry hellish fire to his grave. For we have another light that should now shine and shine for us. That is why God is so angry with the ungrateful world, because it did not love the light, as 2 Thessalonians 2 says St. Paul, and Christ also says here that they did not love the light and truth, but darkness. It is such an abominable blindness that I do not believe that a dog or a sow could suffer that one should put a monk's cap on it: nor have there been such powerful errors in the papacy that one has not left the dying alone.
- Erlanger: great.
- Here we have deleted "itself" because it is too much.
1982 Erl. 47, 38-39. Interpretations On John the Evangelist. 1983
But if I had not seen it myself, and a cry had been heard that in Turkey it was customary that whoever put on a monk's cap should be considered a blessed man, I would not have believed it. Especially when it was said that these Christians had the light, that is, the doctrine of Christ, the Son of God, that he died for them and became their Savior and mediator; yet when they are to die, they forget all this, and put on monk's caps, become misfits who have their own orders, and live not according to Christ's rule, but according to the statutes of men: I would ever have to say that they are the most foolish and nonsensical people, and not worthy to be called men, indeed, they should not be called sows. We are still stuck in this error; just as I, even at the age of fifteen, have been miserably troubled with masses, and have heard the name of the Lord Jesus Christ called daily, and have also had his suffering preached to me, and have read and sung these words in the text, and still thought that if I did not do a piece in the mass correctly, or did something of it, I would have to be lost. It is a wonderful and frightening thing that men have been so mad, and so possessed and seduced by the devil; although many have been found, when they should have died, that they have forgotten everything about the caps and the foolishness, and have not wanted to hear anything about it. So St. Bernard also did, and hung the cap on the wall, and prayed the prayer that God's Son would have the kingdom of heaven in two ways, first as God's Son, since he was born a son into the kingdom, and secondly, he also acquired the kingdom, which he did not need, but gave it to me, so that I should believe it. O Saint Bernard! That was time to turn back. In the same way, many others have died who converted to Christ, and God has preserved them as His elect.
Once a monk should die. Now that the other monks have 1) deprived him of his good
- Erlanger: ihme.
When he remembered his works and merits and said, "Remember that you led the order of St. Francis and were a pious priest, praying his psalter diligently and saying many masses," he took a crucifix and held it in his hand, saying, "Why should I rely on orders? He did it. I know of no work or merit, but only of the man's merit. He came right into the text, that is, he undressed himself purely and molted the caps, as a crab molts, and put on his vest shirt, Christ; and thus the monk became blessed.
Otherwise, I have also seen them die in great fear and distress, and lamented: Alas, I have not kept my order. But those who have taken off their monk's cap and turned back to Christ, and have taken up their vestments, have been saved. For if Christ should have done it, my cap did not, as St. Bernard confessed.
But when the monks and nuns hear that their caps are nothing, then the fire burns, and the Rhine is even inflamed; and if you also tell the pope today that the caps and holy life or being are nothing, then he says, "Nothing will come of it. For they can suffer Christ to be the Saviour of the world: but they will not let their thing be condemned, and begin to be furious and mad, and remain in darkness, crying then: Fathers, conciliarities, holy orders, rules 2c. But if monks are to be blessed, they have to crawl back to the cross of Christ. So did S. Bernard, whom I consider the most pious monk and prefer to all other monks, including S. Dominic, and he alone is worthy to be called Pater Bernhardus and to be looked at with diligence. For he is in the cap, but how does he do when it comes to the meeting? He does not hold his cap against God's judgment, but seizes Christ.
In the epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 13, it is said that one should look at the faith of the saints and not only at their works. Do this with St. Bernard, who does not believe that through his chastity he should be saved.
1984 Erl. 47, 39-41. Luther's Interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 1985
but by faith in the Son of God. But the pope forces us to look at the outward life of the saints, and what they ate and drank, also how they dressed, and such a being is called a holy order by the coarse ass, and has let their faith go. We old people know well what blind and seductive things were preached (the young people know nothing about it now), because the world was filled with them.
But what happens? Now that the light is coming again and is being preached, they love the darkness more than the light, and still persecute us over it, and beat us to death, and do not want to suffer it to be said that the cap does not help to salvation, because all monasteries perished with it. But it is great darkness that one hopes to attain salvation from a cap, which no 1) reasonable person should be persuaded to do: nor have we let Christ go, and have run to Mary and S. Barbara. This was because we fled Christ as the devil himself, because it was taught that everyone would be brought before the 2) judgment seat of Christ with his works and orders.
And we old people are so corrupted in the Pabst that even if I preach about Christ today, that he alone is our Savior, I still cannot believe it and accept the light as I would like to. For the Pabst's teaching repels me, and even makes me believe the opposite, namely, that I should keep my good works against the judgment of God. Therefore, even the infernal fire must destroy the pope and such false teachers ten times more than the Turks and pagans, for this gospel says: He comes not as a judge, but as a savior. But the monks have taught the contradiction, that he should be a judge: therefore, you should put on a monk's cap. But you young people, who are not poisoned with these harmful teachings and thoughts, write such things in your hearts, and do not forget them, and thank God for them. For if you despise the light, God will punish you, so that you may still
- Erlanger: none.
- Erlanger: dem.
much more horrible eclipses will come upon you.
And our nobles, burghers and peasants are struggling to let the darkness overtake them, because they do not want to suffer the punishment and dictate to us what and how we should punish sin. For they love darkness, that is, damnation, more than light. Now the lords of the Red Sea do not want to suffer that one preaches how they drink, rob, steal, feast and demean. What else do they want to indicate, but that they prefer darkness to light? But believe me, Christ did not come for you to remain in your sins and condemnation. For you will not be saved unless you stop sinning, for sins are forgiven, but you must stop being a covetous man, an adulterer or a fornicator. For since all our lives are condemned and under the judgment of God, Christ came to save us from it. But you will not leave sin, but still defend it. Now hear this text: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and the judgment is passed away. Wherever there is a right faith, one does not love sin, nor remain in sins, but shuns sin, saying, "If sins are forgiven, I do not need to remain in them; just as a sick person who gets well and is healed does not need to take pleasure in the sickness or do what would be harmful to his health: so also he who persists in false doctrine and an evil life is in judgment and truly condemned.
See then that you avoid not only the subtle darknesses, that is, the heretics' error and folly, but also the gross darknesses, that is, the public vices and sins. For Christ says here: They love darkness more than light, and therefore in the world there is such great ingratitude and contempt for God's word, fornication, stealing, avarice, and robbery, that the world is even flooded with it, and yet one should not tell them; and I also have been so deep in darkness that I was even hostile to Christ, and loved Mariam and S. George. So the world is corrupting, and you will be
1986 Erl. 47, 41-44. Interpretations On John the Evangelist. 1987
see, when we are dead, that you will still have much more horrible darkness, and so many cults and sects and fluttering spirits will come, which will make you so mad that you will not know 1) where you should turn in or out. For God may well do this, and send much more terrible darkness, and then hell will become hotter for us, if one loves the darkness more than the light, and we will not fare differently, but as the Lord Christ says of the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum: Woe to you, Capernaum! Woe to you, Chorazin! and let us see to it that Wittenberg does not become Bethsaida, and that it is not said of her: You were raised up to heaven, but you are cast down to hell. So it happened to Jerusalem, and to Sodom and Gomorrah, and there is no doubt that the judgment can come very soon, that the despisers of light will be cast down to hell. For thus saith Christ, This is the judgment that shall come upon the world, and upon this city, because they love false doctrine and sinful living. Therefore they shall perish more shamefully than Sodom and Gomorrah. And they say, "The Turk is coming to Germany, and now she is ripe, and she is full of the blood of the poor Christians whom she has strangled; and our ungrateful citizens are almost devouring their pastors, so that they should be careful, although I do not like to be a prophet, that a great punishment will come upon Germany, and so great that no human heart can understand it.
The previous judgment is small. But this is a terrible judgment, that the blind world prefers death to life, and hell to heaven. Therefore accept the light, Christ the Savior, who has taken away our sin. For he who despises the light and loves darkness comes into judgment, as the world surely continues in its lusts, eating and drinking, splendor, avarice, hatred, envy and other sins; and they do not stop there, but hate and persecute even the preachers of the word of God, yes, God Himself, and want to be the preachers of the word of God.
- Erlanger: wisset.
The preachers are still unpunished, and the antinomians 2) are fine with them, so that people should not be scolded or punished.
The thirty-fourth sermon on the Gospel of John.
Saturday the 21st day of September done Anno 1538.
We have just heard, first, how the Lord Christ preached the kind sermon that he was sent into the world, not to judge the world, but to save it; second, how men are so wicked that they will not believe it, or hate the light, that is, Christ or his word, and love darkness more than light; third, how men still defend their wicked works.
John often puts these three pieces together, because they cannot be separated from each other, even in truth. First, he makes Christ into God, and he does so in all words, that he is truly God, born of the Father in eternity, not made, and for the sake of this article he has written this Gospel. Then he makes this person, who is the Son of God, also a true man, born of the Virgin Mary. Furthermore, that no one may be saved by his good works, but only through the Son of God, who was sent into the world and became man, and was made the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. Otherwise, no one will be saved from sin and death except through him, for he and no one else was sent to be saved through him; and if someone else could have done it, why would God have sent his Son? Third, let faith be righteous, and not lying, false, or hypocritical, but really know that it is so, and then dare all things.
This, however, should be especially well noted, that Christ is the true God, as we have learned from the Gospel,
- The day before, September 13, 1538, the fifth disputation Against the Antinomians took place. Compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XX, 1642.
1988 Erl. 47, 44-46. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. i-4. 1989
that he is more exalted than the serpent in the wilderness; item, all who believe in him shall have eternal life; item, whoever does not believe in him, that upon him the wrath of God abides; item, "God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through him might be saved"; and Christ shows this honor to himself everywhere, that he is the true God. For "believing" belongs to no one but the true God alone. For the person in whom one is to believe must be able to give one eternal life, and this no one can give, nor save from eternal death, but only the true God, who serves us against the heretics, as the Arium and Cerinthum.
Secondly, whoever wants to be saved and redeemed from the wrath and judgment of God must believe in the only begotten Son; otherwise there is neither help nor counsel. The Jews, Turks and Tatars also think much of Christ and of his mother Mary, but they do not believe that he is the Son of God. They do not give Christ this honor, that he is the only begotten Son of God, in whom one should believe, and through him everyone must be saved. Therefore, it does not help him 1) Arius, even though he boasts in his letters that he believes in the God who created heaven and earth. For the Jews also say so. But it is decided, as it is written in John 5, that he who honors the Son also honors the Father. Therefore the faith of the Jews and the Turks is a blindness, because they exclude the Son altogether and want to keep only the Father.
And this is the noblest article of our Christian faith, that the Son is eternal true God, and also true man, and sent into the world to save it; which article nullifies the Jews, Turks, and all other faiths, who forsake the Son, and worship another God, and seek help elsewhere, and the Turk cannot pray the Lord's Prayer, nor the articles of faith; and believing is the highest worship due to God alone. For one should not believe in angels, prophets, or apostles, but the divine
- Erlanger: them.
The glory belongs to the Son alone, for he is truly God with the Father. This article is very important to John.
Secondly, he indicates that there is no other way to be saved from sins except through the Son of Christ; and here the pope, all the monks, the Turk and the Jews, indeed the whole world, are mistaken. They admit the first, that Christ is God. But if someone wants to be free of sins and death, and escape from judgment, so that he must believe in the Son alone, they do not want to give in, but strive hand and foot against it. For they want to be saved by their works and their monastic and foundation life. But in short, it is said, as it is said here: Whoever believes in the only begotten Son of God will not be judged. The same faith does it, and not the works. It is not said here that one should be saved through pilgrimage vows, masses, purgatory, and other vows; and even if one should remove these things from the books of the pope and the monks, one would otherwise find little in them; and even if the holy father, the pope, has instituted and confirmed all these things with bulls, and has made Christ with all his saints only wrathful judges: if one were to remove these things from the books of the pope, he would retain neither skin nor hair. But this gospel says that he is not a judge, but has come into the world, not to judge it, but to save the world. For he has made satisfaction for sin, death and hell with his blood, and whoever believes in him has satisfaction and payment for sin, not through pilgrimage or works, but through Christ alone.
These are the two things that must stand together and cannot be separated from each other: first, that Christ is true God: which is kept against the Turk, the Jew and the heretic; then that he is also true man, and that for our sake, for he was given for us, that we might be saved through him, for otherwise his humanity would have been of no use to us anywhere; and just as God and man cannot be separated from one another in Christ, but is One Person: so also our salvation and this article of justification before God can be obtained by
1990 Erl, 47, 46-48. interpretations on John the Evangelist, 1991
Christ, or the satisfaction for sin, cannot be separated from the person of Christ, who is God. For he alone, and no other, has eternally made satisfaction for sin.
Thirdly, S. John also always introduces that faith must be righteous and not false. For there are many of them who confess the two things, that Christ is true God and our Savior. But it remains only a foam on the tongue, and in the heart there is no earnestness, nor truth, but only a delusion. For this reason, S. John insists that faith be righteous and active through good works, and that it be seen through works. For although faith is enough for salvation, and through faith I attain the kingdom of heaven, yet good works must follow after, or faith is not righteous. For faith is such a serious thing that it cannot remain without good works.
Therefore, S. John also urges in his epistle that we should first love God and then love men, and whoever does not do this remains in darkness and does not believe. For if I sincerely believe that Christ is the true God and has become our Savior, I will not deny it, but will publicly preach against the Turk, the world, the pope, the Jews, and all the rotten people, and confess that it is the truth; and before I would deny it, before I would let my neck go over it, and spare no danger of goods and honors. For where faith is righteous, it does not hold its tongue, but rather suffers death over it, also confesses God's word before tyrants, and bears all kinds of temptation in its heart from the devil, as the martyrs have well experienced.
For this reason, S. John does not want to have a false, hypocritical faith, but a righteous faith, which, when it has learned the two things, namely, that Christ is the Son of God and the Son of Mary, has also become our Savior, that one then confesses the same publicly before the world; and when the Christian confession stands, other good works follow afterwards. For if thou hast been a fornicator, an adulterer, or a drunkard before, thou doest it no more, since thou art redeemed from sins.
then desist from sins. For reckon thou, as it would compute, to abide in sins, covetousness, wrath, hatred, and fornication, 2c. and also to be a Christian. For there can be no faith, but thou must abstain from adultery, and take a wife, not steal, nor bear false witness against thy neighbor. But if thou sin, as when thou liest in adultery, fornication, whoredom, eating, drinking, gambling, thou art not yet delivered from sins. For where there is still sin, there is no forgiveness of sins, no faith in Christ.
But we still feel sin in us, and it is even certain that sin still remains in the saints of God, but it does not reign in them. Faith prevents sins from breaking into the work and dampens them. For the two pieces do not rhyme together that I would say: I believe that Jesus Christ is the true God, and that I will be saved through him; and then I also want to pretend that the pope is also right when he preaches about caps and plates. Such a temptation may well come or a thought may occur in the heart, out of weakness of faith: I have done much, preached, given alms, so that someone may comfort himself. Then the heart should overcome such temptation and cry out against it, that it must have the one pure word of Christ, and the tongue should speak and preach of it, that not my fasting, nor one work for sin has done enough, but the Son of God was given in death for me. Then it would not suffer at all to confess that Christ is a pardoner for my sin, and yet also to say: Purgatory, Mass of the soul is also right; as the pope has done, that he has taught that Christ is the Son of God and Mary, and born for us, and then also said at the same time that the monks' vows, pilgrimage, caps and plates are also pardon for sin.
So also in other works. If I believe, I do not court another's wife. An evil desire may tempt me after another's wife, that I may see she 1) is more beautiful, item, better housed, than
- "they" added by us.
1992 ' Erl. 47^ 48-51. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. 1993
I will be content with mine, and my heart says, No, I shall not commit adultery. So then I will not be usurious and stingy, for although another has more money and goods than I, I am content with what is mine, and if avarice wants to stir, the heart resists, so that avarice does not go out and drive avarice.
For this reason, S. John summarizes the three parts (for they cannot be separated from each other) as that Jesus Christ is true God and natural man, item, faith in Christ, our Savior and Beatificator, third, good works, which testify to faith toward God and love toward one's neighbor. For righteous faith can be seen in good works, so that a Christian does not remain a fornicator, an adulterer, or any other kind of wicked person. These three things are together, Christ God and man, item, faith in Christ, and good works. But all three of them have much challenge from the world. First, that Christ is truly God, the Turk and Arius rush in to the article and do not want to suffer it. The other, about the satisfaction that Christ alone is our Savior, is challenged by the pope and all the works saints. The third article is challenged by the whole world, by all false Christians, because no one wants to do good works, but everyone lives in sin and shame.
But how do I get so far into this piece? Christ says: "He who believes in me is not judged, but he who does not believe has already been judged. Item, the only begotten Son of God is given to us for this reason, that he does not condemn the world, but saves and makes it blessed. Now follows:
For their works were evil.
That we lie in darkness and in sins would not be such a great pity to man, for we are born in sins: but this is the sorrow of the heart, that Christ saith, Men have air and love of it, and delight in darkness, and have pleasure in sins. The light has come, but people have a lust and love for sin.
to darkness, pursue the light and love the darkness, and like to be in the darkness but dislike being in the light.
This is done first by those who use false worship and want to serve God. They cannot suffer nor hear that through the Son of God they shall be redeemed and have forgiveness of sins, and that their worship shall be nothing. They cannot suffer their evil works to be punished. So does the pope. He is so fond of his rules, orders, monasteries, and all lies, and holds so firmly to them that he hates and persecutes Christ, the Son of God, over them; which, although he does not confess it with his mouth, but says that he loves the Son of God and believes in him, they prove it differently with their works.
But it is no wonder that man is so evil that he not only sins and lies in darkness, but also loves sin and defends it. For to sin and to err may well happen out of human weakness, especially if one is still weak in faith; but to want to excuse and defend the fall, that it should not be called a fall but a state, that is diabolical. When Adam sinned in paradise, he did not want to confess it until after a long discussion, but he threw it from him onto Evam; Eve put it on the serpent, and it would not come out that he had said: I have sinned. It is the devil that one sins and does not yet want to confess it, but still defends it. Yes, even today people do not want to suffer that they are publicly punished, or that they are told, "You are an adulterer, a usurer, a drunkard; they do not want to suffer the punishment, and therefore they resent the preachers, and yet they know that they are sinning. These are not human sins, namely, sinning and still justifying sin, then the devil strikes, and a human sin becomes a devilish sin. For even if the devil could say: Oh, my God, I have sinned, then he would become an angel of light and blessed again at that very moment and from that moment on. But he cannot do it, because our Lord God must be wrong and he must be right.
Take it off at your place, in your household.
1994 Erl. 47, Ü1-S3. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1995
If you are a householder, and there is harm in the house, and you are angry about it, no one has done it. No one will confess the damage, nor is the damage done, and it grieves the master. A servant is often seized in the act: nor does he deny the harm. If he confessed, the Lord would forgive him. But the devil and death lead men into the world, so that they are now so bad and evil and sin, and then lay the blame on others. If one confessed sin, one could soon find mercy and have a merciful God. For what would God not like to do to us, if we only crown ourselves on the cross? But we do not do it, and so we often make seven other sins out of one sin, yes, there is no end nor measure to sinning, because all the prophets cried and lamented about it. Moses calls the children of Israel a stubborn, stiff-necked, disobedient people that neither hears nor follows the Lord. So does the 78th Psalm v. 8 ff., item, Jeremiah at the 5th chapter v. 3 ff., and Ezekiel at the 2nd chapter v. 4 ff.; and Stephen in the histories of the apostles cap. 7, 51. also rears up the Jews, and says: "Ye have always resisted the Holy Ghost." But the devil does not do otherwise to him, he denies everything, and makes seven other sins out of one sin. But if a child could say: O Father, I have done it, forgive me; it would be done. But he says no to this, and does not want to have done it, and in addition to the sin and harm, he also makes a lie, and thus from one sin more sins are made. Otherwise, if he confessed the sin and said, "I have done it," he would remain in the light and become an angel of light.
But no one brings the nobody out of the household, out of the secular government or out of the church, much less will he be brought out of hell. Adam did the same, saying, "The woman you gave me gave me the apple," Genesis chapter 3, "and so no one spoils it with each other. So Saul also had a commandment from God that he should cut off the Amalekites altogether, for God would that not one hoof of an ox should remain in the land. But he kept the
Commandment not. He slew the people, but he kept the cattle, and was hasty in his covetousness, that he slew not all the cattle. When Samuel the prophet rebuked him and asked him where the cattle had come from, Saul the king replied, "The people have kept them alive to sacrifice to our Lord God. Then the fire and the wrath came on, so that Samuel the prophet brought the terrible judgment on Saul, saying, "Why does God ask about your sacrifice? He wants his voice to be heard, for he has not commanded you to slaughter the cattle; and when Saul afterwards apologized even more and defended his deed, he had to hear that he had disobeyed God, and that disobeying God was as great a sin as practicing idolatry or dealing in sorcery. For if God gives me one thing, and I do another, and still want to be right, that is actually sorcery. But we all do the same. If only Saul had said: I have forgotten, I have done wrong, this sin would have been forgiven him.
But David was much wiser. He said: I have purposed in my heart, I will not love my darkness, but will confess my transgression unto the Lord. What then follows in the 32nd Psalm v. 5? "Thou forgavest me the iniquity of my sin: for when I made thee right, then it was better. For when he committed adultery, and slew Uriam the man, and Nathan the prophet said, What hast thou done? then answered he, I have sinned against the LORD. Then said Nathan, So hath the LORD also taken away thy sin.
Therefore it is the devil, and not enough that the Son of God is given to us, and the man is there who wants to forgive the sin, and I feel the sin and still do not want to confess it, but should still approach, and want to defend myself with my nobody. It is not human to do evil, and to deny it, and to want to do right, but it is devilish, and a real dragon's tail. If the poison were not in us, there would be no need. How much have we had to measure-
1996 Eri. 17, 53-öö. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4 . 1997
We have made pilgrimages, called on the saints, and now that the time of the Gospel has come, we cannot open our mouths and say, "Oh, we have sinned," since we would soon have forgiveness of our sins through the Word.
But because the light says to you, You are evil and a sinner, confess it, and say, It is true; so you have forgiveness of sins. But we cannot do it. This comfort and way should be sought for two thousand miles, even to the end of the world, namely, that if one confesses sin, it will also be forgiven immediately. But because we have the consolation now at the door, we despise it, and we follow the devil, who does not want to be wrong, God must be unjust. He can do the art, therefore the devil must also become our God and God must be unjust; and we also follow him when we are punished for sin and we still defend it. See in your housekeeping if you can keep your wrath in check when damage is done in the house and no one wants it done. Truly the father does not suffer it from the son, daughter or servant. But it commonly happens that the master must be wrong, and the servant wants to be master in the house, and the maid wife. So also the devil wants to be God in heaven, because he cannot recognize his sin, but God shall be wrong above and go to hell.
So it is with us that we can sin out of human weakness, for we are born in sins, in ignorance of God, in anger and hatred against God. That is enough misfortune. But see to it that you do not add this part to it, namely, hatred and enmity against Christ and His Word, and that one denies sin.
Therefore Christ says rightly: "This is the judgment, that the human race is so blind that their sin should not be sin, when Christ came into the world to take away sin. But this is the knot-that Christ is now to be a devil, and men want to be righteous and Christ Himself. For Christ is not accepted by them. It is not enough that Christ should have taken sin upon Himself, but Chri
stus must be wrong and condemned. That is, made three times worse, and sinned seven times.
So everyone should gladly let himself be punished for having sinned under the papacy, and for having performed false services; and we should also confess to ourselves that we have stumbled, and not deny the truth. For if we do, there is grace and forgiveness of sin, as David says in the 32nd Psalm: "When I confessed my sin to the Lord, you forgave me the transgression of my iniquity"; and in the 51st Psalm it is also indicated. But Saul does not do this, he makes God a liar and leaves his word, that is, he makes the devil God. So we should get used to speaking the truth gladly. The scribes praise the Turks that they speak the truth straightforwardly and immediately and do not embellish themselves with the nobody. If one understands about a deed, he says: Yes, I did it. That is a fine worldly virtue; everyone loves such a man who says, "I did it," and who is ashamed and yet confesses the wrongdoing. Now it is truly a great shame that the Turk, as the arch-enemy of the Lord Christ, has the honor and glory before us Christians, that they speak the truth, and also raise their children and people to the truth. This is a fine worldly discipline, that one teaches the children not to lie and deny when they have done something. Otherwise the Turk has still other beautiful virtue more, how then nobody is so bad, it has nevertheless something good still at it. But we Christians should follow this example and get used to the truth.
So this is the judgment, that the world denies its sin, even defends it, and makes seven sins out of one, because we should confess our sin, be sorry for our disobedience, and accept Christ. For if they accepted the light, they would think as I do: "Dear, you have been a monk and idolatrous man for fifteen years, it is not right, I will do it no more, then the sin would be forgiven; and so we do. But otherwise there are stiff-necked heads that say, "Well, should they?
1998 Erl. 47, SS-es. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 1999
They remain in darkness, and hate the light, persecute it, and defend their darkness. So there are many of our people who not only sin, but when they have done evil, they also deny it and justify it, wanting to go unpunished, and even to be celebrated and praised in their wickedness. This is what the devil does, he would like to extinguish the light.
But where there is a preacher in a city who sees the public vices, he should truly punish, and not keep quiet, nor preach anything to please the people. I should not keep silent when I see all kinds of sin, such as fornication, covetousness, usury, lying and deceit, because otherwise it would mean taking away the light. If then one says, "The bakers bake the bread too small," it must mean, "Shoemakers, tailors, butchers, and all crafts are profaned;" and it is not enough that one sins, but one still wants to defend sin, and does not recognize, and so one loves darkness. But turn thou to God, and do so no more. If thou hast sinned, humble thyself, and say, I will do it no more; if I have hitherto made the bread too small, I will now make it larger; and do not resist the light. But if thou wilt not be punished, stand thou here, and preach. I shall be a preacher of light, and shall shew thee sin, and thou shalt depart from sins, and shun the works of darkness; and our complaint is also, that almost in every corner of this city there shall be a pit of shame. But you watch. If you want to be children of light, live according to the light, and turn from your evil ways, do not murmur and grumble; if you do not want to hear us, go out to the church.
But if you want to be a preacher of darkness, do it on your own adventure; I will preach from the light. The word I preach is not mine, but God's, who warns you through his servants that you should not transgress your neighbor or do injustice to anyone in your position. But each one gives his goods as he pleases, and asks nothing whether God has forbidden it or not, and makes an idol out of their sins, and out of the light nothing but an idol.
Darkness. But listen, journeyman, do not murmur much, otherwise we would not only preach the law more sharply to you from the catechismo, but also get you taken by the nose and put into the hole. 1) Therefore let your pouting stand against the word of God, for it is too strong for you.
So this is the judgment of the world, that they want to keep their false worship against Christ, item, that they sin, and do not recognize their sins, but protect them. Well, for my sake you may not do it, for I give you nothing, so you give me nothing. But on the last day God will say to me, "Did you preach this?" and I will say, "Yes," and God will say to you, "Did you hear this? Did you also hear this? and you will answer: Yes; and he will say, Why did you not believe it? and you will say, Oh, I thought it was a man's word, spoken by a poor chaplain or a village priest; then the same word that is in your heart will accuse you, and will be your accuser and judge at the last day. For it is God's word, you have heard God yourself, as Christ says: "He who hears you hears me"; and I have then done enough for my office before the judgment and face of God, when I have revealed to you your sin and vice and punished you for it, and am then clean from your blood. You may then see how you stand.
Preachers and listeners are soon separated, but the word of God and your conscience or hearing cannot be separated. This will then make your heart too wide the same day, and also the world, and you must remain damned, because the word will condemn you. So then (as I have often said) one should separate God's word from persons, and not be attached to persons, but only to the word that you hear.
The thirty-fifth sermon on the Gospel of John.
In vigilia Michaelis sabbato post Mauritii Sept. 28 Anno 1538.
V. 20. He who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light 2c.
- Erlanger: stuck.
2000 Err. 47, ö8-so. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2001
We can use these words instead of a proverb. But we said something about it the other day, and we still have to talk about it, and we have heard that the highest article of our Christian doctrine is that God sent His Son to be the Savior of the world, so that He might redeem us from sins, and save us from death, hell, and also from all misfortune. But this is the eternal dispute, that God must be a liar to us, and we consider ourselves righteous; item, he is unrighteous, but we are righteous; likewise, he is a tyrant, but we are merciful. This is what all the prophets and apostles had to do, that they could not reconcile these two things, God and man. For God must fall down at our feet and say, "Mercy - Junker"; but we are the light of the world, which cannot be denied. There is no other way, that is the way to go with God. He is merciful, gracious, and true to all, and does good to us; but though he be just, yet he cannot maintain his title among men, he must be unjust. For all say and confess that God is just, almighty, faithful and pious; who would doubt it? Our adversaries and the public enemies of God also pretend this, but nevertheless they deny it in fact, and do not believe it, and cannot stand it either, that one says: If you believe, God will be gracious and merciful to you, and has therefore given you His Son. But no, no, that may not be, they know much better.
But David also sings thus in Psalm 51:6, "Unto thee only, and unto thee have I sinned, that thou mightest be right in thy words, and pure in thy judgment." That one has been able to give glory to GOD. It is a high art to say, "Unto thee only have I sinned." All the prophets have struggled to make God righteous in His words and pure in His judgment. It is a miracle that one confesses it with the mouth, and yet does not believe it, and even persecutes it horribly. For this reason it cannot be preserved in the world. She says with her mouth: "Should God not be just? Who would say otherwise? Nor, when you say that you are a sinner, do they say, that they may remain righteous in their speeches: Eh, what should
God have to do with your sins? This is just as much as Christ says here: "Whoever does evil, the light shines on him, and whoever does evil, he cannot say that God is righteous. He also does not want to be punished, he does not say to God: You are just and pure in your judgment. Take an example of this, that you may understand it well. A thief who steals and is a bad boy cannot bear to be accused or called a thief, even if his own conscience tells him so. Item, if he breaks in at night, or steals openly in the marketplace during the day, and deceives his neighbor and translates: nor can he bear to be called a thief, even if his own conscience convinces him and preaches that one should not steal, and you nevertheless steal in the office or trade. If someone else told him, he would not suffer it. Therefore he cannot say with the psalm, "That thou mayest keep thy words," for he cannot suffer the seventh commandment, which yet he feels in his heart. Nor can he give honor to the seventh commandment, that he may say: I am a thief, and have stolen, that thy commandment may be just, and that thy judgment may be pure. No one confesses this, unless he is forced to do so by misfortune and necessity, or Master Hans, the thief-keeper, comes. Otherwise, no one wants to be accused of something, even if he is guilty of it. For he has done it secretly and hopes that it will also remain secret. No one says, "The light is right," but, "The darkness is right: The darkness is right. If one were to reproach a thief, he would say, "You lie as a villain; I am not a thief. Item, against the fifth commandment, a murderer or a highwayman secretly beats someone to death, or otherwise stabs someone, or rubs him with poison; this sin he can masterfully conceal, as Job Cap. 31, 33. says: "Have I also concealed my sin 1) from you, as men do?" Nor does his conscience tell him. If someone else told him, he would say, "You are lying.
But I ask you: Is it right for you to commit sin, for your conscience must bear witness and accuse you of it, and you
- Erlanger: concealed.
2002 Erl. 47, 60-62. Interpretations On John the Evangelist. 2003
know that you are such a one, - that you should still speak about it: No, you lie, Lord God, as a wicked man? So does an adulterer who sneaks into another's wife. If it remains secret, and someone tells him, he wants to uproot trees and throws out useless words. But God truly speaks thus in your conscience: Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I beseech thee, consider thine own heart, which condemneth thee: would it not be better to say and confess sin, that God might be just in his words, and that thou mightest receive forgiveness of sins, than that thou shouldest deny God before the world, seeing thine own heart confesseth sin? Otherwise, David might have hanged Nathan the prophet on the gallows for accusing him of being an adulterer as the king of Israel, 2 Sam. 12. But it is better for David that he confessed his sin immediately.
All people are of such a mind that they do not want them and their deeds to be revealed and known. They can all suffer it to be said that God is kind, and who in the world would deny that God is just and right when He is judged? Yet one cannot suffer to be punished. No one wants to be a murderer, a thief or a miser in the eyes of the world, nor to be stained with other gross vices. Who then hates the light? All of us, because there is no one among you who would like to have his legend written on his forehead, but we all still like to hear praise and honor from us. No one remembers: Oh, God have mercy on me! For if my sins were revealed to the world, which I am otherwise aware of in my heart, I would be worthy to be hanged on the gallows. The world honors me, but if it knew who I was, it should spit at me, for I would be worthy to be beheaded. But if such a thing were known, it would serve to humble oneself before God and to have fear, and not to despise others, but to forget hope. Otherwise, it is thought that God does not have to know, because men do not know, and is it not a vain saying to say: More souls go to heaven from the gallows than from the churchyard. For those who are hanged on the gallows must have their
Confessing sins, and saying, Lord, I am a knave, thou art righteous. On the other hand, another dies on his bed, but he hides his sin; for theft, murder, and adultery are gross sins, and no one wants to be guilty of them. Every man is so disposed that he wills that which he sins, that it be not sin, but righteousness in the sight of the world and in the sight of God; though it is also true that no man should betray himself, and stand in the stocks before the world, but cover his sins, and pray God to pardon him, and be reconciled to those whom he hath offended, and always set thy sin and shame before the eyes, that the comb 1) may be cast down.
But in these pieces it is still all child's play, that he who does evil, that the light shines. When one comes to the high plays, to the high commandments in the first tablet, as when one preaches unrighteously, and sets up false services; then those who err do not want to suffer anything less than to be shouted at and punished. They do not want to be regarded as having erred, so that they should step back and say, "I have erred. They cannot bring themselves to do that. David did it so that God would be right; just as S. Paul says that God is true, otherwise all men are liars. But no one can suffer the light to be shone under his eyes and say to him: This is God's word, this is error. All together, from the highest to the lowest, do not want to be punished, nor do they want to hear God's judgment of their lives, teachings and statutes, and yet they say that God is just, true and merciful. If they are punished, they say: In these speeches and words that you speak, it is not God who speaks, but the devil; it is not God's word, but the devil's word. For God has never said that I, a fool, should have erred, and that our parents should have been idolatrous people with their hearing of masses and their pilgrimages 2c. Therefore, God's word must be condemned, and so our Lord God must war and fight, so that he may be right and remain true, but against it
- Erlanger: Kamp.
2004 Erl. 47, 6S-65. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. 2005
Men are wrong and liars, and the war will remain, that he who does evil will shun the light. But the strife would soon be put down, and all would be evil, if we alone could say: I have sinned, but you are merciful; I am unjust, but you are just; I am a liar, but you are truthful; I am wicked, but you are pious. This is not to be raised. Neither the Turk, nor the pope, nor the princes, nor the subjects, nor the thief, nor the adulterer, nor the man who kills, nor the monk, nor the nun will confess in this way, nor will they sing a pleasing song to God, saying: You are true, I am a liar; you are pious, I am evil. But if they are punished for their idolatry and sins, and this is said to them under their eyes, they become mad and foolish about it, and begin to war with God, and the pope and the Turk hear and cut up the people, the princes and lords persecute the divine word, because they do not want to let God be just. But is it not a pitiful thing that our salvation and happiness is so near to us that it could not be nearer to us? For God wants us to say in our hearts only with David: You are righteous, but I am unrighteous, and if we recognize our sins and complain about them, He will forgive us, for it does not help to say, "Let me keep my measurements, put on a monk's cap," but only say, "I have sinned. We are still so stubborn that we would rather perish than confess the truth that we are sinners and make God righteous. But David proved Nathan the prophet right, when he said to him, "You are an adulterer and a murderer, item, a blasphemer. When he heard that he had been punished, he said, "The word is right," and soon confessed his sin. Then he also received forgiveness of sins, and Nathan did not say to him, and write in the letter of indulgence, Run to S. Jacob, or be measured, lie in the hair shirt; but: The Lord has taken away your sin.
This must always be preached, that we cannot obtain this grace of God, but we confess our sin, for then he will soon forgive us. For where this does not happen, as Saul pretended, "I have not sinned," and nowadays the Jews, Pabst, Turks, fornicators and miserly people cry out,
that they are not sinners, they are all righteous; indeed, God must be unrighteous to them: then is hell opened, and heaven shut up. Now it is certain that the devil is not merciful, nor just, nor almighty, for he does not preserve all things, nor does he make light or the sun; but if there is anyone who does such things, it must be God, who creates and preserves all things, and also protects the three estates in the world, the church, the temporal government, and the household. He also lets his sun rise over good and evil, as all creatures confess, that God is merciful and gracious, only that men deny it and do not give God the glory that all creatures otherwise give him. This is the conflict, that he who does evil does not suffer the light, but if he does, it is good for him, for he will be helped.
It is a wonderful thing about light, and nothing is better than light, and everyone loves the sun, and all creatures rejoice when it rises so beautifully early in the morning. Who then hates the light? The thief who wants to steal is hostile to the light of the sun and all light. For if a lantern comes and illuminates him, or if the sun rises, he wants to tear himself to pieces in anger. He would like there to be no sun, although the beautiful light illuminates heaven and earth, and everyone likes to see such light, but not the thief. Why? He wants to steal. So also a fornicator and an adulterer, a murderer and a highwayman complain about the light; they say: Is it already light, when otherwise the light is sweet to all men; but the adulterers and thieves cannot stand it. Whom therefore shall one accuse and charge? The thief or the sun? The sun and the light are not the cause of theft, murder, adultery, but the thief who hates the light. If the thief were pious, he should thank God for the light of the sun when it goes out, and should say: What a shameful wicked man am I, that I steal, and the sun seizes me in theft, ei, I will steal no more.
So it also happens spiritually when darkness is in the world, that one teaches falsely in the first table and causes heresy. When the light comes and shines in, then
2006 Erl. 47, 65-67. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2007
you become angry, murmur, and do not want to be punished, crying: strike dead! Well, it is God's word, and you yourself confess that God is just in His word. Yet they condemn it, and will not suffer it, saying, It is not the word of God, but the word of the devil. For "he that doeth evil hateth the light." The thief himself must confess and say: The sun is a fine light, yet he is an enemy of the sun. So the pope also says: The gospel is divine truth, yet he calls it a doctrine of the devil. For they would gladly hide all their lies and idolatry from God, just as a thief hides his theft from the light.
It is a beautiful saying: "He who does evil hates the light. One should thank God that the light comes, yes, he should long for the light, and cease from evil, and say: Dear Lord, I am astray, but give me your light, help that day may come and I may see. But they pray against it: O, let the light never go out, so that I may only steal, and so one has the evil rather than the good.
What is this, that a thing is good, and that one should hasten that same good and lovely thing? But the text tells the reason and says: so that his works are not punished. The thief would accept the light, and could suffer it, if he had stolen a hundred florins, and one gave him the theft and said: Well, the hundred florins are not stolen, but it is your own property. But the light that says, Thou shalt not steal, punishes him; he cannot stand such things. Thus an adulterer would be well pleased with the light, if nothing were said to him of his fornication and adultery. But if he is punished by the sixth commandment, Thou shalt not commit adultery, he will fly off the handle. So the gospel is also a glorious, good sermon, and could be suffered, because it brings forgiveness of sin, God's grace and mercy. But if it condemns the masses and says: Purgatory is nothing, own human righteousness is nothing, it must be the devil, because one cannot suffer that the papist abominations should be the work of the devil. About this the beautiful
The light of the gospel is hated and persecuted by the world, because it punishes darkness. And further follows:
V. 21. But he who does the truth comes to the light 2c.
That is, he who does right and does not steal, acts freely and is not afraid to confess his deed publicly, saying, "If I have defrauded anyone, I will pay him back fourfold," as Zacchaeus the tax collector says. He went to the light with his theft. So we preachers can well suffer our doctrine and preaching to be heard by every man, for we know that our doctrine and life is done in God. So a husband or landlord can also defy the devil and the world that he has acted rightly. If he is accused of murder, adultery and other vices, he asks nothing of the accusations. So also we preach publicly, and will gladly appear before everyone, giving account and answer of our doctrine; let him then who is able reprove. Then the pope cries out that we shun the light, are rebels and disobedient, and do not want to stand before them. To this I answer: You are not allowed to care for us. You want a Christian to stand before the Belial and carry out his things there. There he is already lost, because our adversaries are judge and part. They come here and answer to us; we know well that they want to condemn us, yes, they have condemned us long ago. But Christ and the devil are two parts, there is no judge between them. But if there were a mediator or judge, Christ would come to light, but the devil would remain outside.
That's how it is with us, too. We do not shy away from the light, nor do we want to flee it, only that they give an impartial judge. But they want to be judges themselves, and then cry out that we are stiff-necked and do not want to appear. But we do no wrong in this. Why don't you also come to us and argue your case before us? Pray for mediators who judge between us, we want to appear. But you do not want to deal with us in any other way than as highwaymen, who capture a wanderer by force, beat him full of skin, plunder him and put him into the
2008 Erl. 47, 67-6S. Luther's Interpretation On John Cap. 1-4. 2009
They wanted to lead him to other murderers and highwaymen and force him to sue them there and to proceed with his complaint against those who plundered him, because the poor man would not be able to do much, since they are judges and parties. So do our adversaries. The bishop of Mainz is now plaintiff and judge, and always hangs freely at his pleasure whom he pleases. 1) The emperor has avoided for eight whole years that a concilium might be established: still he has not been able to accomplish it with all kings and princes. For they flee the light and want to be part, as we are, and then also to be judges at the same time. But the devil thanks them for that. They do not want to come; yes, they say, they must nevertheless let us be and remain judges. But not so, journeyman, but we must be part, and the papists also part, and then honest, unsuspicious and impartial people must be chosen, who would be judges, so that we would be granted a free action against the pope. Then it should be seen whether we do not want to appear. But the word "a free Christian concilium" is the pope's poison and death. They cannot suffer that they should be part as we are, but they want to have such a council, since they are judges and lords; the pope is not to be a part, and the Lutherans also a part, and they cannot suffer that one should ask or dispute whether the pope is also wrong with his own, but their doctrine and actions must all be right, but they condemn us as heretics. But this is not missing: "He who does evil hates the light. That is why they also flee from the Concilium, just as the devil flees from holy water and consecrated salt. Therefore say, We flee not the light, but the darkness, lest we fall into their darkness; and we accuse them of having deceived the whole world; they are the accused part, and we are part, and accusers, and desire judges to hear us accusers. Now they will not allow a concilium to be assembled, because they want to be unaccused.
- This refers to the judicial murder committed against Hans von Schönitz. Compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XIX, Introduction, p. 27 ff.
For they are holy and pure, and we shall be damned beforehand. Mau shall not allow us to be questioned, nor shall they accept or hear any complaint, and then they shall hold a concilium. But we shall love the light, and confess the truth, and not suffer distress, nor die in the confession of the truth, nor shed our blood.
And we are on the other part, which says, "He that doeth the truth cometh to the light," 2c.; item, that our works are good, "for they are done in God," and say: I will not forsake Christ, but confess him before the world and the devils. For he who does not do this has lost, just as we preach about Christ, cry out and desire that our cause be heard and judged; just as Emperor Carl worked for many years with all the princes to have a concilium held, but he received nothing. Therefore we who are with the light, yes, who walk in the light, may be happy. But they are in darkness, where they die and perish, which is a sure sign. For their works are evil, and if they desired our blood, they would gladly see us all slain. On the other hand, because we desire and seek the light, we are also of the light.
The thirty-sixth sermon on the Gospel of John.
The Saturday after Lucae 19 October Anno 1538.
V. 21: But he who does the truth comes to the light.
Next, we have almost finished the beautiful, glorious sermon that Christ preached to Nicodemo, and we have heard how he divided this sermon into pieces, and I think that these words: "He who does evil keeps the light" 2c., were the conclusion and last part of the sermon, and the Lord thereby wanted to establish the reason why the world cannot stand the light, that is, the preaching of the gospel, the pure truth, even Christ Himself; that it comes from this that the world is evil and a mischief, and yet wants to be right, also cannot and will not suffer its evil works to be brought to light,
2010 Erl. 47, [s-72. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2011
be revealed or punished. For the whole world is under the delusion and foolishness that it thinks it should not be punished. Those who practice false doctrine, which glitters before the world, but by which the people are deceived and misled, as the pope did with his own and other heretics, even though they deceive many with their false doctrine, as with the pilgrimages and masses, still do not want to be punished nor brought to light. For if they are reproached for their wrongdoing, they will not suffer it, and that is the judgment 2c. Then the others, as the coarse fellows, who do not deal with doctrine, but live as the unreasonable and wild beasts, eating, drinking, whoring, stealing, and lying in other public vices, of which the world is overflowing, they also do not want to be punished; Just as princes and lords, noblemen, burghers and peasants today want to go unpunished when they do wrong; indeed, they do not want to suffer that they are secretly admonished for it. One should not say: He is a tyrant, a fornicator, an adulterer, a miser or a usurer. Preach to them Christ alone, how he died for poor sinners. Such grace alone should be preached, that one cannot be saved by good works, but one must believe in Christ alone, and then it is not necessary to punish sins and vices, such as fornication, avarice, eating and drinking, splendor, theft, fornication, but say, one should preach only about the grace of God, saying: Let me be stingy, adulterous, stealing, robbing, translating and giving false goods, and you keep quiet about it. Why? Well, you want to punish and condemn me: I cannot stand that, for what is it to you whether I live godly or godless; let each one see for himself how he lives and what he does. Just preach the gospel to me. Why is that? Because, they say, you want to bring me to the light and to the day; and so the world will not be punished for the sake of doctrine and faith, nor for the sake of life. The light is only to go out, because the world with its evil works does not want to come to light.
Behold, this is what the Lord Himself says, that men want neither doctrine nor life.
be reprimanded. Well, if you don't want to be reprimanded or punished, what are we doing? Why are we there? Why do you need preachers and teaching? If thou wilt do what thou wilt, thou needest no gospel, or preacher, or authority, or ruler, or Master Hansen; for the office of all these is nothing else, 1) but to punish with words and blows. A thief and murderer could also complain about the executioner and say, "I wish that the authorities and the executioner were gone to the devil, because they betray me and bring me out of the light and disgrace me before the people and hang me on the gallows. Otherwise I would have been a pious man, and could have translated and cheated even more, fornicated and cheated, if not for the authorities and Master Hans, the executioner.
So the world wants to go unpunished, it wants to remain in darkness, and it should not be shown that it preaches and teaches unjustly. But if this be so, then leave the churches and go instead to Kretzmar 2) or to the whorehouse. But if thou wilt be saved, and thinkest that there is another life after this life, thou must be punished. But if you do not want to be saved, why do I ask so much? If you do not believe that there is hell, death, the devil, eternal damnation and the wrath of God, just ask your neighbor, and he will tell you that we all have to die. But in sum, if the church and the secular government are to be, evil works must be brought to light, and the authorities and the executioner must bring to light and punish the gross darkness and public vices, as well as the evil life of men. Christ and we preachers in the church bring to light the subtle darkness of false teachings and religions, punish both the teachers and the works saints. But the princes, nobles, citizens and peasants will work it out so that there will be no more preachers who open their mouths and punish their evil works, as the world is already beginning to do, and when it comes to that, then woe to the world; and you must therefore repent with yourself: "I will punish you for your evil works.
- Erlanger: not.
- Wirthshaus.
2012 Erl. 47, 7s-74. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2013
Neither must one punish, or God will drop all rule over one's house. If one wants to become blessed and be a Christian, then let the punitive sermon go, and let the preacher punish, or let his preaching stand, and let the Christian who does not want to accept the punishment no longer be a Christian. Christ (who says here: "The light is coming into the world, so that its evil deeds will be revealed") wants to let the punishment go; you will not refuse him. The pope has indeed defended himself through his bishops and godless princes, but he cannot defend himself. But whoever of peasants, nobles and citizens wants to be unpunished, let them go; they will find their punishment well, and see whom they have despised. On the other hand, the text says:
V. 21. But he who does the truth comes to light, that his works may be made manifest, for they are done of God.
This saying is much too broad, and I am also too weak, 1) that I cannot interpret it according to necessity. But it would be well worth it, for it is a mighty saying, and recently it wants this: First, it does not only speak of truthful preachers, that he who preaches the truth does not shy away from coming into the light, just as we, praise and thanks to God, do not shy away from the light. We have not been ashamed to publicly confess our doctrine before the emperor, pope, yes, at all imperial diets and before all our enemies; our doctrine has not been hidden from us. But they are not so bold as to come to us with their doctrine, or since we have to rule, as we come to them with our doctrine. Item, they can also not stand that we judge and condemn them, but would like to bring it so that they would be judge and part. That is called shunning the light. We did not do this in Augsburg in 1530, for he who teaches rightly does not shun the light. So also, those who live righteously and know themselves innocent of a deed, confess their deeds, what they have done, and let it be seen by everyone, such a person can judge God Himself, yes, the dear angels of God and the whole world.
- The words: "I am also too weak", Luther speaks of his bodily weakness, as can be seen from the following paragraph. See also the last words of this sermon.
And when Christians have done so, and have fallen into sin, that they have committed murder, theft, fornication, robbery, or other vices and disgraces, a Christian may still go forth and confess it, even before the angels of God; and this is also a true confession, for he knows and believes that God and the dear angels see and know all that he does. Therefore, even if he has done it badly, he confesses it freely and is praised by God and men for it. For he does not shy away from the light, he says: I have sinned. This confession does him no harm, but is a work of truth, and he does a righteous work of truth who thus confesses everything and is not ashamed to confess everything he has done. So it is a mighty thing about the truth that one should believe in the Son of God and then confess sin in the world, for this means coming to light. But the world does not like that. The wicked want to go unpunished, and not be wrong in faith or doctrine, nor in life. On the other hand, the pious Christians confess, even if they have done something evil.
This was the glorious sermon of Christ, which he preached to a great disciple, and would be well worth doing more abundantly. But we will continue in the text, although I am very weak, and fear I will have to stretch out dermaleins; and follows:
V. 22. After this, Jesus came into the Jewish land.
This is a short preface to the sermon that follows. For the evangelist John wants to describe that Christ, our dear Lord, has darkened John the Baptist's light with his light, as it was said by the evangelist above that he was the forerunner of the Lord Christ, who prepared the way for him. Because the Lord is now present, the servant must be silent. For John the Baptist was not sent to remain in his dignities forever, to teach the people, and the people to cling to him, and he to lead them in redemption.
2014 Eri. 47, 74-76. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2015
The people were not to stay with him, but he was only a forerunner who was to lead the people to the Lord and to attach the people to the Lord. But John did not come to this, the people were not supposed to stay with him, but he was only a forerunner, who was supposed to lead the people to the Lord and attach the people to the 1) Lord.
And I believe that after Christ preached this glorious sermon to Nicodemo in Jerusalem, and he went again into Galilee, that a good while after this sermon this will have happened, which John describes here, and may have happened at that time, when Christ called his apostles or disciples, as it can be seen in the 4th chapter of Matthew, and we also heard about it in the 2nd chapter above, when he called Philip and Nathanael. Therefore at that time his preaching ministry was done with violence, and the evangelist says that it happened while John was still alive, and was not yet imprisoned by Herod, who did not preach much more than two years; if it was much, it was three years. But Christ preached four and a half years, and considers that this great work, which these two great men did and led, as John the Baptist and Christ, did not last more than seven years. So John went before Christ, while he was still baptizing, and was not yet caught when Christ began to preach. For he preached almost with John for half a year or a year. John preached for about two years before the Lord, and Christ preached for about a year with John, after which Christ alone preached for three and a half years. In this short and brief time this glorious work of our salvation and the precious preaching of the New Testament was accomplished and directed, which we still have to preach and teach today.
Now Christ comes to Galilee and has his being there. But his nature was nothing else than preaching, praying, baptizing, teaching, eating, sleeping and then preaching again. For he did not walk idle one hour, and because he was a man
- Erlanger: am.
If he wanted to be, he also had to wait like another man. But preaching and praying were his most important works, and here he especially describes baptism as one of his works, and baptism also belongs to him. 2) For he wants to take the baptism from John, because John was only a servant. For he wants to take baptism from John, since John was only a servant for it. Therefore John also gladly lets the baptism follow Christ as his Lord, because John is not to be the regent, but only to go before the Lord and to yield to the Lord.
V. 23. John also baptized in Enon, near Salim, where there was much water.
John is pleased to make his allegories by saying that there was much water in the place, as in the 6th chapter of John, when Christ fed five thousand men, he says that there was much grass in the same place. Otherwise he says: "The feast of Easter was near. So here he says: "There was much water there." But John has his own way of speaking, of which we will say another time. For it serves nothing for history; nor does he say, "There was much water there."
The Jordan has otherwise the way that a very gloating 3) water is, bleeds crooked and unfriendly, and one can come to it in few places, has been a proud, deep water, has made many snake bends, does not like to be used, has sometimes had a mountain in the way.
John the Evangelist says that John the Baptist could not baptize in all places. For the Jordan was a malicious water, which was disinfectant, so that it could not be used, as if it did not want to be with the people. But in the place where one could come to it, as at the city of Enon, where the Jordan made a bosom, there he baptized.
The same history he now describes, and what it means.
- Erlanger: him.
- Handwriting: "heimisch". Höck has put "hönisch" in the text, the Erlanger: "heimisch". . But already Höck remarks: "Perhaps heimisch is to be read hämisch (?)." Likewise in the following paragraph.
2016 Erl. 47, 76-79. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2017
But everything belongs to the mysterium, and has a beautiful allegory, namely, that the holy scripture is also as crooked and deep water, and not everyone can understand it, cannot be used nor grasped by anyone, but at times escapes the reader, and soon passes by like a rain, so that it can hardly be grasped. Today God's word and the holy scriptures are in this place, soon in another place. But I can no longer speak of this (for the sake of which John the Evangelist remembers the Jordan), for I am now somewhat weak. But I will do it later.
The thirty-seventh sermon on the Gospel of John.
On the Saturday before the birth of Christ [21 Dec. 1538).
This is a small history, so let us not preach about it for a long time, because I cannot speak much about it either. However, because the Holy Spirit has described it, we do not have to go over this text, but we have to deal with it a little bit. John the Evangelist says, because all the evangelists write that John the Baptist baptized at the Jordan, which is the same as if he had been in Galilee, which is also the case; But that it might be known that he preached and baptized not only in Galilee by the Jordan, therefore he also describes how he preached and baptized in the Jewish country, when, near Jerusalem and Betharaba, the Jews of Jerusalem sent an embassy of priests and Levites to John the Baptist. These places were not in Herod's country. So here he reports Salim and Enon, which are both cities in the land of Judah not far from the Jordan.
So John the Evangelist wants to indicate that John the Baptist spent several parts of his preaching in the desert (as the Evangelist Lucas also testifies in chapter 3.1), as around Jericho and by the dead sea. There he began to preach and to baptize, until he was
- In the handwriting: "10."
came also into Galilee, and there was beheaded by Herod.
And Salim, which is in the mountains, is not on the Jordan, but a little away from it; and it is seen here that John did not remain in one place, but traveled again and again, until he also came to this place, and began his preaching in the tribe of Judah, and came with it into Galilee, until he was strangled. But Christ did the opposite, for he began in Galilee, and afterward journeyed into the land of Judah, and to Jerusalem, and there was crucified.
What Enon and Salim mean, I could also interpret, but I am too weak for that now. But the evangelist wants to say: Since Christ spoke with Nicodemo in the Jewish country, John the Baptist still leads his preaching ministry. Now the Lord stayed a long time in Judea, and after that he went to Capernaum and to Nazareth, and lived there until he died, when he came again to Jerusalem. But John is 2) -- - (Fragment of an admonition of Luther that the citizens should not flee from the plague). 3)
If a man wants to leave his wife, the secular authorities shall defend him. Item, no one wanted to bring in meat, fish, grain and other necessities. Is this: Love your neighbor as yourself? No one wants to help others anymore.
- "One page, col. 145, with the continuation of the sermon is missing here in the manuscript. Luther seems, however, as with the 36th sermon, so also here because of weakness of body to have continued his speech not far. The 38th sermon already begins on fol. 148 of the very extensively written manuscript and does not show any gap in the explanation. Folios 146 and 147 contain a fragment of an admonition about the plague. (Erlanger.)
- From this admonition results a correction of the time determination in the Table Talks, Cap. 48, § 5, Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 1301. Instead of "October 21," it should read "December 21." On November 29 and December 6, 1538, the same plague is mentioned in the table speeches (Cap. 9,? 15 and Cap. 47, Z13, I. 6. Col. 365 and 1294). The "copy of an excerpt from a sermon (Luther's) that the citizens should not flee from the plague," Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. X, 2028 et seq, is undoubtedly identical with this "admonition" and a welcome addition to it (vol. X, Col. 2029, line 5 from below read: "your house"; Col. 2030, line 5 from above read: "beherzter" instead of: "aufgeweckter"), should therefore also be provided with the time determination "den 21. December 1538".
2018 Erl. 47, 79-81. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2019
go into the houses, so that those who are sick die of hunger. If we want to be so minded, it is no wonder that the pestilence comes, for all the devils should come and punish us for it. For if we cannot stand the children's rut, what would happen if God came with war? yes, if he came with thunder and lightning and hellish fire? For we are thus minded, as if we had forgotten God altogether, and as if God had no more power over us.
If the pestilence should come again, then I admonish you, you should not behave so horribly, or see to it that the poor people, who would get the pestilence, would be taken care of, and would be fed by the church or the common caste, or they who do not want to serve your neighbor 1) are expelled from the city. Appoint some physician and balbier, or two, or God will punish you, 2) and take away the wood on the meadow, the grain, and whatever else you have in cellars. If you can wait for them, why will you not wait for the people? Does this mean to love your neighbor, and to receive the Lord when he is weak, that you may visit him, or when he is a wanderer, that you may shelter him? How do Rome, Milan, and Venice, where there is pestilence for and against? and whether they often have the cities swept, yet they cannot avoid the pestilence. Many more of them are born every day than die. How many hundreds of them are born every day? One owes a death to the other.
If you have to stay and are in an office, then you shall stay. Take medicine and burn incense, and stay with those to whom God has appointed you. The prince may have commanded me to leave here for the sake of dying, but I did not want to. For even if everything here is
- The brackets are added by us.
2s In the other Relation, Vol. X, 2030, of our edition, Luther continues: "Then I say to all of you who flee and leave your own behind, that I will not abandon the poor in times of need, but will have your wood brought in and burned on the meadow, and will also distribute and offer your supply of grain, beer, and everything else that can be enjoyed to the poor; be warned of this.
Even though I am in the throes of pestilence, I shall not be driven from the preaching seat. For it is my profession, and I will wait for it and endure it. If I die over it, then I die in the state of love, and then it is much better than if I lived a hundred years longer. But if you go away and leave your parents, wife or children, you are such a cursed man that you should rather die a hundred times.
The pestilence is a fine, sweet punishment, since one lets oneself be told, 3) and dies in God's knowledge, with faith and invocation of God. But the citizen, the peasant and the nobleman struggle after a war and a great time: but God still preserves it, and inflicts the punishments, even though He truly forbids it. When the same punishment comes as pestilence, do not fear the devil so much, for God is trying your faith, repentance and love. If the devil spews out poison, will I flee from the land? If he has strangled us and eaten us, he must spit us out again.
After that, I don't know if I should ask for the pestilence. The peasants and noblemen now value and increase everything that comes on the market as they wish, and go there, wipe 4) the mouth. So the authorities are also so wicked, lazy and lazy. If God did not interfere, our one should not desire to live. For if sins were not punished, and everyone wanted to do what he wanted, and the authorities let everything go to hell, 5) we should wish that our Lord God would see us. For there is nothing else, but to toil 6) and to scrape, as if they were God Himself. A pestilence must come, so that the chaff may be purified from the grain, for if the citizens, peasants and nobles should continue in this way, it would be better that we die.
Therefore, do not make the pestilence as evil or as bad as it is in itself, as the peasants would rather have their time and war than the pestilence. But do not paint the devil over the door, otherwise he will come to you. For this reason, do not act so horribly, but-
- i.e. communicate.
- Erlanger: washed.
- Erlanger: pants. - be evil evil.
- Erlanger: umbrella.
2020 Erl. 47, 81-83. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2021
You who are with us in this church, and you who hear the word of the Lord Christ. Remember, pestilence is the devil's arrow. If he shoots me with it, what of it? Nevertheless Christ lives, and I will live also. For he saith, He that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live: as they that die in the pestilence pass away as smoothly as if they were asleep. So it does not happen in time of trouble, nor in war. But here you can still have and hear a preacher who will preach God's word to you. Therefore, do not fear too much, lest we anger God too much and he send us something troublesome; and let us stay here, who are mature persons, and arrange doctors, balbiers, hospitals, so that we do not miss our neighbor and do not sin against him. For we owe it to him to stand by him with life and limb. If a man is infected, it is only a drop of rain, the weather has not yet arrived.
End of the sermon.
The thirty-eighth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On the Saturday after Viti [June 21, 1539j.
V. 22. After this came Jesus.
All the evangelists write that John the Baptist preached and baptized around the Jordan River. For the promised land was a very dry land, and had no more flow of water than the Jordan, and it goes almost through the middle of the land, after which it finally falls into the shameful pool, where Sodom and Gomorrah stood in ancient times. There the Jordan is not only lost, but the water drowns itself there, and chokes the Jordan the same shameful pool.
Since S. John was sent to be the forerunner of the Lord Christ and to proclaim that the Messiah was present, and to lead the sign that he baptized, as others have had other signs, such as, Isaiah once went even naked, as a sign that Palestine was to be robbed and plundered; Jeremiah wore an
wooden chain on the neck. Thus the prophets commonly brought signs with them besides the word; just as God from the beginning of the world also gave signs besides his word, so that one might also see with bodily eyes that he loved his people and church and wanted to do them good. When Adam received from God the promise of the woman's seed, He God clothed them Adam and his wife in fur. When He wanted to make Abraham a special people, He gave him circumcision. In addition to the outward ministry, he always gave an outward, visible sign, so that we would not complain that we could not find him.
Thus, in our time, in the New Testament, He gave us baptism, the sacrament of the altar, and absolution, so that we might have Christ closest to us, not only in our hearts, but also in our tongues, so that we might feel Him, grasp Him, and grope Him; and God did all this for the sake of the wicked spirits who seek God with their reason, thoughts, and dreams to please themselves. For this reason, he makes himself sensitive and clear during the day, so that he can be seized. But we do not accept it and do not ask anything about the divine word, since the Lord Christ says John 14:10: "The word that I preach is not mine, but my Father's"; item: "Whoever hears you hears me"; item: "Go into the world and teach all nations"; whoever believes the word of God and is baptized will be saved 2c. Such words of the Gospel, even the absolution, we throw to the wind.
Thus he gives it to us not only in the heart, but also in the eyes and in the hands, for it is tangible and sensitive. God has always governed His people in such a way that He has also made Himself known to them visibly, so that it should not be said that if one could find God, one would run after Him to the end of the earth. But it is no trouble for you to run far after him, if you could hear him alone. For he will come to thee, and thrust thee in the eyes, and smite thee in the fists, and will say, Hear me only, and take hold of me; let thine ears and eyes be opened, and thou shalt have baptism, and the sacrament of the altar, and riches.
2022 Erl. 47, 83-88. Interpretations On John the Evangelist. 2023
your mouth here, and let me put my hand on your head, the water that is poured over you, I give.
Thus, in the life of the prophets, God revealed Himself not only in word, but also in outward, visible and tangible form. Thus John the Baptist also spoke the verbal word and pointed with his finger to Christ, saying: "Behold, this is God's Lamb, who bears the sin of the world. After that, the Jordan had to serve him and be an outward sign or image, so that he could make the common man grasp and grope for God, and so that they would not be allowed to say, "Oh, if we knew where God was, I would gladly 1) run after him; as we have also done in the papacy, that he, the pope, put the sacraments under the pew, and only read the bare text of the Gospel in the pulpit, but God's word had to be nothing at all, but given: Run in the cuirass 2) to S. Jacob, call to S. Georgium, Erasmum, and others. There I see nothing, I feel nothing, but in broad daylight I am blind, and when God has revealed Himself, not only in His word, but also in visible signs, it has been ignored; and I fear it will come to that again. You see the baptism, and he who is baptized feels it. We may thank God that he has placed his dear Son in the womb of his mother Mary. Those who have seen him have grasped and felt the Son of God, and those who have heard him have also crucified the Son of God; and since the Lord Christ can no longer be felt personally and bodily, he has left behind him his word and the sacraments, which we can grasp with our five senses. Nor should we throw all this to the winds and think up something special, as the monks have done, and since nothing can be seen or grasped that God has commanded. What devil made you do it? For what can be better or more deliciously conceived than what God Himself has given? We should resist our thoughts and dreams, and not run away from them.
- Erlanger: him.
- Pumpkin - harness.
that which God has held out to us. For preachers, parents, masters and wives also tell us God's will and word.
Enon, Salim. It is written in Greek, I do not know what it is. But it reads as if John had the manner before other evangelists that he likes to interpret the names, and indicates that one should take an opinion from it, as he also said above that John baptized at Betharaba Joh. 1, 28., item (Joh. 11, 16.], Thomas, who is called Gemini. For John describes all the names before the others, as a reminder to consider what they are and what they are called. And he adds that there was much water there, as if there were much and great power; item, that many people ran there and wanted to be baptized, because John had not yet been thrown into prison.
Now it was John's office to baptize. Now there were no more waters in all the land than the Jordan alone; otherwise there were only some swamps now and then, and the waters of the Jordan curved very much, and turned to and fro, and had deep banks, and could not be drawn: but in some places it could be drawn. For it went very deep, and had high grass 3) about it. Wherever there was a place where one could come to the water and draw it, it was said, "There was much water there. That is why John chose that place, so that he could baptize much there. Otherwise one could not always come to the water. For the scribes indicate that the river had meandered far around and made many bends, so that it was difficult to draw water from it. Now, S. John has a desire to write this, and says: "There was a place where much water was drawn from the Jordan than could otherwise have been drawn at ten oers. But why does he describe it in this way?
Jordan was an image and figure of the whole land, people and law of Moses. For the descriptors of the landscape measure all the lands according to the waters, and not according to the
- "high grass" will be difficult to be correct. One should expect: high banks.
2024 Erl. 47, 85-88. Luther's Interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2025
Cities and castles: but, the Rhine floweth thus, and afterward the waters are set by it, and the forests. Therefore also the forty-second Psalm v. 7. saith, "I remember thee in the land of Jordan and Hermonim, in the little mountain." The game land is therefore called the land of Jordan, for he is lord of the land. So also with the Rhine. Because the water flows through the same land, the land must be called after it: the Rhine river.
Therefore the Jordan is a figure of the law, which was given in that place of land, and is judged from Christ, who was to be born in that land. Therefore John came and dived at the end of the Jordan, and there gladly baptized, as also at Betharaba, that is, at Wüsthausen, 1) Feldhausen; was a wild place, where no good fruit grew, but was a wide field. There the city is not far from it, since the Jordan falls in pool. There John baptized. John was also the last preacher of the law, yes, the end of the law, as the Lord Christ says in the eleventh chapter. And now the Jordan goes through the Jewish country until it comes to Betharaba, where John baptized. There it drowns with its water, and after that it receives a name, that it is called the dead sea, and loses its name, since the five cities, Sodom, Gomorrah, Adama and Zeboim 2c. stood. Then the Jordan drowned near the city of Betharaba, where John was baptizing.
This is what John wants to indicate, as by a secret spiritual interpretation, that John is the last and Jordanian preacher, that is, that the law should now cease, and man should be baptized, not that he should be justified by himself, but should come away from Jordan, and be baptized with fire from heaven.
Jordan means descent or decline, that this river falls down and drowns in the dead sea, just as the Elbe flows under itself and runs into the sea and loses itself in it.
- This passage shows that Luther must have said "Betharaba", although he put Joh. 1, 28. "Bethabara".
But he has his origin in tribu Dan, and comes from a beautiful Borne, shows himself crookedly down. Hereby John could not have painted better Moses and the law, which preach the ten commandments. This teaching bends, and is deep, teaching us sin, until it leads us into death, that is, the law kills, and leads them into the abyss of hell. To the Jordan, that is, to the doctrine no one could come and drink of it, and that is the power of the law, that it kills the flesh, everything is dead there, falls into the dead sea; and this is especially true of the Jews, who defied the law of Moses, and we also fall into a more harmful pool than the Jordan is, if we do not keep the law of Moses.
Now John is at the end of the law, saying, I am not the true Master, but the Bridegroom shall come, and he shall do it. I am yet a piece of Jordan; but he that shall come else shall not come but Jordan.
Let this be said briefly of the words of Salim and Enon, and that many people had come there to be baptized. Follows:
V. 25: "Then a question arose among the disciples of John and the Jews about the cleansing.
This is the eternal strife that rises up here against Christ's and John's disciples. And he especially wanted to use the word "purification" here, and not baptism, because soon after follows in the text: Of whom thou begettest, he baptizeth, and every man cometh unto him. The other three evangelists write that John baptized Christ: but the evangelist here avoids the same words, that he baptized Christ, but says that he begat of him. What this is, I will save until another time.
"To whom thou hast given witness, he goeth and baptizeth" v. 26. What ingratitude does he do to you? You are a prophet, and he is so ungrateful, and goes to and takes away your baptism. Before you baptized as a prophet, now he baptizes. Now which baptism is pure? He will not call it a baptism, but a cleansing, that we may be pure and holy in baptism. Now they ask: Is your baptism pure, then why does he baptize? With
2026 Erl. 47, 88-90. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2027
In that way he will be a rebel and do harm to your baptism. We are baptized by thee, that we through thy preaching and baptism might be sanctified and blessed; so he beginneth a new thing. By this way we do not know whether we are pure or not. For if we are clean through thy baptism, why doth he baptize?
And the evangelist says that a question has arisen about purification, that is, about baptism, which he calls purification, so that he may show the error that existed at that time, when it was thought whether one would also become pure through baptism; and this is a question that has been from the beginning of the world, and will remain until the end, that one cannot send oneself to be purified, how and where one is to become pure. Reason seeks the way to blessedness; but the rough, wild and foolish people ask nothing about it. But the sorrowful hearts that think where they will remain after this life, even how they may obtain forgiveness of sins, and escape from death, and be assured of eternal life, they ask after purification.
Over this question there is a dispute between the disciples of John and the Jews. For those who are not crude and the Jews, who are also pious and believe in God and love salvation, go astray. For one seeks this, the other that; as has also happened under the papacy, where one has become an Augustinian monk, another a Dominican, another a Franciscan. For reason prevents it and thinks: How can I become blessed and pure, also free from sins and death, and that I may receive a gracious God? The error runs into the fists of these, that both baptize, John and Christ. Which baptism is right? The ten commandments are there; whoever does them is clean; item, "if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments of God". This was preached at the Jordan by John the Baptist. But Christ says, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." How do these two rhyme together, that he who keeps the law and he who believes 2c.? Which then is the true cleansing? This is the strife, and continues to this day. And
The quarreling and fighting is not with Moses, but with the disciples of John; and those who preach good works are now ashamed that they praised the monks' caps and plates so much, now they want to become disciples of John the Baptist, and teach that one should be pious and do good works, and say: One must do good works; whoever does them will be saved. Now then, Christ does not speak one letter of this, but says, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the law"; item: Nothing unclean enters the kingdom of heaven. This is John's cleansing, therefore one must be saved by good works. Yes, do it, go on, says Christ, and keep the commandments, as he also said to the scribe Luc. 10, 28.: "You shall love God with all your soul" 2c. "Do this, and thou shalt live." It is a fine purification; but since we cannot do it and have it, John adds, "Behold, this is GOD's Lamb, which beareth the sin of the world." For where Christ's baptism and cleansing do not come, the abominable pool swallows up the Jordan, and we go with Sodom and Gomorrah into the abyss of hell.
But you should do it. Yes, always do it. John baptizes, is not yet in prison, that is, the Jordan is not yet drowned. We also truly say, as Christ did, "Do this. Do you preach the faith? Yes, we would like people to do good works, but first believe, and then do good works.
Therefore the dispute remains that John's disciples want to be saved by their good works and John's baptism. But he says, I am not the bridegroom; Jordan must fall and be drowned in the dead sea. Therefore there is another cleansing, for Christ begins to baptize, and my baptism must cease, and Jordan be drowned. This cleansing will do it, so that "whoever believes and is baptized" will be saved. He will also find the other cleansing, when he is first cleansed by Christ; and then the other cleansing will soon follow.
This is the quarrel, that from the beginning of the world one asks whether by works or by grace
2028 Erl. 47, so-92. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2029
God come to salvation. Then the main cleansing must take place, because grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ, item, out of His fullness we have taken everything; and then we do not forbid good works, but we preach that good works cannot make nor give this cleansing, but Christ must make us clean through His blood. Then follows by grace the other cleansing. So we come from the Jordan and the Red Sea.
End of this sermon.
The thirty-ninth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On Saturday after S. Johannis day the 28. 1) Junei 1539.
Next we have heard of the question that arose among the disciples of John about purification, which is the greatest struggle and strife from the beginning of the world, and will remain forever, until the end of the world, that people question and quarrel about purification; and so did the pagan philosophers, who investigated how one should serve God and become blessed. He does not speak of the purification of the world, but before God, that God may look upon the same bath, and cleanse the one who is bathed. Moses has given much cleansing, holy water and other things, as the Pope and the Turks also have much cleansing. So the pagans also had their purification and way, especially the Romans and Greeks, how they would become pure before God.
Therefore John saw a new cleansing, which had not been with the Jews before, and then also had the sermon that they should cease from their evil works and natures, and wait for the future Messiah. By this he testifies that he is not the one who can make clean, and that even his baptism is not the cleansing, but says, "I cleanse with water, not that you should be cleansed by it, but by him who is coming after me, who will cleanse with the Holy Spirit. Still the same
- In the handwriting: "29."
- Erlanger: those.
But those who died are still blessed, because they accepted the baptism of John and were purified in the faith of the future Christ, to whom John pointed out that he would be the true purifier. Thus all the patriarchs and prophets were purified, and circumcision and all purifying were hanged on the Messiah to come, and circumcision helped them to be hanged on the Messiah to come. Upon the faith of the Messiah to come they were circumcised, and were saved; otherwise they would not have been saved. For Christ was heri et hodie, that is, from the beginning. Abel, the pious child, sacrificed a fine fat little lamb, and was saved, not because of the sacrifice, but because of the promise that he believed in Christ. The promise was that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. Abel believed this, and because of his faith in the future seed, he was accepted by God with grace. Cain also came with his sacrifice, which was good, which the field had borne, and which he had from God's gift and bounty. But what did he lack? That he did not hope for the future seed of the woman, but was an unbelieving man, and thought that because he was the firstborn son and the only prince among the human race, he should be pleasing to God for his own sake. Therefore he did not hope and wait for the seed of the woman to crush the serpent's head. Abel, on the other hand, heard of the promised seed: this he believed, and to testify to the faith and to give day, he came with his sacrifice. But Cain thinks: "Oh, if you only sacrificed three grains of wheat, and my brother put a hundred lambs on the altar, still I am everything, and Abel is nothing. But our Lord God does it differently, that he who is nothing must be everything. For he believes in the future seed, Christ. Cain again, who was everything, is nothing, because he does not believe in the future seed of the woman. So Cain is not cleansed, but Abel is.
Over it the quarrel rises, and so gruesomely,
2030 Erl. 47, S2-9S. Interpretations about the evangelist John. , 2031
that he, who wants to be everything, kills Abel. This is what has happened in the world; read all the histories, how all the patriarchs and ancient fathers sacrificed, and the fire consumed their sacrifice. Then the godless Jews said: God does not see the gift and the sacrifice, since Cain had nothing but chaff. But God does not ask about the oxen, sheep and sacrifices, as is seen in the fiftieth Psalm and the first chapter of Isaiah. Who has commanded you of the sacrifices? says God.
This is the conflict, as can be seen in all the prophetic books, that the wicked think they will be purified because of their great sacrifices. God will not do this, and because of this all the prophets were martyred and killed, and all the great kings were overthrown. But he who has sacrificed, and has remembered at your sacrifice the true lamb, Christ, who was to be slain for the sin of the world, has been saved through and in faith in the Christ who is to come. But he who has not done this has not been saved; and even if one had a thousand oxen to sacrifice, it is as much to God as a fly. But in the case of the blessed, it is the future seed on which they have placed their salvation. For this reason there is the same blessedness from Adam and Abel onward, and the same blessedness that we have now. For the promise of Christ and the Christian faith began soon after that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, and has continued until he himself came, and is now called not faith in the Christ who is to come, but who is now present and has come; and what was otherwise kept in the law is now no longer valid, whether it be law or circumcision. For Christ himself is now here, for everything is bound to Christ.
Therefore the Jews are condemned, who want to punish God with lies, and say that Christ has not come, and that the one who has come, they do not want to suffer, but wait for another, whom they dream and paint for themselves.
- Erlanger: those.
David had come, and Moses had ceased, and David had granted, until JEsus came, then David's teaching ceased. The teaching of Jesus lasted until the people became evil. Then God commanded Mahomet to rule over the people with the sword, and so they completely abolished Christ, and Mahomet was to remain until God sent another prophet. For they think that just as God always sent prophets in the Old Testament, so He will do in the last days of the world. But know that soon after the fall of Ade Christ is set before us as our Savior. He granted in the days of Abraham, Moses and David, until he himself came into the world, and he shall remain until the end of the world. End, and to the last day, and for ever.
It is true that there have always been other people who have led in other ways, but the doctrine has been the same from the beginning of the world and will remain the same until the end of the world, except that from the beginning of the world until John the Baptist it was said: Faith in the seed to come. Now it is said that the Messiah has come. So Christ has always been the same, who is in praeterito, praesenti et futuro tempore. So also Apocalypsis calls him, that he is, who was, is, and should come.
I say this so that we may understand the doctrine of cleansing and baptism. He hangs it all on Christ, saying, "I was sent before him;" and if anyone should say here, "Surely those who died before Christ have been saved. Yes, they believed that John cleansed with his baptism. For he attaches you to Christ with his baptism; then one becomes blessed, as he did to Nicodemus; and when He Christ Himself now comes and is present, then S. John's baptism must cease, as also circumcision. For it must no longer be said: He will come, but: You must wait for no one else, and I do not believe in all those who are coming, 2) but in those who have been and are still. For we have no one to-
- Erlanger: is.
2032 Erl. 47, S5-S7. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2033
The seed of a woman, except that which was in the days of John the Baptist, which was before the ages, and was present in the days of John the Baptist, and so is come, and abideth for ever. He that believeth not these things, and looketh for other things, as the Jews and the Turks do, shall be eternally damned. For each one wants to devise his own, and sees Cain angry, and wants to force God to look at his works. When we were still in the tabernacle, we were thus persuaded that we were holy and pure, just as if we had first come out of baptism, compared our filth and stink to the sacrifice of the Lord Christ, and then the holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water, holy water. After that, the holy water, soul-measures, vigils, all purification, so that John's baptism, the most holy man, does not help, nor could have helped, but had to hang on and believe in Christ beforehand, who was to come, and since he has come, they have had to stop; and we are not yet as good as the Jews and Turks, who say that John's and Christ's baptism has stopped, and whoever keeps Mahomet would be blessed. So the papists have also written against us that whoever sins and falls after baptism must begin his own purification. But the saints have had various purifications from the beginning of the world, all of which are attached to the Lord Christ. But when nuns and Turks fall into sin, Christ is gone, and all His purification, and one must then begin one's own purification. Therefore the pope is nothing else than the Turk, he is not worse otherwise.
There may be various baptisms, purifications and sacrifices, but the one sacrifice, Christ, remains. Abel sacrificed a little lamb in the same way and added faith in the Christ to come. If Cain had done the same, there would have been no difference between the sacrifice of Abel and Cain. Abraham's sacrifice was different, and he sacrificed his son; it was a different sacrifice than Abel's: nor did Abraham's sacrifice go to the one seed of the woman. Moses built a tabernacle, or the tabernacle of the congregation, and established a people that had a kingdom of their own, item, he led them through the red
Sea. But in these various and new ways was the one piece, namely, the seed of the woman. Therefore, there was only a few purifications from the beginning of the world, when all believed in One God, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and then each one in his own tribe, whether a husband or a scholar, 1) did good works. So a nun should also have done, and said: I will wear a veil and crown, like other women. But this has not been done. A nun thought: 2) I will put my crown in the purification of Christ. But who would have understood this at that time? The wrath of God brought the Mahomet and the Pope into the world, so that we would be led away from the one purification of Christ into so many purifications, and that we would finally become such great fools that we would also buy the good works of the monks for money.
Therefore open your eyes and see how the devil wants to tear away the purification of Christ, and does this in many different ways. For some reject the law or the ten commandments altogether, others want to bring the Pope's canons back into the church. 3) But say you thus, as John does here, that in short there is no purification except Christ alone, the seed of the woman. But if the doctrine of men comes into the church, cast it out, that not one letter of it remain, and know that all the doctrine of men is idolatry, as surely God lives. For John, who says:
V. 27: Man cannot take anything unless it is given to him from above.
Although John's baptism by itself does not purify, but wraps itself in faith, nor is it to come from man, but from God and from heaven; as faith also comes from no one but God alone; so also purification.
- Maybe: Single?
- Instead of "has thought", perhaps read: "should have thought".
- This goes to the jurists. Compare Luther's admonition Wider die Juristen in 1539, Tischreden, Cap. 66, §23. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 1495 ff. - The immediately preceding is said with reference to the antinomians.
2034 Erl. 47, S7-S9. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2035
Thus circumcision also depends on the purpose of Christ, so it was also commanded by God; but it was wrapped and wrapped in faith. In the same way, all the sacrifices of the prophets are not commanded by men but by God, or they are to be trampled underfoot. Then shall one also say to a Turk: Where has God commanded what Mahomet preaches? For there is no faith at all. So the pope has also brought his canons back on the scene, and the church rules with chasubles, caps and plates 2c. If I am to keep the commandment, I do not want to have a thread on the altar. But he says: One must be obedient to the church. You lie. God has not given this outward way 1) from heaven, if you touch it; therefore you have no faith.
For this reason, the papacy is vain idolatry, even if it seems so glorious, and I would not give a fly to Saint John's baptism, Abraham's circumcision and Moses' tablets, if it did not say: God from heaven. Nor shall it help me, if one does not add the other, that one may have it in faith. Therefore let the pope go out of the church, and feed his canons, for they are not from heaven, but from men. But one is wont to say: They were wise men, nevertheless. Answer then: Yes, wise men do no small foolishness, and say, It is not commanded of God; and though they were a hundred times holier than John the Baptist, yet I know that they are without God and his word, and turn away from the faith, are not wrapped and clothed in the Savior Christ, but lead away from the Lord Christ. If you do this and believe in Christ, you are blessed, and beware of that which is not commanded by God. For then it is contrary to God; therefore it shall be cast out of the church as the devil's filth. For they seek purification in another way, which God has not commanded. Therefore let it be purely dead, for it is not commanded by GOD. And he teaches 2) another
- The inclusion of the "not" seems to us to be dictated by the context, - "This external way" put by us instead of: "dieß äußerlicher Weise" in the Erlanger.
- Erlanger: lernet.
Purification, so that we may come to new life. No man can sufficiently consider what a terrible abomination is human teaching. The lawyers may teach the world. If the world is pious, and there are no more murderers, fornicators, adulterers or usurers to be found in it, then let us dispute with them. Let the physicians also wait for their profession; so also let each one do what he is commanded. For in the church one should not suffer any of these things, but God's word alone should rule there. God also commands: You shall not have other gods. Therefore, the Canons are strictly against God. Now God says: "In the church I alone will be God; which cannot happen unless I also speak alone in the church. Otherwise, the Sabbath, the name of God, the faith and majesty of God will soon perish.
The Gentiles and other wise men, even the Jews, who had the commandment of circumcision and sacrifices, are reproached and punished as idolaters. For they separated their circumcision, sacrifices and works from the faith in the Messiah to come, saying, "He who sacrifices makes himself righteous by such works. Therefore they sacrificed much, and did many things in eating, drinking, and clothing, which was not a man's work, as the pope and the Turk do, and yet it became idolatry. Why? Because the Jew 3) did not use the sacrifice as he should have. For he should have used it outwardly, as a sign, and wrapped himself around the future Messiah. But they exclude him altogether. Cain says: God has commanded the sacrifice to me through my father. But his sacrifice is mere, and not wrapped in faith, which alone makes a gracious God. For if I believe, the sacrifice is pleasing and acceptable to God; but if you reject the seed of the woman, the sacrifice is not pleasing to God. Therefore, the pope and the Turk use ways that God has not commanded, and then they exclude Christ altogether. For this reason, they are seven times worse than the Jews, who are purifying and doing other things.
- Erlanger: Jews.
2036 Erl. 47, 98-101. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2037
Works that were commanded by God: yet it is nothing. But they say, "It is a good thing; they were wise men. Is John the Baptist also of no use, who was sent by the Holy Spirit, if it is said that you do not believe. Much less will the canons be of any use if you add to them the appendix that you want to be saved by them. For this reason, the canons should be driven out of the church. They would like to shit in again, but we want to burn them once more, and burn them on the shingle. But the pope condemns us because we do not want to put his abomination and purification, as holy water and other things, next to the right purification, and that is why he hates us. But the Lord Christ proclaimed it before in John, it must be so. If they have called me Beelzebub, who am the Lord and Messiah, much more will they call my disciples so. But we have the true doctrine and know that we do not err, and before God we do not want to be called schismatici because of the doctrine, for the Word is irreproachable. Even if they call us heretics, God and our hearts know that we are being wronged. They themselves also know that our teaching is the holy Scriptures. But they also want to have the secondary purification. But the little children speak in the Ten Commandments: One shall not have other gods. He alone wants to reign in the church and not suffer a secondary god. They could suffer that we have the holy scripture and baptism: but they cannot suffer that we challenge and punish their idolatry. But if God is merciful to us, let the devil be angry with all his scales.
So the disciples say to John, "Your cleansing is nothing; you have borne witness to Christ that you took baptism from him, and also cleansing. Now he prepares another one, and so stately that everyone runs to him: "Here resist, dear John. But he says: "A man can take nothing 1) unless it be given him from above"; as if he should say: Oh, dear disciples, you do not understand my cleansing rightly; he does not make a new cleansing, it is not a human thing,
- Erlanger: Nix.
what he makes. Therefore let him do it, it is from heaven. Otherwise Christ's cleansing and John's cleansing are one and the same, except that John uses a different method. For Christ himself is the cleansing, as John taught. They all hung on him with their sacrifices, and he also said, "I baptize only with water. Therefore it is not of men, but of God; and if John speaks especially of the government of God, of the church, there shall nothing be done, except it be given from heaven. But if it is not from heaven, it is called man and nothing, even if the wisest men on earth had spoken it. Otherwise it must come down from above, and not be called: Man took it or thought it up. For this reason he throws down everything that is sought for cleansing, and John says, "My cleansing would be nothing if it did not depend on him, who himself is the cleanser, and who enlightens all, and from whose fullness may all be taken; and the way also came from heaven. Otherwise my baptism would be as good as a monk's cap, if my baptism had not come from heaven: but because God has commanded it to me, and concerning the way that I baptize, I should also point to Him who Himself cleanses.
Therefore he says: Man cannot take it 2) from him. They want to take it 3) from them, but it must first be received from heaven, or it is no good at all, not only the faith, but also the way 4) must be revealed and given by God from heaven, 4) as with baptism. Still 5) - -
The fortieth sermon on the Gospel of John,
Saturday, July 5, 1539.
Heaven, but take it, and put the eye on the forehead, or on a leg and knee,
- "can's" put by us instead of: kany.
- "them" put by us instead of: "ihme" in the Erlanger.
- Added by us.
- "Here two leaves are missing from the manuscript, col. 162 and 163. The 39th sermon must have closed there, and the 40th sermon must have begun, because the next superscription indicates the 41st sermon." (Erlanger.)
2038 Erl. 47, 101-104. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2039
and see how it should stand. For if it is not right 1) it is the devil. So a cobbler is a craftsman. But if he would make a hat of a shoe, and say unto me, Hold still, and put the hat upon the feet. Now the hat or hood is his, and the feet also are his: but the hat is not in its place; and though a thing be delicious, and is not even, but lacks time and place, it is nothing; as I have said then of the eye: God made it, it is a beautiful and valuable part of the body; but if it were on the kneecap, everyone would be afraid of it. 2) The eye is a beautiful and valuable part of the body. Item, is a woman still so beautiful, and is a whore, she is beautiful, but not fit for marriage. And if the sleeve is to become a skirt, the cloth is fine, but it is not suitable and does not rhyme. But we humans think that everything that is beautiful also rhymes. So the pope has also made many canons; but if it only appears, then it is over. So also with the purification, which the fathers have ordered, it is a fine thing; but if one sets it, where the head is to stand, that does not go. The pope invents and speaks much, that should stand in the place where Christ should stand, because it is fine and beautiful. Now the bride is also beautiful, and it suits her when she is with the bridegroom. But when she is found in a whorehouse, or running after another man, she is black, and the clamor is heard over her. She is 3) beautiful, but with the adulterer she should not be 4) beautiful, but then looks like the devil.
Now John wills that Christ be over all men: and he hath also given the estates, as, of parents, and authorities, and citizens, and peasants, and hath adorned all estates, every one in his order. But let it be in its place, where it shall be, and where it shall prosper. But with it you shall not want to wipe out your sin, as the pope and lawyers pretend. It will not do for you to come a tailor and pretend that your wammes is a delicious shoe. So the worldly rule is also fine: but let it be in the world.
- Added by us.
- Erlanger: startled.
- Erlanger: it is.
- Erlanger: "solls nothing already".
Let it remain, and do not put it in the bridal chamber of Christ. Let justice remain in matters of strife, and do not put it into the church. But if it happens, it looks human and like that, if one eye would stand on the knee and the other on the back. The pope is just such an image. He wants to drive the bridegroom Christ out of the chamber, and sits on the stocking, 5) and cries out that his doctrine is holy, which should govern the Christian church, and whoever does not believe it, and does so, is damned. Then comes the tailor, as I said above. A man should stick to what is given him, for if a man does it beautifully and in the best way, and does not use it properly, it may be beautiful, but it is not even. If this happens in small matters, then as God has given it, it must remain in its circle and even place: much more should nothing be mixed in the church of God, be it divine law or jurisprudence, nor John the Baptist or prophet. But where the contrary is done, the eyes are on the top of the head, and the nose on the kneecap. What does not go in its place and person is nothing. We experience this in lesser things, indeed, in all classes.
But in the church, that is, in matters of faith, the pope brings in all his handiwork and what he can think up. But John says: "Man is nothing, nor I, compared to the man Christ. Therefore, whoever wants to be a master or ruler of the church, let him say: I will leave it as Christ has ordered and commanded. For otherwise it will not do for one to master another's craft. If the tailor came with the last to the cobbler and said, "Dear, make pants for yourself," and the cobbler came with the cloth and said to the tailor, "Dear, make me shoes;" item, the maid wanted to reform the wife, and the student wanted to teach the master: 6) then it would soon be noticed that it would not last long.
Now John does not speak here of such little things, but of the cleansing, .
- Perhaps: chair? because "stocking", i.e. torso, does not seem to fit.
- Erlanger: learn.
2040 Erl. 47, 104-106. / Luther's Interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2041
There shall be nothing but Christ alone. Man shall neither do nor know anything, except what is called Christ. For as skillful craftsmen do not suffer, 1) that a man should make their work otherwise than as they have made it: much more shall it be said here also, when God saith unto his dear Son, Thou only shalt be the Bridegroom, and none else. So John says, "I have indeed done something, and have been the forerunner of the Messiah; but of the things of which I speak here, I have and can do nothing. For though a man be honourable, honest, and beautiful, and have glorious gifts, yet is he not saved thereby. A person does not go to heaven because of this, even if he has made good canons. It takes more than what John and the prophets can do (let alone the lawyers), if one wants to be saved. For John can say, I am the greatest of those born of women, nor can I come to sleep with the bride; that is, no one can teach the church how to be saved. But this we can do, that we direct her to him and run.
Therefore there is something else under it, because a man is bad, because it is found here 2) which purification is right, whether the teaching of the pope is right, or whether this, that John says: He who comes after me, he is; it is something else. I, who am so near that I point with my finger to the 3) Messiah, nor must I say that I am not, but he alone is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit; and point all of us also with his preaching still to this one. The saints may be adorned with beautiful gifts, but it shall all be nothing. Why? Because if you look at it in itself, it is fine; but if you hold it against the bridegroom, it is nothing, and is called according to S. John's word, "Man can take nothing" 2c. But if this is not done, then you make an eye into a hand; as the pope also did, who let himself be thought beautiful: but if
- "not suffer" added by us- "artful" put by us instead of: more artful".
- So put by us instead of: "But if it is found here".
- Erlanger: dem.
If it is held against the bridegroom, it is nothing. Therefore no purification helps, but only that which the bridegroom himself brings. Therefore the canons and decrees are fine, but it does not rhyme here. The Turk has a fine regiment, Moses the like: but against him it is called nothing, it is called Concilia or Canönichen. For man can do nothing, here belongs another and a certain man, namely the bridegroom, whose bed shall not be stained. He speaks of it quite clearly, so, 4) that it is not the craftsmen who can suffer it. Therefore, whores and boys should not come into the bridal chamber, nor what people otherwise think of. Therefore all that men invent and devise is nothing, for they have no better thoughts than to beget children in wedlock. This is God's order; he does not want you to beget children in adultery. Item, he also says: Rule over the fishes of the sea 2c. Therefore say: III Things concerning salvation, I know nothing at all, but Christ alone. But if you come with the canons and conciliarities, here you have the verdict that it is nothing, especially if you add what is written in the decree: Districte praecipiendo mandamus. This is the devil and death, when he says: Kiss my feet, you shall and you must. Yes, kiss the devil. But if I should do it for good friendship or play, I could still do it well. But if thou sayest, If thou do it, thou shalt be saved, it is Christ's alone, who alone is Lord over righteousness; but if he say, I will not have it of thee, that thou mayest be saved by my laws, but believe on Christ. So John also says: By my cleansing you will not be saved, but I must become small, but Christ 5) must grow; and with this he pushes on a heap of everything that human senses, reason and thoughts can think up more. We have done much in monasteries, and yet have done nothing, for all is lost, because it was devised by men. John and
- "so" put by us instead of: as.
- Erlanger: Christum.
2042 Erl. 47, 106-108. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2043
The prophets have pointed to Christ, but not yet; and he will say, I will take you as witnesses that it is not the opinion that my baptism makes blessed, but for this reason I baptize, that you may receive Christ. For I am not the true Purifier, but the finger and witness of the Messiah, who is the true Purifier, and he that believeth on him and dieth shall be saved; not that I have cleansed him, but that I have pointed him unto and to him that cleanseth. I have hanged them about his neck, all my disciples, and you also, that ye all might abide with him.
That is why they say: You baptized him, now they all run to him. But John answers: Have you not heard what I have said? I must become small, but Christ must grow; I was a voice calling before the Lord, and pointing you to him.
John is truthful, because he says: "I am not Christ", as the Jews wanted to accept him for it. So should the pope also do, and his own. But they have done as Christ prophesied before, "Many shall come and say, I am Christ." Item: Many will come in my name, and pretend: If you run to Rome, you will receive forgiveness of sins. John does not say that he cleanses you or forgives sins, for "I am not Christ": nor has the Pope submitted to this; and John would say, "I am indeed great, and far greater and better than the Pope, for Christ himself speaks; I John am greater than the prophets, for I was the nearest angel before the Lord; but what I live and do will not help you to salvation. For though I wear a leather belt around me, and put on camel skin, and eat locusts, and dwell by the waters, these things do not make me clean, but Christ alone. Otherwise all estates are also his, the law of Moses is also fine, the Turk also has fine laws: but when it comes to purification, it is the devil. The purification of the lawyers in their circle is fine; so it is also that a bishop wears a staff and hat: but that it should make clean, and take away death, that is the devil.
cannot do it. I am a forerunner, that is, he who points to the Baptist and the Purifier. This is his office, that he says, "I am not Christ," but he is. So all should still point to it, Pabst, monks 2c.
The likeness is taken from the world, is a tangible likeness. The bride belongs to the groom. If one says: This is a fine fellow who leads the bride to the dance, why should he not have the bride? But it does not help, if one is noble, rich, learned, or beautiful, the bride does not belong to him, but the bridegroom belongs to the bride. So also in these spiritual things. There is no other bridegroom who takes the bride but Christ, and in the immortal life one cannot suffer the bride to be of any other than the bridegroom. What is he doing, John? He may assign the bride to the bridegroom, and may dance, eat and drink with her. The prophets and all the saints and I are brideservants and friends, serve him at the wedding: but I will not purify the bride. The popes have written and pretended that they are the bridegroom of the Christian church, and the bishops the bridegroom of their churches. But they have been harlots. John, who is greater than all the popes and bishops, does not want this, but only rejoices that he may hear the voice of the bridegroom.
What does S. John know about the bridegroom and the bride while he was in the desert? But he wanted to set this likeness, so that no man is so rude who does not know that the bride is the bridegroom, so that in this great, important transaction Christ alone is entitled to the church. For otherwise the pope wants to make of Christ's wedding and of his bride a dog's wedding and a whore. But John says: "I am not Christ", it is only One Christ. So now he says: The bride is no one's but the bridegroom's, who also therefore has the bride, and all rejoice with the bridegroom, that the guests have been invited to his honor, and may hear the bridegroom. John is glad with all his heart that it has come to this, that he may hear and see Christ; the joy is full. John has preached before, John should now quietly swear.
2044 Erl. 47, 1Ü8-110. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2045
gen. Christ has risen and is preaching himself, taking the bride in his arms, baptizing and cleansing her. Before, John will say, I preached and said that he should come and you should run to him. Since he preaches zero himself, there is the bride to the bridegroom, led. My ministry is over, he shall grow. So John always points us to Christ.
The forty-first sermon on the Gospel of John.
On the Saturday after Kiliani July 12, 1539.
Let every man do in his own order what is his office and calling, according to the saying in the first book of Moses: "Rule over the birds of the air and over everything that crept on the earth, and only rule well, having reason and other worldly wisdom to do so. But here, when it is said that one should know something more than one otherwise knows in this life, be silent, and let bride and bridegroom deal with each other. What you should know, that you should live eternally, there must be another wisdom, than this world's wisdom, which only deals with houses and other things; when the pope preaches that you should not eat meat on Friday, item, you should celebrate, that you then say: Shut up, and let the consciences not swear, or use your wisdom in your house.
So he wanted to keep the church pure, so that the word of God would also be preached purely. Therefore he and other prophets will depart from Christ; rather, let those who speak from a human head depart, and let him who hears them say, "He who has the bride is the bridegroom. Therefore let us no longer suffer the teaching of the pope, and say, All canons, statutes, decrees, and councils, if they be not the voice of the bridegroom, I say, All human doctrine is truly idolatry, therefore let it not be suffered; and if the philosophers and Moses cannot be tolerated, how shall we suffer the decree of the pope and of the councils? Therefore John goes very high.
There are some of them who preach against Christ, as those who forbid that one should not
to administer both forms of the Lord's Supper to the laity, item, to forbid marriage to the priests. Others are without Christ, who are a little better than the dear fathers, who set many things, but not of Christ; he commanded it not, but said: We have considered it good, and have set it; as though it were not contrary to Christ, and yet it is contrary to him, when it is held against the word of Christ. After this there is another thing, which is still higher, if Christ's word be kept, wherein the pope and the rotten ones are. These hear that what is said apart from Christ and without Christ is not valid, nor do they want to be the bridegroom, that is, to preach Christ, since it is not true, just as a bride who would let anyone into her bedchamber is a whore. But if a rogue comes and pretends to be the host, so does Satan. These are the spirits that do not hear the bridegroom, but are thieves and of the devil, as the pope did with the saying, "Thou art Peter." Then they adorned themselves in Christ's name and word, as it is written in the 24th chapter of Matthew.
Speak therefore not only against those who are publicly hostile to Christ, as the ungodly and the pope with his canons, but also against those who speak the word of Christ. A matron can be deceived if another has a language than her landlord. For this reason we should take heed of the devil, lest he devour us. For a Christian does not walk securely, nor sleep, nor snore, but a Christian says, "The devil is valiant, and not only rages openly against Christ, but also comes in the form of the Lord Christ, and deceives people. Therefore let the church take care that she is not deceived under the form of the bridegroom's voice, but learns to recognize and understand the voice of her bridegroom, the Lord Christ. For if he will not have the prophets and Moses, nor John, who is of God, much less can he suffer those who preach something without or against the voice of the bridegroom, and speak something else under the appearance of the divine word.
For this reason, we are to see to it in the church that we neither preach nor hear anything unless
2046 Erl. 47, 110-112. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2047
The voice of the bridegroom, and not a fictitious or imitated voice. For it is Christ alone who takes away sin and overcomes death. Therefore believe no man that he cometh in the majesty or form of Christ against Christ, or without Christ, or for him. 1) But take heed only, and hold fast that which he hath preached; and if any man shall say any thing that is not in rhyme with the voice of Christ, and I find it contrary, I shall say, Fie on thee, thou whoremonger, wilt thou make me a whore? Well, I would like to say, do I speak a holy thing? Reason thinks it to be good itself. But you say: I have the voice of the bridegroom, I must believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and then love my neighbor, as I am taught in catechism. But we consider it a small teaching, because how many are ours who hear such teaching now? Now it is easier to understand, if one preaches against it, than, if one prays both forms of the Lord's Supper, and pretends: There is as much in one part as in both; if you take the body, you receive the blood of Christ in it. After that the common rabble, if they receive a figure in the papacy, thinks they have it. Then you say, "I know this myself, but why do you priests receive the cup if we are to be satisfied with one form? But they say, "Yes, we are priests, and in a more peculiar state than you laymen. This is a great wisdom. Where did you learn that you should distinguish between priests and laymen in the Lord Christ? Do the laity have a different baptism from the priests? Why then does the Lord Christ say that he died for the whole world, and makes no distinction among all classes of men? The servants and the emperors have the same baptism, and at the same time one Christ. Why then should the sacrament not go out the same, since they have the same baptism, faith and hope in Christ, and the same Holy Spirit, and Christ goes out the same? 2) You alone make an inequality in the sacrament.
- In the original: "without Christ; or for him".- "for him" - under his name.
- equal out - straight out.
ment, and say: The layman is something different from the priest. Should the sacraments also be distinguished according to the difference of men? What do you say to this? Did Christ order that the layman should have one part and the priest two? Answer: No. Why then do you teach that Christ wants to be used completely? Yes, they say, it is the order of the Christian church. Which one? The church should and must be the bride of our Lord God. So she is the pope's bride, I have not seen a more hideous whore in my life. But if she is a bride, she hears the voice of the bridegroom. Now the bridegroom says, "Take, eat, drink." This is what the Church hears. For this is the Christian church, which hears the voice of the bridegroom. But those who do not do this are called the church of the devil. They only thumb their noses at us with the words, "The church has done it. I may be assured that the pope with his own is the bride, that is, the church that believes in Christ, and that 3) everything that Christ taught, they also teach others, and keep it. Now he did not command one form of the Lord's Supper, but both. How then do we come to the shameful whorehouse? For Christ saith that we should not believe them which come in his name, that is, in the name of the bridegroom: much less should we hear them which come in the name of the bride; and the first shall not be counted as: "Here is Christ," and not to believe those who come in His name, that is, the doctrine taught under the name of the Bridegroom; much less to believe the name of the Church; therefore to have heard the right, true voice of Christ, as was said to the Ephesians in the 5th chapter v. 22. Chapter v. 22 it is also said, "Let the wives be subject to their husbands," and not again let the husbands be subject to the wives. For if the man is called something, and the woman wants to do the opposite, what would become of it? So here too. Christ has ordered this, but the church has changed it) Then say: Always away with the church, I want to have the right bridegroom and his voice.
- "that" added by us to make some sense.
2048 Erl. 47, 112-11S. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2049
And if we did not see and hear it, we could not believe that people were so wicked. But they say, "Well, my dear, the Christian church has decreed that the laity should be given the same form. But it is a blasphemous speech. For are you to blame the church for trampling underfoot the voice of Christ? For there is no church which is not obedient to Christ. It is said, "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom." Now the devil is trying to deceive the bride, so that she may lose the chastity and virginity in which she otherwise trusted in Christ.
Therefore let us learn to discern, that we may know which is the bridegroom's voice. For if any man come without Christ, not bringing him with him, or come against Christ, or under the name of Christ, say, The name of the bridegroom and of the bride must not be blasphemed and profaned; but say, Christ speaketh thus and so. He therefore that followeth the voice of the bridegroom, changeth not, nor perverteth it. For no one in the house can bear that the wife should do otherwise than the husband hath commanded. But if he is a gag, he may get up from his wife and put another one with her. If it cannot be tolerated there, it will be tolerated much less in the church. Nor can the church do it, that it should let Christ, the bridegroom, speak and order, and then change it for him. Therefore it is blasphemy to say, "The church has ordered it. For the bridegroom and the bride are one body, and what the bridegroom does, the bride does, says Paul to the Ephesians in the fifth chapter. Now they do it in majesty against Christ, or without Christ, or under his name. It is all one thing, that is, it is against him. Therefore we must be valiant against the devil, who attacks us with doctrine that is against Christ, as the tyrants do, and then without Christ, as with the canons. Then one comes to the Scriptures, and looks at the form of the Lord Christ, and there one is also against Christ. Therefore he alone remains the bridegroom, as he also has the command from heaven to be heard. Now whoever is not Christ's, that is, through Christ's
not preach, let them be silenced. For in him we shall be content; we shall not wait for Moses, much less for others, for God has put his word in his mouth. In the chamber Christ alone shall speak, for the Father has commanded him, and no one else shall be heard, be it Moses or an angel from heaven, as S. Paul says. And since it will not apply to us if we speak against Christ, or without Christ, or under the name of Christ, what will the papists do with the name of the church or bride? For if I am not to be moved by anything given under the name of Christ, the Bridegroom, such as the saying, "Thou art Peter," 2c., much less am I to turn to the name of the church or bride.
So we are to learn that the Son has it all in his hands. Therefore, we must remain a pure, undefiled virgin who wants to know nothing but Christ, who redeemed her with his precious blood. By this we do not reject the worldly authorities, for it is also the voice of the bridegroom that one should be obedient to the authorities; item, the parents who preach the ten commandments and the gospel to the children: if I know the voice of the bridegroom, I must follow and be obedient, and then I am also a piece of a pure virgin, that is, of the church, which is one body with Christ.
Now it is a great honor and glory to be called the bride of the Lord Christ, which is one body with him, for which reason the devil would gladly destroy it, and we now know which is his voice or not. For the pope with his church is the devil's whorehound, for he preaches that which is against Christ and without Christ, which is also attributed to others under his name. John says zero: I do not want to be Christ; much less the pope and the other fathers and saints; and if he does not want to have John, how should he accept those? If St. Francis had believed this, he would not have done so much harm with monasticism. But it did not happen, and if he preached: If you put on a cap, 1) you will be blessed, then he is worse than the one who preached it.
- Erlanger: anzeuchts.
2050 Erl. 47, 1IS-N7. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2051
Judas, and goes 1) into abyss of hell. So S. Anthony has also given: This is a member of the church, who runs into a desolation.
But the dolts, who followed them, have interpreted it in such a way, as then the pope has fooled with the cap. But keep always all Christ, and the voice of the bridegroom heard with joy, or it is lost; and preaches S. Franciscus the bridegroom's voice, then I listen; if not, then always with him to the devil. So everything goes into the abyss of hell, the pope also with his own. For he has cast Christ out of the church, and made the church a whore.
The forty-second sermon on the Gospel of John.
On the Saturday after Mary Magdalene July 26, 1539.
The text in John: "He who has the bride is the bridegroom", we have recently dealt with, and was to do with purification. For John's disciples grumble that Christ also baptizes, and the disciples run to him, and John the Baptist is made less and less. John answered, "It is right for him to baptize, and for all to run to him, and for him to grow, for this is how it should be. For they had heard before that he was not Christ, who should win the following of all the people, but that this was his office, that he should go before Christ. But when he comes and follows John, he says, "This is right, for I also preached that one greater than I would come after me, and that I would not be worthy to untie his shoe laces. So I have always preached that I am not, but that I am wise and lead you to another. Therefore do not complain that they run to him and that he baptizes, for that is why it began. For if this were not done, Christ would never come, since it is my ministry, and I am directed to point to Christ; and we should diligently distinguish John's ministry from the ministry of all prophets and Christ. Now is John's sermon,
- Erlanger: "would be". That "drives" is to be read, proves the following paragraph.
that he should go before Christ; therefore his ministry and baptism cannot remain. Since Christ himself baptizes and preaches, John's ministry ceases; saying, He shall come after me, I am sent before him, that I may hang you all, not on me, but with my finger pointing to him. If I do this, I have done my part. John Baptist did not preach for more than two years, when he awakened the people to accept Christ who would come after him, yes, who was already present, and thus accept the baptism of Christ. But it is the same baptism, as much as the water is sucked, item, that he testifies of the future Christ. But this is the difference, that John says he will come, he has not yet preached, and will preach in a little while, before two years pass; and now that he comes, all things come to pass, of which John had prophesied before; and so it can be said that the baptism of Moses and the Jews was all for the people of the law to accept baptism as a sign of admonition that they were God's people, not that they would be cleansed from sins by baptism, but that they would be admonished to look to the main promise, and that you would be sure that he would come. Therefore they had circumcision, the law, and all kinds of daily cleansing and much washing. So also S. Paul, 1 Cor. 10 v. 1 ff, says that the children of Israel were baptized in the Red Sea, and under the cloud also had the same food as we have. How then? He says they all drank from the spiritual rock, which was Christ. He went about with them. For Christ was with them in the Red Sea, and also with the rock, and with the bread of heaven: and these were all signs, that they should be reminded that they were signs of the coming of Christ, and that they should not be abiding signs, as the Jews thought that Moses gave the laws, and his baptizing and cleansing, that they should abide for ever, and that the Gentiles also should come and receive such cleansing. Therefore Moses said that the Messiah would come; item: God will send you another prophet; item: "The Seed of the Woman".
2052 Erl. 47, 117-120. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2053
shall bruise the head of the serpent." Therefore all their law, baptism, and purification were all directed that the people should send themselves and cleave unto the Messiah to come; so also all the saints were saved by the Messiah to come, as we also are. John is the next that saith, He shall come, even as I live, and before two years pass, and I will not cease to preach, until ye see him, of whom all the prophets spake, and for whom all things were prepared, and in whom all the prophets hoped.
This is a glorious sermon, which introduces the Messiah to them in the present time. Otherwise the Jews thought that Moses, the prophets and John should be and remain the masters and the whole world should fall to them. But John says here: No, you shall be different, and come to the Lord, for he will come and crush the serpent's head, and be the blessed seed. Jacob and Judah shall become one kingdom, but the kingdom shall not remain so; but so shall it be said, The scepter shall not be taken away from Judah, nor a teacher from the temple, except the LORD himself come. And unto him shall all nations cleave: for he shall not be king in Judah only, which is a small corner: but it shall not abide in Jerusalem, but all the earth shall fall unto it, and cleave unto it.
Manichaeus wanted to throw away the law and said that the devil had given it: but Christ is today and yesterday. Adam and Eve with their children believed in him, because they had the promise of the seed of the woman, which would bruise the head of the serpent. Adam preached this and had many signs, but they all went to provoke and awaken him to look to Christ. So Moses' law, baptism, sacrifice, kingdom, and priesthood were not ordained to remain, but to last only for a time. How then? Until the seed of the woman should come, and all who have thus understood have been saved, as the patriarchs; even as we still preach, teach, baptize, and have authority, all of which is directed, not that it should remain so, but that we should wait for it.
and hope in Christ, who has come in the flesh. Therefore, they are only alarm clocks that remind and admonish us. So Christ our Savior remains future and present. The little children who go before Christ sing Hosanna, like the patriarchs. But we go behind, with the whole world, and the same song we have of Christ, only that they have gone before, and we follow after. Therefore what is ordered is all ordered to Christ. Therefore the rock was Christ, because he was to come from this people. Therefore they had the same faith with us, only that they went before.
Now John's ministry must decrease, so also Adam's and Abel's, whose ministry was to preach that the seed of the woman would come and crush the serpent's head, and then sacrifice. That was their alarm clock, that stopped. Noah also preached that the Messiah would come, and this was also the teaching of the other patriarchs who followed. Then came Abraham, that in his seed should all the families of the earth be blessed; and David, that out of his loins should the Messiah be born. All this was directed to the loins of David, from which Christ was to be born. Now John comes and says, "There is an end of Adam, of Abraham, of David, and of his kingdom, and of my ministry also, who am the nearest to him. For we all preach one thing, but their preaching is far off, and that he shall yet come. But I say, Yes, he will come, but in such a way that he is already present and available.
This shall decrease; that no man should cleave unto his ministry, but John's. He that would now believe that he should yet come would be damned: but he is come, saying, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." There I hear not that he said, I will come, but: I am come. For so Marcus saith his gospel: The time is fulfilled, ye must not wait for prophecies, nor for the preaching of John. For the time is fulfilled which they meant, as John is said on the 5th. Therefore you should not think of an earlier time, when the Messiah would come.
2054 Erl. 47, ISO-I3S. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2055
The kingdom of heaven is here. If we believe, we will be saved; if not, we will be damned; and even though their prophecies have ceased, they are still useful, for they bear witness to Christ. One should not hope that Adam with his sacrifice, and Moses shall remain, for Christ strikes him down 1). John preached lukewarmly that I would come; now I am here, and he must cease. Therefore both are false, that the Jews think the law shall remain, and John also shall remain; but John saith, "He that hath the bride is bridegroom." It is no more, for only One Bridegroom. Adam was a great prophet, for these words passed through his mouth; so Noah also, and other patriarchs: as yet none is the bridegroom. John is the greatest man after Christ, but he is not the bridegroom either. For from the beginning of the world there is only One Bridegroom, Christ, and He will remain so until the end of the world. So also the church is his bride, who believes in him from the beginning of the world to the end, and where you see his signs, know that there is the church.
It is a lovely image that he calls Christ a bridegroom, for the bridegroom and the bride have all goods in common. The man entrusts all his secrets to the woman, she also has the power of his body and carries the keys on all her sides. So here Christ is also the bridegroom, and one flesh of our flesh, as is said by S. Paulo in the epistle to the Ephesians, just as a bride in the flesh is one body with her bridegroom, and they have the same goods, and there shall be no other bridegroom. Adam, Abel, David, Isaiah, Augustine are not the bridegroom, but Christ alone; of whom all the prophets prophesied, and spoke of his marriage. For this reason the pope is very foolish in boasting that he is the bridegroom of the church, for this is what the devil says. For the church that accepts the pope and considers him its bridegroom is the devil's whore. For in the world there must be only one bridegroom who belongs to the bride: therefore there must be also only one bridegroom the church alone.
- Erlanger: them.
or they are both harlots; and if Christ is the bridegroom, the pope cannot be. Therefore the church must be under Christ alone, or it is a whore.
Therefore, this text should be diligently noted against those who want to curry favor with the church, that is, those who want to disgrace and destroy it by force, as the tyrants and heretics do, and the pope also wants to force us to worship his humanity and lies for the word of the Lord Christ. On the other hand, they do not only 2) come against Christ, but also without Christ. Some begin with the needy, but others begin with wooing the bride, that they may soften her, that she may be made a whore. These are the preachers who preach the law and good works and pilgrimages. They all want Christ not only to be the bridegroom, but to be holier than a common man, and we ourselves should also be the bridegroom. The third are much more shameful, who sell themselves under the likeness of the Lord Christ; and this can now be more easily understood and noticed, if anything is done contrary to the holy Scriptures. But when those come who clothe themselves in the adornment of the Lord Christ, and bear the name of the church and of the Lord Christ, as it is said in the 24th chapter of Matthew, and bear the word of Christ, there a man is soon deceived and seduced. For they pretend: One must do good works, for so says the Lord Christ Luc. 6, 38: "Prayer, and it shall be restored unto you"; item: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments of God" Matth. 19, 17. These seduce people under the name of Christ. For this the devil is a master craftsman. Therefore keep the word of God, and let no one know of any other word, whether it be without Christ, under Christ, against Christ, or any other word. Let no man sleep with the bride, neither let any man make the bride with child, neither let any man make her fruitful: for the one Lord Christ alone, if he teacheth not, or preacheth not, or maketh souls with child, then is it lost. But the sermons in the papacy
- Added by us.
2056 Erl. 47, 122-124. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2057
have all been without Christ, and the pope has pretended that one must nevertheless have laws in addition to the holy Scriptures. One might well keep it, but one should not put it 1) that it does enough for sin and makes people blessed; item, if you keep these laws, then it is right, if not, then you are damned. We cannot suffer this. For the church has no power to call sin righteous, and this is not commanded in holy scripture to make it a constraint 2). When the pope says: "Because a priest has hastened to take a wife, he sins and is condemned, the pope makes sin, since God has not made any. Item, he calls him digamum who takes another wife, or if he takes one who is not a virgin, and will not suffer such in the church office. Well, what sin is that? O, he says, it is against the prohibition of the holy Christian church. Then you say: Who has commanded the church to call sin that which God has not called sin? One must nevertheless be obedient to the church, they say. Neiil, you say. Why? Well, it is not the church of Christ, but the devil's bride. If I were a young journeyman and needed a wife, I would take a widow in marriage who had had three husbands, only to the lawyers' chagrin. 3) For God says: This is sin, if you do not believe 2c.; and the right sins are innate to us. So you Pabst want to make that a sin for us, 4) if I do not wear a cap. But the more stubbornly the pope insists on it, the more in defiance of him I should do against it. For they want to make a sin out of it, and want to make me skillful for the preaching ministry, if I take a pure virgin. I could not eat meat if I were free to do so, but if they want to make it a sin for me to eat it, it will not do. And 5) If anyone says: One must be obedient to the church, the church has commanded it, then say: Just because you want it.
- Erlanger: "one should put that to it".
- Erlanger: "Schwang" instead of: Compulsion.
- On "digamy" and the position of the jurists on it, compare Tischreden, Cap. 43, § 48. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 1150.
- Erlanger: "make us sunden".
- Thus set by us. In the Erlanger: "if I eat it. But thuts nicht, und ob man saget" u. s. w.
If I have to fast, I will not do it. For I am commanded to fast for the loss of eternal blessedness, since I am to keep above Christian liberty.
Therefore one should teach and do so, and forcefully press for Christ alone to remain the bridegroom. But because I do not consider Christ to be the bridegroom, and omit something as if it were a sin, since Christ did not make it a sin, I put a harlot in the bride bed; and as dear as Christ is to me, so woe is me when I see Christians thus deceived, and led around by the nose with the name of church, sin, God's word; and you say: Give and knock as you will, give also good, kind words, yet I will not let you in, for you bring Christ and God's word, you must not take away the bridehood from me. Therefore, the harder one insists, the harder one should oppose. This is a pious bride who holds her marriage so tightly that she would rather be strangled than allow a foreign bridegroom; and if Christ does not remain the bridegroom alone, we will certainly become harlots. But the princes and the bishops are now chastising us to accept their fornication. The others say: We should accept the canons and what the spiritual fathers have decreed, item, we should keep the statutes of the church. But say what you will, and it is not the word of the Lord Christ. Therefore everything is thrown into the fire. The third parties put on their clothes as if their doctrine were Christ Himself. This is where we get into trouble, because they make Christ look like him, so that I think he is him, and yet he is not. So in the sermons, these same spirits adorn themselves under the name of Christ, so that one cannot say: Here are all canons, but they lead God's word. But a pious bride soon recognizes the voice of her bridegroom, and even if she hears such words as if they were his, they do not sound like that, it is the voice of Jacob. 6) If you do not have Christ Himself who baptizes, but have fathers and concilia, then
- "The voice of Jacob" because he pretended to be Esau. Gen. 27, 22.
2058 Erl. 47, 124-12S. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2059
they make you a nose, they turn it as they themselves want. Say then always: The bride is not of tyrants, nor of the pope, nor of those who creep under the guise of the bridegroom, but of the Lord Christ alone. We are only friends and servants; Adam and Eve are friends of the Bridegroom. Noah, Abraham, David are not the bridegroom, much less Augustine and all the bishops and fathers, but no one is the bridegroom, but only Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Mary the Virgin. What the man's word is not, there say, I hear it not; the mouth shall be free to him Christo. 1)
But they say, If thou wilt not keep it, it is wrong. Well, answer thou, thou hast no sin to make, Christ alone hath power; I will fast if it please me. But if you would say: If thou fastest not, thou doest sin in this, say, Thou art not Christ; whence from this? So that, "The Christian church has commanded it"? But there is a false confidence here, where it should not be; do not put the dirt in the bride's bed.
Therefore, the name of the church, the fathers, or the churches shall not be a challenge to us; nor can we suffer coercion, nor will we tolerate it, for it is called imprisonment, because I must do what Christ has not commanded, but has forbidden, and we want to break these cords. We have Christ, and we hear his voice alone. If any tyrant comes, or appearance and form of Christ, we areware of it, and in the prophets this spiritual fornication is remembered now and then.
Now let them cease that have preached of Christ: much more let them hold their peace that preach without Christ, or against Christ; for these also shall be purely dead.
The forty-third sermon on the Gospel of John.
On the Saturday after Cyriaci August 9, 1539.
We have heard so far how John the Baptist humbled himself, and does not want to be the
- The meaning will be: another may speak what he wants, I will not accept it. Christ alone shall have the word.
But he rejoices that he is the bridegroom's friend and that he may hear the bridegroom's voice. He also says zero:
V. 30. He must increase, but I must decrease.
This is to be understood of his ministry, which was that he should preach and run before Christ, saying, Christ the Bridegroom cometh, and cometh soon after me, even while I am yet present. He is already born, but has not yet entered the ministry.
Now we certainly distinguish the preaching of John from all the prophets, even from the preaching of the Lord Christ. For the prophets prophesied of Christ afar off, long before it was time. But John prophesied of Christ near, saying, It is not I, but he himself is there. Now this is that he says, "I must decrease," that is, my preaching and my baptism must cease. For I preach of him who is to come, and now that he is present, my preaching must cease.
Now this is a glorious saying against the Jews, who do not want to suffer John's baptism and teaching, and think that Christ should still come, and deceive many simple-minded and dilapidated Christians. For the people do not know that the Christian faith is against the faith of the Jews, then they become Jews again, believe that Christ is still to come, and John's voice is even despised, no longer valid, because it is not said: He will come, but: He is coming.
Thus the saying also serves against the priesthood, since one wanted to earn Christ by good works, when he came long before, since one was baptized by the Holy Spirit and brought out of the kingdom of darkness; and should now rejoice at the voice of the bridegroom, and also lead others to him, who do not yet know him. But these come out of baptism again, having been born again through Christ, and then become worse than the Jews.
Now we must preach and teach this sermon forever, and John says, "My ministry has come to an end; hear me no more, when
2060 Erl. 47, 126-12S. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2061
I preach that Christ will come, for he has appeared all ready, preaching and baptizing himself; and he speaks further:
V. 31. He who comes from above is He who is all.
As if to say, It is he alone who comes from above. In the first chapter above, he Christ said: "No one ascends to heaven; he alone ascends and descends. That is, it is impossible for man, born of flesh and blood, to know how God is minded and what He has decreed: the Son must teach us, who has come down from heaven. Otherwise we cannot go up to know, for no one could otherwise go up, or come down, or even remain above. No one can say, Thus and thus it is in heaven. But the Son of God, who is above, who is in the heart of the Father, descends and reveals it to us. Therefore he says, "He who comes from above is above all."
Now we should get used to believe what we have heard and not what our five senses may understand, because this is our Christian faith. He who is of the earth can do nothing else, for what is earthly is of nature. So he speaks. He cannot speak from above, because no one has seen God, and because we are from the earth, we can speak nothing but earthly things. For kind does not change from kind, so no one will also change nature. I can adorn a woman with a man's clothes, as if she were a man, but I cannot make a man out of a woman, nor can I make a woman out of a man. So also all children that are begotten outside of woman's seed are of the earth; therefore they also speak and do that which is earthly. And this saying is a hard blow against the Pope's teaching; and "to be and to speak earthly" does not only mean to speak of gross things, as of building houses, taking wives or husbands, eating and drinking, buying and selling, for he does not speak of these things here: but if they are truly earthly, they speak as our bishops do now. They do not ask about God, His Gospel, baptism and the Lord's Supper, nor do they ask about natural and reasonable customs, but they pasture
They are like swine, indulging, drinking and doing everything they can, as if there were no God. These are very coarse. The philosophers and poets still talked about a fine change. Others are miserly, therefore they speak of miserliness, item, of shameful words and works. They are unfaithful, therefore they also speak and do so. Nature also punishes these vices. Reason also says: "It is not right to steal, rob, hurt or be stingy. But earthly speaking is higher here, namely, that one also wants to speak of God, not of money, fornication, avarice, 2c., but that one wants to be wise in divine things, how we may obtain God's grace, and be rid of sin, and have a good conscience, and reconcile God: these things S. John means especially. For S. John condemned not only the Sadducees, who believed nothing at all, but also the Pharisees, the high, great, holy, excellent, wise people, who were not only enlightened with glorious gifts of reason, but also had the holy Scriptures for themselves, from which they taught in their own way the way to salvation.
The others are also punished by nature, reason and also by the philosophers. For reason here is blind, foolish, and too high for it. Even if it tells the ten commandments that one should not have other gods, it is not so wise that it could see how deeply man is corrupted by the birth of Adam; much less does it understand how God wants to reconcile us. Therefore she is twice blind here, and says: "If you have sinned, do penance and good works, so that you may pay for this sin, become a monk and a nun, and make the three vows of chastity, poverty and obedience to God. Then you will not only pay for your sin, but also for other people's sins, because you will have good works left to share with others. Now you are not commanded to be poor and obedient to your prior. But the priest says, Thou art far in a higher state, and then adds the idol to it, as presumption in thine own righteousness and wisdom. If then thou hast kept the three vows for other causes, it would be well if the two nobles did not
2062 Erl. 47, 42S-I31. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2063
namely, to do the commandments of God enough by such works, and that I might keep the commandments. This is a lie; this is gross blindness, for there is not a man on earth who could keep the ten commandments thoroughly and purely, as can be seen in Matthew 5' from Christ's sermon, where it is said, "Unless your righteousness is better than that of the Pharisees and scribes, you cannot enter the kingdom of God." For they thought they kept the law, and fulfilled it even when they kept it outwardly. Now that would be fine if they kept it. But they are too high, and nature too wicked, and we too deeply poisoned, that one does not trust in God with all his heart. For in temptation, anger passes over love, and impatience over gentleness, which always remains a secret harm. Therefore, it is a great and harmful, dangerous blindness that man thinks he fulfills the law.
This is what S. John calls earthly speaking. If one comes to the market and I pay something to someone, I must do enough and give him money or goods. Item, in court one is punished or atoned for; 2) if he gives the penance, he has paid. This is excellent and almost grossly earthly. So also in divine matters we speak very earthly; as one buys and pays in the market, so one does here. You have kept the ten commandments of God, and are very pious; now I will forgive you all sin. That is to say, as a farmer speaks in the market and in the Kretzmar, because he wants to trade, wants to do enough, wants to pay what the law requires of him. As I do with a farmer, so shall he do with me: that is an earthly purchase and trade.
Now it is fine to practice the Ten Commandments, as the Pharisees did, and we lived in monasteries, obeying the priors and toiling day and night. But it was twofold earthly, for the sake of the addition, that we thought: If I walk thus in obedience, I have not only paid God, but I have also done other works. There then is the gross earthly being
- In the manuscript: "one, and coarse thick", which the Erlanger has changed so: "one coarse and thick".
- atoned - punished.
moved up into the divine being. Reason thinks it is earthly, but the addition is not good. Therefore it is the first blindness that a man does not recognize how much he owes and that he cannot pay. In this blindness there is pabstry, and in it there are still many people. But a man must know that he should fulfill the ten commandments, and that he still cannot do it. But the world often regards this as fulfillment, which is not. But I do not deceive God, but myself. Now this is the blindness of which John says that the Jews are worksaints, and the monks are outwardly 3) in spiritual discipline. But know that because of this you do not have Christ, nor do you become Christians by it, but are still in the old birth of Ada, and have neither other holiness nor wisdom, but only earthly. With this you must go to the abyss of hell, because you blind yourselves and deceive yourselves.
The other blindness is that reason does not know that it must come down from above, but we want to work it up from below, so that satisfaction is in me, and does not want to know that Christ, the Son of God, died for me, and that my sins are forgiven by grace: first, they do not see the defect, and second, they do not know how to use the medicine. He who thinks that he is strong and healthy does not ask for a doctor, because first of all he does not see that he is sick, and secondly, he does not know any advice or remedy for weakness. This is a double blindness. So here reason does not want to see the wounds and our illness, nor does it want to have any help or comfort.
That is the earthly birth. He who is earthly remains earthly; he speaks and does nothing else but earthly. Now, are all the virtues of the pagans, item, monasticism, in which there is such a strict life, as St. Bernard also led, all earthly things? Can reason speak and see that it is an honest and holy life! It is still earthly, because it wants to go up and act between God and me. If it were to remain on earth and say, "I will not be destroyed by this.
- "outwardly" set by us instead of "out of itself" in the Erlanger.
2064 Erl. 47, 131-133, Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2065
If I were to serve heaven, nor do enough for my sin, it would be fine for a child to be obedient, and not to fear the rod. But to say, God will look upon it, and give me grace for it, is to go too high. You will not go up if you think as the Pharisees do, but fall and break your neck, and so remain earthly, for their doctrine and life is earthly. Therefore, when they tortured themselves to death, as the kings of Israel sacrificed their firstborn and onlyborn children and burned them with fire, they sacrificed the ones they loved the most to God; If they had no sons, they sacrificed their daughters and offered them up to the devil and called it sacrificed to God, thinking that they were doing God a great service by doing so; and it is truly the greatest work of all to have a son slaughtered, sacrificed and burned on the altar 1). It is a great work that a father's heart has been able to overcome itself in this way; should God not look upon this? No. Why? Well, it is an earthly work. But the thought of a hypocrite is so great that he thinks this work deserves forgiveness of sin and gives happiness and bliss. But the thought comes from reason. Now it is said: That which is born of the earth is earthly; and it is a grievous thing to live in chastity to those who are not given this grace, whether they be male or female. They truly cry out against it, that one should surrender to live chastely all his life, item, that he should have nothing of his own, and everything should be under the control of another, and not live in matrimony. This was also a great thing when they sacrificed their children. But when they added: By this I will obtain forgiveness of sins, it is a sin. So they do not know two things: where to take forgiveness of sins, and that this harm must be healed by another work than by an earthly thing. Take all the works of the monks, they are not heavenly, but human works, done by men, born and created from the earth.
How do we lose the name of the Jr.
- Erlanger: keratinize.
dish? Our gospel teaches it, which they so miserably condemn, namely, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, of whom we say in the articles of the Christian faith: I believe in Jesus Christ 2c., he comes down from above, he is not earthly, but heavenly, as 1 Cor. 15. says. For he is not conceived of an earthly man, but of the Holy Spirit, from above, bringing heavenly things with him, being born of man, dwelling and living on earth, praying, fasting, doing good to many. Now reason does not speak of this, because it does not know anything about it. No other man has come down from heaven, so we have not received the Holy Spirit, nor suffered under Pontio Pilato, nor died for the whole human race; but must say with the little children: We believe in Jesus Christ, conceived, born, suffered 2c. For man's works alone do it. All that is ours is earthly; but he who is from above, whose death and bloodshed do it. Even a little drop of his blood helps the whole world, because the person is truly God, begotten from eternity by the Father. He has the money and payment for me, and he does not do it for himself; he was not born, nor did he suffer and die to become the Son of God, for he was before, but that I might become the Son of God through him, and that my righteousness, wisdom and sanctification might be from above.
First, the world does not know its damage, which is a great blindness; second, it does not know where to seek help. It does not say: I believe in Christ, who died for me. But John the Baptist says: Christ came down from heaven and died for me. Therefore he has heavenly works, and what he speaks and does is all heavenly. Again, what men do is vain error and blindness, for it is earthly. Again, he who is from heaven is heavenly, and speaks and does heavenly things. If then we know where we lack, that we do not keep the ten commandments, nor cover up our sin, but confess it, and I say, I am earthly, and speak earthly things, therefore I hold myself to the
2066 Erl. 47, 133-135. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2067
I will be incorporated into the heavenly man by faith, and he will say to you, "You are mine, and I am yours, for I have done these heavenly works for you. So also the bridegroom says to the bride, If thou wilt have me in marriage, behold, thou hast the keys and all my goods. Then she is not a woman's image, but a man's wife, who has power over her husband's goods and body. Therefore also the kingdom of God and eternal life must come from pure grace, and not from our earthly works, but from the works of the heavenly man, which he did before we were born, even which he did from the beginning of the world, immediately after the fall; as the promise made to Adam and Eve says: "The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent.
Therefore John always insists that we learn to recognize Christ and that we are earthly people, just as the pope is also earthly and remains earthly, with all his works and life, yes, all his thoughts are earthly. It is beautiful to look at by heart, but the blisters and the leprosy and the scab are covered with the cap. But if you take hold of the one who has come down to you from above, you will be fine. For he is not earthly, neither doeth his works condemnation: but he overcometh all things, and filleth all things: and thou art not gone up to him into heaven, but he is come from heaven unto thee upon the earth. If thou therefore abide with him, and say: I believe in the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, then his works are your works, which are not earthly works, because otherwise we insist that they should help us, but because word and doctrine are heavenly and God's word, and through them you also become heavenly and also ascend to heaven; and the devil with all hell cannot keep thee down; but we 1) ascend with thee out of sin, death, and the devil's jaws, for a Christian is then a heavenly man.
- "we" added by us.
Otherwise our satisfaction fulfills nothing; our human wisdom and righteousness blind people so that they do not see this heavenly righteousness of the heavenly man, because they think they can do it with their earthly works. A barefoot monk and Carthusian says: "I have been a monk for so many years, and have led a hard order and a strict life, and should not have deserved more than a child born today, or any maid and servant in the house? and become very angry about it, because it annoys them that we want to get over it so easily. If one then says that Christ has come from heaven, they say it is heresy, and we forbid good works; they say: Eh, should I have lived so long in the monastery, and not deserve more? I have also lived fifteen years in such an evil and shameful way.
There you have your judgment that you are from the earth. Tear yourself apart for it and be angry as you like. For what you speak of your rules, statutes and glorious, great works, that is all earthly spoken and done. But why do you not do so, that you rather give thanks to God that the grace happens to you, that you take the twelfth hour, and come from the earthly to the heavenly works, even if I had worked eleven hours, and carried the heat and burden of the day.
This is the only way. "He who comes down from above is above all," that is, the heavenly man must come to the rescue, otherwise the earthly man is lost, however high he may be. Truly, the monks are not Christ, therefore they are of the earth. Franciscus is not Christ, nor are his works Christ's work. So S. Augustine is also a great man, also a holy man, but that is why I do not want to sing his little song: I believe in S. Augustine; but of the Son of God alone it is said: I believe in Jesus Christ, who sought and fetched me from heaven, and ascended again into heaven. Therefore it is a great blasphemy that we put our earthly works above everything, also above Christ Himself, who after all
- "The" put by us instead of: "Who" in the Erlanger.
2068 Erl. 47, 135-138. Luther's exposition on John Cap. 1-4. 2069
He came to make us all heavenly people.
Now follows a complaint that such teaching is first blasphemed and desecrated:
V. 32: And no one receives his testimony.
As if he should say: I lower myself to the earth for your love, become a young child, have taken on body and soul and human nature, without sin, received through the Holy Spirit, and become a heavenly man, and yet a true natural man, who has flesh and blood, body and soul, for your comfort, even that I die for you, and go to hell for you. If you believe this, whether you are in hell or in the grave, as little as all this has kept me, so little shall it keep you. For you are now a heavenly man, and no longer earthly; you no longer think, speak and act earthly, but heavenly.
Now this is the blindness of the world, that it does not know that our salvation stands on the man. Christians should do good works, which John speaks about in chapter 14. But if I take hold of Christ, I have become a heavenly man. Paul converted a thousand times more than Christ converted, for Paul went out to twenty countries and preached there. Therefore Christ says, "He who believes in me will do the same works that I do, that is, heavenly works, and so will come to good works. Now they blame us for forbidding good works. But we preach of heavenly works, and they of earthly. Well then, let them do earthly works; let us have heavenly works, and ask nothing of their earthly and evil works, and abide in the works of Christ, which he hath done for us, and hath given us, and thereby worketh in us still.
The forty-fourth sermon on the Gospel of John.
The Saturday after assumtionis Mariae the 16th day of August 145394
So far we have heard about the ministry of John the Baptist, that he is to judge it from the Son of God. For before him he
shall go and point to him with fingers and words, so that the world may not miss him, as otherwise happened to the Jews, who missed him and still cannot find him today. But it is decided that what the Son of God is not and does not do, that is not done, because everything is put in him, and everything will be found in him, because through him one has the protection of wisdom. But so that we lie secretly and hidden within. For no reason can understand it, but one must hear the word of God and grasp it by faith, for flesh and blood cannot tell from their reason and skill that Joseph's Son of Nazareth has in his hands all that is in heaven and on earth. She sees no further than that he is a man, like other men, or if she regards him highly, she considers him to be a holy man, like the prophet Jeremiah, Isaiah, or David and Peter; and even if a man has the Ten Commandments to help him, he does not by any means attain to the knowledge that this person is God, or that there is no God apart from him. Therefore, what is decided apart from him is lacking. Therefore, he must be grasped in such a way that he is God and man, on whom everything depends, otherwise it is lost. Whoever then does this, and holds him to be the one who is over all things, will hereafter know what a deep abyss of wisdom there is in him concerning God and all things. For he is the light and the life. For this reason, all things must be formed in us so that we do not ask for wisdom, but only for the wisdom of the Lord Christ, especially in matters concerning eternal life, for the worldly government was created and ordered before Christ; but speak of the wisdom in which the world wants to be wise, and wants to know how it stands with God.
If one speaks of this as being apart from and above this life, it is all blindness and foolishness, for it is not Christ. Therefore, S. John concludes that many wise people have been and still are, who pretend that one should live in such and such a way. The Turks also think that they have great wisdom, and that they serve God and praise Him: nevertheless, their wisdom is not Christ.
2070 Erl. 47, 138-140. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2071
Wisdom and great appearances are nothing, if they are set and held against God's wisdom. But in the man they all set, and will not hear him nor see him, and strangle all those who like to hear of him. But they say: The pope and the emperors are not fools. They also go about under the delusion that they want to be saved, singing and boasting that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. What are they lacking? The Turk is a public enemy of Christ, but the pope is not, but a secret enemy and persecutor, a false friend; therefore he is all the worse.
Therefore he decides that all wisdom and holiness are condemned, if God's grace, God's wisdom and true service of God are not present. Otherwise it is a vain thing of the devil, however beautiful it may be. For Christ is above all things. Did not David and others preach the truth? If Adam, Eve, Isaac and others had not been so wise, and had set their minds on this future Messiah, all their wisdom and holiness would have been nothing. But their faith has been directed to him. Abraham said, "My Isaac, I, and the circumcision, and all my holiness are nothing, neither shall they be; but the promised seed, whereby all nations shall be blessed. Thus have all the saints done from the foundation of the world, in that they have cleaved themselves to Christ; and all men must do so still, even unto the end of the world, or else be lost for ever. The man Christ alone does it. Adam, if he wants to be saved, must be called a Christian. So must all others, or they are nothing.
Do 1) you want to say: Are they not baptized after all? There is nothing to it. They have hoped for the baptism and teaching of Christ, and have had it in faith, and have had other signs than the sacrifices. But all things were directed to Christ, who is to be called above all things. Therefore hear nothing concerning eternal life, but only the voice and teaching of Christ. Otherwise, if we receive another, we are finished. For the Turk hath put away Christ, and receiveth Mahomet; the Pabst
- Erlanger: Mogst.
rejects Christ, adheres to his canons. So do the monks and nuns with their rules, speaking then: Let us mean well from the heart. If you are not Jesus Christ, it is nothing, but Christ is not here or there; or that you are a monk and live chastely, or that you have nothing of your own. Salvation is not of our works and deeds, but he who believes with all his heart, and hangs on the Lord Christ with true faith, and seals it in his heart, and does not doubt that Christ is his Savior, has it. A red skirt is not called a red garment because it is made of cloth, but because it is red in color. 2) A red skirt is not called a red garment because it is made of cloth, but because it is red in color. So a Christian does not become one by wearing a cap and becoming a monk and toiling. Where does it come from? From the fact that he presses into his heart and says, "I believe in Jesus Christ. Now these are common words, and they are a lay sermon. The monks and priests must have something higher than this common teaching. For they say: Should I have been a monk for ten, twenty or thirty years, and should not have earned more? Now attack it, attack it severely, who will defend you? But when thou shalt go forth, thou shalt not abide in the shirt and cart-house order, but thou must go forth, and must go among the worms. Even if you put on an angelic garment, where will you stay? Then stop cap, plate, father and mother, status and everything. What remains then? He who sits at the right hand of God, a judge of the living and the dead. Who then would have him, and would be clothed and adorned in him, would stand well; if not, you will see that caps, plates, pope and Turk faith will not hold the sting. But he who has in his heart the seal and seal: 3) I believe in Christ, and lived and died on it, remains well. For whoever believes in Christ will be saved. For in the 14th chapter of John it is said, "I live, and ye also shall live." Because I live, and ye believe in me, ye shall not die, but, as I have died, so shall ye live.
- Here we have deleted "rothem" because it is too much.
- Original: Pointed shaft.
2072 Erl. 47, 140-14L. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2073
If I live, you also shall live, if you believe in me. Item: "This one is above all." Therefore hang on to him, or you are damned and lost.
Why does John urge this so strongly? The people were so miserably deceived that they thought nothing of Christ the Messiah, but hoped for a Messiah who would come in all splendor, and be a lord of the whole world, riding in golden armor with many thousands of horses. Whoever preached against this, they called him a fool, and said that he had the devil; and he did not live like other people, and his doctrine did not rhyme with their thoughts; so he must have the devil. So when their hearts were set on such thoughts, that he should come with a great host, there was no hearing. But if he had ridden into Jerusalem with great splendor, saying, I am the Christ, they would all have fallen at his feet and accepted him. Therefore John must be there, preaching and defending, saying: He who comes from heaven is above all, he is present, and will not burst in as you dream, you will overlook him.
That is why we should do the article, because the world despises it, and when we die, they will want to take the article away, and the mobs will turn it all around, and paint Christ as the Pope paints him. Therefore against this opinion of the Jews follows in the text:
V. 32: And he testifies what he has seen and heard.
What is the Christ for, and what is the Messiah good for? What kind of Messiah is he? Is he to do nothing else? Does he come in like this? What does he do? He witnesses. If he enters so weakly, and does not grasp his regiment other than to testify, can he do anything else but preach and say? He wields no sword, nor does he have a handful of land and people; what then is his business? Preach. Yes, indeed, we would have to accept such a Messiah. Well, as you wish. Now one also says: Oh, what should that be, which they of Wittenberg now write and preach? If the pope, the emperor, or the bishop of Mainz did it, taught it, and wrote it, and if it were
had described the Concilium, then we would accept it; otherwise, they are lowly people who preach it. How, then, if God wills that the Messiah should not come as an emperor? It is, to speak with leave, a filth and unflattery with all that the Turk and the emperor have. He does not want to do them the honor of coming as mighty as they are now. But that he comes so bare, and does nothing but preach, that is an inexpressible wisdom and strength, yes, the treasure of wisdom and knowledge, namely, that whoever believes in him shall live forever. If he believes and does the works of his calling, he shall be king and emperor in heaven, and equal with the angels. So shall his kingdom be his preaching. But who shall stand? Thou shalt not see it. His government and preaching is a testimony. Whoever then wants to be justified before God, let him hear the witness, that is, the preacher. It is a sermon that alone testifies to things not seen or heard in the books of law or in the world. It means to testify that one has not seen. A judge does not judge that he sees, but he must have witnesses. But here it means to speak and preach something that is not seen. So the Lord Christ the Father is a witness from heaven over all. He shall do nothing but open his mouth, and his preaching shall be a testimony of the Father, how he is minded, and how he will save men, and deliver them from sins, death, and the power of the devil. This is what he testifies. He lets himself become man, die and rise again from the dead, and wants to say, "In these words is my testimony. If you believe this testimony and works, then you believe the testimony of God.
What does he mean by this, that we shall not perish, but have eternal life? This is his testimony that he has come and wants to be a priest and Lord, but so secretly that even reason is offended by it. For the Lord is poor and has not a penny's worth, but women follow him and feed him. Since he himself has nothing worth a penny, how can he give to others? But if you follow reason, you have failed, as it is the case with the pope and
2074 Erl. 47, 148-I4S. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2075
But hear alone, and then say, Though I understand it not, yet believe I it; though it be hid, yet shall it be so, and by faith alone shall it be apprehended; I shall not see it, nor apprehend it. Now this the world will not do, and will always conspire with the sacrament of the altar, and with baptism; for the sacramentarians deny that in the Lord's Supper is not the true body and blood of Christ. They also do not want to believe that the Virgin Mary gave birth to a Son, who is God and man. For the world says: How can God and man be one thing? For God is an eternal nature, but man is mortal. So the world has always wanted to know and understand. But if we could have understood it, he should not have come from heaven and revealed it to us. For reason is blind, and man shall hang his ear upon his mouth, and hear his word. What will he preach? How to believe. Therefore he that is above all does nothing else but testify.
Now you have pictured and described the Messiah of whom all the prophets testify, namely, that he is to be a preacher. This is to be his kingdom and rule, to preach, and in this testimony there is all wisdom, life and truth. For he is such a witness who has seen and heard for himself. If this were not so, he would not reveal it and testify to it; and what he now preaches, he himself did not conceive or dream, but he saw it, for he is the Son of God, and knows the abyss of God's will 1) and wisdom, and what the Father has decreed with him, that he has revealed to us. Now this word is against the pope and the Turks, who do not hear this man's testimony.
The forty-fifth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On the Saturday after the day Timothei August 23, 1539.
Next, we have heard why the Lord Christ's sermon is called a testimony, because it is a sermon that reason cannot understand.
- Erlanger: Will.
But reason must hear and be told, and the kingdom of the Messiah must be called a testimony, that is, he must preach and preach such sermons as no one has heard or seen before. Therefore he must testify.
But John the Baptist speaks:
V. 32 And no one accepts his testimony.
The apostles and the church have accepted it, and we also say: I believe that there is a holy Christian church. But S. John looks at the great multitude in the world who do not accept it. For the Turk, the Pope and his church, do not accept it; but the others, who abide in the testimony of Christ, he thinks that they seal that God is true. And when the Lord entered Jerusalem, the greatest number, as the Pharisees and others, did not accept the testimony. But he speaks of the rest of the multitude in such a way that he who accepts it seals it. For some hear it and accept it, and those who hear the sermon accept what is otherwise incomprehensible, even beyond all reason, and give glory to God, and consider God to be a true God.
In the first article of the Christian faith, as of creation, we are all one. But in the other article of redemption, and in JESUS CHRIST by all means, we are divided. For there the testimony begins, of which he speaks here, that he, the Son, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of a woman's image, and was the natural son of the Virgin Mary, and yet the only begotten Son of God, a true God. The Jew, the Turk, and the dodderer do not want to accept Christ's testimony, 2) and the pope agrees with us as far as the mere words are concerned, because he sees to it that we should do enough for sin with our works. For this is the evidence of monasticism. For no one became a monk because he played a carnival game, but because he atoned for his sin by doing so. Who then has spoken to the children: Christ died and was buried, he was saved. But there remains
- "that one accepts Christ's testimony" put by us instead of: "that Christ accepts the testimony".
2076 Erl. 47, 145-147. Luther's Interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2077
the pope hangs. For he does not believe that Christ has come, that he is sufficient for sin. This then is the office of the Lord Christ, that he should testify. These are, as the children say, short words, but inscrutable and unfathomable words, and those who do not let them be jesting words, but accept them with earnestness, and so that they live, die, do and leave everything over them, seal them that God is true.
This is strange and wonderful. Can't God be truthful, take the seal from us and receive the testimony that he is truthful? I meant that we should receive seals and letters from him, but this is how the opposite is said here. Now this is the strife that has been from the beginning of the world and will remain until the end, as it is also said in the 51st Psalm: "All that thou mayest be right in thy words when thou art judged"; and in Romans, in the 3rd chapter, S. Paul also introduces it. This is the quarrel, the world does not want to let God be true. God, when he is in his majesty, we will not make him true. We do not speak to Him as He is in Himself and in His majesty, for He is too high; but speak of God as He is to be served, and as He is to be preached. The same is said in the 51st Psalm, v. 6: "That you may be right." Where? "In thy words." In what, then, are you justified? Not in his majesty, but in your words and sermons, and in your speeches you will be judged and overcome. That is what he must suffer. In majesty, he is a consuming fire. But we want to have the God who became flesh and who suckles the breasts of the Virgin Mary, and see him as Mary carries him in her arms, and shall model him to me as he hangs on the cross. In the play, when he is a preacher, and preaches, the quarrel begins. Adam tries it in paradise, and Lucifer in heaven, they do not lead it out; but God, who became man, born of Mary the Virgin, suffers the sting and bite of the old serpent. But he is not eaten up and devoured.
This means to judge, punish and condemn our Lord God. Not in majesty, but in his speeches and office he is condemned, so that the whole world cries out: This is heresy, therefore always put to death and thus to hellish fire! And the pope is so embittered against this teaching that he would rather accept the Turk and the devil than it. The Jews, when they hear it, spit with malice at the earth, and call Mariam a whore. So then Christ is scoffed at and mocked, as we see when he hung on the cross, and 1) truly died and was publicly judged and condemned most horribly. Therefore the Father sent the Son to preach. But what happens? All that he does and creates through the Son must be the devil's preaching and called heresy; and we now see publicly that the world does nothing else, for God must be its liar, not in majesty, but the world punishes him in the preaching that flew out of Christ's mouth. The gospel considers it a lie and heresy. If therefore any man say unto Christ, Thou art a liar, and a heretic, and possessed with devils; is not this spoken against the Father, which sent unto us the Son? Therefore saith the Lord Christ Joh. 5, 19., I do the works not of mine own, but the Father which is in me doeth them. Item Joh. 7, 16., the doctrine which I teach is not mine, but the Father's. If I therefore reprove Christ, I do it also unto the Father, not in majesty, but in Christ whom he hath sent unto me, and in his preaching.
Your sermon, then, condemns the world outright, and if it could eradicate it, it would do so. The world is nothing else but a crowd of people, who disgrace and blaspheme God in their speeches.
From this the text of S. Pauli can be understood that the Antichrist will be a regent and king, a preacher, in the temple, that is, in the Christian church. There he will sit, and will rise up and resist God; not wanting to be above God in His majesty, but above the preached and honored God. That is, he shall set himself higher,
- Erlanger: well.
2078 Erl. 47, 147-149. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2079
For God is, not in majesty, but in his words, namely, that where the holy scripture gives something, it must not be God's word to him. Item, he says: Both forms of the Lord's Supper are right; yet one should not keep it, condemn it and call it heresy. Item, the marriage state was created by God and commanded that men should be fruitful. But he saith, Thou shalt not do it, though God hath commanded it. 1) So also every man is free to eat whatsoever he pleaseth. But he has forbidden eating meat, cheese and butter; and thus the teaching of the pope is nothing else but a raising up and opposing of God, not as he is in his majesty, but as he has revealed himself in his word against us, or as God is preached to us; and the brighter his word is, the higher and more he has railed against God's word. The Turk does not sit in the Christian church, but the pope handles the Bible and Sacrament. Nevertheless, he opposes it with all his might, and so the divine word and the sacraments must be called wrong, and the lies and the devil must be called right. But it lasts as long as it can, and as the Psalm says, "That thou mayest be right when thou art judged," for they condemn thee, but at last thou art right. The serpent may bite thee in the heel, and condemn thee, yet thou shalt be right. So it still happens today. The pope bit Christ in the heel, but the divine word now comes forth again, and men hold it higher than the pope; and the Lord Christ now lifts up a foot again, and tramples this serpent (the pope) again. So thou shalt be clean and holy, though thou be damned, that is, though thy word be called heresy, and an unclean word, and filthy speech, and unclean poison. But thou shalt be cleansed, and the word which thus defileth and staineth them shall be made as pure as the sun. So it is understood from the thing itself, which is, "Thou shalt be judged." For God's word must be called filth and heresy, but it shall rise again from the dead, and shine gloriously. As,
- Erlanger: hab.
now you hold up the divine word, but the pope who shone that time as the sun is now dirt.
Therefore, whoever accepts the testimony of the Lord Christ, which is otherwise condemned by everyone, seals it that God is true, that is, he gives God the honor that he is true and just, and can say that the pope (who was previously considered a truthful preacher, who then called the divine word a lie) is now an arch liar with his preaching, and that God's word, which he had condemned, is now the eternal truth; and God or his word does not need our letter and seal, but it is good for us that his word is the truth, because where it is not, we are lost. For where the word does not shine and shine, it is just as the Lord Christ says, that the blind lead the blind, and both fall into the pit.
But if God is justified in his word, that is, if he is right, then he attains his glory, namely, that his word and sacrament are pure, and that they are blessed and have eternal life. Then the pope falls with his teaching and is even destroyed, yes, he is condemned to the abyss of hell. For if I consider God to be righteous, then I give him the divinity. How so? By confessing that his word is true. Then God becomes gracious to us, not in His majesty, for there He is too high for us. So also, when I say: The sacrament of the Lord's Supper is right, the marriage state is a holy state, then I make God God. Before, the devil sat in his place. But now I put God there again, who allowed himself to be offered to me, who preached to me and whom I served, who also made himself known to me in his word, in his word and in the sacraments; not in his majesty, but when he humbles himself and becomes man, speaks to us and gives his sacraments: then the same preached God becomes man, suffers, dies and rises again from the dead, who then comes into my ears and through the rulers into my heart. Whoever now blasphemes this Christ also blasphemes God, for he is a person in the Godhead.
But what is that, that we may truly
2080 Erl. 47, 149-151. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2081
by our testimony? Why does he call it sealed and attested? The other part does nothing about it, but would rather destroy it in the ground and put themselves in God's place. But these are certain, and also make it certain, and everything is certain and undoubted with them.
Nothing is more certain among people than seals and letters. If I have something in a letter and seal, it is certain, and now it happens that people want to be more certain of their money with seals and letters than if they had the money in a box, where a thief could steal it. Therefore, among men, a seal and a letter is a sure thing. So among Christians the testimony is also certain. They have no doubt about it in their hearts, and speak of it with their mouths and tongues, confess it with their whole lives, and make it certain that this doctrine is the truth; just as the dear merchants have insisted on it, who hang 1) and press, I think, a seal on it, so that they leave their life and limb over it.
One must be accustomed to the Scripture. To seal that God is true is to put in no doubt that God is God and true. But many others hear it, but it goes in one ear and out the other, believing for a time, but in the time of trial and tribulation they fall away again. For their heart is not sure nor steadfast; in time of trouble they let it go away again, for it is not sealed, holding fast to money and goods, honor and power, rather than to God's word. But whoever accepts the preaching of the Gospel rightly once, has a seal and a letter, and then they say, "A seal and a letter means life and limb and everything they have. That is, the heart is sure and has no doubt about it, and if one believes it, the tongue does not dispute it, the life is also based on it.
See what S. Paul does. He says 2 Cor. 3, 2. f. 1 Cor. 9, 2.: You are my letter and the seal of my letter, we do not need any other, we have received the letter.
- Handwriting: hencken.
makes the church at Corinth a letter to be read in all places, not, he says, that we are the arch-scribe, but by a diaconum. For Jesus Christ is the true scribe; in his pen, that is, in his preaching office, he does not bring ink, but the Holy Spirit and his gift, as is said in the first epistle to Corinthians in the 12th chapter. This is the ink, the sermon, which he writes through the apostles, and the Holy Spirit has written it through us. Christ is the scribe, and writes it in our heart, not by ink, but the beautiful letters of the Holy Spirit are faith and hope, which are fiery and living letters that go forth.
Elsewhere he says: You are sealed in heart, yes, also in hands, in words and works. The Christian is our Lord's letter, and those who believe and live a Christian life are sealed, that is, they have faith, and the Holy Spirit has written the word in the heart so that it is the truth. For it is not reason, but a living letter, written in the heart through our preaching ministry and the sacraments, so that the heart is full of living letters burning 2) in love. The true faith therefore shines and condemns all heresies and errors, and writes the truth into the heart through the preaching ministry of the Holy Spirit, so that it says: I do not doubt that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Son of Mary. So the text goes, as we have written.
So S. Paul calls the church a letter, and himself the pen. We prepare the letter. By what? I am the pen, that it may be written, and Christ takes the letters, that a Christian may receive the truth and faith from the heart of the Holy Spirit. Others do not do this, therefore they do not seal it, for those have the Holy Spirit who preached into the heart, saying, In this word is the truth. Thus he makes God to be God in the heart. Therefore it is also said in another place Eph. 4, 30.: You shall not grieve
- Handwriting: brunnen.
2082 Erl. 47, 151-154. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2083
the Holy Spirit with whom you are sealed. For what? In the Lord. You have received a pledge of your inheritance, namely the Holy Spirit, who is in your heart Eph. 1:14, 2 Cor. 1:22, but through the oral word. He wrote it by his gifts, and impressed it upon your hearts, that the pledge, the seal, and the surety, are one thing; not that ye should gather florins therewith; but for this purpose ye are sealed, written, and have received the pledge, that ye should believe, saying: I believe in JESUS Christ, and that I shall be among the company of the elect; and the Holy Spirit will not leave us under the earth, for therefore it is written that we are redeemed and are the children of GOD, and whoever reads the word of GOD, with them also the Holy Spirit speaks. Speaking and writing are then one thing, only that the oral speaking is stronger than the written, because through writing you can also speak with those who are over a hundred miles away from you.
So the Holy Spirit's speaking is his writing and sealing. When the Holy Spirit preaches, and has the pen in his hand, and presses the letters into the heart, people are changed, and such a one is certain, because it is written and pressed into his heart, he bears a pledge, a ring and a seal, that he has no doubt that God is true; and this is a great glory in his heart, that God is true. But he that despiseth or condemneth it, maketh a lie of God, and putteth God out of his heart, and putteth the devil in his place; and the greatest glory that we can give to God is, that we serve his word. He who does this says: God is true. But he who does not believe says to God, "You deny and are not true. Thus it is also said to the Romans in chapter 4: Abraham gave glory to God when he believed, for he knew it certainly and truly. This is the seal, that he had bright, fine letters in his heart, and a pure and sharp seal, that is, he knew for certain.
Now, to give glory to God is to say that His word is true. For the truth that he has in his majesty he keeps. Again, those who believe as
Abraham, they know it for sure, they have it so hard in their hearts that they die and live on it.
John commends them for receiving Christ, giving glory to God, making God true, sealing it and certifying it, and not doubting it, being certain of it. For what else should we do? If we are not sure of it, we do nothing, we suffer nothing for it, we do not die on it, for they have no seal and letter, they do not die on it. Therefore, the word must be pure and remain so, and the world should go to ruins over it. But it is not such a small art, faith, faith, as [those probably consider a bad thing who do not accept Christ. For they have only a delusion of faith, that Christ died, and speak of it as a jackdaw, a parakeet, or a parrot speaks. But that one should be so sure that God is true, the Holy Spirit gives faith the office of justifying God.
They are considered magicians and black-hearted people who can make gold out of copper, but good and experienced artists can do it. But he who justifies God in his words, that is a true master, considers God to be true in his majesty and in his word. Therefore, faith drives the devil out of his and other people's hearts, and the devil must be put out of the heart and God in his place. There is another thing about faith than they think; it is to be a living writing, a seal and a finger, that one may be sure, and leave everything above it. Then God comes to you and makes a dwelling place there, and out of your heart becomes a kingdom of heaven and paradise. It is all for our good. For if we keep God true, we have righteousness and eternal life from Him, and then one becomes so sure of his faith that he says, "He who condemns God's word is of the devil, and is tortured to death over it. For this finger ring he carries with him, and does not let it 1) be taken away from him.
- Erlanger: let's him.
2084 Erl. 47, 154-156. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2085
The forty-sixth sermon on the Gospel of John.
On the Saturday after St. John's beheading August 30, 1539.
John has so far preached of Christ that he should be an excellent preacher, for he would bring his testimony from heaven, and whoever would accept it should seal it that GOD is true and GOD is GOD. Now follows further:
V. 34. For he whom God has sent speaks the word of God.
This is a sermon of John the Baptist that has not been described by any other evangelist. For all the others write little of John the Baptist, saying only that he preached, "Another shall come after me, that I am not worthy to loose his shoe laces," and how he scolded the Pharisees. But John the Evangelist describes much of what he preached, especially here, namely that God would become true on earth. Now this is strange. For several parts of the world make God a liar, and that he is unrighteous, and the devil remains their god, and they serve him honestly. But Christ was sent into the world to speak the word of God. Therefore he says, "Whom God has sent, he speaks the word of God." But what is the use of preaching? Is the world so perfectly pious, when it hears the word of God, that one should believe, and that one should hear the one whom God has sent. Says they, there is no discord, even among the Gentiles, for one knows this beforehand. Must John preach like this and say of Christ that he was sent by God? Who would so reproach the pious, virtuous world for not hearing God's word and for not believing in him who was sent to it? Does it do so from the heart? Item Joh. 3, 35.: "The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand." It is no wonder that he loves the Son, for he loves all the saints and creates them all. Item v. 34.: "He who has been sent by God speaks the word of God." Soon reason says, "Yes. Why then does this
Strife and battle, that Cain kills Abel? and the pope condemns us, and considers us children of the devil and heretics, and we, on the other hand, say that the pope is of the devil with all bishops and cardinals? Now, on both sides it is said of God and His Word, so they also want to uphold the persons who preach, and accept and worship the Word, and are indeed one with the whole world, Turk and Pope. But there is the fact that God's commandment is: One should hear the Son, and his servants should be honored, and sealed that God is true. But that Christ is the Son of God, and that His preaching is the Word of God, there is a conflict. The major propositio is vera, sed minor negatur; it is said that Christ is not the Son of Mary on earth, and the Jews say: We are disciples of God, Moses brought it from God, but Christ's word is from the devil. Where did he come from? The whole world is quarreling about this. He is sent by God, and brings gifts with him; but it should be well laid out, so we become divided over it. If we could feel that the pope was sent by God, it would be a delicious thing. But we say that he has put himself there as a murderer and a thief. For God did not place him where he now sits. Therefore, God did not send him. If he had come from God, we would have heard him; if not, we would not have heard him. But if he says, "I am sure that I have the word of God, but you, where do you get the testimony that you are from God? Therefore, your doctrine and teaching is not from God. So the Jews also insisted that Moses was their master and preceptor, and Christ was not sent by God, so they did not hear his word. The Turk says that he was sent by God, but his ministry has an end, and Mahomet came after him, sent by God, and what he says now should be heard and accepted. So we Christians also say: Moses and Abraham were circumcised, but now circumcision is dead. So also the Turk says: The word and sending of Christ is no longer valid. Who then is judge among us, since we are one with each other in majore propositione, that one should accept all the word of God?
2086 Erl. 47, löü-iss. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2087
should hear? Do they then say: This is also the word of God, the Jews and the Turks deny it.
John says: "He who is sent by God speaks the word of God. I am a witness to it, for I am its forerunner, and God has ordained me to be a prophet. He has also preached many things that are not described, so that he has confirmed his profession. I am, he says, his forerunner; after me you will have no other Christ, but he who is now sent is above all who have ever been sent. I am to listen to him, and after his death I am to see who will follow him. For of him he said, He that shall come after me is certain. But they killed Christ and John, and asked nothing of the testimony of John. For Christ arose quickly, preached and performed miracles, and proved his calling mightily; he only sent the prophets before him, and thereafter Christ's doctrine and miracles stood, which testified of him who he was. But they asked nothing about all these things, neither about the doctrine, miracles, nor testimony of John; indeed, they crucified the Lord of glory in addition. Now they had no doubt that he was sent by God and that he preached God's word. But they could not bring themselves to believe that the Son of the Virgin Mary (who was poor and had a carpenter) should be the Lord, of whom John thus testified. If they had wanted to talk about it, they could have said: He is like the son of a cobbler, or whoever he wants. What does it matter to me that he is the son of a poor woman? Truly, he still does that which John proclaimed about him. But it does not help, they still go and gape, God shall send them their Messiah. But he did, and sent him, and the Son of God became man. They have seen him, heard him, felt him, grasped him, and crucified him; now they cry out and bleat, and look up to heaven. But they are not heard, for they want to have such a Messiah as they dream of.
For this reason John preaches so diligently that one should pay attention to his testimony, saying, "The Father sent the Son,
and gave all things into his hand: he that believeth on him hath everlasting life; saying, This is now the true Messiah. But the others hold the contrary, and insist that he is not of God. Therefore they crucify him as a blasphemer and rebel.
So it is the same with us. We stand on the fact that God has sent us and called us. For we speak the Word of God, and the two things rhyme together, that those who speak the Word of God must also be sent by God, and those who are sent by God cannot speak anything but the Word of God. For the word of God cannot be spoken by reason; it must be given from above. Truly, we do not preach the human wisdom of philosophers, lawyers, physicians, or any other art. We know what the poets, philosophers and lawyers can do, but we do not preach it. Item, we also know what is the doctrine of the whole papacy and of all monks; but we do not preach what has sprung from our reason. For reason has otherwise received a dominion to rule over fish, birds and animals, Genesis at the first and other chapters, and as you will do it there, it shall be right. For I set you and reason as rulers and masters over this, if it seems right to you that an acre should be worth four guilders, and a bushel of grain should be worth as much. Item, how expensive the house, cloth, I give you home with full authority. So reason rules in law books, in all arts and crafts, laws, courts 2c. But we also do not preach of it, but heard everything for the reason, and must govern the lawyers cities, country and people. But that God is the Creator of heaven and earth, item, that God has begotten His only begotten Son from eternity, item, that the Holy Spirit is the third person in the Godhead, and that God's Son became man, item, that the Christian church believes in the forgiveness of sins, neither reason, nor cows, nor fields know a word about this. Therefore Christ brought us this preaching of the Gospel and commanded the apostles to preach it. It came to us from the apostles,
2088 Erl. 47, 158-160. Luther's Interpretation On/Joh. Cap. 1-4. 2089
and will remain until the end of the world. Those who preach this are called sent by God.
That now the pope comes and says: One should consecrate herbs, wear a gray nock and wide plates 2c., by this you shall be blessed; saying: Money, clothing and other things are all subject to reason. Where from with your wisdom? Let the lawyers do it. Emperors, kings, princes and lords, these are all fictitious things ex ratione; what does it help you and me to blessedness? But our sermon is this, that whoever hears this sermon of Christ, and believes in him, has eternal life. The word of God, sent from heaven, should be a part of it, so that if you were burned to ashes, you would still know where you came from. For what do I care if you are a husband or live chastely, have money and goods? We must all die, and on the last day everything must burn. Therefore it is a vain transient thing, which belongs to lawyers and parents. Still the pope does nothing else in his books, but how one may preserve the glory of the bishops, and put one so, the other otherwise, wear such a skirt, wear a broad plate and cap. But here on the little wood one is to preach the word, which is not invented by men, but sent from heaven, so that a Christian may say that he has his faith and preaching not from the philosophers who were in Persia, Grecia or Rome, but from the word of God, which came from heaven, confessing and saying: I believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, forgiveness of sins, resurrection of the flesh, and eternal life. These have other sayings, which are not of perishable things, but that after this temporal life one has eternal life and the resurrection from the dead. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit must come to us, and we must believe in them. Therefore we have God's word for certain, and from this we have enough evidence that we are called. For we are baptized, and those who are baptized are also called to praise, glorify and confess God after their baptism, as S. Agnes, Agatha, Anastasia and others did,
which, though they have not been preachers, yet they have confessed their faith, that they have been baptized.
So God has also sent you from heaven. How then? You come out of baptism, being born a child of God through Christ; and if we are all called, we cannot all preach at the same time, but nevertheless you are guilty of publicly confessing Christ. But let some be chosen, who shall preach to all the rest, and all the rest shall listen to him, and say yea unto it, and confess with a deed that it is the truth. The baptized people grant them 1) a special calling, namely in priestly ordinations, and those who are thus called speak God's word.
There is no dispute that not all are priests. How is it that many heretics, who are all baptized, are called by God, but still do not speak the truth? But those who are Christians certainly believe that they are called to confess God. We all received the Chrism and the priestly garment in baptism, as it is said in the first epistle of S. Peter in the 2nd chapter, that we are called out of darkness into His glorious light, that we should proclaim His virtue, power and miracles. So he writes to the whole church that whoever wants to be a Christian must confess and say: What I have heard in the sermons, I will die and live by. What are these virtues? I preach, and you believe and confess that you are redeemed by baptism, not full of pestilence or leprosy, but from death, sin, and the power of the devil, working in me blessedness and eternal life. Let this be a wonder, that a man who is damned and lost, who has died, who stinks in the grave, should yet have the consolation that his sins are forgiven, and grace and mercy should shine upon him, and he should be encompassed with grace and mercy, and be eternally blessed. This shall be preached, and he that believeth it shall have it assuredly; as it follows: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." These are the miraculous deeds,
- Erlanger: him.
2090 Erl. 47, iso-163. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2091
that God works in us through the oral ministry of preaching.
Now I do not preach to myself, but you must go with me so that you can say: This was not spoken by my preacher, but is a heavenly sermon, and is sealed. If you believe, you are called and are in the number of those who believe and confess. So they prove their calling, first of all by baptism, since all are brought into a Christian fold, and have the sacraments and absolution. Therefore we are the Christian church, or a part of it, and the same has authority, keeps preachers, and takes from a group those who are skilled and capable, not for their own sake, but for the benefit of the church, and when an emergency arises, each one must see for himself. But for this reason they cannot all preach, but one alone speaks before the whole multitude. Therefore the ministry of preaching is not mine, but that of all the others; it is a public profession and confession. Therefore I say also to the pope: Where are you sent from? And prove to us that your teaching is the word of God, and see whether we preach differently from what is expressed here, and whether you also preach in this way: we hold the word of God before you. Item, see if we baptize and have absolution, and have preachers and people who like to hear the word. If so, you must bear witness that we are sent and that we preach the word of God. Truly, we have now experienced it, and have brought it about that our adversaries must all confess that we preach God's word and are sent by God.
What is it that offends? The Jews, if they had indulged Christ in coming from God, would have been right; but they do as the pope does to us. But they should preach God's word beside it. In this the pope is worse than the Jews. For he confesses that we have the word of God, and that we are baptized: nevertheless he wants us also to accept his decrees and letters. It is as if a farmer came to me and said, "You preach the word of God, of God the Creator and of Christ the Redeemer; but I do not have enough, so I add this to it and preach to myself that a bushel of grain should be given for ten pennies;
I would truly say, Go and ask the market for it. If he then said, "If you do not want to do this, I will not hear you," I would say, "Do not do it. So the pope also wants me to preach, in addition to the fact that Christ was sent into the world so that one might be saved through him, which is well preached, that nevertheless monasticism is not to be rejected. But I cannot do that. If I were free to wear a cap outside the church, or whatever I wanted, I could well do it. If only it would not come into the Christian church and no human doctrine would be mixed under this doctrine, then we could well get along. If only he did not put his doctrine next to it, nor the sour vinegar next to the malmsey, then I would gladly wear a cap, just so that it would not be said that it is necessary for salvation. I would like to joke. Reason should rule here, as one should buy, sell, govern. If a city ordains what an honest matron should wear, and a virgin wear a little wreath, that is fine; but do not add to it: So she becomes holy. But whoever wants to be justified before God, let him hear him who was sent from heaven, saying, "I believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Whoever then seeks something else that is necessary for salvation, do not hear him. Then they say that this is right and fine preaching, and they themselves also preach the catechism, but, they say, that we also accept their thing. Yes, we would gladly do so, but to the extent that it does not burden our conscience. For that their thing should be like Christ, the devil takes it in my stead. He does not have to come into the creed and the Christian faith, and I would rather leave life and limb over it.
The Pope lets us believe that it is a profession and God's word. But because we do not want to teach his thing, we are not the church, and therefore our profession is nothing, and we do not have God's word, and therefore the word of God, baptism and the Lord's Supper are nullified. What is he preaching? How much a
- "sodann" put by us instead of "sondern" in the Erlanger.
2092 Erl. 47, 163-1SS. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2093
The priests are told that the canon has to earn more guilders than another priest, or how one should wear caps and plates. What is this foolishness against the blood of Christ? Nor shall we be heretics about it, when Christ and the apostles have not preached one letter of it in the New Testament. I do not find caps and plates in it, but one should let oneself be baptized, and go to the sacrament, let oneself be absolved. This concerns Christ alone.
The forty-seventh sermon on the Gospel of John.
On the Saturday after Aegidii September 6, 1539.
John speaks here of the sending, which is various, but especially of the sending of the Son, and I have intended to deal with the same part at length; and there are two ways spoken of sending, first, that God sends His people without any means, as the prophets and apostles, Moses and S. Paul, who are not called by men, as by a means, but sent by God without any means, and have verbal command. The same sending has not happened before, unless God wanted to start something new, than through Moses and the prophets. He stopped in the New Testament, because the apostles' mission was the very last one. This is the high sending, which is from God alone.
The other sending is also from God, but is done through men and means, after the office is established by God, that one preaches, and the power of the keys is used. 1) This will then remain, and there will be no other 2) ministry. But the persons do not remain, but die, therefore one must always have new preachers. This cannot be done without means. The ministry, as the word of God, baptism and the Lord's Supper, is bad without means from Christ, but after that Christ is no longer on earth. There is then another mission, which is through men, and not of men. So we are sent, and we also choose others,
- Erlanger: become.
- Erlanger: andern.
and put them in the ministry of preaching and administering the sacraments, and yet this mission is also from God. For God commanded it, and if one helps, he himself sends workers into his vineyard, and yet he does it through men.
Therefore, let each one know that he must be sent, that is, he must know that he is called, and not sneak in by himself, but it must be done publicly. This is called a sending from God, and is nevertheless done by men, as a city, prince or other community, who choose and elect one from 2c.
Now one would like to ask here: "He who is sent by God speaks the word of God", are there many of them who only preach vain lies? How is that? The text must not be true, because there are many devil heads who do not speak the word of God. Judas was not only called by Christ Himself without any means, but he also betrayed Christ. So there were many false prophets in the Old Testament. Item, Caiaphas and Annas were sent by God without any means, because the priesthood was ordered by God. Now they were not only false teachers, but they also crucified Christ. Now the bishops and popes sit in the apostles' chair and place, and yet they do the opposite. One may ask that "whom God sends, he speaks the word of God," is it true? For "whom God sends" means that he has an office that is from God, 2c., so S. John wants to instruct me with it and force me to hear and believe everything that the pope or another who is sent speaks or pretends, and should Christ himself and the apostles also have heard Kaiphä's teaching, and Isaiah, Jeremiah should have said that the high priests taught rightly, because they were sent? 3)
First of all, it must be understood this way: Those who are sent speak God's word, namely, if they remain in their office, and possess the office as they received it. For they certainly speak the word of God, as Christ says of the Pharisees Matth. 23, 2.
- To this sentence is to be added, for the sake of understanding: How can it be true?
2094 Erl. 47, 16S-167. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2095
on the chair of Moses" 2c.; and now those who have the chair of Moses, they are sent. If they preach what Moses preached, hear them. But according to their works do not do, that is, if they preach otherwise, and go out of the way, and break their command, and keep not their command. If a king sends an envoy or an embassy, and the envoy keeps his command and instruction, he does right; if he does not, he cuts off his head. It can also happen that a man who is appointed to an office is still a prankster. For this reason he commands that the commandment and the commandment be obeyed, and that nothing be done about it, and nothing be done about it. Therefore we see that if one is called, he is in an office. Now if he preaches what his office requires, and he preaches the word of God upon which the office is founded, it is right; but if he does not, it is said, "Beware of false prophets." But if he remains in the ministry and preaches the word of the ministry, then it is right. He also said above v. 27, "Man can do nothing 1) unless it is given him from above.
So then he says: Whom God has sent, that is, God's word is not called, because that is sent. That is, no one thinks that God's word on earth comes from human devotion. If it is to be God's word, it must be sent. Otherwise it is impossible that the holy scripture can be understood or interpreted out of one's own devotion, arbitrariness. It is not valid that one should speak, and is not called, for God's word comes only from the fact that God sends it. If not, the whole world cannot speak that which could save from sins and comfort the conscience. If he had not sent the word and the ministry, we would have nothing. Therefore nothing shall be spoken nor heard, but only the word of God. If it is made up out of human choice and devotion, avoid it. It does not come unless it is sent from heaven. And whoever is to deal with the monks, ask whether their thing is also the word of God. There you will hear that they pretend: It is done out of good opinion, in honor of God; therefore it is a service of God, and
- Erlanger: not.
God's word. But it takes more than good opinion to worship and pay for sin; devotion flows from your heart, conceit. But say whether God has sent it from heaven, or whether he has commanded it. Has it been done in honor of God? It is all the more annoying, and a twofold blasphemy, that you call that the word of God and a service of God, which you have devised yourself. Thus the pope has deceived the world under your name and title of the church. But without God's mission no word comes into the world. If it has grown out of my heart, I hang on Chrysostom, Augustino and Ambrosio; so it is not God's word. For there is a great difference between the word that is sent from heaven and the word that I make up of my own choice and devotion. The holy scripture did not grow on earth. Thus John says: 2) He who is of the earth speaks earthly things. Therefore, we must learn to place our salvation thoroughly on the power of God's word, and not on our devotion or conceit.
S. John refers here especially to Christ, of whom he preaches and speaks here:
V. 34. For he whom God has sent speaks the word of God.
The law of Moses was given, and the prophets were sent, but it was all gone, directed to Christ. Then that was to cease. Therefore they said, He shall come, that shall cease when he cometh. He that preacheth yet, He shall come, denieth that he which is born of Mary is the Messiah. Then all the prophets said that the Messiah would come. The Jews hold these speeches as if they were still valid, when they have long since been fulfilled. They did not lie, but told the truth. For he was born in Bethlehem and lived in Nazareth. When I hear this, then it is time for me to believe it, because whoever goes beyond it has lost it. And John sees with his sermon in the saying 5 Moses at the 18th chapter: God will raise up for you another prophet from among your brethren, like unto me, whom ye shall hear; and he shall put his word in his mouth, and shall speak with you.
- Thus set by us. Erlanger: "The holy scripture, if it has grown on earth, so says John" and so on.
2096 Erl. 47, 167-169. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2097
speak. Whichever soul will not hear him, he will demand it himself and punish it; as if Moses should say: I Moses preach to you now. But from among your brethren a preacher shall be raised up, into whose mouth God shall put his word. Then remember that you are listening to him. Do not say: We are Mosis discipuli. I point you to a prophet who did not come from a foreign land, but was born among your brothers, and he will bring God's word. Therefore the law shall be done away with, and the promise fulfilled, that there shall be no more preaching, save that which the Messiah shall speak. So he is sent, as all the prophets testify of him. He is here, says John, whom God wanted to send, and has sent him now, of whom he prophesied long before that he should come. He alone speaks the word of God. Whoever speaks anything else, whether before the prophets or afterward, his preaching is nothing. For it is not God's word, so no one else is sent, except the one who speaks God's word.
Therefore we shall not boast of our devotion, that we are the disciples of the prophets, or the children of the patriarchs. You shall never be. For the Father hath taken it out of Mosi's hand, and given it unto the Son. For this cause your devotion and your goodness, Moses also, and all the prophets, being past their time, are not to be preached, neither your own devotion and your own goodness, but him only that is to come, who is over all. So shall ye do, or ye shall be lost. The prophets do not agree with you. For they all testify of this, and then turn their word. They all say: This is the one we wanted. It is he, they say. Jeremiah, Isaiah count for nothing against him, for they only preach that the Messiah is to come, and stop the prophets and John, and say, He is here. Therefore the ears of all the world are bound to the mouth of this messenger, for he says, He shall be called sent, and so that he alone shall be counted in heaven, on earth, and in hell, even against sin and death. Now this is John's ministry and his greatest diligence, that he should direct all his preaching to him, that he might increase, and that all the prophets might decrease. Let it be heard then, for from his mouth
God himself is heard. There is great power in it, the devil causes great trouble, the world also always wants to make something different and more perfect, and lets the man go. The Turk has left him, says: The Messiah is long dead; I now have another, passes by, says he has taught The Jews still hope for him, that he should come. The pope is like the Turk, saying, "In baptism you received forgiveness of sins. But because afterwards thou hast sinned again, Christ is of no use to thee. Therefore, go to a monastery. He throws something else in the way, just as the Turk does. So they all go over before the man, and either beat him to death, or hope for something else. But let no other preacher be a model to you, who should teach how to get rid of sins, than this one. Say not, He is past, or is long gone; but is yesterday, and is to day, and is my Saviour unto the grave, and out of the grave, and unto the last day, and for ever.
Therefore it is always written in John: The Father has sent, sent that He Christ is the right messenger; no one is therefore sent, and His word shall be it. As he teaches, so one should believe, trust and hope; and John, as a faithful forerunner, warns and admonishes that apart from him there is no other word, no messenger. He also did not die as Jeremiah, Isaiah, or as Moses and others. Therefore it is true for and for his gospel. The word began through him and remains forever, and through it one becomes blessed. St. Augustine says that the word of Christ was not understood before, but afterward it was understood better, since the law had been abolished and the prophecy fulfilled, and no one should hear it but he alone. Beware of all others. If you hear another, know that he is not sent, nor will you hear God's word from him, but hear only this one, for he has God's word.
- Erlanger: "ausgelernet". The meaning here is: The teaching of Christ is now over; Mahomet has taken his place.
2098 Erl. 47, 169-172. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 20919
V. 34. God does not give the Spirit according to measure.
That is also strangely spoken. But he wants to form and drive in us, also to put before our eyes, that we neither hear nor see anything, but Christ alone. If it is he alone, that is enough, for Moses and the prophets must cease. For the glory of the Messiah is cut off from all others, and he who insists on his own holiness, as the Pope and the Turk do, is condemned. This would be without measure, if the pope and the Turk wanted to teach thus. 1) But John thus speaks of Christ alone doing it, as I have also said of His word when He leads, that God speaks in the 5th book of Moses in the 18th chapter: "You shall hear My word from His mouth. If you hear it, you shall be saved; if not, you shall be damned; that is to say, Moses' thing has been measured out, that he who lives in the ten commandments and does good 2c. walks like a hare that is strained 2). There is no freedom, of which S. Paul otherwise says 2 Cor. 3, 17. that "where the Spirit is, there is freedom". This doctrine will give the Holy Spirit without measure, and this person does not have One piece or two of the Holy Spirit, as the prophets, apostles and we have, as is said in the first zttn Corinthians at the 12th chapter. There the Holy Spirit is distributed according to pieces, as it was also said to Moses Num. 11, 16. 17.: Take seventy-two men, six from each tribe, and they will receive full of your spirit. There it is said that the Holy Spirit was divided among the seventy-two men; that is, a divided Spirit, in various offices and gifts, and not given all to one. But Christ has the Holy Spirit without measure. Therefore think not that he hath but a part of the Holy Ghost. For he is much another and a strange preacher and teacher, since the Holy Spirit is not in the inside in a piece.
- This sentence is very obscure, and the rendering of Luther's speech is deficient here. It seems best to us if this sentence would be deleted completely. The meaning is perhaps: If the pope and the Turk would also teach that Christ alone is the way to blessedness, then they too would recognize the spirit without measure in him. But then it should not be continued with "but", but with "for".
- "more tense" perhaps as much as: more confined.' Cf. the following paragraph.
but in Colossians Cap. 2, 3. 9. it is said: In him are the treasures of wisdom, life, blessedness, grace and mercy, for the Godhead dwells in him bodily. Therefore the Holy Spirit is wholly without measure, for he is the only begotten Son of the Father. We are also children of God, but not the one who has everything and from whose fullness we take everything. For he hath given us wisdom, and righteousness, and to be over all things. Therefore no other is sent; he alone brings the word, wherein are all things. . Now this is not having the Spirit by measure.
Now it is also to our advantage that he has the Spirit beyond all measure, for his fulfillment brings us Christian freedom. Otherwise, he who walks in the ten commandments and lives by the law is like a prisoner. But he that believeth in Christ is made partaker of this immeasurable liberty, because the Spirit saith, Thou art not only free from the law of Moses, but also from all his accusation and condemnation. Therefore we now have one preacher who has everything; to the others he has given it in measure. We who believe also receive from the same intemperate spirit, enjoying his also as the chief good by faith.
After that he makes Christ like him, and as great as he is, as John 14 chapter also says. But we are of him, and not of ourselves; we are free according to conscience, from all laws and terrors, but in him. Therefore, if in Christ the Spirit is fully present, through Him we also have the Spirit. We have such a preacher, since we have to draw from the inexpressible fullness. There we drink up, and are filled with him, body and soul.
He now gives cause for this: For "the Father loved him, and Hai gave him everything into his hands.
The forty-eighth sermon on the Gospel of John.
Den Sonnabend nach nativitatis Mariae, den 13. Septembris f1539f,
"God does not give the Spirit according to measure." This saying is actually and especially spoken of the person of Christ alone, that He
2100 Eri. 47, 172-174. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2101
have not measured the Holy Spirit or a little of it, but wholly with one another. For in other saints the Spirit is distributed and given to them piecemeal; no one has it altogether, not even Moses. But to him alone is it given, for he also is full of grace and truth, and S. Paul says that in him are hidden the treasures of wisdom, for apart from him there is vain blindness, idolatry, and ignorance.
And this sermon and the whole gospel of John is to the effect that we should all cling to the man and seek no other salvation apart from him, and be sure of all sermons, be they of the pope, or the imperial law, or the law of God; and however wise, prudent and high they may be, yet put them behind. So they all do not help to eternal life. But this doctrine alone does it, and if we had stuck to the same doctrine, there would not have been so many rotters, for all fullness is with man, and God is bodily in him, and the Holy Spirit beyond measure. The others have a part of it, and the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, as is said to Corinthians Cap. 12. Nevertheless, through and in him we are also made partakers of the Holy Spirit and of grace, which is called inordinate; and Paul says Eph. 4:11 Some have grace, that one is an apostle, another a prophet, a third an evangelist, or can expound the Scriptures. But in the main grace we all divide ourselves into the fullness of our Lord God. So abundantly is the grace and mercy of God poured out upon us, that there is no measure but eternally, on every side, in height, depth and breadth. This is called grace. For other gifts are many, but all cease, that the church may be governed. But grace and mercy are eternal, and our forgiveness of sin is not for one or two thousand years, but an eternal redemption, blessedness, joy, life, and forgiveness of sin, without measure. This we have also received from him; it is not in us, but in him, originally. Therefore we also have grace and the Holy Spirit without measure, not because of our merits, but because we believe in him.
V. 35. The Father loves the Son.
The evangelist always introduces the preaching of John the Baptist, that nowhere should one hear anything, nor run anywhere else, but here; as if he should say, This is over all, for he is from heaven and speaks the word of God, and does not give the Holy Spirit according to measure; and are these words, "The Father loves the Son," the cause of what he has said so far, as if he should say, "That you may know why I speak of him thus: He who is from heaven and is over all, this is the cause and reason. For he is the beloved Son, and he that hath the Son hath also the Father; and in the baptism of Christ the Father himself saith, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; him shall ye hear."
Now distinguish between those who are from heaven and those who are down on earth, for this is how it has been decided: Let all the rest be called what they will, under the wrath of God. There is no love or mercy, but disgrace, if you are apart from the man, for God the Father has turned his love nowhere else but to the Son. Therefore he will call us and gather us under this hen, so that we will not go astray under the vulture, for there is no mercy to be expected except here. They all toil in vain, for there is no other love but in and under this Son alone. Apart from him, there is anger, disgrace and displeasure, and S. Paul tells the Philippians that he has called us and sanctified us in his beloved. Why does he not say: in the beloved Son? He means to say that there is no other love or friendship but in the beloved Son, for everything else is under wrath. If therefore I say, He hath loved us in the Beloved, I understand his Son, because apart from him there is otherwise vain disgrace, and help not to pretend: I mean well, I serve God, I call upon the Creator of heaven and earth. Listen, it is vain disgrace and wrath until you take hold of Christ, for God wants to gather the Christian Church under One Head, if there is Christ, then it will also be loved. Now these things are not written for the sake of the Lord Christ, but for our sake, so that we may learn that nowhere else is God's love more than in this person, and so we may
2102 Eri. 47, 174-476. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2103
We must remain gathered together and beware of those who seek other mediators and helpers than this Christ; and the devil does nothing else than to lead us away from this Christ; and it is indeed a fine and beautiful appearance to call upon the Virgin Mary and the saints; but we must keep ourselves together under the head, or else we are eternally damned. What will become of those who rely on S. Barbara and S. George, and crawl under the mantle of Mary? This probably has a delicious appearance of a service to God. But they make a judge out of the Son and his love. Why then did God present him to us as mediator and high priest? And the invocation of the saints has been finely confirmed by the Pope, just as the devil does not cease to take away our comfort through false teachers and evil temptations. Therefore we should say: "Speak and preach, whoever will; what is of the earth is earthly, but whoever is of heaven speaks the word of God, and the Father loves the Son. That is, apart from him you do not come to the love of God, and so that you do not doubt, he so loved him that he gave everything into his hands, that is, he made him omnipotent, as S. Paul says that all the treasures of wisdom are in him, that is, God's supreme wisdom, righteousness, and truth are placed in the Son, and all things have been given to him; and whoever then wants to be a Christian does not have to seek another God, nor go the wrong way, nor follow a false way, but salvation, death, and sin are all placed in one heap, and are placed in and on the person. If you want to have God and be blessed, you must put everything under the head, as it is also said in the 8th Psalm: "You have put everything under his feet", nothing is excluded in heaven and earth. All angels, all men, leaves, fruits, all these he has in his hand, and is almighty God. All oxen and sheep and everything else God has subjected to man, as it is written in the first and second chapters of Genesis; but it is not added that he should be Lord over everything. Adam did not come to rule over all birds, fish and animals, and even if he had all these things, he is not yet a ruler.
set over heaven and earth, over death and life, sin and righteousness. But to this Lord Christ all things are given, nothing excepted; as much as God Himself hath, so much hath Christ also. Therefore, if he has given him all things, he has also set him in his throne and majesty.
Now here is a question: How does it rhyme: If he is a Lord over all and is also man? If he is God, how did he give him everything? If he is God, he has everything beforehand, and that he has everything, one concludes that he must be God, for God does not give anyone everything in heaven or on earth, unless he is God. If he is God and has everything, how is it given to him? Now we have often heard that we should learn to meet the enthusiasts. You know that there is the communicatio idiomatum, that in the Lord Christ there are two natures, and yet only One Person, and that these two natures lead and retain, even share with each other their attributes.
This thing hath misled many, that the man which is called Jesus Christ, and is the Son of Mary, born of Mary, is not older than a thousand five hundred and thirty-nine years. Therefore one soon concludes: "Well, then he is not eternal. And this man Christ suffered on the cross at the time when Pontius Pilate was the governor in Judea. Then they quickly say: "How can he have everything in his hands? If he has everything, he must have it before he became man. How do you put this together? Just as the two natures, humanity and divinity, are inseparable, but so united in one person that what is said of one nature is also attributed to the other. As, dying is peculiar to human nature, then human nature is united in One Person with the Godhead, so that death, which is nevertheless attributed to human nature alone, is also attributed to the Godhead, and then it is said: God became man, God suffered and died. Otherwise, if you wanted to separate mankind from the Godhead, it is a lie, for God cannot die. But if in one person the two natures remain together, then it is rightly spoken and true. To be born and to sing at the breasts, the
2104 Erl. <7, 17K-I7S. Luther's interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. 2105
actually belongs to human nature, because God does not suck milk. Yes, if man and God are not One Person. But they are united in One Person, so that one can rightly say: God's mother is a virgin, God is born. For since God and man are One Person, that which is due to mankind alone is assigned to the Godhead, for the characteristics of the two natures also unite. Not being born is due to the divine nature 2c. We also pray and confess in faith: "He who is conceived and born"; this is human; "sitting at the right hand" wants to become divine, even if it is human. So, the child who drinks the mother's milk is eternal, who was before the beginning of the world and created heaven and earth. For the two natures are united in One Person, therefore the consequence and quality are also united; and it is true that the quality of the divine nature does not rhyme with the human nature, and I will say more: God and man rhyme still less, and yet the two natures are thus united, that there is One God and Lord, that Mary suckles God with her breasts, and God bathes, cradles and lifts, item, Pilate and Herod crucified God and put him to death; and the two natures thus rhyme together, that the true Godhead and humanity are One Thing. Therefore, if there is a true God in Christ, who was born of Mary, that is, who made and created all things, it must be said that they Deity and humanity have not only united and combined their natures, but also their attributes, except sin.
Therefore, when the Scriptures speak of Christ as a man, one should also confess the Godhead. In the hundred and tenth Psalm it is said: "Sit at my right hand. This text is about mankind alone, but it is to be applied to the Godhead as well. For after his ascension he began to sit there. Before that, mankind did not sit there. But that did not mean that he as God should not have sat there before. So Christ, true man, is called Lord over all, because he is true God; and one should not say, as Arius pretended, "If he now sits there, he will not sit there.
When he goes up to heaven, he has not been there before. No, he was there before, but he was not yet man. But now that he is man, the two natures combine their properties, and the divine nature gives its property to the human nature, and again the humanity also to the divine nature; and John speaks through his whole gospel of Christ as a pure man, and again 2c. Here he speaks of Christ, who was born and baptized, and who has discipulos, as truly being a natural man, and yet he gives into his hands all things that belong to God alone, and yet he says: given to him. This is due to a human being.
Thus the two natures are united in one person, so that there are not two Christs. Therefore, when you hear a saying about Christ, that God gives all things into his hands and raises him from the dead, this is then spoken of Christ as a man. Again it is said: He sits at the right hand of God the Father. There the human nature is united with the Godhead, and then being crucified and living are one thing, being below and above one thing, as we also said above in chapter 6. Does it shock you now that Christ died and lives, much more should it seem strange to you that Christ is God and man One person, that Christ dies on the cross as a man, and yet remains Christ for eternity.
So you should get used to going through all troubles properly, and we are also called Christians because we recognize him from his teaching. How can anything be given to him? He does not take it according to the Godhead, but because God and man are One Person, He gave it to Christ. Because the Son is a man, what was God's was given to man. Therefore, since it is given to man, it is also given to God. For whoever touches and worships this man also worships God, for he is essentially God. Whoever sees the Son also sees the true God, says Christ to Philippo John in the 14th chapter. For I am the way, the person, whom Thomas sees before his eyes, but does not know that he is the way.
2106 Erl 47, 179-181. Interpretations about the evangelist John. - 2107
be, item, the truth and the life. These are divine attributes, for a man is not a way to life. But it makes the person of Christ not only a mere man, but personally and essentially God. Therefore, whoever sees Him and hears Him, hears God. So he says here: "The Batet has given all things into his hands." Now, to have everything in his hands is to be GOD, for GOD gives no one his glory, as is written in Isaiah. Here He gives it all to the Son, born of Mary, that He may have it all in His hands. How can this be? He had it all before. Yes, he was not a man before, but now that he dies and rises from the dead, it is first given to the Son, so that you can say: He who hangs on the cross is Lord over all, and only now does he get dominion, for this makes the unity of the two. natures. Before it was not so. Now he is transfigured, and is proclaimed to everyone that he is Lord over all.
Thus the human nature in Christ comes to honor, that it bears all the qualities that are otherwise due to God, and is therefore called given to Him, that the human nature is added to it, which it receives, and which it did not have before. Therefore it is truly and rightly said that the Son of God and the Son of Mary has been from eternity, and now Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Mary, is Lord over all, and that Christ, the Son of God, has all things from His Father. Now apart from this man Christ, who was born of the Virgin Mary and suffered, you shall seek no god, nor any salvation or help, for he himself is God. This offends the Jews, who think that we are foolish people, alleging also the first commandment: "Thou shalt not have other gods. Item, the Turk says: You are great fools, because you worship three gods. But we are not such gross asses as to make two or three gods, but worship only One God, who is a true God. But in it there are three persons, one of whom is Christ, of whom we have heard above that the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him, and from his fullness we all receive grace for grace, and whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.
The forty-first and last sermon on the third chapter of John.
No date given; probably 1539.
V. 35. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.
We may preach the dear Lord Christ as long as God gives us time, for we see that the more we preach, the angrier and more ungrateful the world becomes; and therefore it seems to me that it will not last long. However, let us preach and thank God as long as we live.
John the Baptist, however, speaks here: "The Father loves the Son." We have just heard that God does not give the Spirit according to measure, for the Father gives everything into his hand. But he speaks of Christ, whom we call our Savior, that in him the Holy Spirit is not distributed piecemeal, as in all other men. For he had no less when he walked on earth than he has now, for in him is no sin, nor error, as in all other saints. There was no prophet, not even Moses himself, who did not have to pray a Pater noster. Only this man Christ, the seed of the woman, is praised, as it is said of him in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah and in 1 Peter 2, that he did no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth. For the Holy Spirit was thus in him abundantly and without measure. Now this concerns his person. We Christians also have the Holy Spirit, but in part; yet He becomes our own, and His fullness stands for our lack and infirmity. But Christ lacks nothing, for in him is the fullness of the Godhead. But this same fullness also becomes ours, not personally, as he has it, but through faith, that we may pay, and where the Lord is, there is also the Spirit, yea, there is all things.
"For the Father loves the Son." The evangelist speaks of the matter as if he saw nothing else to preach about. He puts everything out of sight, and looks only at the Son of God, as we should also do; and rightly so, so that we keep the great miraculous work before our eyes, and everything else for vain chaff against the Son.
2108 Erl. 47, isi-183. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2109
Respect God. For he created the heavens, the earth, and all creatures, of which it would be good to sing and rejoice. But when he setteth the Son before his eyes, he bringeth all creatures with him. He has given him all that is on earth, saying, "I will show you the head under which all things are formed, which is my Son.
If I have this zero in mind, that God's Son became man, and I believe in him, then all creatures would be a hundred times more beautiful to us than they are now. Then you will understand what the sun, moon, stars, trees, apples and pears would be, namely, if you understand that he is the Lord, and everything is to be done around him. So the Holy Spirit also speaks of him in the eighth Psalm: "You have made him Lord over all. Even though he was born of Mary the Virgin, he sits at the right hand of God. Now the right hand of God is to rule over all, to set His throne over the sun, over the moon, and over all creatures. We are otherwise concerned about many things. But if we thought only of Jesus Christ, born of Mary, we would gladly lose our thalers, barley and grain. But we turn away from the beautiful sight, and fall on the poor creature, and do not believe that he is a Lord. For if we had him before our eyes, we would not think so much as to have thalers and corn. But flesh and blood do not, but put themselves into the heap of grain and into the bag, with eyes and heart, saying, What Christ? For this reason we do not recognize him, nor do we consider him to be the Lord over all, as John also praises him here.
The Father loves him. God also loves his own, item, the creatures, otherwise he would not have created them. For all that he created, behold, it was very good, it is said in the first book of Moses. But what the devil does, that is all ugly. But he saith unto no creature, Be thou Lord over all: and unto none giveth he the Holy Ghost without measure, but unto the Son. Therefore he loves the Son so that he says to him, "Be you Lord over heaven and earth, over the devil also, over sin, life and righteousness, and over all things.
Let everything be in your hand. This is truly great love; and these things also are written for our sakes, that we may learn and believe them, for they follow in the text:
V. 36. He who believes in him has eternal life. But he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
We have a certain Lord, whom we can take hold of, lying in his mother's womb, hanging on the cross, and who out of an infinite God became a finite and definite man; and there the heart is certain that it has a true and righteous Lord, to whom all that is in heaven and on earth is subject, and angels and devils lie under his feet, and the Father loves him as his only begotten Son. If then I know this, and am certain that he is Lord over all things, above heaven and earth, above angels and all creatures, and know that God is well pleased with him, that he also sets him at his right hand, and that therefore the man born of Mary the Virgin shall also reign and rule there; if then I know this (I say), my heart is won over and says: If I have him who is favorable and gracious to me, who is Lord over angels and devils, over death and life, let alone over gold, silver, grain and barley, then I will not be afraid of the world, and I can trust in God that no evil will harm me. For it is decreed that even the wrath of God shall be taken away from the faithful, for God loves the Son. Then a heart can be fearless and say: What can the devil, death and the world do to me? For this Lord is gracious and kind to me, whom God has ordained and set as Lord over all creatures, and with Him is the fullness of the Holy Spirit and the majesty of God; and then one is joyful and fearless in the name of Christ, even if he were afflicted by the Turk and the devil, only that we might believe that this Lord is favorable to us.
And thou shalt not think, What profit is it, though Christ love me? As if the Father were angry with me? No, the Father gives it from
2110 Erl. 47, 183-186. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2111.
him. If you have the favor and grace of the Son, says the Father, do not doubt my grace. Then neither the Turk nor the devil nor death shall take thee away, nor put thee to death. Neither sword, nor fire, nor violence shall separate thee from Christ, for all things are given into Christ's hand. If then he loves me, I am sure, as far as I believe, and as strong as I believe, so strong am I sure.
This is now being preached. But the world is not worthy of it, and also hates us for the sake of this light and knowledge. But would God that we could accustom our hearts to look at a creature, whatever it may be, and then say: This is a creature of my dear Lord, who died for me. If then wind or water came, I would say, "It is also my Lord's creature. If he lets it go differently than I like, then he is the Lord, and the creature remains under him, and I also, because the Father has given everything into his hand.
This is the preaching of the Christians, which is such wisdom that no one else knows but only the godly. The others ask nothing about this sermon, but go about with usury and pleasure, and never come to this wisdom. Therefore, we may be grateful to God and gladly hear and learn this sermon. For we shall never learn that the Son of Mary, Christ, is Lord over all; and this I see in all creatures. Paul says Eph. 1:23 that he fills all things. Why? He takes it from this text. God created everything and threw it under Christ's feet. Wherever I turn my eyes, I see it. So the world is written full of Christ, but few see it. Therefore they also separate the Son from the Father, thinking that they must come to the Father by their own doing, as the Turk and the Pope do, thinking that Christ is asleep. The rule is too high for us; we cannot understand it, but must believe it, for if the world were full of devils, as it is, the gospel of Christ and baptism will remain.
yet the Holy Spirit says that the whole world is Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Mary. No sparrow can fly, it must be his counsel; and know that faith pleases him, for he loves the Son, and therefore it is written that we should learn it.
Now follows why this was written and why it is still preached. Why is it done? "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. These foregoing words, that he has the Holy Spirit without measure, and that he is the Lord, having all things under his feet, as the 8th Psalm and the 110th Psalm testify, are therefore preached by him for the benefit of me and you, that we may believe them, and learn to know him. For if thou hearest this sermon, and believest that it is so, though it be otherwise, for there is much trouble, then sayest thou, If the whole world be full of devils, and death and devils come under our eyes, and hunger and sorrow, and sweet things, and sour things, I will ask nothing of them, but will shut mine eyes, and pass through. Well then, you shall have eternal life, for the Son has the same power as God the Father has.
This is said so that you may believe that the Lord Christ became man for the sake of sin, as is shown in the articles of the Christian faith. For I am assured of eternal life, and the devil shall not devour me, neither shall death swallow me up, neither shall the affliction that oppresseth thee hurt thee. Oh what a comforting sermon this would be to the captive Christians in Turkey, who could believe it, no matter how horribly the Turk might rage and rage; and so also the martyrs have done. They said, when the sword was put to their necks and the fire was lit: Nor will I take him for my Lord. But it often seems as if he could not help us from sin, death and tyrants, and yet they know that they are loved by the Son and the Father. Would to God that we could preach this to our brethren who are imprisoned under the tyranny of the Pabst and the Turk, for we are tired and weary of this doctrine and no longer ask anything about it. But we may be wise, and the redoubt
2112 He". 47, 186-188. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2113
- because the Turk wants to come here and look for such bad boys. See what the thalers will do for you. But the world doesn't believe it, puts itself into the thalers and pleasures of this world, and yet knows well that it must die. Thalers, money and goods will not help. Yes, they say: Is it still so long? 2) Truly, it is not shame. Why do you not turn to Christ, who is your Savior, whom neither death, the devil nor the Turk can take away from you? Oh, where will those go who not only do not believe, but think it is a fairy tale? Yes, says the world, I praise him who has a chest full of florins, and a floor full of grain, and a cellar full of wine; what do they believe? But where will they be who persecute and blaspheme the gospel? Therefore we may well be grateful to our Lord God when he speaks to us and calls us to the kingdom of heaven. The gospel was not always preached in Rome, but it was preached in Turkey a long time ago. If it comes from us once, we will not get it again. Rome and Jerusalem did not want it either, that is why they lost it.
But let Christ be the only image of our heart, that I may say, I believe in one Lord, whose name is Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin, and who is Lord over all things, who creates all things; that I may say, I have such a Lord in Jesus Christ, who received all things into his hands from God the heavenly Father; that therefore the Lord Christ is not only God, but also man; and that same man, born of Mary, is Lord over all things. For this one person is God and man, and this Lord we may find in all creatures. Then we would not be so terribly stingy, but would say, "If I have a Lord who provides grain, wine, and all necessities. If then I have that same Lord, I shall have all things with him. But if he takes it away, then I will also take it patiently.
- To provide the redoubt -to miss the opportunity. "Redoubt" from the French: eüanos. Now still m the idiom: "to hit the redoubt" i.e. to dare, to risk, to put at risk.
- Perhaps to read "it's still a long time away!"
suffer. If then thou believest in him, thou art sure of eternal life, whether death choke thee, and thou be buried, or pestilence kill thee. Nevertheless you will live, even if all the French and pestilence fall upon you, because the Lord Christ is Lord over all. But that he lets the pestilence choke you, he punishes you with it.
What kind of love does he have against God? This says the symbolism, he was born, suffered. Such is all an inexpressible love.
"But he that believeth not in him shall not see life."] 3) This is decreed, that all things shall be under his hands and feet. If this is so, he must give it to you. Therefore it is said: I believe in him. If then all things are in his hands, why will you seek them in other places? If you forget him and go after another, what will you find? Hellish fire, for you search where you can find nothing. Where are you going? To the devil's ass. For it is he alone whom the Father loves, and it is the Son's love toward us, for he died for you. Therefore run hither and seek hither, for there also alone is found. Or if you do not, you will find nothing. For he saith, Whosoever believeth not on him is lost; item, the wrath of God abideth on him; 4) He cannot come ex ira Dei; saith, He abideth on him. 5) But if thou believest on him, thou deservest not wrath, but art in grace. For otherwise you are conceived in sins, born, live and die in them, unless you believe in the Son.
This is powerful preaching. What have we done in the ministry? I have let it sour me day and night, what have I gained from it? Hellish fire, where God had not given me the knowledge of His dear Son. I did not believe in Christ as a soloist in the priesthood. I knew that he would come to judge the living and the dead, the righteous and the wicked, and we called him a blessed man who did enough even for his sin; but that he should have died for me, that was dead long ago.
- This addition is added by us.
- Erlanger: him.
- Erlanger: them.
2114 Erl. 47, 188-190. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2115
in my heart. In the same way it was taught that after baptism each one should think how he would be saved. The same is the Turkish belief: If you are pious and righteous, and do good, you will be blessed; and so teach all the saints of works, all led and placed only on ourselves. That is to say, we have run and asked God to be merciful to us and to consider our good works. Now all this happens apart from Christ, to whom the Father has given everything into his hand, so that whoever believes in him may have a gracious God and eternal life. But we flee from this, and all want to go to heaven without him. So the Turk runs, and the best of those who are in the papacy all forget the Lord Christ, to whom the Father has given all things into his hand, and loves him, so that we may believe in him.
But do not be deceived by the fact that the children speak of these words 1) in such a bad and simple way, as do all Christians. You will not learn it, because it is a great annoyance and offense, so this teaching hinders. Yea, if her faith were without all great temptation, vexation, and offence. For a great man, who has now come to his years and understanding, sees that only the opposite happens, he feels sin, death and the devil with all his scales. Therefore, beware, lest you be offended by it and your faith be dampened. A child 2) can do better than you, for he does not have such shocks and resistance. But we often see such terrible things that we think that the Lord Christ has no kingdom at all; and if the Turk had conquered all kings and kingdoms, we would still have to say that the Turk is also under Christ; and if the blows, punches, and temptations were not there, faith would be a poor art. But we have to swallow up all the troubles, and it will actually come to that, that heaven and earth
- Instead of "of these words" probably should be read:- "thesewords".
- "Child" and "it" put by us instead of "sinner" and "he".
will be transformed by fire, but God will make a new heaven. If then you despise Christ and seek forgiveness of sins elsewhere without him, or eternal life apart from him, you will gain nothing. For he did not give S. Peter, nor John the Baptist, nor an angel, much less himself, that by his help thou shouldest be delivered from sins; but gave his only begotten Son. Believe in him, or you are lost, for the Father has given all things into his hand. Then the pope and all idolatry and abominations and false worship fall to the ground, for we have only one Lord, of whom the little children say, I believe on Jesus Christ; otherwise I will have no other. If then you believe in him, do not be dismayed, for eternal life is yours. Otherwise go barefoot and to S. Jacob, and be burned with fire; yet nothing will come of it. But if thou wilt hurt thyself, and scourge thyself, first take hold of the Son of God, that the Father may love thee. After that, flagella and the devil's fiery arrows will come, and you will have to work in the spirit to overcome the terrible things, so that he gives the world into the hand of the priest and the devil, and the Christians, on the other hand, are put into innumerable tribulations and terrors of the heart. If you then stay with Christ, the devil will bring you enough bones and hard shirts, and then you will have enough to do that you will devour death in it, when you see that you are abandoned and are to die, and yet you can say: I believe in Christ. This is a spiritual conflict, so that a Christian has to struggle until he reaches his grave; and if poverty, sickness, sorrow, and other tribulations come afterward, then you will see how hard it is to persevere in the faith of the Son of God, who is Lord over all.
End of the sermons of D. M. Luther on the third chapter of John.
- "Flegel" stands for ünAeltn, scourges.
2116 Erl. 47, 1S0-1S2. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2117
The fourth chapter of John.
Preached by D. M. Luther,
begun on the Saturday before Laetare, the 6th day of Martii 1540.
The first sermon on the fourth chapter of John.
Saturday before Lätare, March 6, 1540.
These are simple words, as they are written by Johanne, and yet not so simple. At the end of the third chapter he said: "The Father loved the Son, and he who believes in the Son has eternal life. Now he goes on and says: "When he heard that he had come before the Pharisees, that he was making more disciples and baptizing, he left the land of Judea and returned to Galilee, fleeing from the land of Judaea. Ei, he should not flee, but stand firm. Now we must understand it rightly and well. For he that knoweth the man aright hath the Holy Ghost, and hath all things to judge and to reprove. But he that knoweth not Christ, though he be learned, yet remaineth ungodly and condemned, as he said in the third chapter, "He that believeth on him hath everlasting life. But here it is said that he fled from the Pharisees. Where is the man now? He wants to be the Lord, and is afraid of the Pharisees here, and flees into the Galilean country.
John has described it with great diligence, so that we might see how he lived differently according to the nature of both natures. For he is life itself, and yet dies; he is everything, and yet nothing; and because he is everything, he is to be worshipped. Therefore this is majestically spoken, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." For if he can give eternal life, it is certain that he is God. For it is not for any creature or angel to give eternal life, but only for the Son of God, who has in his power and hands what the Father himself has.
Therefore, whoever believes in the Son and worships him has eternal life. And yet he is also the Son of Mary, and that is even worse, so he flies here and lets himself be beaten to death. Thus, St. John always puts Christ's eternal omnipotence and inordinate weakness side by side. Faith in Christ, the Son of God, makes one blessed, and yet here the Lord Christ is still alive: this is called Christian faith. He who will believe, let him do so; he who will not, let him not.
Human reason would rather have it differently. But how should our Lord God do it differently? What means do you propose to him? One would say: I want to run away to a monastery; the other would pretend that he wants to go to S. Jacob in a curch. But he says, I give you my ten commandments. I will put it in a way that you had many other ways, and I will tell you what to do: you shall not have other gods, you shall not take the name of God in vain. 2c. How did we do that? Aweh, this we cannot hear nor suffer, for an angel spake out of the Majesty. How then? If I do not speak to you, says God, then you will all go, each in his own way. For this reason he has set forth a common way, even a highway, with the ten commandments. For what we choose out of our own wisdom will not stand, just as what God Himself says will not stand with us. Therefore the children of Israel say to Moses, "Speak to God, and we will do what he tells us to do, only that we may hear God speak in vengeance. Then God answered and said, "Because they cannot hear this, I will do another thing to them, and I will no longer send down from heaven thunder and lightning.
2118 Erl. 47, 19S-194. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2119
But I will take a man from among their brethren, and he shall speak unto them, and by him I will make it sweet and pleasant; saying, Thou hast asked in the mount that I should speak unto thee in another way. Now God has heard you and will give you a prophet into whose mouth he will put his words; whoever will not hear him, God himself will require it of him. These are the two ways in which God has spoken to us. Our own election is no good, we will never be one; therefore these two ways are no good. We cannot suffer God to speak to us in His majesty with many countless thousands of angels. Therefore, the best way is to stop our thoughts and listen to God speaking in His majesty. But we cannot bear this language. But God says: "Now I will conceal my majesty in the deepest way, and I will let my Son become man, born of a virgin, and do good to men and preach forgiveness of sins to them. He shall do it most kindly, only that you remember that this man is the same God who spoke in the wilderness at Mount Sinai with the children of Israel. Therefore believe that you hear him. He has hidden his majesty in mankind, comes here, not with lightning, thunder or angels, but born of a poor virgin, and speaks to them of the forgiveness of sins. At this they become mad and foolish, and crucify him. What shall we do? If God came with His angels, no one could hear Him. Now he speaks: I will come in a simple and humble form, in a human person, therefore believe me nothing. But we want to hear him even more wavily, and despise him; he shall come badly in majesty, and yet we cannot bear him. That we cannot bear, and that we will not bear. So then he comes as the son of a poor virgin, we say: Oh, is this to be the Messiah, and has not so much of his own to lay his head upon? and then is despised in his poverty and humility, and yet it was prophesied and promised beforehand that he would not come in majesty.
but in humility, he would become a poor little child. If the Lord Christ were to come with half an angel's wing, the Pope and the Turk and everyone would fall at his feet. But because he preaches that he is born of a virgin and that he is God and man, do you think that the pope and the Turk should humble themselves against him?
Therefore let the world go into the abyss of hell, and let us remember, because we hear him speak and do wonders in the Gospel, that he is a Lord who has divine majesty; and the Jews, when they hear him speak and see him do wonders, should have fallen down and recognized God in his majesty, as he also spoke to them at Mount Sinai. For even today baptism and the preaching of the divine word is not my baptism or my word, but God's, and when we hear it, we should remember that God Himself spoke to us; and kings, when they hear it and see the sacraments, should lay their crown and scepter at their feet and say, "Here God dwells, speaks and works. But you would say: A poor priest stands there, and hands out the Lord's Supper. Yes, if you look at it that way, you are not a Christian. If I heard you preach badly, I would not give a straw for your sermon. But God speaks there, he baptizes and works, and is himself present there. Therefore, the preacher did not preach for his own person, but God, the Heavenly Father, and you should say: I have seen God himself baptizing and administering the Sacrament of the Altar, and preaching the Word. But when are we going to persuade people to hear God Himself speak? But we believe that God has mercy on us and acts with us through men. What is to prevent Him from speaking to us in majesty, or from revealing Himself to us in glory? Yes, because we could see him in his majesty. It is impossible that we should lift up our eyes to heaven; and therefore baptism seems to be small, for it is administered and administered by a man. How then shall it be done? It is truly said that our
2120 Erl. 47, 194-197, Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2121
own devotion and election in divine matters. For where this is to have its place, one does not want to suffer God in His majesty, much less in His humility, but to choose and do something of one's own. Then one worshipped the Junonem, the other became a monk. But we Christians should learn and know that God does not speak to us in his majesty; neither does he want our own devotion, but says: Hear me, who have humbled myself and speak to you in my word. For before the Turkish emperor's majesty one is afraid, how much more would one be afraid if God spoke in his majesty and with his angels. For this reason he has decided to make it so sweet and lovely that he could not make it any sweeter. For is this not sweet, that Christ, the Son of God, cometh not in his majesty, for then every man fleeth; but is crucified. I thought that he would be a God who would come crashing down with majesty, so that heaven and earth would tremble before him.
Now learn that Christ does both. When he begins to speak, he sometimes comes forward as God and lets his glory be seen, and this same divinity lets himself be crucified and killed for us, so that I will not be afraid of him. So I go to him and despise him.
But the great Lord (who saves all who believe in him, and so helps them to have eternal life, and the wrath of God cannot be taken away, but by him alone), what does he do? He flees from the Jewish land. Shall I believe in him who flees? Can he not resist the Pharisees? Yes, says the evangelist, this Lord, who is God and has all things in his hands, the one who is shining, stands up straight as if he were afraid of them. Now he is truly God, who gives all things, and after that also a right natural man, who does even as other men do; when they see where the power is too great, they yield and flee. Otherwise he could have said in his majesty: Roll away from Jerusalem and let me be God in the temple. He could have said this just as well as he would have said, "Get thee out of the devil, death, hell, and all the other things.
Sin! There he is in his majesty, if I believe in him, and then the Pharisees, sin, death and devils must be silent, because there is a wonderful power and majesty. But all here is vain humanity, as one could find. He clears the land and flees from the Pharisees, who otherwise tramples hell underfoot, drives out the devil and all violence on earth, all men are water bubbles before him, death and hell must fear before him. So then he is true God, and he proves this by giving life, and that he is not a painted or pretended man, so he presents himself as a true man, takes care, weakness and fear to himself, and presents himself as a true man; as S. Paul tells the Philippians in the other chapter that he took on himself a servant's form and manner, a servant's likeness, was so weak, ate and drank in this way, so that it might be seen that he had become a true, natural man, and did everything for this reason, so that he might draw us to himself, and we might recognize that this same poor, weak, lowly man is the almighty, eternal Godhead. Therefore we must not hear God in his majesty, since he is infallible, but he has lowered himself deeply into flesh and blood, so that he not only takes on our nature, that is, body and soul, but also all the afflictions that attach to body and soul, such as fear, sadness, anger, hatred 2c. This means that the divine majesty is deeply shamed, and this is what is preached to us, that he is weak and like another man in body and soul, and has taken on all infirmities as another man, thirsting and hungering, and all that clings to flesh and blood. In this weakness the eternal, true God can be found, and for me he therefore humbles himself to the cross, and is nevertheless true God, who redeems me full of sins and death.
So the evangelist preaches two things about Christ, first that he is glorious and comes to us in splendor and divine majesty; then that he also comes in weakness and supreme humility, so that we may know that he is truly God. For he died, and hath rent hell, and taken away sin, which is vain Godhead and vain divine.
2122 Erl. 47, 197-199. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2123
works. After that, he proves that he is a true man, for he flees and does not want to stay in Judea in front of the glorious prelates, the Pharisees, whom he could blow away with one breath.
So also in the Christian church is his word, baptism, the Lord's Supper and absolution, so that we may learn to say: "Weakly see, it is water, wine and bread, and the bad word of a preacher, and everything is a small thing; but learn to believe what great majesty is underneath. There is also great weakness in the Lord Christ, yet he himself is the divine majesty. Thus, among the lowly, contemptible things, God Himself also speaks and acts; and do we, like the Jews, despise the majesty for the sake of humility and weakness, and now say that God gives hellish fire to the priests. But if they thought: The priest does not speak to me, but he speaks through him, who has in his hand thunder, lightning and infernal fire; but because we do not believe it, we take the preachers for fools and children, saying: "One should not scold. Now I do it. If I rebuke, follow me not; neither desire I it; and if I absolve thee, and comfort thee out of the holy scriptures, the devil hath done it. Therefore see not after the person, but hear what is said, not who speaks; see whether God speaks or does it through them. If God is speaking, duck; and if a citizen or farmer hears a preacher, he should say, "I hear and recognize the voice of the priest, but the words he speaks are not his own, his person is too weak for that, but the high majesty of God speaks through him. So when a poor preacher comforts me, I should be so wise as to remember: You are not speaking to me, your voice is, but God speaks through you.
So I could be happy and say: God, who created heaven and earth, who is the divine majesty, has spoken to me. How? Through my confrere. He does it for us, item, for love and friendship. But when one looks at a preacher, one thinks: It is a poor miserable man, and no one considers that the divine majesty lies underneath. An angel shall make the
Heaven is full of fire, and thunder and lightning come, and heaven and earth are blackened, and all things fall down. Why will you not hear God, who presents himself as a weak man, who hides himself and keeps himself like the dear apostles? Therefore it is not the word of a preacher, but the word of God. Because it is the word of God, you should not be dismayed by it, but rejoice. 1) But one does not do it, because one thinks one can do it all well.
So now in Christ there are two parts, first of all, the terrifying and high majesty, which can make blessed, and the weak humanity, so that we can cling to him. It is not learned that Christ is God and man. All the wisdom in heaven and on earth is concluded in this person. But because we think: A poor village priest preaches, we never come to it. But the prophets have thought deeply about this, therefore they can also speak and write about it. But he who does not understand it will not be able to speak of it, nor will he imitate them. Here is the highest omnipotence, and also the greatest omnipotence in the person of Christ. The divine majesty he has retracted and hidden, because we cannot suffer it. Again, we do not want to have his humanity and weakness, but despise it. What do we want to have? Well, the pope and the devil must think up and choose something new: then we burst in and accept it.
The other sermon on the fourth chapter of John.
Preached on the Saturday before 2) Judica, den 13 Martii 1540.
The Lord was weak and fled, returning home to Galilee, but not home. But John shows that the Jews were angry because the Lord had received more disciples, and had baptized many of them, although John shows that the Lord Christ himself did not baptize; and by this John means that he had preached, and that he did not baptize.
- So put by us instead of, "so you should be terrified of it or become joyful."
- In the manuscript in the margin it erroneously says "after Judica". '
2124 Erl. 47, 1SS-SOI. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2125
grabbed them in the regiment. That was poison. To start such a free being, that makes a great disgust, that they also sent to Johanne and let him ask: Are you the Elias? Do you disparage the people of us, that they depart from the temple and our services, and even make a new one? And it is true that it is not right when a regiment is set up, especially by God, and then people are driven away from the obedience and service of God. It is a rebellion to break up a regiment and not to greet those who are in charge of the regiment, but to secretly attack them and draw the people to themselves. You should not suffer this, whether in the secular or in the ecclesiastical regiment. In the household regiment you shall not suffer another to take your son from you, for it is written that you shall honor your father and mother. A robber who forces people to swear that they will not tell who plundered or captured them is doing something against the authorities and against the order of God. So do the heretics who teach something other than the word of God. But let a heretic be heard before the priest, or let him be told to break up and disrupt the assembly. With this we have so far resisted the rebels. But John, who preaches a sermon, does not ask the Pharisees about it beforehand; he still goes after them and calls them viper-breeds, and interferes with their ministry and tramples it underfoot. So does the Lord Christ. He makes a new church, a new baptism and a new service, and says: "The old service is no longer valid. This is a new regime begun and the old one, which God established, trampled underfoot. Such a thing has no other form, nor can it be regarded as anything but a rebellion. For this reason, they continued in Judaism out of this carnal wisdom, and beheaded John, and killed Christ and the apostles, as they deceived the country and the people.
Did Christ and John do well that they did not first greet the chief priests, Pharisees and others who were in office and ask for advice and permission? Does John therefore raise a new regiment
and after that Christ also. Have they done right, and the people that followed them? Or did Caiaphas do right, who killed them? Here look at the difference. The Jewish kingdom was thus conceived by Moses himself and afterwards by all the prophets, that they were certainly waiting for the Messiah who was promised to them, and of whom God says in the fifth book of Moses, chapter 18, that they should hear him. They had the same text in front of them, and it was being used for a good cause. Therefore they said to John, "Are you Christ, or Elijah, or a prophet? For they knew that Christ should come, and that John should go before him in the power of Elijah the prophet, and preach, and that they should hear the Messiah. Therefore they were not excused for preaching: We sit on the throne of Moses, and the people shall obey us; item: Moses founded our state. This is true, but it is also true that they were waiting for another prophet, who would be above Moses and above all other prophets. Should they not have thought here: How, if it were this one, of whom we read in all the prophets that he would come? The kingdom and government of the world has no prophecy of another doctrine, but they have a promise that they should hope in the true prophet promised by Moses. Therefore, the priests and the Jewish people are not excused, for the least Jew in the land knew it, for God said through Moses Deut. 18:18: I will put my words in his mouth. There the person and its office would be called, and if they would have no more worldly kings, he should be there, and in Daniel Cap. 9, 25. the weeks are counted of his future. So also in the prophet Micah Cap. 5, 1. the place of his birth, as Bethlehem, is reported, in addition the tribe is painted, as Juda, from which he should be born, and the family David 2c. But all this is not valid for them, they have said, Here is Caiaphas high priest 2c. Wilt thou then make of a temporal regiment, which hath its appointed time, an everlasting? After that if there would be no king, he should be present from the tribe of Judah. Then they should have thought: Caiaphas is sitting there, item,
2126 Erl. 47, 201-204. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2127
Herod, the foreign king, is also there. Where does he come from? He is not from the tribe of Judah. Therefore they knew it well, but they did not want to know it. So also for this reason the Lord Christ is not a rebel, because he has the command not only now, but before Moses established his regiment, spiritual and temporal.
At Mount Sinai the children of Israel said to Moses: "Speak to us, and also speak to God on our behalf. Then the LORD answered, They have spoken rightly; I will also raise up a prophet for them from among their brethren 2c. Now before the beginning of Moses' ministry, he was promised, and his command was given long before Moses took hold of the people, the royal and priestly people. Therefore Christ is right, and God the Father has opened doors and windows for him, Moses and the prophets; before Moses establishes 1) the government, before he gives them laws and rights, their own books, which they defy, he takes away their government. Then all the prophets prophesied that when the kingdom of Judah would cease, the Messiah would come. Then they should have said: The time is here, we have a foreign king Herodem, and John prepares the way for him, saying: He is all ready there, and does not rumble in with armor, but makes the lepers clean, and shows himself to be a LORD to all creatures, and when the Father at Jordan says of him, "This is my beloved Son, him you shall hear." But the wicked shut their eyes and ears tightly, not wanting to hear all this. John and Christ say: He who does not believe and is baptized is eternally damned. That is, your priesthood and worship shall come to an end; if therefore ye receive not this, and be baptized for the remission of sins, ye are damned.
That means now not rebelliously acted, but with God's command, with preceding prophets into the office stepped. If the Elector of Saxony would give you a letter and seal, and a certain time, or a sign, when the Elbe would run out, and say: Be you mayor of Wittenberg, who could
- Erlanger: "Pen.
resist it or hinder it? This is how it happened here. Therefore I say, because the Jews thought they had reason to forbid him, since he attacked their regiment. We do not have such a thing. We have no other, but this one: "Go ye into all the world, and teach all nations." This remains until the end of the world, no other sermon we will get, it is not written on any person or place. The pope has assigned it to him alone, that he alone should teach and baptize, and has received this by saying, "Thou art Peter." But we take from the pope his people, and preach against him, and condemn him. Then we are all rebels. 2) Then they cry out: Before all was quiet and peaceful, but now Christianity is divided; and to withdraw from the pope, they say, is to withdraw from the Christian church. Such is an evil dialectic. Where have the Christians gone who lived before the pope, soon after the time of the apostles? Augustine has no better teaching; 3) was he under the pope? If we didn't have Augustine, the others would have made us lay a bare one. 4) He taught and governed us better than the Pope with all his decrees. 5) Augustine leads me to Christ, and not from him. The pope did not have to know a word about it, since he was bishop of Hippon. But the Pope tears the dear people away from the head of Christ and says: "Baptism, absolution, the Lord's Supper and the Gospel do not help you if you do not have it from me. What will S. Augustine say? I and the other bishops have administered the Lord's Supper and preached without the Pope's command and authority. What are you shouting? One tears the Christian people from me, item, one does not want to ask me advice, if one is to act and distribute the sacraments? If this argument were valid, then all the rebels, Ambrose and Augustine, item, the bishops in Greece, and others who preached in the world and never asked the pope for advice, and others who did not have the
- Erlanger: Turmoil.
- Perhaps to read: No teacher of the Church has a better teaching than Augustine."
- "to lay a bare" scoldfully fall.
- "It set by us instead of "Ehr" in the Erlanger.
2128 He!- 47- 204-206, Luther's Interpretation on John Cap. 1-4. 2129
They said: Christ baptizes you, Christ also teaches you the gospel, and forgives your sin. So we still preach. Therefore we do not tear the church apart. But if we do not ask for the pope, there is nothing in it. It is called the red whore, the devil's synagogue in Rome torn apart, they may shout as long as they want.
If I do as the holy bishops and martyrs did, I am well satisfied, for they followed the dear apostles. The pope knows well that baptism is not his, for thus the institution of baptism reads, "Go ye into the world, and teach all nations, baptizing them." He does not say, "Go to the pope and have it given to you there. Why do they want to force us to go to Rome? It is true, one should not provoke and entice the people from their proper rule, we do not do it either, but we should resist those who want to do it, as it is said in the twentieth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles v. 29. f.: "Heretics will come, who will draw the disciples to themselves", here to the bishops of Rome. Therefore forbid, saith S. Paul. For this reason we owe it to the pope to resist him, and we do not snatch you listeners out of Christ's kingdom, but out of the devil's jaws. Therefore he says, "You are right to grab the pope's wool, and if you tear him apart, it does no harm, for he is the wolf. For he does not ask where baptism and the salvation and happiness of the people are, if he only had money and goods; and the Lord Christ did not shed his blood so that I should be obedient to the pope, but that through him I might receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life; for this reason I am baptized and receive the Lord's Supper. This is what the apostles and Augustine did. Therefore the pope does not have to complain that we tear his regiment. We are here because of this, and we are not rebels, but shepherds who cry out to the wolf and get into his wool. He himself confesses that we preach the truth. But if I teach, and know, and believe in the Saviour, and shall come near, and let the same thing fall, and
I will not worship that shit. If we do as the righteous bishops, Hilarius and others, have done, and as Christ and the Holy Scriptures command, we do right. We know of no other church but that hears the voice of Christ and is baptized. We know nothing about the church that is called putting on caps and going on pilgrimages. But the gospel says that we should believe in him, and after that love one another. That is why he does us an injustice in that we should cut off the people from him. He has snatched the people away from Christ; he is a true bear-wolf and Turk.
But Christ begins to preach and baptize, lifts up the rule, he has the right and power. So we also teach as S. Augustine did, and our church is far better. If all the popes were put to shame, I would not give a penny for it, for S. Augustine should be held a penny heavier 1) and higher; and so S. Augustine taught rightly. Augustine taught rightly, who had such a small parish, and teaches not only his church, but now after his death at eleven hundred years the whole church, our church is also greater, if we live and preach as he did; and at that time the pope at Rome was only a bishop, and as they absolved, administered the sacraments, so we also have the same holy scriptures. But the pope teaches monks and nuns, Hilarius and Ambrose know nothing about it. Therefore we are not rebels, but remain in the footsteps of the holy fathers, and do it against the new wolf, who has drawn us away from Christ. But I will remain with St. Augustine, and especially with the Lord Christ, who has the word of truth.
Follows in the text:
V. 2. Although Jesus himself did not baptize, his disciples did.
Why this? The Jews would almost have let him preach: but to baptize, and to make and to establish a new way, methought it was too much; even as many princes do now, who let preach that
- Erlanger: schweer.
2130 Erl. 47, p66-209. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2131
Both forms of the Lord's Supper are right, but not a hair has been changed, and neither vigils nor masses have been taken away. So the Jews would have let up on the preaching, but to change and do away with what they themselves had done was unpleasant to them. We did not change anything, but only removed what was under the pew. We have cleaned the lamps, so that one can see what baptism, communion and the power of the keys or absolution are. But the pope says: One should not do it differently, one should remain in the cap and keep measuring. So the Pharisees could suffer that Jesus preached; but that he baptizes and draws the disciples to himself, and John the Baptist says: "He must grow", that annoys them.
But why does he say that Jesus himself did not baptize, and that S. Paul did not baptize either? Is baptism so nothing? It is a fine thing, although baptism is a new regiment, but it is shown here that people always look more at the outward appearance than at the doctrine, and thus one has lost the Lord's Supper, baptism and absolution. The world wants one to preach the gospel, which is how the Jews martyred Christ. But Christ instituted baptism and the sacrament of the altar, that therein should be administered the water and the word. Otherwise, if the word is left out, baptism is only water, and the Lord's Supper is bread, for the true core of the sacrament is the word. The holiness of S. Peter does not make a sacrament, nor even the materia, but only the word, as: I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and when the word comes to the element, it becomes a sacrament, and baptism is then a bath of rebirth. Otherwise, if the Word is not included, bread remains only bread, and water is then water. But if the word is added, which is said: This bread is my body, and the cup is my blood, item: "This do in remembrance of me," then it is a sacrament. Item, when you confess, do not stand on your confession and contrition, but see that you hear the preacher say, "I proclaim to you forgiveness of your sins in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit. Then you will know that your confession is well founded on such a word of God.
The pope disputes how bread can become flesh, and how the preacher can forgive sin, and sets the word of the Lord's Supper and baptism far aside. But you know that the Word of God is the main part of it. Just as man has two parts, but the most important is the soul, the other part is the body, and without the soul the body is nothing else but a rotten, stinking carrion: so also the Lord's Supper is nothing if the divine word is not present , likewise baptism, 1) because through the word the water in baptism has this power that it washes away sins.
And S. John wanted to remove from sight the saying of S. Augustine that if one dishonors the reverend Sacrament and the other despises the Word, the first commits a greater sin than the last. He was a new theologian, and thought much of sacraments, and not so much of the word. Therefore John says: "He did not baptize, that is, he ordered baptism and had the disciples administer it. But he did 2) the word personally, and did not baptize. For much depends on the word, which must accustom and teach people to understand what baptism and the sacrament of the Lord's Supper are. 3) He did not baptize personally. Therefore, S. John wants to praise the word and disparage the holy form of external things.
The third sermon on the fourth chapter of John.
Saturday the 28th day 1540.
V. 6. 7. When Jesus was weary from his journey, he sat down on the well, and it was about the sixth hour. There comes a woman of Samaria to draw water. JEsus said to her, "Give me a drink.
We have heard so far that the Lord Christ left Judea and went to Galilee, and became tired of the journey,
- Added by us.
- Erlanger: drift.
- Erlanger: learn.
2132 Erl. 47, 209-2N. Luther's interpretation on John Cgp. 1-4. . 2133
And at noon sat down by the well, and the disciples went into the city to buy food. A young woman from Samaria came to draw water. The Lord had a long talk with her about drinking. And of course he was thirsty, because he was tired from the journey, and hungry and thirsty, but more thirsty, so he entered into a conversation with the woman,] 1) so that he might give her drink of the living water. And it is a strange thing that a man should walk the earth begging a drink of cold water, and not having so much of his own to eat of, or to get a drink of cold water, but having to beg it of the woman. But it is written as a warning to anyone who wants to be warned that when Christ is on earth, he hungers and thirsts, he is miserable and naked, even dying on the cross. Why did he not remain in heaven, since he was a Lord over all, and not allowed to suffer want and hunger? For as soon as he came into the world, and into the devil's kingdom, and to his children, so it was that he had not a drink of cold water; and even on the cross he must die thirsty, and was given vinegar mixed with myrrh to drink.
So now here he says to the woman, "Give me to drink." This woman seems as if she had not been a wicked woman, nor does she resist, and will not give Christ water, saying, "How dost thou ask me to drink, seeing thou art a Jew, and I a Samaritan woman?" But this is that Christ must die of hunger and thirst. It is always so, and Christ Himself prophesied so before, saying Matt. 10:16, "I send you as sheep into the midst of wolves"; and says further Matt. 10:41 ff, "He that receiveth a prophet receiveth Me, and he that giveth a drink of cold water to one of the least of Mine, he hath given it Me, and it shall not be unrewarded him." What is the need? Since he is such a great Lord and prophet, what can he do to give a drink of cold water to his own, and that he is so generous, he wants it enough.
- Added by us, because the relation is incomplete here.
pay him? Didn't I think that all the cellars and boxes should be opened for him and that he should be welcomed with song and joy, as they did on Palm Day?
Now with the Christians they i.e. Christ and his find food and drink, and rejoice in it, and would gladly do what they should. With his own there is no need, although they also often suffer hunger and sorrow in the world. But with the unbelievers there is not a drink of cold water for him, yes, they crucify Christ, kill him and chase him out into the world, or are so shamefully stingy that they do not give him a morsel of bread; and if we did not now still have the spiritual goods which our forefathers gave, so that churches, schools and hospitals were provided for, we could not feed one priest, yes, one neighbor now leaves another. In sum, we would all have to die of hunger; there would be no parish priest, preacher or schoolmaster to maintain. The citizens, peasants, nobles and princes do not ask for it now. We still feed on the goods that our forefathers, who have long since been buried, gave to God's glory.
Otherwise it must be, as it is written here, that Christ begs in the world, saying, Give me to drink, or give me a drink of cold water. This is what Christians would do. But avarice and usury have possessed the people, so that now no complaining helps. It is no wonder that a punishment should not come. Our prayers have stopped it so far; God wanted the punishment to remain with the pestilence and expensive time, and only war would not come. It is a great, great plague that people are drowned in avarice. The Christians understand it well, what a plague usury is, but those consider it a pleasure and joy. Again, it is a great grace and a Christian blessing that one can help churches and schools with his money. For reckon you, the miser, who outgrows many people, yes, a city and the whole country, he is so afflicted that they have ten, twenty or thirty thousand guilders. But God does not give them so much honor that they would be worthy to give a drink of cold water to the church.
2134 Erl. 47, 211-Zi3. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2135
This is truly a terrible plague in the sight of God, that one is punished by God in such a way that he gathers money and goods in heaps, and does not have so much mercy that he gives one florin a year to poor people. Therefore it will happen that they will have a bag full of money and a floor full of grain, and yet they will not give a bushel 1) of it to poor Christians; and so the usurers are not only misers, but also death-rowers, for they are not worthy to give a bushel for the salvation of a human life; they will not be worthy of honor. Nevertheless they will be able to adorn themselves and burn themselves white, and say: I give the tithe of everything I have; item, I give to my wife, children, servants and day laborers, and say: I would gladly give to the preacher, if he were not a heretic. He does not preach to me that is similar to philosophy. Item, I also wanted to give to the neighbor, but he does not want to do what I want, otherwise I want to put it into his heart and body; and meanwhile they scratch and scrape, and let Christ die with his disciples disciples and thirst. Is this not a devilish plague, that one has ten or twenty thousand florins from God, and yet is not worthy to give the same God another bushel of grain, from which one otherwise has everything? He also leaves poor Lazarum at his door, who begs and demands such a piece of bread from him; nor shall he say: I would gladly give, if I were not angry with him.
This is written as a warning to us, so that we do not fall into usury and avarice. For such shall have the damage against it and the pestilence at their necks, that they give no man a penny; and when thou diest, thou goest to the devil, and sendest out such usury, which knoweth no thanks to thee, and chasest it again through the throat. But they want it that way. That is to be afflicted in body and soul, property and honor, wife and child. Therefore there is not a more cursed man on earth than a miserly rich man, and yet not worthy to serve God and man with his good. The
- Erlanger: Schopfel.
The poorest beggar and the most miserable man is not so afflicted, nor is he anything compared to the miser who goes about in marten's skirts 2) and yet such a miser does not have the grace to give God a penny. So it will come on the last day, as Christ says in Matthew: "I was hungry, but you did not feed me." Then they think: Who would not feed the hungry? It is truly a great thing that he says, "I have been hungry." Egg, you have fed your wife, children and neighbors. Yes, that is not Christ, but your good friends, and Christ will say, I have had this, that I have had to die from thirst and hunger, and that one waits for the dogs better than for the Christians; one does not open the house before Christ. Yes, they say, if you, Lord Christ, would come yourself, truly, they would give you heaps. I did not want to give to the priest and other church servants, who were angry with me and hostile to me. But if you had come yourself, we would have brought wine, grain and all necessities in wagons. So they will apologize on the last day.
People still say the same thing today: What should I give to the villain? I'm grief-stricken for him. I do not see the neighbor or the schoolmaster. Yes, you would not give him a drink of cold water, and God says, "I will not come in my majesty and with the angels, but beg for a piece of bread. Where did you get this? Then will Christ say, I have revealed it unto thee in my word, what manner of things thou shalt give, and to whom thou shalt give it. You do not give it to me in heaven, where I sit at the right hand of my heavenly Father, but I come to you in humility. Flesh and blood I set before him at the door, saying, Give me to drink. Thou wilt give me then, and build me a foundation, because I have no need of food up here in heaven, which I give to all men, and to the angels which are in heaven. But he saith, I am of Judea, give me triukeu: and I have preached unto thee throughout all the world, that whatsoever thou shalt do unto one of these men, thou shalt do unto another.
- Marderschaube -- a delicious oher dress trimmed with marten fur.
- Erlanger: wollst.
2136 Erl. 47, 213-215. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2137
the least of mine, you would have done it to me.
"I have been hungry." Do you want to understand the word "I"? God disguises Himself in the form of a Christian, saying: "My poor apostle and Christian, who has nothing, comes to you. The same apostle or preacher bears the name "I". Will you now give me and court me in heaven? Heaven, dear, do it to me here on earth, I don't need it up there. But do not let your pastor and chaplain suffer need. Help my kingdom to be furthered; look to your neighbor and to your brother who suffers hardship and want, and feed him so that he does not suffer hunger and thirst. Thou hast ten thousand florins, and couldst feed six persons without thy hurt; neither wilt thou suffer them to die of hunger. Then there will be no excuse for you to pretend: I may not give it him. For Christ saith, If I suffer thirst and hunger in my apostle, Christian, yea, in a child that is a Christian, or in a poor man that needeth refreshment, and lieth in want, and thou knowest it in the land, and yet art an infant, and shutteth thine eyes, know thou: I am the one who is hungry and thirsty. If you feed him, you have fed me; if you make him thirst, you have made me thirsty. It is of no avail that thou shouldest say, If Christ himself were come, I would give him the keys, and say, Take it all. But it is a desperate and cursed shame that this is said and preached to us, and we do not heed it. A pagan does not know when he gives something to a poor person that he is giving it to God himself. But how can our Lord God more mildly provoke us to give alms and to help our neighbor, than by saying that it will be given to him? And yet we still have to keep our boxes and cellars closed, since you know that you give to God yourself and not to men. It is hard enough to say, it must be a cursed thing, which Christ calls unjust mammon, which is full of injustice, that one may not give a bushel of grain to his God, but sits and gathers as if he should scrape everything to himself. But the miser asks nothing of it. However, let it be said, and let us accept this teaching with thanksgiving, that we may know.
when we give something to the church, that we give it especially to our Lord God. But that the peasants, burghers and noblemen do not do this, give nothing, but scrape and scrape everything to themselves, they will soon learn. For it is too crude to let Christ die of hunger, that is, to help as much as they can, so that the preaching stand, the parish and the schools are destroyed. So Christ must desire to be given a drink of water.
But the Christians, who truly recognize the grace of the Lord Christ, gladly share their food and drink, as the fine lady. Even though it is hard at first, when he preaches so finely, they are converted and the whole city opens its doors to him, receives him with joy and does him all good; he stays there for two days and would have liked him to stay there longer. This is what Christians do. But the others shall do so, saying, I must have it myself; think, if thou wilt have any; and then say, Let it be taken from the priests, and let the horses be lamed, and let half chaff and wheel be given for rent. But everything will be put into his sack, so that God will have to rain down sulfur and hellish fire, and send for a lansquenet, who will put the spear to your heart and search out the thalers. We should be ashamed of this example of the Samaritans leading Christ into the city. They have a great advantage over us in the Scriptures, who were under the spell, as is reported in the text. But the Lord praises them greatly, and in the Gospel it is not said that he stayed there only one day, but two days.
The Samaritans also worship God, the Creator of heaven and earth. But this was the shortcoming, they did not go to Jerusalem, did not keep anything of the temple and the service there, also sacrificed nothing; but on the mountain Garizim 1) there they built their own church, and helped themselves there with that Jacob's well had been there, where Jacob had lived. This will be the pre
- Manuscript: Grisim. This form is found in the Bible, e.g. Deut. 11, 29. 27, 12.; Jos. 8, 33.
2138 Erl. 47, 215-218. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2139
They were so proud that they said, "To Jerusalem, to Jerusalem, the patriarch Jacob lived here and preached many a beautiful sermon and said many a good prayer, and they came and said, "This is where the church was. But Christ leads this voice, asking for alms, food, drink. Let's leave it at that for now.
The fourth sermon on the fourth chapter of John.
On Saturday after Nativitatis Mariae [September 11, 1540j.
We have recently heard how the Lord Christ came from Judea in Galilee, and had to travel through Samaria, and came to the well of Jacob, where about a woman also came and drew water, whom the Lord converted to the Christian faith. Now follows in the text:
V. 9. How do you ask for water from me?
The Jews and the Samaritans disagreed with each other and condemned each other. The Samaritans wanted to be right, and so did the Jerusalemites. But the Lord separates the quarrels here, and says that neither the Samaritans nor the Jerusalemites are right. The Samaritans were not right, for they had for themselves alone the example of the fathers or patriarchs, and not God's commandment. Mount Garizim was appointed, when the children of Israel came out of Egypt, to pronounce a blessing upon the people there, and a curse upon the other mountain. 1) From that time the mountain was honored, that they ran to it (as they did in the papacy, that they ran to the mountains and valleys on pilgrimages), and sacrificed and slaughtered there, and left the temple in Jerusalem standing, and always helped themselves with the example of the fathers and burned white, as with Joshua and others, who worshipped God there and blessed the people. Therefore they thought that the mountain was as holy as Jerusalem itself. This is what the world has done for and for, that the
- Deut. 11, 29.
The Church and the Fathers, as they still do today, are to keep what the Fathers and the Concordia concluded, and what our forefathers and fathers kept, and thus bind our salvation to place and persons.
But so they should have said: We Samaritans know that our fathers worshipped God here, and those in Jerusalem know it well. But it is not right for me to place my worship where my fathers served and called upon God. For this is to know whether God has commanded you in His word to serve Him in the same place, item, whether you also have God's word in that place. So you must answer to all objections, when the papists praise the fathers and concilia, that you say: I know well that they were holy people; but their holiness does not help me, but I must have God's word, which promises me and tells me in my person what God commands me. I do not ask anything about the fathers and conciliarities; it is my duty to see how I stand with God, and that I can say: God has called me that. For He commanded Abraham and others to be circumcised, but circumcision is none of my business. Therefore I must see how my state and life please God. They only cry out: Fathers, fathers. But we Christians are taught and instructed that our baptism is not bound to Rome, but here I have the church, the preaching ministry, baptism and the Lord's Supper, also my house with my wife and children, item, my neighbors: there I shall find what serves salvation. Against this the pope has even taught the antithesis. Therefore see to it that each one knows what God wants from him, and what God says to you, and always remove Mount Garizim from your sight. For this is what God has written in all the world; he has also told you in your ear and put it in your heart, that whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved. You cannot look for it better in Rome. You will find it in your church, and at home in your books. If thou art troubled, thou hast thy pastor or brother to absolve thee from sins.
2140 Erl. 47, 2I8-L20. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2141
viren, and talk to you because of GOd 1). So God is running after you. If you have rulers and authorities, obey them. You must not run anywhere, but God wants you to read, write and wait for your office. A woman should look to her vocation and profession, and raise her children in the fear of God. But the pope has pointed out to us the place and the person, and said: "To wait for the profession and to take care of the household, that belongs to the laity; you must see what the fathers have taught and what the Concilia have decided. But see what God has commanded you, and let the lady go with Mount Garizim. This was the dispute between the Samaritans and the Jerusalemites. For those at Jerusalem had it better, they could have pretended that God had established the church at Jerusalem and had only spoken once on Mount Garizim, but after that he had placed the service at Jerusalem.
This dispute and fight between the right and the wrong church never ends; it has been going on since the beginning of the world. The herds and heretics have always challenged them, just as the young lady says here: "Do you want to drink from me, because you are a Jew and are in the ball, but I am a Samaritan and holy? For the Samaritans stood on it, because they worshipped on Mount Garizim, so they would be blessed. But the woman is not stiff-necked, nor does she have a stubborn head, so that she cannot be set right. So we wish that there were many of them among the priesthood who are so imprisoned by the priest's darkness that they cannot work their way out until Christ comes and converts them; and these belong to this Samaritan woman. Otherwise, the devil will take the spirits of the wicked and deprive them of all five senses. All the prophets have experienced this, and so have we in our time, and a devil is a pure fool. He takes nothing but what he thinks is right in his heart, and what he does with it, just as the wolf does, he always cries, "Lamb down. There goes their punishment with theirs. What was said to the coiner, his mind could not be mistaken; so he was be-
- Erlanger: Because of.
solid, even full and a drunkard. When they wake up, they see how they are. S. Paul says 2 Tim. 2, 25. f.: One should ask them if they would sober up again. For they hear nothing while they sleep, only what they like. These are difficult to bring back. So it is with the sacramentaries that they dispute the certain truth. God forbid that we should be of that kind. But this woman, even though she is in error and does not believe correctly, is not yet possessed by the devil, so that she would cling to error and could not be torn away from it. There are still many of them today. They can still be helped, and for their sake one must preach, as the Lord himself does with the woman. Well, she wants to excuse herself that she is holy, and the Lord Christ is not; her conscience is caught by the useless chatterers, and says: I would gladly give you drink, if you were only a Samaritan. But you are a Jew, who have put us under ban and condemned us as heretics. So her conscience is afraid, as if she would sin against the Jews.
But see how gently the Lord treats her! He does not let up, but says: "Dear daughter, that I desire drink from you is true; I am tired as far as my body is concerned. But I am not only concerned about the body, I am looking for something else, I am looking for you Samaritans, so that you may hear me; and he lifts up and preaches a beautiful sermon to her, saying:
V. 10. To whom thou shalt know the gift of God, and who he is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink; thou shalt ask him, and he will give thee living water.
I would rather give thee drink, but I turned back. Therefore I am here now, seeking drink for the need of the body, that I may give thee drink. If thou knewest the gift that is now upon the earth, thou wouldest ask of me, and I would give thee another drink, which should taste better than this drink of water. It is still necessary to recognize the gift and to know who is the one who gives it. But the gift is not recognized, nor is the one who gives it. We also complain about this,
2142 Erl. 47, 220-222. interpretations on John the Evangelist. 2143
and will be lamented for eternity, that not only do the spirits of the wicked not recognize the gift, even when they are admonished for it, but also the common people despise the precious, unspeakable treasure and do not recognize the person who gives the gift. Yes, we who want to be saints do not think about it and do not recognize what kind of treasure it is that is offered to us through the dear gospel. Dear, how many are there among us who count this as a real treasure and eternal treasure and eternal life? There must be some of them who put life and limb into it, as it is said in Matthew chapter 13 vv. 44-46 that a man found a pearl in a field a treasure, and a merchant 1) and sold everything, and bought the field and the pearl for it. So one finds many of them, who let themselves be tortured over it, they also get the drink. But the rest of the people say, "Why do I ask for this? Where silver is dug out of the earth, there are a hundred thousand men who call it treasure; one man can work day and night to get the perishable treasure.
Would to God that we could once get used to it, and set our hearts on it, that one sees the preacher's word as God's word, and that there is more than a scholar or a king. 2) For there is no angel, nor an hundred thousand angels, but the divine majesty himself, God, who preaches, only that I do not hear with my ears, nor see with my eyes. For I hear only the voice of the priest and of my brother or father, and I see a man present. But if I could add to this that the voice and word of the father or pastor were word and doctrine, not his, but our Lord's, then I would be doing right. For I hear not a prince, king, or archangel, but him that saith he can give water of eternal life.
If we could believe that, we would be satisfied. But the lack is in the whole world, and also in us, that we do not recognize this gift, nor the giver; and I myself still lack it,
- Added by us.
- So put by us instead of the senseless: "that he is a learned king".
I do not have it as deep and strong as I would like. For flesh and blood prevent it, which only looks at the priest and brother, and hears the voice of the Father, and can not make a man say, That I hear the word, I hear a thunderclap, and see the whole world full of lightning. But we do not, and this is a terrible plague, and the guilt is flesh and blood, which does not consider that the oral word and preaching ministry should be such a treasure, more precious 3) and better than heaven and earth. Otherwise people think: If I could hear God speak in his person, I would run so that my feet would bleed. That is why people used to run to the oak tree, to Nach, and to Grimmthal, so that S. Maria would help the people in the same places. So they did it and ran there. If someone had said at that time: I know a place in the world where God speaks, and when you go there, you hear God himself speaking; and if I had gone there and seen a poor preacher baptizing and preaching, and then it was said: Here is the place where God speaks through the preacher, he leads God's word; then I should probably say: Ho, I have hurt myself, and I only see a priest. We would like God to speak to us in His majesty, but I do not advise you to do that, do not go there. Yes, it was well learned; if he spoke in his majesty, then you would see what kind of running would arise; as also happened at Mount Sinai, where only the angels spoke; the mountain still smoked and trembled. But you now have the word of God in the church, in the books, in your house, and that is certainly God's word, just as if God Himself spoke.
Therefore Christ speaks here: You do not recognize the gift, for we recognize neither the word nor the person of Christ, but are offended by the poor weak humanity of Christ. Now when God wants to speak and act with us, he does not need an angel for that, but parents, the priest, or my neighbor. This then knocks me over the head and blinds me, so that I do not
- Erlanger: theuer.
2144 Erl. 47, 222-224. Luther's interpretation of John Cap. 1-4. 2145
recognize God, who speaks to me in the person of the Preacher and Father. Therefore, the Lord Christ says here in the text: "If you knew the gift of God and who he is that says to you, 'Give me to drink,' then I would not have to run after you and ask for drink, but you would run after me and ask me for the living water. But because thou knewest not what the gift was, or who he was that talked with thee, therefore thou despisedst me. And if he did not make it better, it would be a treasure above all treasures; if he alone greeted us, it would be honor and treasure enough; but there is still the treasure behind, that it brings us forgiveness of sins and redemption from death, the devil and hell, and makes us heavenly people, enlightens our hearts. For this reason the treasure cannot be spoken of in this way, and it should be lacking, so that we do not recognize it, nor do we consider it as great as we truly should.
We may well learn that it is also said to us. If we knew this gift, we would receive water in which the Holy Spirit would be given to us. But by God's grace we have begun to know a little what God's gift is and who the Teacher is. If you did not recognize this, I would not be able to teach you, but it would be like in the papacy, where they said: Run to, run from. But we have only the firstfruits and not the tithe. We begin to realize that it is an unspeakable gift that God speaks to us, and that we come to the honors of being God's disciples and discipuli. That is, to know what the gift is and who is the doctor and teacher. We have begun to realize that we and our listeners know that they are not listening to a man, but to God, who speaks such things to us that bring eternal treasure. That is why we keep hearing that we cannot talk enough about it, that we have to act like a stammering child. We do not understand how we have an incomprehensible treasure in the divine word; you do not know who the person is who talks to you, or even how a noble, high person it is who talks to you, of which you should then boast that you are a disciple, not a king nor a prince.
Emperor, but God. The world is proud when one has a gracious lord; item, when one may look upon the prince, that is much; item, he stands by the prince and hears him speak. Now it is true, it is a treasure that one has a gracious prince, or that one is a prince's counsel. But behold the glorious man who can say: I am God's disciple, I hear him speak, not an angel, priest or prince, but God himself, and I am his counsel. For he says, "My preaching is an excellent gift, and the riches and glory of the world are mere garbage compared to it. Dear, let this be a treasure, that God speaks to you in your bodily ear, and lacks only that we do not recognize this gift. For I hear the sermon, but who speaks? The priest? Not so, you do not hear the priest. The voice is his, but the word that he leads or speaks, that speaks my God. Therefore, I should cherish the word of God, so that I may become a good disciple of the word.
Now if we thought so, we would gladly go to church and hear the sermon, and listen to the dear Word alone, and there it would follow that Christ would say, "Give me to drink. But because we do not give honor to the divine word, nor ask for our own glory, therefore we do not hear the word, and no one likes to be heard, unless he has a good, bright voice. When you get there, you have become half Jacob 1) if you look more at the priest than at God, and do not look at the person of God, but only at whether the person is learned and skillful, and has good speech or excuse. For he who speaks evil speaks God's word just as well as he who can speak well. The father speaks the word as well as God, and your neighbor speaks the word of God as well as the angel Gabriel. There is no other word that a disciple speaks and that the angel Gabriel speaks, but one can speak it better than the other. Let the bowls be unequal; some are of silver, others of pewter, or of clay, earthen vessels.
- "Half Jacob" will probably mean: a person who does not cling to God's word with full, unhealed love.
68
2146 Erl. 47, 224-226. interpretations on John the Evangelist. ' 2147
But the same food is served in silver and pewter, and the venison, if well seasoned and prepared, tastes as good from a wooden basin as from a silver one. So also think of baptism and absolution. Let that be your comfort. But they do not recognize the person of God, but look only at the person of man, as if a weary and hungry man would not eat unless the food were presented to him in a silver basin, as many preachers are now chosen, and many of them fall through the basket, are chased away and driven out.
This is a piece of those who do not recognize this gift and think that a man is talking there, when it is not an angel who is your teacher, but your dear God, who creates your body and soul. Not that one should despise and throw away the gifts that God has distributed according to His measure, to one less and to another more, as the gifts are diverse; however, there is only One God who works through the same gifts. One must not despise the treasure for the sake of the person. This is what our Lord God wants to say not only to the lady, but also to all of us. And Christ wants to say: I do not need you to give me water; 1) He wants to give us living water. But it is a grievous thing that Christ goes begging on earth, even among his own, crying out, Panem propter Deum. He wants to provoke us to give gladly to those who are in the preaching ministry. But although Christ cries out and asks: Panem propter Deum, he is not heard, because it is thought that it is a poor priest. Verily, heaven and earth be-
- Erlanger: sollts.
He could eat and satisfy his own, but he says, "I beg because I want you to eat and drink. Therefore I also use your help, that ye may feed me and mine, that ye may know him that giveth true, everlasting drink and water, and what his word is. When ye know that I am he, and that the word is mine, then shall ye say, If all things were thine before, we will gladly restore all things unto thee. Dear Lord, give us who are truly hungry the right bread and drink. [Christ says: 3) Therefore I pray, saying, Panem propter Deum, that ye may know 4) Who it is that speaketh to the woman. [If he should ask her, Give me to drink, she would ask again, and he would give her water, which would give her eternal life, that she should never die. 5) Christ will do the same to us, but first we must recognize the gift and the Teacher, and then you would not only give everything, but also say, "Oh, dear Lord, give me also eternal water; otherwise I would have died of hunger in eternal thirst. Therefore I say unto thee, saith Christ, Panem propter Deum, because I will give thee eternal bread.
End of the sermons of D. M. Lutheri on the four chapters of John, and here D. M. Luther has stopped, because Doctor Pomeranus from the
Kingdom of Denmark came home again.
- Erlanger: "so that you may recognize them".
- In the following, the rendering of Luther's sermon is extremely deficient, so we have had to interpolate and change to give meaning only.
- Erlanger: "we recognize."
- Erlanger: "du ninimermehr stirbest".
2148 Erl. 4S, 31. another interpretation on Joh. 1, 1-14. W. VII, 1820-1822. 2149
B. Another Interpretation on Joh. 1, 1-14.*)
Preached on the third (?) Christmas Day (27. Der.) Anno 1542. (?) 1541. (?)
Francisci Scharschmied's letter of Luther's interpretation of Joh. 1, 1-14. to the council of Weida.
To the honorable and wise gentlemen, mayor and council of the city of > Weida, my favorable lords, grace and peace from God the Father, > through Christ our Lord, together with the wish of a blessed new year.
Honorable and wise gentlemen! I copied this sermon on the true divinity and humanity of Christ, along with other sermons, some years ago from the books of Ick. George Rörer, my favorable lord himself, which he and others have taken from the mouth of D. Martini Lutheri, for which he has had special gift and grace from God, and in which he has been very diligent; as can be clearly seen from his written books, so that he, along with the honorable lords, D. Casparo Crucigero, and M. Vit. Casparo Crucigero, and M. Vito Theodorico blessed, he served Christianity much; so that we have, praise and thanks to God, through their diligence, a whole church and house postill of Luther's sermons; without other useful writings, which are made in print during their lives. Which treasure we hold in high esteem, and thank God for it, and should keep it in use and practice with constant reading, and improve ourselves from it.
Luther, the holy man of God, preached this sermon at Christmas in Wittenberg in the parish church, in honor of the Lord Christ and for the comfort of the church, in which he interpreted the words of John: "In the beginning was the Word" 2c. very beautifully and briefly, that the newborn infant Jesus, born in Bethlehem and lying in the manger, was not only the Son of Mary, but also the Son of the eternal Father, the true God and the Son of God.
The sermon is based on the idea that man is inseparable in one person, which is the main article of our Christian faith, our highest comfort and treasure, and on which our salvation depends. For this reason, at the request of Christian persons who have read this sermon, and who have sincerely pleased them, I have all the more willingly allowed myself to be persuaded to rewrite it and put it into print. I have therefore dedicated it to E. W., as my favorable lord, for the blessed New Year, first of all, that E. W. may read it, along with other Christians, and from it strengthen the faith, which is that Jesus Christ, Son of God and Mary, true God and Man in One Person, is our Savior and true, powerful Redeemer.
On the other hand, also for the sake of the heretics, who challenged this blessed and comforting main article of faith, and very well sharpened it. Cerinthus, among other heretics, taught from the devil against God's word that Christ was not truly God. This is an exceedingly damning and harmful error. For if Christ is not true God, then we are eternally lost and damned, and thus are not at all saved from Christ's death, Easter and Pentecost.
As diabolical and harmful as this error is, as comforting and salutary is the teaching that Christ is the true, natural, essential God, born of the Father in eternity. If this therefore stands firm and remains true, as it is true according to the Scriptures, then we Christians of our Lord Christ's holy conception, birth, suffering, death, bloodshed, resurrection and Pentecost are improved, and are then, through all these things, bettered.
*This sermon, which Luther held on the third day of Christmas 1542 (more likely 1541, according to the custom of that time to begin the new year with Christmas) in the parish church of Wittenberg, was copied by Georg Rörer. Franz Scharschmied in Halle copied it from his writings and had it printed in 1562, with a note to the council in Weida. In the collections, first in the Eisleben one, vol. II, p. 438; then in the Altenburg one, vol. VI, p. 1179; in these two editions without Scharschmied's dedication and inserted in the interpretation of the first chapter of John after the eighth sermon. Quite the same in the Erlanger, vol. 46, p. 31; the remark made there, "This sermon is missing in Walch," is corrected in vol. 48, p. 410. Further, in the Halle volume with the dedication, p. 451, and in the Leipzig edition, the sermon, vol. IX, p. 536, the dedication in the supplement, p. 17. - In the Eisleben edition, this sermon has the superscription: "Another sermon on these words: Im Anfang war das Wort 2c., gethan am Tage natalis Domini, nach Mittage, Anno 1542", but this indication is not probable to us, because the text is the pericope of the third feast day, not of the first. Scharschmied says: "zu Weihnachten", not: am Weihnachtstage. - We reproduce the text according to Walch, taking into account the variants given in the 48th volume, p. 410, of the Erlangen edition.
2150 Erl. 46, 3i f. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1823-1828. 2151
the true faith in him, partaker, free and rid of sins, death, devil, hell and eternal damnation, and therefore righteous and eternally blessed. This is what Christian hearts should remember, against the heresy of Cerinthi, who deprived the divinity of Christ, so that they can then comfort and rejoice in the true divinity of Christ and thank him for his salvation.
On the other hand, Manichaeus, the heretic, taught that Christ was not truly man. This is also a lie against God's word. For Christ is a true man, born of the Virgin Mary, who had body and soul and members like another man, but without sin, who ate, drank, lived among the people, was seen and heard, as John says: "He dwelt among us, we have seen Him", John 1:14, 1 John 4:14.
With such blasphemous lies and errors, both parts have done murderous damage to Christianity, thereby deceiving many people, so that, according to them, some have denied the divinity, others the humanity of Christ, and have torn apart the two natures in Christ, namely divine and human, which are inseparable. This happened to them because they did not perceive God's word, which God had preached to them, diligently listened to it, despised it, did not pay attention to the teacher's sermon, nor did they test the spirits as to whether they were of God or of the devil, as St. John commands them to do in the 1st Epistle, Cap. 4, 1. 4, 1. For this they have been safe, have not prayed nor watched against the devil and false teachers.
Because the devil, the old serpent, according to his nature, neither rests nor celebrates, we must always worry that he will bring these errors back onto the track through the shrewd minds, from the doom of God, because of the contempt and great satiety and weariness of the holy Gospel; as he would have gladly done long ago, where God would not have resisted him. Therefore, it is of great importance to all Christians that they should understand the sayings of the divine word, which speak of the eternal Godhead.
and true humanity of Christ, diligently read and take, and in addition take these and other sermons, which explain such articles, so that, where these errors arise again (from which the dear God graciously protects His Church), they know and can defend themselves with the Holy Scriptures against the heretics and false teachings.
Not only should they diligently read, meditate and believe God's Word for the sake of the two heretics, but also for the sake of all heretics, of whom there are now many at the end of the world who pervert God's Word in many ways, so that they resist them, do not follow them, nor give credence to their heresy and error. And it is certain that any Christian who learns and studies his catechism well will easily be able to judge all false teachers. And if he sticks to it, he will never be deceived by any heretic, whatever his name may be.
But if they do not accept God's word, do not learn nor know their holy catechism, become secure in the holy gospel, despise and neglect it, do not pray diligently, then it is easy and soon happens that they are deceived and seduced by false teachers, as happened to our forefathers, and unfortunately happens to many in our time.
May the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ help and grant with grace that E. E. W. may continue to love God's Word, to diligently hear and learn it, and may E. E. W., along with all true preachers and lovers of the Holy Gospel, be constantly kept in the pure doctrine of the Augsburg Confession and the correct use of the Holy Sacraments until the end, and may E. E. W. be blessed through his true faith in his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. E. W. through the true faith in his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord; and protect E. E. W. together with your faithful pastors and Christian congregation from all false doctrines, sects and cults, Amen. Date at Halle, on the day of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, Anno 1562.
E. E. W.
most obedient
Franciscus coulter smith.
You have often heard that the dear child Jesus is both God and man in one person. This is what the evangelist teaches in this gospel. The blind, foolish (should say, clever) reason, climbs up to heaven, and wants to know what God is, what he thinks, intends and does. I will tell you soon, says St. John, if you would only believe it, and I will tell you.
the most secret counsel that God has in the depths of His heart. But this is it, if you want to know it: "In the beginning was the Word". There you have it. Yes, you say, who understands this outrageous and unusual speech? Dear, you also ask a high and incomprehensible thing. If thou art so simple and unintelligent, do thou thus unto him: When thou hearest the word "Word," then understand "Son. When you hear the
2152 Erl. 46, 32-34. ' Another interpretation about Joh. 1, I-14. W. VII, 1828-1831. 2153
know that the evangelist calls "the Word" the Son, read the text thus: In the beginning was the Son, and the Son was with G,Ott, and the Son was GOD, the same was in the beginning with GOD. All things were made through Him (the Son), and without Him nothing was made.
2 Do you now understand what the evangelist calls "the Word"? Take it thus, and mark it, and thou shalt not fail; for at the end he himself makes it thus, "The Word was made flesh." That is: The Son of God became a human son, the eternal Son of the Father became a temporal son, the unapproachable one became an initial son. But you must understand this so that you do not make two sons out of God's Son and Mary's Son. There are not two sons, the eternal, unapproachable one, and the temporal and initial one; but one must be. He has two births, one eternal, from the Father; the other temporal, from the Virgin; and yet is only the only Son, born from the Father eternally and from Mary temporally; she has not brought another Son into the world, but whom the Father brought from eternity. There are two births: another from the Father, another from the Mother, and yet it is an only Son. Whom Mary calls her true, natural Son, the Father also calls his true, natural Son. These are strange sayings! Yes, indeed, strange.
3 The evangelist does not speak badly, the son, but "the word", although it would be right. But he had to speak like this. For at that time heretics arose who denied that the Son of Mary was the Son of God; therefore he calls the Son the Word, who was in the beginning, before all creatures were created, and says, "In the beginning was the Word," that is, when all creatures, heaven and earth, and that which is in them, began to be, which were before nothing. But apart from the creature nothing can be but the Creator. For everything that exists is either the Creator or his creature. So here the text makes a huge distinction between "the Word" and the creature. "The Word" is not among the heap of those who have begun, but has already been in its essence. That is why the evangelist hurls against Cerinthum, and others who followed him, that "their doctrine" was already in existence.
false, and a blasphemous error and lie would be against the Son of God, of whom they said that he was not the Son of God, but a pure human being. There would be a whole sermon to be preached on why the evangelist calls the Son of God the Word; but it is too ludicrous for this time, as the text has been treated many times before.
(4) Ye simple ones take heed when ye hear, In the beginning was the Word, that ye may know that it is so much said: In the beginning was the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son himself was God, and was with God in the beginning. So also: "The word became flesh", is so much: The eternal son became a temporal son, not two; and are nevertheless (as said) two different births. Therefore, in Luke 2, v. 11, the angel calls the virgin Son, who lay in the manger, the Savior, when he says to the shepherds, "Unto you is born this day a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." He is our Savior, not the angel's; but the angels confess with us that he is also their Lord and God, and 1) also worship him.
5 But briefly you should know that the evangelist calls the Son of God "the Word" against the heretics, he does this for the sake of Moses, who follows St. John, who also speaks in the same way as St. John, when he says: "Since there was no light, but only darkness, nor any other creature, God said: "Let there be light" Gen. 1, 3, that is, God let a word go, which was a perfect word, and the word through which all things were created. Thus he smuggles against the heretics, that the word was before in the beginning, and yet the person who spoke was not; therefore the word had to be with the speaker, not with the creature, which was not yet created, but was besides, above and before the creature with God.
According to this you want to say: Are there two Gods? No. "The Word is with God", but a distinct person. So St. John strengthens and affirms our faith that we are certain that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons; but not three distinct Gods, but One is GOD. Therefore we pray Chri-
- "and" is missing in the Erlanger.
2154 Erl. 46, 34-^36. Interpretations On John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1831-1834. 2155
They have the advantage over all Jews, pagans and Turks that we alone know God rightly and truly. They look only at the creature and not at the Master. Therefore, Jews and Turks boast that they are the true people of God, because they worship only One God; they blaspheme and revile us Christians as idolaters and senseless fools who worship three gods. It is not true, they speak such things to our backs among their disciples, do not know what they say, are blind men and blind leaders. We say and confess better than they that there is no more than One God, who, reckoning against the creature, created all things.
(7) Further, we say that we Christians are not satisfied with how the Creator is to be reckoned and held in relation to the creature; but we know and teach from Scripture what God is in Himself, even that He has His divine nature in Himself. There we confess that the one and only Lord, King, God and Creator, through His Son, has thus portrayed Himself and made Himself known, that in the Godhead it stands thus, that the word is spoken by the Father, and the Holy Spirit (as they say) consents to it; that there is a third, and yet in itself only one; to be reckoned against the creature. Therefore Augustine and other ancient teachers say: Opera Trinitatis ab extra sunt indivisa; that is: The works of the Holy Trinity are from the outside undivided; the Father, Son, 1) Holy Spirit, are one creator, not three, against the creature. Jews, pagans, Turks come so far.
(8) We are not to look at God only from the outside in His works, but He also wants to be known for what He is on the inside. Within is one being, and three persons, the Father, Son, Holy Spirit; not three gods. For this reason, we worship only One God.
How does it work? It is unspeakable. The dear angels cannot marvel enough at it for joy; it is put into words and preached to us. When we have discarded the black, nasty, filthy, stinking maggot sack, we want to see it with the dear angels, our eternal
- Erlanger: and.
We will have joy and bliss in it, and mock the Jews, pagans, and Turks again, who now consider us to be lumps, as they neither know nor understand that there is only One God. But they are wonderfully pointed, astonished at their high wisdom and understanding, that they confess and worship only One God; yes, the wretched devil in hell. The pagans have caught it by natural reason that only One God is seen and noticed, as Paul tells the Romans in Chapter 1, v. 20, by the works that God does in the world, which he has so wisely created that the sun has its course, also the earth its certain time, when one should plow, sow and reap 2c. But we Christians are said to be such blind, coarse fools, who do not understand that only One God is to be honored and worshipped, who created heaven and earth.
(10) This Jewish, pagan, Turkish faith and knowledge does not do it, God is not satisfied with being called Creator of heaven and earth. The Jews praised God, who had led them out of Egypt into the Promised Land; and to Christ they said John 8:41: "We have one Father, God. On this the Lord Christ says, v. 42, 43, 44: "If God were your Father, you would love Me; but you neither know Me nor My Father; indeed, you are of the Father, the devil." And in the 16th chapter of John, v. 2, 3, he says to his disciples: "They will put you under ban and kill you, thinking that they are doing God a service. But it is all because they know not my Father, nor me." So the Turks and the Gentiles boast much about God's right knowledge and faith, but speak of it like a blind man of color, yes, as furious, senseless people, blinded and hardened by the devil.
In short, God wants to be known according to His word, in which He has revealed His divine nature and will. The world (says St. Paul 1 Cor. 1, 21) did not know God in His wisdom, through its wisdom; therefore it pleased God well to make blessed those who believe in it through foolish preaching. And to Romans in chapter 1, v. 20. 21, St. Paul says that the Gentiles have seen by the works of creation that one
2156 Eri. 46, 36-ss. Another interpretation on Joh. 1, 1-14. W. vn, 1834-1837. 2157
But they have not praised him as a god, nor thought of him as a god.
(12) Therefore God has poured out His divine nature and indicated through the gospel that He has a Son; as He Himself cries out from heaven: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; him you shall hear" Marc. 9:7. As if he wanted to say: Take him as your Lord and God, honor and worship him; or 1) you shall not have me as your God, if you still boast one thing so high and glorious, that I am your God, whom you all rightly recognize and worship. For "he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which sent him," John 5:23. "He that hath not the Son of God hath not life," 1 John 5:12. Item: "He that abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath no God; he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son," 2 John 9, V. 9. The Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has sufficiently revealed His divine will to us, John 1:18, and has instituted and established the ministry of preaching, baptism, and the sacrament, and confirmed and confirmed them with miraculous signs. Summa: He wants to be recognized, honored and worshipped in the Son alone; whoever does it differently or recognizes it, does not honor and worship God, but the devil.
Therefore, no one can truly know God, nor speak of His divine nature and will, except us Christians. In his time he will find Turks, pagans, Jews, papists and all unbelievers who despise Christ and his word 2c. For their sake, though they be many, he will not reject the Son and the Holy Spirit. He that hath not the Son hath not the Father. He that despiseth the Son despiseth] the Father also: for his divine nature, glory, and power are in the Son. This he has revealed and made clear enough, having given him Mary, the virgin of the lineage of David, as his mother; as can be clearly seen in the Scriptures. This is how the Holy Spirit begat Christ and transfigured him. This is how he, the Lord himself, preached, performed miraculous signs, raised the dead, gave sight to the blind.
- Erlanger: but.
He took the sin of the world upon himself, bore it, made amends by his suffering and death, and by his glorious victory and resurrection redeemed all who believe in him from the power of the devil, making them righteous and blessed. He has also left his word, baptism, sacrament, and key behind him for the comfort and salvation of his Christianity, and still leads sinners through them to righteousness from death to life without interruption. The Father has ordained him for such an office. Whoever therefore does not honor or worship the Son, and does not recognize him with the apostle Thomas as his Lord and God, is lost and eternally damned.
(14) All this was not done secretly in a corner, or only in the Jewish country; but the gospel of Christ, that he is the only begotten Son of God and the Savior of the world, was spread throughout the world by the preaching of the apostles and their descendants. Through them, driven by the Holy Spirit, written in scriptures (as praise to God before his eyes), confirmed also with signs and wonders; therefore he will remain well before the Jews, the Gentiles, the Turks and the Papists.
15 Many of the Roman emperors, while they were still powerful, wanted to exterminate Christ, his word and church, and began to do so with great earnestness, rumbling horribly among them, so that in one day in the Roman Empire many thousands of Christians were killed: Many thousands of Christians were murdered. But he remained before them all, keeping his word, that for and for there were some who had to teach, spread and confess it, and on the other hand one tyrant after the other always went down and went to the devil. So now the pope is also eaten up by the gospel, like the Jews with their kingdom and priesthood at the time of the apostles. The Turk, too, has for a long time done great harm to the Christians, persecuted and murdered them, destroyed the Church of Christ in many countries and kingdoms, and destroyed his word; nevertheless, they have been and still are Christians under him. Has he also succeeded, by God's decree, in punishing the sin and ingratitude of his people. But before he should suppress the Son of God, so that he would not be Lord and God, before he would have to destroy heaven and earth.
2158 Erl. 48, 39-41. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1837-1839. 2159
Earth invade. Therefore both, the pope with his henchman, and the Turk, may well lay themselves against Christ, and be subject to his word and church; but it will certainly happen to them, as it did to the Jews and the Romans. When the hour comes, the Lord who dwells in heaven will speak to them in his wrath, and will terrify them with his fury, Ps. 2:5, 6, because he has appointed the Son as King, and has given him the kingdom, that he should be the 1) Lord over all, and wants all men to honor and worship him, to recognize him as their God, Creator and Savior. Those who do so have in God a gracious Father, and they shall be His sons and heirs, and have His only begotten Son for their patron against the devil and all his scales. But if not, then he has given the son who sits at his right hand an iron scepter, so that he should smash his enemies, smash them like a pot, and put them at the footstool of his feet Ps. 2, 9, as he did to the Jews, Romans, Egyptians, Asiatics, Greeks 2c. and other kingdoms and monarchies.
(16) So it is done inwardly in the divine essence that the Father has a Son, begotten of him in eternity, and yet at the same time is the Son of Mary; thus, born of her in time, he is true God and man in one person. If you want to argue and be clever, you would neither know nor understand anything about it without God's word, but believe much more wavily. But because of your unbelief, the Son is neither greater nor lesser; he has remained safe from all tyrants' power and sharp minds, who have set themselves against him, his word and church; but they have perished and gone to the devil.
17 Therefore, if the Turk strikes us all dead, let us believe in Christ our Savior and the Lord and Creator of all creatures, and defy him, saying, "Turk, if you will not laugh, be angry. But I will strike you dead. What more do you want? I will destroy the name of your Christ and the gospel. Thou shalt not do so; and by this very thing, that thou hast done this
- "the" is missing in the Erlanger.
you have struck him on the eye who says, "He who touches you touches the apple of my eye; whom you call your God and Creator of heaven and earth and praise, and say that you worship him; he will find you well. I take comfort in the fact that I have a Lord who is true God and man; I will call upon him and confess him as long as I can move my tongue; he will bring me back to life if you strike me dead, and push you into the abyss of hell.
Therefore God is not satisfied with this honor, nor is he satisfied that he is God, Creator of all creatures, as Jews, pagans, Turks and papists praise and extol him; this is the ancient wisdom. But through the gospel he proclaims to all the world: "Receive my Son, who is also the Son of Mary and lies in the manger, believe in him, recognize and confess him as your Lord and Savior, honor and worship him as you do me; whoever does not honor him, truly does not honor me. This then is the new wisdom and faith of all Christians, by which they are saved. Whoever honors God in any other way, is lying and blaspheming Him. Mark this well and take it into your heart.
V.14. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, a glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father.
(19) I have often said that the evangelist speaks of the deity of the Lord when he calls him the Word who was in the beginning, not made, but when all things were made, he was already there, and so that through him, as the Creator, heaven and earth and all that is in them were made, proves that our Lord Christ is truly God with the Father for ever and ever. No evangelist puts this article, that Christ is true God and man, so powerfully as St. John, for he lived the longest, and still in his time the blasphemous heresies arose, since it was pretended that Christ was not God, which were not yet in St. Peter's and Paul's time. So. St. John experienced the first heretic, Cerinthum, and was caused to cry out against him.
2160 Erl. 4Ü, 41-43. Another interpretation about Joh. I, I-14. W. VII, 1839-1842. 2161
ben. For this reason, he suffered much more than the other apostles.
20 Now he says here that the very same word of which he said above, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God," has also become flesh, that is, man. I have often admonished you to learn to understand this article correctly, for it is well sharpened by the heretics, and also admonished you not to let the two natures in Christ be separated. For so the holy evangelist wants to say here: The Word has become a right, natural man, has taken body and soul, as I and you have, to himself; but because he is also true God, the person, who is also man, must and can have no sin in him. Therefore, do not let the two natures, God and man, be separated in Christ, but remain together, as the text clearly says: "The Word became flesh"; does not say: The Godhead became another person, and another person became mankind.
- So then, God's Son and Mary's Son is One Son, not two; Christ is God and man, and is only One Christ, not two; One Person, not two; God is man, man is God in One Person, undivided; God's Child and man's Child is One Child. And there is great power in this article; for if this person is divided, we are lost 2c.
(22) In saying, "The Word was made flesh," he excludes the Father and the Holy Spirit, and keeps only the Son, saying, "The Word which was in the beginning was made flesh, not the Father, nor the Holy Spirit. The Father is not the Son of Mary, neither is the Holy Spirit. These words we have not set down nor carried in the gospel; but they have thus remained from the beginning of the church of Christ. If you now ask reason why the Son and not the Father became man, it will of course not be able to tell you, indeed it will become a fool about it. Therefore hear what the Holy Spirit says to you through St. John: the Word became man and suffered, and not the Father 2c. How this happens, you shall believe, and neither know nor understand, but save until that blessed day of our redemption.
Reason, when it wants to measure and grasp this article with its prudence, thinks: In the Godhead there is one indivisible being; how then can the middle person alone become man and not all three? I would be as wise as any heretic, if I wanted to master these words: "The word became flesh", to my liking. It means believed; not seen, measured, or grasped. In the Godhead there are three persons, the Son is the Word that was in the beginning; the same Word or saying, not the speaker, became man; therefore we do not let the other two persons mix into mankind.
And dwelt among us.
(24) The same person, namely, God's saying, or God's Son, when he became man, did not soon go to heaven or hide in a desert, but dwelt among us. This does not mean a spiritual dwelling, as Christ says Joh. 14, 23: "We will come to him and make our home with him"; but a neighborly, civil dwelling. He went in and out, so that he was seen walking and sitting in the streets, talking with the people, sailing on the water; not in a secret, spiritual way, but visibly among us. Just as when I am in the house, I am doing something, reading, writing, praying, eating, drinking, watching, sleeping, going out and coming in like my neighbor. He was brought up in Nazareth under Joseph and Mary, helped his father in his work when he grew up, and later, in the thirtieth year of his age, began to preach and to perform miraculous signs, choosing twelve apostles and seventy other disciples and sending them out to preach. This is what the evangelist means when he says, "And dwelt among us."
Take heed to the word of the evangelist. He does not want to separate the natures in the person, if he is true God and man, of which he said: "In the beginning was the Word. And 1 John 1:1: "The Word of life, which was from the beginning." And soon after he says: "The word was in the beginning.
2162 Erl. 46, 43-46. Interpretations On John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1842-1844. 2163
Flesh." The same word (he says) we have not only seen, but with our bodily eyes we have only very well looked at it in the head, and we have also touched it with our hands. If the same word has been (as you say) before no eye has been created, how then do you say that you have seen it? Do you not hear that he wants the persons to be undivided, so that Mary not only gave birth to a pure human being, but also to the true, natural Son of God at the same time. When she saw her natural son, she also saw the true Son of God, the Lord over all. Although her eyes do not reach the Godhead, they do reach the person in whom two natures, divine and human, are inseparably united. As when I see a man covered or veiled with a garment, I see nothing but the garment; yet the man is essentially and presently there. Item, you give another a bag full of florins; you see the bag alone, and not the florins, and yet the florins are in it. It is much more the case here, since God and man are one person.
Origen compares this union of divine and human nature to a glowing iron. As fire heats the iron (he uses this simile 1), and mixes itself into the whole iron: so the eternal Word has taken on human nature, and filled it completely with divine light and life, and human nature is thus completely united with the Word, as an iron is fired through with heat and hammers.
And dwelt among us.
27 That is, he became our brother, acting like another man. Therefore, whoever touched him, as St. John in the Lord's Supper, touched God's Son. So St. John was in God's arms; the apostles and others who heard him preach heard God's voice. These and other texts are written to strengthen our faith that the two natures in Christ shall not be separated. The man JEsus is not alone, but he is
- We added this addition and put the round brackets to make sense.
also the Word or the Son of God, who became man and dwelt among us. So that you can say rightly and truly: The Son of God lies in the cradle, and lies in the womb of the mother, lies in bed, walks on the earth, fetches the mother water, shavings, bread, fish 2c. After that, when he grew up and was a boy, he carried the axe to Joseph. I say this in so many words to admonish you, that you may well understand and imagine this article, for the sake of those who cut up this person. The Jews crucified not only the man Christ, but the true God and man; for he is One Person in two natures.
When Philip the apostle desired of the Lord that he should show him and the other apostles the Father (perhaps he had thoughts of the Father, that he was an old man with a beard as gray as ice, as Daniel 7:9), the Lord Christ answered and said John 14:9, "So long have I been with you, and you have not known me? Philip, he that seeth me seeth the Father." Thus says St. John: "The Lord has not dwelt among us alone, but has become so near to us that we have even seen him in the flesh. He, as it is written, had a black, brownish beard and brown eyes; we also felt him with our hands; therefore he was not a ghost.
(29) If this article remains pure and unadulterated, we can build firmly on it and recognize what a glorious, inexpressible treasure the Father has given us; otherwise we stand in the very danger in which 2) Arius, the heretic, who deprived Christ of divinity, and Manichaeus, who deprived him of humanity, stood. Where it comes to that, this treasure is already lost; whether one cries for a long time: "A child is born to us, a son is given to us" Is. 9, 6., item: "He gave himself for our sin" 2c. Galat. 1, 4., they are nevertheless tiresome 3) shells, or bowls; the weight is there, where one loses the Godhead in the person of Christ, and
- Erlanger: "is", whereas "gestanden" is missing at the end of this sentence.
- Maybe: "single"?
2164 Erl. 46, 46-48. another interpretation on Joh. 1, 1-14. w. VII, 1844-1847. 2165
then only one creature is given for our sin; and then the devil is powerful over us, and we must die in our sins and perish eternally. But if the shell is full, and this kernel is still in the shell, that God's Son gave Himself for our sin; item, laid down His life in payment for us, and shed His blood, which is God's blood, for us, then the weight is so strong that it crushes and crushes the serpent's head, destroys sin, strangles death, tears out hell and breaks it. But if the shell alone remains, we are not made better by his death or resurrection; indeed, if all the angels died for us, we would not be helped by it. The Word (that is, the true Son of God), who was in the beginning, must do it himself; he is the weight that tramples down sin and death and devours them eternally, to whom the devil and hell are a poison and pestilence.
(30) Therefore he was made man, and did not soon disappear or fly into heaven, but dwelt among us as another man, having hands and fingers and all kinds of limbs, like me and you. He spit in the eyes of the blind man, and put his hand upon him, even upon his eyes, and made him see, Marc. 8, 23. Item John, 9 Cap. v. 6, he spit upon the ground, and made a dung of the spittle, and put the dung upon the eye of him that was born blind, so that he was a true man, who used all manner of means to preserve this life, as another man; only that he was without sin. For the person is true God and man at the same time. This is our Christian faith, the highest comfort and treasure.
And we saw his glory.
(31) Behold, how powerfully he presents and imagines this article to us. We have seen," he says, "not only that he is a true man who has dwelt among us, but we have also known that he is true God, for he has raised the dead. He made lepers clean with one word. So that his deeds were divine, and his glory, which he displayed through such miraculous works, was the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
(32) This then is the fruit which we believers have, that the Son of God became man. He is not a sinner, as we, who were conceived in sins, were born, and are children of wrath by nature; for which cause there is in us nothing but lies and falsehood. But this could not have happened in Christ, that he had any sin; for he was the only begotten Son of God, wholly pure, innocent, holy. And even though he took on human nature, he was still pure at the same moment, conceived by the Holy Spirit from the Virgin. This is what the holy evangelist means2) when he says, "Full of grace and truth." And afterwards, v. 16: "We have all received of His fullness." That is, grace and truth are so abundant in his person that all believers enjoy and are made partakers of his grace and truth.
(33) Therefore let us take care that we keep both the core and the shell, that is, his divinity and humanity. For if he alone is a pure man, we are not improved by Easter and Pentecost; that is, he has not made us righteous and saved by his resurrection, nor sent the Holy Spirit to purify the heart, that it may be full of grace and true. Therefore we must take the feast of the birth of Christ as a basis, so that we may know what kind of person Jesus Christ is, namely, that he is the one who was in the beginning, through whom all things were made, and soon promised to Adam that the seed of the woman should crush the serpent's head; therefore he had to be born in time of a woman's image, from the tribe and blood of Ade, Abraha and David.
(34) There are three persons of the eternal, divine being, but the middle person, the Son, became a man. If you believe this, you will understand what kind of person hung on the cross on Good Friday, who was given to death for our sins and raised again for our righteousness, who makes us blessed in baptism and sacrament.
- Erlanger: "but in Christo could not".
- Erlanger: nennet.
2166 Erl. (2.) 19, 3S4 f. Interpretations about the evangelistpJohannes. W. VII, 1848-I8S0. 2167
C. Sermon on the saying Joh. 1, 16. *)
1537. (?)
Joh. 1, 16.
From His fullness we have all taken grace for grace.
1 De adventu Christi in carnem adhuc versamur. For we have enough to do to teach who Jesus Christ is. One always wants to forget about Jesus and lead other teachings and thoughts. Therefore John testifies here of Christ, and says: "All that we have, we have only in fullness, gratiam pro gratia, etc.". For no one has ever become more devout through laws; there is nothing here but the wrath and punishment of God. Therefore it has been nothing but hypocrisis in all those who have submitted to fulfill the law with their powers. So here is an antithesis legis and Christi, sicut noctis et diei; primum facit iram et mendacium, secundum gratiam et veritatem.
V. 18. No one has ever seen God 2c.
Whoever sees God must die, and whoever does not see God must also die. Is the other Span. 1) Solutio iste textus: Unigenitus filius ipse enarravit
Summa hujus**:**
That we may know what we have in Jesus Christ. What John speaks here is a cold speech; he baptizes with water; Christ alone judges it with fire and Spiritu Sancto. John and all preachers have nothing more to do than to open their mouths. He shall then command God to fetch whom he will.
V. 16. mercy for mercy.
This is where we are most concerned; if we lose this text, we have already lost heaven and God's grace.
- i.e. dispute, discord.
John says: I am here because of him. I am not worth anything with all my holy life, from him we must receive something good. Here John could not revile them more highly than with these words, when he says: "Whoever does not receive grace and light from Christ here has nothing at all. Here he throws all the Jews' glory to the ground. They have nothing that belongs to God. So when we say it, they call us heretics. But who can help it? It must be preached, as John says here, we have nothing at all from God, we must first tap it from this barrel of grace, Christ. All Jews and Popes are anti-Christian, who think that they want to find something good in them besides Christ, so that they say and lie: We must also do enough per actuali peccato.
4 John says here: He has nothing but from above. So blessed are those who come here with their empty soul and desire to be filled by Christ; to them Christ gives enough and also keeps enough, Ephes. 1, 3: Qui benedixit nos benedictione spirituali in coelestibus. It casts out from its fullness all that I, John, and all the saints have. Jerem. 31, 25: Omnem animam esurientem implens. This is the noblest treasure on earth, that we can say: Here is a fullness, I am vain. 2) He wants to give enough, he does not stand here for himself, but we are to draw and take from him.
So Christ says Joh. 4, 14. and 7, 38.: Ego habeo fontem; the more one takes from me, the more I have. [John 6:68: Domine apud te est fons vitae. [Dominus in altis habitat et humilia respicit. When I am in trouble, I have fallen, I begin to despair, I hear a speech that God has provided an abundance; but I respect myself, I am in a state of
- i.e. void, empty.
*This sermon belongs to the already several times mentioned (cf. the > note Col. 843) twenty-one sermons, which D. Caspar Güttel bequeathed > to the St. Andreas Church in Eisleben. It is found in the Halle part, > p. 399; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XII, p. 607, and in the Erlanger, > I.Aufl., vol. 18, p. 70; 2nd ed., vol. 19, p. 364. We give the text > according to Walch's old edition, comparing the Erlanger. > > 2168 Erl. (2.) 19, Z65-ZK7. Sermon on the saying Joh. 1, 16. W. > VII, 1850-1853. 2169
so low that I am not worthy, God will look at me. So we are all minded, God be from us, when we are in misfortune. Therefore, the Spiritus Sanctus must drive such sayings into the heart, and make the hearts warm, so that (we believe that) 1) God wants to help us. After that, when the storm is over, I say: Fie on me, that I have not trusted in the pious God, who has stood by me so faithfully. On the other hand, a defiant heart follows that we speak: Now henceforth I will never again despair of God's grace. This is the school of Christians, which lasts as long as we live. But the defiance lasts hardly so long, until the chickens fly out at vespers, then another misfortune comes, that we must again spit at ourselves, and say: Ah, I unbelieving man; it is, after all, God's way, qui in altis habitat, et humilia respicit.
- mode, how God fills, and how we draw grace from him. When he says, Gratiam pro gratia, he strikes to the ground all Judaism with all their works. If it is grace, it is not works and law; for they cannot suffer with one another. What do we deserve from God? He owes us hell, and nothing else. Stipendium peccati mors, Rom. 6, 23. Death shall cut off our head. Now if God gives you heaven, it is nothing but grace. The Lord's goods are not for those who deserve them, but for those to whom the Lord grants them. Thus God says, Rom. 9, 15. 2 Mos. 33, 19: Miserebor cui volo. And it is with him that he makes vasa gloriae or ignominiae out of them.
For mercy.
7 But it is not enough of the grace that God has. What good would it do me if God were favorable to me, and no one knew it but the angels in heaven? Qui in sinu Patris est, he has interpreted it, as he comes forth, preaches, helps everyone; like Is. 60. There we learn how God is gracious to us, gives grace for grace. This is now the certain sign that assures us that God is gracious to us, for the sake of the dear Son, who opens the Father's heart to us. The Gospel
- These insertions are made by us.
was heard from him, preached before God's face, before the foundation of the world was laid. But all this would not have been useful to us, that Christ hung on the cross from eternity before God, if it had not been revealed to us by word and by an outward sign. This sign is Christ, whom he places in the womb of the poor maiden and makes her suckle his breasts. In the end, his whole life is nothing, but that he helps and heals whoever desires it. Pauperes evangelizantur Matth. 11, 5.
This great grace happens to us for the sake of the dear Son, to whom God is so favorable. Whoever clings to Christ will be helped, as Magdalene, Martha, Matthew, Zachaeo, Latroni. 2) Nor does he leave it at the word, but often casts his Son, Christ, into hell, so that he must raise a clamor that the devil is his mighty one. So Christ does, and confirms the testament of God our Father. Who will doubt this blood? God says: We shall draw it from His Son; otherwise we will find no help and no comfort.
Now come two Gratia et veritas per Jesum Christum exorta est. Must the eternal Son of God do it and die? If I thought that God had given a holy law, whoever keeps it shall be saved. This is what John says: "There is nothing wrong with the law. It only causes wrath. If a man is to be pious and do good, it must be by the grace of Christ alone. There is no grace and truth in the law, but only lies and wrath.
(10) The law is like the Rhine, a great flowing water that cannot be resisted; they namely, great rivers have the afterflow. If someone wants to prevent it from flowing, and make a large weir and dam it up, it will not help; if he dams it up for a day or three, it will finally break the dam and do more damage to vineyards, fields and meadows than otherwise. So nature is poisonous, it can do no good. God wants to defend it with the dam of the law. Thus nature speaks: I can do nothing else, but love me, propter me ipsum. The dam is:
- i.e. the thief on the cross.
2170 Erl. (2.) 1g, 367 f. 360 f. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1853-1856. 2171
"You shall love God with all your heart" 2c. There stands the weir, and stops me. But because nature can do nothing but love itself, it turns and ponders until it overthrows God and His law. So nature starts to become an enemy of God, who can do nothing but strike and threaten. So it goes its way, despising God. Lex propter transgressionem data. My heart does not become more pious, it tears down the weir. Rom. 2, 21: Qui dicis, non furandum, furaris.
(11) It is of no use to be outwardly pious and to have inwardly unwillingness in the heart. If we are to be helped, it must be through the grace and truth of this Jesus Christ. Christ has these two titles and glory.
For if I know that God is gracious to me for Christ's sake, then I must confess that this is the righteous service of God; for there one finds rest in conscience, by all works one does not find a good conscience. Then follows truth, that is, a good, pious, merry heart, that we only trust and believe God in all things; for this truth is nothing else than that we say in good German, believe, trust God from the heart. God cannot lie, that is actio; if it comes to us that we feel it, so be it, God cannot deceive, that is passio. It goes out from God, and that is actio, and goes into us with truth, that is passio. Habak. 2, 4: Justus ex fide vivit.
D. Sermon of the Lamb of God, Joh. 1, 29. *)
1537. (?)
1 Expedivimus legationem Levitarum et responsum Johannis. And that which they ask, they shall not; and that which they ask not, it is too much for them; and that which they desire not, they must hear too much against their will. John called them to prepare the way, and gave a sign that he would baptize with water. Then they are angry, because he goes to the Jordan without the chief's leave, and makes the people run to him. All the wise men of the earth are also stuck there; they do not deny that the teaching is false. But they want to wait until it is recognized by the authorities. So John may baptize without their command, though they have a great appearance. There are more pious people among them than Zacharias, John's father, even though God calls him out. This place also meets us, if we will wait until it is known of men. John, however, asks nothing of it, is certain of his office. So we must also be quite sure of the doctrine, that it is right in the sight of God, if the high leaders agree or disagree, so the great nature always wants.
if no one fights against it. We should not ask anything about it, as John is sure of his profession, does not worry about fighting against the glorious legates. He stands to comfort us, John; if there were only two who held the pure doctrine, and all the world would fight against it, we should still remain manly, and not pay attention to the opinion of men. Let him fall who will, we say: God has sealed his word and sent his Son to die; let him who will not be moved always wait.
2 How does John come to testify about Christ? He says that he did not know him until the dove came upon Christ. He preaches that they should be pious. Poenitentiae praedicatio est causa, that we may desire to be different and godly. The Lord is coming, est causa, Matth. 3, 2: Poenitentiam agite, quoniam appropinquavit regnum coelorum. If the cause remained behind, no one would become more devout. Without the cause, this sermon is nothing because
*This sermon belongs to the same twenty-one sermons as the previous one. In the collections: in the Halle Part, p. 398; Leipzig Edition, vol. XII, p. 606; Erlanger, I. ed., vol. 18, p. 66; 2nd ed., vol. 19, p. 360. We give the text according to Walch, comparing the Erlanger.
2172 Erl. (2.) 1S, 361-383. sermon of the lamb of GOD, Joh. 1, 29. w. VII, 1856-I8S9. 2173
a law. But when one says: Repent, the Lamb of God is already present; item, "the kingdom of heaven has come", that is, a teaching is present: whoever needs help, let him get it from this Christ, then we soon conclude: Goodbye, you former miserable life, here I know better, I see a man who can help me. This means then, to desire and accept another life from Christ. Before the time of grace there was nothing but pressing, choking 2c. But now, when Christ comes to make one godly, one hastens to Christ by force; it is he who gives the power to be godly. This Christ promises all comfort and help to the conscience.
(3) Now when John preached baptism, Matthew 3:5, they all ran and were baptized, confessing their sins to God, and waiting for Christ to make them righteous. John did not recognize the person of Christ so that he could say, "This is He, and not another. Even when Christ was baptized, John did not recognize him until the voice from heaven sounded: Hic est filius meus dilectus etc He recognized that Christ was present, but he did not know who he was until the Spirit revealed it to him. Therefore he says twice: Ecce agnus Dei, qui tollit peccata mundi.
John preaches repentance, baptizes with water, and points them all to Christ, who can take away sin. God has placed this little lamb to wash away the sin of the world. A lamb is of such a good nature that there is nothing evil in it, fimus, lac, lana, pellis, caro, nutrit nos. It is good through and through, that there is nothing evil in it. And even though it is good, it must die in the end, Isa. 53, 7: Sicut ovis ad occisionem ducetur. All other animals cry out horribly when they are slaughtered, but not the little lamb. So everything is good in Christ. He forgives sin, gives knowledge of his Father, preserves us in body and soul, and then dies. Whoever has the little lamb becomes hostile to his life, cries out about it, and asks this little lamb to help him with his great goodness. So, if one preaches repentance without an appendix, the repentance is in vain. But John here adds a causam, and
Says: Repent, there is one who will help you, there is a pious little lamb, in whom alone one finds comfort and blessedness.
Qui me misit baptizare etc.
5 Spiritu Sancto baptizare, est dare Spiritum Sanctum, pour over the Spiritum Sanctum... To baptize means to completely immerse the child up to the neck, so baptism is enough. So people learn that baptism is right through the Spiritum Sanctum. This is where the ministry of preaching begins, and it will not go any other way until the end of the world. It cannot be taken further than into the ears. Christ must bring it into the heart through the Spiritum Sanctum alone. Nevertheless, it must be practiced and preached; and yet it must stand alone with him, to whom he wills to put it into the soul. He cannot suffer us to think that it is the fault of our flesh, or of our studies; but it is Christ's office alone when he brings it into the heart. This then is a new baptism, which John and all preachers cannot give; otherwise it remains cold water, the heart never experiences it, Christ alone must warm it.
(6) If it does not come today or tomorrow, I should do God the honor and wait for the time when he will warm and touch my heart. Therefore, we should not despise hearing the word. If we have hurried far from the devil and run to St. James, let us faithfully hear his word and wait for his grace. Satan can do no more harm than to make us weary of the means by which God will give us this lamb's blood in our hearts; then it is already lost to us. Those in the ministry should be diligent to preach, for God and all the angels are watching and delighting in it. A joy should come into our hearts, because it pleases God. He has also well pleased Paul. Let it not be a joke, let us stand here before the high majesty and speak a word that strikes the soul. He says: Portamus thesaurum in vasis fictilibus; with this Paul consoles himself. Now it is a great comfort that we should wear on our necks a miserable, stinking pot that is easily broken. Still
2174 Erl. 48, 411-413. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1859-1862. 2175
it does not harm the treasure. God knows well that we are a poor vessel. Therefore, no matter where the tops remain, no matter how weak we are, we should always proclaim the treasure and distribute it to the world, and not let the devil make us idle and lazy. Let us now be sure of this, GOD
confirms his word with his son's blood. Let us not be deterred by the wisdom of the world, which opposes it. (2) De Johannis baptismate and have auctoritatem. (3) That we may know how to send ourselves in three things, what is Johannis baptism, and what is Christ's baptism. 1. in aures. 2. in cor.
E. Short explanation of the words Joh. 1, 29-31. *)
Anno 1524.
V. 29. The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, this is the Lamb of God who bears the sin of the world.
(1) That is, another day after, when Christ had been baptized before, and the message of the Jews had been with him, and John had already testified several times, which he testifies here, as it is written above, saying, "Behold, this is the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
(2) This saying, and those that follow, I have abundantly dealt with in the postilion, Advent; for this is the voice of John, to cry out the gospel, how Christ taketh away all sin.
V. 30. This is the one of whom I told you: After me comes a man who was before me, for he was before me.
3 Then John tells of his preaching, which he did before he saw Christ or was baptized, and says that he was before him. This is what is said about the ministry: He comes after me; that is, he will preach after me, I will preach before him.
Who has been before me.
(4) This also seems to me to be said of John's ministry, thus: You must not think that he is far off, of whom I say he comes after me; yes, he is so near that he is already there, and has long since walked among you before me, that is, before I came and preached.
For he was before, because I.
5 This may be said of the deity of Christ; as the evangelist always uses to introduce Christ as a God. As if he should say: He was not only before my preaching and coming, but also before I was or was born. However, it may still be said of the preaching ministry that Christ existed before John's ministry began, since it is not special that Christ, God, was before John, if he had been from eternity before the world.
V. 31. And I did not know him.
006 Namely, before his baptism, when he had not yet seen him; though he knew that he was present, yet not which he was, until he saw the dove upon him in baptism.
But that he might be manifested in Israel, therefore am I come to baptize with water.
(7) For John's ministry was to reveal Christ to all the world, and to show him presently, so he had to know him beforehand, according to the person, outwardly; therefore he had to baptize with water, so that Christ would be known to him in the same baptism, and then testified through him; otherwise John's testimony would have been bad, if the Father from heaven had not testified of him beforehand in the baptism; as he says afterwards: I have a greater testimony than John 2c. Therefore John's baptism
*) This statement is taken from Luther's own handwriting, first inserted in the Jena edition (1585), vol. II, p. 355, then printed in the Altenburger, vol. II, p. 403; in the Leipziger, vol. IX, p. 543, and in the Erlanger, vol. 48, p. 411. We reproduce the text according to the Jena edition.
2176 Erl. 48, 4i3f. (s.)Lvb, 375f. Short explanation of Joh. 1, 29-34. w. VII, 1862-1866. 2177
Mostly instituted for Christ's sake, that he might be manifested there by God, and by John; as follows:
V. 32. And John bore witness, saying: I saw the Spirit descend like a dove and remain on him, and I did not know him.
8 That is, until that hour it was unknown to him that the person, Jesus, was the one of whom he had preached, and before whom he had been sent, although he knew that such a person, whom the Spirit would prove, should come before his eyes, that he might know him of whom he had preached. Therefore he says, "I did not know him," that is, I would never have known that he was the one who had not come, which follows:
V.33. But he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, "On whom you are looking," he said.
will descend the spirit, and remain, the same is he who dews with the Holy Spirit.
(9) This was done and said to John when he was first sent to go before Christ, for if he was to show him, he had to make himself known to him, even by outward signs, as God always gives his word by outward signs.
V. 34. And I saw it, and bare witness that this is the Son of God.
(10) This is the evangelical voice: Let Christ, who bears the sin of the world, be the Son of God and man, our own, on whom faith stands; as otherwise it is sufficiently said everywhere what the gospel says, and of whom, what, and for what it preaches (2c).
Mysteria tu digere, quanquam nihil opus sit.
F. Sermon Who the saying Joh. 5, 39. 40. 43.: Search the Scriptures 2c. *)
Held in the Church of Our Lady in Halle, Saxony, August 5, 1545.
It is, praise God, without necessity that I preach here in Halle; for you are abundantly and sufficiently supplied with learned, diligent, good preachers, who present and preach to you God's word, the holy gospel, purely and loudly, that I truly know. In addition, you also have the grace of God to accept the gospel and believe in it, and in doing so to give life and limb, goods and honor, and to suffer something for it. These are great graces and gifts from God. Well done, God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who began the work in you, may he 1) complete it, so that you may stand by his word and gospel, which you have heard, accepted and believed, to your end, amen. But that ye may see that we have and preach one doctrine and one preaching all together, I with your preachers and pastors, let us continue in the text of John Cap. 5, v. 39. ff. Thus says Christ:
- Erlanger: wollt.
*At the end of July 1545, Luther left Wittenberg for a while out of frustration with the conditions there. During his absence he preached in Merseburg, Halle and Leipzig. This sermon is by LI. Matthias Wanckel, pastor at the St. Moritzkirche in Halle, and dated by him with a dedication to the mayor and council of the city of Halle: Sonntag Johannis Evangelistä (bei Keellonckork, Üi8t. DutB., Dik. Ill, p. 588l>, erroneously: Dominien xost.loU. Dnpt. i. o. ä. 27. lunii anno seciuonti 1546) 1546 (i.e. 27 December 1545), edited. (Walch's statement, Vol. VII, Preface, p. 23, that Wanckel "brought the sermon to light after Luther's death" is therefore also incorrect). The first edition has the title: "Ein Sermon über den herrlichen Spruch Johannis am 5.: Suchet in der Schrift. D. Mart. Luth. Printed at Wittenberg by Georg Rau (Rhaw) 1546." For this sermon Luther received a golden cup from the council of the city of Halle. In the collections: Wittenberger (1553), vol. IV, p. 573; Jenaer (1562), vol.VIII, p. 258; Altenburger, vol.VIII, p. 474; Leipziger, vol. XII, p. 178, and Erlanger, I. ed. vol. 19, p. 88; 2nd ed. vol. 20 d, p. 375. We give the text according to the Erlanger, which reproduced the first printing. The deviations of the wording in the Wittenberg and Jena editions are very significant, but because they mostly weaken, we believe that they are not in Luther's hand.
Luther's Works. Vol. VII. 69
** 2178** Erl. (2.) Lod, 376-378. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1866-1869. 2179
V. 39, 40, 43.^1^ ) Search the Scriptures, for ye think ye have eternal life in them; and they bear witness of me. And ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not. If another comes in his own name, you will accept him 2c.
- the Lord Christ here gives the Pharisees and scribes a good testimony, that they meant to have eternal life in the Scriptures, and here speaks especially of those who believed that they had eternal life in the Scriptures. But of the others, as Sadducees, who held that there was no resurrection of the dead 2c.; item, that eternal life was not in the Scriptures, the Lord does not speak at all; neither does he praise them, but punishes them for such their error, that they do not know the Scriptures, as also Matth. 22, 29. Just as the Sadducees believed, so also the Papists believe that there is no resurrection of the dead. They also do not believe that eternal life is in the Scriptures, but in works, plates, caps, prayers, fasting, and almsgiving.
Now this is no small testimony of Christ, that he here gives the Jews the understanding that they seek life in the holy scriptures. But only the Pharisees were of this opinion, the others, as Sadducees, were not. So also the Jews at Rome strove after it, and had much questioning among themselves, whether in the Scriptures, as Paul taught, was eternal life; as is to be seen in the Acts of the Apostles, 28th chapter, v. 20. ff. So it is not yet a small understanding to study in the Scriptures that one has eternal life therein. Now this has been the core and the seed of the people, whom the Lord Christ praises here.
(4) Therefore Christ said to the Pharisees, "Since you have so much light, see and study the Scriptures diligently, remain in the Scriptures, and continue as you began to seek eternal life in them. But I want to give you a strange gloss and interpretation of the holy scriptures.
- Only the first and last words of this text are printed in the original.
I will give you a few words from the Scriptures that you do not yet know, so that you may read the Scriptures correctly and not err, namely this: Only see to it that you purify your eyes, and open them rightly, and so study the Scriptures that you may find me, me, in them. He who reads them so that he finds me in them is the true master of the Scriptures, and the dust is removed from his eyes, and he will surely find life in them. But if you do not find me inside, then you have not really understood and studied them, and you do not have eternal life; even if you read them a thousand times and toss the leaves around, it is still all nothing and in vain. It is said, "Search the Scriptures"; you understand this, but that they should give testimony of me, you do not understand.
005 For though they read the scriptures, yet thought they not that they should seek Christ therein, and if they found him therein, that they should have eternal life by him also. Then they did not think on it, and such understanding of the Scriptures was hidden and ignorant from them, and still is to this day; yea, this book, the Bible or holy Scriptures, is seven times added unto them, that they cannot find Christ therein. Cause, because they thought: What? should Moses, the prophets, write and preach about Joseph, the carpenter's son, that he is the Messiah and the prophet, whom God promised to send in Deut. 18:18? This is not possible nor true. For he is the son of Joseph the carpenter, full of Nazareth, is not rich, takes alms from the people, has neither house nor farm, nor anything of his own; just as Christ confessed the same, Matt. 8:20: "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has not where to lay his head." For this is true that Christ had to live with His apostles and disciples and receive 2) the tax and handout from devout Christians, as St. Lucas testifies Cap. 8, 3. that some women and others gave Him handouts.
006 And when the Pharisees and the Jews saw these things, they recoiled, and went mad; for they would not receive it, though it might be
- Erlanger: included.
2180 Erl. (2.) sod, 378-381. sermon on Joh. 5, 39. 40. 43. w. VII, 1869-1872. 2181
not believe that Moses and the Scriptures should write of the poor Christ, who took alms and was a beggar, that he was the right true Messiah, and promised prophet, and teacher, who should liberate and redeem Israel. 1) This was a strange catechism to them, that if one would read and study the Scriptures rightly, one would find Christ in them, and whoever found him in them would find eternal life in them; it was too high and difficult for them to believe.
(7) Such things the Jews cannot and will not suffer nor believe even to this day, so wretchedly have they fallen. Nor can the Turk believe that Moses should have written of Joseph the carpenter's son, and that he alone should be sought and found in the Scriptures. And especially the Jews and Turks are annoyed when it is said that Jesus, the Son of Mary, by his suffering and death, by his cross and death, reconciled the world to God, bore the sin of the whole world, redeemed it from the wrath of God, the devil and eternal damnation, opened heaven, and brought eternal life to all those who believe in him 2c. No Jew or Turk can be made to believe this; it is in vain.
8 Our popes and cardinals are just like this, they do not believe it either, they think it is fables and fairy tales, yes, just rubbish, what is preached about Christ and eternal life. But we who are Christians see and hear here that Christ is not only a man, but also God who gives life 2c. Which John also primarily does in his Gospel, that he testifies that Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Mary, is true, natural God and man in one person, to whom all Scripture points 2c.
(9) Christ therefore saith unto the scribes, In the scripture is life eternal; and the scripture and the book have ye; but ye have not hitherto sought it within; and until ye have found me within, ye have not yet rightly studied it. But if you will study and understand them aright, learn to seek and find me within. You
- Original: shall.
You will find many glorious histories of Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, and others, but none of them, though you find them in Scripture, can give you eternal life: I alone, who was made man, born of the Virgin Mary, am now standing among you and talking with you, can give you eternal life. I was also born, suffer and die for this reason, so that you may have life in me, if you believe in me.
(10) And now Christ wants to indicate here why the Scriptures were given by God in the first place, namely, so that one should study, search and learn therein, that he, the Son of Mary, is the one who can give eternal life to all who come to him and believe in him. Therefore, whoever wants to read the Scriptures rightly and usefully, see that he finds Christ in them, and he will surely find eternal life. Again, if I do not study and learn in the Scriptures from Moses and the Prophets that Christ ascended from heaven, became man, suffered, died, was buried, rose again, ascended into heaven, for my salvation, and that through him I have reconciliation with God, forgiveness of all my sins, grace, righteousness, and eternal life, then my reading of the Scriptures is of no use to me. I can become a learned man from reading and studying the Scriptures and preach about them, but all this is of no use to me. For if I do not know or find Christ, I will not find salvation or eternal life; indeed, I will find bitter death. For it is decreed of our dear God, that there is no other name given unto men, whereby they may be saved, but in the name of Jesus, Apost. 4, 12.
11 From this it is clear that whoever finds Christ in the Scriptures and believes in Him has eternal life through Him, as Christ also says John 3:15: "He who believes in Me shall have eternal life. Such a testimony the Scriptures give to Christ and to the Nazarene, and to no other. He who shines in him shall not perish nor be damned. Such a believing man, he may perish as he pleases, his body may be burned to powder and ashes, and the ashes scattered by the wind, or into the
2182 Erl. (2.) 20 b, 381-383. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1872-1875. 2183
If he be cast into the waters as the ashes of John, or be eaten by the fishes or the birds of the air, yet he shall rise again, and have eternal life, and be and abide with me forever in heaven, as he saith Jn 14:3: "I will come again unto you, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." Therefore the body of a Christian and believer, the poor maggot's sack, even if it is still buried deep in the earth, should and must come out of the grave and be transformed so that it shines as beautifully as the bright sun and stars; as Christ says Matth. 13, 43: "The righteous shall shine in my Father's kingdom like the sun," and on the last day they will come forth again and rise to an eternal, imperishable life. As we have much more scripture and testimony of this in many sayings.
12 Is this not a great comfort and a rich promise, which Christ promises here? Who would not gladly read the Scriptures and seek Christ in them, that he might find eternal life? All the world should do it. But how it happens, unfortunately, God have mercy, can be seen. He who wants to understand the Scriptures correctly, and to find eternal life, should look for Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Mary, in them; and if he finds him in them, he should believe in him and consider him to be the right and only Redeemer and Beatificator, who can and will give eternal life to all those who believe in him.
Now Moses prophesied of the Lord Christ, and wrote in the fifth book, in the eighteenth chapter, v. 18, thus: "I will raise up unto them a prophet like unto thee from among their brethren, and will put my word in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all things whatsoever I shall command him. This saying, Christ now wants to say, does not go to Moses, does not speak of the prophet Isaiah, nor Jeremiah 2c., but goes straight to me, Christ. And now Moses wants to say this much with this scripture: You dear people of Israel, see, here you have me as a prophet and teacher, who teaches you the law and the ten commandments, from which you learn to know your sin, item, what you should do and what you should not do 2c. This is my
Ministry. But when I shall cease from preaching, and die, God shall give thee another preacher and teacher, born of thy flesh and blood, like unto me. If then God gives you the teacher, you shall hear him, take his word and preaching to heart, and believe. But I am not the same prophet of whom I speak and write; but I testify of him, and give and let you have the book, that ye may study and learn of it, and find him therein, and learn to know him. Now when he comes in his time and begins to preach, to him I will give my mastership. So open your ears and eyes, and read what I write or have written, and listen diligently to him, accept his preaching, and believe in him; for he will give you eternal life.
This is a fine admonition of Moses, that the people should have respect for Christ who would come after him, and when he comes, recognize him as the prophet whom God promised and promised to Adam, Abraham, David, and even to the whole world as Savior. This has also happened. For even though Jesus was a poor beggar, the people considered him to be a prophet, yes, an excellent prophet; as we see in Matth. 21, 11, where they say as they ride into Jerusalem: "It is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth from Galilee.
(15) The miraculous signs are also true, when he straightened the lame, healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, healed the deaf, made the speechless speak, raised the dead, and cast out devils, all of which were otherwise impossible for men to do. In doing so, they should have ever accepted and realized that Christ, who did all these things, was not a bad man, but the true Messiah (for, as Isaiah Cap. 35, 6. says, when the Messiah comes, these shall be his works), yes, the Prophet, whom God promised them to raise from their brethren, from their flesh and blood. Then they should have recognized and accepted him for the right Messiam. But what happens? Yes, even though they saw the miraculous signs that Christ performed, they still remained stubborn and did not accept Christ as the promised prophet and Messiah, yes, they despised him and did not want to hear his word and preaching.
2184 Erl. (L.) sob, 383-386. sermon on John 5:39, 40, 43.' W. VII, 1875-1878. 2185
nor accept him, as God had commanded them through Moses. Yes, they finally killed him. Is this not to be pitied, that they have been so blind and hardened?
16 John the Baptist had already entered his ministry and preached to the Jews and the people: "I am not the prophet whom God promised to raise up from among your brethren; I am the last prophet and teacher before Christ, but a forerunner and harbinger of the Messiah and true prophet and teacher; he who comes after me is he. And so pointing to Christ with his finger, he says John 1:26, 29: "Behold, this is the Lamb of God who bears the sin of the world." He is already in your midst, but you do not know him. He will begin to preach in my time and life and preach after my life, hear him. Repent, that is, dear brethren and people, send, hear him, receive him. For he shall make an end of Moses and the law 2c. The Jews heard such a warning from St. John, saw the miraculous signs of Christ many times, but still remained stubborn and did not accept Christ.
(17) For this reason the Jews have no excuse even today. If they did not hear John preach, and did not see Christ perform miraculous signs, their fathers saw and learned that the prophecy of Moses, whom they were to hear, had been fulfilled. They will have to confess all this themselves on the last day, that John showed them the promised prophet and Messiah, that is, Christ, with his finger and preached about him. Item, that Christ himself taught, 1) he is the Messiah, and eternal life 2c. [As he says here in this place, "The Scriptures have declared that I am comfort, salvation and eternal life 2c." (John 17:3). To this end Christ suffered, died, was buried, rose again the third day, ascended into heaven, sent the Holy Spirit, and continues to do so without ceasing. What more should John the Baptist, and Christ himself, do and testify? John points with his finger to Christ, that they may not be absent, and says:
- Original: gelernet.
He is the one whom God promised to send you. Yes, Christ also points to Himself as if with a finger, when He says, "The Scriptures testify of Me. If the Pharisees and Jews had truly believed and accepted such testimonies, and had considered Christ to be the true Messiah, and had listened to and received his sermon with all seriousness and diligence, they would have had and found eternal life in him and through faith in him. So they remain stubborn and blinded, and neither John nor Christ's testimony of him helps; nor do Christ's mighty, wonderful miracles and wonders help them; everything is too little to move them to believe in Christ. Is it not too pitiful?
18 And if the Jews, Pharisees and scribes, were ever moved to believe in Christ, to accept him, and to consider him the right, true Messiah, that he would walk in the very office, and do the work of which Moses wrote in chapter 18, v. 18, of his 5th book; for thus the same words are: I will give them, says God to Moses, a prophet like you, to him I will put my word in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him 2c. This shall be his office, he shall not be a worldly king and lord, who would come and go about with pikes, spears, armor, guns, horses, and golden cuirass, as they imagined the Messiam to be; but he shall and shall come thus, as a preacher and teacher, as I am now. For as I instruct and teach you, so shall Christ the prophet do when he comes. Then thou shalt give ear, and listen diligently, and learn what he saith unto thee: It is not a matter of getting, but of giving ear. This is what Moses said Christ did. For as soon as he was baptized of John in Jordan, he entered upon his ministry, and began to preach and to do miracles. Then all the world, high and low, great and small, rich and poor, should have come to hear the preacher as the promised Messiah and Christ. Then they turn around, become enemies with him, can neither see him nor want to hear him, are annoyed by his poor, small stature, that he is not a man.
2186 Erl. (s.) 20 b, 388-388. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1878-1881. 2187
had no house and castle of his own, had to take handouts from others, and rode in on a donkey on Palm Day 2c.
- the Jews did not want to have such a man and Messiah, who walked and rode along in such a bad and simple way and had nothing of his own; but they wanted to have such a man, who would come with great splendor, horsemen and cuirassiers, that everything would clatter and crash before him and behind him, and who would exterminate the Gentiles 2c. But God did not promise them such a man and prophet; neither did Moses paint and describe him in such a way that Messiah should be a worldly king and lord, but a preacher and teacher like him. Such a worldly Messiah the Jews would gladly have at this hour, who would come with many thousands of men: yes, they have waited for such a one, who would subdue, drive out and exterminate the Gentiles and Turks, now to the fifteen hundred years; but in vain, and will wait and hope in vain, nothing will come of it 1). The promised Messiah has long since come, and has fulfilled his ministry, for which the Father sent him into this world. Blessed is he that believeth on him, and shall live for ever: but cursed and damned for ever is he that believeth not on him, as Jews, as Turks 2c.
Thus Moses describes the prophet and Messiah. This is also the case that 2) Christ here speaks of his divinity, and yet is a true man. For the giving and giving of eternal life does not belong to any creature, but to God alone. For even if all the angels in heaven were to work together to give me and preserve this transitory life for a few hours, they could not and would not be able to do so; much less would they be able to give and bestow eternal life. But Christ says John 6:40: I can give eternal life to all those who believe in me.
(21) Since Christ does this, it is certain and follows that he is true God and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary. For the Scriptures attribute to Christ true divinity and humanity.
- Original: not.
- Erlanger: the.
Christ says John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth and the life." Item soon before the text v. 1., "If ye believe in God, believe also in me," that is, if ye believe that my Father can give you eternal life, believe that I also can give you eternal life; for I and the Father are One God. What therefore the Father does, that can I also do; and as the Father raiseth up the dead, and maketh them alive; so also I, being the Son of God, maketh alive whom I will 2c. Joh. 5, 21. So John has depicted Christ in all lines, that he is true man and God 2c. And whoever finds this in the Scriptures, the Scriptures are rightly opened to him.
22 Christ says to the Pharisees and Jews, "I am the same prophet and teacher Moses wrote about and preached about, who is to preach to the people after him. Now I do not preach alone like Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and other prophets and teachers; as you see and hear. I also do miraculous works, which Messiah should do when he comes, of which Isaiah proclaimed long ago Cap. 35, 6. I make the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear 2c. Yes, I have power and authority over all these things, as the true God, so that I can give eternal life and blessedness to all those who hear me, accept my words and preaching and believe. How do you like that? No prophet anywhere has not been able to do this 3). They alone have diligently and faithfully performed their ministry, but with preaching. And even though much of their preaching and words were believed, they were not able to give them eternal life by themselves or by their own power, because they were not God, like Christ. Now when I want to read David, that is, the Psalter, as one that testifies of Christ, and look at it rightly, I find Christ in it.
- but all the prophets, Moses, David, 2c. taught thus, I am evil a preacher of Christ, to testify of him, and to teach that he shall come 2c. But I cannot give eternal life to anyone; but Christ can,
- Original: assets.
2188 Erl. (2.) 20d, 388-3W. Sermon on Joh. 5, 39. 40. 43. W. VII, 1881-1884. 2189
When he comes, he will do it. Therefore I will (they have all said and taught) give glory to Christ, and ascribe these things to his divine omnipotence and majesty, and fall under him, and take off the biretta, and give way to him; for he is the Master, we are the disciples; I will say and confess that he alone is the Savior and Beatifier of the whole world, who can and will give eternal life to all those who believe in him 2c. This has been the testimony and confession of Christ by all the prophets, Moses, David, and Jesus 2c.
(24) The Mahomet or Turk testifies and believes differently about Christ, saying, "The Christians believe in Christ crucified, and hold that he is the one who gives eternal life to those who believe in him; but I do not believe and hold this. And yet the Turk comes so far and so far away that he confesses that Christ is a prophet, has a virgin for a mother; item, he has done many miraculous works, and preached 2c. But this he cannot and will not believe, nor accept, that Christ, the Son of Mary, who performed many miracles and wonders, made the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers clean, and raised the dead, and preached, is a true, natural God, and can give eternal life to all those who believe in him. Why does the Turk not believe all this about Christ? Because he has read in the New Testament how Christ was such a poor man before the world, who had not so much as to lay down his head. He was so poor that he could not lay down his head. He had to feed and receive himself from the help of devout Christians because he was in the preaching ministry. Item, who was so poor that he was not able to give half a florin 1) for the interest penny 2c., Matth. 17, 27. And because Christ was such a poor beggar, he does not want to believe that the poor beggar, Christ, is true God and can give eternal life, because he is too poor and powerless for that 2c.
(25) Just as the Turk believes, so does the pope with all his multitude. The pope, bishops, cardinals, papal kings, princes and lords 2c., know very well that
- In the original: Floren.
our doctrine, which we preach by the grace of God, is right, the truth and the gospel. But because it has not been preached by high people, such as the pope, cardinals or other high men, they do not want to accept and believe it. And so the pope, like the Turk, does not want to let Christ be true God and eternal life; but the works, as pilgrimages, praying rosaries; item, letting oneself be buried in a gray cap, and other imaginary works more, shall be the reconciliation against God and eternal life 2c. Leads us into purgatory; not that we shall be saved, but that he only buys much money out of it. Against the faith of the Turk, the Pabst, and all the Papists, Christ our Lord says in the text straight thus: Search the Scriptures, and study them diligently, and therein ye shall find that I, I am eternal life; and not the works of the law, nor the chosen works of the Pabst, the rat-king and duck-Christ of Rome. Faith in me alone gives eternal life. But works shall follow those who have obtained eternal life by faith, and so shall adorn and decorate the life with good works.
For we Christians already have eternal life, because we have the Lord, who is and gives eternal life. For as soon as I am baptized, eternal life is promised and given to me in baptism; for Christ says in Marci 16:16, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and shall have eternal life; lacking only that eternal life should yet be manifested, which shall be at the last day. This is a great thing.
27 Therefore, saith Christ, in the scripture is life eternal. You Pharisees and scribes will not go there; you will not come to me that you might have eternal life. If you would come to me, you would have eternal life. But because you do not come to me, you also have to do without eternal life; that is terrible. So we learn and hear from the words of Christ that whoever comes to Christ, that is, believes in him, shall have eternal life. Whoever then would like to be blessed, let him come to Christ, and
2190 Erl. (2.) 20 b, 3S0-3S2. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII. 1884-1887. 2191
believe in him, and he shall obtain and have these things. So then we have heard that Christ is not only true man, who suffered, died, rose again and ascended into heaven, but that he is also true God; and for this reason he died, suffered and went to hell, so that all who believe in him may have eternal life, and those who do not believe in him may be condemned.
- The text that is written here v. 43: "I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him", 1) the Turk also has it in his book, and has thus falsified it and interpreted it as follows: Christ says that another will come after him; then you hear that Christ himself confesses that he is not the prophet and teacher of whom Moses 5. Book, Cap. 18, 18., but the same will come after him first. The same, says Mahomet, I am: therefore you shall hear me, accept me for the Messiah and true prophet. This is and is called the right forgery of the Scriptures, and with such forgery and wrong interpretation of the Scriptures he has made the country and the people dependent on him, so that they have believed him, and thus have been deceived; Christ says that he has come in his Father's name; nor do they take him for a prophet.
- In the original: "so another will come in his name"; the following words are missing.
they nevertheless do not accept him; but there will 2) come another, as the Mahomet and Pabst 2c., in their own name, without command and mission of the heavenly Father, you will accept him; as then happened. I mean, they accepted the Mahomet; but he came in the devil's name, that's why he did such murderous damage by his seductive devilish teaching, and still does, God have mercy!
- So also the pope did not come in God's name, but in the name of the wicked devil, who sent him; who wanted to be accepted and considered as a god, as happened; who also did great harm by his devilish, antichristian teachings and commandments, and led many countless souls into the abyss of hell, for which God will certainly reward both, 3) Mahomet and the pope, with eternal hellish fire: Yes, their God, the devil who sent them, in whose name they came, will roast them in the eternal hellish fire. More about this at a later time, is now too long. But God grant us His grace, that we may study the Holy Scriptures well and diligently, and find Christ in them, and through Him have eternal life. May God help us with grace, amen.
- Erlanger: will.
- Original: both.
2192 Erl. 47, 227 f. Sermon on John 6, 26. W. VII, 1888-I8S7. 2193
G. D. Martin Luther's Interpretation of the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Chapters of St. John, *)
preached at Wittenberg from Nov. 5, 1530, to March 9, 1532.
The first sermon of the sixth chapter of John.
Held Saturday after All Saints' Day, Nov. 5, 1530. 1)
V. 26. Jesus answered them and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you: You do not seek me because you have seen signs, but because you have eaten of the bread and have been filled.
1 We hear in this text that Christ says to the Jews why they are following him, namely, not because of his miraculous works and teaching, but because of the dear and sorrowful belly; for they thought: This is a right teacher for us, who will give us
- In the short historical note, which Aurifaber prefixed to this interpretation (Eisleben edition, vol. II, p. 145), he notes that Luther began with it on the Saturday after All Saints' Day (that is November 5) 1530. Only the ninth sermon again has a date "January 21, 1531" and after that all the following sermons. Thus, only seven sermons remain, from the second to the ninth, without a closer time determination. With great probability, the time when these sermons will be held can be assumed. There are only three Saturdays in the period from November 5, 1530 to January 21, 1531, on which Luther did not preach. It seems reasonable to assume that these three Saturdays were December 24, the day before Christmas, December 31, 1530, the day before New Year's Day, and January 7, 1531, the day after Epiphany. One finds also otherwise the interruptions in the continuous sermons particularly around the festival times. Accordingly, we have now provided each individual sermon with the date resulting from this.
bring a bodily freedom, so that each one may have enough and be satisfied and do what he wants. And herewith the Lord wants to show what kind of disciples the teaching of the gospel has. For even today the gospel finds such people who think that it is such a doctrine, which gives nothing else but that it only fills the belly, brings all kinds of pleasure, and serves only for this temporal life.
This delusion is so strong and powerful even today that I am almost tired of preaching and teaching. For people come to the preaching of the Gospel as if they were true writers of it. But under this pretense they seek nothing but a belly full, and their own selfishness, taking the gospel for a belly-teaching, from which one learns to eat and drink. These are the thoughts of all men, to reckon from the bottom to the top. For among princes, counts, nobles and officials, citizens and peasants, it is quite true that the gospel is regarded as a sermon to the belly.
(3) But this doctrine is not sent from heaven, that every man should seek his own therein, and suck therefrom what he pleaseth, or that it should fill our bellies, and allow all wantonness. Christ did not shed his blood for this reason, but the gospel is a sermon of praise and glory.
*Luther preached these sermons on the Gospel of St. John, Cap. 6, 26. to Cap. 8, 38. for Bugenhagen, during his absence in Lübeck, in the years 1530 to 1532. (Compare the first note on the interpretation of the 5th, 6th and 7th chapters of St. Matthew, Col. 346 in this volume). He continued where Bugenhagen had left off in his interpretation. The first sermon, after Bugenhagen had left for Lübeck on October 20, was preached on the Saturday after All Saints' Day, November 5, 1530. They were transcribed by Rörer, Dietrich, Lauterbach and Fabricius and first published in the second volume of the Eisleben edition, p. 145. They are also found in the Altenburger, vol. V, p. 615; in the Leipziger, vol. IX, p. 544, and in the Erlanger, vol. 47, p. 227. We give the text according to Walch's old edition, comparing the Erlanger. The time determinations are according to Aurifaber's data in the Eisleben edition. Because Walch, in the preface to the 7th volume, p. 20, note d, expresses his surprise that Luther had already preached these sermons on the 6th, 7th and 8th chapters in the years 1530 to 1532, thus earlier on these subsequent chapters than on the first four chapters, which he interpreted in 1537.To the extent that the first four chapters were interpreted between 1537 and 1540, we want to note here again that according to the order of the Wittenberg service, the Gospel of Matthew was preached on Wednesday, and the Gospel of John on Saturday. When the Gospel was finished, one started again from the beginning. These sermons were held during the day, not in the evening, as can be seen from § 203 of the 7th chapter of St. John's (Old Edition, Vol. 7, 2337).
2194 Erl. 47, SS8-S30. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1897-1899. 2195
Praise and glory to God, directed to how God would be praised by us. For God wants to be praised and glorified by us, and that we do what is pleasing to Him. Let us seek first the glory of God and His kingdom, and then He will give you not only temporal life and all that you need, but also eternal life.
(4) For God hath before given unto the world that which it needeth for the belly, that it should not be needful now to preach the gospel for the belly's sake. For Genesis 1:28 ff. He gave to man all the beasts of the field, the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and made him ruler over them, and subjected the earth to him, that it should bring forth corn, and wine, and sheep, and oxen, and raiment. Item, that they should build the land, that they might eat and be nourished, feed their cellar and kitchen abundantly, in which they might delight and be well pleased. Finally, he gave them the sun to shine on them by day and the moon to shine on them by night, so that men and animals, when they were tired and full from their work, might sleep and rest, and gave them everything else they should have.
5 For this reason Christ should not have come to teach about these things. For temporal goods are also given to them that ask nothing of Christ, but are ungodly; yea, they have most riches in the world, as we see that the Turk hath many kingdoms under him. Now how would we come to think that the gospel is such a doctrine, giving instruction how to scrape, scratch, and usury everything to oneself, and under the appearance and cover of the gospel, to be usurers, miserly men, and robbers of chairs 1); but it has not this opinion. Nevertheless, people are stuck in the thoughts of the Gospel, that one pretends: Christ proclaims to us in the Gospel a freedom! Is that true? o then we do not want to work, but to eat and drink. And then everyone digs into his sack, so that only the belly is filled.
- and this art our adversaries also know finely, that they may become the spiritual
- Chair robber = asset robber. Chair = stock, capital. (Kaltschmidt.)
Every peasant who knows how to count five snatches fields, meadows and woods from the monasteries, and drives all his wills as he wants, under the pretense of the Gospel, since all want to be good Christians. Which really makes me very angry, and I would like to say: Go in the name of the devil, with your eating and drinking, if you do not want to signify your salvation and God's glory in God's name.
(7) But what is the use? Since this has happened to our Head, the Lord Christ Himself, we must also take it for granted that we will have such disciples who pretend that Christ came for the sake of the belly alone. Such disciples Christ will punish afterwards, saying: This is not the opinion; I preach of spiritual food and meat, and seek God's glory. So, not wanting to confirm their devotion, but God's glory, he preached to them. This is how it is with us even today.
8 But let this be our consolation: If it happen to us this day, that where the gospel is preached, and our adversaries, the tyrants, persecute such doctrine, and will not let it be preached, and we fall into this sorrow: O we must die of hunger, that such things be not without cause. For this persecution shall profit us, and cause us to have the greater desire for the gospel. For if we had a prince who did not confess the gospel, but opposed it and persecuted it, how we would hear this sermon with such great love, fear and desire. We would give two cows 2) to have a pious preacher. For in the Oberland, one would give 10 guilders to hear God's word throughout the year. But our farmers say: I would not give a penny for it. For if the persecution did not take place, we would be as bad and evil as our adversaries, for we would gladly let the pastors in the villages die of hunger.
- So set by us? In the Eisleben and Erlanger: "kitchen". Walch: "Kitchens".
2196 Erl. 47, 230-238. Sermon on Joh. 6, 26. W. VII, I899-IW2. 2197
and scrape. See what the citizens and peasants, princes, officials and bailiffs are doing to me now. But only gather confidently; companions will come who have hungry bellies and empty pouches, and will count the florins well, and divide them with you, and plunder and rob you. As I have often said, it will happen that you will look for a good preacher and the gospel a hundred miles away, but it will be lost and you will not find it; and since you would not give a preacher three pennies now, you would gladly give him three guilders afterwards. But one does not believe it, but one wants to know it. For now the Jews would give an emperor's treasure, that they might hear only one apostle or prophet preach; but they must hear none more.
Now a preacher must comfort himself with this example, that where the gospel is preached, swine and dogs will be your hearers and disciples; nothing else will come of it; they seek nothing else in the gospel but their own enjoyment. And if it is so with you, say: What will you worry about it, you are no better than the Lord Christ; if it was so with him, it will not be otherwise with you. It will be paid honestly.
10 What does the Lord Christ do about this? He would gladly turn them away from such false delusion and selfish seeking, bring them from the belly to the spirit, and draw them. For the gospel would not be preached to them, that they might have temporal food and bodily goods; but that it might give something better than food, drink, house and home, wife and children. It should not first of all teach them to be stingy, to be secure and to become lazy; for this would also be contrary to the first creation of man, when God commanded Adam to build the garden, but after the fall laid sour labor upon him, that he should eat bread by the sweat of his face.
(11) Therefore, when you hear the gospel, set your heart on this, that there is much more than the whole world can do, or that all emperors, kings, princes and rulers have; therefore the Lord says, v. 27: "Work out food, not that perishes, but that lasts.
into eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you." As if he were to say, "I will give you another food; why will you be such poor beggars, seeking and desiring these small portions and beggars from me? I will give you another food that will not perish, a bread that will last forever, which will not cause you to die but will sustain you to eternal life.
012 But when they hear this word, that he will direct them from the baker, and from money to the gospel, and from the field, and from the earth up to heaven, they like it not at all, and fall away from him. For flesh and blood seek nowhere else but the food of the flesh. The breath of the common people stinks only of avarice. The whole world seeks nothing but money and goods, food and drink. But Christ speaks these things only for the sake of some pious hearts that accept these words and think further than bread and beer, money and goods. Beer, money and goods; the others may go, who asks for them?
013 But here he setteth two kinds of meat one against another: the one is perishable, and the other is eternal. And if these two things were in a man's heart, he would defy them, and not cling to temporal goods, but say, I hear that Christ saith it is temporal, and after that eternal meat. For here Christ says, "If I give you as much as you already have, as bread baked by a baker, and give you as much as the whole world would have, what good would it do? If I had as much wheat, barley, oats, money and goods as the Turkish emperor or the Roman emperor has, what more would he have? He lets it be food, but only perishable food that does not last forever. This addition "perishable" makes such food contemptible. For this food is to perish, it wears out 1) and is consumed, and does not help, it even condemns life and limb if it is abused; what good is your scraping? 2) The perishable bread only stops the temporal life. And if such is given
- "wears out" put by us instead of: "wears out."
- "Scrape" put by us instead of "heavy." Cf. 8 20 of this sermon at the end.
2198 Erl. 47, 233-235. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1902-1905. 2199
It has been said often enough that even if one has all the goods of the world, they are all perishable. What does it profit thee then, that for the sake of this perishable bread and life thou shouldest set aside and despise the imperishable food and eternal life? Are you not mad and foolish?
14 No farmer is so great as to give a hundred bushels of grain for a torn piece of paper, or a citizen a hundred brews of beer for a drink of water; but the citizens would rather give a drink of beer for a hundred guilders, and the farmer a bushel of grain also for a hundred guilders. But Christ says here: It is perishable, and whoever would have this eternal food should give all he has for it. But this is how it is in the world; badly accepted for the perishable, and not looking at the eternal; one would take a handful of grain, and let the gospel always go. With this we foolish fools want to defy God. But what the pity should be, that will be found in the end.
(15) Therefore he would gladly turn us away from our harm and destruction, warning us not to act foolishly, and exhorting us to the eternal food. For this food is not perishable; and if it be taken away, thou shalt die for ever. How much more should you seek this food, and not despise it, but let it be the chiefest, as it is an eternal food, and gives eternal life. After the food you shall ask. For when the perishable food ceases, thou shalt be preserved for ever, and shalt have eternal life.
Now the gospel has such disciples, who seek only this eternal food and good. And St. Peter and the dear apostles, as well as other pious Christians, have well understood and kept this sermon. As St. Peter says afterwards, "You have words of eternal life," that is, such words as give eternal life; and they have remained with such preaching, not wanting to depart from Christ. But the others have despised it; as still crude and godless people say: What heavens, heavens! who here flour enough hut. Item: What talkest thou of eternal life? who here in the world?
would have enough. And they still want to be good evangelical people.
(17) But the Lord will instruct them not to cling to temporal goods, to this life and food, considering that God has given them these things abundantly beforehand, and is well pleased that they use them for their need, and serve God with them; but they should think further, saying, Work out food, so that it does not spoil. This is a Hebraism, as if to say, "You alone provide for the belly, that it may have bread; but remember to bake bread properly, and to provide for yourselves such bread and grain or corn as does not perish. Sow such grain, cut such ears, gather such a store into the barns, so thresh, take care of and handle it, do such a work that you create for yourselves imperishable bread, a food that will not let you die, get a stock that will not perish.
(18) But the question is asked here, 'Shall we not plow, till, and work? He does not forbid this. For in the first book of Moses Cap. 3, 19 God commanded it; but here he denies that one should not seek it in such a way that one remains alone and despises the teaching and signs of Christ. As he laments and says here, v. 26: "You do not seek me because you have seen signs, but because you have eaten of the bread. You should not seek me because of perishable things, for I am another teacher who does not preach about perishable food, how to sow, how to bake and how to plow, for you know all these things beforehand, and Moses taught you beforehand how to work. My teaching is not directed to this, neither shall ye come to me for it; but that I may give an everlasting food.
19 So he leads them to another supply of food. But when such things are preached to the flesh and blood of man, the teaching is soon finished. For each one wants to stay with the bread he sees and grasps. Just as the farmer sticks to his grain and says, "I hear that you want to feed me and give me bread, but I do not hear the sound of guilders or see sacks of grain; where do you have it? Are you
2200 Erl. 47, 235-237. Sermon on Joh. 6, 26. W. VII, 1905-1907. 2201
a beggar yourself; where is your grain? Where then is the same food? Then he speaks:
V. 27. Which the Son of Man will give you.
(20) With these words he snatches the hearts and eyes of us all from all the bakers' houses and granaries, and from all the cellars, floors, fields and bags, even from all the labor, and he sends it out of himself that he is a delicious baker; he wants to give what no other field or bag can give. You will not find this food anywhere else from any baker, nor will you obtain it through your work. Work your fields, which are full of Adam, but I will give you this food; for your grain and your storehouse will not do it. What is the matter with you? Are you a beggar, as well as St. Peter and St. Paul, and have not one foot of property, and yet you promise to give everything? But this is to lead a man from temporal bread and victuals unto other meat, which is not seen, neither baker's, brewer's, kitchen-master's, nor tiller's, but which meat Christ giveth: who is the true Master of meat and of grain, which giveth us other grain than that which we have in the world. And to him alone we must look, and not to the creature, to Christ we must have an eye; we must not pursue scratching and scraping, but shun avarice.
21 The Lord begins to preach this. But his preaching is soon over. For so long is one good evangelical, if one has hope that one may be pocketed and become rich from such preaching of the gospel. This is what people look for in the gospel alone. But when they hear that through such preaching one is to be saved from sin, death and the power of the devil, then they go and throw it all to the winds and despise the gospel.
22 Now is a really unnecessary time of trouble, when people fall into a terrible miserliness, and everything wants to fall apart, and people even want to despair. Not that there is a lack of grain; for God has given enough this year, there would still be enough by God's grace; but the people make
such a wanton theurge itself. What does God do about it? If the gospel and the eternal food are thus despised, then he must also make a theuration, and take away the bodily food from us, and so pestilence, war and all kinds of misfortune come and teach us moros. What is the use of our avarice, and that we have thus despised this eternal food before the food of the belly?
(23) The punishment cannot remain outside for long because of our ingratitude and evil will. For whether it is delayed a year or two, it comes at last. For not only is his word despised, but it is done so rudely that he is almost unwilling to let him be our God any longer. So they gather as if our Lord God had died. I hope that you will make a collection, so that you will keep as little as we, who want to scrape and strip us all. Well, we want to have theurung; so we must also accept all sickness, pestilence, death and war for good, because we are always stingy in the name of all the executioners; that will certainly also happen to us. But let each one of us watch and prepare himself with the word of God, exercise his faith, and bring him an eternal food that is not perishable. For God cannot suffer us to misuse His gospel in this way, and to seek our own selfishness and avarice under the appearance of the gospel. For he does not let us preach for the sake of our belly, but for the sake of our soul's salvation and blessedness.
The other sermon.
Held Saturday, November 12, 1530. 1)
(24) Thus Christ the Lord hath led away the Jews from the meat of the belly, and from the meat of corruption, and hath directed them unto another, to give them life eternal, and to entice them unto spiritual meat; lest they should think that the prophets and the scriptures would not give them any thing more than that which pertaineth unto this life temporal, and otherwise emperors, kings, princes, and rulers of the earth.
- Our Conjecture. Compare the note to the heading of the first sermon.
2202 Erl. 47, 237-240. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1907-1910. 2203
But they want to give and offer something more and greater than this, which is imperishable and should be an eternal food, which alone is given full of the Son of Man. And thereupon he makes a strange speech, who gives the same food, as the Son of man, and who he is, and says:
V. 27: For God the Father has sealed him.
(25) These are foolish, mad and incomprehensible, strange speeches before the wise and worldly-wise people, and the Jews will have considered Christ to be nonsensical, mad and foolish. For what is the reputation, and how is it to be slurred and to work, that this poor, simple man appears, and may pretend before such clever people, and especially before the Jews, and speak: He wants to give food that will keep people in eternal life? 1) Eternal food. It is the same as if a theriac merchant 2) said to a farmer in the marketplace that he wanted to sell a theriac and medicine, and that whoever needed it would never be sick or shot or wounded, and that his theriac would be a remedy for death. So here also a poor person, even a beggar, speaks of an eternal food; for Christ did not have a foot wide of his own. If some great king said it, it would have a little prestige. Now he says: It is nothing with what all men and even the whole world can do; I, I will give you another food, which shall remain forever. Therefore I myself would have said, "Where did this fool come from? Did you ever hear a greater fool? A beggar, who has not a penny's worth, wants to do better than all the emperors, kings and princes on earth; he wants to give eternal goods, but he has no physical goods.
(26) But faith is needed for such a word, for it is a sermon for Christians alone; the world does not understand it, nor does it know what it means.
- gereden - to promise, to pledge.
- Theriakkrämer - drug dealer. Tlisriseus, a, um - what serves against the poison of animals, especially against snakebite.
nothing of this food. But a Christian who knows the word of God, and to whom the Lord Christ puts it into his heart, knows Christ by faith alone; and he also remains with Christ, and considers him to be the one who was sealed by the Father to give the food. This Christian is attached to such foolish preaching, and believes the foolish God, who sent his Son to give the food; whoever does not want to believe him, may always go away. .
- And when he says: "The Son of Man", he clearly and publicly indicates that God the Father has a Son, whom they see, touch, hear and feel before their eyes; as St. John also says about it and says 1. Epist. 1, 11.: "Whom we have heard and touched with our hands" 2c., this same bodily man, born of the Virgin Mary, will give you eternal food. He himself will be the giver, baker, waiter, brewer, yes, the cook; item, the bowl and the plates, so gives us the eternal food. My flesh and my blood, he wants to say, which you see there, that is the right food, which preserves you forever, so that you can be sure of life even in death. But one would like to think: How is that possible? Where is the food? Where is the meat-bank and the granary; item, the kitchen and the cellar? For this is what reason looks for, and thoughts flit about. But Christ says here: Eat, I will give you meat; that is I, my flesh and my blood. He does not want me to think about my cellar, ground, grain, bread and wine, but to put all these things out of my mind, and to think about his flesh, and to put out the ground or the cellar. But this is a great thing to reason, since Christ says, "I will be the giver, the baker, the brewer, and the tiller, even the food itself, and will give myself for bread; only see that you eat. It is because of the word "eat" and "food" that the enthusiasts still quarrel. But it had sounded shameful and foolish, as if you said, "If you want to live forever, you must eat my body and drink my blood. Would you not say here: Bind him with chains, who knows what has happened to him.
2204 Erl. 47, 240-242. Sermon on Joh. 6, 27. W. VII, 1910-^912. 2205
(28) Now notice here that this food we have not earned, but it is given to us, it is a gift, and it is something different from bodily food, and it is a pure gift; although bodily food is also a gift from God. For there is no man, no king or prince, who can bring forth a grain from the earth. I can plow, till and sow, but where God is not there to bless, I will not get a grain of it again. If I am to have bread baked from it, it is also his gift and blessing, and he must give it; otherwise the labor of the husbandman would all be in vain, if God's prosperity and blessing did not come with it. This is much more the case here, that we have baptism, the Lord's Supper, the gospel and absolution, and we do not remember that God has also given us such food.
For the same God the Father has sealed.
(29) It is also strange and strangely said, that God has made the Son, who is man, or who is this food, and the master of the grain, and the baker, and the waiter, and the storekeeper, Jesus Christ, to be the seal; him I mean, him I will, because God hath set his seal, and hath given his letters over, that he is he. But it is a hebraica phrasis that our Lord God also has a finger ring, petschier and seal on his thumb, so that he seals when he writes and sends out letters. Such a seal shall be Christ, and no other, rejecting and condemning all other seals. This is a strong word, which is widely spread, that whoever wants to live eternally must have this food, which the Son gives, and be found in the Son, who is sealed; otherwise, if he does not have it, he will lack eternal life; because here the seal and testimony is pressed on it.
(30) With this word "sealed", he will subject to this teaching and to this one Master Christ all that is proud, holy and wise in this world. For nowadays it is still a matter of debate whether one is justified by our preparation and good works, by our love, deeds and merits, and whether one attains eternal life. But hold the two against each other, and see if the work you have done is justified.
Do you, item, your merit, fasting, praying, pilgrimage, be the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ? whether it be the food which the Son of man giveth? Put it together: My body, my toil and labor, and Christ's body. If I have fasted much, and called upon the saints, and walked a pilgrimage, and slept not, and done this work and that work, gather them together in one heap, and cast them into one sack, and see if such works are the body and blood of Christ. This will be missed by a long way. How then does one get this glory, that one wants to be saved by these works? We cannot give ourselves this food, but must receive it from the Son of Man. Therefore, let Christ press his seal upon it, and I will know that my dear God is gracious to me. For he saith not, Thou shalt give me and set before me the meat that shall sustain thee for ever: but he saith, I will give it unto you. The Son of man, whom thou seest before thee, he shall divide it; and of him shalt thou receive the meat, his flesh and his blood. Therefore see to it that you reach for the food which he, Christ, is himself, that is, in his body and blood. For this is not your work; I did not work it or make it; it is God's work alone, and comes about without any work on our part. Just as Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of Mary the Virgin, neither did she, the Mother, work him, but the Holy Spirit, by whom he was conceived. She only gave her body and limb that he might be born of her into the world. How am I so foolish that I would accomplish such things with my works? 2c.
The same has God the Father 2c.
(31) This word also has an emphasis and a force behind it, as if to say, Not a bad man or a bad fellow is his father, but I will tell you who he is: He is God; he is the Father, who is called God; and the Father has set his eyes on the Son, and subjected all things to him, that they should eat his body and drink his blood, and be preserved; or else all must be damned. He has pictured the Son, Christ, alone, and he has
2206 Erl. 47, 242-244. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1912-1915. 2207
Sealed, and all his will, and all his grace, upon Christ, and upon no other.
Because God has set His seal on Him, and He has only One seal; He has given Him the Holy Spirit alone, so that all men should look only to Him, and all the Scriptures go to Him, that He alone has the seals and letters, for He is the Covenant, and He alone was made, given and bestowed to help us; as God Himself said from heaven Matth. 3, 17. 17, 5. Luc. 9, 35.: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, him you shall hear"; to him God the Father has expressed his seal: so we also shall hear and accept him alone. If someone comes and brings a doctor other than Christ (as the sophists do, who point out your works, and in addition use the sayings of the holy Scriptures, as if good works should deserve forgiveness of sins, as in Daniel Cap. 4, 24: Peccata redime eleemosynis), then you say: Go on, bring this letter and seal; for here is the contradiction, God the Father has sealed the Son, Christ, alone; where then will you go with these good works and with this seal of yours? This is written in the holy scriptures; in whom shall one believe more cheaply? If then thou tearest away this seal, thou needest Christ nowhere. Therefore go and see whether God the Father has sealed what is preached to you and you should believe; if not, tear off the seal.
(33) So nowhere in this text is it written that Christ is to be joined with works, that both may obtain for us the forgiveness of sins; but base it on the text, that Christ alone is our salvation. He alone is sealed by the Father, who alone will interpret it, and leave out the addition of works. For if it be works, thou hast lost thy salvation. Shall I give way to thee? Why do you not 1) give way to me? You must leave one thing, depart, and come to the point of leaving Christ in short.
- "clear" probably as much as: to give space.
be the man whom God has sealed. The main part must be held fast, one may help the sayings of the good works as one likes; as learned people may well do this, and make a noise before the eyes of poor unintelligent people with it: so one cannot deny this text here. And I suppose that I could not answer for the sayings of Daniel, nor solve them, because I am too little and unlearned for that; nevertheless I would rather leave off that I should be saved by good works, than this clear, bright text, that Christ is my food, and that he alone is sealed by the Father 2c. For all the holy Scripture commendeth and commandeth us also the Lord Christ, the Son of man, born of the Virgin Mary: as we confess in the Symbol, that we should cleave unto him only. And he speaks here: I will give an eternal food, as my flesh and blood. This text needs no gloss; but there, with the sayings of good works, it needs gloss, as when it is said Luc. 16, 9.: "Make friends of the unrighteous Mammon." Item Luc. 6, 38. 37.: "Pray, and it shall be restored unto you." "Forgive, and it shall be forgiven you again." Then I can say: Whoever wants to be a Christian must prove this with good works, the fruits must give it; for a good tree is not produced or made from the fruits, but it is recognized from the fruits Matth. 7, 20.. There I can gloss it this way, but here I can give no glosses, since Christ says, "The Son of Man will give you this food.
34 See now what you have in this text, it is clearly written there: The Father has attached his seal and bull to the Son. With which words he takes away the honor and merit of all the other teachers who want to feed me forever, and exhorts them to stay with Christ alone. As if he should say: See to it that you hold fast to this; if another teaching comes that wants to feed you forever, and does not have the seal and these letters, if it is Christ, beware of it.
35 I must confess that good works, as alms, item, giving a poor man a skirt, are my works; but Christ's
2208 Erl. 47, 244-247. Sermon on Joh. 6, 27. W. VII, I9IS-1918. 2209
Body and blood they are not, for the same is God's work. And here the Lord saith, that his meat shall give me life: and concerning this also the Father hath sealed it. Thus in this principal thing we are abundantly and sufficiently provided, that we shall not be saved by our good works, but by Christ alone, when we eat his body and drink his blood. No one will overthrow this, and it will remain in heaven and in hell, for God has sealed it. Let this food of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit remain, and know that no one lives on his works and alms, but only on this food, on the body and blood of Christ, which alone does it; after which good works will follow from themselves, that I may do good to my neighbor, feed him and counsel him; the same has its confirmation. 2) It is also earnestly commanded to those who have this eternal food, and stand in the hope of eternal life. For if the wicked also give alms, and have not eternal life, our Lord God asketh nothing of their alms, neither do they help them to eternal life. For where eternal life exists first, it is easy to reckon that works do not save.
(36) Therefore, if good works are done after eternal life is obtained, they do not give eternal life; and rhyme together, that no man give godly alms, and be justly merciful, except he first become a Christian, and believe on Christ, and be filled with eternal food. And that Dau. 4:24, it is written, "Take away your sin with charity," it follows irrefutably that the Christian who does good works first has eternal life, which is given to him; why then should he seek it first by good works, if he has been made blessed by this food, before he does good works?
- Here, like Walch, we have omitted "at" because it is too much.
- In the Eisleben: "a decision. We have taken "his decision" from the old edition of Walch, because we consider it correct, "to have his decision" is as much as "to have his correctness", e.g. De Wette, Vol. II, p. 620; Vol. Ill, p. 76. Here it seems to mean: to have his certain, instructed position. Dietz in his Wörterbuche über Luthers Schriften (Dictionary of Luther's Writings) only mentions this idiom, but gives no explanation.
does? The sayings about good works must take on a gloss, so that they rhyme with this text, for it must remain standing. But that we now do good works and give alms, this serves so that people prove their faith with it. Good works are a sign and testimony that we have received the eternal food by which we will live; they indicate the faith we have toward God.
(37) In sum, with this text the Lord Christ wants to instruct the Jews that it is not enough to have bodily food, but they should also think of a more arid food than the spiritual food, which is the doctrine of the holy gospel of Christ and his body and blood, given to us, which is taken by us through faith. If I have this food, I will not only reject the bodily food, but also all the other spiritual food of the fanatics and the red spirits, all the hypocrisy and glittering, which they raise up, and pretend to be beautiful doctrine, thereby wanting to lead people to heaven, and to usurp God's honor and name for them. But look, Christ alone is sealed to give God's grace, forgiveness of sins, eternal life and the Holy Spirit. Thus God has joined and sealed it, and with the food and the sealed Son alone it shall remain. Where he remains, God also remains; thus God controls and rejects all other doctrine and faith. And if God Himself does this, then no one will be against it; it will remain with this Master of the Food, so we will also remain with Him; and where the article remains, there it remains; where it falls, there it also falls.
The third sermon.
Held Saturday, November 19, 1530. 3)
(38) Thus far we have heard that the Lord pretends to the Jews to bite this little nut, that they should not seek bodily food from it, but work the eternal food which the Son would give. And will teach them that they should not look to this life only, but that after this life also they should look to eternal life.
- Compare the note to the first sermon.
2210 Erl. 47, p47-249. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1918-1920. 2211
He would then help them and give them the same food. Now they would have been satisfied if he had only given them food, but that he wanted to master them and teach them something better, and give them something better still, and know more than they, that is not to be suffered. Therefore they ask him about it.
V. 28. Then they said to him, "What shall we do to do God's work?
39 It is a proud question. They thought that they knew everything beforehand, were pious enough and had fulfilled everything, that they did not need him as their master and teacher, nor did they need to ask him what they should do, but they should consider their holiness. They say that their question means that he considers them fools and children who do not know what they should do; they immediately tell him that he would have enough to give if he were to give them bread every day and also pay for their good works and merits. As the monks and our hypocrites also say, they blaspheme our gospel, and say: Why do you preach so much faith to us? For they think that God must give them eternal life for the sake of their merit and holy life. It is a vexatious thing when one wants to make the teachers disciples and disciples; they think they know everything beforehand, they must not be taught. Therefore they are annoyed when he comes and wants to teach them much more; they defiantly attack him and say, "What shall we do? What shall we do? As if they were saying: You are right; we already know better than you can tell us or think up. With us we have the scribes, the worship, the people of God, the temple and the priesthood; our fathers and forefathers were not fools; will you alone be wise? Do you come with your new doctrine, and want to teach the whole world? What can you tell us that the world did not know before? To this the Lord answers.
V. 29. Jesus answered and said to them: This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.
40 Then he spoils it. "To work God's work" is not well spoken in German; but we
must therefore leave it there, for the sake of the word operemini, which means to work, and therefore we must direct our language after the Hebrew. It is not only God's work what he does as God, but also what we do. Therefore, worship is also called what He has commanded and commanded, and we do through Him in His honor. Thus a church is also called God's house, which men build, and not God; but because it is sanctified to God, it must be called a house of God. Thus, in the Psalm and the Prophets, "God's works" are also called those works that we do by God's command and commandment, so that He may be served. In the first book of Kings, the people say to David 4 Sam. 25, 28, "You are the man who wages the Lord's wars," that is, such wars as God has decreed, commanded and ordered, and which are done in honor and service of God; not that God has warred, but David's war is done in honor of God. In the Book of Ezra Cap. 3, 9, several masters are appointed to carry on God's work, that is, to finish the construction of the Temple, to promote it, and to continue the construction that God had commanded, for it was also done in honor of God. And yet it is not impossible that he should not do it. For if he does not do it, we will leave it undone. For our flesh and blood, even our reason and nature, are not made to serve our Lord God by them a hair's breadth and to do God's work, but flesh and blood serve him themselves. Therefore, if a single work of God is to be done, it must be given by God, and then it is the work of His Spirit. For this reason, he speaks here not only of external works that he does badly for himself, without us, but of the works that we do by his Spirit and grace, and of the works that he has commanded us to do, which God requires of us, and which concern his honor, service and obedience.
Now this is a peculiar way of speaking: "God's work". In the prophet Daniel Cap. 8, 27 it is said: "I was grieved, and did the work of my king"; which is a Hebraism, and thus reads as: I do the business that the king has commanded me to do, and that belongs to him and belongs to the king.
2212 Erl. 47, 249-252. . Sermon on John 6, 28. 29. W. VII, 1920-1923. 2213
go. But we Germans do not speak in this way, this way of speaking does not work with us, that the servant speaks: I will go and do my master's work, or the maid's work, the woman's work; because it does not read; but we say: I will do what the master or the woman has told me to do, what concerns him and what I owe, and that for his piety. But the Hebrew language speaks thus. I say this so that no one will be offended by the dark words.
- But they will ask and say, Who are you that will teach us how to serve GOD? You want to be a master. Do you not think that we also recognize God's work? Do we not have the temple, the priests and the service of God and His knowledge; nor do you speak of an imperishable food. Tell us of the work of God, and of the service which we ought to do for God's sake; we would gladly hear it and do it. To this the Lord Christ answers and says: "You are to avoid the food, you are to believe in the Son, whom the Father has sealed, as He said above v. 27, because this is the one the Father means. With this single word he leads us to faith, and throws over a heap all their outward worship of the law and works. For they thought that they were walking in the obedience of God when they practiced outward works, ceremonies and church pageantry, with special food, drink and clothing; item, when they sacrificed calves, goats and sheep.
(43) But Christ calls a perishable food, which does not endure, neither does it help the dying to eternal life; for all things are perishable, even as one day passes after another, and one garment becomes old after another: For this reason do not handle that which is perishable, but remember another food which is eternal, and practice the worship which is eternal, for this food does not keep the sting. If therefore the perishable and vain service, which they have hitherto led, wherein they have sought nothing else, but only the meat of the flesh, and the true, eternal, imperishable service, of which they have hitherto known nothing, meet together; but that the father, the mother, the son, the son, the son, the son, the son, the son, the son.
Christ has sealed. And whoever wants to serve God must be directed to this service. For this is called serving God, and this is the right worship, that one believes in the one whom the Father has sent, Jesus Christ. Just as the Holy Spirit in the other Psalm, v. 12, also admonishes that one should kiss the Son; this is what the Psalm says, and no more, to all heroes, kings and nations at all times: Pay homage to the Son, kiss him alone, let him be your Lord and King, accept him. St. Paul also says Eph. 1, 22. 4, 15. 5, 23. that Christ is our head. In this, God has even conceived and concluded that whoever does not believe in Him shall not stand before God with any righteousness, salvation and wisdom, but all shall be condemned.
- All the holy Scriptures agree with this true worship. For it is also founded in the holy Scriptures; that if thou wilt serve God, remember that thou believest in Him whom the Father hath sent. Now if you want to know how to obtain God's grace and come to God, and how your sin may be paid for, and you may receive forgiveness of sins, and escape from death: 1) This is true, this is what God wants, this is what His work and true service is called, that you believe in Christ. So speak fully of the work that we are to do, namely, to believe. For faith is a work that must be done by a man, and is also called God's work. For this is to be the right nature, work, life and merit, so that God may be honored and served. Outside of faith, God does not accept anything for service. This is the answer to the question, "What is the right service of God?
But whence faith cometh (for no man hath faith of himself), Christ will teach hereafter, when he saith, v. 44, "No man cometh unto me, but the Father draweth him." Item v. 65: "No one believes in me, except it be given him by my Father." For faith is a
- Erlanger: iss.
2214 Erl. 47, SSL-254. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1923-1926. 2215
divine work, so God requires of us; but He must also give it to us Himself, for we cannot believe of ourselves either.
(46) And here behold, what an excellent and glorious saying this is, which as a thunderbolt destroyeth all wisdom, and righteousness, and commandment, and statute, and the law of Moses itself, and all other works of holiness, and setteth before us another work, which is far, far above and beside us. For Christ, whom the Father sends, is not my fasting, praying, watching, working; but my fasting is a work that comes from me; watching also is a work of my head and eyes. So, almsgiving, works, and what a man can do with his body, life, and soul, all this is our work, which comes from us, and is not done outside us; but where is Christ here? For Christ is not your mouth, head, belly, eyes, hands, body, or soul, nor any other place of the body, but is another being altogether; just as the sun is not my eye, tongue, or belly, but is also another being altogether. The eyes can watch, but I do not feel or see Christ because of them. Item, I see with my eyes, but therefore I do not see Christ, for he will not be comprehended with our thoughts and reason. And so faith is not our work, for I am drawn to Christ whom I neither feel nor see.
For this reason he sets before us such an example that we cannot grasp or take hold of, and pulls us far away from ourselves and from our hearts, and leads me to Christ, if I do not see, feel, or hear, and want to cling to the Son of God and believe in him. What I otherwise do in my body, I feel and see, and can say: There it lies, there it is; but Christ alone is not in me, I do not see him bodily as I can see my fist and my mouth; for he sits at the right hand of God, his heavenly Father. Now here in this text it is said: He who believes in him serves me. We must set our heart on him, and let fasting, praying and almsgiving I feel with me,
- except our heart - from our heart.
and must serve Christ alone apart from my work, that I may be justified.
(48) Christian righteousness and the true service of God are outside our power, activity and merit, but in Christ alone, God being our Father and God, if we believe in Him who is not in us but sits at the right hand of God. Therefore, the text should be considered carefully. If thou wilt do a work that is God's work, he saith not, Slaughter me an ox, a couple of turtledoves, fast three times a week, keep this or that holiday. Item: if you want to do a service for me, run to St. Jacob, eat and drink. Jacob, eat and drink like this, dress like this, mumble like this, vow chastity, poverty and obedience, wear a cap; there are none of these things, food, clothes, shoes, houses, pilgrimages, rules:For all men's rules are nothing here, nor are they thought of with a word, but apart from and far above all these works God will give another rule, and have other servants, without our merit and work; it shall be a gift of God, without caps and plates, to be given also to men or women, even to them that believe. Faith is the right service of God; one must believe that apart from Christ there is neither salvation nor blessedness. These alone do God's work, who believe in Christ.
49 But when one preaches: I do not want to be in the world, and I want to become a Carthusian. Why? Because I want to serve God. I want to become a hermit; as the world has sought righteousness and worship in vows, caps and plates. But with this work you will serve the devil, and not God. For where is it written that this work is done by God? When did he command you to serve him in this way? But our adversaries themselves see that they have taught wrongly, and are ashamed of it now. For serving God does not happen with clothes, food and drink, or running to a corner church, to a monastery; it is not in outward works. And believing in Christ and doing this or that work are as far apart as heaven and earth. In the same way, the rules of St. Francis, St. Benedict, and St. John are far apart from each other.
2216 Erl. 47, 254-256. Sermon on Joh. 6, 28. 29. W. VII, 1926-1928. 2217
and St. Augustine, and faith in Christ. Item, you want to become a priest, o that is not believing in Christ. But God says: If you want to do a service for me, do it this way; item, you cannot serve me in any other way (this is therefore decided), but believe in him whom I have sent.
50] In addition, he does not want to reject the good works of the godly, such as being subject to the authorities, honoring one's parents, and doing good to one's neighbor; which is truly also a work and service of God, for it is commanded by God. But such work is not directly against God, but against man. It is an outward service of God, which only concerns man. Here, however, he is talking about worship that belongs to God alone and is done without serving man. The papists keep it and call it a service, going to the choir, running to the monastery, praying the horas canonicas, saying mass, so that they serve God and not men, and have destroyed the other works of the world and men altogether, and have circumvented such works alone, so that God would be served by them, that God would have to be gracious to them for the cap, plate, fasting and prayer, and have also defied and insisted on such works; and if one asked them: Why do you wear a cap? they said, "To serve God.
(51) Against these this text goes, and speaks only of the service of God, which belongs to God alone and properly, and not of the offices, works, and fruits of gladness, or of the outward works commanded in the other table of the Ten Commandments, but of the works of the first table. I do not call it a service or work of God, when you Jews slaughter in the temple; it is over, God will have it no more; for in Christ there is neither circumcision nor foreskin, Jew nor Greek, woman nor man Gal. 3, 28. 5, 6.. And much less do the works of the papists, monks, nuns and priests count, who are creatures of the devil and Antichrist, and serve God nothing at all, and seek the kingdom of heaven and the service of God in the statutes of men. Therefore, come out of the monastery, in God's name, and serve the world in a proper way.
Otherwise, your state is not God's work, so always get rid of it. But if you want to serve God, I know of no other work or service except to believe in Christ and accept the Son whom God has sent you; hear him. But if you do not accept the messenger, you will not do any work of God, but will be eternally condemned. So then, do not worship our Lord God; he will not have it, he may not have your works, but hang on to Christ by faith.
52Thus this saying is even a glorious text, that one may storm against the damned, counterfeit services of God; for God has established and ordained how one should live toward Him and toward man, and He has no need of temple and sacrifice, food and prayer, but remember that you are concerned with the Lord Christ; whom hear, behold in the mouth, let not this messenger be sent to you in vain.
(53) If I were a master in a house and a servant wanted to teach me what to do, or the maid wanted to run over the wife's mouth, that would be very annoying and would not please me. I would say: To hell and out the door with this servant and maid. But this is how it must be: The master speaks to the servant, and the wife to the maid, what one should do. So it is a wicked thing to put God's word, commandment and decree out of one's sight, and then want to teach our Lord God how to serve him; yes, you deserve hellish fire on your head.
(54) Thus the unrighteous monks also did; they stopped God's commandment, and let Christ, also His offered grace and mercy, go, and came trolling with their rules and works; and thus they wanted to confirm their fair and indulgence of works, and let stand what God commanded. But here He says: Where did I command you? I sent my Son to you, and made him man, that you might believe in him, and give thanks to God for it, and know how to serve God, namely, to believe in the Son and accept him. But the world does not thank God for the fact that God shows it,
2218 Erl. 47, 256-25S, Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1928-1931. 2219
How to serve him. Therefore, work sanctity is an outward service, because we want to teach our Lord God how to serve Him. And Christ wants to say here: The Pharisee service wants to have my honor, which is due to me; they will not succeed, they shall get hellish fire on their heads from this service. But I have prescribed for thee how thou shalt serve me, saying, Believe on me, Christ, know me; so serve me. Accept the Son; then I will come to you and you to me, and then we will be one in these things, and God will be well pleased with us. After that the outward good works for the neighbor belong, and God also wants the same service. Furthermore, the service 1) is now done to men, and will well follow when we have first done God's service; so we would come together.
(55) It is a proud and hopeful question that they say: What shall we do that we may work God's food? They think it is a mockery. As if they should say, "O beggar, do you want to teach us what to do? Thou hast not a farthing in thy purse, saying, There is nothing in your worship; but honor the Son, believe on him whom God hath sent; this is the right worship. So even today our adversaries ridicule us, they blaspheme the doctrine of faith: "Shall you alone be wise from Wittenberg? Shall we learn from you? We have on our side the patres, the ancient teachers of the church, the concilia and high schools; do you think that our fathers were wrong? do you take us for Turks? what do you preach of the faith? Fie you mouth, with your new doctrine.
(56) But this text and all the Scriptures testify that God does not respect our works, they are not to be the service of God by which He is served; therefore you must not, it does not help you, run away to a monastery, become a monk, a priest and a nun. But he wants from you: Honor your parents and authorities, honor and help your neighbor, give to poor people, forgive your neighbor if he has offended you. And says then
- "the service" turned on by us and put the period before "furthermore".
Further: This is a work, so that you do not help me, nor court me; but if you want to do a pleasing work for me, then you must have a higher work, which is called my service, namely, believe in the Son, let him be commanded to you, listen to him; for he is my messenger, he will tell you everything what you should do, and what he does not say, let it stand, because it shall not count for anything.
57 There are many sayings now and then in St. Paul, as in Romans, Galatians and Colossians, which say that God has drawn into one summa all the services in Judaism, that Christ shall be finis legis Rom. 10:4. Item, that he be plenitudo legis, temporis, et plenitudo omnium rerum; that the Christ be all and have all, so that whosoever takes hold of the man in faith, sin shall be forgiven him, the law fulfilled, death slain, the devil also overcome, and eternal life given. For in this man all things are concluded, he hath fulfilled all things: he that taketh hold of him hath all things. As it is also said to the Colossians 2:10: In illo consummati estis. If I feel the fear of hell and sin, and I have Christ, then I am finished; neither death, sin, nor the devil can harm me. For if I believe in Christ, I have fulfilled the law, it cannot accuse me, I have overcome hell, it cannot keep me, and all is yours that Christ has; for through him we also obtain all his goods and eternal life. And though I be weak in faith, yet have I the treasure, and the very Christ which others have; there is no difference, we are all made perfect through faith in him; but not of works.
- as if two of them had a hundred florins; one might carry them in a paper, and the other carry and keep them in an iron box, and yet both have the treasure altogether. So also Christ is one whom we have; though I, or thou, believe in Christ stronger or weaker, yet Christ is one; we have all things in him, we have taken it with a strong or weak faith. The whole service is in this: Believe in Christ, whom the Father has sent to you; what he has sent to you is in him.
2220 . ed. 47, 259-281. sermon on John 6, 30-32. W. VII, 1931-1933. 2221
Accept this; God cannot do anything better about it, neither in heaven nor on earth.
009 But now the Jews are angry because he will teach them a new worship, and will first smite him on the mouth.
The fourth sermon. 1)
Held Saturday, November 26, 1530.
(60) This is what the Lord Christ answered the Jews when they said to Him, "What must we do to do the work of God? Namely, this is the work of God, that they should believe in Him whom God has sent to them; that is, they should accept the teaching of the Gospel that Christ preaches; this is the most important teaching and main thing that Christ indicates, that whoever wants to serve God should be found in this work, namely, that he believes in Him whom God has sent. The Jews would not have provided themselves with the answer that they should learn something else and better than they were already able to learn; otherwise, they want to be the teachers of all the world. That is why they are annoyed when he answers that he wants to teach them something special, and that they should believe in the one whom God has sent, that is, in him, the Lord Christ. Therefore they murmur against him, and become quite mischievous, saying:
V. 30, 31: What sign doest thou, that we may see and believe thee? What do you do? Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness, as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
(61) It sounds like they are saying, "What devil sent you here to be a preacher and teach us? Tell us why we should believe you. What signs do you do? Do you think you are the only master? Don't you know that we are preachers too, and we have another one. Preacher and master, greater than you, than Moses and the prophets? Defy, preach and do thus, as Moses did; wilt thou be like Most? If we were to believe you, we would-
- In the Eisleben one in the margin. The determination of time is our Conjecture.
we do not know what we should do. Now sayest thou that we should believe in thee, or be damned. And set Moses against him in defiance, even their fathers, the Jewish people and laws, and say: Moses taught differently, and was the right doctor, and we are his disciples; was indeed a different teacher, your sermon is fool's work compared to it; let Moses also be a teacher to me, even if you are proud. He gave us manna in the desert, he preached and performed great miracles, such as are described. Be thou defiant, that thou mayest imitate him.
(62) So they want to muffle the Lord Christ and put down his preaching, that one should not believe in him, and that faith in Christ is not the right worship. Yes, they would say, if we did not know better than you can teach us. We do not look at you. Our Moshe taught us thus, and gave us bread of heaven in the wilderness; do thou likewise. So the teaching of the gospel and the faith in Christ do not please the wise and the clever.
The divine word has this good fortune in the world, that the teachers and saints of works know everything better. That is why they say, "What signs do you do? They have forgotten the miracle he performed before their eyes the other day, when he fed five thousand men with five barley loaves and two fishes John 6:9. As if they should say: We let it happen that you give us food and drink, but that you want to teach us and be our master, we cannot stand that. So it is in the world, and so it will remain forever, that people let themselves be fed and made rich, and that the gospel helps them to worldly goods, brings them food, money, honor and a good room; but that it wants to master and teach people in the service of God, that cannot be tolerated. They love God no differently than lice love a beggar, so that they eat him and suck his blood, and do not seek his best. So we also love the gospel, that in it we only devour, and seek our best and self-interest; amore concupiscentiae,
2222 Erl. 47, 861-863. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1933-1936. 2223
non justitiae, amatur evangelium; they do not therefore suppose that one should be obedient to him; this will not work out; but if he had humbled and sucked them all the days, he would have been the dear Christ. But when they asked, What must we do, that we may do the service and work of God? and he said, Believe on me, they answered: Must we then believe thee? thy doctrine is nothing to the preaching of Moses.
64 But Christ answereth ill, and speaketh not much of the signs, but saith:
V. 32. Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses did not give you bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the right bread.
This story of the bread of heaven is well known from the 16th chapter of the 2nd book of Moses, v. 4 ff. when the people had nothing to eat and grumbled that they had not stayed in Egypt with the pots of meat, onions and garlic; regardless of the fact that they had endured heavy servitude in it and their mouths stank back to Egypt, they soon forgot about the miracles of God. Then God gave manna for the sake of Moshe's prayer, so that everyone could gather manna daily, as much as he needed for more than a day; which was a great, even expensive miracle. And manna was a white plant, like our coriander, millet or rice, that they could make from it whatever they desired. They gathered it in the field as much as they needed for a day, carried it home and used it for their food as each one pleased. And such a miracle lasted forty years in succession, that he gave such food daily to the wicked, ungrateful Israelites. But they grew weary of the bread of heaven, and would gladly have been back in Egypt for garlic and onions. Even as we do this day, when we were under the tabernacle, we cried out, and would gladly have been delivered out; now we would gladly be in again, and that may yet come to pass.
- but the LORD Christ is standing here to do a sign as they asked, and responding to the manna, says that this teaching of Moses and the miracle are not
the righteous food, saying, "Your fathers ate manna, but they all died from it. Therefore it is more to go to heaven, and to obtain eternal life, than to eat manna. For they had new bread of heaven every day for forty years, and God threw the manna into the cistern among the believers and unbelievers, so that believers and unbelievers ate of it six times an hundred thousand men, and yet they all died. Therefore I preach (he will say) of a different food than you understand or think. I speak not of the meat and bread whereof your fathers did eat: for if the same bread of heaven had had power to preserve one to everlasting life, they would not have died: but it did them no good: therefore there is another heavenly meat and bread, which I give, whereof I speak here: though it be true, that the fathers, which believed in Christ to come in the wilderness, died not of everlasting death by the bread of heaven.
67 So now he will say to them this much: You almost boast that you ate the bread of heaven in the wilderness; but what glory is that? What did your fathers get out of it? Did they live forever because of it, and were they saved by it? No, sadly. Therefore he saith, Verily, verily, Moses doth not; nothing shall come of it. What bread did Moses give you? The Scriptures call the bread that Moses gave bread from heaven; but it is not the right bread, for after they had eaten, they all died. Now if it had been the right bread, they would have remained alive and not died. Therefore Christ says that the teaching they heard and the signs they saw were outward signs and miracles, which they received and used without faith and spirit. They have eaten their bread of heaven, 'otherwise not, as when a sow eateth brans and grains of the same length, it profiteth her not much, she is soon slain, when she is fattened; so they have eaten the bread of heaven also. But I did not come to fatten you up (like a sow), and only fed you in the flesh and fattened you up.
- 2224 Erl. 47, L83-S6K. Sermon on John 6:30-32, W. VII, 1936-1939. 2225
I seek something other than this life alone, that is, bread and food, which remains when this life and bodily food cease. This is much different bread than Moses gave you. Therefore depart from the meat which your fathers did eat: for they are all dead, six times an hundred thousand valiant men, beside women and children, all of whom died in the wilderness forty years: for what did the manna profit them? Therefore go away from the bread, it is not right bread, it is not right doctrine, Moses did not give you the bread of heaven, but my Father did. Lift up Christ here mightily upon Moses with his doctrine, miracles and wonders; as if he should [ggen: You shall not look at Moses, but hear me; for Moses has ordered and directed all his teaching to me, me you shall hear Deut. 18:15, and shall not ask for the bread which Moses gave, you shall cease from it, and seek the right bread which my Father gives, which is an eternal food, that is, believe in him whom God has sent, that is, look hither to me Christ.
68 But these sayings of Christ were loose theidings to them, which they did not understand; their thoughts went only there: Moses gave us bread, which we ate in our bellies. Now he speaks here: There is another bread, which he describes and illustrates, so that whoever eats it lives forever, that it must be another bread than Moses', or else his food; as it is, because it not only feeds the belly, but rather feeds the soul. But they have not understood, it is a strange language to them, that he says: "My Father now gives you another bread from heaven, a food of God, such a bread as comes from heaven, and a true bread from heaven, which gives eternal life to the world; but he does not mean the bread that is baked in the oven; not the bread of Moses, not the bread of angels, nor the bread of men, but the bread of God, which bread you have not sought, nor wrought, nor baked. Nor is it obtained by your toil and diligence and labor, but it comes to you from heaven; God gives it to you and sends it to you for this reason, so that one may not
I will live by it not only in time, but also forever; this bread gives life to the world.
69 He says all this so that they will not look for perishable food, but will look to him whom the Father has sealed, believing in him whom the Father has sent 2c. For he alone is, and abideth alone, this bread giveth eternal life unto the world, and abolisheth death also. For if it gives eternal life to the world, it follows that it must also drive out death. For the world is born in sins and death, and is the devil's own. This food must therefore take away sin and save from death and the power of the devil. If not, there is no life. For if death is put away and is to come away, sin and the devil must also be gone; for death is the wages of sins Rom. 6:23, and if sin is gone, the devil must also be gone.
70 Therefore this is the sum of it, that it is such a bread, which gives life to the whole world: the work sealed by the Father alone gives eternal life. As if he were to say, "All other services and human statutes, whatever they may be called, are all vain dead things, there is no life in them, they leave sin, death, devils, hell, and evil consciences; but this bread, and no other that Christ gives; item, this work of God, sealed by the Father, that alone gives God's grace and eternal life. "For this the Father hath sealed," that one should work this meat, as, believing on him. But the devil is in the world, which wants to go to heaven with the works, the world cannot grasp this teaching, does not want this bread either. And even if the papists themselves preach (as they have announced at the imperial congresses) that one is justified by faith alone, the devil still crosses over and wants to put away sin through good works, pretending that it is not enough to believe, one must also do good works.
But do you not see the bright text here, which shows us a special bread, which gives eternal life? This text must be held under the noses of such clamantes and they must be told: If it is our work,
2226 Erl. 47, 266-268. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1936-1942. 2227
Wisdom and the law should have done it, truly so would Moses' works; yet the same is rejected here, and it is said that Moses does not do it with his teaching. This bread alone does it, as my father gives; the whole of Moses does not do it, he is even annulled. If he will not do it with his bread and his teaching, so that no one will receive it, who will do it? You will do it much less, and no one will bring together such a delicious doctrine and commandment as Moses did in his law and ten commandments, and gave us such glorious laws how to believe in God, fear him and love him; yet it is said here that he shall not do it, only Christ shall do it.
This text should be written with golden letters on all walls. For Christ sets it high enough for the Jews that he would make them foolish, and here rejects all human statutes, that they do not make righteous. For this text also serves us against the pope, who also says: "Whoever keeps and believes what I command, but remains in the monastery, and hears what St. Benedict, Franciscus, Dominic and Augustine say, or who becomes a Carthusian, o he ascends from his mouth to heaven. Yes, to heaven, where it sizzles. For what are all these works against Mosi? Dirt is it, yes, pure dirt against Mosi's laws. For since Mosi's divine law can give nothing, what will the pope do who says only of such food and drink that they command caps, ropes, hair shirts, since Moses speaks of worship? Nor saith Christ, Make Moses as great unto me as thou wilt, and though thou hast kept all the commandments of Moses, yet it is nothing, he giveth thee not this bread; neither do his miracles help thee to have life thereby, nor deliver thee from sins; neither doth he help unto righteousness, nor deliver thee from the wrath of God, the devil, and hell. He takes all power from him, so that he does not help to life.
But what else is the Law and Moses for? Ask St. Paul about this, and he answers: Not that it gives eternal life. For if thou art the disciple of Moses, thou hast not eternal life from it, but art led thither, where thou shalt be led.
Moses, namely to Christ, who is the right food and bread. So a barefoot monk and the priest should also say: I will teach you external discipline, so that you may not kill anyone or steal; but if you want to have eternal life and justification before God, look here to Christ; here is the true bread, which the Father has sealed, in whom I believe. Moses, or any other man, never thought that he would have eternal life; but they said, as Moses said in the 5th book, Cap. 18, 15: "He who is to come after me shall give eternal life, and you shall hear him. And Christ also speaks otherwise in the evangelist John Cap. 5, 46., "If ye believed Mosi, ye would believe me also, for he hath written of me." He pointed those who sought eternal life away from him to me, you must not look to Moses and leave me; as you are doing now, that you despise me, and turn people away from me, and lead them to Moses, who is the most high man and prophet before Christ's birth, even from the beginning of the world, to whom God gave his ten commandments and promise from Christ, and what is in the holy scriptures comes from Moses; he is the right source.
If a man's law, doctrine, or counsel should help, it would truly be Moses before all other men on earth; for there has not been such a noble high man who has preached God's word as Moses. The other prophets are all his disciples: Moses is the master of all masters, he is the source and fountain from which the other prophets flowed; nor does Christ here take for himself the head and fountain of all teaching, Moses, and says: You only look Moses in the mouth, and do not know what his intention and opinion is. Do not think that Moses helps you to eternal life, but he tells you to wait for me, while he keeps you under the schoolmaster, tells you to keep discipline. So Moses was a disciplinarian, who brought about an honorable, disciplined life. If you now live a disciplined life, and know that God wants to give you the Lord Christ for your salvation, then put Christ in your place.
2228 Erl. 47, 268-271. sermon on Joh. 6, 30-32. W. VII, 1942-1944. 2229
Do not call Moses your father and savior, for he is to be my servant and disciplinarian. Just as I send a child to school under a schoolmaster, not thinking that he will always look to the master and that the schoolmaster will make him rich, but that he will teach him and bring him up well, and when the boy is well brought up, then I, as the father, will give him a wife, item, my property, house and farm.
(75) Moses also teaches me, and teaches me to live in discipline, and that I may be sure that God will send me the Savior Christ, who shall save me. For even if I am a pious citizen, a pious ruler, I will not go to heaven with it; and with it I am not yet blessed that I am a mayor in a village, or a ruler in the city; these are outward works, which belong to the outward service of God and discipline; there Moses teaches how one should live in the world, and lead a finely disciplined life. Therefore we should not look to Moses, but to Christ. Moses remains the schoolmaster, but Christ gives eternal life. And if Moses does not do it, much less the pope, emperor or Turk, or anyone else who would be great on earth; but God the Father gives the one to whom Moses pointed.
(76) Thus it is concluded of all doctrines, that by no works shall we be justified, but by faith in Christ shall we be saved. This text is a real thunderbolt, when you should say: What can my life and good works help me? Moses does not give it to me, Moses is only a schoolmaster here, and teaches of outward services, that one should lead his life most strictly; but the works of Moses do not make alive nor save. But apart from Moses, another and better bread is spoken of here, which is called the bread of God, which comes from heaven, and is not baked on earth, but the Holy Spirit gives it, and the same brings eternal life; it is not a life earned and acquired, but a life given from heaven.
(77) So you see here two kinds of bread; one that is not earned, acquired by one's imagined or self-chosen life, but one that is earned by one's own choice.
One is called bread, food, or life, and the other is called life, which is obtained through the laws of Moses and good works. But he that will not have life by grace and without merit shall not have it. The Father gives it; therefore it is not merit, but by pure mercy and grace I obtain it. And so my merit is beaten to the ground. Moses gave manna; but they died. My father also gives bread, but from it one does not die, but remains alive; for it is given out of pure grace and mercy, and works and merit have no place here, God does not want to suffer the flea market. When something is given, it does not rhyme with wanting to add some merit to it, saying, "So I have ruled, so I have preached. Moses leads the people, that each one should do according to his office, but otherwise he, with his bread, doctrine and life, should not make the people blessed, but he should serve and discipline; but the Lord Christ gives eternal life. Do you hear this text? Moses shall not be, Moses giveth you nothing, but it is given you from heaven.
- and if you do not have it from Moses, who is the best teacher, even the first and foremost; item, the reason and source of all teachers, and yet, held against Christ, he is nothing at all; o then you may well despair of all other teachers of men, laws and statutes, traditions and statutes, as far as righteousness before God is concerned, as, especially, of the monks and all the worldly laws that would be on earth, and yet could not wipe Mosi's shoes. And if he takes away Mosi's honor by not helping him to heaven, then it is also taken away from all others. Therefore abide in short by this bread, which the Father hath sealed; ye must believe, and work this meat; that ye may believe on him whom the Father hath sent; in this ye must abide alone, and let Moses also pass over it.
This quarrel of Christ against the Jews, when he beat Moses to the ground, was a much more horrible sermon than I am now preaching against the pope, although the world does not want to suffer it now either. But what is all the monasticism and the papacy against. Moses?
** 2230 Erl.** 47, L7I-L73. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, IS44-IS47. 2231
They asked about the same law, which was given by God; nor does Christ even abolish it, and reaches here into Moses so that it cracks; then they had to say, "You are mad and foolish," and considered him to be the worst heretic. But Christ speaks further, saying:
V. 37. All that the Father gives me comes to me.
This is a great sermon, and a very mighty speech, in which ye ought to take heed diligently unto all the words: for he would gladly draw them unto himself, that there is neither counsel nor help, except Christ, which is the true bread. Moses did not give his law so that the people and your fathers might boast of the Holy Spirit; although Moses had it, as his signs prove, their fathers did not have it and died. And I say, that they had the Holy Ghost, as they had him not: what is it then? Let Moses, who had the Holy Spirit, depart from me, for it is written and decreed here that the bread, Christ, alone is to do it, not Moses, that one must believe in Christ alone if one wants to have eternal life. What can one pretend against this? If Moses does not help to eternal life, then St. Augustine, Franciscus, Benedictus, Bernardus, and all the fathers must be truant and give way for a thousand devils; for Moses is much more than all the fathers, indeed, the fathers shine against him as dirt in a lantern.
Now this is spoken of Christ, that they understood not Moses aright; he came not to save them, but gave them his law, that they should live outwardly in discipline and honor, and that he should bear witness of Christ, and point them to the Messiah to come, who would give eternal life; this is the end of Moses, and should be looked to.
The monks and papists also teach that Christ came and died for us, but nevertheless we must keep Moses, and works are also necessary for salvation, and we want to give the fathers the honor that the Jews gave to Mosiah.
But Moses himself will ultimately say: "I cannot give eternal life; the Blessed Seed, Christ, must do it alone.
(83) In spite of all holiness, wisdom, and pride, he abolishes everything; and if one should cling to this bread alone, the cap and the rope will not make it. Therefore in this chapter they will be all the more angry, and first of all there will be sorrow and distress, because he wants to tear them away from Moses. But if God should not hurl and strike this ingratitude with thunder and lightning, how could he let it be?
(84) So John does nothing else, except that he forcibly imagines the one person of Christ to be the world's Savior and Helper; but the Jews will first become angry at this, and from it will arise misery and distress.
The fifth sermon? ^1^)
Held Saturday, December 3, 1530.
So the Lord Christ rejects Moses altogether, and says to the Jews that if they trust in Moses and insist on him for a long time, he will not give them the bread of heaven, and will take the teaching that Moses preached and show them that they must have something greater and better than Moses, as he reserves the bread of heaven for him. Because Moses did not do it, much less should one trust and insist on other teachings, which are much less than Moses' teaching; for, he says:
V. 32. 33. Moses did not give you bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the right bread from heaven; for this is the bread of God, which comes from heaven and gives life to the wager.
These are words that they cannot suffer. The world cannot suffer him to say that he is the bread, the life and the blessedness of men, who gives eternal life to the whole world. This bread, if a baker has not baked it, alone nourishes; all other food, bread and nourishment must be abandoned, however they may have a name,
- In the original in the margin. The time determination is our Conjecture.
2232 Erl. 47, 273-L76. Sermon on John 6:32-35, W. VII, 1947-1950. 2233
Spiritual or bodily. Man has no other food, nourishment and sustenance than through this bread, for the Father has sealed Christ so that his food and bread should have power and authority to give life. It will and must remain so, for the law, all commandments and works are nothing compared to the gospel and Christ; this word of the gospel and this bread of God exist, and what is not this bread does not give life, nor does it nourish.
(87) What is it, then, that men thus contend and fight against other doctrines and works? For where the bread is not, there is a mighty determination that there is no life, but eternal death. For this reason Christ urges and urges that men should hold to the bread, according to the laws, works and rules of Moses.
(88) Now what the bread is, that shall follow. But this bread is set apart and set against all other righteousness, statutes, doctrines, and foods, which are called meat, and which fill the belly; for Christ alone is spiritual food; the law of Moses, and the law of men, works, and commandments, are not spiritual food. Then it must be said: Christ is not my work, Christ is not your law, Christ is also not a baked bread in the oven, Christ is not Moses. Neither is he the doctrine which Moses preached, nor the emperor's, nor the physicians', nor the lawyers', nor the pope's doctrine; they are all not the bread which is Christ all here; they all count for nothing, nor do they give life or nourishment; they are alike worldly rights, spiritual rights, or monasticism. What is it? If they are not bread, let the devil also remain, if they do not give eternal life. This, then, is the bread of God, yes, our Lord God's own bread, given to the whole world for life; not which you eat, but which he gives to use, and from which we have life. But this was so easy for them and such a ridiculous thing that they said, "This would be a good merchant and baker for us, we want to have him, he wants to give out thalers; can you give the bread? As follows in the text.
V. 34. Then they said to him, "Lord, give us such bread for all our days.
This sermon pleases them well, that the gospel fills the belly, that one has enough of it here, and gets good days from it. As if they wanted to say: This is a man, who would not like it? And we would also like to suffer this preacher. They do not look at his words, where he wants to lead them, but look forward to their belly, as if he only wants to give money and goods. But it will not do so, for the gospel has other things to do than to fill our bellies. So people still do today; when the gospel is preached, everyone seeks to have enough, and that would be enough. But Christ says:
V. 35. I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
- This sounds nothing everywhere. At first they will have opened their mouths and eyes, and looked at all the floors full of grain and barley, the cellars full of wine and beer, the bags full of money; but now they think (when he thus begins: "I am the bread of life"): O^1^ ) woe! what a fool is this, he will certainly be possessed! that he points them out to himself, and that he speaks so foolishly that he wants to give food, fare and bread enough that a man will never die. Who has ever heard such things? And when they ask, Whom? where, my dear brother? we shall have to think as if thou hadst commandment and dominion over the whole world, that thou mightest feed all men. Well, it is certainly a shameful lie, they think. For the Lord would have walked about in a gray robe, and would not have had a morsel of bread to eat himself; for he was a poor man, as he himself says Matt. 8:20, "The birds of the air have nests, and the foxes have holes; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Yet he may answer them, "I am bread"; saying here that he would teach, satisfy, feed, and sustain the whole world, that they should not
- Erlanger: "A".
2234 Erl. 47, 276-278. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1950-1952.' 2235
should die of hunger and give them life. He wants to be other people's doctor and helper, and has nothing to bite and crumble himself. They could not be answered more shamefully to their thoughts. It is as if I, a poor preacher or beggar, said to the emperor: I will help you to beat the Turk and Talers, and will give you as much money as will go into this church; and he should rely on it: Where would I take it, if I had no more than this skirt, and not a penny in my purse? How would I arrive if the emperor did not laugh at me and say, "Save the good man, he is a fool and has become foolish and nonsensical.
So the worldly people who listened to this sermon of Christ also understood these words when he said: "I am the bread of life. Well, where? According to the carnal mind they were looking for the cellar and the ground, for grain and bread. But he speaks of the spiritual food. And it is a strange thing that one should eat of a man who stands before one and preaches, saying, "I am the bread of life," presented to the whole world for food and nourishment, so that in Christ one may have eternal life and salvation. It is a vexatious sermon. For the Jews knew well that he had nothing and was poor, and had less than ours. There is no one in this city who does not have more than he had, nor does he say that he is such bread, food and nourishment as does not badly sustain life and nourish the body, but whoever eats the bread (of which he will say below, v. 58) will not see death. This bread shall be a preservative against death. As otherwise a physician or apothecary would say to the sick, "I will give you an aqua vitae, a potion or purgation, so that death will not strangle you, and you will not be afraid of death, but will be safe from it. But it was impossible for them to understand these words, that he would give them such food and drink that whoever ate it would be safe from death and remain before it. Whoever ate this bread should live, and one could say: If
even if all the dead were sitting on top of each other; item: death comes when it wants, so I will remain satisfied before it, you death shall not harm me, because I have drunk this drink and eaten this bread. Therefore, if all the dead were sitting on top of each other, and were still so bold, they should neither eat nor devour any of these men; for Christ will raise him up on the last day; and even if he were buried a thousand cubits deep under the earth, or were torn by wolves and eaten by fishes, and burned to powder by fire, he shall live again. They can't stand that, and they resent it.
- John the Evangelist has described this sermon with great diligence and air, since Christ says: "I am the bread of life"; but now you will hear how they were offended by this answer. He says:
V. 35. He who comes to me will not hunger.
- here begins to speak of life, saying, "I will certainly give life, so that no one will ever be allowed to hunger, that is, to die; he will have enough to eat and drink forever, that is, he will live forever. These are exceedingly strong and hard words, and there is not in all the Scriptures a more severe sermon, that Christ is bread and meat given by God, that whosoever eateth such bread may live for ever, and be filled, and not hunger nor be satisfied; such bread they have before their eyes, which is sent unto them from heaven.
- and says, "Whoever comes to me". He goes up gently, and the longer he goes on, the sharper and coarser he becomes. Here it would have been fine if he had said: He who eats me, since otherwise he says, "He who comes to me," but it would have been too soon. Therefore he gives it to them alone to understand, and says: "He who comes to me", and interprets it, says: He who believes in me. This is a powerful gloss, that to come to Christ is to believe in Christ. That is, to have bread and to eat it. But he does not speak of eating in church, or sitting at a wedding and eating beef or veal, as the Jews might think; but of bread, when one comes to Christ, that is, believes in Christ. For
2236 Erl. 47, 278-280. sermon on John 6, 32-35. w. VII, I9S2-I9SS. 2237
"eat," and "come to Christo"; item, "believe in him," all the same.
- He comes to us, the Father gives manna from heaven, and only lacks that you come to him again. Would they be angry or offended at this, and pretend, "If we were ready beforehand, we would be with you. No, it means: eat me, come to me, and believe in me. Otherwise you cannot come to Christ, even if you were his closest blood friend, unless you believe in him, and Christ is closer to you through his word than when you carry your son by the neck. You must not look far for it, if you want to come to Christ; you must not go to St. James, nor to Rome, nor sharpen your knife, nor wash your teeth; but this is coming to Christ, if you believe in him, then he is with us and near to us, he is before us, before your eyes and ears, that you may see him and hear him; only believe in him, then you have eaten him, and have come to him.
Throughout the whole chapter, he used the crude word "eat" in such a way that it sounded harsh and clumsy; but if he had not used it, I would still ask him to use it. There is a necessary reason that he spoke thus. For he saw these wild and desolate people before him, who thought only of bodily eating and drinking; to them he holds up such words about eating and drinking, so that, even if they could not understand it now, they might nevertheless think about what he meant by it, and then ask what it was. They should inquire what he wants with this strange speech. What does he mean, should one man eat another? This will certainly not be his opinion, if only they had pondered over it, beaten within themselves and asked what he meant by it?
97 For this reason Christ adds a gloss, because they are so rude, and reproaches them for it with unrighteous words. Otherwise one cannot bring the coarse swine and bellies out of eating and drinking, if one does not reproach them with such coarse and unruly things. So he paints this to the coarse Jews, so that they say: The Lord wants to say this, that "coming to him" and "eating the bread of life" is believing in him,
and whoever believes, let him come to him and eat.
98 Thus it is concluded that here in this chapter the Lord speaks of spiritual food. For thus he himself interprets the thirst and hunger that afflicts the soul. For the soul would gladly live forever, so that it would not be condemned, and would have a gracious God, and could stand before the wrath and judgment of God, would not be accused of sin and laws, or would not go to hell; this is the soul's desire, that is, a spiritual thirst and hunger. Whereas we also need spiritual food and drink, because the Holy Spirit comes and says, "If you do not want to die or be condemned, come to Christ, believe in him, hold on to him, eat this spiritual food. Let this be the first thing.
- Secondly, let this text be remembered as a great comfort and strengthening of faith, that the Lord says, "He who comes to me will not hunger nor thirst," that is, he will not die. These words should be written in the heart with golden letters, yes, with living letters (that would be better), so that everyone would know where he should 1) leave his soul, where he should go when he leaves this world; or when he goes to bed, gets up early in the morning, or does something else, so that he would know this golden art: Here, with Christ, my soul abides, that one may not hunger or thirst. This man will not lie to me. These are precious and valuable words, which we must not only know, but also make use of and say: "On these words I will go to sleep in the evening and rise again in the morning: on these words I will rely, sleep, watch, work, and cross the bridge. For if all things fall to pieces, and father and mother, emperor and pope, monk and priest, princes and lords, forsake thee, though Moses be not able to help me, and I run to Christ, he will help. For these words are sure, and he saith, Adhere thou to me; if thou comest to me, thou shalt live. Yes, but I am dying? Let me hear what he will say again, that if any man die, he shall live.
- Erlanger: solle.
2238 Erl. 47, 280-283. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, I9SS-1958. 2239
In sum, it is a delicious chapter, since the words should not only reach our ears, but we must rely on them and accept them. For it does not do to speak ill of it (it is something to understand it, as I and my like understand it), but you must also accept it in your conscience, and believe it to be true, let it be as it may: he who speaks this, be sure, and will not lie to me. And we also shall say unto Christ, Give us this bread always. To which he will answer: Yes, gladly with all my heart, I will give it, for this is why I came from heaven; accept me alone, let me be your food, do not rely on other food; beware of it. For "I am the bread"; not the pope, nor any man on earth; no one else will help you but me. And if ye cleave unto me, neither pope, nor emperor, nor devil, shall hurt you: for here is bread, which shall not let us hunger.
The sixth sermon. ^1^)
Held Saturday, December 10, 1530.
101 This is the answer of the Lord, when the Jews asked him, saying, "Give us such bread for all our sakes," that he says, "I am the bread. 2c. "He that believeth on me shall not hunger." And is the opinion of such words, that whosoever can believe in the one man, whose name is Jesus Christ, is full, and shall not thirst nor hunger.
102This is a strange and precious sermon, which does not enter into the heart of any man, nor is it understood, that he says he is the bread of life. And therefore the Lord himself is well pleased that these words will not enter into them; neither is it possible that they should enter into any man. For if a man came to thee, and said, I am the bread, and the bread of life; thou wouldest say, This is an idle speech, and of no use. Who would not say, Who speaks this? For he is a man, and not bread. And since Christ here says that he is the bread of life, which, if anyone eats it, he
- In the original in the margin. The time determination is our Conjecture.
will not die: He that eateth me shall live for ever: there can no man understand, and think him a fool. Therefore he says:
V. 36. I have told you that you have seen me, and yet you do not believe.
103 As if to say, What shall I preach much unto you? I say that you shall eat and drink me, and live. But what shall I say? You see me, and yet you do not believe. My words do not want you to eat me with your teeth, but you do not believe. This is the gloss, "Ye believe not." First, I preached to you in the beginning of this chapter that you should eat and drink me; if not, you will be guilty of eternal death. But how to eat him he interprets himself by a clear gloss, saying, "I have told you that you have seen me, and yet you do not believe."
(104) This is the gloss, when I preach that I am to be eaten and drunk, that ye may become one thing with me, and one flesh and blood, that ye may believe on me. This is the summa summarum and glossa of it, when I speak of eating, that I mean the spiritual food which is in it, that ye may believe on me; for ye must have other food, than your fathers had in the wilderness; not wine and bread, which groweth upon the earth; but spiritual food, which I will give. And whosoever therefore will eat this meat, and drink this drink, let him believe. There you have it recently all with each other.
This is a new saying, never heard before, that eating and drinking are as much as believing. No man understands this, whether he be pope, emperor, doctor, priest, or monk; they do not understand the words, though they may speak them. So our enthusiasts know much to say about the spiritual Estonian, thinking of Christ as sitting in heaven at the right hand of his heavenly Father, when they understand nothing at all about it. It is quite another thing to eat spiritually than to believe in the Lord Christ. To eat and drink of his flesh and blood is to firmly believe in him. And do not speak here of the sacrament, but of those who are eternal.
2240 Erl. 47, 283-285. Sermon on John 6:36, 37, W. VII. ISS8-I960. 2241
shall live. For many run to the Lord's supper, and yet die eternally hungry and thirsty. But here it is another thing, that he that eateth the body shall not hunger nor thirst: for Christ here speaketh of that part which is called believing. For he saith, Ye see and hear me, and yet ye believe not. As if to say, I preach strange things unto you, that ye should eat my body, and drink my blood; ye hear me, and see me; yet ye believe not. If I have been preaching and telling you for a long time, it is all in vain, and think me a fool, think that I speak such things as a drunkard, do not believe me, do not think that I can feed you with my body and blood. But still I do not preach in vain, my word is not lost.
V. 37. All that my Father gives me comes to me, and whoever comes to me I will not cast out.
(106) If we preach that no one will believe, and you yourselves will not believe, always go away; yet I know what I preach. This is strange to you, too wild and desolate, namely, that I am the Son of God, and that one must believe in me; yet there will be some who will still believe.
(107) So we also say against the pope: You will not believe us, what is it to us? we will not ask anything about it. You hear and see us, and confess that our doctrine is the truth, and cannot refute it; yet you do not believe. But there is nothing to it; even if the emperor, pope, bishops and princes do not believe, God will not abandon his word; he still knows help, means and counsel, that he will have disciples who will say: It is God's word, and believe it in a pure heart, and say: If you do not want to believe or hear it, go away; we will separate here like summer and winter. So Christ also will say here, If ye will not believe, depart; yet have I disciples, and preach not in vain. "What the Father gives me comes to me" 2c. I still get disciples, and some are found who accept this sermon from the heart and marvel at it, because the Father has made me a preacher.
If he has sent me preachers, he will also give me disciples who will listen to my teaching. If it is not the pope, emperor, princes and lords who want to accept the word, let them go.
This is a proud, defiant man who speaks it so boldly. If I were pope and emperor, I would not like the man and his book, that he speaks so into my dominion. They are vexatious speeches: If you will not have me, neither will I have you. If the emperor were to say, "What if I don't want it? What is emperor and pope? Do not think that the bishops and rulers will be Christians. But if I were emperor, I would erase these vexatious words from the book. But in spite of emperors, princes, yes, the devil, and all that is angry; if the Father gives them to me, I will gladly see who shall snatch them out of my hands. Well then, I cannot preach in such a way as to please the world, that is in short; nor will anyone hinder my preaching, neither authority nor wisdom.
(109) The consolation we should have from this text is that when God gives grace for someone to come to Christ, he has a great advantage, so that he can boast: The Father has given me to Christ, that I may know Christ, and may say: This man, who is Christ, has given me his flesh and blood for food, so that I may be saved and eat of it and be of good cheer.
- These are the finest words: "Whoever comes to me, I will not cast out"; that whoever believes in me, God the Father must give him to me, and I will not cast him out. Whether ye work as long as ye do, and be saints, fast, pray, and be offended at me, take me for a fool; but he that believeth on me hath it of the Father, it is given him of the Father to come unto me; and he that cometh to me only, let him eat safely, and drink securely, 1) he shall not be cast out for my sake.
111 "He that believeth on me." He thinks more deeply than of eating and drinking, namely, whoever accepts his word and follows him, and believes in him, he shall be sealed and bound, so that he will not cast him out.
- "sure" put by us instead of "seher" i.e. "very" in the original.
2242 Erl. 47, 285-L87. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1960-1963. 2243
As if to say: You shall not ask me for anything, I will be with you before you come to me, and be more willing and ready to give than you are to ask. If you can come to me, do not be afraid of me; I will not be your judge or your executioner.
(112) And when he spake these words, he thought thus, There shall come false prophets and preachers in my name, which shall cast out men and consciences that come unto me: but whosoever believeth in me, that I may give life, the same shall not be cast out. They have made the kingdom of Christ in such a way that they have cast out those who also believed in Christ. But Christ hath put a stake before it, saying, When thou comest, then believest, there is no lack; thy infirmities and thy failings shall not hurt thee: as it is said unto the Romans in the 14th chapter, v. 22, and in the 15th chapter, v. 1 and following. He has forgiveness of sin, and Christ does not soon cast him away. Whoever comes to me once, if he believes, I will deal with him in such a way that, even though he stumbles (as sin remains in the flesh in Christians, as an evil affection, as is said to Romans in chapters 6, 7 and 8), he will not soon be cast away. That is, sin in the flesh shall not have dominion over you; for there is nothing corrupt in them that are incorporated in Christ Jesus, though they be not yet clean, neither is the flesh dead in them.
(113) But the Jews do not understand that whoever believes and comes to me will certainly have the advantage that I will not cast him out, will not throw him away.
These are words that have much in them. If there were a servant who had been obedient and had done well for his master, it would not be a great virtue if the master said, "I will not push him away. It is a blessing to the servant and not to the 1) master. But if the pious servant were to be cast out of the house, it would not be a vice and a scorn to the servant, but to the lord. But if he were wicked, and the master nevertheless kept him in the house, that would be a blessing to the master. So even if you fall,
- The sense seems to us to require such an intercalation.
and sin, yet Christ will not cast you out. A mother does not throw away a dirty, mangy and sick child; a son and daughter often do wrong in the house, but are not disinherited and cast out because of it; but the father says: If you want to be my son and daughter, and I am to remain a father, then do not do this or that; this time I will give it to you.
115, This is where the Lord Christ is also going. He wants to say: You do not believe, therefore I think, if someone should have it, my Father must give it to him, and if he gives it to someone, he will certainly have it; but you want to be my masters, and I should become your disciple; that will not happen for a long time. Dear sirs, if you want to accept the teaching, yes; if not, let it be. What is it then that the belly is your god? [It is evident that you are not called. Yet others will come who will accept it, and whom he will not cast out. We will still have disciples; if you Papists do not want, others will, and if the same should be weak and unskilled Christians, nevertheless they shall not be cast out, if they only believe. But you, because you are unbelievers, shall be cast out for a thousand devils; but if the devils come to me, I will hold myself against them, that I will not cast them out, but will tolerate them, for they will not depart from me, therefore none of them shall depart from me.
The seventh sermon. 2)
Held Saturday, December 17, 1530.
Thus the Lord himself interprets his words that he wants to give "bread of life". For this is the gloss: "I am the bread of life, he who believes in me" 2c. And see clearly that he speaks here of spiritual bread, food, drink, thirst and hunger, and that he rebukes them, saying, "I have told you, you have heard me and seen me, and yet you do not believe me. Then he will say: What is the use? if I preach much to you, it will come to one ear, and the other will not believe me.
- In the original in the margin. The time determination is our Conjecture.
2244 Erl. 47; L87-S90. Sermon on Joh. 6, 37. W. VII, I983-IWS. 2245
to the other again. I must say so much that I am the spiritual food, and you hear the bread and see the spiritual food, but you do not believe. Now this food and drink cannot be eaten or drunk by anyone with the body or mouth, nor does it go into the stomach; but it is for this reason that you believe. But if ye believe not, though ye hear me, and see me, yet preach I unto you of this bread and meat in vain. These are bright and clear words, which can easily be understood, namely, that this food or drink cannot be grasped or obtained by works, our strength and free will. You will not be satisfied by doing this or that work; your thirst will not be quenched by fasting and almsgiving; but to quench your thirst and hunger, this bread and this food belong to you, so that you may believe. The word "eat" is used strongly here, and means to believe. For believing alone he calls spiritual food; he who believes in Christ eats this bread. Otherwise he would also say it, if one needed another work to drive away this hunger and quench thirst. But he says, he who believes in the man has this spiritual food and drink. This is spoken of one part, who hear and see Christ, and yet do not believe in him, and yet it shall not be preached in vain. Now he says of the other part.
V. 37. What the Father gives me I will not cast out.
We must be accustomed to the language. Just now v. 35 he said, "He that cometh to me shall not hunger." But what is coming to Christ? It is to believe in Christ; as he will also say in the 7th chapter, v. 37. Now he says, "What the Father gives me comes to me."
- There is much to be said about this text, who could do it, and it reads as if the Lord first said: "You are the ones who see me and hear me, and yet do not believe me, therefore you are not the multitude that the Father gives me. This indicates that they are not alone before him not 1) absolved and
- We seem to be missing a "not" here.
but also before his Father; cast them out and rejected them from the gospel. And lest they should cast it to the winds, as if it were a small thing, if they believed not in him, or heard him, he saith here: It is true that whoever does not hear me does not hear the Father. With these words he wants to express to the despisers of the gospel and the ungodly their punishment, that since they hear and see Christ and his word, and yet do not believe in it, they are rejected and excluded by God from Christ and his word. They are against God, because they do not believe this man; this is their ban and judgment, this sentence is spoken over them, this thunderclap has passed over them, they may fast and do what they want, but they still do not belong to the Father, because they do not believe Christ. The Father does not give them to him either, for whoever does not believe in Christ, even if he is the most holy, he does not please God.
119] Secondly, the text is very comforting to those who are devout and believing, as it is also frightening to the wicked, for it first says to the Jews, "Nevertheless, for your sake, this preaching shall not remain ineffectual and without fruit; if you will not, another will; if you do not believe, another will. Ye wise and prudent come not unto me, for ye know a better way than I can show you: but there is yet a company of them, as poor, afflicted, and afraid consciences, which company, if they come unto me, and receive my word, which believe on me, which eat my flesh, and drink my blood, and live for ever: and they are called "as the Father giveth me."
120 We must therefore take comfort in the fact that we believe and preach in Christ. The world does not ask for it, does not dance, even if we court it and sing and whistle to it; it does not weep, even if we complain to it; and even if we promise it much, or think that someone might get tired of it, it still does not help; it does not want to believe. And it is just like a game: he who plays cannot do it, but he who wins can do it better. So are
- "allgebot," if the reading is correct, perhaps: in all respects; otherwise, probably "allezeit" would like to be read.
2246 Erl. 47, 280-LS2. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1965-1968. 2247
There are many of them who want to and can do better than I can. The more one does to help them, the more stubborn and gnarled they become than before. But what should I do? I must say: Come here to my place, and make it as good as you can, and then let him always go. Here Christ himself says that the same word will be obeyed, that there will be those who will accept it every day, as he says: "The Father gives me. This must be fulfilled.
It means: "to come to me"; with human reason my word is not understood, as we see in the pagans and philosophical books and teachings, that they have calculated God according to reason, and have spoken of God as of men, as Cicero and Homer have done; they paint God as a man. Thus, if a spirit of the mob also speaks of God as he would like it to be, as it pleases reason, then God's word must also be thus; but God does not think as we men think, or as it pleases our reason. And it is not said here by Christ: Everything that only reason, and the clever, wise people bring to the world, comes to me: Oh no! but it remains outside. Reason does not do it; riches and human wisdom, and everything that is not God, hinder and are no encouragement to the art, to this bread and spiritual meal, as we eat the food and the bread of life. God alone must do it. What people do, how easy it seems, is all a great hindrance. And if a highly learned, experienced, intelligent person comes along, he falls in with his reason, wants to master it, and is annoyed and offended by the Gospel. For there are not such people whom God can teach; but Christ wants to have disciples who are simple-minded, who humble themselves, and cling and fall to the word of God, and let themselves be taught. When they hear it, they do not judge and master the teaching, but let themselves be reformed, mastered and taught by the divine word, and fall into it.
(122) Now much could be said about this, for it is a comforting speech to those who feel and know that they should come to Christ, that they may say and conclude: Now
I know that I have been given to the Lord Christ by the Father. He who can believe that he is a piece that is to come to Christ has comfort from this, because he feels that his word is pleasing to him from the heart, and he also wants to leave everything he has and can say: I am one of those who have been given to come to Christ.
This coming is not bodily, so that one would climb into heaven and above the clouds. Neither does the coming happen with hands and feet, but the heart comes to God through faith. When you hear His word and it pleases you to cling to it, then your heart goes to Him, then you eat this food, then faith is a gift and grace of God, it is not a human power nor our work. Therefore St. Paul says 2 Thess. 3, 2.: Non omnium est fides. And to the Ephesians, Cap. 2, 8. 9.: Dei donum est, non ex operibus etc., ne quis glorietur. So he also wants to say here, what the Father does not show, that does not come to me, no one can hear me, the Father gives it to him; to the arrogant, clever, highly learned, wise people and sharp heads, who talk a lot and know how to judge and master, it is cut off from them. Do not take it into your head to be so rude that you should come here with your reason; you will not master Christ, your hope, and arrogance is rejected here.
124] So the Jews also thought, There stands Christ preaching, that we can do better than he; thinking that without his preaching they would come to the meat and bread of life? But Christ says, "I will put a bar against the door, so that you will not come there; not that I do not want you, but that you must go another way if you want to come to Christ and get this food and drink, because your reason and wisdom cannot. But if ye will come unto me, the Father must give you unto me. And you will give me nothing, there is nothing in you or your powers, therefore the Father should give you to me. You shall not come to me with your great understanding and wisdom; for then you bring yourselves, and have no need of the Father at all. It
2248 1 Erl. 47, 292-LSS. Sermon on Joh. 6, 37. W. VII, 1968-1971. 2249
this same wisdom is the sorrowful devil in the world, and belongs to the abyss of hell, that I would gladly teach God how he should rule the world. For if you bring yourself, the Father must not bring you. But there are visceral 1) and peevish people who stay on their head and want to master God; if they have only heard one sermon, and only looked at the New Testament once, they think they can do it all at once, and want to lead themselves to it, they do not need a preacher. But when the last moves and stretching legs come, then you will learn what the word is: "All that the Father gives me" 2c., and then know great thanks to me, and actually see whether your scrounging head or art has brought you there, and whether you come to me from yourself or not.
125 In sum, he is saying, "The Jews do not ask for it, nor do they regard me; and I do not ask for them. I would gladly give you food and drink, but you will not; so let it be, neither will I have yours. You are not hungry or thirsty, poor and unholy; therefore remain rich, learned, holy, secure, wise and prudent, who want to master everything, you will find it well in the sweepings. My multitude, which the Father giveth me, who know not how to help themselves, and are taught and carried, and hear the word, and learn it, and cannot be satisfied with meat, nor quench their thirst, and are in earnest; they abide hungry and thirsty, knowing nothing of their righteousness and godliness; and suffer the Holy Ghost to work in them, and by his power to make them whole, that they may be drawn unto me; and the Father giveth them the Holy Ghost also, that the word may be strong in them; For they stand not on their holiness, neither build upon their wisdom.
(126) This must be preached for the sake of the proud asses, who think they know all things, and yet know nothing, that it may be told them that they know not; and if they despise it, let them go. It will remain that the Father must draw those who are to come to Christ, as he says here: "All things that are mine are mine.
- "visirlich" here probably as much as foolish.
my Father gives, that comes to me, and whoever comes to me, I will not cast out"; that is, this little group remains. It is an excellent consolation for afflicted consciences. He speaks to them kindly, that it is beyond all measure, lest any man think, If I come to Christ, how shall I come to the Father? To which he replies, "Do not worry about that; if you only come to me, do not turn to these thoughts, you have already been with the Father for a long time. Then he draws us to himself, that we may not ask, How shall we be saved and blessed? For with our thoughts we shall not find the Father. Do not say, as the apostle Philip said, John 14:8, "Lord, show us the Father," who also wanted to put Christ out of sight and take another road to the Father, which was a wooden road, and seek the Father without Christ. But to him it is said: "If you can believe, and close your eyes, and eat and drink of me, if you can come to me, you have been all ready with the Father, you have already met the Father in me, you have had enough of it; for the Father has led you to me. And he that cometh to Christ cometh also to the Father. As it is clearly stated in the fourteenth chapter of John, that he who comes to the Father comes also to Christ; and again, he who comes to Christ comes also to the Father; for the Father and the Son are One God, so that whichever God you seek, the same has first brought you to Christ. He who comes to Christ has attained it.
All things must be done that we may come unto the man; but no man cometh unto him, but by the Father. And again, our food and drink unto eternal life and blessedness shall' be upon the man who saith here, "I am the bread of life." Item, you must come to me, and to no one else, it is not to be placed on any other person, but it must be a sign, a goal, purpose or indication that whoever meets the person does not lack the Father, he has also met the Father. As Christ also says to Philip: Philip, look upon me, where are you fluttering your thoughts? He that would come to the Father must come to him through me, and he giveth it; and he that would come to me must do it through the Father.
2250 Erl. 47, 295-297. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1971-1974. 2251
The Lord Christ speaks of this here as if he did not want to lead us to the Father, but he, the Father, would bring us to him; that is, preached in one another. This is the highest consolation for the weak consciences, who do not know how they are with God and are always afraid that they have an ungracious God, who can satisfy their hearts through this text, and place and base their faith on the person of Christ.
This high article, of the one divine essence, and of the three persons therein, is little known; item, that Christ is truly God and man, and that there are two natures in the person of Christ, as humanity and divinity, is too high for reason, and no doctor nor worldly-wise man has been able to bring it together, but all have stumbled at it; and those who have opposed it, and have wanted to separate the divinity from Christ, have become fools about it. But John the Evangelist speaks of it in other words, so that he does not set Christ alone on earth and leave the Father alone in heaven, but he bakes the two persons, the Father and the Son, so hard into one another that he cannot make it harder. For Christ says here: Where you meet me, you meet the Father, and if you have Christ, you have the Father also, and you are not to flutter any further in heaven; as he says to Philip, "If you see me, Philip, you see the Father also; if you hear me, you hear the Father also.
129 The warm-hearted spirits cannot understand this, therefore they should let their thoughts go. But these words must preserve us, that he who receives Christ and believes in him comes to him, and he who comes to Christ also comes to the Father; for the Father has given him to the Lord Christ, and he was before with the Father, so that you may not seek God the Father apart from or beside Christ, but remain with this person, and you will surely have the Father. Otherwise, do not speculate too high with your thoughts toward heaven, for it is not good to preach about it according to the sharpness (unflown, unfluttered, and unclimbed is the word), but hang and cling to Christ, it must be
To have remained in the person of Christ alone. If you have this, you have received everything; but if you lose this, you have lost everything. In Christ thou comest to the Father, and from the Father thou art consecrated to Christ: therefore abide in Christ Jesus, who saith, He is the living bread; and flutter no further, though thou canst not see with thine eyes, nor understand with thy reason. Well, my dear, it cannot be grasped by reason, for what else could I believe? If you measure this with cubits and calculate it with your fingers, that Christ lies as a child in the manger and is from earth, you will say: How can he be in heaven? But it is incomprehensible to reason that God should be in heaven, and also that a child should lie and be carried in the womb of the Virgin Mary. She understands that my dog also knows when legs have fallen under the table that he should eat them; for, if they have been thrown under the table, they do not belong on the table again.
But listen to what Christ says here: "I am the Bread of Life", which brings us back to the fact that God is the Fountain and Source of Life, and no one can give life but God. For you may think: How can you, Christ, be the fountain of life on earth, and give the bread of life, unless you are God? Yes, he is, and you will not find God in heaven, nor in hell, nor in the sea, except Christ. And even if you were to go to heaven right now, you would not come to God so soon if you did not first come to the person of Christ, who is both God and man. If then the Father is in Christ, why do you seek Him elsewhere? In Christ you have the bread of life, he can give you eternal life, and save you from death, and catch the devil alone. Then you must consider that Christ is the fountain of life, and God has poured out his gifts, his will, and eternal life in Christ, and pointed to him; there we shall find it all. If you grasp this, you have grasped everything and the whole Godhead. If you do not want to believe or understand this, then you are just such a fellow as the Jews are here. Here belongs a humble
2252 Erl. 47, 2S7-2SS. Sermon on John 6:37-39, W. VII, 1974-1976. 2253
thy soul, full of life, hungry and thirsty, which hangs on words, and seeks God nowhere but in Christ, who lies in the manger, or where else he is, on the cross, in baptism, the Lord's Supper, or in the preaching of the divine word, or with my neighbor and brother; there I will find him. All other sects, such as papists, mahometists, and enthusiasts, do not find him otherwise, for they seek him without this path, ladder, master, and lantern, which is Christ. Therefore the Turks also do not find him, but are shamefully deceived. So you also say: I remain with the divine word, and with this person, the Lord Christ, and not with my thoughts.
The eighth sermon. ^1^)
Held Saturday, January 14, 1531.
V. 37. All that the Father gives me comes to me.
From this text one hears and hears that St. John is most concerned with the high and main article of our Christian faith, namely, believing in Christ, which is why we are also called Christians. Otherwise one does not find much preaching of the Ten Commandments in his Gospel, but this is his greatest work, that he may plant the high article of the righteousness of the faith and impress it upon the people; for where it remains pure and unadulterated, and stands firm, there is no need, but when it lies, then it is done for us all, and then we are no better than the Jews, the Gentiles, the Tatars and the Turks, yes, we are as bad as the Papists. For this reason, John the Evangelist is to be highly praised for his diligence in writing this main article.
132 For the Lord to say, "Him that cometh to me I will not cast out," is to present Himself to us in a friendly image, so that we may know what He is to be taken for; namely, if you have the grace to hear and believe God's word, and accept this man Christ, that is, brought to Him and given by the Father to the Son. And know that he will
- In the original in the margin. The time determination is our Conjecture.
He will also be pleased to have you; he will accept you. And thou shalt not fear or think that he is an angry judge standing behind the door with a club, judging thee and damning thee, for he is the right bishop of souls, a true teacher and faithful pastor. If you come to him, he will not push you away or harm you, but he will keep you, saying, "Do not be afraid; I will not be lacking if you stay with me.
But in the papacy they preached much else about him, and wanted to bring us, who were baptized, to the man with laws and all kinds of good works, and painted Christ before us as if he were a fierce tyrant, an angry and strict judge, who demanded much of us, and laid out good works for us as payment for our sin. As then this shameful and blasphemous picture or painting shows of the last day, where one has painted how the Son falls down before the Father and kneels, and shows him his wounds, and St. John and Mary ask Christ for us at the last judgment, and the mother shows the Son her breasts, which he sucked. Which is taken from St. Bernard's books. And it was not well spoken, painted or made by St. Bernard, and such paintings should still be removed; for one has frightened the stupid consciences with it, and imagined to the people that they should be afraid of the dear Savior and flee from him, as if he wanted to drive us away from him, and should punish our sin. This is why people do not like to go to him. For if my conscience fears, it is driven away enough; I have no need of a hunter, a hound, a hound dog, a painter, or a hunter, to be chased by him; but my heart and weak conscience flee from him, because I am afraid; fear and terror repel and drive me away, so that I do not stay with him.
For this reason one should not suffer such paintings, for the Lord Christ says here: I will not cast you away; if you come to me, that is, if you believe and are baptized, and know that I, Christ, was born and died for you, then it is finished.
2254 Erl. 47, 2SS-302. interpretations on the evangelist John'es. W. VII, 1976-1979. 2255
Be afraid, you must not be frightened then. Christ does not want to be a tyrant or a bully; he does not want to chase you away or push you away. This is our doctrine of Christ; but in the papacy this doctrine has been put under the bank and despised; for the pope only wanted to drive people to Christ with good works, so that they would be satisfied for their sin, and on the last day before the judgment of God would say, "Behold, Lord Christ, I have done this, I have fasted so much, I have done these and those works. And if afterwards this also does not help, that one says: You dear Mary, come forth; help me, you dear St. John, St. Peter and Paul. This is called teaching the devil, and not preaching Christ, but being driven and pushed away from Christ. Thus the Lord Christ was taken out of the eyes of the poor sinners, even out of their hearts.
But the Lord Christ says here: See thou come unto me only, and that thou hast grace to hold it in thine heart, to be sure and believe that I am sent into the world for thy sake, to do my Father's will, and am given thee for reconciliation, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, and have laid all punishment upon me for thy sake. If you believe this, do not be afraid; I will not be your judge or executioner and cane-master, but I will be your redeemer, mediator, yes, kind, dear brother and good friend; forsake only your workmanship, and abide with me in steadfast faith.
(136) But a distinction must be made here between the righteousness of faith and good works, so that the article of the righteousness of faith may remain pure among Christians. For it is not forbidden here that one should not do good works. If I live according to the law and do good works, keep the commandments of the other table of the Ten Commandments, honor my authority, do not steal, do not kill anyone, do not commit adultery, I am doing right and will not be punished here. But this is works, that the papists do good works before they recognize the Lord Christ and believe in him; they looked to works for their salvation, and forsake faith in Christ. But the
Having believed, and knowing that Christ is not a master of the rod, and then beginning to do good, they do righteous good works, and these works, done before or after faith, are not called holiness or righteousness, as the papists call them. For faith alone in Christ is our righteousness, and by Christ we are called Christians, and also made saints; for the Father brings you to the Son without all your works and merit. This is the article of the righteousness of faith, that one believes in Christ; this article you have acquired by no works, fasting, praying, or otherwise, but it is given to you from heaven.
137 In this place, then, he does not speak of the righteousness of works done before faith, but of the primary righteousness of knowing Christ and believing in him, as the words in the Symbol are. And whoever accepts the article, the Father has brought him to the Son Christ. When this happens, do not be afraid of him; for the heart is otherwise so stupid by nature that it always works as if Christ were an executioner or judge, and would deal with us according to the law with sharpness; we always want to make a Moses or lawgiver out of him. This vice I cannot overcome, and as little drive from me as from thee. Thus also the devil and the rotten spirits or false teachers come, and afflict a frightened conscience still more. Those who know nothing of this article carry straw and wood to the fire, so that it burns quickly, and strengthen that which I naturally desire and am inclined to do. For I lie in the thoughts of how God is angry; so they come and teach us to atone for God's anger with works. Just as the papists also say that we must do enough for our sin. It is therefore necessary to make Christ the judge, whom we must appease and atone for with good works. This doctrine finds a good tinder in me, that we think thus by nature, that we must nevertheless also do something good. If then the brimstone and the infernal fire of false teachers come in and strike, it is as oil, so the
2256.Erl. 47, 302-305. Sermon on John 6:37-39. W. VII, 1979-1982. 2257
It lights a fire and makes it burn so brightly that the hearts must despair.
The Lord Christ, the comforting teacher and faithful shepherd, knows that our hearts naturally shrink from him and fear him because of our sins; item, that the devil raises up his false teachers, who blow out this delusion and make it stronger, and cause heartache, so that people despair of Christ, and think of him as an angry judge and stickmaster, who only sees sourly. And even if I tortured myself to death and broke off a lot, the heart would still not be satisfied. Therefore, I went to St. Mary and St. Nicholas and other saints and sought their intercession. For that is where my heart compels me, if I consider Christ to be a judge and cane-master. And if this has not helped, as it could not help and comfort, it has been said that there is no more help nor counsel but despair. For where Christ is forsaken, despair must follow; there your work is lost, and the intercession of the saints is uncertain. This fire cannot be quenched; good works cannot, neither can the intercession of the saints. So Christ remains a judge in your heart, and you must despair in the time of death.
139 And would anyone here say, "Should I despair? This is not what Christ means. For here he says, "Do not make me out to be such, nor think of me as such a judge; if you want to call on the saints, call on me, for you have the right mediator and saint; come to me, for you have all good works, and believe the article, and you will not be afraid of me, but will come to me. And do not ask your heart for counsel here, nor listen to the false teachers and doctors who provoke you to fear; do not believe your thoughts and evil conscience, but believe me and my word; for I am more certain to you than is your own heart and conscience; I will not cast you out; your conscience lies to you when it pretends that you should fear me as a judge. Where do such thoughts come to you? I say no to them; I will not cast thee out; I say unto thee, Fear not.
140 Therefore one can say to the pope and to all saints of works: You say that Christ is a judge who severely punishes sinners, therefore I should atone for my sin and do enough for it, otherwise Christ will kill me with his sword; therefore teach me the works righteousness and intercession of the saints. But I know that I am baptized, and hear the word of God, and believe this article, namely, in Jesus Christ. God has given me this grace, that I hear and believe, and thus I have come to Him by the will of the heavenly Father, and I have had enough. Why and before whom should I be afraid? For he saith all these things: "What comes to me I will not cast out"; but I will accept it, love it and value it, so I will abide with him. For it is clearly stated here that he not only wants me to be uncast out and not cast out, that I should remain uncast out, but in another place John 10:28 it is also said that no one should snatch them out of his hands. Christ will protect and defend me, so that even if all the devils and the gates of hell are against me, they will not take me from him.
141 These are very comforting words, spoken only to those who want to be Christians, so that they may learn this article well and distinguish it, separating faith from good works. For faith is the head, and works are to follow after; but the virtue and power which are otherwise due to faith need not be appropriated to them; works do not deserve righteousness. Faith is to give us this, that Christ is not a judge; as he says elsewhere John 3:17., "I am not come to judge the world, but that the world through me might be saved." The Father did not send him to scare, frighten, or harm those who come to him, but to keep them with him. But against them that believe not, of them he will be a judge, as they also think him a judge; and so will not condemn the whole world; but to the pious and godly he will say, Thou hast come unto me, and hast believed on me, the Father hath given thee unto me; therefore come hither, I will not cast thee out. To the
2258 Erl. 47, 305-307. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1982-IS84. 2259
But to others he will say on the last day that he will be their judge, because they will not come to him. Then there will be two heaps, and there he will separate the wicked from the Christians, and separate the goats from the sheep, and say to the wicked: You have not wanted me and have not believed in me, but you have persecuted me, killed my Christians, blasphemed my word, and cast me and mine out; so also go into the hellish fire. For they consider not Christ to be gracious; neither shall they have him as gracious and kind, but shall go into hell. For this reason we want Christ to be a gracious Lord to those who come to him. The rainbow, when he sits on it, does not frighten me, but helps me to salvation; we do not see him as a judge; he will take you and not push you away, and also protect you against the devil. And speaks further in the text, why he will not cast them out.
V 38. 39. For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but that of him that sent me; that I should lose nothing of all that he hath given me, but that I should raise it up at the last day.
How finely it rhymes together! He saith, I will not cast thee out: this is his will. And here he says that he will also do the will of the Father, which is also that he will not reject us. For St. John interweaves them and ties them together so that the Father's and the Son's being is one being, one will, one spirit, one wisdom, one work, even one Godhead and one thing. So kindly he presents himself to us, that we may cling to him, that when I hear the will of the Son, I hear also the will of the Father. If thou also seest the Son, thou seest the Father himself; and if thou hast my will (he means to say), thou hast the Father's will and goodness also; and fear not the Father. For let not thy heart say thus, Yea, Lord Christ, I believe thy words, that thou wilt not cast me out: but how if the Father were ungracious to me, and would cast me out? No, he answers, there is no more wrath in heaven, if thou be of one mind with me, for the
The Father has brought you to me, and he is of my will, and has taught you to know me and believe in me, and the Father has the same will that I have. For if he had wanted to destroy you and push you away, he would not have brought you to me and let you stay; nor would he have given you his word, the blessing, baptism, and the knowledge of this high article, so that you would have accepted it and believed. Therefore you shall not put two wills between me and my Father. For my will is that I will not cast thee away; so is my Father's will. I will not condemn thee, neither will he.
This is now a new sermon, from which we want to learn what the Father's will is and how to do God's will. The papists have thus said that God's will is to keep His commandments, and mix them together, drawing this will of God from good works. But I say that it is also one of God's wills, the outward discipline, that one should be obedient to one's parents and submissive to the authorities, not murder anyone, not commit fornication, not rob or steal, or do other good deeds, and lead a fine outward, chaste life in the other table. This is indeed also the divine will and a righteousness; but this is not therefore the righteousness of faith. For when I teach of good works, I do not teach of faith; and again, when I speak of faith, I do not mean works, for each has its place and its preaching. Now you hear here that Christ says he has come. Why, because of the works and the law of Moses, that thou shouldest obey parents and authorities? Do you not know this beforehand? For even the Gentiles know this. No, that is not why he came into the world, but for the sake of something higher than these works. For the good works and laws were beforehand superfluously described and commanded by Moses, and should not Christ have become man for this reason, that he preached them to us. And the Gentiles also have written their books and doctrines of good works.
(144) Therefore he speaks here of another will of God the Father, which is much about other things, and another will of God the Father.
- 2260 Erl. 47, 307-310. Sermon on John 6:37-39, W. VII, IS84-I987. 2261
Will is to keep the Ten Commandments, or to preach from the Law. For the blind leaders, the papists, have invented such things out of their heads and pretended that God's will is to keep the commandments of God, and have put faith into the law, and even mixed them together, and thrust their thoughts and dreams into this text; there they stand up, and draw the divine will to the commandments of God; therefore they should always be let go. But say thou on this, that God wills not one thing; neither doth he speak of one thing in all places; he hath more than one will and service. In one place he commands and wills that one be obedient to one's parents, and that the authorities faithfully govern the lands and people, and that the subjects honor the overlords Rom. 13:1 ff, item, that the servants serve their masters well; also that one not kill, commit adultery and steal, all this is his will. And how much is the will? He does not speak of this here at all, but speaks of the right will of God the heavenly Father, which does not concern the commandments and laws at all, namely John 3:16: "Whoever believes in the Son shall not perish, but have eternal life." Therefore you do not have to mix these wills together; but speak of them as Christ himself speaks, and as the text reads here. Now this is another thing, yea, another thing, than when one saith, Honor thy parents. He says here of another will; you must not brew and boil it into one another.
The fatherly will of all that Christ speaks of extends to this, and teaches that he, the Lord Christ, should lose nothing of all that comes to him, or that is given to him, that is, who believes in him, but that all should be preserved and live forever. As in another place Christ also says John 6:40, "This is the will of him that sent me, that whosoever seeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." This means not to cast him away, but to keep him. This is a different will than the law otherwise requires of us; and one must separate such wills of God from one another; for the will of God is not the will of God.
God's will in this place is that the Lord Christ should not lose anyone who believes in Him. God is very kind to us, because all lightning, thunder, tempests, hail, and even wrath and displeasure of God shall depart and disappear, and that His gracious will is that whoever sees the Son and believes in Him shall be blessed and saved, and shall prosper. For God does not act against him with justice, righteous judgment and punishment; but God has a gracious will toward him. For God does not come to punish, but in Christ there is a vain gracious will of the Father, who kindly draws us to Himself.
That is, the article believing in Christ, splendidly driven, that St. John puts together and binds, also boils into each other, the Father's will and the Son's will. Therefore he says in another place John 14:24: "The words that I speak are not my words, but the Father's words, who sent me"; that if I hear Christ, I can conclude that the word that I hear is also the Father's word, and comes from the Father's heart, and is all one thing, so that I do not think it is another man's word or will, but can say: What comes out of the Son's mouth comes out of the Father's mouth, and the Father also speaks it, yes, the whole Godhead and the Father's heart speaks to me when I hear the man. John does this because he would like us to hold on to this article. For John wants to bring it together, and indicate that when one hears this man, Christ's, word, one hears the divine majesty itself. There are not two things; that if you hear me, you do not hear me as you look at me, but you hear God Himself; for Christ's will and Christ's word and work are the Father's will, yes, also the Father's word and work.
So he also says here: My will is not my will alone, or anything else but the Father's will; for what I will, that will he also; and when you hear me, do not flutter now and then, as if God were holding out something else to you than I am teaching you. For this is his will, that I say, When you come to Christ, the Father will not cast you away. With this he lifts up all
2262 Erl. 47, SIS-812. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1987-1990. 2263
The displeasure, wrath, enmity, and disfavor of God, that we may be sure that Christ will not cast us away, neither will the Father cast us out. And so, when an evil conscience comes, a man may not say, "I have lived a holy life, for that is not enough; you cannot stand by it: I believe in Christ, who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered and died, and rely on the fact that he himself says that whoever comes to him he will not cast out. I rely on these words and come to you, dear Lord Christ, because this is your will and heart, also your mouth, the words are enough for me and certain, I know well that you will not deny me, the words will not fail me, you will not push away those who come to you. Even though I am already a boy, and not sufficiently holy or pious to be able to stand, you are still true, and you want me to be raised up on the last day. Though I cannot stand, yet, O Lord Christ, thou wilt stand well, and not reject me.
These are beautiful, excellent words, God would have us learn them well and grasp the high article well. For I am very much afraid of the enthusiasts and the spirits of the mob, who will come and tear up this article as they have done before. And if it falls, we are finished. And they already begin to tear it up with their good works; they come to this, that in all their books one finds nothing else, but, so much alms he has given; item, so good done, this and that earned; remain only in works, and do nothing of this doctrine and of this comforting article, that Christ has helped us, but they have only learned that one may do good works. But if you come no higher than this, but only to works holiness, you are not a Christian. Therefore you must come to the point where you say, "I am sure that the Father has called me and brought me to the man Christ; I have been baptized and believe this article, and I rely on this word that he has said he will not cast me away. Now this is a sure sign that I have been brought to him. Because I have come to him.
If I hear his word and believe in him, I will stay. It says that he will not look at what a man can do, or how much human righteousness and holiness he has, but that I will only come to him.
This article must sit above good works, it hovers over all works: that you first believe that you have a gracious God, who will not cast you away, because you believe in Christ, and because you have been given to Christ, that you will not be lost, for this is the will of God. Then also be pious, honor your parents, and be obedient to the authorities, and be a pious child of God who loves his neighbor; do good works, and suffer for God's sake what you should suffer. Item, do this or that work, only that this main righteousness may precede, namely, that you believe that you have a gracious God because you believe in Christ and have seen him; for he does not want to do your will and according to the will of your conscience, he does not want to deal with you as your conscience tells you or reproaches you. For here he says, "This is the will of God, that I lose nothing," that he not only does not want to cast anyone out or drive them away, but he also wants to keep them with him, and no one should take them away from him.
(150) Now if this article remain, we are undestroyed and unconvinced. For the Holy Spirit and these words stand here and preserve one so that he remains with Christ, and one is not deceived. So then one remains an enlightened man, who can judge and condemn all the works and doctrines, the falsehoods, and the falsehoods, which teach love and good works, and not faith in Christ (which is the main article); these then I can judge and say: You are not right, you teach falsely.
(151) It is indeed good doctrine and speech, to be obedient to parents, and to be subject to the authorities, and to do other works of the law and of love; but with this you shall not yet make me a Christian. For it does not sustain me, it is far too small a doctrine; though I speak of perfect love, yet it is not sufficient. For the text here says that it is the Father's will that one should come to the Son and hear him,
2264 Erl. 47, 312-315, Sermon on John 6, 37-39. W. VII, 1990-1993. 2265
and believe in him. Believing, then, and obeying your parents, or doing this and that work, are not the same thing; neither is faith your own work. Honoring parents is a great work and God's will, and works of love are good preaching, but they do not make Christians.
Since he who believes in Christ shall never die, no one who has accepted this doctrine can be deceived by any spirit of the mob. And one may preach much about good works, which is also rightly preached, but one does not make Christians with it, but Turks, Jews and Papists, who preach only about their own righteousness. Therefore you can soon judge this from this article, and you must look at the article alone and pay attention to it. For if you leave it aside, some fool in a gray coat may come, as an Anabaptist or other, and soon seduce you. For thus say they, the Anabaptists: Verily, one must do thus, mortify oneself thus, and not love creatures, nor have pleasure in money and goods, nor have pleasure in wife and child, but look sour, leave house and farm, and kill the flesh; so it comes to pass that one says: Verily, these are pious, holy people, they leave house and farm, wife and child; it glitters and shines their thing. Thus the Anabaptists have deceived the people, and thus we have also been deceived with this clamor, that if a man has worn a gray skirt and looked sour, he has been more pious than others; item, if he has run away from wife and child, therefore he is holier and better than he who has remained in wedlock. So it is when one does not have this light of the divine word and faith, and that one falls into such hypocrisy that one wants to make Christians by good works; then one has been well deceived. For if there were a Christian who said, "You are a desperate wretch, that the devil who brought you here should lead you away, for you teach that Christians are made by good works. Something higher must be added, it should not be good works, God granting that it is called God's love or neighbor's love, it is called suffering or good works, but they do not make a Christian; but they do make a Christian.
You should teach how to become a Christian by faith, and then preach how to carry the cross and do good works.
153 Therefore learn to distinguish the article from the works. For if the article lies, they can soon deceive you, for they do not know what faith means; but they insist that he who suffers much and does much good, that he loves God and his neighbor, item, is pious and obedient: this is a good thing. Then you say: All this is good and fine, but it does not make one a Christian, nor does it get one to heaven, for works are too weak for that. But say thus: I will first become a Christian, and afterward he shall love God and man. For works shall not make a Christian, but a Christian shall then do and do good works; for by works no one becomes a Christian. But a man becomes a Christian when God gives him the grace to come to His Son, Christ, to be baptized into Him, to hear His word, and to accept Christ through faith. For Christ and this grace of his he did not carve, you did nothing to it, you did not make, carve or bake Christ. It is your faith, and not your good works. And he then says: I believe in Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of Mary the Virgin, died, was crucified and buried, and on the third day rose again from the dead for my sake. There you have the consolation that you did nothing to this, that Christ was born and also suffered, it is not our works; therefore it cannot be grasped by works. It is the devil, and grieves me exceedingly, that the articles of faith should thus be abandoned, and that we should lie straight upon works.
Let us learn, then, that it is very important to make a distinction between the faith and the good works of a Christian; we must distinguish between a Christian being and the life of a saint, so that you may immediately ask whether it is a work or faith that should help you to heaven and make you blessed. If it is a work, then say: This certainly does not make one a Christian; for what
2266 Erl. 47, 31S-3I7. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1M3-1SLS. 2267
The fact that a monk should be saved and helped to heaven, and should make a Christian, must be greater and higher than the work of all men; indeed, if it were greater than raising the dead. What devil could do it with the fictitious works that a monk wears a cap and plates, if these great works should count for nothing here? Nor have they held themselves much better and holier for the sake of their dress, plates, food and drink than other Christians would. But I would rather advise you to water Malvasians and believe only in Christ, and let the monk drink water or his own urine, if he does not believe in Christ: it does not help him, because he must be damned with his strict life. Therefore, he would rather wear a silk skirt for his hard shirt, because this devotion of his does not help him.
(155) But here we speak of the Father's will, which is directed to the person of Christ, and not to good works; and the Father wills that if thou comest to the Son, thou shalt have in him a gracious priest and mediator; and he himself saith, I will not cast thee out, nor lose thee. Therefore, if you remain with him, neither the devil, the world, death, the spirit of the mob, nor the devil's temptation, nor his good works, nor his austere life, nor your own foolish conscience, much less your human wisdom, will tear you away from him. So this article teaches you to abide with Christ, and he with you; for this is the Father's will, which is also the will of the Lord Christ, that whoever believes in the Son shall not perish.
The ninth sermon.
Saturday the 21st day of Januarii 1531. 1)
In this place, therefore, good attention must be paid to what the Father's will says about what is the right, true, Father's will. For there are many things which the Father wills. For he also wants the ten commandments to be kept, such as to honor one's parents, not to steal, not to
- In the original margin, except for what is in parentheses.
God also wants to leave that alone. But here is another will of God, that Christ should be the living bread, or the heavenly bread, which gives eternal life to all, and helps people to the kingdom of heaven. But it is interwoven that his will is also the will of the Father, and summa summarum, everything stands on the main article that we Christians preach; namely, that otherwise there is no life, salvation or blessedness in all the other commandments that God has given, but only in this man, Christ, and that we come to him. Therefore, if we believe in him, we do God's will; otherwise it would be impossible for us to do God's commandments, for all the other commandments are too difficult for us to do. But he who accepts Christ and clings to Him has it, and does the will of God the Father. For what he has not done, nor can do, all this shall be forgiven and given him for Christ's sake, in whom he believes.
157 And now he explains himself and defines or describes what the will of the Father is. For he has said: he does not want to do his will. For someone might say, What is the will of the Father? Have we not heard other teachers before, the prophets and preachers, who have revealed to us the will of the Father in heaven? so have we also the ten commandments; why do you come here and say that you will not do your will, but the will of the Father in heaven? What is this will? Thou wilt teach us of a new will, what is it then? There is another will of the Father above the will in the Ten Commandments, which we do not keep or do, which I declare to you, namely, that I should lose none of those who are given to me. And by this he signifies that he is the man who shall keep every man alive and blessed; for he saith, I shall neither leave nor lose any, it is my Father's commandment and commandment; I shall do it, and receive thee, and keep thee, it is God's will, and will gladly do it. If then thou knowest me, and holdest me, so am I, and will gladly and heartily do it. But if you are apart from me, and lack me as the messenger, and do not cling to me
2268 Erl 47, 317-3IS. Sermon on John 6:39, 40, W. VII, 1995-1998. 2269
me, I cannot receive you, nor do I want to receive you, and then you must be eternally lost.
(158) It is a high article of faith, and both hard, to believe that he can do it, and that he is commanded; that all salvation and blessedness shall be purely cut off from our works, from the ten commandments, and from our blessedness. And therefore the Jews, Carthusians, monks, and nuns, with all their holiness, must be nothing; however great works they may do, all is lost. For Christ says, "I am to be, for there is no other help. For the Father has turned away from all other things, and has set aside and turned aside his will from all holy works; he will not look upon any work, for they can do nothing; and will have his will directed only to the one man, Christ, for he alone shall be the man that can do it.
Such an article is very sour and difficult to believe. For it is hard for the Jews and the whole world, they do not want to hear it, because they think of Christ in this way: "Should you be the man who should save us? should we become your disciples? So the whole world and our reason will gladly deal with God in this way, that it may bring good works and its own righteousness to the market, and atone for sin before God. After that, even if we begin to believe that it is true and know that this is God's will, we still lack the faith to believe in Christ alone. For we are still in doubt, thinking, "Who knows if it is true? Christ says he does not want to lose me, but who knows if God the Father does not have another thought, if he is also of this mind? So we flutter up to heaven with our thoughts, and lose sight of this sermon and of Christ, and dream that we must also do something.
160 But Christ admonishes us here, saying, "Do not look back, nor think of any other will of the Father in his heart; for this is his will, when you hear of it, that Christ should not lose you. Now if you hear this word from Christ's mouth, it is not Christ's word, but the Father's word.
Opinion, word and will; thou shalt not find it otherwise with God, but with me, when thou hearest me speak. Therefore fear not, neither hear anything else, but me, that I may speak with thee: and if thou hast me, thou art not lost. But it is very hard for a man to give himself up with all his mind and heart to the person of Christ; it is a foolish preaching to reason that one should believe in Christ, 1) for then he shall not be lost. But they looked at something else or a special work of their own, and go astray, get far away from it, and are lost. For here it is decreed that it is the Father's will and good pleasure that none of the faithful should perish. And this will of the Father you cannot lack, if you hold to the man Christ, but you meet it in the man; otherwise there is no other will, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor in hell.
161 Secondly, it is also difficult that we do not want to hold on to Christ, and this is our reason's and the Pope's fault that we do not believe in Christ. For our nature shrinks from Christ, and does not consider Christ to be the man who can and will do it, but shrinks from him, saying, If thou wilt be saved, do this and that. Thus it is that the papists make Christ a judge who will judge and judge according to works. Although good works should also be; but I am not talking now about laws and works, so that they should be of some help before God's judgment. Then our nature and the doctrine of men cause us to lose Christ; it takes us away from Christ. For he that hath not this will hath not the Father; and then both the Father's will and Christ's will are lost, for it shall not be by works. Hence it comes to pass that one became a Carthusian, and another a monk, and devised all manner of works. Not that they wanted to do good works, for otherwise they could have remained, each in his own state, serving their parents, loving their neighbor, and preaching to wife and child.
- The context requires an insertion of the kind we have made here.
2270 Erl. 47, 31S-322. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 1998-AM. 2271
and raised nothing new or special; but it was for this reason that we wanted to merit God, and to win God with such works and obtain forgiveness of sins.
But it shall not be so. If you want to become God's son and come to eternal life, and if you want to be rid of sins, this is the handle, namely, that you accept my will and the Father's will, that is, believe in me that I am the bread of life. A Christian must seek righteousness in Christ alone, that he may take hold of the will of the Lord Christ and of the Father. Then go and be a judge, an authority, a father and a mother, a master and a wife, a servant and a maid, and do what is pleasing to God.
There are few of us who know and understand this article, and I therefore treat it for and for, that I very much fear, when we have laid the head, it will soon be forgotten, and fall away again, for no Anabaptist or Sacramentarian teaches such things. Nor can Christ, the eternal righteousness, be grasped or substantiated by a sermon or thought, for it is an eternal art that can be learned neither here nor in that life.
164 So he has interpreted the will of the Father, which is that he should not lose any of those who come to him. Then thou art safe, and canst set thine heart at rest, and say, I will do that which I ought to do, and that which is commanded me: but thereby am I not free from death, but I should be lost all the same, if I had not Christ. I must have the headship, which is called Christ, on which I stand; for this is the Father's will, that Christ lose nothing when he comes to him. And we also want to work with all our earnestness and strength so that we may take hold of Christ. How then do I come to him? Then he says further:
V. 40. This is the will of him who sent me, that whoever sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life.
(165) Then you must separate it (you do it gladly or not), that the Ten Commandments are not the Son of God; item, all the holiness and righteousness of the Jews, so they have led,
Nor is the Son; but the Son is something other than all the holiness and austerities of St. Jerome, Ambrose, and Augustine, or the good works and austerities of all the saints; there is something higher than all the saints' holiness. And so the Lord casts our hearts apart from and above all that is called good works and the ten commandments, for they are not the Son. And even if it were the commandment that one should love God with all one's heart, soul and strength, which is commanded by God Himself, yet it is not the Son. And even though I see and begin to love God and my neighbor and to do the law, you still do not see and have the Son, but this is the will and good pleasure of the Father, which He wants, that whoever sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life. Would to God that it would go into the heart! It is said clearly and plainly enough, if one would only think about it, that whoever has the Son should also have eternal life and forgiveness of sins, and be free from death. But from what? Only that you hear and see the Son and believe in him.
These things are spoken proudly and strongly enough against all good works; but we are asked here whether we should not do good works? Yes, they should follow faith, for faith must have good works; but life is not obtained by works, for it is impossible for one to keep the law; and no saint was ever found on earth who loved God and his neighbor with all his heart and as himself, but the law was an unmistakable, impossible burden and encumbrance; as also St. Peter in the Acts of the Apostles. Peter says in Acts 15:10 that the law is a yoke or burden that neither you nor your fathers were able to bear. That is, all the saints were thrown down, that they could not do enough for the law.
But what must we do that we may be saved? We must look to the Son and cling to Him, and hold to Him, love Him, and believe in the Son, that He may be the One through whom we shall be saved and preserved, who shall not lose us. This is what God has decreed, and through
2272 Erl. 47, 32S-324. Sermon on John 6, 39. 40. W. VII, 2001-2003. 2273
I have righteousness and eternal life if I cling to him. But if you do not cling to him and live a more holy life than St. Jerome, you are lost. But if I say, Lord Christ, I will abide with thee, and cleave unto thee, or believe in thee, for thou alone art it is right. 1) And then I will go and take the Ten Commandments before me, and practice good works; but my chief thing shall be to cleave unto Christ, and that by him life may be given me. After the main thing, then, I will begin to love God and my neighbor as much as I can, and to do everything good, and I am sure that my good works will not help me. My life and work are too little and insignificant to curb death, to close hell, to take away sin, and to open heaven. God did not say to me that I should be the person who could give life or preserve myself, because we cannot keep the law. The Papists did indeed instruct us on the commandments of God to preserve us; but since it was impossible for us to keep them, God gives a man who is called He shall not lose us, He shall preserve us, lest we perish; under Him we shall not perish nor die.
This makes this doctrine contemptible, because everyone thinks it is a small, bad thing, because they hear that nothing else is done except seeing and believing. It is written in the two pieces, seeing and believing. This is easily said, but no one knows what faith is. It is a high art and doctrine, which no saint has learned or been able to establish, unless he has been in despair, in mortal peril or in extreme danger. For there one sees the power and effect of faith first of all in the temptations, as that faith overcomes sin, death, the devil and hell. These are not bad enemies; they make you sweat and break your bones, and make heaven and earth too narrow for you.
- This insertion is made by us.
Only this person who says, "It is I who shall not lose you. This is the will of the Father. Then one learns what faith is.
Therefore it is necessary to preach that when they come and teach: If thou keep the commandments of God, thou shalt have eternal life, and say that Christ himself said Luc. 10:28, "Do this, and thou shalt live"; then say thou: Yea, go thy way, and do so. But the Pharisee in the Gospel left it pending. It is soon said, "Do it"; but it comes to nothing, I cannot do it, my keeping is not enough. But if I am to keep it, the goal is set for me, that I must have Christ as my helper, who forgives my sin and gives me the Holy Spirit, so that I may keep the ten commandments. Yes, but will I get heaven by doing this? The ten commandments will not help us by themselves; the Lord Christ must do it beforehand, and give eternal life. Christ must do it first, then do good works that please God.
And I will raise him up on the last day.
This is a necessary addition and a glorious promise, which is said and repeated twice, so that it is always used: Well, how does that rhyme? This little piece makes faith difficult. For no one can know or see that there is such a great thing about faith, for he has said that whoever believes in him shall have eternal life. Now, St. Jerome, Ambrose and Cyprian believe in him; but there comes the executioner, and cuts off their cops; how does that rhyme with eternal life? the stairs fall in over their heads and backs! These words seem to be all lies, and you see how it is with those who now believe in Christ; they are driven out, they are cursed and maligned, they are beheaded and burned, and they are given no peace or rest. If this means eternal life, that one is thus persecuted and killed, then the devil lives in the life.
171 There is now much to be done in preaching the things that serve faith. For faith should close the eyes, and
2274 Erl. 47, 324-326. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2003-2006. 2275
Do not judge or make judgments according to what you feel or see. For the life which he that believeth in Christ hath, he shall not feel it, nor know it, until I raise him from the dead; but it shall be hid and stopped up in death. He shall cover it up and put it under the ground, and shall know there, as long as I live, or when I die, that I have forgiveness of sins, and when I feel the greatest sins, I may say, Nevertheless I have forgiveness of sins; and when I also feel the most sins, that they bite me most, and chase me, and terrify me, I look upon Christ, and weakly believe in him, and hold fast to him, and say, I am sure thou hast spoken: He that believeth on me shall have eternal life. Even though my conscience is troubled, and sin terrifies me and makes my heart tremble, yet it says, "My son, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you" Matth. 9:2, and: You shall have eternal life, and I will raise you up at the last day.
In the meantime, do not judge by your feelings. For outwardly you will feel death and sin, and the heart will give you an evil conscience, the evil life will punish you, the law will frighten you, the world will persecute you, and the devil will give you evil thoughts and temptation; but do not be frightened, have patience, they are only vain outward larvae, which exercise and drive faith to learn that it has eternal life, and where it has such life. Even if I should die, and a bear should eat my head, or a fish my belly, or a wolf my hand, or be torn in a thousand pieces, yet I know that I shall have eternal life.
Here you see what faith is. It may seem to you that believing is a bad art, but it is a high and great thing. Therefore, when you feel sin and an evil conscience bites you, or when you are persecuted, see if you believe. But then you run to the saints and emergency helpers in monasteries and in the deserts, there you seek help, and you say: O dear one, pray for me! O dear saint, help me! O let me live! I want to become pious and do many good works; so they say
a frightened conscience. Where is now the faith? But so thou shalt say to Christ (if thou believest the words of Christ, as he saith John 17:12, "Whom thou hast given me, I have lost none"): I know not a saint here, I am a poor sinner, and have deserved death; but above sin and death I cleave unto thee, and will not depart from thee. I have taken hold of you, dear Lord Christ, you are my life, and this is the Father's will, that all who cling to you shall have eternal life and be raised from the dead; so be it with me, whether I am beheaded or burned. No other life will do that, it is called monastery, St. Augustine's or St. John the Baptist's life, so that it should hold the sting as faith in Christ soust helps out. . You have read the example of St. Marion, who served eighty-three years, ate no bread, and lived a strict, holy life in the desert; yet when he was about to die, his heart was grieved, saying, "Oh, my soul, what are you afraid of, since you served our Lord God for eighty-three years? But such things did not stick and comforted him. For since it is not the Son, it does no good, nor does it stand, nor do I rest on it; but bad gone away to the Son, seeking forgiveness of sin, grace and mercy of God in Christ, and coming only to Christ, and not looking to your satisfaction, for no work can do it.
This then is the art of faith, that one may take hold of that which one does not see. For all that we have of Christ is hidden, and the contradiction of it is immediately seen; for faith sees that which it does not feel or grasp. This is the art of faith; faith has such a sharp vision that when I see the executioner cutting off my head or burning me, and I am killed, I feel it, and I have death before my eyes, I shall still see life, and say, Though I be killed, yet will I live again. This body and temporal life pass away, but I take hold of eternal life, which is not seen. So when sin terrifies me, I feel it well, and I will mourn.
2276 Erl. 47, 328-329. sermon on Jn. 6, 39. 40. w. VII, 2006-2009. 2277
But I also see comfort, God's grace and mercy, righteousness, salvation and life, which I have in Christ, who says, "I will not lose you. Item, in tribulations and trials we hear comfort in Christ JEsu. Now let him who tries this tell me again what a bad art it is for faith. For all other living is hypocrisy. Even if one walks and lives in the commandments of God, it is not enough, and is only a loud hypocrisy; much more will not apply what we choose of good works, because no life nor law and work does it.
Now the Jews began to grumble, and no wonder. But St. John has always used the high article very powerfully, that Christ is truly God and man in one person, and that this person is also our Savior, through whom we are saved, and who is our life and righteousness; as we say in the Symbola: I believe in Jesus Christ our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit 2c. And therefore we are also called Christians. For this is our title. So then he is truly man, against which many heretics have argued; in addition, he is also truly God, which many heretics have also denied and disputed, and I fear there will be more of these same heretics who will rage and rage against such an article.
177 Learn therefore from this and other sayings, that Jesus Christ is a true man. For you hear and see him before your eyes, that he speaks here as a man. Item, that he is also a true Son of God and such a person that whoever believes in him and clings to him has eternal life and is safe from hell, the devil and death, and he shall have life and salvation, for he will receive it, and he will also be able to do the commandments of God. And this is a glorious argument of His divinity, to prove that He is a true God, that He says twice: "I will not lose Him"; item: "I will raise Him up at the last day." These are not works of some creature. For to make a creature, or to restore a creature, or to give it life
No one can do this but the Creator, as the other article in the Symbola testifies. Item, the life we have, we confess that we have it from God, the Creator, and no one can take it from us, or bend a hair on our head, unless he allows it; just as the devil could not do anything to Job, God allowed it to him.
This and the like saying we are to keep, that we may strengthen our faith that Christ is truly man and God; for he ascribes to him the work of raising from the dead, which he twice repeated, and that he would lose no man; item, that he is the bread of life. These are not the works of an angel or of some creature, but the works of the divine majesty alone.
Thus John the evangelist is a master above all other evangelists, for he always puts forth this article, that Jesus Christ is truly man and truly God. He unites these two natures together. And when he becomes man, he speaks with us, and does miraculous works, and dies according to his humanity. And thereafter he also establishes his divinity with simple words, namely, that whoever clings to him, or whoever believes in him, he redeems, preserves and helps from hell and all misfortune, and he wants to preserve and raise him up, he wants to preserve him so that no creature shall harm him. He says: "For I know the art, that no creature shall take it out of my hands, for I am God Himself. And it will be necessary for us to well imagine and know this article, that Christ is God and man, because by nature we cannot grasp nor understand it. So the devil and the world also fight against it; and though they preach it, yet they darken and obscure such an article with their quaestionibus.
The tenth sermon.
[Saturday, January 28, 1531. 1)
180: Now this was a part of the sermon of the Lord Christ, which He preached from the
- In the original in the margin; but there erroneously "am 27. Januarii"; because January 27 was a Friday.
2278 Erl. 47, 3SS-331. interpretations On the evangelist John. W. VII, 2009-2016. 2279
The sermon that was preached at Capernaum was done by the will of his heavenly Father. Now follows how the sermon was received by the people.
V. 41, 42: Then the Jews murmured because he said, I am the bread that came down from heaven, and they said: Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then saith he: I am come down from heaven?
181 St. John also wanted to write in this piece how the Jews had reacted to the sermon and speech, namely, that they grumbled about it. For it seems to them to be a ridiculous, annoying and foolish sermon, that he may say that he has come from heaven and gives such bread as brings eternal life, since they want to know his father, Joseph, and his mother, Mary. Therefore, with their murmuring, they say that it must be a great lie about him, or he must be a great fool to persuade us that he has come from heaven, when his father and mother live here in Capernaum.
But John shows us here first of all that he warns all who hear this teaching of Christ that we should not inquire much in God's word and things, nor inquire how they rhyme. For whoever wants to be a Christian and grasp the articles of the Christian faith should not ask his reason or head how it sounds, rhymes or rings, but should speak straightforwardly: I do not ask how it rhymes, but I must know that alone, whether God's word is there or not; so I ask whether God has said it. For you have often heard that I have admonished you not to argue or reason in high spiritual matters concerning the articles of the Christian faith. For as soon as a man begins to rhyme, to reason, and to reason together, it is already finished, and we fall away.
183 Origen and the other holy fathers have done so, they have all been very wrong, because they wanted to compare reason and secular justice with
The articles of the Christian faith, although these articles and teachings are too high for our reason; they cannot be measured or judged, it does not do. There is such a doctrine about the articles of faith that wants to capture people with all their reason, intelligence and understanding; it alone wants to rule. Whoever does not want to be taken captive, let him go, for otherwise the devil will lead him into a hundred heresies and sects. This is what happened to the Jews and the Turks, to Ario and the other old heretics, and also to our red spirits, and also to the papists, who wonder whether it will rhyme with our reason. They lack nothing, except that they take the number pennies and consider whether it could be so, and measure it with reason. And do the Anabaptists say, A handful of water in baptism is water; it is an outward thing; how then can it wash and cleanse the soul, and forgive sin? Water remains water. This does nothing else than to measure the word of God "Go and baptize all nations in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit" Matth. 28, 19. according to their school register and cubits, as they think it should be right. And this is how they want to do it, and this is how our Lord God must go afterward, to be the pupil of all men here; but what they gain by their mastery, that we well know. Christ allows himself to be mastered and judged, but he still remains the supreme master and teacher; as it is written in the 51st Psalm, v. 6: "You will be right in your words, and you will be right when you are judged for a long time. Then the prophet David confesses that our Lord God must stand in judgment, and every man must suffer his word; but in fine videbitur, cujus toni, that is, in the end it will be seen what the bell has struck.
184 And so it is with the Jews here, when they hear Christ preached, and say that he is the bread of heaven; and they enter quickly into Mary's house, and into Joseph's house, and say: Mary is his mother, and Joseph his father 2c., we know his family, his house, his street, the stones and wood. How does that rhyme together, how can
2280 Erl. 47, 331-334. sermon on John 6, 41-44. W. VII, 2016-2018. 2281
he be come from heaven? His house is not in heaven; for his house and parents dwell on earth, at Capernaum; therefore it is false, and such foolishness that it cannot be greater; consider it a lie. So do our sacramentarians, the drops, pretending: Christ sits at the right hand of God, and is in heaven at the right hand of God, therefore he cannot be in the Lord's Supper. Well, we know that bread and wine are on the altar, for we know and see bread and wine; but we still say that Christ, who sits at the right hand of the Father, is also in the Lord's Supper. But how does this rhyme? Yes, if our Lord God gave us reasonable articles that our reason could understand, then none of us would be saved, but all would be lost. For reason is not good for this; what we do with our reason 1) will not help us or make us blessed. There must be something above our reason and wisdom that will lead us to heaven. For if all the wise men on earth were to work together, they could not make a ladder to heaven on which to climb.
This, however, is prescribed for our warning, that whoever wants to act in the articles of the Christian faith should leave his researching and figuring, and not ask how it rhymes, but only investigate whether Christ has said it or not. If he has said it, he should stick to it, and it should work, sound or ring as it pleases. For I will let him be wiser than my reason, or I am; give glory to him that speaketh, and let him be wiser than thou art.
186 And this we see also, that it is so in worldly matters. In housekeeping, the master often tells the servant to do something that the servant does not understand, whether it is good, what it is for, or how it rhymes; and yet your servant or maid must go and do such work, and give their reason away, even though they do not understand what the master means by it. This is how it is on earth, otherwise the house rule could not last long.
- "vornehmen" is taken from Walch's old edition. Erlanger: "vernehmen".
If a prince were to let all his counsels and suggestions come out among the people, or tell the subjects of his will, or a military commander let his practices and suggestions be revealed or testified in a camp, this would become a noble regiment and being. If a ruler were to make all his counsels and suggestions known to the people, or to tell his subjects of his will, or if a military commander were to make his practices and suggestions known in a camp, that would be a noble regiment and character. And yet we fools here do not want to believe our Lord God in the name of the devil, if he would have shown us the account and cause of the same articles and things half before; as one now also ponders and asks, why the Lord Christ has given and instituted the Sacrament in this way?
But in paradise the devil also dealt with it, that he said to Adam and Eve Gen. 3, 1.: Why has God done this? On the gallows with the mouth that asks God, why have you done this? But if you ask, ask in all the devil's name, and put your trunk, I know well where. That's why you should always let these smart alecks go. Is it not a great boldness to ask God your Lord, when you cannot ask your brother, neighbor, master or wife why they do this or that? Item, on earth many a man must suffer many things, must also see many things, and from another's command do many things which he does not understand, and then, when it is done, that one first recognizes it, and then the master says to the servant, Behold, this is what I meant by it and what I did; and the servant then said, I truly did not understand that you had this in mind. Yes, if I had told you," answers the Lord, "you would not have done it. If this is what happens to us as human beings, we should not do this in the affairs of our Lord God, asking him all the time why he decrees this or that; but only say to him: Lord, you are my God, I will believe you, hear your word, follow you, and die because you, my dear Lord, have said this, and I will not see, ponder, or search with my mind where it leads.
It is also clearly written in the articles of the Christian faith: I believe in Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, and I believe in the Son of God.
2282 Erl. 47, 334-336. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2018-2021. 2283
born of the Virgin Mary 2c. How can I grasp the same with reason or believe that the one who can span heaven and earth with one fist, and sits at the right hand of God, should nevertheless lie in a narrow manger, and suckle the breasts of Mary's mother? How does it rhyme that Christ is God in heaven, and a little child lies in Mary's womb? Yes, if I want to rhyme it and search for it, I will slowly put it together by reason; for he lies there, and yet never departs from the Father. But close your eyes, and keep to the divine word, for it is soon rhymed together by the divine word that he has said that he is God and man, and I will leave it at that; for it is rhymed and baked together that the one person, Christ, is God and man.
The Jews, the Turks and the pope will never come to this, for they are offended and angry by it. And if God should have written a book against the Jews, Turks and other persecutors, because of this article, he should have written this Gospel of John, because it is directed against their wisdom. The Turk considers us to be fools; so the Jews and the pope also consider us to be the most foolish people, because we believe that this person, Christ, is God and man. For they do not want Christ to be our Savior and the bread of life, they blaspheme and disgrace us who believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the pope tramples him underfoot, even takes him away with his divinity, and leads people to do good works, to do this and that, so they would be blessed. The Turk thinks something of Christ, that he is a great prophet, but that he should be the Son of God, they do not admit. But our salvation is to be found in the fact that we look to the man, and in him we have the bread of life; this no one believes; and with them it is not only kept silent, but it is also trampled underfoot.
191 This is the faith of the Jews and Turks, who are nevertheless better than the Pope, who alone confesses by the name of Christ that Christ is God; but his power is not the same as that of the Jews and Turks.
He denies. He is worse than the Turk and the Jews, and after that he instituted the feast of Corpus Christi in the devil's name, so that he might destroy Christ with this feast, and did nothing else than that one should worship and honor the sacrament and earn indulgences with it. Thus the article of the divinity of Christ lies in the mire of Pabstism, Judaism and Turkism, which all evangelists, and especially St. John and St. Paul, wanted to leave behind so that it would not perish, and confirmed and preserved the article in their books with the holy Scriptures and wonderful sayings. For they were well concerned that it would happen after their death that the devil would not leave this article unchallenged; as until now such books have also lain under the bank with us.
This is written as a warning to us, so that we may understand this article from St. John's Gospel, for it presents Christ to us as a true God and natural man, and that the same Jesus Christ is our only Savior. Then you are safe from all error. For the Holy Spirit is with you, who will not let you stumble or remain in error forever. If you stumble, he will help you up; but if you remain in error, it is a sure sign that you do not believe this article. For if we fall from this article, there is no end nor cessation of error.
193 Therefore we see here first of all that one should not grumble about the article, for it is such an article that cannot be believed or received without the Holy Spirit. For it is not reasonable to believe that Christ came from heaven and is the Son of God, and that He is the true bread of heaven, and yet He also has a mother and a father on earth. But it is said: Believe it, and put away your arrogance, do not lie, nor inquire, nor shut your eyes, put away your candelabra, and let your murmuring stand; but believe the word which thus represents Christ to you, that he is come from heaven, that is, he is the Son of God,
- Kandel - jug; here probably: that with which you intoxicate yourself.
2284 Erl. 47, 33S-S3S. Sermon on John 6:41-44. W. vii, 2021-2024. 2285
and revealed to the world, and born of Mary, not, as we other people, in sinful conception, but from a pure birth, conceived by the Holy Spirit. There was all grace, life and heavenly work in the birth, since there was no earthly or sinful power to come; as all other men are born in sins, and have an old and earthly birth, out of sinful power, conceived and born in sins. He was born above birth, for he was conceived pure by the Holy Spirit, and therefore did not come from the earth, that is, not from the common way other men are born, but from a virgin, whose flesh and blood were purified, so that from her flesh came and was made pure holy flesh and seed; that is, coming from heaven. This they knew not; neither do I know it: but I hear it, and the scripture saith it, and I believe the scripture. But if thou wilt not believe it, let it be: for the harm shall be thine. It is sufficiently said and preached, that he is so come from heaven. If you believe it, you will understand it. For this reason the Lord Christ soon answers and says:
V. 43, 44. Do not murmur among yourselves; no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.
194 The Lord will say this much: "You will not judge me by murmuring; you will measure me and rhyme me, and judge my word by reason, and ask your head beforehand whether I speak rightly or not; but I tell you, this is not the right way and road to come to me; nothing will come of it; though you ask yourselves to death, yet you will not calculate it.
But he punisheth the prudent man, that willeth to know his word, because it becometh nothing. For his words are not acceptable to our reason; therefore let it be said to us and to the whole world. For he speaketh it not to the Jews only here, but that every man that would be a Christian think, and hold his peace, and murmur not, and be content; but if he would be saved otherwise, think not after him, and murmur not, and receive it.
Nor does he intend to think it out, measure it, or calculate it with reason, and think, "Truly, this is how it is, it seems good to me.
In external and worldly matters, let reason be the judge. For you can calculate and think that the cow is bigger than the calf, that three cubits are longer than a cubit, that a florin is more than a penny, that a hundred florins are more than ten florins, and that the roof is better above the house than under it. You can do this and measure how to bridle a horse, for this is taught to you by reason, and there be master, for God has also given reason to milk cows and to bridle horses, and to know that a hundred guilders are more than ten guilders. Now, in this, prove your wisdom, be a master and a fine journeyman, and use your art. But here, when it comes to how one should be blessed in the heavenly being and in matters of faith, then shut up reason, stop still, do not measure according to reason, but listen and say: Here I can never, it does not rhyme here, as with the other pieces that are told above. Then tame your reason and say, "I don't know; I don't want to count it or measure it, but keep still and listen, for it is excessive and incomprehensible to reason.
197 This is what he means here, that he says, "Do not murmur. Why? "No one can come to me, let the Father draw him." How do you like that? It's recently canceled. Write these words in your heart with red ink, or with letters of gold; for, do what you will, no one comes to me but he whom my Father draws. This saying is a thunderclap against all works saints. The pope speaks here: I will say mass, read vigils, pray rosaries, do good works, and become a Carthusian, and give alms, and thereby I will go to heaven and be saved. Yes, like a cow going into a mouse hole. For it is written here that it is impossible; you cannot do it.
198 What should one do? should one do
2286 ed. 47, 339-341. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2024-2026. 2287
despair? No, it is spoken against your presumption, human ability, prudence, art and reason, which he wants to keep in check, and it also speaks against the shameful people who want to master God's word, in which and through which they shall be saved, and thus lead themselves. As was the wisdom of Arii, who denied the divinity of Christ. With the same doctrine you will come to Christ slowly, if you do not believe that he is true God, for which a Christian certainly believes. But Narrius 1) cannot believe it, otherwise he would let him be the highest creature. The Anabaptists also pretend to such wisdom, that the water in baptism cannot make you blessed. Item, you must love nothing, but outwardly rid yourself of all creatures, and then you must do this and that; for in this way you will enter heaven and eternal life.
But here saith the Lord Christ, Thou canst not so come in: for it is written, No man can come unto me, except the Father draw him. What does "no one" mean? Do you think it means only a cow or donkey and other cattle? But "no one" is called the whole human race here, the whole world, no human being excepted, the most powerful, the holiest, the cleverest and the most learned. That is briefly said, but it is a mighty saying, which strikes down and knocks to the ground everything that is called human wisdom, understanding, judgment, justice and holiness, also religion and worship. For to come to this article and blessedness in Christ, no wisdom, prudence, bloodshed or almsgiving helps, nor what else the whole human race is able to do with prudence, godliness or holiness. For it is said, "No one can come to me, let the Father draw him." This should be taught.
200 It is a comforting and joyful sermon to the Christian heart, but it is also vexatious, and a frightening and unpleasant sermon to the evil spirits and to those who murmur, that no one else should come to Christ. Item that
- "Narrius" mocking for Arius.
Otherwise there must be something that makes us blessed, that is, the bread that comes from heaven, which does not grow in your heart. This the wicked cannot hear, that their thing should be nothing, and say, What then doth my monastic life, my almsgiving, my holy austerities, and good works do? - You do nothing else with it, except that you bring hellish fire on your own head. Well, should it all be lost? Yes, it is all purely lost. For Christ says here that one cannot come to God with this; so you want to do it, and want to climb to heaven through these pieces.
For this reason this is such a sermon that they must grumble about it, they cannot let it go. For it is offensive to them when I say to the Turk, the Jew and the pope, "All your works and laws are lost, and you are condemned with all your righteousness. What have I done with this? A grumbling, displeasure and anger. For the Jews will not let their precious wisdom and laws in Moses be nothing, or the Turks reject their religion; neither can the monks and papists let their doings, hypocrisy and life be condemned. And will the Lord say this much: From where then am I all here? Am I not the way? You do not; neither shall your strength and works help you or save you. For no man can send himself unto me, or into me, or believe on me, except the Father draw him.
This word "Father" is antithetical to all men's works, holy life, reason and righteousness, which do not draw you to God, but chase you back and make you a murmurer and a quarreler, or even make you despair. For Christ clearly says: He alone comes to me, and no one else feels the faith without which the Father draws to me.
The drawing is not as the executioner draws a thief on the ladder and to the gallows; but it is a friendly attracting and drawing to himself, as otherwise a charming man draws people to himself, so that he is friendly and affable, and everyone goes to him gladly. So God also neatly attracts and brings people to Himself, so that they are willing and
2288 Erl. 47, 341-343. sermon on Jn. 6, 41-44. w. VII, 2026-2029. 2289
are glad to be around and with him. And this is to indicate that you should not think of coming to him to be wise, for then you will become very unwilling; but that when the Father shows you his great mercy, he will make himself known to you that he sent Christ into the world out of fatherly love, as John 3:16 is written, "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," and you will hear that God is not hostile to you, but is your enemy. It is written, "That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life," and hear that God is not hostile to you, but is your gracious and merciful Father, and gives His Son for you, and causes Him to die for you, and raises Him from the dead, and gives you the Son, and causes Him to be preached to you. If therefore this be rightly taught, then cometh one to him; that is, drawn.
Otherwise one runs from our Lord God, as from the devil and from a tyrant, when one preaches that God is angry, and one must propitiate Him with good works, and have the intercession of the saints, if one does not want to be condemned otherwise. This is not drawn, but deterred. For the consciences cannot be satisfied, but remain in fear, anxiety and worry, secretly become hostile to God, do not recognize Christ, and do not come to Him. They do not believe in Christ, but they have such a God as the Turks, Jews and Papists have a God, namely, who sits in heaven as a judge and demands good works from us for sin. So the Turk comes here, bathes a lot, prays a lot, and thinks that God is pleased with his works. But this is nothing, one does not recognize God in this way. For he who has God in mind, and believes that he is an angry God, will also find him so. For as one thinks of God, believes, and models him, so is he, and so is he found, namely, an angry God.
- But if I believe that he sent his Son into the world, and that the Son came into the world, that I might have a gracious God, and believe in him, accept his words, and do not master him; accept these words which the Holy Spirit has put into your heart. So then the
Father. For it pleases him that you should hear and receive this word, that the Father has sent the Son into the world. Therefore it is not reason that draws you, but the divine word.
But reason cometh, and would gladly deceive thee, saying, When the Father draweth, then will I go and preach Christ meanwhile; and I will gaze toward heaven upon the Father, and wait until he draw me. Then Christ does not come; but Christ strikes it back again here, and says:
V. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, but he who is of the Father has seen the Father.
At first, he gives the words to understand as if he should reject you from himself to the Father; but this is not the opinion. As he then soon interprets and explains himself, and the mind also gives it. For he means to say, "I must not be thus set apart and gape at the Father until he gives it to your heart, and then let me go and depart, or at least preach. How then the fanatics and the fools despise the outward word or ministry and throw it away, saying, "There is nothing in the ministry and the outward word, for people would not become more pious and better from it. Now many of them hear it, and afterwards they remain as bad as before; so that they do not all come to Christ soon, who hear the word of God. But do not say, as they do, "If the oral word does not help, I will go into the closet, speculate and gape, until the Father draws me and stirs my heart. Out, out with your thoughts! Not at all; for there is the wretched devil. And even if all your thoughts here were as sweet as sugar, they are still the sorrowful devil. For the Lord Christ says, "Not that any man hath seen the Father, but he that is of the Father hath seen the Father. Therefore think not that I mean that thou shouldest see the Father without me; for without Christ thou shalt not come to the Father, neither canst thou be brought to the Son without the Father; neither shall any man see the Father.
2290 Erl. 47, 343-34". Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vn, 202S-2032. . 2291
without seeing Christ. If you want to go up to the Father, do not leave Christ behind, otherwise you will not come to him.
For he so firmly binds them together that he could resist and prevent the vice of looking for the Father outside of Christ, which he then seriously reproves. For apart from the Person, Christ, one should not think of coming to the Father. For no one hears nor knows anything of the Father except he who has come from the Father. For this reason he will not tolerate nor suffer that anyone should seek God apart from Christ, so that he may overthrow the devotees. For he wants to say: Through me and in me you will see the Father, otherwise there is no other way to recognize the Father.
- Do not run away with the piece that one may come to the Father without the person of Christ. Therefore bind our ears and heart to the word of this man, for I must have it through the one man who has seen the Father, if I also am to know, see and hear the Father; for the Father draws you. With what does he bring you to me? By sending me into the world, and by my mouth he speaks to you, and so draws your heart, if you accept the word as Christ speaks to you, as the Father's word, and let the word drive you no further than to the person [Christ, and through that person) 1) the Father.
For this reason, when the Lord Christ speaks of the Father in this way, do not get a fluttering spirit, nor go out; do not look for him in heaven, and leave this man, Christ, lying there, for nevertheless, apart from the man, Christ, and his word, I shall neither seek nor find a God. But if I find one, I will not find the true and right God, but an angry God. Thus the Father leads and draws us to the Son, through his mouth, teaching and word. For the doctrine goes from the Father through the Son; and yet he draws us with it to the Son; and when you have him, you seize the true Son of God, and see, or you have and then also seize God the Father Himself; the whole holy Trinity is seen in the person of Christ.
- This insertion is made by us.
- Erlanger: i shall.
recognized. For when we come to the Son, we are also with the Father. Whoever sees the person born of the Virgin Mary also sees the Son of God; for the Father presents to you the Son's Word and Person. This is how it is all conceived, that it should all remain in the person, and that one should not think of God in any other way, nor have him in mind. For when this person speaks, and you hear the Son's word and voice, it is God the Father's voice, preaching and speaking of the Son, that he was sent into the world for you, suffered and died 2c. And with this he gladdens your heart, and leads you to Christ alone; further he does not take you, nor does the voice of the Father direct you elsewhere, when he speaks through the Son.
- so he does not do with other saints, from whom I also hear God's word, or through whom God speaks to me; but with the prophet Isaiah, Moses, Jeremiah, Saint John the Baptist, or Saint Paul. He does not lead me to them to say, "When you hear Jeremiah or Isaiah, you have it all right, because their words are not all right. This the Father does not do, that he speaks thus of the prophets, but of Christ he says it; for it is said, The Father draws thee unto me. And stay with the person of Christ, for the word of the Lord Christ alone is the Father's word; and learn not to flutter, nor to think to and fro; be not deceived; for if the Son be in mankind and in the flesh, and preach, then thou hearest truly the Father himself preach.
And to Philip also the Lord Christ says, when he would have fluttered, and walked with his eyes and thoughts in heaven, seeing the Son of God sitting over tables: "Philip," as thou flutterest, "he that seeth me seeth the Father also; believest thou not that the Father is in me, and I in the Father?" John 14:9, 10. It is all said that Christ would gladly fasten and bind us to himself and all his word alone, that we might look to him and hear him. For if he be lacking, there is no end of recklessness, and of wandering, and of erring. But if I believe in him, and receive him, and hear his word, the Father thereby draws me to the Son, and not to the Son.
2292 Erl. 47, 34S-34S. Sermon on Joh. 6, 45. 46. W. VII, 2032-2034. 2293
among the angels; again, the Son also leads me to the Father. Otherwise, by your reason and human wisdom, he will say, you will not come to me, but the Father draws you through me; and then you hear the Father himself speaking kindly, and softening the heart, that you then come to me, and draw no further than to me. There you have the bread of life which came from heaven; abide in it, and come no further. This he will now continue to strike out, saying:
The eleventh sermon.
[Saturday, February 4, 1531. 1)
V. 45, 46: He therefore that heareth of the Father, and learneth it, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, but he that is of the Father hath seen the Father.
The words that the Lord said above v. 43, "Do not murmur among yourselves," serve to make us realize that He would like to have resisted and controlled the vice called conceit, human cleverness or reason, so that when the articles of the Christian faith are preached, one may leave the mastery and beat down the wings of human cleverness. For God's word is not such a doctrine as can be grasped by reason, it does not enter the human heart, and the more learned and higher reason is, the more unskilled people are at it, and the less they understand it, for this doctrine does not ring and ring with reason. Therefore reason must also grumble about it. For it is not at all fitting that I should give away my salvation out of my hands, and cast away from me all my works and strength, that they should all be lost to obtain eternal life; and therefore I should let go my hands and feet, and put my trust in another, who is beside me, and who is foolish and foolish, and who allows himself to be crucified; in him I should believe that he is my Savior. This is not comprehended or taught by reason, therefore no one with his intelligence and five senses will comprehend it, but reason must be taken captive here under the obedience of the Lord Christ.
- In the original margin.
- so he says: "Do not murmur among yourselves" that I am the bread from heaven; think that you want to grasp it from yourselves, and be wiser than I am, and say v. 42: Do we not know his father and mother? But it is said, I preach and bring you such a doctrine, which is the drawing of the Father, not that it may be brought into our reason or into our head. Therefore, when you hear of the Father's drawing, draw it against the drawing of reason; for he who wants to understand this sermon must close his eyes and shut his reason, and be led like a blind man. God wants such guidance. For whoever does not want to be guided, and wants to grasp it with reason, it will happen to him in such a way that he will be annoyed by it, will be offended by it, and will grumble forever.
(215) Against this are the enthusiasts, when they hear that it is said here: If the Father does not draw you, you cannot come to me; for they despise the outward word, want to take it away and let it go, and make one not pay attention to the word, which Christ himself has spoken with his mouth; but one should crawl into a corner, grasp the head in the hands, speculate, and inquire of God, so that they might be drawn before the word and without the word, and attain salvation before the Father hears them. This is not to be; it is all about reason, which is very slippery, and does not want to add to it, because it can bridge and add to it itself, or that it attains it with its mastery, namely, that it hears a spirit from heaven without the divine word.
The coiner also pretended that he wanted to hear our Lord God himself speak to him, so that he placed him among the number of the prophets and did so. They all want to go up without the divine word, despise it, and all make do with this text, as if the Father were something far different than the Lord Christ, who speaks here. One must act wisely and carefully in this. For Solomon says: Scrutator Majestatis divinae opprimetur a gloria, that is, whoever wants to investigate the divine majesty shall be overthrown by the glory of God; nothing else will come of it, he will break the neck. Therefore
2294 ed. 47, 348-351. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2034-2037. 2295
Beware of inquiring; do not wait for God to give you such a word from heaven as you would grasp with your own reason, and climb up into heaven, seeking what is the will of God or the right mind, and master this with your reason; item, sit without God's word and wait until you know God's will; then you will break your neck, for God has spoken through the Son alone.
217 Look at our enthusiasts. They have heard the word of God concerning the sacraments, baptism and the Lord's Supper, that whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved; item: "This is my body, which is given for you"; item: "This is the cup, a new testament in my blood, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. But there they go, and climb up, and take the word of the sacraments, and leave the words of baptism, and hear only reason, and say, Water is water. They further speculate that God is a spirit, and the soul is also a spirit; how then can water baptize, purify and cleanse the soul? Therefore they go and climb into God's lap, since God's will and mind is not that he baptizes us with water, but that we also have the spirit. But they have fallen and broken their necks, thinking that baptism is only water, or only an outward sign, just as a cow or sheep is painted with a red stone. Therefore one should flee and avoid those who deal with inquiring, and who let go of God's word.
218 But they have fallen down the neck. The reason is that they do not want to be disciples and students of this teaching and let themselves be guided, but they want to investigate the majesty of God themselves, and calculate and measure everything themselves; yes, they want to see for themselves what God speaks and does. A householder cannot suffer it in the house if he commands the servant through his son to load and carry out dung, and the servant wants to go into the chamber where he would be secretly with his wife and children, and the servant wants to see what the master is doing with his wife and children, and not load dung before he has heard the command from the master himself,
and otherwise know all the secrets in the house: would the head of the house be satisfied with this servant who did not want to carry out his command, indicated to him by the son, daughter or wife, before he would have especially listened to the opinion of the Lord himself? How much less can God suffer that I should want to inquire into the divine majesty and know what he means. Item, that he should start a special speech with me, and I do not want to believe the son.
219 Therefore learn first of all that here, in the affairs of God, when God speaks to you, you are silent in spiritual matters, and do not soon understand and grasp it with your reason. Do not go out and ask your reason about it, but let it be told you, and stay with the outward word and listen to it. For it saith that he is thy gracious Father; thereby doth the Father draw thee. Wilt thou climb up to the Father in the devil's name, and see him, when Christ saith here, "Not that any man hath seen the Father?" Do you hear that no one can see him? "For he dwelleth in a light that cannot be approached" 1 Tim. 6:16. Therefore thou shalt not see him with thy climbing, but must go down to him that hath seen him; and he that came from the Father, and dwelt with him, the same shall tell thee. Otherwise you have no other way but in Christ to come to the Father. Therefore hear him also, for he is come from the Father, and he also hath been with him from everlasting, and knoweth how to speak of him. And the Father also, with his drawing and teaching, directs thee unto Christ whom he hath sent, that thou mayest hear him: for therefore also is he sent into the world. But if thou hear him not, thou shalt be lost, in short. For if a man has not seen a thing, what shall he speak or understand of it? But Christ can speak of GOD, because he hath seen him: and we ought to believe him: as he saith also in John 3, v. 11, "We speak that we have heard, and know and testify that we have seen." If then I cannot see the Father, how shall I speak of Him? And the Son of God says here that it is impossible that anyone has ever seen the Father.
220 That's why it will probably stay that way,
2296 Erl. 47, 351-353. Sermon on Joh. 6, 45. 46. W. VII. 2037-2040. 2297
that reason must stop its gazing, and I leave my climbing, but look at Christ alone, and be his disciple. For he is sent into the world by the Father for this purpose, and brings such a word that he should speak to me on behalf of his heavenly Father; and by the Father's word he draws you to himself.
221 Christ therefore casts out with these words, "Not that any man hath seen the Father, except he that is of him," 2c., all who would climb up to heaven apart from him, and condemns also those who turn away their heart from his mouth, and seek a special thing, or understand it with dread, and wait for the Father; for thou shalt not understand, hear, or see, except thou look into my mouth, and hear my word only.
But what does "the Father must draw thee" mean? They have interpreted and stretched this word strangely, and Augustine said: Si non traheris, volo, ut traharis; that is, if thou art not drawn, thou shalt be drawn; if thou art not provided, thou shalt well be provided; pray also the Father that thou mayest be drawn to Christ, for the Father must do both, and does; outwardly he draws by Christ's word, and inwardly by the Holy Spirit. These works he attributes to the Father, because he wants to lead us away from reason and human wisdom, and to imagine that we regard Christ's word, not as any man's word alone, but as the Father's word; for he soon says from it, v. 45: "He that heareth it of the Father, and learneth it, cometh unto me." And let us make it more plain, that if I hear the mouth of the Lord Christ speak, I hear the Father.
Now here are two kinds of disciples, and the hearers of the divine word are divided; for a multitude hears the outward word of Christ, and knows that they certainly hear it, as the Jews also do: but they cannot believe it, nor take it for it, and say that it is the word of God the Father: it does not enter in, the word only sounds and resounds outwardly in their ears, and does not come into the heart. And because one cannot consider it, nor add the certainty that it is the Father's word, he cannot believe it.
he does not come to Christ. For he still persists in his cunning and searching, wants to be a master, and does not become a disciple, because he sees whether it rhymes; he cannot break himself of saying, "This is the word of Christ and of God the heavenly Father;" but he cunningly cunningly cunningly cunningly cunningly cunningly cunningly cunningly cunningly cunningly cunningly, as an apothecary or a baker cunningly cunningly cunningly cunningly cunningly cunningly cunningly makes of sugar or dough little sheep, little dogs, and all kinds of little skirts, 1) of male and female images. So the wicked also have the true word of God, and hear it, just as the dough is good and right; but it is lacking, that they do not believe it to be God's word and dough.
The other trait is not only to hear the word of God, but also not to doubt that it is the word of God. Then it is to be believed and learned that when you hear the word from the mouth of Christ, you may add that it is not the word of man, but certainly the word of God; and then you are a disciple of God and of the Lord Christ. Then you are a disciple of God and of the Lord Christ, and you believe rightly, and God the Father teaches you inwardly; then you are drawn by the Father. But no one can do this unless he has learned it from the Father, and the Father has drawn him.
(225) But as long as one does not believe in one's heart, or can conclude and believe that it is the word of God, one hears it; but one remains in doubt, and does not hear the word correctly, for one does not believe it. Otherwise, if one knew that it was God's word, one would let it prevail, and think: O be only a disciple, and believe, and let yourself be mastered; even if it does not rhyme, then strike lucky, for it is not the word of man, which could lie and be lacking, but the word of God, who is the eternal truth. My verminst is too small for it, I am in the things even a fool. And if one were to believe it to be the Word of God, which tenfel would want to dispute whether it is true or not, and whether one should believe it, or whether one should gloss over it. But if you want to gloss over it, you must draw a line through the words, so that the Father draws one; for the Father has spoken through the Son. Such a word resounds in your ears, and when you hear such a word of the Father, you will know it.
- d. i. doll.
2298 Erl. 47, 3S3-3S6. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2010-2043. 2299
When you hear the voice of the Son, you also hear the Father speaking, who created heaven and earth, for he spoke the word from the mouth of the Lord Christ. There you hear something more than the mere outward word. If you believe that it is the word of God, then you are his disciple, and the Father has surely drawn you.
226 Now this is what the Lord Christ means, that we are to remain with the external and oral word and hold fast to it, and has thereby put down reason, so that we should look badly at his mouth and get used to hearing and learning the word diligently. If you are not yet able to take it for the word of God, add this to it, and hear it still more, and the hour will come when our Lord God will once press it into your heart, and you will say, "What word have you heard? Well, it was a good sermon, you have heard God the Heavenly Father. If you add that the Father has spoken it, then all questions fall away, you do not ask much more. For if God has spoken it, you say, "I will truly believe it. And then it is not lacking, you are a believer and a disciple of Christ, and who has come to him, because the Father has drawn you and brought you to Christ. This does not require much high art, nor do you need to ask high schools and philosophers for advice, it is very easy, you must not run into any corners. Just accept the gospel and look at Christ's mouth, listen to him alone, for it is through the mouth of Christ that everything must be brought to Christ, taught and drawn by the Father, then you are a disciple of Christ and have been drawn by the Father.
227 There are now two kinds of listeners; one hears the word only from the mouth of Christ, hears the clatter, but does not believe that it was certainly spoken by the Father; they are lacking in that they do not believe that it is the Father's word. Therefore, God must draw one further, so that when one hears the word, He puts it into his heart that it is certainly the Father's word; if he then hears this man, Christ's, word, that he then also hears God the Father's word. And if the heart can conclude such things in him, that God
the Father Himself speaks to us, then the Holy Spirit and the light enter, and man becomes enlightened and a joyful master, and can then judge and judge all doctrines, because he has the light and faith in the divine Word, and certainly thinks in his heart that his doctrine is the Word of God.
Now these are the righteous, who do not hear the word alone, as the common people do, but take it for the word of God. Therefore saith the Lord Christ, Why do ye quarrel or dispute? Do not murmur; it will not do; it will not do; you will not do it with your remembrance. This is not the right way, that you quarrel about it; but this is the right and proper way: Hear my word and listen to me, let yourselves think and believe that my words are my Father's word. For the Father thus causes his word to be heard by my mouth in the world, and puts it into your heart, that you may conclude that it is his word. So the Father draws, says Christ, whom he will bring to me. Let the Son speak the word, and let us listen to him; so he gives faith.
Therefore reason does not do it. So he has also put down your own conceit and reason; he also condemns the gazers and inquirers, and those who take away the oral word, and want to wait, and have a special thing, that our Lord God may give them the Spirit, and himself speak to them from heaven. For they want to hear a voice from heaven; this shall not do. Therefore do not go out of this way, and I beg you to learn what it means that the Father draws, namely, to hear the mouth of Christ, and to learn from him, and not to depart from his mouth. And only away with questioning; for by the mouth, when thou hearest, thou shalt receive, thou shalt also be enlightened, taught, drawn, and brought unto Christ. For first you hear the Father speaking in the Son. You hear the voice or the word; with this you are not yet drawn, for reason says that Christ is only a man, and his speech only a man's word. But after that, if you like to handle the word, read it, hear it preached and love it, you will sooner or later say that God Himself has spoken it, and say:
2300 Erl. 47, 358-358. Sermon on Joh. 6, 45. 46. W. VII, 2043-2045. 2301
Truly, this is God's word. So faith comes with it. If you can add this, and you feel it in your heart, then count yourself among the disciples of the Lord Christ, and you will then let him be your master, and give yourself up captive. Thus shalt thou be saved; for it is said, Only from his mouth and his word depart not.
This is also what he means when he soon says: "They will all be taught by God", as it is written in the prophet Isaiah Cap. 54, 13. As if he should say: Whoever wants to be in Christianity and be called a member or disciple of the Lord Christ, he should in short hear God himself. How then do I hear him? How shall I be taught by him? A spirit of the mob runs into a corner, shuts its mouth, does not have to read or hear, but waits until our Lord God speaks to it, and waits for the spirit, and says: O this is to be taught by God. Yes, it is putting the devil on your head; but to be taught by God Himself is to hear the word of the Lord Christ and to learn it from Him, and then to be sure that it is the word of God. That is, to hear God Himself, even if it were an ass that spoke it, as happened to Balaam: Balaam [Num. 22, 28I, but it would be God's word. So, when you hear the sermon from St. Paul or from me, you hear God the Father Himself, and then you do not become my pupil, but the Father's pupil, because I do not speak it, but He; I am also not your master, but we both, as you and I, have one schoolmaster and teacher, the Father, who teaches us; we are both, as pastor and listener, only pupils; only that God speaks to you through me. This is the glorious power of the divine Word, through which God Himself acts and speaks with us, and we hear God Himself.
Moses and the prophets preached, but we do not hear God Himself. For Moses received the law from the angels, and he also had a lesser command. For with the preaching of the law one drives people only to good works. Just as when I hear the emperor, so I do not hear God, although it is God's will that I should be obedient to the emperor, and do what he commands, and honor the parents.
When I hear Moses, who drives to good works, then I hear him in the same way, as one who gives the command and speech of an emperor or prince. But this is not hearing God Himself. For when God Himself speaks to men, they can hear nothing but goodness, mercy and all that is good; they are fatherly, friendly speeches, as He is by nature gracious, kind and friendly Joel 2:13. But if you hear God speaking through a mayor, he is only a preacher of works. But God cannot speak otherwise than He is by nature; there He is all goodness, grace and mercy. You hear these things spoken by God the Father, and not by a servant, or by any other means, as in former times by the angels, or by Moses, or by an authority, all of which is a preaching of command, but since then He Himself speaks to us through the Son and the Holy Spirit; and then you hear a fatherly voice, since it is all groundless, inexpressible love and grace, and He speaks all goodness, goodness, sweetness and love; for this is also called a God.
The Verminst will not give this teaching, for they judge this teaching to be wrong; therefore it is called a doctrine of God, that one is taught by God Himself, and we hear His Word alone, and believe it to be God's Word. I cannot think up the word, but I hear it through the mouth of Christ, and I cannot understand it, hear it, learn it, or believe it, unless he puts it into the heart, and unless we are drawn by the Father to believe that it is the Father's word. Then it is called taught by God, and come to Christ, if you can conclude that it is God's word. But the wicked as well as the good hear it through the mouth of Christ, but they do not learn it. But if you believe it to be the word of God and accept it, then you have learned it from God. The others who are clever, or if they do it better, they make of the tariffs, faith, the Lord's Supper and the Gospel a mere law and commandment, as the Anabaptists and Sacramentarians do. This is not listening to God's word, and is not called listening to God, but to angels, prophets, parents or the emperor. But one must
2302 Erl. t7, SW-38V. Interpretations about the evangelist John. W. VII, 2V45-2V48. 2303
To hear God himself, namely, through his Son, through the mouth of Christ, and believe his word. Then it is in your ears, and he admits it to you that it is his word, and if you believe his word, that he has spoken it, then you have learned it from him, and are a true disciple of Christ and drawn by God; and there is then sweet doctrine.
The twelfth sermon.
[Saturday, February 11, 1531. 1)
If any man therefore would be a Christian, let him take care that he listens to reason, and considers and adheres only to the word which the mouth of Christ speaks; for such articles of our faith are so ridiculous and foolish in the sight of reason, and seem so full of lies, that when reason is here to judge and to judge, it cannot believe them, but falls straight away from them, goes astray, and thinks it vain. So the Jews cannot accept this sermon and word of Christ, but are annoyed by it, grumble and quarrel about it, that he should feed the whole world with his corpse, which two dogs could have eaten up.
Therefore, the pagan Averrois 2) wrote that no people on earth is so foolish, godless and senseless as we Christians. For all other nations taught and said that one should honor God and carry Him on one's hands; but we taught that one should eat our God. Even today it is ridiculous and annoying to the Turks, Jews and our reason, even to those who live with us, if they think and speak about it without God's word. But we don't have to ask how it rhymes with our reason, because reason can't fit in here, it has to stay outside. And what does our Lord God ask about it, even if the Turks and the Pope do not believe?
- In the original margin.
- Cf. Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XX, 735. vol. I, 35, § 71. Averrhoös, an Arab commentator on Aristotle, died in 1198. In § 284 of this interpretation, Luther calls him: "one of the Mahometan scribes". His real name was Abulwalid Muhammed benAhmed Jbn-Roshd.
and promise, and other people will believe these articles of Christ, even if they do not want to believe; just as here, in this sixth chapter, some of Christ's disciples do not want to believe his teaching and fall away from Christ.
So learn from this that in matters of God and faith, one should neither do nor act with our speech, writing or remembrance; one must take the divine word for it. Without the word one should do nothing, one must be taught by God, as the prophet says, and hear God's word alone. But if one does not want to do this, nor believe, but grasps everything with reason, then one will grumble about it out of human wisdom. It belongs to the Word, and not to our cleverness; as the Lord Christ also teaches here and says: "Be as clever as you always want to be, but it will come to nothing, you will not understand it nor grasp it, you must hear God alone, and God must teach you; for where God is not the sole schoolmaster, and gives the oral word, it does not come to pass. But if you want to help yourselves, what may I preach? You don't need anything from me.
This sermon is taught by no master but God alone, he will not let any other master be Is. 63, 1. Matth. 23, 10. Joh. 13, 13., so judge by it and believe his word. One may become mad or nonsensical about it, but he understands nothing of it, and no one knows God, unless he first hears His word, which is preached from the mouth of Christ. So God wants to have and find humble disciples and foolish ones, like children, who believe it. If the others do not want to hear it and look at his mouth, or keep his word, then they can let it be; but the Christians should let go of their reason in this.
237 Because he has now taught that one should, in short, look and listen to his mouth and his words, and leave all other teachers, even reason, disputation and speculation, he goes even further, even goes out, and now makes them even more foolish and foolish, and says:
V. 47. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me 2c.
2304 Erl. 47, 360-363. Sermon on John h, 47. W. VII, 2048-20S0. 2305
238 There is a gloss, that the Lord swears three times, saying: "It is a matter of truth, I am the preacher and doctor, I am commanded to speak, and you alone shall listen to me (and no one else), but he who is sent from heaven. Therefore I say unto you upon my soul, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life; that is it. This is the propositio. John the Baptist I hasten to preach unto you, that ye should eat my bread: for I am the bread of life which is come down from heaven, the true manna, or bread of heaven: of which eating and drinking I have spoken unto you. Which is said, that whosoever believeth in me is saved.
Now this is not to be suffered; it is heresy. In the sight of reason it seems as if it were not true. If you preach it even to a man who travels with reason, that he should believe in him who stands and preaches, it does not agree with his reason. A Turk or a Papist does not believe that the one who stands there and preaches should be the eternal life.
(240) So also our enthusiasts, Zwinglius and others, preach that humanity must be excluded in Christ, that the Godhead gives eternal life and humanity does not, and that they separate the Lord Christ. But who teaches them to separate, to make of Christ, the Son of Mary the Virgin, another person, who should also be the Son of God? but i.e. separate thus from each other the Son of Mary and the Son of God, saying: Christ himself says here that the flesh is of no use; so also the Scripture goes and says that one should not trust in men, but trust in God alone, therefore it must have this interpretation, that whoever believes in me has eternal life, that is, the Godhead, and leaves humanity behind.
So we are not wise, but we must believe that our Lord God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who was born of the Virgin Mary, as we confess in our symbol: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, 2c., in whom I believe, and so believe in the Son of God, that I do not tear him away from the Son born of Mary. My faith does not stick alone
I do not want to know about any Son of God, because he is also called born of the Virgin Mary, who suffered: that the Son of God is wrapped in humanity and is One Person, so that I should not separate them from each other and say: Humanity is not useful, but only the Godhead.
Many teachers have taught in this way, and I too was such a doctor in the past, that I excluded humanity and thought I would be doing well if I separated Christ's divinity and humanity from each other. This is what the highest theologians did in the past, that they flew from the humanity of Christ to the divinity and attached themselves to the latter alone, thinking that one need not know the humanity of Christ. But one must so ascend to the divinity of Christ, and keep to it, that one does not leave the humanity of Christ and come to the divinity of Christ alone. Otherwise we will fall down from the ladder in the name of all the devils. Therefore, thou shalt not know of any God, nor of the Son of God, except he who is called, born of the Virgin Mary, and who became man, as the Christian faith speaks of it.
And if any man will separate him from the Son of God, and make a wall between the Son of God, and the Son born of Mary the Virgin, receive not such a preacher, nor hear him, but say, I know not of any God, or of the Son of God; for as the Christian faith saith of him, I believe in Jesus Christ. 2c. Now if it is not the man born of Mary, I will not have him.
If you can humble yourself and hang your heart on the word and remain with the humanity of Christ, the divinity will be found, and the Father and the Holy Spirit and the whole divinity will take hold of you. This article does not let you err. So if you believe in Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Mary, you will not remain in error. And St. Paul diligently drives the article that God wants to draw all things to Christ. And if God wanted, I D. M. Luther could also
2306 Erl. 47, 363-365. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2050-2053. 230?
so preach as I would like to preach. It is well composed in the articles of the Christian faith, since the words are not put thus in vain: I believe in his only begotten Son; as the children confess, for one cannot believe better than it is set forth in the Symbola. But those who want to play with these words of the Tocken 2) and lack the article, they run badly.
The Sophists taught: You must reconcile Christ through Mary. But see thou, and say, I believe in the Son of God, which came down from heaven, and took mankind unto Himself, and was born of the Virgin Mary; whom we will have born of the Virgin Mary. This is the teaching of the Holy Spirit, of which flesh and blood and reason know nothing or can do nothing. But listen to God, God must teach you here, He must both preach and teach; otherwise it is impossible for a Turk, a pope, or anyone else to believe and know this teaching, God alone must teach it through His Word.
The Turk says: "You will not persuade me that he who is born of a woman, and descends from heaven, and lies for a month in the womb of the Virgin Mary, shits and pees in the cradle, and then dies miserably on the cross as a thief and a rogue, should this be a God? The Turks stand firm on this, the Jews too, and reject God's word; for their faith is vain reason, according to which they want to judge the Christian faith. If they are to believe that the Christ who was crucified is the Son of God, and no other than the one who was born and then crucified, then it is necessary that God the heavenly Father teaches and draws them; otherwise, if he does not give understanding, nothing will come of it; you must hang on his word. But they want to judge the Scriptures, and say: This is right, that is wrong. Summa, it is necessary that you become a disciple of God, otherwise you will not believe it, if he does not give word and faith; otherwise nothing will come of it.
So do not let your thoughts flutter,
- In Walch's old edition: bas.
- Tocke - doll.
Do not climb to God by any other way than through Jesus Christ. For Christ is the bridge and the way, and says: "I will teach no Christian higher or further than the Lord Christ, born of Mary; for I shall not make my own way to God with my thoughts, to do this or that; but there shall it remain where God has put it, and so be as Christ said: He that believeth on me 2c. If thou look upon the man, and hear, and turn not away thy face from the person born of Mary, thou art the disciple of our Lord God, and lackest not. But if thou turn away thine eyes from the person whom the Virgin Mary bare unto the world, thou shalt not have the Holy Ghost at all, neither shalt thou meet with me, but hast failed: for the bridge is cast down, and the way is broken. But the race respecteth it not; so again God asketh nothing of it. And let them see if they will find him? But those who seek him, as God has provided the means for them, will not lack him. Hear the word, I am your preacher, he will say, I also speak to you.
- what sayest thou, "Verily, verily, he that believeth on me" 2c. This is a hard text; saith, Let it be told thee, He that believeth on me hath" 2c. Who then is the I? Who are you? For the red spirits say, To eternal life there is more than a man; he that will give eternal life must be GOD. It is true that if I wanted to have humanity alone, and wanted to divide human nature from divine nature, and put humanity alone in the preaching chair at Capernaum, where Christ was bishop and priest at that time, and wanted to put divinity elsewhere than in heaven, it would be wrong, and would not make me blessed as a man. Nor should I believe in Mary or St. Peter 2c. that he is a savior; but in God I should believe. But they do not know that this man, Christ, is also the true God. And when I believe in Christ, I believe not only in a man, but also in God, for God and man have become one person; in the person of Christ one finds the divinity and manhood of God.
2308 Erl. 47, 36S-367. Sermon on Joh. 6, 47. W. VII, 2053-2056. 2309
heity; he who gets his humanity also has his divinity.
St. Paul, John the Baptist, Mary, are also God's children and friends, but therefore they are not God. But he is God himself, and when I attack him, see him or crucify him bodily, as the Jews crucified him, then I attack God, I see God with my bodily eyes, and then I crucify the Son of God with my bodily hands, because God is not missing there, he is there personally, even if he is secret and hidden there.
I must give a rough example: If I pick someone's pocket and then say: I did not take the money, but the bag; would not the other say: You did not steal the bag, but a hundred guilders from me? So the spirits of the Jews also want to separate them. But since the Jews crucified Christ and spat in his eyes, we say that they crucified the Son of God personally and spat in his eyes and struck him on the cross, as St. Peter also says, "They crucified the Lord of glory. 3, 15. 1 Cor. 2, 8.
251 Thus he himself speaks: "He who believes in me" 2c. This honor is due to no other person, nor is it permitted to any man, that he should speak as Christ speaks here: "He who believes in me" 2c. He is not only a bad man, but also true God; for believing belongs to no one but God alone, the honor wants to grant God to no one else.
252 Christ therefore will say, Verily, verily, I am to be believed. If you believe in me, the Son of Mary, the Virgin, born in Bethlehem, you also believe in God and in the true Savior. And this faith shall sustain you, that ye die not. Faith in itself is due to God alone; giving eternal life is also due to God alone, it is God's work. So we see before our eyes that the Lord Christ, who gives eternal life, is true God, and God is there in person, for He was born of the Virgin Mary John 14:6, Acts 10:42, Colossians 1:15 ff. So God is hidden there, but in the same way.
probably present. So we have to grasp the article of Christo.
This article makes Christians, and no one else, and if this one is lost, all the others do not help. And by this article we are also separated from all false Christians and saints, who otherwise can do after us all that we do; as, hearing the word according to the letter, and being baptized, and receiving the sacrament, and doing outward good works; without ,this they cannot do, that they 1) set their hearts on him, and say, We believe it thoroughly, neither will we know of any other, but he that is born of Mary. Now, if I obtain this, I have the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; but apart from these I have nothing.
He has eternal life.
254 Now these words ought to be preached a hundred thousand years, and they ought to be put out for ever; yea, they cannot be spoken enough of, for Christ saith straightway unto him that believeth eternal life, saying not, He that believeth on me shall have eternal life; but as soon as thou believest on me, thou hast it already. Speaks not of future gifts, but of present gifts, namely, If thou canst believe in me, thou art blessed, and eternal life is already given thee.
From this text we can judge everything that we now dispute and fight over, because it is the foundation of our justification. For we say that our good works do not lead us to heaven, nor do they help anything before God, but only faith. The works shall be done well, and obedience to God shall be rendered therein, and piety shall be practiced; but they shall not do so as to attain salvation. I have eternal life before: if I do not get it here on earth, I will never get it there, but here in this body it must be attained and obtained. But how do you get it? God seeth, and becomes thy Master, preacheth unto thee; he seeth eternal life, that he preacheth unto thee the oral and outward word, and afterwards giveth the heart to receive the word.
- We have taken this insertion from Walch's old edition.
2310 Erl. 47, 367-370. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2056-2058. 2311
and believe him; so it is lifted up. And the same words that you hear and believe lead you nowhere but to the person of Christ, born of the Virgin Mary; that is as far as you go. If you believe him and cling to him, you are delivered from physical and spiritual death and have eternal life.
This is a clear, bright text: Because thou hast Christ, whom I have set before thee to believe, thou hast eternal life, and shalt be loosed from everlasting death. If then we are free from eternal death, we are also free from temporal death, and all merit and guilt, which temporal death brings with it, is gone; as there is sin; and when sin is gone, the law is also gone. If then the law is gone and fulfilled, God's judgment and wrath are also gone, and the devil, death and hell are extinguished, and everything is settled and forgiven; otherwise it would not be called eternal life. If you now believe in Christ, you have all this gone; hell is already subdued, sin is gone, death is conquered, and you have eternal righteousness, blessedness and life. Who will measure out the treasure? Then thou shalt know in truth, that I have not deceived thee with faith.
257 But there are impudent, crude, and unholy spirits, which know not what faith is, and say, O! Faith is a small thing, who does not believe? you see it. But they are unruly spirits, impudent people, who have never known what faith is. And to believe is to start, and to consider, that with all their heart and earnestness they may rely on these words in all their temptations. If they would do this and sincerely believe, then they should speak differently, and not so shamefully. Yes, they say, if I believe in Christ, I nevertheless feel death, that I and others must die. I am also afraid of death and sin; as all the saints, such as St. Peter and St. Paul, and others, complain about it, and have prayed the Lord's Prayer by all means; they also say: Remitte nobis debita nostra, forgive us our trespasses.
- no one among the saints or in Christendom must say that he is without death, without fear, and without sin and worship.
is a disgusting thing Rom. 3:23. How then does it rhyme, "He that believeth on me hath eternal life"? I must not pray against sin, for they are two disgusting things, to have eternal life, and yet pray against sin, death, the devil, and hell. Now this is certainly true, that he who believes in Christ has eternal life; but this is lacking because I still feel sin, and death and hell oppress me, that I have eternal life and Christ in faith and not yet in fact. If faith is to exist, there must still remain an outward feeling of death, hell, the devil, sins and the law. Whether you feel it or not, it is only a struggle that wants to prevent you from having eternal life, and wants to take Christ away. But these sins shall not retain thee, and then shall it be said, I believe on Jesus Christ, who is mine; and so far as I have him, and believe on him, so far am I pious, and have eternal life, for he is Lord over all.
259 Therefore, if I have him, I have all things assuredly; for he himself is nothing else, but righteousness, life, and eternal blessedness, and a Lord above death. Christ is without all lack and defect, eternal life, joy, righteousness and blessedness; the treasure is even there, I have it in Christ, for he is all, there is no infirmity, nothing is lacking in him; but it is still lacking in me, that I cannot yet fully grasp and believe it. Now as much as I grasp and believe, so much I have; and if I persevere in this, I always increase, and the longer the more I learn to believe, until it comes to that life, when I shall fully grasp and know, and the lack of us shall cease, and we shall no longer feel sins, nor be afraid of death, nor fear the devil. Flesh and blood is otherwise the wall between me and Christ; this will then also be torn away, and Christ will be there with all righteousness and blessedness.
While we are living here on earth and the old Adam is still alive, the flesh cannot grasp this treasure 1 Cor. 13:12. The eyes see
2312 Erl. 47, 370-372. Sermon on Joh. 6, 47. W. VII, 2058-2061. 2313
The hand does not feel it, the mouth does not taste it, and all other limbs cannot touch or grasp it, but there everything will be certain. For the eyes will see it in that life, the mouth will taste it, and the nose will smell it, the treasure will shine in soul and life, for there will be vain certainty and sensitive knowledge that it is eternal life. Whether in the meantime I do not taste, touch, feel or see it, or understand it with my reason, I have it in faith and hear its word; I have enough of it in this life until death comes, and the rotten body turns to ashes; then faith will cease, and I will see it before my eyes. It will give itself, that we feel it in body and soul and all our strength.
261 Therefore it is said, "He that believeth." We must remember this, for we see here that our works are not able, and Christ our Lord is not your work or mine, but he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of Mary the Virgin, and I did nothing to him; I did not carve him out of wood or bake him out of dough; he is the Son of God and the Son of Mary, and I did nothing to him. Nevertheless he says, "He who believes in me has eternal life," and he shall have it. Thus we do not reconcile God with our good works, nor are we justified, but by believing in him.
Therefore God must do it. He must lift up and preach by his Spirit from the Son, and it will strike your ears, and then it will sink into our hearts, so that we will hear it and believe. This happens without my doing or being involved; I will not do it with my works so that God speaks to me and enlightens me, but the Father sends the Son and speaks of the Son, enlightening me with this light so that I may recognize Christ. So then our salvation is to be ascribed to the Son alone, and the Father, who speaks of the Son through the Son, is to be given the glory; my good works are not to give me eternal life; indeed, before I do anything good, I am first to have the Holy Spirit and eternal life, and to be God's child.
According to this article one must interpret the Scriptures. He who has the article will not err, but he who lacks the article will come to nothing. Therefore, when Matthew and the other evangelists speak of good works, let John go first, who teaches how we come to eternal life and righteousness, that righteousness must precede all works, and that faith must precede it, that the Son of Mary may be grasped by faith, and after that good works may be done. And when Matthew and Lucas speak of good works, they are to be understood and judged according to this rule.
The Jews are annoyed by these speeches. But if one takes hold of this son of Mary, who is also the true God, then I cannot preach anything strange about him, it is not strange to me, because I believe in him. He is my God, I stick to his word and do not let myself be mistaken. But if I begin to question reason, and want to see in the baker's fist that he has baked this bread, then it goes there; item, I listen to my thoughts that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, then I soon say: Mary was before this God, but the God is older than Mary, because he is eternal, but Mary is not eternal. So one goes to be lost if one does not remain with Christ. Therefore, if you hear God's word about the Son, stay with him and you will have it; if not, you will be lost.
The thirteenth sermon.
Saturday after Valentini February 18, 1531. 1)
V. 48. I go the bread of life, come from heaven 2c.
The Lord Christ wants to keep us on this main article, our justification before God, that we should believe in Him. For we always preach that these two things belong to a Christian life: First, that one righteously believes in Christ, whom God has sent. Second, that one does good works and is pious. Matthew the Evangelist, however, does not emphasize the high, right article of faith in Christ.
- In the original margin.
2314 Erl. 47, 372-374. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2061-2063. 2315
John the Evangelist, on the other hand, is higher and stronger in promoting the Christian faith than the other evangelists, who have most described the miracles of the Lord Christ.
266 Thus the Lord said above v. 47, "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life"; item v. 48, "I am the bread of life." In which words the Jews were very angry that this man should have the glory that he was the person who made blessed and gave eternal life, and should also redeem us from death, sin and all misfortune. He did not have the reputation before the world; he was a poor man, a poor carpenter's son, a poor mother's child, without any strength. Therefore it does not rhyme with reason that he says, "He who believes in me shall have eternal life. But I have said, He that would remain a Christian, and be preserved, must not see where his eyes lead, or what is before his face, nor ask counsel of reason, nor use the other senses in this, but hear only what is said to him, and incline to the mouth of this man. If anyone does not do this and forsakes the word of God, he is lost.
For this reason Christ swears and says v. 47: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me has eternal life"; this is the only way to eternal life and to be freed from sins, death and the devil, namely, that you believe in me; for I am the life and the way Jn. 11:25, Cap. 14:6. If thou canst eat this bread, and be fed of me, that is, if thou believest in me, thou art whole, and sin, death, and hell do not hurt thee, but thou art free from all these enemies.
268 These words must be left as they are written, and not glossed over, as the sophists of old did in the schools, saying, "He who believes in me and does good works has eternal life; as if good works could also accomplish something, and give more to works than to works.
faith, and draw it with the gloss on good works, and destroy faith altogether. But neither do we say that we should think evil: if I believe, it is already done, and that I should do nothing good. No, we are not to separate it. Thou must do good works, and always do good works toward thy neighbor, that faith may shine outwardly in life, as it otherwise shines inwardly in the heart. But you should still say that this living well does not help you, but faith has already helped you; faith finds it, and gives the bread of life and eternal life; otherwise I would have to do good works for a long time to get this food; I must have faith first, which gives eternal life, as he says, "Whoever eats this bread will live forever. Otherwise St. John would have to say: Your life and your good works are the bread of life, or the eternal bread. Indeed, what else do they say when they say: "Faith does not do it, but good works do it; so they bend their tongues and strike St. John on the mouth that his bread is my good works. But Christ speaks here of the bread of life, which he himself is, as he says, "I am he. If it is he himself, it cannot be your life or good works. I think it is far enough apart, Christ and my fasting, or love of neighbor and almsgiving; Christ is much another thing than all my good works.
269 Thus we distinguish between faith and works, and do not say that my good works are the bread of life, as the Sophists have made it, pretending: If thou shalt live aright, and do good works, thou shalt have eternal life; so shall my life be the bread of life, or give life, when Christ is not my work. I did not make him or create him, but he was born of the Virgin Mary in his time, and begotten of the Father by the Son of God for eternity. Therefore, my almsgiving and fasting cannot be called the bread of life. But if I am to have life, I must have it from Christ, who is the bread of life. If I believe in him, then
2316 .Erl. 47, 374-377. sermon on John 6, 48-51. W. VII, 2063-2066. ' 2317
If he is the bread of life to me, I will enjoy him, for he says, "Whoever eats of me shall live and not die.
(270) This is well to be remembered and grasped, that every Christian may be ready, equipped, and skilled to answer how far good works do or do not serve? Love your neighbor and do him every good thing, but do not let these good works be your defiance, comfort, and living bread or spiritual food, by which you would have eternal life and justification before God. For here it is said of the Lord Christ: I am your life. This same eternal life is not enjoyed by works, but by faith alone; faith is the right tasting and eating of eternal life. If faith is there, you already have eternal life, for faith takes hold of the Lord Christ, not as an empty shell or husk, but who is eternal life Himself. Are we not fools, then, to try to earn by our good works that which we have first obtained through Christ?
But one saws: Yes, I do not see it? My dear man, it is called faith; though it does not appear, yet it is in him. Whoever hangs on him will find it. When I begin to believe, I believe. After that I shall do good works. Just as the son is an heir as soon as he is born, he has done nothing everywhere for it; birth brings him to inherit without all merit and good works, and becomes a lord over house, farm, fields and meadows. He has done nothing for it; only that he is born of the Father, through this he immediately comes into the community of all goods, birth makes him an heir. So, if I believe in Christ, faith brings me eternal life, and I am born again; what then shall I do? The son may not serve in the house, that he may stand as a servant; the inheritance is his beforehand, he may not earn it; nevertheless he helps the father to work the field, for he is responsible for it, and father and son work the field, that it may bear fruit, and says: Dear father, I will help you plow and till, for the inheritance is ours together, that our inheritances may be the more useful to us.
272 Therefore, if I have obtained eternal life by faith, I should do good works afterward, and practice the inheritance of eternal life by doing good, teaching, counseling, and helping, which are the fruits of eternal life. The inheritance is eternal life; I already have this through Christ, and must not earn it, but I practice it so that others may also come to it, and the fruits of eternal life may be seen.
I always write the article of justification, so that it may be understood thoroughly and differently, and so that faith and good works may be well divided among themselves. And John the Evangelist also treats it primarily before the other evangelists. Faith gives me eternal life, because it gives him who is eternal life and the bread of life. The Sophists, however, do not think otherwise, that Christ is only a teacher who preaches good works and is like a lawgiver. Which he does not do; but he dispenses grace, and draws us to himself, saying, I am eternal life; he that eateth of me, the same shall live; that is, I offer thee eternal life, which I myself am.
That is, he draws people to himself and gives them grace. When he says: I am the life, he speaks de donanda vita, speaks of giving, I give you and offer you the eternal life, which I have in my power. So they interpret it from taking, as if we must give to him and he must receive from us. Giving and receiving are not the same. So we must not interpret his ministry that we should give to him, or that he must take from us, as if he were not the giver of eternal life alone.
275 Therefore learn to regard Christ as the bread of life. No pope, sophist, high school, or pontiff regards him for this; they strike him on the mouth for saying, I am the life. For they say, If I do good works, I shall lose life. Item: Faith in Christ is nothing if you do not also have good works. Yes, they pretend: If I do good works, I will have eternal life. But Christ wants to say: I have preached to you, "If anyone believes in me, he has eternal life.
2318 Erl. 47, 377-379. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2066-2069. 2319
Bread of life. Thou hast succeeded in this, if thou hast believed in Christ, and hast therefore eaten the bread of life; after which good works must be done, for they do not remain outside; where there is right faith, they follow afterward.
Now this is an annoying sermon, that he says: "I am the bread of life", and shows to the people nothing more than a poor, despised and frail man, who has passed on earth as another man. It seems ever, dear Lord Christ, not. They will truly have asked and said: Whom do you make of yourself? For what do you throw yourself? Do you not know what it is, to give eternal life, or to preserve temporal life, and to cast out death? Who can do these things but the one, eternal God? And thou sayest, Thou art he that canst give such meat, that whosoever eateth thereof shall have eternal life. You speak of it as if you were God Himself, and a Lord over sin, death and life. No saint can speak the word; he must be something more than a creature who says such things of himself.
- it is a grievous and shameful thing; therefore let us shut our eyes, and blind our reason, and believe the divine word which the Lord Christ saith, I am the bread of life; and said: I will believe it, as he saith. Thus you have a proper distinction from which to judge the doctrine of good works, and thus conclude, If Christ is the bread of life, my works will not save me, nor give me eternal life, that I truly know; for they are not Christ. Something else is my life than my works, therefore they will not constitute it. Therefore, do not follow the doctrine of good works, which our opponents, the papists, lead, for they do not know how far it goes.
V. 49. Your fathers ate the bread of heaven in the wilderness and died.
- Now he answered them to their glory, which they brought in above v. 31., saying: What, "Our fathers did eat manna in the wilderness." 1) As if they should say, Who are you?
- Here we have deleted the words: "and died" because they are too much.
Our fathers were different people from you; they ever ate the bread of heaven; how do you like that? What signs do you do? We see nothing yet that thou doest; and yet thou art such an insolent preacher, that thou art boasting of faith in thee, and wilt take away our fathers, and be more than all the prophets, as if they were nothing, and counted for nothing at all. Hereby they want to give so much to understand: We have it better than you can do and teach; therefore go away with your speech, you will not do as well as our fathers who ate manna.
- but he gives them again a push and a sweat, 2) saying, Why do ye boast much, saying, Your fathers did eat manna, and died? As if to say, How do you like it? The bread of heaven was eaten by the wicked as well as by the pious. If this bread of heaven was so delicious, how is it that your fathers all died, and only two, Joshua and Caleb, remained alive, who entered the Promised Land? Therefore, the bread of heaven did not give them eternal life, it did not chase away death, it did not even last this temporal life. If they have nothing more than this bread of heaven, they will not rise again from the dead because of the bread.
(280) By this he will first make them angry, that he will count his food higher and better than their heavenly food, and that what he gives will be better than that, that whoever believes in him shall not die, and whoever eats his food shall live forever. Bread of heaven was a perishable food, as other food, as apples and pears are with us; although it was a miraculous bread, yet it was a natural food and bread; just as when our Lord God made bread out of stones, it is still bread; or when he gives water out of the rock, it is quite natural water, or makes wine out of water, as he did at the wedding in Cana Joh. 2, 7, which is a miracle; yet it is a natural wine, and retains its natural powers. Thus the manna was also a flour from the
- Sweating -- wiper, reprimand.
2320 Erl. 47, 37S-382. sermon on Jn. 6, 48-51. w. VII, 2069-2071. 2321
Heaven, which bread only received and nourished the body, only etched and fed, there was nothing more, because otherwise other natural bread; but here is "bread of life, which came from heaven; he that eateth thereof shall not die".
They could not grasp this, it was impossible and too high for them. Therefore the Lord not only rejects all their miracles and wonders, but also all their teaching must fail, and says: "If you do not accept the teaching that I present and bring to you, and do not look at the main article that I preach, so that you believe in me, Moses and all your miracles, manna, law and ceremonies will not help you. For it is not given to Moses and others who have done great miracles, that they should make alive and do something against death, but to the Person alone who is called Christ. Otherwise no herb grows against death, nor does any medicine help, but Christ alone; he alone is the true bread from heaven, and he who eats of it shall live.
He puts it affirmatively and negatively,^1^ ) he shall live, and not die; holds both against each other "live" and "not die", speaks obviously, clearly and distinctly about it, that one should not think that he says it darkly and hiddenly, or covers up the words, but says: I am the bread, a food, which came from heaven, who eats of me, he shall live. No one can say anything else, but he speaks of himself. Because he speaks of himself, that is, of his own person, we should grasp and take hold of the person of Christ, and not walk in other ways, thinking to escape death and salvation, but cling to him who says strongly and powerfully on both sides, "Whoever eats of him shall not die forever, but shall have eternal life.
But the most annoying thing is that he says "I". He who overcomes such annoyance has won. For this is the right art and highest wisdom of faith, who could only consider himself, and hold this person Christ for God, for his food and
- Added by us.
Bread of eternal life, yes, for his comfort, Savior and Beatificator; for what he is, that you get with him. This article makes you a Christian, so that you are also called a Christian by Christ, and you also receive Christian rights through him.
But the Jews are very angry because no one believes it, except those who hear the word of God and whom the Father teaches. The Turk laughs at it. Averrois, 2) one of the Mahometans, has written mockingly of the Christians, saying that there is no more poisonous, shameful and blasphemous people than the Christians; for they should honor their God, then they eat him, and preach it in all schools and in the pulpit. So it is ridiculous in the eyes of reason if one does not keep God's word; the Jews and the pope do not ask anything about it. But it is better that we eat our Lord God than that the devil eat us. They carry their God, but our GOD carries us. Reason sees him that he is a poor beggar, and has died himself; therefore, what can he do to help? Summa, it is the highest main article that you believe that he is, and you do not resent his person.
After that, reason is also disturbed by how he can be the food, or who can eat him? But this must be done first, that we may be sure in our hearts that he is God and the life, even the food and bread of life, and that I may know not to seek God elsewhere, apart from this person. For if you believe in Him, born of Mary the Virgin, and that He is also the true Son of God, then you also have God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. For otherwise you shall not take hold of God, find Him, seek Him and know Him, except in this Person, when you believe in Christ, that you then also believe in the heavenly Father and Holy Spirit.
Therefore a murmur arises, that they ask, How can thy flesh be eaten? The matter is thus arranged, namely, that he speaks of spiritual flesh and spiritual food. It is faith that
- Compare note Col. 2302.
2322 . Erl, 47, 382-384. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2071-2074. 2323
He eats him, as he interprets himself when he says, "He who believes in me has eternal life," the same eats rightly, for I am the bread of life; faith is the eater who eats and believes in Christ. But the soul and faith have not one mouth, teeth, throat, and belly, as the body hath, but have another mouth, belly, and ears; they also eat differently from the body; they have also their mind, will, courage, understanding, desire, or reason, that one may understand a thing, and have a disposition to it. So when one hears these words that Christ is food and heavenly bread, that one hangs on with faith and falls on it with understanding and desire.
287 These are twisted and distorted speeches, and here "to eat" means a spiritual nourishment and meal. This speech and disputation of the Lord Christ through this whole chapter has unraveled and risen above the miracle that he had fed such a multitude of people with five barley loaves. Then he said, "It is not only for the sake of the barley or this food that one fills the belly like swine; rather, think of other food and sustenance, so that you do not die. Ye think only of the meat of the flesh: so did your fathers eat in the wilderness. But come to the meat, whereof ye die not, think ye on another meat.
But the coarse Jews are offended and annoyed by the fact that they cannot understand the word "eat," which is a minor annoyance, and is a common figure, metaphor, and way of speaking: as when we Germans say: This is a prick that does not bleed; item: Is a word not an arrow or sword; item: The arrow does not come out of your quiver; there one understands a man's word and speech for an arrow. It is the same here with the word "eat," which has a different meaning. They quarrel about it, and it is not acceptable to them, because he says, "Learn to eat and drink, so that you may escape eternal death, hunger and thirst. One can ever speak anything else of eating, except that one eats with the mouth alone. What then is this same eating? To this he answers: It is I, I am the food. This is truly even more annoying; they push each other away, and can't
They do not like it, nor do they want him to be the bread (as follows). But it is decided that God shall not be found anywhere except in this person alone.
Then says the Turk, the Jew and the priest: "I believe in God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and all seek God in heaven in other ways, but do not find Him, because He will not be found, but only in Christ. You neither get nor meet him anywhere, because thus. This is eternal life, truth and righteousness; but where he is omitted, you have no food of eternal life or blessedness, and then remain vain thoughts; indeed, one devises one's own ways how to serve God and reconcile him with our good works. Hence it comes that one becomes a Carthusian, the other a barefooter. But it is lacking everywhere that one should seize God with these own thoughts. Therefore, if you do not want to lack him, to find God and have eternal food, listen to this one who says that he is the bread of life; if you want to attain eternal life, seek it from Christ, and nowhere else.
With this, John deals with this article, which is faith in Jesus Christ, so that it is preached purely, without the addition of good works. Works are not mentioned here at all, so that a heart may have a certain comfort and know what it should rely on in its last needs, that it knows of no other God, doctrine, or bread, except that which is called Christ. After this he will say even more: "My flesh is the right food"; so that he may assure us that he is the flesh we are to eat, and will attack his adversaries even more.
The fourteenth sermon.
On the first Saturday in Lent 25 Feb. 1531. 1)
V. 51. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
291 Until now, the Lord Christ has preached that whoever eats of the bread shall live in
- In the original margin.
2324 Erl. 47, 384-386. Sermon on Joh. 6, 51. W. VII, LV74-2O77. 2325
Eternity. At first he stayed with it. But now he will go even further, and even better strike out this bread, and thereby greatly anger the Jews, and say: the bread is from heaven, and is his flesh. He pours it out very roughly and knocks the bottom out of the barrel, saying, "I said I came from heaven; whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. He makes it so coarse that it could not be coarser, so that they should not think that he is talking about something other than what they have before their eyes, but that he is talking about himself; and for the reason that they do not leave their spiritual fluttering, that he is not as he is before their eyes, or in some other way the bread and eternal life, not the flesh and blood that they feel and see. He wants to come before these fluttering spirits and wants our faith to cling to the flesh and blood that they saw, and that they should be crucified and die. Then all Christians must cling to it, and not flutter any further, nor let some other glories or drinks make them "before" another flesh and blood, because there one sees before one's eyes in it.
This is the first thing that really confronts them, that he leads them astray, and all evasion runs away, so that they should not think of anything else but his flesh and blood, which was present there. So, when this sharp and coarse sermon comes, it is to be known, as you also heard above §98., that this chapter does not speak of Sacramentis, but of the spiritual use and eating. For above v. 35 ff. he said, He that heareth Christ, and believeth on him, the same shall have eternal life, and the Father shall love him, and shall not die, but have eternal life; neither shall they thirst nor hunger that eat bread. Therefore it cannot be drawn to the sacrament. For many take it for condemnation and judgment, and have not eternal life; for they are not taught nor drawn of the Father.
293 But he speaks here of the main thing, as of the right Christian faith, which is called and done, that you should believe in his flesh and blood. For if you do not hang your faith on this, you will be forsaken.
You must be a Turk or a Jew. He put it in the article: If you want to be a Christian, you must believe in the flesh and blood of Christ; he does not want anyone to believe otherwise; if you want to meet with God, you must follow this. If you will not eat, he says, it is decided that the whole world shall not have God otherwise than with food. This text is a thunderclap against the enthusiasts.
This is a shameful and annoying thing to the ears of the flesh; it could not be worse, for whoever eats this flesh has eternal life. Reason says: Flesh is flesh, blood is blood, make of it what you will, nothing else will come of it. So say the sacramentans also. But open thou thine eyes, stop thou thine heart and thine ears, and make a distinction between "flesh" and the word "my flesh. There is a great advantage in this, that if you can conclude beforehand that he who speaks is Christ, and you believe in him, then in this Christ there is the whole complete Godhead. He then says: "My flesh is the right food, and my blood is the right drink." There is a different understanding.
But the sacramentirans and the red spirits fall on the word "meat", and understand it, as it is bought in the Scherrn 1), or as the wolves or dogs eat it, there they harden in the word meat, say: meat, meat. This is not a great art, I know and understand it well; a wolf can eat an old man, or a sow eat a child; I can also think as if I eat roast pork. But when Christ says, "My flesh," take heed who he is that says it. To whom does the little word "my" belong? So it will be something more, and will not be such a flesh that has the power of flesh and blood alone; it will have something more power than bad flesh and blood, through the word "my". It is "my flesh"; you must see who says that, because it will not be flesh, because red sausages are made of it.
296 And, that I give it a rough simile, it can help, so it helps. If a doctor takes a pure, loud water, and makes
- "Scherrn" - Schrannen, butcher's stand.
2326 Erl. 47, 386-389. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII. 2077-2079. 2327
If you make sugar water or clarify it, it is no longer called bad water, but sugar water; you do not say you drink water; although it is true that you drink water, it does not taste like water, because it has a different taste and strength, and tastes like sugar. It is water, but not water like water, but sugar water; and the water does not do as it should, for it is sugar water. I must not count it by the word "water," for it was indeed water, but the sugar, the cinnamon bark, and the other specimens have now taken it over so completely that it has turned into a different being, and has a different strength and taste than water would otherwise have.
This is a crude similitude, but it is for the simple, so that Christ may not be regarded as evil, like any other man. Flesh and blood, marrow and bone, skin and hair, are truly there, for he was born of the Virgin Mary, has hair, head, legs, arm, and all the limbs truly as I and you have them. But I am all flesh and blood, so are you; we are all water, bone and flesh; but to his flesh has come a sugar, so that whoever looks at the flesh, tastes and drinks the blood, sees God, also worships God. Again, whoever tampers with it crucifies and defiles God. Thus, one eats and drinks the Godhead in human nature; just as if I attack sugar water, I also attack the sugar, and taste, drink or lick it with it.
For this reason he will say, "The word is evil, that the whole world should be led into thinking that all its wisdom should be torn down from heaven, as the thoughts of the Godhead; item, how he created heaven and earth, how he governs the world, and does other works of God; and then he will say: This is the God who created and still sustains all things, and he will not be found, nor will he be found, except in this flesh and blood of the Son of Christ. If you believe in the Son, receive Him, and taste the flesh, you have surely met Me, says God the Father; otherwise, in no other way shall you have Me or find Me.
. With this, all other worship services shall be divorced. The pope, the Jews and the Turks, and all sects and races, believe and worship the God who is the Creator of heaven and earth, but they lack His flesh. For they believe not, neither have they the flesh. Now the text says that it is decreed that if you do not believe that Christ, the true God and Son of God, came into the flesh, became man, and took on flesh and blood, then all is lost, and God cannot be grasped unless one eats this bread; for this article also makes us Christians. And Saint John wants to draw, turn and lead all the world to come to Christ, for there alone shall one find God.
Just as it happened in the Old Testament, when God wanted to be found in Jerusalem in the temple alone, all the pagans around were much holier, and their false worship, when they worshipped the idols, had a greater appearance of holiness than the worship of the Jews. Nevertheless, this was his order, that God would not be found except in the temple at Jerusalem; otherwise he has not set up a mercy seat in the whole world except there alone. And if they ran away from the Temple and sought God in other places, they would be damned and lack God.
But the Jews pretended: If he is a creator of heaven and earth, he is also on this mountain, hill and in this valley; and they went and built temples, churches and altars on mountains, in forests and other places, and worshipped there, saying: The temple, the dark corner of Jerusalem, will not be the prison of our Lord God; though our Lord God is there, yet the grove is his, as well as Jerusalem; so wise were they. So they could conclude: God is a Creator of heaven and earth, therefore He is in all places, even on this mountain, or in the valley and forest, and where I serve and worship Him, it is right. But not yet so; for in the fifth book of Moses Cap. 12, 13. God says: Beware, do not sacrifice to me in all the places you see, I will not be found, and will not be heard nor worshipped.
2328 Erl. 47, 389-391. Sermon on Joh. 6, 51. W. VII, 2079-2082. 2329
in the places you choose. For the cities, the woods and the fields, the mountains and the valleys are all mine, but I will not be worshipped there, I will not be honored, I will not be recognized, but I want you to worship me in the place and in the way that I will command you.
- What should then other devotion do, as far as it all shall count for nothing and be nothing? As a Carthusian says: I will serve God in my cap, I will not sleep much; fast, pray, do not eat this and that. But God says to this: I will not have it Matt. 15:3. If then thou wouldest have God, hear where he sitteth down, and where he shall be found; therefore saith he, Behold, this is my beloved Son, whom I have sent unto you, in whom I am well pleased; him shall ye hear Matt. 3:17, 17:5. Where the Son is not, there is no pleasure, and your worship is nothing. Item, he himself says in this place: "I am the eternal life", "the living bread"; if you also want to live, and not die of hunger and thirst, then eat and drink me. Here we must cleave unto his flesh and blood, lest any man ask: Where shall we run that we may have eternal life? Therefore it is well pleasing unto the Father all that the Son saith, that we should eat his flesh: and it is not written, That we should run to Saint James, or go to Jerusalem, or to Saint Catharines, or eat the flesh of Saint Barbarians, or drink the blood of Saint Christ.
In short, here you have two words; first, "flesh," that he speaks, "my flesh"; does not speak like the spirits that flutter now and then, but adds the little word "my," that it is his true flesh and blood, which he shows them and holds up before their noses, that they may delight themselves. Do not say Adam's flesh, nor John the Baptist's flesh, nor any angel's flesh, nor Mary the Virgin's flesh, nor any animal's flesh; but "my flesh. The word "my" tears through and makes a difference. He wants to say so much: Flesh and blood I set before you, eat and drink it, that is, believe it. For "eat" here means believe: believe in the flesh and blood. For if you take hold of my flesh, you do not take hold of my blood.
bad flesh and blood, but eat and drink flesh and blood, which is divine, that is, it gives the nature and power of the Godhead; it does not flesh or bleed, but it has the nature and power that God has. Just as I said above 296 that the sugar water no longer waters, but it sugars, it gives and works the power that sugar has.
304 So it is also with this; this flesh does not flesh. If you eat this flesh, it will not strengthen your flesh; it will not give you sin, an evil conscience, or death, as other flesh alone does, but it will divinize you, that is, give you divine power, virtue, and works, and take away sin, deliver you from the devil and death, and help you from all misery. But if water were separated from sugar, sugar would remain sugar, and water would taste and be water, and each would remain according to its essence and substance; but when it is boiled and simmered or mixed together, it no longer waters, but honeys and sugars. So it is in this also; whoever believes and speaks in this way, as the red spirits and the enthusiasts pretend, that flesh and blood alone are to be regarded, and separates it from God, to him it is also only bad flesh and blood, as he believes it, he no longer has either pure flesh and blood.
Many heretics think so, and not otherwise, namely, the Valentiuiani, Manichaei, and still the Turks; as they believe, so also the flesh tastes to them as mere water, and not as the flesh and blood of Christ; they have not the true flesh of Christ, but only their own thoughts. Yes, if Christ were a man, like me and you, it would be bad flesh, and the word "my" would have to be taken away; but because he does so, you find that it is idolatrous flesh, that I and you must say: I know of no other God to be found anywhere, either in heaven or on earth, except in the flesh of Christ; neither is there any other sugar or wine except in this water, know of no other sugar or wine.
He did not want to give us his divinity alone; that was impossible. For God
2330 Erl. 47, 391-393. interpretations on the evaygelist John. W. VII, 2082-2085. 2331
has said: "No one will see me and live"; that is how it remains. That is why God must hide Himself, hide and cover Himself, so that we can grasp and take hold of Him. He must hide himself in flesh and blood, in the Word and in the ministry of preaching, in baptism, in the sacrament and in the Lord's Supper, when he gives us his body in bread and his blood in wine to eat and drink, and otherwise conceal himself in other images, since he has added his word so that we can recognize him. Then the word is not a mere sound, the bread not bad bread, the wine not bad wine, baptism not only bad, but water. There remains water, bread and wine, but not alone, but now it is called his bread, his word, his water, his flesh and his blood. If the water is sugared, then there are two pieces, namely sugar and water. So here is flesh and "my flesh", blood and "my blood".
Therefore Christ says, "The bread that I give you is my flesh. What kind of meat do you mean? Not veal or beef, which is in cowsheds. This is also flesh; but it is not that which I will give for the life of the world. It is a living flesh, and also a dead flesh, which is dead, yet by it the whole world liveth. There belongs no John Baptist, nor Mary, nor some angels, but this one person, Christ. His flesh alone does it; to it God wants to bind us; apart from the person born of Mary, who truly has flesh and blood and was crucified, one should neither seek nor find God. For God is to be grasped and found in the flesh and blood of Christ by faith alone, and to know that the flesh and blood do not flesh nor bleed, and yet are flesh and blood, but both are divinized; as I have said of the sugar water 296, 303.
308 Take another similitude, of iron. If it is without fire, it is also iron, but if it is made red-hot, and fire or heat comes into it, then I can say: This iron is now no longer iron, but it fires. It is indeed iron, but it is so thoroughly fired that when you see it or attack it, you cannot say that it is iron.
Iron, but you feel fire, it burns you, so much fire is before your eyes. If you want to pierce a hole through a barrel with it, or burn or make a mark on something, the iron does not do it, but the fire does it. For if I were to take cold iron that was not red-hot, I would still not be able to make a mark on something with it, but I must take the iron in which the fire is; and again, the fire does not want to do its work anywhere except in the iron; there it burns and drills. So here the divine power in the humanity of Christ is also bodily, and does as a god should do, or does as the fire does in the iron. One sees only flesh and blood, but faith sees such a man, such a flesh and blood, which is like fiery iron, because it is divinized.
First, that he is truly flesh and blood, as water is in sugar, and iron in fire. Secondly, that the word "my" divinizes such flesh and blood, and no longer makes it flesh and blood, but makes it God's flesh and blood. It remains flesh and blood, but the word "my" deifies it. Therefore, do not separate it from one another, as the spirits of the wicked have perverted and twisted it, but let it remain in one person. For if you can thus take Christ or remember him, then you certainly take and remember the right, true God, because otherwise there is no God. We eat his flesh and believe in him, and then the Father says, "I am well pleased with this.
Otherwise, let no other god persuade you; let other enthusiasts climb up to heaven; let them always go or come trolling along with rosaries and hair shirts and other fictitious works; they will find their reward. For he shall say unto them, Who hath commanded you? he also may reward you, and give you thanks. But we believe in him who is truly God and man, and of whom the heavenly Father says Matt. 3:17, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; him shall ye hear." No Carthusian can boast of this.
2332 Erl. 47, 393 f. 48, 1-3. sermon on Jn. 6, 52-54. w. VII, 2085-2090. 2ZZZ
Therefore the preaching of Christ is a far different doctrine than the world, the Turk, the Jew, and man can grasp; indeed, it knows nothing of it. But therefore we are also called Christel, that we believe in Christ, and hold him to be a God and true man, and seek no further.' This faith is not taught, nor is it grasped without the Holy Spirit. But when it is grasped, the Holy Spirit comes with other gifts and presses God with grace and spirit in the heart, so that one truly sees and believes that it is a deified flesh, and that this preaching is right.
The fifteenth sermon.
[On the Saturday before Reminiscere, March 4 1531. 1)
The Lord Christ, as we have heard, has himself interpreted his words, saying that the bread which he gives is flesh, which is given for the life of the world. This is the main article of our Christian faith, that this flesh, which he calls his flesh, should be taken into the heart. For it is not bad flesh, which does nothing; but, as Christ says, it is "his flesh. There the human flesh is connected with the Godhead, it is deified. Just as a sugar water is sugared, or a red-hot iron is hot; so one eats 2) and feels more than flesh alone. Now follows further.
V. 52 Then the Jews quarreled among themselves and said: How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
313 St. John writes how the Jews were offended and angered by the teaching. And such vexation has been from the beginning of the world, is still in our time, and will probably remain until the end of the world, that one cannot stand the words. For reason is so crude when it hears these words: You shall eat my flesh, and my
- In the original in the margin, but there it is erroneously written "after" instead of "before" Reminiscere. The Saturday after Reminiscere was March 11. Almost all of the following sermons on the 6th chapter of John have either wrong or insufficient time determinations in the original.
- Erlanger: is.
Drinking blood, there it sticks and hangs, and remembers nothing more than flesh; says: Flesh is flesh, blood is blood. How shall he give us his blood? 2c., go quickly into the meat banks, where oxen, calves, sheep and goats are slaughtered, and look into the kitchen, where the meat is hammered into the pots. Because they are in this mind, they cannot understand it, it is not possible.
But if they would think: Behold, substitute plainly for this, "my flesh," "my blood." Item, he has interpreted above v. 47 and said what there is, eating and drinking, namely, believing in me, that whoever with faith attaches himself to my flesh and blood, eats it and drinks it, and this faith, this eating and drinking, or this food and drink, gives eternal life. For this flesh is not mere flesh, but flesh that is divinized; and he who meets the flesh meets God. Otherwise, if one wants to look at the word "flesh and blood" alone, it is and remains flesh and blood. Item, if one thinks only of eating, it is eating; drinking, it is drinking. But he says, "I do not preach this to you; you must not think of it, it is something else; just as he also said above v. 51 that it is not cow's flesh, but such flesh as is given for the life of the world. Therefore it also gives life to the world; for "it is I", and it is "my flesh".
- This should be formed into the heart of man with large, rough letters, so that he speaks: "Mine, my, my flesh". But the "my" one does not want to look at. The red spirits cannot grasp the word, "my". But with the word "my" he distinguishes and separates himself from all other flesh, as it may be called. For there "my flesh" means as much as, I am God and God's son, my flesh is divinized, and is a divine flesh. Nevertheless, reason goes along with the Jews, and thus thinks: flesh is flesh. Now I know this well. For if you eat calf's flesh for a long time, or if you eat meat and herring, you will not be saved. So let the word "my" go, which, when you hear it, everything changes. Item, they do not look at who the person is, so such a
2334 Erl. 48, 3-5. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2090-2092. 2335
but completely abandon the word "my" and do not want to go there; that is why they cannot send themselves in.
316 We have therefore taught and preached that eternal life is not given to us because of our good works, but through faith in Christ alone, in whom we must believe, and understand eating and drinking as it is here interpreted by Christ himself, that is, not otherwise than by believing in the man Christ. Now one does not want to believe, but the blasphemers say: Believe, believe; one must indeed do good works; you must first begin with good works. And is this then a vexatious and heretical preaching, which one cannot endure, that one is saved not by good works, but by this flesh of Christ. Then they cry out: The heretics; 2) o they forbid good works.
317 What else can I say, since the Lord speaks in his own person? It is said, qui non comederit carnem; as if he should say, Do, live as holy as ye will; he that eateth not my flesh hath not eternal life. He clearly and distinctly enough separates the eating and drinking of his body and blood from all other food. Who is bold, let him refute it. There is much wonder that eating and drinking alone can bring it about, but he says, "There shall be no life; ye shall abide in sins, and be deadly; ye are under the devil, and shall never come into eternal life, except ye drink the blood, and eat the body.
318 These words are bright, dry and clear, and St. John wrote them with great diligence, and did it by the command of the Holy Spirit, so that they might be spoken clearly and plainly: If ye shall not eat of man, and drink of his blood, ye are lost. If then what he says is true, why is it not believed? But if it is a lie, why do they preach it? If it is true, it follows that eternal life does not come through anything other than good works. Take then all that is in the world, the works of Carthage,
- Erlanger: believe.
- Thus set by us: "Then the heretics cry out" 2c.
Masses, indulgences, and pilgrimages, and set it against the saying that goes, "If you will not eat my flesh," all is lost.
319 And these things were spoken in general. He said it not of rude men, of foolish sinners, and of loose lads, which eat not that they might have eternal life; but of all, and especially of hypocrites. If then we have not life thereby, neither have we forgiveness of sins. For the forgiveness of sins is before eternal life. If there is to be eternal life, there must first be forgiveness of sins. But where sin remains, there also remains the law, God's wrath, death and hell. For all these things belong together. If you want to escape from hell, sin, God's wrath, the law and all this, do not do your work, as the pope taught, that you should become a religious and be pious. Therefore thou must not; but it is said, as it is in the text, "Except ye eat my flesh," 2c. If you can find a gloss on this, or something else that can or may help to forgive sins and to eternal life, try it, I would like to see it; but you will find nothing.
This is truly the main thing we teach and practice diligently. We also teach about good works, but we do not say that they are enough for salvation. For that alone is enough, which he says, "to eat his flesh" and "to drink his blood. Therefore this vexation of the Jews remains, that they say, Faith doth not do it. For they mean no other than that faith is only a cold thought in the heart, that I remember God and believe in God and in Jesus Christ in the wind. This is truly so. If you consider faith to be only a thought of God, then the thought can no more give me eternal life than a monk's cap. They do not speak further of faith, they even weaken it, they interpret faith as a mere thought.
321 We do not make such an empty, loose thought out of faith, as they do, but say that this is called faith,
2336 Erl. 48, 5-8. Sermon on Joh. 6, 52-54. W. VII, 2092-2095. 2337
when I see what faith has before it, which it seizes and grasps; for it says the holy Scripture, that if I thus believe, I do not have a single bag, or single thought of God, which otherwise the devil and the Turk can also have. For the Turk also says: I believe in God, that is, he thinks of God. But this is the right faith, that I attach my faith, thoughts and heart to the flesh and blood given for me, and eat the same, and boldly say: I believe that his flesh and blood are there, given for me, and that the flesh and blood are poured into my faith, as wine or beer is poured into a glass. This is my treasure: eating, drinking, remembering, and believing in the flesh, that I may cleave with faith to the man Christ and to his flesh, that I may fast Christ.
But those who think otherwise, as the papists speak of it, have empty shells without a core. But our faith also has a shell, but the core is inside, and the heart is fully poured out. For I believe that Jesus Christ and his flesh and blood are given for me, and so I accept them as surely as my mouth accepts food and drink. If the mouth is not full of food or of beer and wine, it is not called eating or drinking: so also, faith must not only be a bad thought of our Lord God, because thoughts do not do it; as then the pope's faith is that he thinks he must only think of God. My heart must grasp and take hold of the Christian, and I must cling to his flesh and blood, and say: I cling to it, I want to stay with it, I want to leave life and limb over it, and it will also go over me, as God wills.
This is so, that it is not a loose thought, when I think how Christ was crucified; but above thinking I have such a heart, which builds on Christ, whose flesh and blood I take into my heart and believe to be given for me. This is called and is true faith, and without such faith all things are nothing; all saints, all monks reckoned together, are nothing with all their works. For Christ says:
You do not have the flesh for food; you do not accept the flesh and blood, therefore nothing else helps you to eternal life but this eating and drinking.
That is a clear, excellent saying, since I do not know how to jump over. I also wanted to have my reason, as someone else, and find a loophole; but it is nothing, I can not pass. Therefore see to it that each one eats the body. For it is decided in a nutshell: All that is not this flesh and blood, be it ever beautiful, great, and holy, is neither profitable nor necessary unto eternal life; and all the rest, if it be not this flesh and blood, is not profitable unto eternal life.
This article of justification is the highest that St. John described as a master in particular. Keep the text well. One cannot therefore praise St. John enough for having handled it so diligently and clearly. For St. John is also a master in the article of justification; I cannot speak it more clearly nor more powerfully than he has spoken it here through the Holy Spirit. For he saith, Ye have not eternal life; ye eat his flesh, and drink his blood. And "eat" means to eat with the soul, that I may take hold of the flesh, and lay hold on it, and keep it.
It is not enough to think of bread and beer that the baker baked it and the brewer brewed it, for you do not yet have bread and beer in your house; but when you get bread and beer in your mouth, you no longer think of baker or brewer. So the Jews were the bakers and brewers here, they baked and brewed him when he was crucified. Now you must remember how you got him in your mouth, eat him, grasp him and take him in, hold on to him; that is faith. This is what he means.
V. 53. Unless you eat of the flesh of the Son and drink His blood, you do not have eternal life in you.
327 Now you have heard before that he calls himself the Son of Man, so that he may show that he truly has our flesh and blood in him, which he took from the Virgin Mary, in whom is eternal life.
2338 Erl. 48, 8-10. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2095-2098. 2339
be. This is the article of justification. The Holy Spirit wants us never to teach, know, remember, hear or accept another God, because this God, whose flesh and blood we form and grasp in our hearts, we want to be saved in another way. Otherwise, we should not let ourselves be taught by a God who sits up in heaven in his hall, and thus seek in the Godhead alone; for in this way you will be deceived. But if thou wilt not die, and be saved, let no god come unto thee, but the Son of man: in the flesh and in the blood shalt thou find him; there hath he entered in, and there shall he be found, the Son of man. Otherwise the Turk says that his Mahomet has God. The pope says: The Carthusian and other monastic orders also have our Lord God. But here it is written: It is the Son of Man; all other preaching, faith and life are excluded.
We also heard these two sermons shortly before. The first is that he who does not eat the flesh is nothing. The other, he who has the flesh and blood, eats and drinks, has it cooked; for where the flesh and blood is, there is God cooked, and there he wants to be, and nowhere else. Thus it necessarily follows that whoever thinks of God and seeks Him elsewhere than in this person has lost God and does not find Him, he errs and lacks Him; but whoever seeks Him in the manner indicated finds Him.
V. 54. And I will raise him up on the last day.
Just before v. 51 he said that whoever eats of his flesh and drinks of his blood shall have eternal life. Now he says that he will raise him up at the last day. These seem to be duo contraria, and do not rhyme with each other. For he who has eternal life must not be raised or brought back to life. It reads as if it were a strong lie. You have heard before that this is the opinion: that because we believers are in this life, and are in the flesh and blood, it is true that we already have eternal life. For Christ says, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved"; and the word, which is
we have is already eternal life. Christ is the food, his flesh and blood is already alive, it must not be made alive, nor can it remain in death, because he is the Lord of death. For this reason it is decided that I already have eternal life, not by my works, but by faith, through which I am sure that his flesh and blood is my life.
(330) What is lacking, that he saith he will raise him up? I hear that I must die first; how then does it rhyme, to have eternal life, to die, and to be raised? [This is the opinion that we certainly have eternal life by faith; even though we do not carry Christ in our hand or in our pocket, he is certainly there. He lives for his own person forever; but in faith I have taken hold of him, and I know that through him I have eternal life, for in faith he is my eternal life, my food. But this is hidden and secret; for though death comes that I die, or see others die of pestilence, of the sword; item, one comes into danger and prison, or sickness, we see the devil, sin, and all manner of trouble; but Christ we do not see.
331 But it is said, do not judge yourself according to outward sight, but according to the word, which promises and gives you eternal life, then you truly have eternal life. Whether it is otherwise according to appearance and feeling, it does no harm; you have not lost life because of it, for the sickness, death, danger and sin that afflict you will not strangle you or work you out, it must leave you satisfied; they do not make Christ sick, nor do they strangle him. When they are over, and you continue in the faith, you will see what you have believed.
Yes, but I must die all the same. Oh, nothing prevents that; only die in God's name, let yourself be burned or otherwise killed, you are assured of eternal life and shall certainly have it. If then thou die, and be buried, and pass over thee in the grave, and the worms devour thee, there lies
2340 Erl. 48, 10-12. Sermon on Joh. 6, 53. 54. W. VII, 2098-2100. 2341
He will certainly raise you up again. For you have my promise here, and believe the word resuscitabo, therefore you will see evidently that you have relied on it with faith.
The word "raise up" is not used without reason, for it is very important. Otherwise it is annoying that he says: "He who believes in me shall have" 2c., and death nevertheless comes with many dangers, which strike one under the eyes. This truly moves our reason, thoughts and senses, so that they fear that we will be deceived, because the opposite is seen before our eyes. Therefore he sets the word here for our consolation, that we should hold fast, be strong and confident. Though death walk upon thee with feet, and choke thee, yet will I preserve thee: for I am thy life, and am also thy meat to sustain thee. Therefore will I feed thee well, that thou mayest live for ever. Therefore have no fear; I will raise thee up again, that every man may see and bear witness that thou livest.
The sixteenth sermon.
On the Saturday before Palmarum April 1, 1531. 1)
- This is a lukewarm and glorious sermon which the Lord Christ preached to the Jews after they had eaten the five barley loaves and the two fishes, as this miracle is described in the beginning of the sixth chapter of John, and the Lord rebuked them for not seeking the food of the belly so much as the eternal food, which would have the value of the food given by the Son of God, and gradually and carefully led them from the food of the flesh to the spiritual food. Therefore they looked and said, Give us the bread of heaven, that we may live for ever. To this he answers: I am the bread of life, and the meat that giveth life eternal: for there is no other bread. They grumble at this and cannot accept it.
- In the original margin: "On the Sunday before Palmarum", which we have changed, because it is not likely that the Sunday Judica would have been so designated, nor that this sermon should have been preached on a Sunday.
not understanding how he should be the food and the bread that came from heaven. Then the Lord glosses over it and interprets it with this decision: "You must not think that you will eat it with your teeth; you must believe my words. The Father must also put this word into your heart. He must teach you inwardly who preaches through the mouth of Christ, otherwise you will not understand nor grasp it. Therefore he presses on and on, saying, Ye must eat the bread which I myself am: for your fathers did eat that bread of heaven, but they died.
335 Now he interprets his teaching, what this same bread is, so that they do not lack the bread of which he speaks figuratively. For they would say, One would have heard such speech before, as when one says, It is a strange bird; there it is called an even-tempered man; as the Hebrew language is rich with such manner of speaking. For this reason, lest they think that he, the Lord, is the bread, as a man is not a dog, and a sheep is not a wolf, so he says, The bread is his flesh. By this he even corrupts one with another, saying, I speak of such bread, that I mean my flesh. The bread that I give no baker shall bake, neither shall ye seek it apart from me, but it is my flesh and my body, which I give for the life of the world; hereby clearly signifieth the eternal bread, which bringeth eternal life, that it is his body; saith, it is in short a carnal, living body, as ye see my body, though the body hath another nature, which our sinful bodies have. For in saying, "It is my flesh," he makes a distinction between all other bodies and flesh.
336 There it is quite spoiled, he has thrust them before the head, and the soup however saltedü, nevertheless he goes out dryly and says: I will have it so. My flesh and my body, which ye see, hear ye speak; it shall be your meat, or ye shall not live. Above this they begin to quarrel and murmur, saying: How is this always fitting? How does the most insignificant thing come on a heap, so that, if it were possible to eat it, it could be cooked at once?
2342 Erl. 48, i2-is. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vii, 2100-2013. 2343
How far would it go and be enough for everyone? it would soon be eaten up. For in a city one often slaughters several oxen a week, and yet they are all eaten up. The same is also said by the gushing spirits: This does not rhyme in any way; for if all should eat of him, he will soon be eaten up. Now it is not fitting that we should eat our Savior. If we eat his body, he himself will not live, he must die; where is he then? and where is life? He says, my body shall be your food for eternal life. If therefore the body be eaten, it is dead; and yet he saith, it liveth, and it shall be eaten, and we shall live. What a clumsy pretence! Well, reason sticks to it: If he is a man, then the body is dead; it is offended by it, and cannot stand these words. But hear thou, the power is in the word 'mine' and 'eating'; but not eating as we eat bodily, and drinking with the mouth. Eating is as the soul eats and drinks, and feeds and is nourished by it. Therefore nothing else is to be presented to the soul to feed on, except the body, which is here called "my body. Then follow what he says, because they are angry at it, and cannot understand it, nor suffer these words.
V. 53. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
337 "Well, there it is, poured out clearly, spoken with clear and not hidden words, that he says: I speak of my flesh and blood; and divides the two words from each other, eating and drinking, as that one should eat the body and drink the blood. Earlier he said and promised, "Whoever eats of this bread shall live forever." Here he adds to this promise urging words, so that he will not let anyone go astray, saying, "If you eat the flesh and drink the blood, you will have eternal life; but if you eat and do not drink it, you will not have life. These are affirmativa, and negativa. He will not let thee float, nor walk with thy soul, but
keep this food, you shall not leave flesh and blood out of consideration, but have it before you, and you shall have life; if not, seek, practice, do, or create what you will, become a monk or a stallion, yet you have not this food nor eternal life.
338 Yes, he also swears: "Truly, truly. This is what the Lord means: Either you have eaten my flesh and drunk my blood, or you have lost your life and will never be saved. Just now v. 35 he said, If ye eat the bread, ye have life; but now he says, If ye eat not, ye have not life. As if he wanted to say: It is decided, either the flesh and blood eaten and drunk, or in eternity of the life to be lost and remain. There it is written in a dry way, we cannot interpret it otherwise, than that there shall be no life, but only death, apart from the flesh and blood, if one shall forsake it or despise it. How one wants to make a nose of the text!
339 We have preached in the past about good works, caps, orders, chastity, poverty, and obedience to the abbot and prior, in which eternal life was sought. This definition or interpretation does not work, it is completely rejected. For chastity or not, it is not called a Carthusian or priestly state. Here ask: Is it also called Christ, or is it also called his flesh and blood? Do all good works, including the ten commandments, such as obeying the authorities, honoring parents, not stealing, committing adultery, or killing; does all this also mean Christ's flesh and blood? No; therefore they cannot give life; therefore he joins it all together, and wants to have the one piece that gives eternal life; otherwise it is called serving the devil. There have undoubtedly been many holy, pious people under the papacy who have lived in good works, but all their endeavors are nothing, one has no life through them, there is no respect for the person or holiness, but here the life is attached and kept, and there it will remain.
340 From this you can answer many pleas. For works shall be done, and godliness shall be lived, but life shall be obtained thereby, and death shall be escaped, and sin shall be put away.
2344 Erl. 48, 15-17. Sermon on John 6, 53. 54. " W. VII, 2103-2106. 2345
good works will do nothing. You must therefore face the matter as Christ says: "If you do not eat my flesh and drink my blood, you do not have life." Otherwise you shall not have it. This is said in the same way: If anyone will believe, let him believe it; if anyone will not, let him not; let him consider whether he will be saved by something else, or whether he may have eternal life in some other way, for in these words the Lord Christ says.
341 Where therefore the Lord Christ is preached, that he gave his body to death for our sins, and shed his blood for us, and I take it to heart, and believe it, and hold fast to it, that is, to eat and drink his body and blood. To eat in this place means to believe; he who believes also eats and drinks Christ. These words cannot suffer any other addition beside them; the good works cannot stand here. For his blood, shed on the cross, is not my work, I do not do it. Item, that he is born of Mary, that the Jews crucify him, that is not my work. Therefore he says, the body or the flesh, given for the life of the world. For that he die for thee, the same is meat.
342 If any man can rhyme or bake it together, I will gladly see it; but I cannot do it; that his flesh, which is slain, and his blood, which is shed, may save from sins and death, and that I may do something beside it to make me blessed; but that I may wear a gray cap or plate, and set monastic or religious rules beside it; how is it fitting? If it is his flesh and blood, then the rope, the cap, nor the love of neighbor, obedience, chastity and other virtue will not do it; for my works and virtues are far from being his flesh and blood.
343 Mark these words and the text most diligently; it is a mighty text, it suffers no glosses, it cannot be interpreted nor driven out of the way, one cannot pass it by. I say this so that this article may be kept pure in Christendom. In the papacy it was buried under the bench, many hundred thousand cubits deep under the earth. Now, where it remains, there remains
Also the Holy Spirit, who does not let people get stuck in error or perish. If this article of Justification had remained on track, no monk, superstition or error of the works saints and sects would ever have come into the world. If I believe this and know that if I do not eat his body and drink his blood, I will not be saved, then I say, "What am I doing with my cap? should I attain eternal life with my clerical state? then all the works of the hypocrites will fall away. Nevertheless, they still taught that one should be saved through the mass. Therefore they bought the mass from them, that the priests should have asked me to become blessed. But it would have been impossible that this doctrine could have been torn down if there had been true Christians who had said: It will not do; it says: If one does not eat the flesh and drink the blood, there is no life; so all monks and priests would have a good year; this is what the text wants.
344 Therefore learn to distinguish Christ's righteousness, life, nature and work, from all men's works and nature, even from all other righteousness and life; for there is not one righteousness that stands in good works, but all works are purely excluded. If therefore I have not this life, I have death, sin, the devil, and hell: for the wages of sin is death Rom. 6:23I. But where there is life, there must be neither sin nor death, for life strangles them. But if thou hast not life, not one sin shall be forgiven. And let then come the pope, cardinals, and all the monks with their foundations and monasteries, yet they cannot obtain for themselves, much less others, forgiveness of some daily sins. They are not Christ's flesh and blood; therefore the text says that they do not have life either.
But here I eat and drink the body and blood of Christ, and do no work for it; only the soul receives the gift, that is, the body and blood; that is, not a work done, but received and accepted. After that, when faith is there, it does good works. If thou hast been quickened by the life, it is
2346 - Erl. 48, 17-1S. Interpretations about the evangelist John. W. VII, 2106-2108. 2347
It is time for you to love your neighbor and practice God's commandments, but not to think that you will gain eternal life through it (you have forgiveness of sins beforehand), or that you will escape from the devil and put away sin, because sin and the devil must first be gone and you must be rid of them. Therefore a Christian says, "I know no work by which I am justified, but my life and righteousness are in that one thing, that Christ has flesh and blood, which is the food and life of my soul.
346 Let him preach against it who will; the text is there. If he alone had said affirmatively, "He who eats my flesh has life," one could have mocked it and said, "Well, even those who do not eat it will be saved. Just as the evil-doers, the papists, also say, "That doctrine is right, but ours is also right;" they confess that faith in Christ helps, and say next to it: The Lord has not excluded other ways; and thus make many ways to eternal life, among which is the intercession of the saints, that I worship the Virgin Mary, or am a devout monk; item, hold other their essays. No, nothing helps to eternal life; Christ rejects all these ways, they are rejected altogether. It does not happen here as with other things. Just as if I said, Wittenberg beer quenches thirst, Annaberg beer also quenches it; I do not exclude any other beer. Just as if I said: If you don't drink Wittenberg beer, no other beer will quench your thirst. So he also says of this not affirmative alone; he also excludes everything else, and says, "If ye shall not eat my flesh, and drink my blood, ye have not life." So that apart from his flesh, if one despises it, nothing everywhere helps or is valid; I immediately call on Sanct Mariam or Sanct Peter, they cannot help after all, everything is purely excluded. In sum, all other ways and paths are rejected.
- keep this throughout your life, that everything is to be done for the sake of the one article; which I often repeat, and it cannot be done enough, so that it may be obtained, and we may remain right in the belief that one has forgiveness from his flesh.
of sins, redemption from death and the devil. Where this doctrine remains in the pulpit, there is no need, one is safe from all heretics and errors; this article suffers no error in itself; the Holy Spirit is also with it, and those who believe this do not tolerate error. But if they are deceived, it is a sure sign that they have not understood the article. If they had understood it correctly, they would not have been deceived. All other doctrines (though they speak the very words we use) are nothing else but of good works; just as our fools, when seen in the light, teach only of good works, they do not understand that life, grace and salvation come without our works, only that we believe and have them from eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ.
348 In the papacy, these words were sung in the choir, read on the altars in all the masses for the souls, and yet they passed by, saying that the soul would be redeemed by the mass; if one went to the vigil and the mass for the souls, the soul would be redeemed. So nothing but vain works have been taught, preached, cried, sung and read. That is blindness beyond all blindness, to read and sing such a plain text daily, and yet not understand one syllable or some point of it. They sing: If you do not eat the body and drink the blood of Christ, you do not have life; nevertheless, they say: If you hear the mass and keep it, you will be delivered from purgatory and live forever. Shut up, you wretched man, that one should publicly sing and speak the bright, clear words, and yet contradict and teach that Christ's flesh and blood alone do not do it.
But this is how it is. If someone is blind and abandoned by God, so that he falls into error, it does not help that the Scriptures are thrust under his nose and held before his eyes, he still sees nothing. I have often been very surprised that such wonderful sayings of the Holy Scriptures have been read and sung in the papacy, and yet nothing of them has been understood, even though they have been read day and night.
2348 Erl. 48, 1S-L2. Sermon on Joh. 6, 53. 54. W. VII. 2IV8-2III. 2349
they have taught. But it happened just as when a drunkard falls asleep, and he who speaks does not know what he spoke in his sleep; so they neither heard nor saw what they read or did. But if they had hearkened unto it, they would have understood what it is that Christ saith, "He that eateth my flesh hath everlasting life." After that they should also have remembered: What are we doing? What are we dealing with? But they have been vain drunkards, snoring and sleeping, yet leading these words of scripture in the mouth.
350 Therefore we may thank our Lord God that he has opened our senses, and that we have now become brave, see and understand what we do, read or sing, namely, that in short this is life, and nowhere else, and one must say that masses, pilgrimages, vigils, accompaniments, fasts, and other works do not do it; this flesh and blood alone can do it, I must stick to that. With this reason we can reject all their things, because this article shines for us. We see this sun. The day is as bright with them as it is with us, the sun shines and shines as well for them as it does for us; but they close their eyes, sleep and do not see the sun, they are and remain blind.
The Lord swears with great diligence, "Verily, verily," that we may keep this text faithfully; there is also power in it. The Turk, the Pope, the Jews, even many among us, are still far from it. It is a great thing, and very difficult, that one should set his heart, faith and confidence on these words, that in this flesh and blood is eternal life. God does not put the divine majesty before us, but the man Christ. This is the most vexing thing to reason, that if I want to be saved, it should be by hanging and binding myself with my soul to the flesh and blood that died for me; there I should be bound and tied, and say straightway, I know no other life, nor of sins.
- Instead of "gelehret" one might read "gelöret," i.e., gelehrt, gehlärrt.
To be rid of them, because I put my soul on the flesh that died for me and the blood that was shed for me.
35, 2. I let this be my comfort, and hear of nothing else. Now the devil comes and says, "O fellow, what good thing have you done? If you had been pious, you would go to heaven, but because you have lived evil and been wicked, you must go to hell. But you answer, "The pope, the devil and the Turk teach this. No, I know much differently. If I had done as much good, I would not have given so much for it; if I had lived as chastely as the Virgin Mary, or as holy as the angels, or even as much as the works of all the saints, I would not have added anything to it, for all this does not give eternal life.
It is not said, as Hilarion the hermit said and comforted himself with, "Why are you afraid of death, my soul? you have served God in the desert for three and seventy years and done much good, 2c. and yet at the end you had to despair of it. For the devil leads it away, and it belongs to hell, it does not keep the puff. But so it shall be, and so thou shalt say, It is not good that I have led such an evil life; but yet for the evil that I have done, undaunted and undespairing, neither for the good presumptuous. So I did not go too far to the right or to the left, but rather stayed in the middle road and spoke: There is one who says that his flesh is the food of our souls, and I will let him do it. Because our good works do not keep the sting, as they cannot, yet the flesh and blood of Christ keep all the sting. The Christ cannot depart; but my works can depart. If you stay with the flesh and blood, there is no need; but if you fall away, as the devil presses on you, you have lost, and it is over with you, you are already overcome.
There you have the text in which you have life. If you depart from it, you have failed. St. John directed his gospel to form the article of justification in the heart of the world and to set it before the eyes, but it did not help.
2350 Erl. 48, 22-24. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2III-2114. 2351
much, he was not kept in the papacy. And it will come again that when we will be dead, that then rash people will arise, who will fall again on the works, as it happened before under the papacy. For if St. John did not preserve it with his powerful gospel, our books will preserve it much less. Also, the text of this Gospel has been sung and read in all churches.
This was the sermon the Lord preached on the miracle of feeding five thousand men with five barley loaves and a few fishes, and he led them out, saying that whoever does not eat his flesh and drink his blood does not have eternal life. Now he lifts up, and concludes briefly:
V. 54. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.
This is an epiphonema and resolution, so that he repeats everything, as one is accustomed to say in the conclusion of a sermon: My dear friends, it stands on this, it remains on this, this is the summa. So also the Lord will say, "Judge yourselves according to this, and leave all other things which may be pretended, and keep only this, that he who eats my body and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up." This shall be the resolution. Therefore let reason and work be reason and work; let it be seen how it may be, it is said, "He that eateth," that is, he that believeth with all his heart that Christ gave his body for him, died for him, and redeemed him from sins and death, hath eternal life indeed.
357 If you take Christ as your head, and hold his flesh and blood dear and high, thus giving him glory and power (which it is right that he should have, that he should be such a flesh and blood, which gives life and takes away hell, chases away devils and sin, and drives them out mightily), then you have the right head of your Christian faith. You must do it with the word "MY", that this flesh and blood has the power to snatch away all sin and death, to give life and righteousness, and to break all gates in heaven and earth.
Therefore, when you begin to speak of these things, you must not see these words with the eyes of the flesh, but of overcoming death, the devil, and hell, of the forgiveness of sins, and of eternal life. Therefore, other thoughts belong. Go away from your reason, if it concerns the things, and one is to act from the high pieces. For this does not include Moses with his commandments, or the emperor with his laws, nor a monk with his order and rule, but this article, of the flesh and blood of the Lord Christ, is the power and authority to rise from the dead Rom. 1, 4.. Therefore his flesh and blood must not be regarded as evil, as flesh and blood are regarded in other ways, but as having power over all the troubles of heaven and earth, that is, over sin, death, the devil, the world, and all the other cruel and terrible things with which this flesh and blood has to do.
According to this understanding one comes to the clipper work, that one goes down to the people, to the works or righteousness of the law, to the parsley, which one sprinkles over the meat, which is the cuttings, which one puts next to the roast; these are lesser pieces compared to the former; as one should honor the parents, not kill nor steal, there we should ask the law. This is something in the sight of the world, but it is nothing in the sight of God. But our adversaries have reversed it, and the least has become the highest, that one has made the main piece and foundation of it. For, not stealing, and being obedient to parents, keeping chastity, that shines and glistens before their eyes, consider it the greatest pieces; but the flesh and blood of Christ and faith count for nothing at all with them. Then turn it around, and let faith be the roast, that is, the best part of the Christian life, and learn how to resist death, sin, the devil and hell by it. This piece I will take and keep in other things: if it is not a matter of driving out death and sin, but of living among the people, I will also do the works of the ten commandments, not stealing, not committing adultery 2c., for this is the parsley or lactuca, which one puts with the roast.
2352 Erl. 48, 24-26. Sermon on Joh. 6, 53. 54. W. VII, 2114-2116. 2353
360 Therefore give honor to this article, for he who eats, that is, believes, already has eternal life. And if you have eternal life, why will you be so foolish as to deserve it? Thou hast been baptized, thou hast received the Lord's Supper, and thou hast eternal life; are thou not mad and mad, that thou wouldest first obtain salvation in the devil's name by thy works? Christ says to you, "You already have eternal life through my flesh and blood, which I gave for you. So you say: No, I want to enter a religious order or do good in some other way, and thus gain eternal life. If I seek it there, it is a sure sign that I do not yet have eternal life. For if I had it, I would not seek it. But because someone still seeks it, he does not hold it in his heart for Christ's flesh and for his food, denies his baptism, blasphemes and defiles Christ and his gospel, is an apostate unchristian, a heathen and a Turk in his heart.
361 Such a one is baptized outwardly, is called a Christian by name; but if he thought anything of Christ, he would say: Why should I run into the monastery? If I were to seek eternal life in it, I would get hellish fire on my head. In this way, one completely despises Christ's flesh and blood, and beats Christ into the entrenchment, throws him back with his good deeds as if he counted for nothing. This was done in the papacy when one ran away to the monastery, and today there are many who still defend it. But if faith without good works does not help or justify, then the devil believes this text. Well, there it is. This and no other; that this eating of the flesh and drinking of the blood may give eternal life, this is no human work. The papists do not want to suffer it yet. This is a sure sign that they do not understand what faith is; only the mad fools run from Christ to works.
This text clearly proves that if you begin to believe, you will have eternal life in that very hour, it is already yours, you must not acquire it. Nor is there any other way to escape from death, sin and the devil, pious and alive.
to become. Now if eternal life is yours, you cannot obtain it. But wait until it is revealed; there is nothing lacking, except that it is still hidden, and that you must die first, and Christ raise you from the dead; on the last day it will be revealed, what treasure it is, then it will be seen and felt, what you now have and believe. There is no difference between the hour when you begin to believe and the last day; only that you do not yet see it nor possess it. And you have nothing at the last day but now. The very flesh and blood of Christ is mine this hour, which is here and liveth, even as it shall live at the last day; only that I see it not, neither feel it, for it is hid in faith, and yet secret. The old Adam must first become powder and come into the earth, otherwise he cannot understand or hear it. These are bright and clear words that show from where we have eternal life.
The seventeenth sermon.
On April 15 or the Saturday before Quasimodogeniti 1531. 4)
Thus the Lord decides, saying, Summa Summarum, so it shall be, and so it shall remain, that he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. He makes it out as it is begun, and says:
V. 55. For my flesh is the right food.
In this way he wants to remove from sight all other doctrine and food that may be preached for the nourishment of souls, or that may be presented to serve faith. This food alone does it; therefore he says: Ye hear, it is because of the word "my"; there is not beef or cow's flesh, but it is a body and blood full of GOD, or that is divinized, as water that is
- In the original in the margin, but there (as in the 15th sermon) is erroneous: "after" instead of "before". The next sermons, up to the 1st sermon on the 7th chapter of John (on May 20, 1531), Luther held without interruption every Saturday, so the time determinations we have given are undoubtedly correct.
2354 Erl. 48, 28-2S. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2116-2119. 2355
is sugared through; there is not a drop of water in it, but a sweet, sweet taste of sugar and power. So also whoever takes hold of his body has not only a bad flesh and blood of Christ, but a thoroughly divine flesh and blood; except that he takes hold of it in such a bowl as sugar is tasted in water. Hereby he will set them apart from all other righteousnesses, saying earnestly, I know that after me shall come preachers to teach you, and to give you meat, that ye may satisfy your souls. But it will be vain deceit and error; they will give you the draught, vain poison, and death for life, hunger and death for food; for here alone is the true food. If you do this, what will happen to you?
V. 56. He that eateth of me abideth in me, and I in him.
Some have interpreted the little word "abide in Christ" and "that he abide in us" as meaning to have only a bad thought of Christ. As when they have considered his suffering and death, they have said that Christ is in them, and they are in Christ. And there are still many among us who think that when they think of Christ as he suffered, Christ is in them, and do not consider faith in Christ to be the true spiritual being of Christ in us, or our being in Christ; but dream to themselves that fides historica gives eternal life, when they run about, writing and thinking of Christ, and deal only with mirror fencing.
Such things were strongly practiced in the papacy, and still are today, that one should consider Christ's suffering, that is, to be Christ in my heart, so that they have even perverted Christ's suffering and brought it down to the ground. But the Lord does not say, Thy thoughts of me are in me, or my thoughts are in thee; but, thou, thou art in me, and I, I am in thee. He does not call a bad thought, but that I am in him with body, life, soul, godliness, righteousness, with sins, foolishness and wisdom; and he, Christ, in turn, is in me also with his holiness, righteousness, wisdom, and
Bliss. This does not go with a speculum or scheme, through your wrong thoughts, since it is a painted dwelling, and alone are mere thoughts. For this does not hold the sting. If one can do no more than speak and think of Christ alone, so can the devil and the papists, who also know how to speak of his suffering; but it is nothing, they still remain, full of malice, stuck in sins and their errors, do not show themselves that Christ dwells and is in them, and do no good.
366 Now there are also those who keep company with us, and pretend that Christ is in them, and they in Christ; but when it comes to a challenge, that they should suffer harm to body, honor, or goods, and especially when one is to die, or to have his neck stretched out, Christ is not native nor present, thoughts will not do it; they are nothing but your work, power, and natural reason, and a weak creature. But if the terror of the conscience is to be subdued, the devil driven out, death overcome, then a divine power will belong to it, and not a thought. There must be something else in you, so that these enemies find a power in you that is too strong for them, so that they shy away from it and flee, and you prevail over them.
Satan is otherwise an angry enemy, he does not ask much about thoughts; something must be found in you that is too strong for him. This can be seen in the dear martyrs, how bold they were, what courage and heart there was when they stood before the judges and realized that life and limb, honor and property were at stake for them. There must be comfort in this, and not just a thought; it must be in the heart, so that one can then rejoice against death and all temptation, and say: "Go away honor, goods, body and life, and all that is on earth, here, here I will stay. And it may be found whether a man is a Christian in thought, and abideth steadfastly or not.
Therefore it is said, "He that eateth my flesh abideth in me, and I in him. In Hebrew, "abide" means to persevere, or to have a dwelling place. To indicate that many of you have heard Christ, can speak of him, and hold fast to him when it is their desire to do so.
2356 Erl. 48, 29-31. Sermon On John 6, 55-58. W. VII, 2119-2122. 2357
But to remain steadfast in confessing Christ with heart and mouth, when it comes to the meeting, is not something that can be done with child's play. But this is the righteous presence and generosity of faith, that a man, when the storms come, does not speak and do otherwise than as Christ speaks and does in him; this is a higher thing than human works and powers. St. Paul says to the Galatians in chapter 2, v. 20: "I do not now live, but Christ lives in me." He does not say: I, or the thoughts in me; all that he does, sees and is as if God Himself does it.
These words must be kept, and they should not be glossed over, for there are many among us who are content to hear, read, speak, or think of them, but it is not enough. When it comes to the meeting, they follow their head and defiance, suffer nothing, do no righteous good works, cannot stand even in tribulation, and then rebound again. Christ is not there; he neither speaks nor does anything, for he has never been there righteously. Where Christ is, you can hear it in the words and see it in the works, so that you go along and say, "I will stay there and leave it, no one will take it away from me; this confession is a sign and fruit of the tree that Christ is certainly there and dwells. For if he were not in it, words and thoughts would all be lost, since flesh and blood are far too weak and foolish for the devil; he can overpower and frighten, even overcome one with thoughts and thoughts, so that one must run away; yes, he can scatter one as the wind blows away a leaf.
370 This then is a precious habitation and glory, that we poor sinners, through faith in Christ, and through eating, have him in us with his power, might, strength, righteousness, wisdom. For thus it is written: Whoever believes in me, in him I abide. He is ours, that sin, death, the devil, and the world, with all their wickedness, should not hurt us, nor make us so despondent and stupid. This is an excellent, wonderful dwelling or tabernacle, much different from the other.
The tabernacle of Moses was beautiful on the inside, beautifully decorated, hung and adorned with beautiful carpets and gold pieces; but on the outside it is calfskin or lambskin, as the tabernacle of Moses was also covered with it.
Outwardly, Christians sometimes stumble and fall, and to look at them from the outside seems to be a vain weakness and shame, that Christians are sinners and do what is not pleasing to the world. Then they are taken for fools, Cinderellas, the world's foot-draggers, for damned, worthless people, who are good for nothing. But it does not hurt. For in weakness, sin, foolishness and infirmity there dwells within and secretly such power and strength, which the world cannot know, but is hidden from it, and yet tears through it; for Christ dwells in them, and shows himself to them. I have seen many of them who were so weak by heart, but when they came to the meeting and to the judgment, Christ moved them so that they became so strong that the devil had to flee.
I speak this against the Arians, Sacramentarians, and other sects and enthusiasts who do not understand this text. They mean nothing else than to create it with thoughts; they also have only mere thoughts of Christ. Therefore it is impossible for them to stand before the devil. The devil has his own space among them, blows and whispers corrupt thoughts into them, which they soon pass off as God's word, and as if the Holy Spirit had spoken it. It is said that you should believe in Christ, eat and drink of his flesh and blood, and through faith cling to him, and then you will have a different courage, strength and heart.
No one will be deceived, fooled, or frightened as before, and you yourself will confess that you are now a different man than before. Before you were afraid and terrified of a fictitious sin, and trembled before a rustling leaf; but now that you have received forgiveness of sins, you ask nothing of it, though the devil and pope be foolish, though the emperor and persecutor be angry, and you can say, Though you have much sin and filthiness still in you, what is it to him?
2358 Erl. 48, 31-34. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2122-2125. 2359
Let them still be angry and defiant; I am in Christ, and will abide Ps. 23:1. This is then much another man, who fears not so soon. Christ is righteous in your heart with his power, and not only in your mouth.
The fools, the sophists, have also disputed that Christ sits at the right hand of his Father, and fills heaven and earth, and has also gone to hell, not as to his person, but as to the effect; so he also dwells in the hearts of his own; as if he could help and work if he were not. But if he does a sermon or miraculous work that is divine, he will not be far from it. And if he were as far from me as he is from heaven, I should not, nor would I know how, to speak thus continually before Caesar.
375 Therefore the Lord Christ is in earnest, saying, If thou shalt believe on him, thou shalt abide with him, and he will abide with thee: though thou be yet somewhat infirm, it is no hurt. For I, saith he, am in thee. Now if thou lackest anything, I have righteousness, holiness, and wisdom in abundance, I have no infirmities; but if thou hast infirmity, it is in me, and I will see that I counsel it, and drown thy infirmity in my power and strength, destroy thy sin in my righteousness, devour thy death in my life. This is the right opinion, understanding and summa of this text, that whoever believes in him, with him he is also. Now he sets a likeness, and saith:
V. 57. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so whoever eats me will also live because of me.
This is a beautiful similitude, because he says: I was sent by the Father Joh. 16, 28., and came as a preacher to the Jewish people, and became a man; but so a man, that I live for the Father's sake. This is probably not good German; but we do not want to change the text. For this much is said, I live therefore and thereby, that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father. Therefore he that eateth me shall live because of me, that I am in him: that is, he that believeth on me.
and keep himself, he shall live therefore and by this, that he is in me, and I am in him.
This is a beautiful Johannine text, that he portrays and describes Christ in such a way that he is not only man, but also God. He does not say that he has life because he remembers the Father, but the Father is in me, who is my life. Thus his eternal life is that the Father begat the Son, and not the Son the Father. Such life as he has from the Father, and that he became man according to the Father's will, has redeemed us, and that now the Father is in him, this he has given us with these words: As I have life because the Father is in me and he has given it to me, so you also shall have life because you are in me and I am in you. So now it is quite true in that, except that we are not One natural being with God as He is. For mankind and Godhead are not naturally one being, yet they are in the one and inseparable person that they cannot be separated from each other. Like sugar water is water, but mixed with sugar in such a way that no one can separate sugar and water, even though they are two different natures. It is not a perfect likeness, but it shows to some extent that Christ, our true Savior, is such a person, who is God and man, that when one grasps the humanity of Christ, one has also grasped the divinity; just as in the sugar water you find the true sugar, so the divinity and humanity of the Lord Christ also become a cake.
- As therefore one inseparable person is made in Christ, who is God and Meush, so Christ and us also become one body and flesh, which we cannot separate, because his flesh is in us, and our flesh in him, that he also essentially dwells in us 2c. But this is a different union than a personal union; it is not so high and great as the union, since Christ, truly man, is with the Father and with the Holy Spirit eternal God; but directed to this end, that Christ the Lord by his flesh and blood should become one body with us, so that I
2360 Erl. 48, 34-36. Sermon on Joh. 6, 55-58. W. VII, 2125-2127. 2361
I therefore belong to him, just as all the members of my body belong to one another. For my hand, arm, foot and mouth belong to my body, and are one body with one another, even as all my drops of blood belong to the body. What one limb lacks, the other also lacks; if honor, evil or good happens to one limb, it happens to the whole body Rom. 12, 4. 1 Cor. 12, 12..
- So we also come and are united with Christ in one body and being, so that what is good or bad for me is also good or bad for him. If I strike you, or do you harm, or honor you, I strike Christ, or do Christ himself harm or honor; for what happens to a Christian happens to Christ himself. He turns up his nose at it. The tooth does not bite the tongue, the whole body feels it; and if one injures a hand or foot, the woe 1) goes through the whole body; yes, if one plucks out a hair, the body feels it. Summa, whoever beats the Christians or throws them into the tower, throws the body of the Lord Christ itself into the tower. For the Christians are his limbs, he takes care of them, and is unhappy about it, as if it had happened to him. As it is said in the prophet Zachariah Cap. 2, 8. it is said, "He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of my eye." And in the Acts of the Apostles [Cap. 9, 4.), the Lord Christ says to Saul, who afflicted the Christians, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Item, Matth. 25, 40. clearly says: "Inasmuch as ye do it unto one of the least of these that are mine, ye have done it unto me."
But this union is hidden, and does not appear before the world; but we see the antitype, that the ungodly bishops deal with us thus, as if neither God nor man took care of us, and there were no union between Christ and us. But faith sees it, and learns to recognize Christ in an invisible life and being, not from reason; and yet the proof is found that there are many pious people who confess Christ and God's word with all humility and joy, contrary to the world.
- d. i. Pain.
who preach lies, and over them let their bodies and everything go.
381 For this reason the Lord Christ made this likeness, because he saw that there were false teachers, such as the Arians and others, who would make of the faith vain thoughts, and only a mirror fencing; as some pretend that we are united with Christ voluntate, with the will; as two good friends are one with each other, so we also have one will and mind with Christ, that he is above in heaven, and we here on earth. But if I were caught and attacked outside a city, what would he help me who is inside the city, whether he is of the same mind as me or is my good friend? Therefore this is only an outward unity, or legalis unitas, as the jurists call it, since the wills, which were otherwise repugnant, are united with each other, and is quite another thing from this unity of Christ and the faithful; for such is a worldly convention.
With this unity, then, Christ is in me, and truly One Body is with us, that He mightily holds with us with His power and strength; so near does and is no friend to another. How this unity is to be called, I will let go, for it is not highly necessary. It is enough to keep to the text where he says, "As the Father is in me, and I live for the Father's sake; so he that eateth me, the same shall live also for my sake." This means as much: as he has life from eternity from the Father, so shall we also live in him; but with the difference that he is the Son of God from eternity, and receives us by grace as heirs of his goods, and makes us partakers of his Godhead Eph. 1, 3. 4. 2, 5. 6..
383 This likeness takes away the false delusion and mind from the false attendance or being, of which the false spirits dream and chatter in vain. The text is always directed to faith, against the world, that it should not be the work of dreams; therefore hear ye, that Christ always giveth to eat and drink eternal life.
384 Therefore, the sophists, and
2362 Erl. 48, 36-39. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2127-2130. 2363
All who have fallen from the true church do not know or reckon what faith is. They can come no higher than this: If the heart considers what Christ has given and wills to be done, that the body may accomplish these things by works, then I am in him, or he is in me, and I have the same will as he. O too slow, fellow! That will not do, Mores, too slowly! Do you want to regulate this with your will, deeds or works, and according to the law, your works and will, and thus lead and bring the Lord Christ into the heart? This means to start from the works. They come no further than this, because of their ignorance or unbelief. If Christ does not come to me before I do and draw him to me, he will never come to me. This means nothing else preached, but works against faith; they know and can do nothing, out of great blindness.
If I am to have a righteous will toward the law, and do what Christ is called, and enter into the works of the law, he himself must first be there, and have planted in the heart his knowledge, wisdom, and ability, that Christ may afterwards begin, and proceed out of the mouth, that thou mayest speak and confess the divine word, and be bold in heart, that thou mayest risk life and limb, and put all above such confession. He must be the cornerstone and lay the foundation, and not we. So they want, not in God's name, 1) to build ahead and lay the foundation, that is, to be pious and do good works; after that Christ is to come and build the roof. But nothing comes of it. It is said, "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life." Christ must come first, if you are to do the law; when Christ comes, then you will do what is written in the law, and what else you are to do.
But how does it come? Thus, "He who eats my flesh" 2c. Thou shalt hear the gospel from him, be taught and instructed, and not resist the preaching, that the Holy Spirit may be strengthened by the word, and form and put Christ in thy heart, that thou mayest preach, believe, and speak otherwise,
- i.e., in the name of the devil.
suffer, and do other good works, than before, and say afterward, Now will I suffer for the word of God, all that I ought; then is the tree become good, and the fruit also shall be pleasant and good Matth. 12:33].
I do not treat the article so diligently in vain, for I fear that people will not stick to it. And there are, unfortunately, already many among us who despise it and will not take the article seriously. So the pope and the bishops fight hard against it. If preachers come later, who preach and practice the article sleepily, lazily and lazily, it will soon be done, and an error will come over the people. For already in the territory of our sovereign there is such contempt for the Gospel, ingratitude and forgetfulness that my heart would break. I would not have thought that the misery and wretchedness in which we are plunged in the papacy should have been forgotten at once and no longer remembered. We live as securely as if we had been in this freedom forever. So no one wants to give anything more to churches, preachers' chairs and schools. If the preachers could die of hunger, they would do it most willingly; they would also persecute the preachers; and if they could chase them out to the country, they would do it much more willingly.
388 But it was so with the gospel before, and it shall be so with it again. The children of Israel were afflicted in Egypt, and their young children were drowned, and they were oppressed: but when they came out, and were delivered of the Egyptians, it was soon forgotten. They thought only of the onions and fleshpots. Such things are still done today; we only remember what serves peace and pleasure. Well, all kinds of plagues will follow, so that the poor will be oppressed by the times, and pestilence will choke the rich, yes, even bloodshed will come, many tyrants and evil spirits will arise, 2) the word of God will fall again. But I will learn and teach this article as long as I live; it shall be diligently practiced in my sermons;
- eräugen - to let oneself be seen, to become apparent. - Walch and the Erlanger have changed it to "ereignen".
2364 Erl. 48, 3S-41. Sermon on John 6:55-58. W. VII, 2130-2132. 2365
For I see what he does where he is, and what harm he does where he is not.
(389) The pagans do not understand all this, but this is what this similitude means: As the Father is in Christ, that is, that it is inherent in the Son from eternity, he did not earn it or acquire it by works; so we do not receive it from merit or from our good works, but from eating and drinking Christ, that is, believing in Christ. This food and drink is not our work, but is called a gift, or the benefit I receive through faith. But it must be a strange heretic to me, who wants to feed others with the food that he himself is, as follows:
V. 58. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as your fathers ate manna and died. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.
These words belong to the conclusion of this sermon; and above v. 49 he also said this, that their fathers ate manna. But now he sees that they should believe in him, that this is the summa: If you want to be saved, eat this bread. Now this is far different food from what your fathers ate in the wilderness, because of which you boast so much about your fathers; yet with them it is said, "They died." For they sinned against God, therefore he also smote them and afflicted them, that they died. Some of them may have repented and repented in their own way, but the rest died in their sins and were condemned, and manna did not help them.
In short, nothing shall help or save you, except to eat this bread. Manna is indeed a delicious food, and is truly bread and work that came from heaven and was created by God, but it only nourishes the belly and does not help to live; their fathers died over it. For it was not promised that whosoever ate manna should not die, as this bread hath, whereof it is said, I will give you bread that maketh alive; wherefore also they that eat above and beside the manna, believe in GOD, who hath made them from
Those who have believed in the faith that led them into Egypt have been filled and saved. They have exercised their faith in it; and though they have died, yet they live.
- Reject therefore their glory, saying, "Your fathers ate manna, and died." As if to say, Verily I will give you something better than bread of heaven. Ah, what should you poor beggar give? I will give you this food, my body and blood, which body is given for you, and the blood is poured out for you. If therefore ye eat the body, yea, the very bread of heaven, and drink the same blood, ye shall live for ever.
393 Thus the Lord Christ concludes the sermon, namely, that he will teach them of other meat than they have heard, and that they should not partake of any other meat. For whosoever eateth the bread hath eternal life: for Christ abideth and dwelleth in him. If he is in us, we are already alive, because he is life itself.
394 For this reason we do not teach as the Sophists pretended, as if we are not blessed and holy here on earth, and have Christ only in our thoughts. That is why they invented purgatory, and because of the misunderstanding of this text, much horrible evil has been done. But if you are a Christian on earth, and believe in Christ, and thus eat his body and drink his blood, life is already in you. Therefore, since Christ is in us and remains with us, and we in him, his life, holiness and righteousness must also be in us. How it is proved by the fact that one is in his heart at the deathbed, that he is there. It is then not mere thoughts that one should pass over sin, death and condemnation.
395 If we could have preached this in the priesthood, we would not have been allowed to talk about so many endowments, funerals, and masses, and that good works should have been sent before purgatory and done afterwards, so that the delicious consolation and defiance that Christ is in us, and where he is, righteousness, forgiveness of sins, and satisfaction for it also follow; but what still remains in me of
2366 Erl. 48, 41-43. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. vn, 2132-2139. 2367
He will sweep out the sins; therefore there is no need for a sweeping fire. The only thing that needs to be done is for the old sack of mud to cease, to be put to death, to rot and decay; if it is dead, then life is there, so that it may come forth again through Him who dwells in us. As John 14, v. 23, says about Christ: "If anyone believes in me, the Father and I will come and make our abode with him. So our bodies are temples of God and dwelling places of the Holy Spirit; they are made so only through the flesh, which is taught here.
If we believed this, we could be rid of all error, and even be a judge of all false doctrines, such as purgatory and pardons, for it is said: Christ dwells in me. If thou hast sin, he hath righteousness; if thou hast a boil or a sore in thy conscience, he is salvation, an almighty physician, able to heal thee. If thou art sick and in death, he will make thee well and alive. Even if (where possible) you are thrown into purgatory, it shall not harm you. For as in a natural body there is life, health, natural strength and vigor, though any limb be sore, or weak, or full of leprosy, yet in time counsel may be given it, that it may be healed; so also is Christ in us, healing daily all our infirmities. With this, this sermon is completed, and this is the Christian meaning of this sermon. God help us also to grasp it, amen.
The eighteenth sermon.
Saturday before Misericordias Domini April 22, 1531. 1_
Now let us hear how the students or listeners of this sermon are doing.
V. 59, 60: These things said he in the synagogue, when he taught in Capernaum. Many of his disciples, hearing this, said: This is a hard saying, who can hear it?
- In the original in the margin: "am Sonnab. Jub.", which is wrong. The time determination given by us results with certainty from the regular succession in which Luther held these sermons. Cf. the note to the previous sermon Col. 2353.
397 This is a fine text, if only one could treat it as it would be worth. But you have heard the sermon the Lord preached on eating and drinking, that is, on faith in Him, as He Himself abundantly and comfortingly explained, that we should believe that He is the Son of God, who gave His body for us and shed His blood for us. This should be the main part of the Christian doctrine, namely, that eternal life, the forgiveness of sins, and all blessedness are to be found in the Lord Christ alone.
398] Then follows how this preaching and teaching was received, and what kind of disciples came out of it. It is also stated above v. 41 that the Jews quarreled about his teaching, grumbling and saying: He is a fine preacher, but he taught strange and strange things, which their reason and five senses could not understand, so that they measured it all out. But now this happens, that not only the common, mad crowd and rabble of the Jews, but also those who adhered to him, dealt with him as with their master, and were his disciples, much greater and higher people than the common rabble, they grumble and quarrel about it, and thus show what they think of the preaching, who nevertheless have seen his daily walk and being, yes, his miraculous signs, and heard his preaching, and perhaps have done miracles themselves. For over the twelve apostles he took seventy-two of them, who had the name of disciples of Christ Luc. 10:1. As it is mentioned from time to time in the Gospel that Jesus and his disciples, yes, the multitude of disciples, preached. These were to be his own disciples, or the most distinguished pastors and preachers in the whole world, whom he had chosen in his own person.
Now hear what kind of fellows these are. I do not take the word "school" to mean the children's school or high school, but rather the synagogue, which we now call a preaching stand or church or other place where the holy Scriptures are preached and read publicly before the congregation, as in a church or chapel, where the townspeople come together to listen to God's
2368 Erl. 48, 43-46. Sermon On John 6, 59-63. W. VII, 2139-2141. 2369
Word. In such schools Moses and the prophets were read; as we do and perform the ministry in the church, so did the Jews in their homes, schools or synagogues.
The evangelist wants to show that the Lord Christ did not only preach to his disciples secretly in a house or on a ship, but that he taught this as a public preacher, who led the preaching ministry in Capernaum. Therefore Capernaum is called his city Matth. 9, 1, because he was a bishop or priest there, where he preached most of his life and did signs, where he had his chair and church, just as I am a preacher here and another teaches in a place. So the evangelist says, "He preached in Capernaum, in his church, where he was the chief superintendent, in his pulpit, where he was a doctor and preacher, and where his disciples heard many fine sermons from him.
401 But when he preaches, the text says: "Many of his young men who heard this said: This is a hard saying." This is a disgraceful thing, that the people of Capernaum called him a fool, who had preached a strange, mad and unrhymed sermon, which no one had ever heard from him before. Until now, he had preached beautiful, wonderful sermons, but now he was a strange, weird preacher who taught things that had never been heard before. So the whole city said, even his disciples themselves spoke: What a strange, weird, foolish preaching is this; who will remain his disciple, or keep it with him? He saith, It is nothing that the fathers did eat manna; he giveth the right bread of heaven: Our thing shall be nothing, that the fathers did eat bread of heaven in the wilderness forty years 2c. He wants too high, and attacks it too hard. Oh, if he had stayed here and preached how to punish vice and practiced the Ten Commandments, he would have been a fine preacher. But now he is too rude, saying, Our fathers were nothing, and he alone is nothing; who will believe it? There they go. Judas is certainly their
There has been one who has thought: I have a handsome master, he is visirlich, 1) he preaches as a fool; this one is without doubt the most distinguished in this game, and will have said to the others: What do you think of our doctor? How finely did he preach today? Yes, like another fool; and will have made much disparagement of Christ to them. Yet he still eats and drinks with him, and keeps himself around him, and takes what he can get.
Otherwise the evangelist says: The others went from him from that time on. Then the Lord Christ undoubtedly chose others instead of the two and seventy disciples, as they had fallen away from him. It is a strange, strange sermon, that those who are well with Christ, and are called his disciples, and have preached in the name of Christ, and perhaps have done miracles, should be offended at it, and fall down; and cannot hear the article, that he saith, He that believeth on me, the same shall be saved; neither can they abide in it, nor understand that he saith, If your fathers did eat manna, they died.
403 But this is how it is: the sectarians and our enthusiasts were also disciples of the Lord Christ at first, and had Christ just as we do, until they became Sacramentarians, Anabaptists, and other red spirits. Then they pretend that Christ can be baked and melted so that he can be eaten and drunk. That is a hard speech. Yes, this is how it must be, that some disciples who hold with the Lord Christ fall back and fall away. It would be no wonder if the papists did it, and other rude asses; but that those who accept Christ nevertheless fall away again, that is annoying. But see to it that you stand firm.
The evangelist John gave us this comfort, that we might have an example of this, and know that if the gospel is right in the world, even those fall away from it, to whom it would not have been provided, and who should do the best. This has given me many a shock, that Christ is so weak with his own in his preaching ministry, that one here, the other there, is so weak.
- i.e. foolish.
2370 Erl. 48, 46-48. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2141-2144. 2371
Again, the devil makes himself so strong, and opposes with all his might, that the best people in the world persecute the gospel, and among us even the best fall away. These thoughts must occur to one at times: Dear, is the doctrine right? Does God also approve of the fact that it is so strange?
405 There is then a great trouble; but it is called to shut the eyes straightway, and to say, He that will not stand shall fall, and he that will stand shall stand; he also that will persecute the gospel shall persecute it; yet it is the truth. This is no wonder, because the Lord Christ Himself is in such a way that this trouble still comes under our eyes today. But what can I do about the fact that the pope and the fanatics fall away from the gospel and do us this burnt misery? I will not have it better than my Lord Christ; since it happened to him that they fell away from him, they will not all stand with us either. It is said in the 10th chapter of Matthew, v. 25: "If they have called the father of the house Beelzebub, much more shall they call you so." Therefore, let them always fall and persecute, so that this doctrine will not perish or fall into ruin. The gospel must and will stand on another foundation than violence, or on learned, great and wise men. If the angry princes, even the senseless and furious bishops, persecute the gospel, or the learned people fall away from it, it must be despised, trampled underfoot and persecuted by the world, and even those who want to be good Christians generally deviate from it; it is another force that sustains this teaching.
V. 6i. But when Jesus saw that his disciples were grumbling about this, he said to them: Does this offend you?
406 When he saw that they were angry and grumbling, it moved the good man Christ and hurt him; though he did not see it from their outward gestures, how they hung their heads and gaped at it, yet he looked into their hearts and saw their
He knew their thoughts, for he was God. Therefore he soon noticed their thoughts, when he pointed them from the bodily bread to the spiritual food and drink, and had clearly enough interpreted the dark text, and said, that whoever believes in him, hungers and thirsts not for eternity. Then it was presented to them neatly and clearly enough; but it does not help, they are offended at the word that he says, "Who eats my flesh" 2c. They do not see that he says, "Whoever comes to me and believes in me. Therefore he says, "Does this offend you?" As if to say, You have no cause for this; it is clear enough what I mean by eating and drinking; nor does it offend you. It is nothing else, but that you go, and cannot leave your natural thoughts, since I do not speak according to the flesh, but spiritually.
407 Truly it grieves the devout heart of Christ, and has grieved him greatly, that his word is despised, and men are offended at it, because he preached it to them that they might be saved. Just as it still grieves us. We do not preach for the purpose of harming or destroying anyone, but so that people may know the truth about how to get to heaven and learn the ways by which they will be saved. But that it should turn out otherwise is not our fault, but theirs, and comes from their wanting to think of it with carnal thoughts: He is sorry for this, as I am sorry for it and all preachers are sorry for it, and therefore says, "Are you angry about this? Does this seem so strange to you? Will ye be offended that I teach of eating and drinking, that is, believe that it shall do all things, or be ye damned?
408 And when we also preach that faith alone in Christ alone saves, as Christ here expressly says that this food, that is faith alone, helps and obtains forgiveness of sins and eternal life, and that good works should follow it, for faith need not be unfruitful, our papists also rage and rage against it. We then interpret and explain it as we will, as that good works should follow faith; however, we judge that
2372 Erl. 48, 48-81, Sermon on John 6, 59-63. w. VII, 2144-2147. 2373
We don't know what to do with them, and no interpretation will help. Therefore we have to let them go, as the Lord Christ does Matth. 15, 1. ff.. Nor can we preach as they would have it, and then pretend to condemn the fathers, and forbid good works; as they also mean in the Gospel that he condemned the fathers who ate manna in the wilderness, and interpret it in the most poisonous way. But we must let it go, and say: Be angry all the same; we are excused. Simple-minded people and children can understand and grasp what it is, that faith in Christ alone makes us blessed and helps us before God; item, that good works should follow. They do not want to understand it, so we have to say, "Does this bother you? You have no cause to fall away from it. The trouble does not come from the word, but it is the fault of your flesh and of human wisdom; it shall be called as you will, as you master and interpret it; that will not concern you for a long time. Now he speaks thus:
V. 62. How then, when ye shall see the Son of man ascending to the place where he was before?
409 This text looks a little dark, and I have not yet spoken of it with our linguists; but I will indicate my opinion about the text,' if I hit it, then I hit it. But it seems to me that this saying, "When you see the Son of Man ascending," has two meanings, and is spoken in Johannine, and we do not lack the sentence or opinion, although we lack the grammars. The Latinus has not his question, but]: 1) Si videritis ascendentem filium hominis, ubi prius erat, that it be not asked.
The first opinion of this text is that he says: "Are you angry about this? Well, what will be the annoyance when I ascend to the place where I was before? As if he wanted to say: Can you not suffer this, nor believe that I say: He who believes in me, has eternal life 2c. while I am still on earth, and fall away from us: Eh, what a
- Without such an addition, this sentence seems meaningless to us. - It should be noted, however, that the newer editions of the Vulgate also have a question mark after this sentence.
Then shall there be rumbling, tumbling, and falling away, when I go where I belong? And did the Lord comfort himself with this, as if he should say: "Will this not sound when I say: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood will live forever; how will it then work and sound when the Holy Spirit will preach that I, Christ, am the Son of God, and God Himself, whom you crucified and martyred Acts 10:39? Now you see me walking along as a true, natural man, preaching mightily and performing miracles; but there it will first of all fall apart. How will one reconcile the two, that a hanged, crucified, and most infamously condemned man, who died among two murderers Is. 53:9, should nevertheless be preached and spread throughout the world, that he has risen from the dead, and sits at the right hand of God, yes, is God himself? This will only become a nuisance. This is the first opinion that I do not reject.
The other opinion is of the Latin text: Aergert you this? like, when you see 2c. It breaks off shortly, and it reads bluntly. But the Lord wants to comfort himself with it, and say in a summa: You are now following your thoughts, that you are angry; but I will save it until the time comes that you will believe it, when I give the Holy Spirit, who will transfigure me (Joh. 16, 14.). Therefore, though some do not believe it now, yet the time will come when you will believe it. Now if the first thing offends you, the last will offend you much more and more. But if all do not believe it now, I leave it to pass that some will believe it yet; as John is also said in the 12th chapter, v. 32: "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw them all after me. Therefore he will say this much: I see it will not be otherwise, and it will not come to pass with my teaching everywhere; though I preach long and perform miraculous signs, yet all things offend you. Only dead with me; when I am dead, then it shall be different; as then in the above-mentioned 12th chapter of John, v. 24, is also illustrated with a very lovely similitude: When the grain of wheat dies in the ground and perishes, the
2374 Erl. 48, 5I-5S. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2147-2149. ' 2375
fruit; so it shall also change after my death, when I send the Holy Spirit, who will teach you all things. Well, they did not understand any of these words, it seems as if he had spoken it to himself: This is the cause of the. 1) But when the Holy Spirit comes, you will understand perfectly.
412 It is a Johannine piece that he says: You will see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before. No one understood this. But he starts and says that he has been in a place where he wants to go again. It is a little darkly spoken, "Ye shall see the Son of man ascending, where he was before." Where has he been? From eternity with the Father in heaven. For the Father begat him from eternity, inexpressibly, which cannot be understood, but must be believed; there he was before, and from thence came down through mankind, choosing a mother, from whom he became man. Before (he wants to say) I was not man, as I walk now, but I will again leave the earth, and come and go there, where I was before, that is, into the previous life. I will die, and rise again from the dead, and be transfigured that I am the Son of God.
413 It is said with excellent words: "the Son of Man", indicating that he is truly God and man, and wants to have the human nature, which he took from Mary, as otherwise children are born from a mother, and wants to say: I am also a Son of Man, a natural child and living person, not a larva, a specimen or a ghost. And yet this Son of Man wants to return to where he was before. Intertwine them so that in one person is the Son of God and the Son of Mary, and the Son of Man wants to go back to where he was before, that is, to God. Before, before he became man, he was God's Son from eternity Joh. 1, 1. ff., but according to mankind he started temporally, has a temporal, new being,
- Inserted by us for the sake of understanding.
and also had an eternal one at the same time with each other on earth; thus the two natures coincide in one person.
414 And says that he wants to perform. The ascension is nothing else, but that he would transfigure himself. Otherwise he would have needed nothing, that he might be seen among his disciples after the resurrection forty days. As we also see him ascending, because it has gone forth into all the world, that he has ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of his Father. Yes, he will say, when you see this, and the Holy Spirit will preach it, how I have gone up, not only as a man, as I am now regarded for it, but also as truly God with me, then it will be that either you will become better and believe it, or you will be more displeased by it. Truly, many of you will be offended by the fact that he who died in such a shameful way is the Son of God; but again, many of you will also be corrected. Through this ascension the Holy Spirit comes, as the Lord Christ says in John 16, v. 7: "Where I do not go, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, does not come to you.
When you see that I am going there, well, well (it is an ellipsis), then you will understand better and will be strengthened; this is how it will be; then you will either hear it, or even go down over it, that I die as a true man, and yet sit at the right hand of my Father, transfigured and proven as a true and perfect God; this will either annoy you or improve you. Now choose which mind you want. So he puts it behind him until the Holy Spirit comes. As if he should say in the text: What shall I dispute much with you? it will not come, I have laid it out enough, I must save it until then.
416 I like this last opinion best, because he says, "The Spirit is he that quickeneth. I must go to heaven, and take the kingdom, and give the Holy Ghost; and there it shall rumble, and stagger, and fall. As has happened. Because one did not want to be satisfied with this sermon. The Jews also cannot yet hear this article, that Christ is true-
2376 He". 48, 83-55. Sermon on John 6, SS-63.W. VII, 2149-1282. 2377
If we believe that God is hasty, then we Christians can do without nothing less than this article; whoever does not want to believe it, the door is open to him; he can always go where he wants. The Turk does not believe it either. The pope may say that he believes it, but it is not true. Therefore, if someone does not believe him to be God, he will remain without God. For this is the main article of the Christian Church, and we do not want to know or have any other God.
417 Thus he says, "Dear children, that you should eat my flesh and drink my blood, and know that I am God, and that you should go back to where I came from and be glorified as a god, is too high for you; you are like fools to fall into this article with reason, and want to justify it. If it comes to this, that one wants to think about things with reason, and measure them out, then Christ is soon gone, and I am also lost; for it is decided that the flesh is of no use, but the spirit makes alive. You must have the spirit for this, or get a spiritual mind, because it is too high and incomprehensible to the flesh.
- But in this place he does not speak of his flesh, as the Sacramentans and the spirits of the Red Men have interpreted it; for how could he do so, since he said much else about it above v. 51, namely: "my flesh is the life of the world"; item v. 55: "my flesh is the right food"; but here he holds the Spirit and the flesh against each other, and says: "The Spirit must do it, but the flesh is of no use. In the Holy Scriptures, "spirit" is called that which is of the Holy Spirit; and "flesh" is called that which is born of the flesh. Ask all men, especially women, who know how a child is born of a mother, body and soul. This is not flesh, as is usually sold in the flesh bank, but a living child, which brings reason with it from the mother's womb, and grows up with it. Therefore Christ calls "flesh" everything that is born of the flesh, namely, all wise and prudent men in the world, kings and princes on earth. Item, father and mother is also flesh, and what is possessed, created and born from them',
and grows, just as a large tree grows from a core. Summa Summarum. A man born of a man and a woman is called flesh, for he comes from the flesh, and is begotten of father and mother. Now what he can do of plants, building, arts and crafts, or what he carries in his head of work and skill, and can do by reason, all this is called "flesh"; for it is the female child's 1) business, and comes from the flesh, from father and mother, his reason brings it along; just as a tree carries its leaves and blossoms. Therefore, what springs from reason is called all flesh. So flesh is the most clever and powerful on earth, with all its power.
419 So now the Lord Christ will declare: He that will believe on me, and take hold of my preaching, let him remember to put away the flesh, and not judge my words, nor take hold of them with his reason. For my flesh has brought with it my limbs, my senses, and my reason, and all that I have learned of all kinds of arts, be it ever so wise, yet it is vain outward and sensible thing, made and built with the five senses; therefore it is still all flesh; for it is all of flesh origin. So that in the word "flesh" are understood all the most powerful, mightiest, richest and cleverest of the world, small and large, high and low, of whom one can say: This one is born of a woman, is the son of a woman, he is called prince or doctor; if he has the title that he has father and mother, then he is called "flesh", let him be as wise, learned and holy as he always can be; if he has not come to another birth through baptism, then call him only flesh.
420 Such flesh, says Christ, cannot enter into the kingdom of God, nor take hold of God; will speak so much: Ye all hear my preaching, that I have said, He that eateth my flesh," 2c. Now in your flesh go the thoughts, so that ye conclude according to your senses: I have teeth in my mouth, if thou hast flesh, we will soon eat thee up; and
- "of the female child" - the child born of the woman. Job 14, 1. Cf. Z419 at the end.
2378 Erl. 18, SS-S7. Interpretations on John the Evangelist, W. VII, 2152-2184. 2379
not many men will have enough of you; they will soon have digested you and cast you out; you will not long retain flesh; how then should you give us life? So the flesh speaks, and reason will measure the words of Christ according to its way. Just as when a cow eats hay, or a sow a calf, 1) she has eaten it away and eaten it up. And when a man eats his bread, he has devoured it, consumed it, and digested it. But the Lord saith, Ye have no cause to be angry: your wisdom, understanding, and reason, that ye should judge these words, are not of this place: if thou wilt understand my word, judge it not by thy head, nor by thy reason, thou shalt be a fool for it; thou canst not discern it with thy wisdom: but put out thine eyes, they vex thee Matt. 18:9, thou must hear what I say.
V. 63. The words that I speak are spirit and life.
421 My words are spiritual; but the flesh with all wisdom, that thou shouldest understand my words, is a dead thing; my words are life. Then he glosses over it, saying v. 64, "There are some among you who do not believe." These words will not be grasped with our head; therefore reason, flesh, blood, or wisdom to and fro, they are not life or spirit to you, but all dead things that you want to grasp with reason; but my words are the highest wisdom and life, and have life and spirit, and also make alive, but they must be believed. If you want to have life with you, you must become a new and spiritual man, who does not judge by reason, as a man born of his mother, but begins to believe these words, otherwise you will not come to it; so it will be your life. This is the way to become spiritual and a new man, as the words are also spirit and life, if you appropriate these words with faith; otherwise, apart from that, these words cannot make you alive or spiritual, because the flesh is in your way. Then learn,
- i.e. jelly.
How you come to the spirit and life, and what the spirit and flesh mean. And if the words are rightly understood, it is clear that your interpretation does not apply here; you may use another master's word than your head.
The nineteenth sermon.
Saturday after Misericordias Domini April 29, 1531. 2)
V. 63: It is the Spirit who gives life.
422 This is a very fine saying, which now at six or seven years has suffered great torture and a hard thrust, but I hope it has endured. The blasphemers of the sacraments have taken it against the Lord's Supper, and stretched it to show that Christ's living, true body is not in the Lord's Supper, but badly in the bread and wine. They said that the body and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper did not serve anywhere, it was flesh; and they wanted to confirm that Christ said: "The flesh is of no use, but it is the Spirit who gives life.
423 Therefore we must be prepared against these foolish, senseless spirits. Christ does not say, "My flesh is of no use. For above v. 55 he said, "My flesh is meat," and boasted v. 51 that his flesh gives life to the world. But now, when they are angry and do not want to believe that his flesh is the true food, he answers, "What are you doing? When I say, My flesh is meat; these are words, to which belongs the spirit, to understand these words, to drink my blood, and to eat my flesh; it is a vain spiritual thing. And this text irrefutably enforces that he should not speak of his flesh, which is also meat, and truly spiritual flesh, full of the Holy Spirit, and divine flesh, in which is found the true spirit, which is full of grace, because it gives life to the world.
- but now he sets the spirit and the flesh against each other, and speaks differently of each; therefore this saying of the flesh of Christ cannot be understood, in which there is
- In the original margin.
2380 Erl. 48, 57-60. Sermon on Joh. 6, 63. W. VII, 2154-2157. 2381
Spirit, and he makes alive with it. So we should not let these words, "The flesh is of no use," be interpreted or applied to the body of Christ, from whose flesh it cannot be understood; but this is the opinion: Just as in the first book of Moses in the sixth chapter, v. 3. (when the world was corrupted by the flood), God said, "My Spirit shall no longer abide with men, for they are flesh"; and above John in the third chapter, v. 6, Christ also says, "All that is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
425 So here also he contrasts the flesh and the Spirit, saying, "The flesh is of no use," and is dead; "but the Spirit quickeneth." There Christ is called "flesh" all that is born of the flesh, all the children of Adam that are born of the flesh; except the one body of Christ, which is born, not of the flesh, but of the Holy Ghost; as we confess in the Symbolo, "I believe on Christ which is conceived," not of the flesh, but "of the Holy Ghost." He indeed took on flesh, but the flesh did not beget Him; He had no Father, but the Holy Spirit begat Him in the virgin body of Mary. This is confirmed by our faith. The mother conceived with him, not by fleshly powers or manly works, but by the Holy Spirit and his cooperation. Therefore, when Christ speaks of His flesh, He speaks, "My flesh." With this word "my" he separates his flesh from all other flesh. This flesh of his is holy, blessed and graced with the Holy Spirit. And is indeed by nature Mary's. Child, yet he has a spiritual flesh, a true, divine and spiritual body, in which the Holy Spirit dwells, who begat him, and that the same flesh has completely fulfilled him.
426 Therefore this is the summa: To my words which I speak there is no flesh; all men on earth will not understand these words, will not grasp them through the flesh, for that which is born of flesh is flesh. All men are called flesh, except Christ and his Christians. Therefore, where there is not a higher birth, which is born of the flesh, there is no higher birth.
When the Holy Spirit comes, the fleshly birth is neither efficient nor useful, but is all condemnable. Thus the Lord Christ's flesh is not spoken of here, but he means all the people on earth, the most clever, the most powerful, the most beautiful, the strongest and the holiest. Item, all wisdom, which a man can invent from his head and reason, it may be so glistening, but it is flesh.
427 So are the arts and books of all lawyers, which are fine arts in themselves, as are the other arts and wisdom of the learned doctors; but they are all called the fruit of the flesh. Although these arts teach how to govern the temporal, they are external things, fine arts and gifts, which teach how to build a house, how to have a healthy body, beautiful, bright eyes, how to beget 1) beautiful children, how to buy, how to sell, how to plant; but it all comes from the flesh, Jews, Turks and Gentiles have all these things too. Some of them have been his people, have had special skill; but they are men, all their doings are of human nature, power and ability; therefore it is all flesh, there is no God's word to believe, or to come to heaven, or to know Christ. It is completely sunk and drowned in the physical and worldly.
But that which is not flesh, but above flesh, is called spirit. He wants to say: If all reason would come together, it may not understand the words nor suffer them; and the more holy or perceptive, practiced and clever reason is, the less it hears it. . But if the words are to be understood and go to the heart, then a higher must come than all men's wisdom is and can be. One must go to another school, and give leave to reason, not consult it, but be silent, and be called dead, gouge out its eyes and pluck its feathers, whoever wants to understand this otherwise. Then it is true and helpful to say, "Truly, if I am to eat his body and drink his blood, I will not first consult my reason, but will hear what the Lord Christ himself says about it. For reason makes
- Original: may. Walch and the Erlanger: "have may, beautiful" u. s. w.
2382 Erl. 48, 60-82. Interpretations On John the Evangelist. W. vu, 2157-2160. 2383
The Lord will not let you have one evil thought over the other, and will be angry with you for it. But he who is able to overcome it comes into the spiritual school and being; he does not measure the words, but says: I only want to hear what the Lord says, namely, I shall eat his flesh and drink his blood; I have nothing more, I stick to it, I have heard these words, I want to believe them; it is nothing to me that I do not see it, or cannot calculate it; it is in my head, as it may be, so I want to hear these words. To this belongs another teacher and schoolmaster than reason, namely, the Holy Spirit, who must teach and carry on in this spiritual school.
This is what Christ wants with the words: "The flesh is of no use"; namely: my dear people, if you want to understand my words, do not think of them carnally, put the flesh aside, pay no attention to it, that you want to understand it with the reason and get behind it; because in this way you will never attain the understanding of my words, but you will be annoyed by saying: What, eat flesh! This is what you buy in the shops and belongs in the kitchens. That is as far as you will go. This is the circle of reason, in which it remains; it knows no other way of eating flesh than how men or animals eat it. But when it comes to God's word, and hears of Christ, one should eat his flesh, then it thinks: I must bite him as beef, or as dogs eat and chew a piece of meat. But how can the one man be eaten by the whole world? For even if he were as big as the biggest mountains, like the Alps, it would still not be enough. Thus and the like she ponders and writhes about it; and because she cannot attain it, it must not be right. There arises an interpretation according to her liking, and makes little bells over it with such a mind that she likes to have.
430 This is what our idolaters and fanatics do. So did Averrois, who wrote of the Christians that there is no worse people in the world than they, who eat their God, which no other people do, who honor their gods and make them
hold high. How pointedly and mockingly can they make light of the fact that we eat our God? and attack our honor. That is where the scornful, nefarious and safe people come from; only reason does the harm, and so leads the safe people. As the Turk also thinks of us, and takes us Christians for fools; he is sure that we do wrong; for we believe in a God whom we nevertheless eat in ourselves; saying, Are not these mad dogs, ought not those who eat their God to be put to death? Therefore he thinks he is doing well to persecute us. So the Jews also want to become nonsensical when they hear that we eat this flesh; for they calculate it with carnal thoughts, and they calculate it, and it is very ridiculous to them that one body should feed the whole world. So we are mocked by the Turks and the Gentiles even to this day.
431 Among the ancient Christians, when they wanted to receive the Lord's Supper, the Christians locked themselves alone in the choir and ate the sacrament there, so that the pagans would not look at their mysteries and ridicule them. Therefore, a wicked man once said, when he was asked, "What would Christians do if they were shut up alone in the choir? What? he said, they eat you. From then on, they were considered to be people who ate each other. Over the eating, many of them had to die; this was caused by some wicked man, who had said such things so pointedly and poisonously, since he had heard that Christ was eaten in the sacrament. Just as it is still an annoying sermon.
432 But see that you also become such a disciple, and come where the Spirit is, that the Spirit teaches and guides you, and lifts you above and beyond reason; otherwise, you will not understand these words. 2) You must strip off reason altogether and throw it away by faith, that these words may give eternal life. For this reason it has been decided that whoever wants to hear Christ's word should leave the donkey at home and not act or reckon according to his reason.
- Erlanger: solle.
- i.e. there, past.
2384 Erl. 48, 62-S5. Sermon on Joh. 6, 63. W. VII, 2160-2162. 2385
but he will be angry. Therefore eyes and mouth shut, and ears open; hearkening only to the mouth and words of the Lord, who thus saith v. 53, "Verily, verily, if ye eat not the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." This alone must be believed and held stiffly above the words, "He that eateth my flesh." I hear that he says to eat of the flesh, and interprets it that such eating is believing. I cannot reconcile this with reason. I hear the words, but what they say I do not feel, feel, or see; yet I will not contradict them, but dare and die. So then the Holy Spirit makes you a disciple, and puts it into your heart (which reason cannot do), that you may believe and dare to do it. This then is not the work of your reason, but of the Holy Spirit, who gives it; it is the gift of the Holy Spirit, put into your heart, that you may believe it. Thus the Lord himself has interpreted that the Spirit gives life, that is to believe.
433 Now then, there are two kinds of people, or two groups, who cannot grasp, understand, or believe. The first are those who find it hard to believe that Christ's flesh and flower are food to give eternal life. This is very hard to believe, they still stumble at it, and fall Gentiles, Turks and Jews, especially over the high piece that Christ's flesh gives eternal life. The pope and the spirits of the Jews pretend to believe the first, that Christ's flesh and blood is truly spiritual food and drink; but the last he does not believe, that it is such food that gives life and heals from death and sins. They will not admit that it is living food, but remain on earth, practicing laws and teaching good works, and saying: One must be pious, do the works of the law and of love, and then one will be saved; this is what the best teachers in the papacy have been.
434 But to come to the point where you are devout and believe that Christ gives eternal life, the Spirit belongs first of all to teach you that not only the flesh of the Lord Christ is food, but also the food of life, which satisfies you forever and makes you alive,
He will save you from death, sins and the devil, which is hard to believe when these things are preached, that his flesh and blood do such great things. However, a Christian goes quickly (who eats of the flesh, that is, believes that he will be saved from the flesh or through this spiritual food) and says, "What do the Ten Commandments mean to me? What need have I of the law, or of good works, unto salvation? If this food of Christ is sufficient, I must not do good works to obtain eternal life.
435 Our adversaries, before they abandoned their laws and good works, taught before that good works would help and be necessary for justification, but that eating Christ's flesh gives life. For such things are especially evil in the ears of reason. Hence come so many orders, monasteries, temples, pilgrimages, and other things, where the wrong mind has been that one should believe that one would be justified by these works; they are under the delusion that by such our works and monastic life one would get eternal life, salvation from sins and death.
436 This, then, is the greatest and highest article, even among those who would be Christians (for among the Gentiles it is even offensive), that Christ's flesh should be meat; and it is even more offensive to believe that it is such food as makes alive, or brings with it eternal life. But with Christians it is not grievous that Christ's body should be a living meat to give eternal life. For this is the precious art of Christians, that they believe without doubt that forgiveness of sins and eternal life come not from the law, nor from good works, nor from caps, nor from plates, but from eating Christ's flesh and drinking His blood.
437 Nevertheless, flesh and blood are so unruly that they rage and strive against this teaching. And just as flesh and blood in a young man rages to fornication, so it also rages in the great, prudent and reasonable hearts, and spiritual, pious men against the article, and always wants the wrong way. The papists want to base their faith badly or let it be based on good works, their little human feet. I, too, have been of the same mind in the papacy, that one should do good works and thereby be saved.
2386 Erl. 48, 6S-67. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2163-2165. 2387
438 St. Paul to the Romans Cap. 7, 23. says that the flesh, as a great giant and mighty man of war, contends against him, takes him badly captive; therefore he complains v. 15, "I cannot do what I want to do, because the flesh sows me. He does not mean the fornicator's evil, for he has had many other temptations and chastisements of the flesh. But he would have liked to believe the article purely, that the flesh of Christ alone makes him blessed; but his flesh murmurs against it. He takes the whole flesh before him, or the whole life, in which man should be pious, but everything is against this article, that one believes that there is no other redemption from death and sins, nor any other salvation, except eating the flesh of Christ and drinking his blood. And if St. Paul will say, "Believe this article therefore," that it is pure faith, that is harder than anyone can think. I can preach it, he says, but I cannot believe it so firmly; but I make every effort to grasp it.
439 But if thou art redeemed by the flesh of Christ, in that thou hast eaten the same, and drunk the same blood, do good works, and keep the law. But yet distinguish them well. For good works do not save thee from sins, but the body and blood of Christ. But I do good works for the honor and obedience of God, and for the good of my neighbor. There is no one among us who still has a large, large piece of the flesh, yes, a whole large baking trough full.
440] Now the Holy Ghost hath begun in us, exhorting us, saying, Ye hear Christ preached and taught, that his flesh and blood is the divine meat and drink for our life and salvation. And the Holy Spirit writes these words in the heart, that thou mayest believe them, and continue in them, that there is no other comfort, help, or counsel, to be delivered from sin and death, but to say with faith, His flesh is given for me on the cross, and His blood is shed for me. This is not of your own strength, but you have it by the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, your heart cannot have the sense, the flesh does not let you hear it, or only hear it out of habit and say: It may be the flesh of Christ is spiritual food,
not to enjoy with the mouth, but only to remember it, and not to have life from it; but one must truly do good works, and keep God's commandments. This is what it comes to when it comes to the highest.
441 I am also still in such a way that the works always pull me behind Christ,' on myself, I still have to struggle with it day and night. So it does not remain after, one advances us soon: One must nevertheless do good works. That is true, it is God's will; but that is also doing God's will, eating the flesh of Christ, that is, believing, and then doing good works. I should do good works, but they do not help me from sins, nor can they give me life, nor do they feed me to eternal life. I will not give them this honor, but this their humble 1) part, that they may be done in honor of God, to praise and glorify him, and for the benefit and good of the neighbor.
- Therefore, the fact that it is said that we must eat Christ's flesh is an indication of Christ: If we want to be children and disciples of God, and understand this word, we must come higher than in the flesh, we must come far, far above reason, and go to another school, where the Holy Spirit is the schoolmaster, who makes these words fiery flames and living thoughts, [does not need pen and ink to write them into your heart, so that you understand and believe them; such flames and breath is of the Holy Spirit, it brings life, and makes you use these words rightly. But if thou remainest in the flesh, and wilt deal with reason, thou hast no profit of it; thou remainest dead, as thou wast before.
443 Know therefore that these things are not spoken of the flesh of Christ, but of our flesh, since we are all called flesh, as if we do not receive the Holy Spirit to teach us and to press the words of Christ into our hearts, if the Holy Spirit is not there, we are and remain flesh. And if this text were to be well and rightly applied, one would understand from it that all monasteries and essays of the pope, which otherwise build and trust in good works, would fall to the ground.
- d. i. assigned.
2388 Erl. 48, 67-6S. Sermon On Joh. 6, 63. W. VII, 2165-2168. 2389
444 If the Lord had stopped at these words, "the Spirit gives life," the spirits of the mob would have cried out: Spirit, Spirit; baptism and the Lord's Supper do not make it, therefore you must crawl into a corner and expect the Spirit. This to degenerate, he puts these words to it:
The words I speak are spirit and life.
445 That is, the Holy Spirit has said it. He will not allow you to flutter now and then, to look for a spirit and to dream that one speaks: I have it from speaking of the Holy Spirit. Yes, you may have it out of the afflicted devil's inspiration. As they stipulated at Augsburg under the Imperial Diet in the edict: The church is pious, therefore it must speak holy by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Christ does not want such an intercession, but binds only to the Word; he does not want the Holy Spirit to be separated from his Word. Therefore, if you hear someone boast that he has something from inspiration or inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and it is without God's word, whatever it may be, say that it is the wretched devil. Christ will nowhere bind thee but to his mouth and word, will not let thee flutter, but thou shalt hear his word, as he saith, The words that I speak are spiritual things. Therefore, if thou shalt receive the Holy Ghost, keep my words, for they are spirit and life.
446 These words are worth much gold, that one should see and listen to God's word; cause, therefore, all great and abominable errors, idolatries, and idolatries have arisen at every time in the world; as, St. Francisci and Dominici orders, the fathers' rules, masses and pilgrimages, and other things; all this must have been called inspired by the Holy Spirit, what some fool has thought of, dreamed of, and loved. Everybody took his thoughts for the Holy Spirit and his revelations. So the Grimmethal 1) must also be from the Holy Spirit. The pope has rejected such statements or errors.
- i.e. the pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary in Grimmethal in Franconia.
but it is without God's word, and therefore it is the sorry devil.
God has ordained His Holy Spirit to come through the Word in an orderly manner. This is what Christ himself says in this place. Therefore, if something occurs to you that seems so beautiful and holy that you even think it is an angelic being, take it before you and hold it against God's word, see if it is based in the holy Scriptures, and whether or not God has commanded, commanded and commanded it. If it is only a mere thought, a special devotion and good opinion, without God's word, spit it out; unless God wanted to enlighten you specially like Moses, otherwise watch out; and because God has now confirmed the ministry of preaching, beware of such devotion and thoughts, which the devil can well cause, even if they were so sweet that they wept great tears.
You must know which devotion is evil or which is good, natural or spiritual, for they are all almost the same. The monks' books have been full of spiritual devotion, and many have been deceived by such devotion, for they have not been able to distinguish or conclude which devotion is right or which is wrong, since they have not had the word of God, saying that they must not resist the Holy Spirit. But I say: I will resist him, if they have not the word of GOD. For St. John in his first 2) epistle 4, 1 commands that all spirits should be tested and judged, and see who preaches and what he teaches.
If I am to test the spirit, I must have the word of God, which is to be the rule, the touchstone, the lydius lapis, the light by which I may know what is black or white, good or evil; just as the sun illuminates all things. And where this light does not shine, say, I will gladly let it be beautiful in the sight of the world, and also be a precious thing; but that it should help me to God, and deliver me from death, I will neither hear it nor see it, if it does not agree with the divine word, however much it may shine. Regarding
- "first" is missing in the original.
2390 Erl. 48, 68-72. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2168-2170. 2391
Such devotion to my souls salvation and bliss, I will spit at them, trample them underfoot, not suffer, hear nor see them; for there is not God's word.
450 Christ's sermon is based on this, since he teaches that his words and speeches are life and spirit, that is, they are truly spiritual things, far, far above reason and much higher, even heavenly. Now if we want to find the spirit and life, we must also become spiritual, and hear the word of God; this outweighs reason, and reaches higher than reason knows. The words I hear, if I am to understand them, are through the Holy Spirit, who also makes me spiritual; the word is spiritual, and I also become spiritual; for he writes it in my heart, and is, in sum, all spirit.
Mark well the text, that Christ saith, "The Spirit quickeneth:" for he doth not leave us in error or doubt. And the Lord soon after says what the Spirit is, saying, "My words," that when the preachers of lies come, boasting of the Spirit, and saying that they are urged to preach by love and the Spirit, that we may then watch, and not be deceived Matt. 24:24. For truly they also say now, I mean well, and with all faithfulness, God knows from heaven, I would set my soul for your blessedness. But say thou, Preach to the geese, thou art a devil, let me be unsworn with thy spirit; Christ will not have me to hear, and saith, The Spirit quickeneth; where are I and thou?" "My words," saith he, "are spirit; if thou seest them, thou hast him.
- you may want to ask: where does the spirit make alive? or by what? where shall I find him? Here is the answer: Hold fast my sayings and my words; if thou grasp them, thou hast the Spirit. So the words are spirit in him that teacheth and preacheth, and also in him that heareth and believeth; as much as he hangeth on the words, so much is he spirit; but as much as he hath flesh, and believeth not, so is he flesh.
These two wrestle with each other. I would like to believe with my heart and that I would always be full of the spirit, but I cannot. For the flesh and the old squire
Adam, who is in my skin, comes and frightens the spirit, pulls antics at me, sings in the heart day and night: "One must nevertheless also allow good works. These thoughts are of no use to me, they are cursed, damned and harmful; I must still have them, but always fight against them and say: I will not do it, nor trust in works.
454 I know that the ten commandments are commanded; what is more? I will first learn this article, and believe that my salvation and life are in the flesh and blood of Christ; then I will give the ten commandments, which I will not refuse. If the heart is founded on this article, then one also does good works, sed diversa ratione.
This is now this Christian article, and these words are spirit; not high, wise, reasonable words, but spirit. And to the school of the Holy Spirit you must come with your heart, for otherwise you can do nothing; life and spirit all pass away, and you remain in death.
The twentieth sermon.
Saturday before Cantate May 6, 1531. 1)
It is with the greatest diligence that we learn to understand the words, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth," that we may keep the right, thorough understanding that he says, "The words that I speak are spirit and life. There he does not speak of his bodily flesh, which he gives for the life of the world, and to the Christians for food, but he wants to set flesh and spirit against each other, and that one should not seek the spirit higher, or differently, than in his words, which go out of the mouth of man and are preached. These words are actually spirit, and lead man into another world and being, give him another heart and sense, so far above and beyond all reason, yes, so that reason can not even comprehend, although it would like to. My reason cannot understand that the salvation and happiness of my soul should rest on the fact that the flesh of Christ was crucified. And suffered for me. There
- In the original in the margin, but there it is erroneously written "after" instead of "before". Cantate.
2392 Erl. 48, 72-74. Sermon on John 6, 64. h5. W. VQ, 2170-2173. 2393
saith reason: How can the flesh, crucified in itself, help me, and save me from death? But you say: Virgin reason, shut thou up; thou hearest well that Christ saith, let it be taught thus, and let the words be honored and given place, and let it be believed to be true; then shall I also become spirit, and soar higher than my reason, my flesh, and nature are able.
This is one thing, that the Spirit is not to be sought anywhere but in and by his word which he speaks. For his words say that the flesh is given for us, and the blood is shed for us. He who hears the word of God hears the word of the Spirit. And if he believes it, he also becomes a spirit; and thus one comes by faith Gal. 3:22.
V. 64. But there are some among you who do not believe.
You hear that his words cannot be judged or assessed with reason, they want to remain undiscussed by you, so that you do not say out of your skull: How is it possible? It cannot be otherwise than this: if you hear the words and keep them, they shall make you alive; for they are life itself in them, and cannot be interpreted, grasped, judged. You must believe, otherwise they cannot be forced, but only with faith; otherwise you must be and remain forfeited for eternity Marc. 9, 23.
He adds the cause in this: Some of them did not believe. These were high people, scholars of Christ, wise people, who knew the Ten Commandments, excellent, learned people before the world; yet they do not believe, these words are vain foolishness to them, it seems foolish to them. Should the flesh do it? The wiser and wiser the people are, the more they are offended by this preaching that Christ's flesh gives eternal life. So the Verminst shakes his head, and will not go up, but says: Should the flesh that is killed make us alive?
460 The pope also considers these words to be a loud mockery; even though he confesses and speaks the divine word with his mouth, he does not believe it, because he teaches that one gets bliss by doing good deeds.
works. Well, here it is, the words are also too high for him, and blind his reason. In sum, if one is to attain it, he must take off his skin and step out of his mind and human wisdom, and go into faith, saying, "Dear Father, it is a wonderful sermon that a man should step out of his ability, good works, power and strength, and think that your Son has shed his blood; by this, and by nothing else, I shall have forgiveness of sins and be saved, without my works and ability. You see, it cannot be grasped or understood by reason, but it can be grasped by faith, for it is not seen or felt that another, who has not sinned, should suffer for me and help me to life, and I, who have sinned, should do nothing to inherit eternal life.
461 The world and all laws say against it: He who has sinned must also bear, atone for and pay for the sin. But this rule of the world is temporal and remains on earth, and when this life comes to an end, that one should die, then the same righteousness is also over. Here Christ says, "This righteousness shall not remain; thou must come upon that which thou hast done in the sight of God, and bring another righteousness, that thou mayest despair of thy works, and help thyself that Christ may say, Verily, verily, my flesh is meat given for thee, and my blood shed for thee, and believe it. Then hear thou that thy sins and mine are not to be atoned for, nor amends made, by thee or me, but only by him that shed his blood for me. Follow this song and this word, and do not doubt it. This is what it means to believe.
462 But he complains, "Some do not believe," as if to say: You hear the words; they are the right words, in which is spirit and life; but what happens? You do not want to grasp, grasp, reckon, and consider it "with reason and "not with the flesh. You say, "How is it fitting that I should go unpunished and unpunished, and have my sins forgiven, when I have sinned, and the innocent should suffer? There
2394 ed. 48, 74-76. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2173-2176. 2395
all laws in the world would have to become false, and there would be no punishment nor laws in the world. But know that there are two kingdoms: One is a worldly kingdom. If you have sinned before men, pay and atone before the judge, but before God and in the kingdom of Christ you do not have to do so, for there all atonement is rejected; but you must have Christ, who has not sinned but has made amends for your sin.
463 We always deal with this main article so that it may be grasped with certainty. Let every man also be accustomed to cleave to the man with his heart, and to believe in him, and to build upon these words of Christ, when he cries out that his flesh and blood are given for me. Therefore only confess at once: I am and remain a sinner; where will I go? to St. James? No; but I will lay hold of these words, believe, and dare all things; he will not lie to me; I will firmly believe that his flesh was given for me, and his blood shed for me. Nevertheless, I will gladly do good works and be pious; but when it comes to the meeting, I will not stand on it and insist, but I will leave it here, and hope that one will represent me to God, who has given his body for me.
This then makes one spiritual, and a true Christian man; there also is the Holy Spirit with one, and sustains him that he may not err; otherwise there is no measure nor end of error. The words are there, says Christ, but they cannot be grasped without faith. Now you want to measure them with the figure; but what do you do differently, but that you stand in the light for yourselves? For this you serve, silent, and simple-mindedly believe in it, that is how you get to the point. It seems to be easy for the untried to receive forgiveness of sins, and to do nothing more than believe. If only I would do something for it. Faith seems to be a small thing. But try how easy it is, and you will see that faith is a divine power, not a human one.
Whether it is equally bad, as many make believe, but a Christian says:
What a difficult art it is to believe these words. For when death, sin, the devil and the world are before your eyes, and your conscience wriggles when it comes to battle, you should still break out in a cold sweat, so that you want to say: I would rather go to St. James in armor than suffer this hardship. But those who live without temptation, and are sure, rough people, think that faith is a small thing. But the Christian speaks in temptations: Silence, conscience, death, sin, world and devil, I will not hear you; I will shut my eyes and listen to these words alone Ps. 42:6, Ps. 43:5. Then you will realize whether it is a minor art fei, believe.
Otherwise one thinks: "It is a difficult thing about good works, but about faith it is soon done. Faith seems to be an easy thing, but it is a difficult art. This is what temptation and experience teach us, that one must say the opposite, namely, that adherence to God's word, that a heart not be afraid of sins and death, but trust in God and believe, is much more sour and difficult than all Carthusian and monastic orders. 1) Reason can easily wear a cap, let hair be shorn off, morrow, 2) pray and fast, as monastic sanctity does, that natural forces can do; but to turn the heart around, and to be bold at God's word in mortal need, so that one does not fear, but rejoices against death, no monk nor priest knows about the art.
V. 65. Therefore I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is given to him by my Father.
You must believe. Now, because you hear that it is necessary to believe, you will soon say: I will raise the faith from myself. But no, you shall let me have it yet. So do we also. When one preaches that one must do enough for sin, they quickly attack it with their own works to atone for sin. Christ rejects this, and wants you not to do it, not to attack it; he wants you to do it.
- Here we have omitted "be" because it is too much.
- "morren" probably as much as: muttering prayers.
2396 Erl. 48, 76-79. Sermon on Joh. 6, 64. 65. W. VII, 2176-2178. 2397
and attack sin. Would you be the man to be mighty in your heart? Yes, first learn" that faith is a gift of God and a divine power; you shall not believe me about yourself. Do you want to rebel against the devil? Where do you want to go, fool? It is too high for you. Beware lest you fall into this presumption, thinking that when you hear the words you will soon believe them. As the red spirits and false Christians do much now; but when it comes to the meeting, that they should prove the faith, judge false doctrines, or comfort themselves in distresses, soon the cantate dies down, 1) and no one is at home.
468 Well then, you say: I thank my God that I have learned that I should not attack my sin with my own repentance, or approach faith with my works, and blot out my sin. Before men I might well do it, before the world and the judge it is valid, but before you, God, there is an eternal wrath, for which I cannot do enough, I would have to despair. Therefore I thank you that someone else has attacked my sin for me, has borne it, and has paid and atoned for it. I would gladly believe this, it seems to me to be fine, right and comforting; but I cannot surrender to it, I cannot find it in my strength to do it, I cannot understand it as I should. Lord, show me, help me and give me the strength and gift to believe. Thus the prophet sighs in the 51st Psalm, v. 12: "Create in me, O God, a clean heart, and give me a new and sure spirit." A new, pure heart I am not able to make, it is your creature and creature. Just as I cannot make the sun and moon to rise and shine brightly in the sky, so I cannot make the heart to be pure, and to have a certain spirit, a strong, firm mind, which is stiff, and does not falter, doubt or waver at your word.
A new, pure, tender heart is one that can say: I have a right spirit, a new mind, courage and heart, which is firmly
- Cantate - sing; Luther used this expression because the next day was Cantate Sunday.
It does not doubt, but actually believes that it wants to leave life and limb over it, that Christ died for it.
For this reason, one should pay close attention to the words. For Christ wants to say in the words "no one comes to me" that faith is God's gift. He also gives it gladly, only that one asks it from God. "To come to Him is to believe in Christ; but he who does not believe is far from Him. You think that believing is your doing, your power and work, and you fall in too soon. It is God's gift, that glory may be given to Him alone, and that no man may boast of some power. It is the Father who begets us, and gives us the Word, the Holy Spirit, and faith through the Word; both are His gift, and not our work or power. This is what St. Paul says to the Ephesians Cap. 2, 8. 9. also: "By grace you have been saved, and that not of yourselves, nor of works, lest anyone should boast.
This is called a Christian being, against which the world has always been mad and foolish, and still rages against it. In it no work is praised, but only my Father's drawing. Item, my flesh, my blood, my spirit, everything that belongs to it, is his and not ours, if I am to have life; therefore all the other things we do are completely excluded.
472 But there they say: Who doesn't believe that? We are Christians. Go to the Jews and Turks and preach to them about faith. Right Christians say: Oh God from heaven, how well and rightly spoken is this: "He who eats my flesh" 2c. Item: "He who believes in me has eternal life." Ah! how I would like to be free from sins! Oh God! could I grasp it with all my heart, how I would like to! how I would like to have the eternal life that these words promise me. Christians say that they believe, but they do not say that they fully believe, as they should.
This is a sermon that is not invented by us, just as what is preached is preached without our thoughts and actions; so faith comes into us without any work or power on our part, only through our own.
2398 Erl. 48, 79-81. Interpretations On John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2178-2181. 2399
God's grace, therefore he is so highly exalted, and has this great honor, that if one sets him against good works, they are to be respected against him, as if one set the sun against a candle or wax light.
474 But the Pabstian does the opposite; faith is very little with him, but works are all the more comforting to him. Faith, according to his judgment, is like a waxen light; but works and the laws of men, commandments and statutes, he regards as the sun. When they hear that faith alone is preached, they laugh at such preaching. But learn ye to speak: My faith is against my holy life and good works which I have done, as the sun is against the night light. For faith takes hold of the body and blood of the Lord Christ, his suffering and death; but my works take hold of nothing but a hard shirt, fasting and prayer. Now one work of Christ is better than the work of all men, and I would rather have one work of Christ to be mine than the work and holiness of all saints. For what is man against God? So also is the work of man against the work of God. Now the works of the Lord Christ are divine works, but our works are human works.
Does a monk say: I have been in the monastery so long, I have lived chastely and kept obedience, shouldn't I have earned heaven with that? No, they are all human works, I do not want to deal with them. Should I deny my God, dishonor Him, and teach that what I do is all right, but what God does is nothing? as the pope has done and is doing with his own. Then turn it around and say: What God does, even if it were as small as a straw, it is called a greater and stronger work than heaven and earth, and no human work can be compared to it. Our works, on the other hand, are vile and foul-smelling dung and filth, and are as a little light against the great bright sun. But Christ gives us his works, gives us his body and blood, and says, "My flesh is your life, and all that I have done with it is yours. And if we believe it, we have it. Should I have the joyful
Not accepting bills of exchange, or despising this mild Christ, not much preferring his works to my works, my caps or plates?
476 And this is the reason why we praise faith so much, because it brings me divine works, even the works of the Lord Christ, namely, his suffering and death, 2c., and makes them our own, whereas our works are nothing; the honor we owe him, that he is everything and we are nothing.
477 After this, if a Christian believes, good works follow, which are called good because they come from faith; otherwise, if they do not come from faith, they are not called good, nor are they good works Romans 14:23, but for the sake of faith they are something, but they are not like faith, even though they come from it. Also, faith does not depend on works, but only on the word and works of God, which are life and the Spirit. Because faith does this, we give it such great honor.
478, The sophists do not know this, nor do they want to learn it, much less will they teach it to us; but we would like to have trouble with it, and learn it the longer the better. For there is no one who is so sure of the article that he should not spend all his hours in great diligence to learn it. Cause, it can happen that you know and believe the article strongly this hour, but soon, after an hour, you become weak and do not know where Christ is, that you even lose him. For the devil does not celebrate, and when he comes with his temptations, it can soon happen. Therefore, when it comes to the battle, you can see how weak or how strong one is in faith, because it is not a small thing. "Faith is our victory", says St. John in the first epistle of the 5th chapter, v. 4, that is, our gain.
What do we gain? We have to fight with sin, death and hell; then I shall become so strong that I am this conqueror, that I can trample all the enemies and temptations underfoot, I shall become such a giant and victor. Is this a small thing, that it is said of faith that it is our victory? that a Christian can stand against all
2400 Erl. 48, 81-83. Sermon on John 6, 64. 65. W. VII, 2181-2184. 2401
And if you fight against temptation and sin, and do not despair, but say: Down with sin, and be trampled under foot; hither death, I will also teach you mores? Item: Lift you devil; yes, if all the devils, and a hundred thousand guns press on me and go, that I still say, I am not afraid of you to death? So faith is our victory, that we may be preserved in all the persecutions and tribulations of the world. This faith is not given by the world, nor do you have to attribute it to works.
480 I say all this so that faith may not be despised, or thrown to the winds as if it were only a bad, small thought. Not so; it is a divine, mighty power over devils, death and sin, and not an angelic or human power. This is what the Lord means when he says v. 44, "Let no man come unto me, but the Father draw him unto me." That every man may know that it is the gift of God, and that he will not withhold it from him; neither will he deny it to any man, nor hide it from him; but that he may present it for a gift, and that it may be known, that it may be asked of him. It is not a small power to despair of oneself, and to take comfort in the mere grace and power of God. Now let us hear further.
For Jesus knew from the beginning which would not believe and which would betray Him.
481 John the Evangelist includes such a speech to indicate that Christ is a true God, and therefore something more than flesh and blood, because he knew who would believe or not; he knows more than a man, is also a judge of hearts, recognizes, judges and judges the thoughts of men Acts 1:24. Therefore he says, "JEsus knew well." He does not say that it was revealed to him, as it was revealed to the prophets, what they should know and preach, but without revelation; Christ says it for his person, without visions, enlightenment or revelation. Thus John describes Christ as being a man, but he does not forget that he is God.
- why does he not express that Christ is the true God, as it is
St. Paul, the like of which St. John also often does in some places, saying plainly and clearly that he is God? But this would not have obtained it, or converted them, that they believed in him. For the heretics have said that men are also called gods in the holy scriptures. But the evangelist introduces him in such a way that he is not only with the name God, but also in power or in deed. For this reason, he holds him up to us in such a way that he presents himself and shows himself as a god by deeds and works, so that one must say: No one else can do this but God, it is God's work, the fruits and works prove that he is God.
483 So now we have dealt with this sermon of the sixth chapter, on eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Christ, in which is the highest article of our Christian faith, which we should learn diligently, and make this chapter common to us out of measure and use it well; for it is ever clearly indicated in it that no works help us, but only faith in the flesh of Christ, who died for the sin of the world. . We have also heard how this doctrine has been resented, for this preaching is not pleasing to the world, to reason, or to men; therefore a simple heart belongs to it, which is humble in itself because of sins, and sighs to our Lord God for faith. So, when you have become a Christian, the Holy Spirit will lead you to good works; otherwise, before faith, do not presume, for what you do is nothing. "The flesh is of no use," the Spirit is not there. Before this faith thou canst not do a good work, or atone for a sin; for it is all said, "the flesh is of no use," it is condemned and shall count for nothing. There you have your decision.
The twenty-first sermon.
Saturday after Cantate May 13, 1531. 1)
484 There is a beautiful, clear sermon in this chapter, which every Christian should know well, and the main article is this
- In the original margin.
2402 Erl. 48, 83-86. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2184-Ä8". 2403
or the main sermon, wherefore we are Christians, and are called, that every man may know the Lord Christ, and know what he ought to think of him, and what he ought to have in him; namely, that whosoever believeth on him, and cometh to him, should live, lacking nothing for ever: for his flesh and blood is the true and everlasting meat and drink.
- Further, when this sermon was finished, the evangelist shows how his disciples were offended by it, saying v. 60, "This is a hard saying; who can hear it?" thinking it was a strange, strange sermon, even an unheard-of food, that he should give his flesh for eternal food, and his blood for eternal drink. But he would gladly have set them right, saying that his words must be understood spiritually; for it is another meat and flesh than is usually seen before the eyes, also another drink, 1) than is usually put on a table; they must come up higher, and hear it spiritually. Now John the evangelist concludes this chapter, saying;
From that time many of his disciples went behind him, and walked no more with him. Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will ye also go away?
486 The evangelist distinguishes the disciples of the Lord Christ, calling the twelve apostles special, and the other disciples also special. For he had not only twelve apostles with him, but six times twelve, that is, seventy-two disciples, and so many apostles, that is, sometimes he had six disciples. All of them were here preaching and were called his disciples, but the twelve were especially his apostles. Among the seventy-two disciples, that is, among the twelve times six disciples, some became one among themselves, and went back, and did not keep the friendly interpretation and interpretation of Christ. Although he had said many times that his words should not be understood in a carnal way. He would have liked to convert them and take the anger out of their hearts, but it did not help, they could not be converted.
- Erlanger: Trunk.
He might have said that the spirit must be there, but they went there.
487 You can imagine how much trouble it caused the Lord that his own disciples, who were with him every day, did not want to stay; they must have drawn a large crowd with them. They were his beloved disciples, whom he had drawn to himself, who had been with him daily, whom he had raised up, and whom he had undoubtedly performed miracles. As it is written in the Gospel of Luke Cap. 10, 1. ff. that he sent out the seventy-two disciples to heal the sick, to preach, to perform miracles, and to baptize in the name of Christ. Therefore they were excellent men, and indeed not few, who preached the word of Christ, baptized and performed miraculous signs. That those who were so well disposed to Christ 2) should fall back, and be offended and angry at his teaching, has, of course, not a little offended the rest of the people.
488 St. Paul was also in Asia. There he had many disciples, among whom Demas had been with him for a long time, and his best disciple, who preached and suffered much, and showed great, faithful diligence in the word of God: but in the end he also left St. Paul; as he complains about it in the other epistle to Timothy, Cap. 4, 10: "Demas has forsaken me, and will keep it with the world", would not stand it with me, the word was too hard for him from this Christ; and not long after that almost all of Asia became disparaging of St. Paul and his teaching.
489 So it has also happened to us. Now, when such an evil-doer returns, who lived with us and was raised among us, when he appears and stands against us, he does much more and greater harm, and also carries away more people than the public enemies and adversaries who daily attack us; as we have experienced and seen in those who have come among the mobs and sects; item, in the Anabaptists, they weaken us more than our adversaries. Yes, they strengthen our enemies even more, so that the same ones
- Instead of "at home" we have put "in heaps," that is, together. Cf. § 493.
2404 Erl. 48, 86-88. Sermon on Joh. 6, 66-71. W. VII, 2186-2189. 2405
Saying, What should be their doctrine? they themselves are not one among themselves; this man and that man preached with them, and kept it also with them, but now he is departed from them.
Therefore, such apostasy will have greatly hurt the Lord Christ, and fewer listeners will have gathered for his sermon than if these disciples had otherwise remained with Christ and the apostles. The apostate mammals will have pretended: What is to be done and done much with the carpenter's son? For he is sowing a new thing, taking up seventy-two disciples, as if he would convert the whole world. It must have been a common saying: What shall we do? His own disciples do not want to stay and fall away from him. He must have heard the words, as it happened to St. Paul and the other apostles. It is the same for us, as it is written here.
491 So these disciples set up an apostasy, a mob and a sect, against their Lord and Master Christ, and exalt themselves above him, because they only want to understand his word carnally, or do not want to accept it at all, nor do they have it. This is prescribed for our consolation and example, so that we will not be frightened by the great calamities. For it is ever a great annoyance that those who have held fast with us, and have kept the word as well as we, and have stood firm with us, and so placed themselves, 1) that we ourselves might have built upon them, should fall. This greatly strengthens the papists, and all those who are against us; for this is their cry and their glory: What should I think much of them, since they themselves are not one with one another?
492 And I believe that our gospel should have gone through the whole world in these short years, if it had not been for the rats and sects, the Anabaptists and Sacramentarians, who threw the tree in the way; otherwise the pope and all the princes should not have made such an incursion upon us as they have just made; all the wrathful
- In the original "gestalt", which Walch has already resolved correctly with "gestellt". To take it for "designed" becomes impossible by the "itself".
Papists should not have hurt us in this way. They have taken our name and company, they pretend that their doctrine is based on the holy scriptures, they go on and are against us, and when others should be brought to us, they also fall away and strengthen themselves against us; this makes our adversaries very courageous. That this should be done gently is impossible.
In the whole Psalter, Christ hardly complains so much as about these very husks and false brothers, and speaks in the 55th Psalm, v. 14.But you were my companion," we were crowded together, we ate and drank with one another, we held and decided together many a good council, we had conversations with one another, we were in the house of God at the divine services, we talked with one another in a friendly manner about the Scriptures: you, my friend, do this to me and trample me underfoot; you, who wanted to be the most distinguished in the Gospel, fall away from me and now sit down against me.
494 We now feel well how painful this is, and Christ also felt it; for this reason the example is highly necessary for us. It is a shameful, harmful annoyance when they impose this on us: If their doctrine were right, they themselves would not be so divided among themselves. And this will also have been said of the disciples of the Lord Christ: They themselves have known much preaching, have cast out devils, and have done the same miracles that Christ did. Who knows who is right? This is what they do with their apostasy, that they hinder and weaken both the teaching of Christ and the people who should follow the teaching, and they make the name and the gospel of Christ and his miracles suspect.
This must remain in Christendom, that where the word of God arises and is preached, apostasy follows. St. Paul complains of this in all his epistles, and calls them "false brethren," who sit in the church, listen to us in our schools and colleges, grasp our words and speeches exactly; when they then go out among the people, they interpret our words as they wish, and say: I can do it as well as they themselves.
2406 Erl. 48, 88-so. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2189-2191. 2407
They make themselves near, not in God's name, yea, in the devil's name; .have talked with us, eaten and drunk with us, have dealt kindly with us; but when they get room, they lay themselves against us.
496 Thus have the spirits of the mob always done, and they still do today. I have to suffer it, I can't help it. But this we know for certain, that if they had not learned it from us, and read it in our books, they would know nothing of it, and would do little heresy with their sophistry. They have eaten with us, says Christ; but for this reason they set themselves against us, because they do not like our word and preaching; just as the word of the Lord Christ here is too hard for these, they do not want to be disciples, but as wise and learned as he is; he does not have to be master, he cannot preach anything that they do not want to work out. But go on, he remains master, that you are not disciples.
Therefore let this be an example prescribed for our consolation, that some shall cleave unto us, and fall unto the gospel, pretending for a while to be our best friends, that they may deceive us, and ape us; and when we have proved all fidelity unto them, afterward they go and cause all heartache. We should not be afraid of this, nor should we turn to the cries of the papists, who say: The Lutheran new prophets are not one in the matter; if they would become one with each other first, we would follow them. But passed through and spoken: He that standeth, let him stand; and he that falleth, let him fall; for thy standing God's word is not right and true; so, for thy falling, the word is not wrong and false, but the word is right for and for. So you have to tear out against all the trouble that you say, I have not taught falsely, but rightly.
498 This is a horrible, terrifying example to the evil-doers who fall for the gospel and do not mean it faithfully, seeking something other than the salvation and blessedness of souls, namely their own benefit, great name, temporal honor and glory. They finally end up there, even though they have worked and preached much, even great miracles.
that they should step back and let their mischief be seen, and set themselves against the Lord and resist him, as the Lord Christ says: "He that is not with me is against me; he that gathereth not with me scattereth. If you want to be a Christian, you must wait for these things, and not be angry or offended by them, for the worm-eaten fruit, rotten apples and pears, even the withered, withered leaves must fall from the trees by a downpour and a gale, and false teachers and false spirits must also be recognized by their apostasy.
499 The evangelist further says, which is much worse, in the following words: "And they walked no more with him. Thereupon the Lord Christ says to the twelve apostles, "Will you also go away?" The Lord must have spoken these words with a sorrowful heart. For it was not a happy sight or a joke to him, as he looked around, that these disciples had gone away, and the number had dwindled. When he came home and asked, "Where are my seventy-two disciples, to whom I gave the ministry of preaching, the kingdom and life in their hands, and authority to teach, who also had authority over the devil? he heard, "They are gone. This is a sour wind and an evil report. For if the pillars, the foundation and the foundations will not stand, where will the upper building and the rafters remain? Therefore he will say, I have had seventy-two disciples, and they will not stand firm; what will ye twelve do, will ye also of these, which are the highest?
V. 68. Then Simon Peter answered, "Lord, where shall we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have believed and known that thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.
(500) Yes, dear Peter, you truly speak well; this is also written for your comfort and as an example, even if one of the twelve should fall (which is a great example), that nevertheless one of the twelve will remain, preserved by God. So much so that all things depend on God's grace, power and word, that even the apostles may not be
2408 Erl. 48, 90-93. Sermon On John 6:66-71. W. VII, 2191-2194. 2409
so that no one can say that he is so strong that he wants to remain fine; unless the means, the blessing, or this word v. 70, "I have chosen you," is added to it. There is a reason for this, and the apostles alone have received it, that Christ says, "I have chosen you." Though one of them, Judas, should fall, yet this word takes hold of Peter, that he cannot fall down; though he stumble and fall, yet must he rise again.
- Learn that it is in God that man despairs of him, and that the pride that is inborn in us is eradicated. Moses, Aaron, when he made the golden calf; item, David, and others, have fallen, but they have recovered. And yet the text says, Though they fall, yet my word shall stand firm, and not fall; and one by the same word shall rise again. The seventy-two disciples make a great disturbance and noise in the kingdom of Christ; but Judas first of all made the apostasy right, he even brought down the neck of the Lord; there was first of all a piece overthrown that was great, because he was the chiefest of the apostles, who ruled the house, and the chief overseer. Indeed, if it should happen that I should fall (since God protects me from it), or anyone greater than I, it would cause great distress. But one should stand and rest firmly on the foundation of the word, which thus reads v. 70: "I have chosen your twelve, nor is one of you a devil."
There you see an example that one should not rely on men; but learn to hold to the word of God, regardless of whether it is spoken by a disciple, an apostle, a saint or not, this one or that one. For the Lord Christ commands even the apostles to pay attention to the word, and not to follow the devil's suggestions, nor to listen to the teaching of the fathers. As still the pope and his unholy people do, who tell us their cursed and damned word, yes, doctrines of the devil, to lead away from God's word. But if we see here that those (who have Christ's word and preach, teach and do what he is called, and go about in his office) fall, what should not be trusted to these?" The
seventy-two disciples are admittedly greater than all the popes and bishops. Could they not boast: We have the ministry of Christ, we are chosen by him and sent out by him; he will never set fools over eggs to break them! Nevertheless, all this did not help or please them, so that they did not fall away.
What then shall I trust the pope and his preachers? Then I must say: Boast as you will, then I will hear whether your sermon rhymes with the word of God, as, with the ten commandments, the articles of faith, the Pater noster, and the teaching of the Gospel. If it rhymes, I will gladly hear you say that you are Peter or Judas, that you stand firm and stiff, or that you have fallen. But if it does not rhyme, then I will not hear you, even if you are St. Peter three times; it is not because of the person, in whom one has a reasonable disgust; but, one asks whether the person is faithful, as St. Paul says 1 Cor. 4, 2. that he is found faithful in teaching. There is nothing to do with how someone boasts, 1) and even not with what he is called, Peter and Paul; if he only teaches faithfully, he is righteous.
504 Therefore let the word of God be the guide, whether he preaches it rightly; then he will be considered unsuspicious. But if he does not preach according to this rule, let him be accursed, even if it were I myself or an angel from heaven. As St. Paul says to the Galatians in chapter 1, v. 8: "If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which I have preached unto you, let him be accursed, even if he were an angel from heaven. This is a necessary piece, so that we know that St. Paul, I and all preachers who preach to you, including the angels, must have God's word pure before them when they want to preach. But now the evildoers and peelers boast that Christianity has accepted it; so they are also the superiors, popes, bishops, pastors, and in the church office, therefore they should be heard. Not yet; for ye may have the ministry, as Judas was an apostle, and the seventy-two disciples also were Christ's disciples; but if there be
- This insertion is made by us to give meaning.
2410 Erl. 48, 9S-SS. Interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2194-2197. 2411
If the seventy-two disciples want to reject the words of Christ and do not accept what Christ preached, we do not hear them.
505 But that thou sayest, I am the pope, what doth that matter? Even if you were a pope nine times over, or even an angel from heaven, I would not hear you, nor trust you, even if you were an apostle; just as Judas was also an apostle, even more highly ordained to this office than a pope; for he was a stone of 1) Christianity, like Peter and the other apostles; yet he falls away, and all this did not help him to remain steadfast.
506 It is a strong argument that they now pretend: I speak against the pope, against bishops, against the scholars and authorities of the world; and in sum, they say, I write, read, preach, speak and fence against the whole Christian church, I alone want to be wise. To this I answer thus: I do not speak against the pope and bishops, or against their persons, but against their doctrine; I would like them to teach rightly, and that pope, bishops and doctors would do what they should do and diligently obey their office; then I would not open my mouth any longer, for I do not begrudge them their office. But that they want to be popes, bishops and doctors, and not lead the word of the Lord Christ, that is not to be suffered. I gladly grant St. Peter that he is an apostle, and Judas likewise that he has the apostleship; but if he does not preach the gospel of Christ, but betrays it, Caiphé becomes a companion, that cannot be overlooked.
507 So that our popes, cardinals and bishops want to abuse their office, then one must say: It is true, you are a church servant, but nevertheless a devil; if you praise your Lord Christ and preach as a righteous servant, then I would like to hear you. So I may also say: You may be bishop of Mainz or Trier, or you may be doctor theologiae, or apostle, if you preach against the word of God and against Christ, then you are of the devil, and you are a devil.
- Körestem - a chosen stone.
the pope, cardinals and bishops, priests, monks, yes, the whole worm and the devil is one thing, because the papacy is of the devil. I am also a preacher and doctor, the ministry of preaching and the mysteries of God are commanded to me; if I now want to preach differently than Christ commanded me, then it is said: You are the devil, or the man Judas with the red beard; because he preaches against Christ, he is the devil. But St. Peter speaks rightly:
V. 68. 69. Where shall We go? You have words of eternal life. And we have believed and known that you are Christ, the Son of the living God.
508 These are the right preachers; thereby one should know a right preacher. St. Peter, as a right pope and true apostle, comes forth, and using his apostleship, says, "Where shall we go?" looking around, as if to say, "I find no other teaching that gives life; but we have learned that you have words of life, and are a true teacher of this people. There also shalt thou come, that it may be said, All doctrines purely abolished that are on earth; Moses and his law shall not help us; so also all wisdom on earth shall not apply here, and all doctrines which may otherwise be preached and raised up shall be condemned, we will not have it.
509 So we also say to the pope and his followers, "We have nowhere else to go, and we do not know how to walk your roads, for you want to lead us apart from the one word which the Lord Christ taught, which word is life and spirit; and if you want to persuade us of something else, we cannot get there. For no doctrine is kept herewith without this; they are all condemned, that one may be pointed to the one man Christ alone, and to his doctrine. Therefore can a Christian thus say, How may ye wolves and devils speak, that ye have the Holy Ghost, and may change the words of Christ by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and that what ye ordain must be kept, and obeyed? Will you say more than Christ himself taught, except that the Lord's Supper should be used in the same form?
2412 Erl. 48, [s-97. sermon On Joh. 6, 66-71**.** W. VII, 2197-2199. 2413
the priests do not have wives, and other things, that these things are ordered by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and then one must follow the church? But the Christian Church does as St. Peter says in this place, "Where shall we go?" What shall we teach or hear? I know nothing but you, Lord; I know of no sermon, but you have words of life. This sermon that sounds and sticks, that has marrow in legs, and helps from eternal death, sins and all misery.
(510) And St. Peter preaches here with great delicacy, that he first of all abolishes and rejects all doctrines which are not the words of Christ. For when we speak of eternal life and salvation, St. Peter and all the godly abandon all other doctrines, and know of none but those of the one man, Christ, of whom St. Peter says, "You have words of life," on which word I will be satisfied. It is finely spoken. He does not want to be attached to the physical person of Christ, but to his word. We want to stay with that, because these words give eternal life. That is right; and such people, who hold this about Christ and his word, are found forever, and let themselves be bound to his word.
511 And though the seventy-two fall away, yet St. Peter and the other apostles remain, saying, "We know no other way to go, or to remain, but by your word. So, if the sects, as the Anabaptists and Sacramentarians, still fall away, let such people always fall away, and let the pope cry out against us for such apostasy; it does no harm, for we are sure that we have the words of life and the true doctrine. Therefore, one must close one's eyes when the papists make a scandal out of it, and cry out about the apostasy; for it is said: Disunity here and apostasy there, one must plug one's ears, and go through in such a way that one alone looks here, and says: These are words of life; as St. Peter also says:
V. 69, 70, 71 We believe and have known that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them: Have I not mentioned you twelve? and your one
is a 1) devil. He spoke of Simon Iscarioth of Judah, who then betrayed him and was one of the twelve.
In the words there are three pieces. First, he rejects and cuts off all other teachings. Second, he says that there is no better teaching than that of the Lord Christ. Third, what does it give? What is this doctrine? He answers that it is about this: "You are Christ, the Son of the living God. We are to stay with this and accept such a doctrine, for it is a doctrine that gives eternal life; and it calls the one man "Christ, a son of the living God. What then is "Christ," or what is called "the Son of the living God," you hear daily, that he is called Christ, and is truly born of man, that he might be the Savior of the world, as the prophets and the holy Scriptures prophesied of him.
513 So St. Peter baptizes him here, gives him his right name, that he may be the right man and the Savior of the world. He first describes him according to humanity, that he is the one of whom all the prophets have preached. Then he calls him a "son of the living God"; not the son of a dead God, or of an idol, as the Gentiles had, but of the true, living God. Now our article of Christian faith is based on the fact that we believe Christ to be God and man, and that he should be "Christ", that is, our mediator, priest and minister, who should sacrifice for us and make atonement for us, as his priestly office entails; then also our king, who can protect us mightily against the devil, sin and death.
- He is a priest against God, and a king against death and the devil, and all calamities. For as the holy scripture says, he is a high priest, who sacrificed himself on the cross; thus he fulfilled his office, taking upon himself the sins of us all. And now Christ is called our Messiah, that he should deliver us out of the jaws of death, as a mighty Lord, that we should be saved from the devil.
- "you twelve" and "a devil" put by us according to the Bible instead of "twelve" and "the devil" in the Erlanger.
2414 Erl. 48, 97-100. interpretations on John the Evangelist. W. VII, 2I9S-22O2. 2415
We are not afraid of sins, we overcome the devil, we find grace in the sight of God, and we are His dear brothers, who should not be afraid of anything anywhere; and even if the world persecutes us so that we have to suffer much, even if death and the devil open their jaws against us, they shall not win anything against us.
515 This is our doctrine, and these are his words, that Christ is the Son of God. In this word is contained the whole sermon which we preach about the Christian faith, or teach about faith in Christ. And whoever has this word, this main part of Christian doctrine, has everything and nothing. Behold, Christ, the Son of God, is hidden in our eyes; he is not seen, but we shall see him at the last day; but we have the words of life, the faith, and know that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, the priest and king, who shall be your Lord.
516 For thou shalt say, If Christ be a priest and king that bringeth me to grace, I know nothing of the pope, priests, and monks. All my merits are also nothing. Then fall down all the rites and doctrines of the pope, the Turk, and the Jew, and what men may devise. For if Christ reconciles me to God the Father, bears my sins and brings me to grace, my merits cannot do it. All the pretensions of the papacy, the Jews and the Turks are not called Christ, how much they strive and how much they want to do to obtain a gracious God. For thus they have been taught that they may earn the grace of God. That is, to take the office of Christ upon oneself, and to take hold of him according to his works, that I may take away the wrath of God, to strike down death and the devil with it, that I may become a priest or a monk, wearing caps and plates, that I may do what Christ should do; such words have the devil taught, and are words of eternal death and damnation. But this text and word teach me much else, that thou sayest, I know not how to comfort myself of this, but I believe in the words of life, that Jesus is the Christ, my High Priest and King, who sacrifices his blood for me, and reconciles me to God, speaking the best for me. If
sins accuse me, he shows his suffering to the Father and says: Father, forgive him. Here in the world, among men, where there is death and the devil, he leaves me among the enemies; but there he is also with me, strengthening my heart, and giving me such a mind that I do not ask that kings, emperors, princes, popes and bishops be angry; so go through, and do not turn from it; for in this way he will guide his rule. Now these are living words, and not the words of the law.
517 Judas also hears these words, yet he does not ask anything about them, nothing improves him, he falls away; therefore the Lord also calls him "a devil. And this is a great word of the Lord, so that he is angry with Judas, that he calls him so. He is inflamed with grief and wants to say, "I must have a devil who does me all my harm. It must have pained him greatly to say, "I must have a devil who tramples me underfoot.
- "Devil" is a Greek name, calumniator, a criminal, blasphemer or defiler, that is his office in the Scriptures, who speaks the worst of me and you Eph. 4:27. St. Paul to Timotheo in the first .epistle, Cap. 3, 11., writes of the wives of preachers or deacons that they should not be dia- bolae, blasphemers, 1) that is, who always speak the worst of others, and spread and carry out evil of others, or who interpret good things evil. For the devil is not content to reprove evil; but what is good he also defiles and makes evil. That is what a devil really means, that even if I do something good, he is after me and makes it evil, disgraces and destroys the good, and he blows up the worst and makes it stink, frightening me so that my heart becomes stupid and despondent before our Lord God. Often he does it in small sins, when one has drunk a little too much, that one speaks evil of people. Therefore one is called an evil, devilish mouth, which can call out the infirmities of men so miserably, and bring to nought that which is good; blaspheme.
- Erlanger: Blasphemers.
2416 Erl. 48,iao. Sermon On John 6:66-71. W.'vii, LL02 f. , 2417
and defile the people. Such a shameful blasphemer blasphemes everything about man, be it good or evil. So the devil also blasphemes everything, and the devil also does this before God, he does not let our good be good, he does not let our sin be a small sin in our conscience, and he also makes the good into sins, and he makes the sin most grievous, so that one despairs.
519 Thus we have heard and understood this glorious sermon, that we should accept no other doctrine which ministers to our eternal life, but the word of the Lord Christ; for he alone has words of life, whereas other doctrines of men are and bring death and damnation.
(To be continued in the eighth volume.)
Appendix.
D. Martin Luther's sermons
held at Coburg in 1530, together with the last Wittenberg sermons before the departure and the first after the return.*)
- sermon on Luc. 11, 14. ff.,
- held on Sunday Oculi, March 20, 153'0, at Wittenberg.
- Translated from the Latin.
Since we are now called away to the Diet, and do not know what will happen, let us first remind you of our sermon which you heard from us, so that [the godly may have comfort,) ^1^) but the ungodly have no excuse. This gospel is very rich and full of salutary teaching, for in it we are shown 1. what the Christian life is, and 2. how it is and stands in the world. 1st Ye hear that the Lord
- What is written in brackets is inserted by us. For this addition, compare the conclusion of this sermon.
casts out a devil. This is our main teaching and it has been preached to you sufficiently. The devil does not rest, but seeks to snatch it away from you through false teachers and through the temptations that each one experiences in his own heart. Let no one think he will be safe, but watch carefully, for it cannot be otherwise, false prophets must come and temptations must set in the heart of every Christian. First of all, you must know that all men except Christ are possessed by the devil, and that there is no help for them if they are not possessed.
*The sermons, which have not yet been published in any edition of Luther's writings, are described in the preface to this volume.
2418 Appendix. Luther's Sermons Delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2419
man is with himself. Without Christ he is like this possessed man. Then it follows, because we are possessed by the devil in such a way, that everything we do is in the service of the devil, even all the right works and the merits we accomplish to earn eternal life are lost. The mute can eat and do other works, and yet he is possessed. So everything he does is under the power of the devil. So also those ungodly can teach, speak 2c.; but he who is possessed is dumb, dead 2c. Thus man is humbled by this first piece, and is forced to acknowledge his misery from the heart, and must admit that it is lost with us. I know what a piece of the challenge this is, that so many fall back, who at first taught just as we do; but now they have fallen away and boast of the Holy Spirit, but still have a devilish spirit. Therefore let no one think that this, after he has heard it, cannot be taken away from him; we have to learn from it all our lives. The second piece is this: When a man has learned that a man, when he is found apart from Christ, is the devil's own with speeches, wisdom 2c., then he is rightly skilled, is in the true repentance and right/ state, then comes the second piece, that Christ helps him and that from the heart gladly. And as this part is useful and necessary to learn that apart from Christ we are all of the devil, so also the other part, that I do not doubt that Christ wants to help, and of this I must be as certain as I am certain that I am alive, yes, even more certain that he not only can help, but also wants to help, and would rather do nothing than that. This is what makes a man glad to be nothing and to confess that everything he does apart from Christ is 1) of the devil. And so he can sigh and say: Since I know that I am nothing, so that I can never think anything of myself (sentiam), I will believe (sapiam) that a foreign ability (potentia), namely, the power of Christ comes to me. Thus Paul says in the letter to the Philippians Cap. 3, 6.: "According to the righteousness in the law I have
- Instead of viadolus we have assumed vladoli.
I lived blamelessly." It was a delicious life, and no one could blame it. But I was anxious that I should attain to another righteousness, that is, to Christ's, and not to mine; and mine I thought to be filthiness and corruption v. 8. Paul not only confesses, "I have no righteousness," which plunges a man into despair, so that he cannot bear the judgment of God, but he adds another righteousness, saying, "I would gladly be nothing, that I might attain to another righteousness. People come to Christ because they want to confess that this man is possessed, so that they may obtain in Christ the foreign help, since the same was not present in them. In such a way we must accept the examples and the words of the Scriptures, so that we can stand in the temptation. An untried man does not believe what the devil has in mind against him. Second, you must know: He comes to our aid without our merit, and likes nothing better than that. When I 2) sing this little song: I am a lost and damned man, yet I do not confess for the sake of it [that I am lost and damned, so that through this confession I may earn eternal life/ but for the cause, 3) that I may have your power and righteousness, Phil. 3, 9. 10.. Then sin and holiness, poverty and riches come together, you as a wretched, poor man, Christ as a rich Savior. Learn this.' You have heard it often, remember that you keep it. But how sih/ places you, you know well; beware, it is for you. Satan can also break into a house that is cleaned with brooms. 1st The broom sweeps clean, that is, that man desist (cadit) from his own righteousness and presumption, and lean not thereon;^4^ ) 2. Then Christ comes and adorns; that our filth may be removed,
- Instead of oanik, as Poach added, we assumed 6ÄQ0.
- Here the text in Buchwald reads: tarnen Läso NOQ katsor, 6t dass saasa, ut taara V... üadsaiL sts. Instead we. have assumed: tavasu iäeo non kateor, ras esse psräitmn st äaianatara, ut Vitara astsraana xrorasrsar, ksä Iiao saasa, ut taara virtatsai Uadsana sts.
- Instead of: st nititar we have assumed: saqus noa nititar.
2420 Appendix. Luther's Sermons Delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2421
and his jewelry is inside. 1. the broom sweeps it away finely, then the Lord says, There is an empty vessel, I must fill it; then the Lord comes with his ornament. It is not enough that thou hearest, 1) that the broom sweepeth, and Christ hath adorned; that thou hearest, and becomest sure and careless, and thinkest not how thou keepest it, therefore it is said, he taketh to himself seven spirits worse than himself 2c. I would like to have warned you: First, that the house may be cleansed; this happens when we realize that we are nothing; second, that we must base ourselves on Christ, the third piece is of good works. Man is first nothing, after that he becomes everything, thirdly he does good works. If the nature and the person are good, then good works follow; the third therefore is that one should do good. When Satan is cast out, the dumb man stops and speaks; then he becomes a right man, he hears, he speaks, he gives thanks, he teaches; all these he could not do before. The most important works of a Christian are that he speaks, that he teaches others, that he instructs his household (familiam), that he comforts and helps the godly: then he speaks rightly, then he can pray. Then he does what he can with his hands. These are good works. Therefore a Christian should not do good works for the first two things, namely, first that he may know that he is of the devil, 2) secondly, that Christ may help with his grace 2c. Where this is, he knows what he should seek with good works. It is not that he goes to heaven, but Christ is the one who gives this, because you realize that you are quite a wretched man, and receive Christ as the Savior. God cannot give anything greater than Christ Himself. You attain Him without works. [It is not by works that we attain Him, but by admitting that we are nothing and recognizing His mercy. Admittedly, many believe that they have learned everything (assequutos). Yes, if it were enough to say: I know that I am of the devil. But it takes much more than speaking and writing. You see people who are exceedingly
- Instead of ut auäis, here and immediately following, wix have adopted ut uuäiak.
- Instead of äiudoluru we have assumed äiudoU.
talk and write great things as they fall back. We have to learn from this all our lives. A Christian is the one who recognizes himself, keeps to Christ and does good. [The Ten Commandments teach us what we should do, and the Lord's Prayer teaches us what we should ask. These are the things that make a Christian. You also know what is opposed to this, namely, that Satan carries out all kinds of cunning plots against this teaching. Formerly they had an outward, apparent holiness in the monasteries, 3) now they boast under another appearance of the holiness of the Spirit, and despise the outward word: It is not enough to believe; but thou must follow Christ, and shed thy blood. When the mob sees this: He lets himself be strangled, he concludes: There is spirit. Even the godly may see that they do not fall. Satan is a thousandfold artist; he can very soon (statim) take away man's faith, that he may say, There is spirit, for it is seen. See then that you do not let your faith be taken away. So also, if thou seest 4) that they let themselves be torn with fiery pincers, thou shalt not accept any other righteousness but that of Christ. We have preached against these things, but it is of no avail. Christ went to sinners, he fasted not. Behold, how they said, Matt. 11:19: "Behold, how is man a glutton, and a winebibber, a publican, and a sinner's companion!" Christ wills that we should look not to any outward righteousness, but it is said, I shall be nothing, my righteousness and wisdom shall be of the devil, that I may obtain the righteousness of Christ. But then, if thou be a householder, a housewife, a child, do all that the commandments teach thee. As much as there is in me, I am nothing; what I am, that I have because I am partaker of Christ. I know that if it comes to me, I am lost; God gives, I let myself be killed. Therefore I do not boast, but I do boast that Christ is mine, and his grace is 5) mine.
- The text reads: kriusüub: kÄnotltatSui üupusruut in oosuotüo. We have deleted the first "Uak. erased.
- Jm original: 8io stiam viäs, for which we have adopted them stiuiüsi viäsrsk.
- Instead of st, we have assumed 6st.
2422 Appendix. Luther's Sermons Delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2423
Life. Do not stand on it, see the others 1) Defiance and arrogance. Behold, what a great art this is. But everyone thinks that he has already attained it, 2) as soon as he hears it. Reason judges 3) immediately according to appearances. This is what is said about what makes a Christian.
2. Now follows how the world takes to it (quid fiat) when this happens. Some disgrace it v. 15.: "He casts out devils 4) by Beelzebub" 2c. Why don't he keep de same as them? 2c. Held himself to deu people, dressed like a journeyman craftsman, as if he was still working in his workshop. They looked sour, fasted and yet could not cast out Satan, and he should do it? Therefore it was not right. We said they are holier because we live a holy life 2c. Therefore he cannot hold a candle to us. And yet he casts devils 5) on; so it must not be right. Therefore according to the world's judgment the Christian life is the worst, because it looks at the outward appearance. For it is hard for a wife to be satisfied with her lot; but a godly wife knows that the works of her estate are better than those of a Carthusian, although she sleeps with her husband, but the latter 6) sings day and night. A Christian is annoying to the world because he leads a common life, eats and works like other people. But there is a pure, fine faith, that he trusts in Christ, the heart is quiet 2c. [Moritz and others served the pagan emperor. Certainly he wore soldier's and not monk's clothes, and there was certainly no difference according to the outward life, but only in the heart. [Outwardly it was so that no one noticed that they were Christians. I will give an example of this. 8) One reads
- Instead of alium we have assumed aliorum.
- Instead of asksc^uuturuin we have assumed aWscjuutum.
- Here Buchwald has read indioat instead of: sudioat.
- Instead of dsmonio read dasrnoniazü.
- Instead of dasrnordo, read dasrnonia.
- Here the text offers: st illa skoliu] st sautet sto. Instead we have assumed: st die sautet sto. The koUuk is inappropriate addition of Poach.
- The text offers: "ssd in oords giengens so that no one notices" 2c.
- The piece that now follows is of exceedingly poor condition, so that a supplementation and correction
in church history that the emperor Julianus, in order to test the constancy of his Christian soldiers, ordered them to be beheaded. When they were brought in, they had a young man among them who asked to be beheaded first. As he happily offered his neck to the executioner, it was ordered that he be set free. When he got up, he said: "Oh, have I not been worthy to die for the sake of my Lord Christ? 9) I do not know of anyone from all the monasteries and shrines who has seen this faith in a man dressed as a soldier. Therefore, the world becomes hostile to people because it cannot praise their lives unless they walk in a gray skirt. 10) They want their thing held; if it is despised, so the world beats it with fists. Therefore, whoever wants to be a Christian should know that the cross follows. Thou hast the consolation that thou canst not be killed, because he liveth who is thy consolation, in whom thou believest. Even if you die, you have life and Christ. Joh. 14, 19.: "I live, and you also shall live", as if he wanted to say: If I remain alive, you also shall not die to me. That is the art. But if it goes differently, then the last becomes worse than the first was, you understand it, then seven devils come, where before was one. We see this now in 11) the enthusiasts, who are seven times worse than before, and worse than the papists. Then it happens because of our ingratitude that these threats are not considered and believed 12) until the punishment falls on us. Therefore, let this piece be a warning to you. You have received the gospel abundantly.
can hardly be imagined. It reads: "Imperator dulianus Christen hat Er wol geplaget tarnen non oooidit, 22 lass nun hofgeschenck aufgehen, wer den felben solt, der hat sein LvanAslium verleugnet. Ildi Noo aud: [gap rm Manuscripts risi a Mntilikuk. Vidss kuisse psWirnos NoininW, A reutersbubj HON diZnuk, ut pro Eürikto morerer." The same narrative is offered to us in the Tischreden Cap. 16, § 1 (Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XXII, 534); we insert it here.
- Up to here goes our citation from the table speeches.
- Here we have deleted "gehet" because it is too much.
- Original: in.
- In the text: "das Vstiss Istas minas non inspioiuntur] non prins orsdnntnr qnam" sto.
2424 - Appendix. Luther's Sermons Delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2425
listen. See that you do not presume to know it, but walk in fear and trembling, saying, 1) O Lord, help me to cling to you, that you may be my portion and my inheritance. Therefore the Lord is the portion, the inheritance, the portion of the inheritance, which shall be our possession. You shall not believe me if you do not have the word of God, which I preach to you as the word of God, not as my word. You shall not be pious for my sake, but for God's sake. On the other hand, if you are bpse, knaves, peelers, thieves, it happens
- In the original: diesus.
not for my sake, but for yours. Only see to it that you behave rightly (bene facias) and be grateful to God for his good deeds. You are getting worse day by day, and our word bears no fruit, and you have an evil reputation among those who are outside. If you want to become worse through my punishments, we will stop, because the preaching cannot go without punishments, 2 Tim. 4, 2. I have said this for the comfort of the godly and as a testimony against the wicked, so that you may know that this teaching is true. Let us call upon the Lord to give us his grace to keep it.
2nd sermon on Joh. 8, 46. ff.
Delivered on the Sunday of Judica, April 3, 1530, at Wittenberg.
Translated from the Latin.
There are many and glorious fine pieces in this gospel. Therefore let us speak of this v. 51., "If any man hear my word, he shall not see death for ever." Let us grasp this, for there is power in it, that you get your hearts accustomed, that they cleave to the word, and that outwardly, and not take in thoughts, 2) as if they came from heaven; so that you will know nothing else in these things pertaining to salvation, but the word, even another God. Here he says v. 52., "He shall not taste death," 2c.; he who does otherwise shall not see life. For if anyone lets the word go and does not persevere, Satan is there, bringing such subtle thoughts that the heart (conscientia) falls away from GOtte. We can see this in the enthusiasts and the mobs, who bring in more and more misfortune every day. They lack nothing but to be wise and to act in such a way the cause of faith according to their thoughts, and yet they cannot suffer the Word. It is frightening that one has to hear such things from wise people. One says: Baptism is water. He goes along with such thoughts: How can water baptize the soul? One can baptize the hands with it.
- Original: einlas.
wash and drink it 3). These are beautiful thoughts. Immediately reason agrees with them; then one falls down with heaps. [The defect is that they do not remain in the word, but are drowned 4) in their thoughts. So it is with the sacrament for the enthusiasts. It will be the same for others. Even if it is preached to them, said to them, and put before their eyes, they do not hear. That is also stated here. Does not the whole world agree with the Jews, who say: You say: He who keeps my word will not see death forever? Fie on you! 5) Reason says: Abraham died a thousand years ago, and the prophets, and you say: who will keep my word 2c. Who should not here approve the word of the Jews sand judge that it would be better than this word of Christ? For if one should choose a word from these two, one would certainly choose that which the Jews v. 53. 1 speak of Abraham and the prophets. 6) So it goes also in other pieces.
- Gap in the manuscript.
- Instead of: H6 kudErki in the text we have assumed 86<1 8udinsrsl suiit.
- Buchwald wrong: "wolan". Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XX, 2397 8. v. "mal an".
- This sentence reads in the original: Xuna 8i verdum UQUNI 6886t, 66rt66t xroxti6tarum.
2426 Appendix. Luther's Sermons Delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2427
The Jews cannot grasp this word of Christ, "He shall not taste death forever." Christ says in many words: I seek not mine honor, I speak not for mine own sake. But reason justifies the Jews, saying, I know that Abraham died, and the prophets; and thou sayest
Feeling. The Jews were firmly convinced and quite sure that it was a lie that Christ said: "Before Abraham came I am. Now therefore, when thou art in danger, whether it be spiritual or bodily, hear what Christ saith:. He that believeth on me 2c., that thou judge not according to how thou feelest. Your heart is evil, your thoughts are lying, but this word is true: "If any man keep my word," 2c. This is the main thing in this gospel, that you learn to hold the word in honor and insist on it; it wants much temptation and experience. The devil can bring one into despair from a sin that is the size of a poppy seed; this is because man wants to judge by what he feels. If we could see all our sins, they would not be a poppy seed, but big rocks, mountains. Therefore, it is impossible that we should take any comfort if we fix our eyes on our sins. Therefore we must close our eyes, and cleave to the word, "If any man keep my word." One must ground oneself against feelings and thoughts, and hold fast to the word; and do not let the fanatics, who follow their own wisdom. This way, as Christ teaches, is the way to life, all others to death.
Now the time of the Reichstag has come. I have asked you already and I ask again that you take the matter with great seriousness. We must pray, as you know, because on the other side there are few who pray, or if they pray, nothing else comes of it but greater harm. But we must pray for two things. First, that this Reichstag may go away, knowing that they are trying to hinder it. Satan is up to a lot of evil, which cannot be controlled if the Diet does not continue. Therefore, we must thank and praise God that the Diet has been proclaimed, and ask that it proceed. Whether God wills it or not, they will not accomplish it with defiance. The beginning is good, therefore I fear that it will be prevented. Therefore, one must thank God that He has put it into the Emperor's mind, and ask God that the Emperor also act in such a way as
2428 Appendix. Luther's sermons delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2429
he promises, and that the plots of the godless princes will be foiled. This will happen, if we pray: Thy will be done, and grant that the plots of the ungodly in the Diet do not succeed 2c. Secondly, we must pray, when he departs, that the princes may decide that which is for spiritual and physical peace. We see the ungodliness of men. Great is the persecution of men, blasphemy, bloodshed. We are ungrateful. GOD has given us the spiritual goods and the delicious (optimum) gift, peace, as abundantly as He hardly gave it so superfluously in the time of the apostles. But how much it is abused! Therefore our exceedingly grievous sins would have well deserved that the Diet should be prevented, or yet that nothing good should be decided, even if it assembled. Therefore we must pray that God will not look upon the blasphemies of the adversaries, nor upon our sins, but upon His mercy. For if they lift it up with defiance, they will not bring it out. Recognize that though you would have deserved punishment, yet God will not look upon our sins, but upon His mercy. For if we succumb, His name will be blasphemed by the zealots, then calamity will also come upon us by wars. Let this be my exhortation: In the meantime, go gladly to church, and help
who sing litanies. Don't throw it to the wind; the Reichstag concerns us all. When war comes, and the warriors, we will be well aware of it. And we owe it to ourselves to take care of our neighbor's need, since we see that there will be great obstacles, so that the devils will surely run from one prince's court to another. While we are present here in the flesh, let us send our prayers there. If anything good comes from it, and we have been involved in it, the benefit will come back to us. Therefore, let each one of us believe that the Diet has been proclaimed for his sake.
On the same day, Sunday, April 3, 1530, Luther, Melanchthon and Jonas left Wittenberg to join the Elector from Torgau. On the onward journey to Coburg, a longer stop was made in Weimar, during which Luther, as Seckendorf, Hist. Luth., lib. II, p. 152, reports, he preached several times during Charwoche. He then preached on Maundy Thursday, April 14, at Gräfenthal Castle in the Thuringian Forest. On April 15, the Elector's train arrived in Coburg, and on the following day, the evening before Easter, Luther preached his first sermon in Coburg.
3. a sermon of the suffering and the cross,
held at Coburg on the evening before Easter, April 16, 1530.
This sermon, which was correctly assigned to the year 1530 only by the second edition of the Erlanger Ausgabe, vol. 17, 323, and Walch, St. Louiser Ausgabe, vol. XII, 1328.
(in the other editions it is set in 1531), is provided in the Zwickau manuscript with the exact time and place: In vigilia paschae Cob:
4. sermon on Marc. 16, 1-8.,
held on the first Easter holiday, April 17, 1530, at Coburg.
This sermon is found, according to the 1730 edition of M. J. M. Krafft, with correct time and location, in our edition vol. XII, 1580. Divergent readings in the
Zwickau Manuscript: "That the devil throw you from the pulpit" instead of: "O woe!" Col. 1590, line 7 v. u.; and "skin" instead of "hand" Col. 1591, line 14 v. u.
2430 Appendix. Luther's Sermons Delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2431
5. sermon Who the previous text
on the first Easter holiday, in the afternoon, at Coburg.
This sermon is included in our edition vol. XIl, 1592. Different reading: instead of
"Dressing" Col. 1595, line 2 v. o. has the manuscript: "dressing".
6. sermon on Luc. 24, 13-35...,
held on Easter Monday, April 18, 1530, in the afternoon, at Coburg.
This sermon is found in our edition in two different redactions. Once, vol. XII, 1600, with the correct time and place, the other time, vol. XII, 1570,
from the often mentioned 21 sermons according to Güttel's manuscript with the wrong time designation "April 2, 1537." The variants given by Buchwald are insignificant.
7. sermon about Joh. 21, 1-14.,*)
held at Coburg on Easter Wednesday, April 20, 1530.
In this gospel, dear friends, let us take two pieces before us and say a little about them. The first is about the appearance of Christ and the confirmation of his resurrection, the other about the ministry of Peter. 1) For this is not to be done, that one should preach and preach the things which are established for the service of God, but that one should draw them together, so that they may be of use to each one for his state and life.
The fact that the dear apostle describes in so many words how Peter said to the others that he wanted to go fishing, and the others that they wanted to fish with him, and how they caught nothing all night, seems to be unnecessary and futile talk, as the wise men of the world talk about it, who know all things better than our Lord God. We, however, consider such a writing necessary and learn from it that God does not abolish or break what honesty and commerce are now and then in the world, as the monks taught before and now our rats teach that one cannot be godly.
- Added by us. What else is written in square brackets in this sermon has been added by us.
one should not use all kinds of clothing, but walk in a gray skirt, look sour, not talk much 2c. Well, if such texts as this one had been practiced and taught correctly, such foolishness would not have arisen. Christ could have said to his disciples: "I have risen from the dead, and now you are going to fish. You have to go around and do something new. But he does not do it, but leaves politiam and oeconomiam, that is, what belongs to government and housekeeping, which he does not tear apart by the gospel. Therefore you must not run away from wife and child, house and farm, field and meadow, for the sake of the gospel; always keep at it, you can still be a Christian.
St. Peter nevertheless remains an apostle in the highest service that there may be, and his craft, which belongs to his house, does him no harm. He seeks his food, as before; why that? Because Christ does not set up his kingdom in such a way as to hinder other worldly orders, as the mobs pretend. He does not punish them for fishing. O, he allows it to happen, and not
*This sermon is found with a wrong date in our edition, vol. XII, 1574, according to the text of Güttel's manuscript. The text given in the Zwickau manuscript is significantly better, therefore we share it here.
2432 Appendix. Luther's Sermons Delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2433
He confirms such work and deeds with his blessing, praises and honors them so that he gives him fish to the full. If it had been against him, or otherwise not good, he would have taken a different attitude.
I like to preach about such texts in this way. For though we have heard it well and often, yet when it comes to pass, no one knows it. Let every man therefore draw up such a heart that he may speak: Well then, I have two natures about me. I can be a Christian, and besides that I can also do my trade, nourish my wife and children, and take care of them like another. I do not want to take the holiness of all monks for that. 1) Now that is a fine assurance, that you walk along like another citizen, and yet you are a Christian beside him.
Such an example is written in vitis patrum from the time, when the monks had already torn down. 2) St. Anthony saw a face at once, and made himself believe that he was very holy. He lived in a forest far from the people, did not eat and drink like other people, lay at prayer all day long and led a very strict and holy life. Then he asked our Lord God in his face to let him know how holy he was, thinking that he wanted to have a chair next to St. Peter in heaven. Then he heard a voice from heaven telling him that he was as pious and good as a tanner or shoemaker in Alexandria. It is a good example that Anthony, who lay in the desert, chastised and tortured himself, and was holier than any man on earth, if he now comes before the court, he is still not as good as a poor cobbler, who does not even look it. Let someone say, "If I don't have more of this hard life, let the devil become a monk," but not me.
Such an example is also inside of Paphnutio. He would also have liked to know how pious he was. He was told by two married women that they were as pious as he was. That may be a disagreeable bargain. What happened? Dear Paphnutius
- Buchwald: to take.
- For this story, compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. I, 1436 f.
Asked the same women. When he came to them, he asked them for God's sake to tell him what they were doing and what they were dealing with. Then the wives answered and said: We are married women and must do what we can in the house, wait on the children, work, eat and drink, sleep. So Paphnutius also had his verdict. If it will happen on the last day, as it will certainly happen, that a monk will come rolling along with a plate shaved to his ears, and a poor servant will also come along and say: I am a householder, have been a cobbler, a tailor, have waited on my handiwork, have fed my wife and child, then 3) he will still come forth with his little works, and the monk will be thrown into hell. This will be a strange game. But it does not go into the world.
So I say again that such a man should lift up his hands, so that he would be in such a state that pleases God. Then it would also be found that our dear Lord God would give his grace and blessing to it. So also a servant, how could he be more blessed? If he is faithful and obedient, he is a living saint, yet so far from believing in Christ. The little works, such as keeping the horses, knowing the stable, wiping the shoes, sweeping the parlors, and heating the fire, are pearls and precious things, better than the life of any Carthusian, so that one should thank God his Lord from the heart and with joy, that he should only do the works. So also a maid. How could she be more blessed? She could walk along in leaps and bounds if she could only think that: I want to serve diligently, so I have lived in a delicious state.
The consolation should make us 5) our life and state finely lovely. For, as I have said, it is all true. But we are the ones who do not believe it. A servant cannot believe that he is in such a fine life. That is why it is all reversed. The servant is master, the master is servant, the maidservant is wife, the wife
- "so" set by us instead of: us.
- "the" omitted by us.
- "in" omitted by us.
2434 Appendix. Luther's Sermons Delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2435
Maid. That is what the treacherous unbelief does, otherwise they would reconcile themselves (with their status) and say: Is it true that my status pleases God and all his angels, why then would I desperate wicked man not be diligent in it and wait faithfully for it? If I should misuse it, I would before that the ravens devour me. So it would also come 1) that also our Lord God would give you happiness and blessing, if you once became your own master and sat down at home. That means then here in the Evangelio "fish" (piscari).
What I say now of servants and maids, masters and wives, I say also of you noblemen at court. Every man shall think how he may do his duty. You are a councillor and a faithful servant, 2) so only take care that it does not turn into unrighteousness and disloyalty. One can also serve a prince well, so that it pleases our Lord God. But we are such fellows, and think that we serve the prince because we wash the wine cellar 3) and clear the grain floor. That may well be called faithful. And indeed you also keep such a house that thunder might almost strike once. Everyone thinks: Into my sack, into my sack. Well, then, the devil help thee, that thou too mayest be full one day. Rather, if we acted right, we would still become rich. God would give you more than you thought. But it does not help. No one sees it nor believes it. Thinking badly, when the Lord is sucked dry, I can come to another and suck him dry too. Shall not the lowest go to the highest? We have so many rich promises that it is a shame not to believe them. In addition, we see here in the example of St. Peter that God takes pleasure in a faithful servant and counselor, but it does not help. How should one do to him? If a man does not look upon his good estate and wants to wait out his wickedness, he will always go to the devil; who can keep him?
- Lier we have omitted "his".
- The title of a council. - This passage shows that the Elector and his retinue were still present in Coburg. Only on April 23rd he left from Coburg to Augsburg. (Köstlin, Mart. Luther, Vol. II, 198.)
- i.e. plunder.
This is now a piece that worldly positions and offices are pleasing to God, if one only acts with faithfulness and love. The secular trade is also confirmed and permitted here. Of course, St. Peter will have sold some of the fish. Thus one can buy and sell with a good conscience, this and another office, in which you are set, if one would only be so pious that one would look at the text.
On the other hand, we must also see the blessing. They fish all night and catch nothing. But as soon as the word of the Lord is heard, there is a multitude. Then we see from where we shall get rich. By unfaithfulness and wickedness one does not become rich, and yet everyone wants to become rich by it. Therefore the 4) greater the master, the greater the thief at court. But it does not help you. It shall be the blessing of our Lord God that we thus learn, when you do what you are commanded to do, that it may please God. Nevertheless, he does not want to make you rich through such work, as we see every day in experience. I have seen many who were very rich, and yet in the end became beggars. So you can find many of them who work day and night, and yet can bring nothing before them. Another one takes it well of the time, to whom it flows frequently immediately in the sleep. Our Lord God does all this to teach us where we get what we have. He wants us to work and yet shows us that our work cannot be done. A farmer would have to plow long and hoe in the vineyard, so that the earth would yield grain and wine. It cannot be otherwise, God must say: I will give the grain the blessing; only go home when you have done your work and sleep. The farmer goes home and lies down behind the stove and does nothing about it, and our Lord God takes care of it and says: "Well, you dear farmer, you have done your work, so I must now do mine as well. Only then will grain and wine grow.
So here, too, he lets them fish, but nothing comes of it. But as soon as he gives his word
- Buchwald asked "ihe" to be read into "ibr" and offers: "their great lord, their great thief" 2c. We have changed according to Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XII, 1578, § " - The spelling: "Ihe" occurs several times in this sermon.
2436 Appendix. Luther's Sermons Delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2437
They saw so many fish that they had to confess that they had not succeeded with their work. So it is still happening today. It is only because we do not see it. The fish are made in the net, so that one thinks the water has become fish, as it is also written in Genesis. And when he said, Ye waters yield fishes, they soon began to swarm and to grumble with 1) fishes. So still bread and wine grow out of the earth and out of the stones, as if a cock were stuck 2) in the pillar there and wine ran out. Cause: If I throw the earth around a hundred times and a hundred times, I would not find a drop of wine, and yet wine comes out. It is the same with the grain; the stalk grows out of the sand as if someone poured it out of the wall.
But all this is so that we may learn that we should work, and yet know that our work does not do it. Let us only not deal with it wrongly. If it goes sour, well, it does no harm. He wants to give us pleasure, as a Psalm says, and he is the one who is called Nisi Dominus, who says: "It is in vain for you to get up early, and to avoid sitting down, and to eat the hard bread, for to whom he gives it, he gives it sleeping." They are not allowed to provide for it, but they sleep and still get it. He does not forbid work, it must be included. He forbids the delusion that we should not think: The more I work, the more I will have. Then work would be a hope and unbelief, as if I wanted to work for it. Awe yes, the honor should be given to us! You will not be able to make fish from your water, nor wine, nor grain from the earth; you are not commanded to do such work. It is commanded thee to plow, and to hoe in the vineyard. He will give it to those who are faithful in their work, and to them he will give it in sleep.
But the work cannot be the same. Every man has his humble work.
- Original: for,
- From this one sees that Vol. XII, 1578, § 7, Z. 8 v. o. should be read: for out of the stone pillar, if you put a spigot to it."
- Original: wils.
A woman eats her bread in the sweat 2c., if she nurses the child, cooks, rules the house, even if she does not hew in the vineyard; whom" it is only a work. So at court there is work enough. Therefore remember, you councilor, that you are not too pants to drink wine 2c. If you are a chancellor, a scribe, a magistrate, do what is due to you willingly and faithfully, and you will enjoy it. I know well that they do not like to hear such things; but who wants it or can leave it undisclosed? But if one tells them the truth in this way, they may well say: The priests want to take hold of their regiment again. Dear, I do not want your regiment at all, yet I may well tell a boy what he is doing, and I am not afraid of you at all. I have neither to punish you nor to command you. I say it badly; if no one wants to accept it, let it be.
That is enough about the first piece, namely about St. Peter's fish. 5) But my friends, this is why I wanted you to learn from this that each one should wait faithfully and with joy in his position. For it is no small comfort that one can say: Well then, I know that I am in such a state that pleases God. Nor do I know any other consolation for myself, except that I am sure that I should pray, write and preach, and I am sure and know that it is pleasing to God. Therefore he also gives me grace and happiness for it. So every man in his position could be of good courage, and he would go out of it quickly. But if you do not want to do it, then always go. You will probably find it in the sweepings, and that is all I will say about it this time.
Now let us turn to the other part about the resurrection and appearance of Christ. It was very necessary that Christ appeared often, and St. John wanted to describe such appearances, not for his sake alone, but rather for our sake, so that the article would become firm and certain. For
- Original: "one" instead of "eim" i.e. one.
- i.e., fish train. We consider it necessary to make this trivial remark because this sermon in Buchwald bears the superscription: "Von den fischen" instead of: Von dem Fischen.
2438 Appendix. Luther's Sermons Delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2439
It is a secret and high article, which is to accomplish and do much. For this reason it must be kept safe, as Lucas also writes that it was with the disciples for forty days. Therefore he is not easy to believe. For if you cannot believe that you are a servant, master, maidservant, wife, how much less will you be able to grasp and believe this article, for it is the very article that was supposed to do it, that was supposed to overthrow and uproot the Jewish kingdom, which stood so firm that they thought it was not possible that it should crumble, and had 1) God's promises for it, which strengthened them 2) in it. Until at last, when he who was God himself came and said, "It shall stand no more," it fell away as it still lies.
Since he had done this in Judaism, he also had to rumble around in the world until he threw the other kingdoms among themselves, so that Christ alone would remain King and Lord.
Item, also the whole scripture was to be fulfilled and opened by this article. After this, he also had to execute the right pieces, so that he would condemn sin and justify the sinners who are now and then in all the world. These are vain works, which cannot be comprehended by reason, but must be believed alone.
Finally, for the sake of the article, the world, heaven and earth, must be melted into one heap, so that the resurrection may be such a work, which throws everything around, so that it is all gathered into one piece, as St. Paul also speaks of it: He who has Christ has all things. Therefore also a Christian can see and judge all things, all states and things; there is no wisdom so great that must not be judged by him. Sin, righteousness, death, life, and in sum, all things that are everywhere, are subject to Christ. Cause: He has the one to whom all things are subject, all that is in heaven and on earth. All things are included in the man Christ, as David also says in the 2nd Psalm: "Cry out to me," he says, "and I will give you the nations for an inheritance.
- Original: hetten.
- Original: varan.
give and the world end to the Eigenthum." Quickly he reaches in and does not speak differently of the world, as I would like to speak of a mourning, 3) so that the children are quick on the gaff. After that he also reaches in among the kings and says, "Be wise therefore, ye kings, and be chastened, ye judges of the earth." This must be a mighty Lord who may say: Ye kings of the earth, none excepted, ye are fools. He speaks to them in a moment, as I would speak to the disciples in the choir, and yet he is not satisfied with this, but he also urges them and says: "Kiss the Son, so that he will not be angry, and you will perish on the way. Pay homage to him" 2c. So he gives it to the man Christo even home; what he says to you, he says, that 5) halle yourselves and do it. But if you will not, then his wrath will soon burn. That is to say, he is defiant and forbearing; 6) if we will not hear him, he will hurl the kingdoms to and fro, as we see that he is now doing through the Turk.
That it depends on the man; and (we) are sure that if we remain attached to him, we must not worry about anything. God grant that the Turk, the Pope, the Emperor, sin, death, the devil and hell, and all misfortune be angry with him. For it is written in the 2nd Psalm: "O kings, hear"; if you do not hear, then you have your judgment, that you shall perish shamefully. What do I care if the pope is angry for a long time, or anyone else to whom I speak the truth? If they do not want to be merciful to me, they are still angry; I do not give much to a small lord. So a Christian can defy and comfort himself in the 7) body and life; and (if) the pope banishes me immediately because of this, that they should give me neither food nor drink, then my Christ says: Well, then I must order him (the) kitchen 8); he shall not give me therefore hun-
- Keulichen - small balls. Cf. 1 Kings 7, 41. According to this, in the other review of this sermon, 1. 6. Col. 1579, § 9 must be read: "just as the little children handle the balls."
- Original: let.
- Original: the.
- Original: getrawet.
- Buchwald read wrong: "year".
- Original: "cake". In the other redaction this is correctly resolved with "kitchen".
2440 Appendix. Luther's sermons delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2441
And if the whole world will not give him anything, he shall die. So now, dear friends, we have heard that we should not destroy the commonwealth, but wait for each one to do his thing, but first remember to learn Christ well.
that he is a Savior and also a Lord over all that floats and lives. That is enough for this time.
- Instead of "floats" according to Apost. 17, 28, we would like to read "weaves".
8. sermon about Joh. 20, 11-18.,
held at Coburg on Thursday after Easter, April 21, 1530.
This sermon is found in our edition, vol. XII, 1370, with the wrong date "April 12, 1531." A very short redaction of the same sermon is found in the Hallischen
Supplement p. 906 and subsequently in the Erlanger Ausgabe (2nd ed.), vol. 17, p. 370, with the correct time and place: "Feria quinta Paschae zu Coburg gepredigt."
9. sermon on lüc. 10, 23-37..,
held after Sept. 11, 1530, at Coburg.
This sermon is found with the correct time and place in our edition, vol. XII, 1612. The main variants are as follows: Col. 1615, § 7, line 17 v. o. after "close" insert: "This is not your husband." Col. 1618, § 12, last line read: "seiest" instead of: sagst. Ibid. § 13, line 10 v. u.
read: "hearts" instead: Defiance. Col. 1619, § 15, line 2 v. u. read: "to make and use. Col. 1625, § 27, line 6 v. o. read: "with his suffering and death". Col. 1625, last line, read: "and you consider it certain? I consider it certain, and that must" 2c. and delete the question mark in the first line of Col. 1626.
10. sermon about Matth. 9, 9-13.,
held on the day of St. Matthew, Sept. 21, 1530, at Coburg.
In this gospel, Christ contrasts the wisdom of God and the wisdom of men, showing 2) that they do not get along with each other, nor do they stand in one stable with each other. The world and reason cannot leave it alone, it always wants to master and teach. So God cannot let himself be mastered and taught, but he wants to teach and be master. There they run into each other. Therefore we see that there is no greater disciple on earth than our dear Lord God, who must allow himself to be taught and mastered by everyone. This is also the case for all those who follow him. They have to work with Christ
- The words in square brackets in this sermon are inserted by us.
as we see here in the Gospel, that the Pharisees soon run over the disciples' mouths, chastising them: Why do you stand by the 3) boy? Do you not see what kind of life he leads? what kind of people he associates with? So, as Christ says, wisdom must be justified by her children and be mastered.
These things are written to us, that we may stumble at them, and become enemies of reason; that we may not refrain from being masters, but lift up our ears, and become disciples. For this reason the Lord also gives the same wise men, the Pharisees, a beating, and does not celebrate them; say to them: You know much,
- In the original: den.
2442 Appendix. Luther's sermons delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2443
what you speak. You should learn from me, so you want to master me and teach me. You know neither how to speak, nor how to do, nor how not to do. So you should recant and celebrate such people. If you do not want to do good, he says, let me do it. - Let us take the teaching before us this time, and learn to understand these words: "Go, and learn what this is: I delight in mercy, and not in sacrifice."
First of all, notice that it says: "Go and learn. The Pharisees and Junker Klügling can do it before. But a Christian has to learn it all his life, and always remains a disciple, so that the word stands for and for Christians and means: "Go and learn. This is our goal, and he has given us Latin. For he knows well that we will never learn it because we are alive. But this is an annoying and shameful thing, that he sets mercy and sacrifice so against each other. If only he had said: I have the air of mercy, and not of adultery, theft, or any other vice, which the world itself considers vice or sin, it would still be to suffer. But he sets against it the very highest work, the greatest and holiest service of God, that is, sacrifice, and so he puts away the highest works, saying, I will not have them, I have no pleasure in them. If only he had softened it a little, and said, "I have no pleasure in you," it would have been more sorrowful. But he does not do that, condemns the highest work badly, and says: I do not like it. So let the devil sacrifice more, if there is no other reward than that it does not please God. That is the problem, and, as I have said, we have to learn from the lesson all our lives.
Our clergymen, as we all know, have thus taught that a layman or common Christian, if he did much, would hardly give our Lord God an apple from a whole tree; if he fasted long, prayed and did such things, it would hardly be worth a few pennies; but a priest, monk or Carthusian, he would give our Lord God the tree altogether, with all its fruit, branches, leaves, and [who would give him the core, and not
the] bowls. This is what they taught, they cannot deny it. But Christ says differently here, that he does not want it in short. That is, the monasteries stormed and emptied pure. For since the sacrifice, the highest service of God, which was instituted in the Old Testament by God Himself, should count for nothing, what should the caps and plates count for, of which God never commanded a word? If they should count for nothing, let the devil remain a monk in my place.
First of all, notice what the word "mercy" means. Mercy actually means, as Paul calls it, grace or good deed, not, as we commonly think when we hear mercy called, that it means an alms, or throwing a piece of bread at the door of a beggar. We have paid so little attention to the Scriptures that we never understand even the common words. So now I say that mercy means as much as grace or charity or a good work, as you like to call it. Now this is of two kinds. The first is the mercy that comes to us from God, which is otherwise called God's grace or good deed, but the other, which we have toward our neighbor, not toward God, that I give a skirt, a fief, a help or advice to the one who may, that is called a grace in Hebrew. The two pieces must be learned, and whoever can do them, then sacrifices and other foolish works are well in order.
First. We are to learn from the grace of God that we are of no value before God, nor are our works, that we do not make Him a junk dealer or a huckster, as if we wanted to buy His grace from Him with our works, as He says here: "I am not pleased with the sacrifice," that is, I do not want it. Therefore, if you want to have me as a god, just confess it freely, that you believe it to be so and know that what I give is pure grace, and that all your works, you now do what you want, are lost against me, that you want to buy something from me. For since he does not want sacrifice, he does not ask about fasting or hard lying, all of which is much less than sacrifice. Nor does he ask whether you honor your father and mother, since, if you had these thoughts, you would have
2444 - Appendix. Luther's sermons delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2445
Earn something with it before God. These good works and all others are already gone when they come before God. But this is what he wants from us, that we confess that we have all things from him by grace and for nothing; indeed, that we have not earned a penny, much less a house, a farm, a wife or children. Since we have all these things from him in vain and freely by grace, we should give him thanks diligently. Then, above all temporal goods that he gives us, we should also give him thanks that he not only remits to us the punishment we deserve by our wicked lives, but also gives us his one and only Son above all these things, and sends him to die for us, and to purchase and give us forgiveness of all our sins through his suffering. This is an easy sermon, so you have often heard it, and everyone makes himself believe that he can do it very well. But I know well what need there is for one to be sure in faith. For this is something that clings to all of us, that we would like to give something to our Lord God that we could boast about before him, and so this text always remains our lesson that we have to learn from. I would always like to say to our Lord God, "Well, I have nevertheless preached, written and taught so much, 2c., that I could thus lay something on him. So he does not want to suffer it, and I cannot let it go; we would also like to hang our dung on it. We will never be rid of this heartache. Therefore, let us work diligently on the play, so that we learn to say: Dear God: I have done this and that, it is true, but I may still boast of nothing. For it is all your grace. You owe me nothing, and I owe you everything. When the heart is thus set, one cannot raise defiance against God, as has happened in the papacy. There the filth and abomination has gone by force. The thoughts of all monks and priests were like this: If you read mass today, 1) do this or that, you will have a gracious God. But our Lord God does not want this, says: I do not want your work. You shall earn nothing from me. I will give it all to you for free,
- Original: losest.
and will also give you more than you deserve or can ask for. And this he does abundantly. For when we ask our Lord God for a long time 2) for something, this one asks him to help him with his bad thigh, the other 2c, Underneath, God protects your eyes and all your limbs, for which reason you have never asked him, indeed, never thought that you should ask him.
That is why I said: We cannot ask and demand as much as he gives us without being asked, and yet the hopeless sophists, monks and priests, and what is under the pope's rule, may say: if you do this or that, you deserve this and that with it. Then our Lord God must become angry and punish us and say: old man around you, in your bosom, or on your head: there you have eyes and nose, fine, strong legs, healthy legs. Then look around you in the world, and you will see the sun, the moon, your field, your vineyard 2c. When did you ask me to give you all these things or to protect you? and that the devil does not tear off your neck every hour? Learn therefore that it is all grace, and ask of me what thou wilt, and I will give thee more than thou canst ask or understand. Now this is called grace, which God gives us, and the lesson Christ has prescribed for us, that we should learn that what we are and have is pure grace, and not merit. Now this is a lesson to remember.
The other grace that we have from God is that we should also stand and put on a garment of the grace of God, and do to our neighbor also as He has done to us, as Christ does here, saying, "Should I not eat with the poor sinners? If ye will not do it, let me do it. To whom shall one do good but to him who may? The physician is not to be taken to the healthy, but to the sick 2c. Let us also learn this now, that each one may thus show himself charitable to his neighbor. This pleases God, even if it is not done, for He has already done His. So it also does us good that one can
- If this reading is correct, "elongated" means as much as: at length, at last once.
2446 Appendix. Luther's sermons delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2447
say: This work pleases God in heaven, I know it. This makes fine people happy, and even though I earn nothing from our Lord God with it, it still does me good to know that I am doing something in which God takes pleasure and joy.
Now one may ask, "Dear man, what are these works that I am to do? Then go every man to his place. Do not become a Carthusian and hide yourself in a monk's cap; only stay in your position, there you will serve those who need your help, and give not one apple, but the whole tree. Tree there. Let us see now, from the least to the greatest.
I consider servants and maidservants to be the lowest class. Against whom are they ordered? The servant is ordered against his master, the maid against her wife. Otherwise, neither the master would ding and reward the servant, nor the wife the maid. So the servant's master may serve the maid's wife, and the servant may do his master a great favor if he serves faithfully and does what he is supposed to do. And however lowly the estate, yet the works therein are altogether noble and comforting, and God Himself deems them good and pleasing to Him. Now if the servant says, "I am his servant, but what good works can I do? I want to run away to a house of worship. Yes, run away in all the devil's name; what will you seek there? or whom will you serve with it? Our Lord God? Yes, the sweat on your head! Our Lord God will say, "Will you buy my grace like this? Don't you hear? I don't want it!
But if the servant should say, I have a service here, and I am the master's servant, and I know that it is pleasing to God, and in the epistles of St. Paul it is pledged and confirmed that I should do what my master calls me to do: if you do this, you have this defiance in your heart, that you know that it is pleasing to God what you do to the master. Therefore no one should turn a wheel or lead a horse out of the stall, unless he first thinks, "This pleases my God. This is the most beautiful and noble treasure that anyone can have. After that one goes along fresh and happy, and
all his business arrives with half work. Such a servant should be crowned, and he should not be an emperor for it.
So also a maid. If she cooks or sweeps the house and thinks, "Oh, if I were in a monastery, I could do many good works," that would be saying nothing. But if she goes to her work and says, "I heard in the sermon that God delights in mercy and not in sacrifice, therefore I should also do good, then I am now judged against my wife, who is allowed to do my work, that I cook, sweep, and know that it pleases God much better than the work of all monks and nuns, as Christ says here in the Gospel: from her becomes a pious, faithful worker. Such a maid cannot be sufficiently rewarded for her work. The world is still standing because of these select people, but there are very few of them. No one does it except a Christian. He goes up with joy, and no work is hard for him, for his courage is fresh and cheerful.
So a preacher who attends to his office with diligence, preaches and teaches, and does it in the opinion that his state requires it, and that he is obliged to do it, and that God wants such things from him, is also well pleasing to him, not that he will thereby merit before God 2c. So also a ruler, if he performs his office diligently, protects the pious and punishes the wicked, sees how his country is governed. So it should be with every magistrate, noble or ignoble, when he asks himself: "My dear, what is your status? and finds that it is a divine order/that the prince or another needs to be like a lord to his servant, a woman to a maid.
Now therefore let every man take heed, and do diligently what he hath to do, and learn what pertaineth to a prince, and to a magistrate, and to a householder, and to a housewife, and to a manservant, and to a maidservant; 2c. and thou shalt be in a good estate, which is pleasing to God, and maketh thy heart fine with joy, until thou learn 1) what the lesson here is called, I delight in mercy, and not in sacrifice. Let each one go and see what he is ordered to do, and say, "I will do this, it pleases my God in heaven, for he will do it.
- Original: bist".
2448 Appendix. Luther's sermons delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2449
has not given the office, the service, that I should go idle with it. A lord may be a servant, a prince a magistrate. God also promises me that he will be my gracious God. I shall serve him, and show my mercy to my neighbor, and so each to the other. 1)
But is this not an easy teaching, a fine, noble life? What has it cost, because we were still monks, and yet we have done nothing with it? What did it cost to build so many monasteries, to make so many foundations? And yet our Lord God says: I don't like it. Here, however, he does not ask for money, but only says: "Change your heart, turn it around, and learn that you are a prince, a magistrate, a servant, a maid;
- Original: show.
you must not give much guilders 2c. If you are a servant, look only at your position, and do what you have to do with a good heart, because otherwise you will have to do it with lies. If you are a watchman, a keeper of the gate, do willingly what you are commanded to do, then you are doing a work that pleases God (that you have food and reward from it, that goes its way) and are in a blessed state.
But again, you can see how the game turns, and there are few who can do it, and those who can do it least of all, who make themselves believe that they can do it best of all. A preacher, if he does not preside over his office as he ought, 2) and preaches unjustly, tell me, what devil is so wicked as he is? Can he do anything that displeases God more than the very fact that he preaches unjustly?
- Original: solle.
11. sermon on Matth. 18, 1-12.,
held on Michaelmas, September 29, 1530, at Coburg.
This sermon is found in our edition vol. X, 1020, but (as well as in all other editions) with the wrong year 1531. In the Zwickau manuscript, the two sermons are available that Luther gave in 1531. The incorrect year stems from the fact that this sermon was not printed until 1531. Variants: Col. 1022, § 3, line 3 v. u. read: "a pious prince. But he uses it only to the people's detriment, the other to
Nutz." Col. 1032, § 23, line 4 v. o. read: "So thut er jetzt zu Augsburg." Col. 1029, § 18, line 7 v. u. read: "Wine and grain." Col. 1030, § 19, line 7 v. u. before "Zun dritte" insert: "It is not dear to him that man and woman stand unkindly against each other." In addition to these, Buchwald gives several other variant readings, which are not as good as those given in our edition.
12. sermon about Luc. 7, 11-17.,
held on the 16th Sunday after Trinity, Oct. 2, 1530, at Coburg.
Dear friends! In this gospel we are given a fine and great example of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, how he raised from the dead the son of a widow in Nain, and the evangelist makes it clear and plain enough, showing in all the circumstances how the mother was a widow, and the son a son of his mother; who died, and came so far with him that he was carried out of the city to the grave.
Item, how also much people had gone along. In sum, it is written in such a way that it is pitiful and miserable enough to look at. When one has come to the grave, since no one has any other thoughts than that it is over with him, the Savior Christ comes first of all to measure 3), has compassion with the woman and
- Original: "to mas"; probably as much as: to come to space, to adjust.
2450 Appendix. Luther's sermons delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2451
makes her son alive again. This example happened and was written, not only for the sake of the widow, but much more for our sake, so that we let it be written and happen for us, as all other scriptures are written for our benefit. For it is for this reason that we learn the common doctrine from this history, which everyone else can do, which is to believe in 1) Him who is able to raise the dead and bring them back to life.
The first thing, then, is that we believe and hold it to be true 2) that it has happened, as the evangelist writes here, that Christ raised the dead. For there are few of them who really believe it; the others are used to the stories and have gone through them like an old house of smoke.
On the other hand, it is also necessary that we believe that Christ, who at that time raised the dead, is still able to do the art, that therefore this history is written as a sign and admonition, that we should believe, because he did it once, that he will not stop doing it, but will continue to do it.
Thirdly, one must also believe that he wants to do it, and the last part must be left in no doubt, as we also see here in this example. He comes, the dear Christ, no one asks him, not even the mother herself, to make her son alive, nor does he do it freely of himself, unasked. For the woman could not have thought that she would get her son back. These thoughts are over a thousand miles from her heart. Nevertheless it happens. She did not understand her thoughts and prayer. But Christ understood it well. So she could not remember that which happened to her.
From this let us learn to believe that he can and will still perform the miracle as he did at that time. For there are two different Gods. The one and the right God has to do with it: That which is nothing, he deals with and flaunts; but where he finds something, he breaks it, so that it becomes nothing and he has something to make. But the god of the world, the devil, he does
- Original: inn.
- Original: what.
the contradiction, and needs that, which is already there; but where nothing is, there he cannot make something a) out of it. Therefore we see that his own also have the way that they boast, flaunt and defy what they have, as wisdom, authority 2c. Again, when they are lacking, and a need comes 4) before them, they are so despondent and slain wretches that they are not worthy of a straw. But our God and His own do not do so. He does not show off with what is already there, but "calls for what is not to be", Rom. 4, 17. Therefore he also says of himself that he is the creator of heaven and earth, and that he made all things from nothing, and where he does not find this, as I said before, he breaks that which is, so that it becomes nothing and he makes something out of it, just as it happens in this example that he helps and gives next to it, since there was no life left, since one went to the grave with the dead.
Now this much is said: Whoever wants to be a Christian, let him set his heart to have a God who deals with that which is nothing, because that is a faith that one hopes for something that is nothing, just as this widow's thoughts should have been. She was alone, and the son was dead; should she then have thought: My son is alive and is not dead, then these thoughts would have been of a thing that was nowhere, and yet the contradiction alone was true. For that he was dead was before their eyes, but the life they were to believe was nothing, and yet it had to be. So too, every Christian must have thought and faith in all things, but especially in those who encounter that life, that he may say, "I know it is, though I do not see it. This is a high art, in which I am still a student and pupil. I would also like to learn to recognize God, who can make something out of nothing. But it will not come to me, as it should, especially when the trains come, because one searches and finds nothing. Adam is still attached to us, and wants to have only the God, who is pran-
- Original: ichts, i.e. something.
- Original: they.
2452 Appendix. Luther's sermons delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2453
get, which is present, but to the GOtt, which deals with nothingness, he has no desire.
That is why our life is badly wrapped up in the mere word, because we have Christ, we have eternal life, eternal righteousness, help and comfort, but where is it? We do not see it, we do not have it in the box or in our hands, but only in the word. So God has put his thing into nothingness. Hence it is that a Christian cannot be known by looking at him, but if he is to be known, he must be known only by speaking. For Christ himself says that a Christian is like the wind; one hears the sound of the wind, but where it stays, where it goes, above or below, one cannot know; if one gropes for it with one's hands, one also misses it. It is the same with a Christian. I cannot judge him by the fact that he is learned, beautiful, rich, wise 2c. But only when I hear him murmur that he has the word. This is the piece that is set before us, that we should learn Christianity, which should be nothing else, but that it should stand on nothing, and believe that which is not, and stand badly on God, who wants to do it, and does it gladly.
So the epistle also says to the Hebrews about faith that 2) it is a certain confidence of that which is hoped for and not doubting of that which is not seen Hebr. 11:1. He did not add in vain, "Not doubting that which is not seen." The heart should have no doubt about it, but be certain, even though it does not see, nor can it think of that which it hopes. This is the right kind of faith. But it is very unfortunate for nature to play the blind cow, to insist and defy that which it does not see, even that which it would not let itself dream of. She does not want to believe before that she has it in her hand that the ground lies full of grain and the cellar full of wine; then she believes first of all that she has enough to eat and to drink. This is where the proverbs come from: It is evil to count money from an empty bag and to drink from an empty jug. This is reason's reckoning, otherwise it can neither be
- Original: den.
- Original: the.
think nor do. But a Christian, if he wants to be a true Christian, must truly say that he has a God and believes in him, who can count money from an empty bag and give everyone something to drink from an empty candelabra. Otherwise it is not called a true faith, if one stands badly on that which one has, That is enough of this gospel.
- Since this Diet has now passed and everyone would like to know what has been done, I will say a little about it, so that you may give thanks all the more diligently and henceforth ask with great earnestness and diligence. For in this very Diet you have also seen that our Lord God is a Lord who has nothing to do with anything. They were both there, the two gods, our right God, and the god of the world, the devil. The latter is mighty, rich, wise, witty, able to do much, and confidently insists on what he has. Christ, however, the dear God, is poor and does not know how to protect and defend himself and his own from violence. But so much has been done and arranged that on our side there is all mercy, as far as the matter concerns God, and on their side all wrath. But as far as the people are concerned, it is half and half, half wrath, 5) and half mercy on our side. Therefore we should first and foremost give thanks and praise to God that the word has remained, and we by the word. This is so much given at once that it is enough, and more than ten Turkish emperors are able. But that alone will be the problem, whether we can grasp the grace that has been given to us. Therefore, let us firmly and certainly believe that this was God's word, for which we have fought and placed ourselves in the way, as our adversary himself had to freely confess that our doctrine is just and good, and not contrary to any article of the Christian faith. Thus our doctrine has been more abundantly proclaimed and confirmed than ever before. 7) For
- Original: inn.
- Cf. Luther's letter to the Elector John of 3 Oct: 15^), Walch, old edition, vol. XVI, 1880.
- namely that of the opponents.
- Original: "he off."
- Cf. Tischreden, Cap. 53, ?3. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 1375 f.
2454 Appendix. Luther's sermons delivered at Coburg in 1590: 2455
This is a great thing, that the enemy himself must say it and confess it against himself. God has also given us the grace to stay with the dear word. Therefore, let us not doubt, let us stay longer, that our Lord God will also be with us with 1) His grace, His word for our good, and protect us from the angry enemies. For to whom God does grace, that he gives him the word and keeps it, he should thank God for it and be glad, as for the greatest treasure he can have from God.
Now our sermon has been that we have such a God who makes all things from nothing. So it is 2) now in our own and our opponents' confession that we have the Word. That same word is nothing, and yet it is nothingness, since God deals with it. Where God's word and promises are, God is also there. If God is there, who are they who are so vehemently angry and want to devour us? It is the devil and his pack. Well then, let them come here with confidence, let them run. For if God is with us, we will have more angels with us than there are human heads on that side. For where He is, His dear angels will certainly not be far away. If then our antagonism is hostile, if it is piercing and throbbing, 3) let it go, we ask nothing of it. They are defiant in their violence and attacks. Such wise people cannot fail but surely go away like the crab 2c. But we are not to know how it will go with us, like them. But we alone should know that we have a God who knows how to do it, even though we do not know, and He will do it as He knows. For if He had not wanted to protect and preserve us, He would have let us fall from the Word. Therefore, because I hear the sound of the wind, I know that I am not yet out of the world. Therefore, you should diligently thank God that nothing of the word has been lost and that we have been preserved, and you should learn to recognize this as an especially great work and blessing, that it has happened this way and that our people have returned home.
- with" put by us instead of: "vand."
- Original: "always."
- Original: "buchett".
have come. For it is a miraculous work of God, which cannot be attributed to our inspiration and wisdom. For if it had been up to that, we would have been far lost. What is our wisdom against the devil? He would have taken everything away from us, both God and his word. But that he did not do it (although he nevertheless poured out the whole hell and set it against the word), from this we see how firmly and strongly God has held. Therefore let us believe. Let him continue to do so, only that we do not depart from the dear Word and continue to pray and groan diligently to God.
God has not only kept us by His word, but has also done this, so that the good word has continued to come and bear fruit in countries and people who knew nothing about it before, of which I will now say no more. About all this, as I have said before, there is only grace on our side with God, but with the people it is half grace, half disgrace. So we say, if they want to be merciful to us, let them be so in God's name; if not, let them leave it alone; what do we ask of them? Heaven is greater than the earth, so it will hardly turn out that the earth should rule heaven. If they have something in mind, they must ask our Lord God whether it is even with him. If it is not even with him, then let them decide what they want, for it is written Ps. 2:4: "He who dwells in heaven laughs at them.
That is why I said this, dear friends, that you should pray diligently, that our dear God, as he has begun the miracle and wonder, so continue and keep us in the word and faith, so there is no need. So fear the devil, we will not fear. We have the bridal ring, the dear word, and we will ask nothing of the others. He will preserve us well. When he has given us the word, he will also press on, and as he did with Solomon, when he asked for wisdom to govern his land and people well, the text says 1 Kings 3:11-13: "You have asked for wisdom, it shall also be given to you.
- Original: hats.
2456 Appendix. Luther's sermons delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2457
and with it riches, and all that you need. Therefore, where the word is, let what goes come. The word will be useful and remain so, even if we suffer from it. But it will be different with our opponents; they have power and authority, so they defy us. Therefore God must make nothing of it, and the hour and time will come when the wisdom and power on which they are now so confident will pass away, so that we will say, "Where are they? Where are they now? We will wait for this, and it shall not fail, as long and far as we abide by the word. For the greatest is already
happen. The lesser will also soon follow. So we have the word, that is certain, therefore peace will also follow. Therefore pray diligently and be thankful, and do not forget that our faithful God and Father has done so much for us. He has given us more than the whole world could give. He will continue to do what is best for us and will not abandon us as His children, who desire to abide by His word, but will save, protect and shield us from the devil and his members. This may he grant us through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sermon on Matth. 22, 34-46,
delivered on the 18th Sunday after Trinity, October 16, 1530, at Wittenberg.)
Translated from the Latin.
This is a rich gospel, of which much could be said 2c. We want to see 1) what the Lord Christ holds up to us here, 1. from the law, 2. from Christ.
- what he teaches of the law he divides into three parts, namely, that he answers the scribe who tempts him, and says about the law and the custom of the law first v. 37., "You shall love GOD" 2c. Second v. 39., that the other is like it 2c. Thirdly v. 40., that in these two commandments 2c. Of the commandments you have often heard in the catechism, and know what that is said, Thou shalt love GOD and thy neighbor, therefore I will not say much about it now 2c. It is true that if a master does good to someone, the one who receives the good will love him. If he does good to the servant, the servant thanks him. This is a worldly love, but this is the right art, that one should love God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself. No one can do this unless the Holy Spirit
- Instead of vidernus we have assumed videamus.
Nature and flesh cannot do it 2c. As soon as it is preached what God has done, men and the devil run over us, here art and help are lost; then also the temptation arises, from where one will take what belongs to the need and nourishment of the body and life (ibi tentatio victus), because Paul says 1 Cor. 4, 9: "We are a spectacle of the world. And whoever wants to go to God (and serve Him must be prepared for all kinds of temptation and suffering, 2) for the world cannot stand it, and the devil does not rest, diligently seeing where he can find a loophole that he may shoot his arrows (into it) 2c. (Eph. 6, 16.) To live in such adversity 2c. and yet to love God, and to endure it, that is the right love and the noblest commandment; and if this is kept, the others will be kept also. So it is also when one comes to love one's neighbor 2c. It is no art that
- This sentence is called in the original: "Lt vult go to GOtt, Leel. 7. ea. 2. huia rnundus" etc. It may perhaps mean Sirach 2, 1. "My child, if you want to be God's servant, send yourself to contest."
*This determination of time and place results with certainty from a letter of the Wittenberg town clerk Urban Balduin to the Zwickau town clerk Stephan Roth, dated October 18, 1530, in which he writes: "Doctor Martin preached again on Sunday morning. This letter is included in Kolde's Analecta Luthe- rana, p. 155, and in Buchwald's present sermon collection, p. 40, note. It contains a detailed report about what Luther said in the last part of our sermon about the Reichstag. Seckendorf, List. ImtU., lid. II, x. 201 (9), and De Wette, vol. IV, p. VI, relocates this sermon to Torgau. Also Köstlin, Martin Luther (3rd ed.), vol. 2, p. 250, has this error in the text, but has corrected it I. e. p. 659.
2458 Appendix. Luther's sermons delivered at Coburg 153k 2459
a young man loves a beautiful girl, and again; the pagans also have this love. This is half a heart, yes, a false one. But if the wisest, holiest, most powerful and best people on earth, 1) who are our friends, plague us, and false brothers, as nowadays, who can love the neighbor? That would be 'a Christian love, but it is not found in flesh and blood. I would like to be so loved that I would be forgiven if I had done something evil, but that I should do so against another 2c. there becomes nothing out of. I see that he is poisonous to me, and yet I should know nothing about it, but always continue and love. And this is love toward one's neighbor, and the Lord counts it equal to the first commandment. For often have you heard that our art, which we have taught, consists in this, that we need know nothing of Christ but the word alone; not like the monks, who said: If I live this way or that way 2c. Then a monk immediately imagines a God in his heart, and as he has imagined him, so he shall be 2c. That means climbed up to heaven. Nay, leave off climbing and groping, and hear where he hints us with his word; without his word is vain image. Listen to what he says: "If you love me, you have your neighbor here; do good to him, and you will have fulfilled the first commandment. We have everything from him, even the smallest hair; what then can we do to him? Therefore we should not climb high, but stay down. But what shall we do? Love your neighbor as yourself. And this second is like the first. Everyone knows this teaching, but behind them, as the peasants carry the spears. He who has heard it once knows it immediately. Nothing is lacking in this teaching but that it is so easy. When you hear this teaching, think: Let us rhyme this teaching with our lives. And when you sit in your closet, contemplate it. I hear it, but when do I do it? Where is an example in our life? It would be good if it were painted on all walls 2c. Enough has been said, but everyone is satisfied that he has heard it. It
- Instead of viri avaiei in terris we have adopted viri in tsrris, snnoi.
- Original: fel.
want to be drawn into life, not hovering on the tongue. See how often you have loved your neighbor more than yourself. How should you find such a thin register here! You see the opposite: You talk as if your neighbor does not concern you. So one day after another goes by, and "you" know much to speak of Christian doctrine 2c. It should be so that each one examines his life, then he would realize that where he had done once according to this commandment, he had done contrary ten times 2c. The third part v. 40: "In these two commandments" 2c. It is not very difficult for us to love when we put something on ourselves, as there are those exceedingly heavy works, that some went to St. Jacob in armor 2c. There he reaches into the laws, pulls it over this last, that they should send themselves on love. All the commandments he casteth under them, and saith that love shall go before, and love 3) shall abide. When David was hungry and came to the priest Ahimelech 4) (1 Sam. 21, 3. ff.), and there was no other bread than (the holy) 2c., David said: Just give it to me 2c., and received the bread, of which no one was allowed to eat (except the priests), and ate it, although it was only the priests' duty to eat it. David passed through freely and did not feel conscience about it: How befitting is this? If love is to have a continuance, then the laws troll themselves. For there is love, that David provides for his body and for the body of others. There love has pronounced a judgment: These shall eat. Thus I love myself: if I hunger, I eat; so must I do to another. In all Christendom there has not been one bishop who could have directed these laws, but they have made one law over another. But it is said: A householder shall be faithful and wise, that he may so direct the hearts, that, when love requires it, he may make a breach in all the laws. As, in fasting, it should be 5) so that an old man, children, pregnant women 2c. should not have fasted, because love requires this, since they are weak. The (fasting of the weak, that) is harmful to your neighbor at his
- Instead of älleotlonem h-rben we assumed Msotio. 4) Original:
- Original: sols.
2460 Appendix. Luther's Sermons Delivered at Coburg in 1530.. .. 2461
Body. And his body is more precious than the holy bread, even than all the laws of Moses. So Christ wants all the laws to hang in these two commandments, even if they should all fall to the ground, although he does not outline the law of Moses. He does not say: all laws are nothing, but casts them under love. If they are not according to love, tear them 2c., for this is not a law that tears love. Therefore, Hiezu belong to faithful and wise servants who direct the consciences rightly. Certainly laws must be, the woman shall? not be man, and again; the maid shall not be mistress, nor the servant master. These distinctions must be kept. Likewise, external order (ritum) must be kept, that the chants (psalmi) be sung, and discipline remain 2c., and other orders must be kept. But if a compulsion is made to keep them, whether by the pope or by an assembly (concilio) of princes, they are not to be kept 2c. God's commandments are better than these human ones, and yet God subjects them to love.
The second part is that he asks the Jews, who were so learned that they tried him as if he knew nothing at all about their law. On the other hand he asks them a piece of which they think that they know it best. For who should not know it? Do we not read in the Scriptures that Christ came from David? Again he gives them a Latin: "Why then does David in spirit call him a Lord?" For a father does not call his son a Lord. Now he indicates that they do not know what this other piece is, neither what worship is, nor what Christ is. So it goes also in the world 2c. It is the utmost ingratitude that all want to know this doctrine. 1) There is no book or art in the world that is learned so quickly as theology and the Scriptures. When GOD has spoken a word, they not only know it, but also become GOD's masters and interpret His words for themselves 2c., and become useless judges, like the rotters. I have often said: I cannot get to the point where I can immediately respond to what Christ says.
- Instead of votuit we have assumed volnnt.
Be like them. Of course, we can recite the Ten Commandments, the faith, the Lord's Prayer, but after that we should have learned the matter. This question will surely remain until the end of the world: What is Christ? One must (indeed) answer what "the Christian faith" contains, but nevertheless one must always learn from it 2c. These people finally become sure spirits and (are) such people that they have learned the Scriptures only for the sake of knowing (something) and wanting to judge others. It is a shameful challenge when 3) someone thinks he knows 4) everything. One must say: These are the words, but I have not yet grasped them 5) as I should. To know Christ (rightly) is something else, 6) which consists in this, that (you believe that) he has borne your sins, and this you shall know in such a way that you will be rid of them. For all gross sins abide in thee. And thou fearest not God, and thinkest it is enough that thou mayest speak of it? Thou hast grasped nothing of Christ but the husks, but not yet the kernel. You do not yet know how to become hostile to your sins, how to overcome death. Therefore the question remains (in aeternum), what is Christ? He is certainly our Savior, who has delivered us from death, from sin 2c. [From whom we have received righteousness, peace, blessedness 2c. Now go into thine heart, and ask thyself if thou hast sin, if thou hast peace, then thou shalt see in thee great heaps of sins, (but no peace;) so thou hast not yet rightly known Christ. For if thou findest such sins in thee, and art assured of them, (thou canst not be helped) 2c. It is a great mercy if someone is in sins and yet takes them to heart (sentit), but never do you take notice of them, never do you grieve over them. See if you do not fear death and the world, and if you can say with truth: I do not fear the emperor. But if thou findest terror within thee,
- Original: wil.
- Original: Piod.
- Original: sire.
- Original: "Habs," which can be resolved by both "have it" and "have them."
- The text offers: est ooMitio Oüristi. Instead of
Hin should probably be read alind.
2462 . Appendix. Luther's sermons delivered at Coburg in 1530. 2463
learn what Christ is. He is the Savior. Where is he? Yes, over a hundred thousand miles. I find that I am a despondent rogue who fears all this. Therefore this is such an art, which is soon preached and enters into the ear 2c., but cannot be learned. But from where shall you obtain this, that you may be rid of sins, and obtain righteousness, and be of good cheer, whether the world laugh at you, or Satan rage against you? 1)) It is necessary that you know who and what Christ is. He is not in the corner, not in Rome, but must be closer to you than your own body and soul. If sin is there and bites you, see to it that you do not despair, that afterward you also gain a more secure heart 2c.; then you have the kernel, not the husk. 2) That is enough said about this until I get stronger.
I also want to say something about the imperial day, for the sake of the drivel. Likewise, that you should also pray more diligently and fervently (vehementius) and give thanks for it GOtte. Nothing definite has yet been decided in this Diet, and we cannot yet know what will happen (futurum) 2c. Well, there is a finite threat, but they will not attain what they strive for. One sees that they have anxiously labored all summer 2c. and they would have asserted their cause with defiance if they had been able to drive high. 3) From our side they immediately answered, they did not answer. This is a sign that their doctrine is uncertain. Therefore, firstly, a final answer has not yet been given, secondly, we must still wait for the farewell. 4) It is well argued that all things would be restored to their former state. But whether they can attain it, I do not know 2c. However, we have enough that the Lord has fortified us, that we are in the greatest place 5).
- Original: sivs seontra Katlian.
- Here we have assumed vov xalearn instead of nupalsava.
- Original: "si xotuisssvt hoch furen."
- This addition is set by us after the above-mentioned letter of Balduin.
- Thus Balduin reproduces the words in suprsrno loeo in the above-mentioned letter.
have confessed our faith. And therefore the best and the worst among them must say that our doctrine is not contrary to any article of faith. For this 6) we give thanks to God; what should we have done if our doctrine had been found evil? 2c. I have heard this confession of the papists as gladly as if someone had given me a hundred thousand florins. About these are articles concerning canon law, they still hang like this. And yet they admit that many of them are right, but it is not up to us to change them; but if they did, it would be right. Therefore one should wait until they accept it. But we began with all fear and humility. We asked all the clergy to begin the matter themselves. But how they have taken a stand on it, they know 2c. They should have said something about it, but furiously they have opposed it 2c. And still today they fight against it, and still say: One should advise. Who, because, thank God, it has come so far that we have owed obedience to God and the emperor 2c. If we have missed it in the outer part the ceremonies against the clergy', we want to stand without worry. And as we have commanded the matter to GOtte so far, so also further. He started it, he will also lead it out. They could not blame our doctrine (verbum), only 7) church pomp; that will probably close, and in heaven the ceremonies scold nothing] 2c. Thanks be to God, therefore, that he has answered our prayers so powerfully. We must also continue to pray, 8) for the devil wrestles and pushes and seeks many a gap; and I like to see it. He has no right path. With cunning he starts this and that, and stays with us on the way just as the angel stays with Balaam on the way. Therefore help 9) the cause with your prayers, as you have done.
- Instead of veo doe, we assumed vs koe.
- Buchwald: alone.
- Instead of oranäurn ut we have adopted oranäum [st.
- Original: helff.
End of the seventh part.
Prophets
title: The Prophets description: Interpretations on the major and some of the minor prophets, namely Hosea, Joel and Amos. ---
John, Acts + 1.Cor 7 & 15
Interpretations of the Evangelist St. John, chapters 7-20, the 15th and 16th chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, and the 7th and 15th chapters of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Luther's shorter interpretation of the Epistle to the Galatians.