Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount
By Martin Luther
During Bugenhagens absence from Wittenberg Luther
preached a long while for him, regularly, on the fifth, sixth and seventh
chapters of Matthew, beginning
Translated by Charles A, Hay,
LUTHER’S
PREFACE
I am truly glad that my exposition of the three
chapters of St. Matthew, which St. Augustine calls the Lord’s Sermon on the
Mount, are about to be published, hoping that by the grace of God it may help
to preserve and maintain the true, sure and Christian understanding of this
teaching of Christ, because these sayings and texts are so very common and so
often used throughout all Christendom. For I do not doubt
that I have herein presented to my friends, and all others who care for these
things, the true, pure Christian meaning of the same.
And it is hard to understand how the very devil
himself has by his apostles so cunningly twisted and perverted especially the
fifth chapter, as to make it teach the very opposite of what it means. And
though Christ purposely intended thereby to antagonize all false teaching, and
to exhibit the true meaning of God’s commands, as he expressly says: “I am not
come to destroy the law;” and takes it up piece by piece to make it perfectly
clear; yet the infernal Satan has not found a single text in the Scriptures
which he has more shamefully perverted, and made more error and false doctrine
out of, than just this one which was by Christ himself ordered and appointed to
neutralize false doctrine. This we may call a masterpiece of the devil.
First of all there have fallen upon this chapter the
vulgar hogs and asses, jurists and sophists, the right hand of the pope and his
Mamelukes. They have sucked this poison out of this beautiful rose, and
scattered it everywhere; they have covered up Christ with it and have exalted
and maintained the antichrist, namely, that Christ here does not wish everything
which he teaches in the fifth chapter to be regarded by his Christians as
commanded and to be observed by them; but that much of it was given merely as
advice to such as wish to become perfect, and any who wish may observe these
parts; despite the fact that Christ there threatens wrathfully: – no one shall
enter heaven who sets aside one of the least of these commands, – and he calls
them in plain words commands.
Thus they have invented twelve gospel counsels
[consilia evangelii], twelve items of good counsel in the gospel, which one may
heed if he wants to be something over and above other Christians (higher and
more perfect); they have thus made not only Christian salvation, yes even
perfection also, dependent aside from faith upon works, but they have made
these same works voluntary. That is, as I understand it, to forbid really and
truly good works, which is just what these nasty revilers accuse us of doing. For they cannot deny this, and no covering and smoothing over will
help them as long as this fifth chapter of Matthew abides. For their books and glosses are at hand, along with their former
and present daily impenitent life that they lead in accordance with this their
teaching. And the teaching of those twelve “evangelical counsels” is
very common among them, viz., not to require wrong doing, not to take
vengeance, to offer the other cheek, not to resist evil, to give the cloak
along with the coat, to go two miles for one, to give to every one that asks,
to lend to him who borrows, to pray for persecutors, to love enemies, to do
good to them that hate, etc., as Christ here teaches. All this (they
disgustingly say) is not commanded, and the monks at
This is the way the jurists and sophists have hitherto
ruled and taught the church, so that Christ with his teaching and
interpretation, has had to be their fool and juggler; and they still show no signs
of repentance for this, but are eager to defend it, and to put forward again
their cursed shabby canons, and to crown again their cunning pope. God grant,
however, that I may live and may have to give clasps and jewels for this crown;
then he, God willing, shall be called rightly crowned.
Therefore, dear brother, if you please, and have
nothing better, let this my preaching serve you, in the first place, against
our squires, the jurists and sophists, I mean especially the canonists, whom
they themselves indeed call asses, and such they really are, so that you may
keep the teaching of Christ for yourself pure in this place of Matthew, instead
of their ass’s cunning and devil’s dung.
In the second place also against the new jurists and
sophists, namely, the factious spirits and Anabaptists, who in their crazy
fashion are making new trouble out of this fifth chapter.
And just as the others go too much to the left in holding nothing at all of
this teaching of Christ, but have condemned and obliterated it, so do these
lean too much to the right, and teach that one should have nothing of his own,
should not swear, should not act as ruler or judge, should not protect or
defend, should forsake wife and child, and much of such miserable stuff.
So completely does the devil mix things up on both
sides, that they know no difference between an earthly and a heavenly kingdom,
much less what is to be taught and to be done differently in each kingdom; but
we, God be thanked, can boast that we in these sermons have clearly and
diligently shown and exhibited it, so that whoever hereafter errs, or will err,
we are freed from all responsibility on his account, having faithfully
presented our opinion for the benefit of all. Let their blood be upon their own
head; our reward for this we await, namely, ingratitude, hatred, and all sorts
of hostility, and we say cleo gratias.
Since we then learn and know by such abominable
examples, of both papistic and factious jurists, what the devil is aiming at,
and especially how he seeks to pervert this fifth chapter of St. Matthew and
thereby to exterminate the pure Christian doctrine, every preacher or rector is
entreated and exhorted to watch faithfully and diligently against it in the
little charge committed to him, and help to preserve the true interpretation of
this text. For, as long as the devil lives and the world abides, he will not
cease to attack this chapter. For his object is thereby to entirely suppress
good works, as has been clone in the papacy; or to instigate false good works
and a feigned holiness, as he has now begun to do through the new monks and the
factious spirits.
And even if both the popish and the mobocratic jurists
and the monks were to perish, he would still find or raise
up others. For he must have such followers, and his kingdom
has been governed by monks ever since the world began. Although they
have not been called monks, yet their doctrine and life have been monkish, that
is, they have been other than and peculiar or better than what God has commanded;
as among the people of Israel were the Baalites, the idolatrous priests
(camarim) and such like, and among the heathen the castrated priests (Galli)
and the vestal virgins.
Therefore we can never be safe against him. For from
this fifth chapter have come the pope’s monks, who claim to be a perfect class,
in advance of other Christians, basing their claim upon this chapter; and yet
we have shown that they are full of avarice, of arrogance, and of late full of
all sorts of devils. Christ, our dear Lord and Master, who has opened up to us
the true meaning, desires to give it additional force for us, and besides to
help us live and act accordingly. To whom be grateful
praise, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever, Amen.
COMMENTARY
ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
THE FIFTH
CHAPTER OF ST. MATTHEW
V. 1-2. And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a
mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his
mouth, and taught them, saying:
HERE the evangelist with a formal stately
preface declares how Christ disposed himself for the sermon he was about to
deliver; that he went upon a mountain, and sat down, and opened his mouth; so
that we see he was in earnest. These are the three things, it is commonly said,
that mark a good preacher; first, that he take his place; secondly, that he
open his mouth and say something; thirdly, that he know when to stop. To take
his place, that means that he assume a position as a master or preacher, who
can and ought to do it, as one called for this purpose and not coming of his
own accord, but to whom it is a matter of duty and obedience; so that he may
say: “I come, not hurried hither by my own purpose and preference, but I must
do it, by virtue of my office. This is said as against those who have
heretofore been causing us so much vexation and tribulation, and indeed are
still doing it, namely the factious spirits and fanatics, that are running up
and down through the country, poisoning the people, before the pastors or those
in office and authority find it out, and thus befoul one family after another
until they have poisoned a whole city, and from the city a whole country.
To guard against such sneaking
renegades one ought not to allow any one to preach who has not been duly and officially
appointed; also no one should venture, though he should be a preacher, if he
hears a lying preacher in a popish or other church, who is misleading the
people, to preach against him; nor should any one go about into the houses and
get up private preachings, but he should remain at home and mind his own
official business, or keep silent, if he neither will or can publicly take his
place in the pulpit. For God does not want us to go wandering about with his
word, as though we were impelled by the Holy Spirit and had to preach, and thus
were seeking preaching places and corners, houses or pulpits, where we are not
officially called. For even
But you say, “How? Is no one then to
teach anything except in public? Or is the head of a family not to teach his
servants in his house, or to have a scholar or some one about him who recites
to him?” Answer: Certainly, that is all right, and all just in place. For every
head of a family is in duty bound to teach his children and servants, or to
have them taught. For he is in his house as a pastor or bishop over his
household, and he is commanded to take heed what they learn, and he is
responsible for them. But it is all wrong for you to do this away from your own
house, and to force yourself into other houses or to neighbors, and you should
not allow any such sneak to come to you and to carry on special preaching in
your house for which he has no authorization. But if any one comes into a house
or city let him be asked for the evidence that he is known, or let him show by
letter and seal that he has been duly authorized. For one
must not trust all the stragglers that boast of having the Holy Spirit, and
insinuate themselves thereby here and there into the homes. In short, it
means that the gospel, or the preaching of it, should not be heard in a corner,
but up upon a mountain, and openly in the free daylight. That is one thing that
Matthew wants to show here.
The next thing is that he opens his
mouth. That belongs (as above said) also to a preacher, that he do not keep his
mouth shut, and not only publicly perform his official duty so that every one
must keep silence and let him take his proper place as one who is divinely
authorized and commanded, but also that he briskly and confidently open his
mouth, that is, to preach the truth and what has been committed to him; that he
be not silent or merely mumble, but bear witness, fearless and unterrified, and
speak the truth out frankly, without regarding or sparing any one, no matter
who or what is struck by it. For that hinders a preacher very much if he looks
about him and concerns himself as to what the people do or do not like to hear,
or what might occasion for him disfavor, harm or danger; but as he stands high
up, upon a mountain, in a public place, and looks freely all around him, so he
is also to speak freely and fear nobody, although he sees many sorts of people,
and to hold no leaf before his mouth, nor to regard either gracious or wrathful
lords and squires, either money, riches, honor, power, or disgrace, poverty or
injury, and not to think of anything further than that he may speak what his
office requires, even that for which he stands where he does.
For Christ did not institute and
appoint the office of the ministry that it might serve to gain money,
possession, favor, honor, friendship, or that one may seek his own advantage
through it, but that one should openly, freely proclaim the truth, rebuke evil,
and publish what belongs to the advantage, safety and salvation of souls. For
the word of God is not here for the purpose of teaching how a maid or man
servant is to work in the house and earn his or her bread, or how a burgomaster
is to rules a farmer to plough or make hay. In short, it neither gives nor
shows temporal good things by which one maintains this life, for reason has
already taught all this to every one; but its purpose is to teach how we are to
attain to that life, and it teaches thee to use the present life, and to nourish
the belly here as long as it lasts; yet, so that thou mayest know where thou
art to abide and live when this must come to an end. If now the time comes for
preaching of another life that we are to be concerned about, and for the sake
of which we are not to regard this one as if we wanted to remain here forever,
then contention and strife begin, so that the world will not endure it. If then
a preacher cares more for his belly and worldly living, he does not do his
duty; he stands up indeed and babbles in the pulpit, but he does not preach the
truth, does not really open his mouth; if there seems to be trouble ahead he
keeps quiet and avoids hitting anybody. Observe, this is why Matthew prefaces
his account with the statement that Christ, as a true preacher, ascends the
mountain and cheerfully opens his mouth, teaches the truth, and rebukes both
false teaching and living, as we shall hear in what follows.
V. 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.
This is a delightful, sweet and genial beginning of
his sermon. For he does not come, like Moses or a teacher of
law, with alarming and threatening demands; but in the most friendly manner,
with enticements and allurements and pleasant promises. And indeed, if
it had not been thus recorded, and if the first uttered precious words of the
Lord Christ had not been given to us all, an over-curious spirit would tempt
and impel everybody to run after them even to
But now that it is so common, that every one has it
written in a book, and can read it daily, nobody regards it as something
special and precious. Yes, we grow tired of them and neglect them, just as if not
the high Majesty of heaven, but some cobbler, had uttered them. Therefore we
are duly punished for our ingratitude and contemptuous treatment of these words
by getting little enough from them, and never feeling or tasting what a
treasure, force and power there is in the words of Christ. But he who has grace
only to recognize them as the words of God and not of man, will surely regard
them as higher and more precious, and never grow tired or weary of them.
Kindly and sweet as this sermon is for Christians, who
are our Lord’s disciples, just so vexatious and intolerable is it for the Jews
and their great saints. For he hits them a hard blow in the very beginning with
these words, rejects and condemns their doctrine and preaches the direct
contrary; yes, he denounces woe against their way of living and teaching, as is
shown in the sixth chapter of Luke. For the substance of their teaching was
this: If it goes well with a man here upon earth, he is happy and well off;
that was all they aimed at, that God should give them enough upon earth, if
they were pious and served him; as David says of them in Psalm 144: “Our
garners are full, affording all manner of store; our sheep bring forth
thousands and ten thousands in our streets; our oxen are strong to labor; there
is no breaking in or going out; there is no complaining in our streets.” These
they call happy people, etc.
Against all this Christ opens his mouth and says there
is something else needed than having enough here upon earth; as if to say: You
dear disciples, if you come to preach among the people, you will find that they
all teach and believe thus: He who is rich, powerful, etc., is altogether
happy; and again, he who is poor and miserable is rejected and condemned before
God. For the Jews were firmly fixed in this belief: if it went well with a man,
that was a proof that God was gracious to him; and the reverse. This is
explained by the fact that they had many and great promises from God of
temporal and bodily good things that he would bestow upon the pious. They
relied upon these, and supposed that if they had this they were well off. This
is the theory that underlies the book of Job. For in regard to this his friends
dispute with and contend against him, and insist strongly upon it that he must
have knowingly committed some great crime against God, that he was so severely
punished. Therefore he ought to confess it, be converted and become pious, then God would take away the punishment again from him, etc.
Therefore it was needful that his sermon should begin
with overturning this false notion and tearing it out of their hearts, as one
of the greatest hindrances to faith, that strengthens
the real idol mammon in the heart. For nothing else could follow this teaching
than that the people would become avaricious, and every one would care only for
having plenty and a good time, without want and discomfort; and every one would
have to infer: If he is happy who succeeds and has plenty, I must see to it
that I am not left in the lurch.
This is still to-day the common belief of the world,
especially of the Turks, who completely and thoroughly rely upon it, and thence
conclude that it would not be possible that they should have so much success
and victory if they were not the people of God and he were not gracious towards
them above all others. Among ourselves also the whole
papacy believes the same thing, and their teaching and life are based upon the
fact that they only have enough and besides have secured for themselves all
manner of worldly property; as everybody can see. In short, this is the
greatest and most widely diffused belief of religion upon earth, whereupon all
men of mere flesh and blood rely, and they cannot count anything else as
happiness. Therefore he here preaches an altogether different new sermon for
Christians, viz. that if it does not go well with them, if they suffer poverty
and have to do without riches, power, honor and a good time, they are still to
be happy and not to have a temporal, but a different, an eternal reward; that
they have enough in the kingdom of heaven.
Do you now say: How, must Christians then all be poor,
and dare no one have money, property, honor, power, etc.? Or, what are the
rich, as princes, lords, kings, to do? Must they give up all their property,
honor, etc., or buy the kingdom of heaven from the poor, as some have taught?
No; it is not said that we are to buy from the poor, but we are to be ourselves
poor and be found among those poor, if we are to have the kingdom of heaven.
For it is said plainly and bluntly: Blessed are the poor; and yet there is
another little word along with that, viz. spiritually poor, so that nothing is
accomplished by any one’s being bodily poor, and having no money and property.
For, outwardly to have money, property and people, is not of itself wrong, but
it is God’s gift and arrangement. No one is blessed, therefore, because he is a
beggar and has nowhere anything of his own; but the expression is, spiritually
poor. For I said already in the beginning that Christ is here not at all treating
of secular government and order, but is speaking only of what is spiritual –
how one aside from and over and above that which is outward is to live before
God.
It belongs to secular government that one should have
money, property, honor, power, land and people, and without these it could not
exist. Therefore a lord or prince must and cannot be poor; for he must have all
sorts of possessions suited to his office and rank. Therefore it is not meant
that one must be poor and have nothing at all of his own. For the world could
not exist in such a way that we should all be beggars and have nothing. For no head of a family could maintain his family and servants, if
he himself had nothing at all. In short, to be bodily poor decides
nothing. For we find many a beggar who gets bread at our door more proud and
evil-disposed than any rich man, and many a miserly farmer with whom it is
harder to get along than with any lord or prince.
Therefore be bodily and outwardly poor or rich, as may
be your lot, God does not ask about that; and he knows that every one must be
before God, that is spiritually and in his heart, poor; that is, not to place
his confidence, comfort and assurance in temporal possessions, nor fix his
heart upon them and make mammon his idol. David was an excellent king and had
indeed his purse and his chest full of money, his barns full of grain, the
country full of all sorts of goods and stores; yet along with this he had to be
spiritually a poor beggar, as he sings about himself: “I am poor, and a
stranger in the land, as all my fathers were.” Notice, the king who sits in the
midst of such possessions, a lord over land and people, dare not call himself
anything else than a stranger or a pilgrim who goes upon the highway and has no
place where he can abide. That means a heart that does not cling to property
and riches; but, although it has, yet it is as though it had not, as St. Paul
boasts of the Corinthians, 2 Corinthians
The meaning of all that has been said is that one is
to use all temporal good and bodily necessities, whilst he lives here, not
otherwise than as a stranger in a strange place, where he spends the night and
leaves in the morning. He needs no more than food and lodging, and dare not
say: “This is mine, here will I stay ;” nor dare he
take possession of the property as thou of right it belonged to him; else he
would soon hear the host say to him: “Friend, do you not know that you are a
stranger guest here? Go your way, where you belong.” Just so here; that you
have worldly goods, that is the gift of God to you for this life, and he allows
you indeed to make use of it and to fill with it the worm-bag (Madensack) that
you wear about your neck; but not that you fix and hang your heart upon it as
though you were to live forever; but you are to be always going farther and
thinking about another higher and better treasure that is your own and is to
endure forever.
This is roughly said for the common man, that one may
learn to understand (speaking according to the Scriptures) what it means to be
spiritually poor or poor before God, not to reckon outwardly as to money and
property, or as to want or superfluity, since we see (as above said) that the
poorest and most miserable beggars are the worst and most desperate scoundrels,
and dare to commit all sorts of knavery and evil tricks, which decent, honest
people, rich citizens or lords and princes, are not guilty of; on the other hand
also, many saintly people that have had plenty of money, honor, land and
people, and yet with so much property have been poor; but we must reckon
according to the heart, that it must not be much concerned whether it has
anything or nothing, much or little, and always to treat what it has as though
one did not have it, and had to be ready at any time to lose it, keeping the
heart always fixed upon the kingdom of heaven.
Again, he is called rich according to the Scriptures
who, although not having any worldly possessions, still scrambles and scratches
after them, so that he never can get enough. These are the very ones whom the
gospel calls rich bellies, who amid great possessions have the very least, and
are never satisfied with that which God gives them. For it looks into the heart
which is sticking full of money and worldly goods, and judges accordingly,
although there is nothing in the purse or money box. Again it judges him poor
in heart, though he has chest, house and hearth full. Thus Christian faith moves
straight forward; it regards neither poverty nor riches; it asks only how the
heart stands. If there be an avaricious belly there, the man is said to be
spiritually rich; and again, he is spiritually poor who does not cling to such
things and can empty his heart of them, as Christ elsewhere says: “He who
forsakes houses, lands, children, wife, etc., he shall have a hundred fold
again, and besides eternal life,” that he may bear away their hearts from
earthly good, so that they do not regard it as their treasure, and that he may
comfort his own, who have to forsake it, that they shall receive much more and
better, even in this life, than what they relinquish.
Not that we are to run away from property, home, wife
and child, and wander about the country burdening other people, as the
Anabaptist crowd does, that accuse us of not preaching the gospel aright
because we keep our home and stay by wife and child. No, such crazy saints he
does not want; but the true meaning is: Let a man be able in heart to leave his
earthly home, his wife and child, though staying in the midst of them,
nourishing himself along with them and serving them through love, as God has
commanded, and yet able, if need be, to give them up at any time for God’s
sake. If thou art thus disposed, thou hast forsaken all things in such a way
that thy heart is not taken captive, but remains pure
from avarice and from clinging to other things for comfort and confidence. A
rich man may properly be called spiritally poor, and need not therefore throw
away his earthly possessions, except when he must needs forsake them; then let
him do it in God’s name, not for the reason that he would rather be away from
wife, child and home, but would rather keep them as long as God grants it and
is served by his so doing, and yet willing if he wishes to take them from him
again.
So you see what it means to be spiritually and before
God poor, or spiritually to have nothing and forsake all. Now look also at the
promise that Christ adds, and says: “For of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
This is indeed a great, excellent, glorious promise, that
we are to have a beautiful, glorious, great, eternal possession in heaven,
since we are here gladly poor and regardless of earthly good. And as thou here
givest up a very small matter that thou wouldst still gladly use as long and as
much as thou canst have it, thou shalt instead thereof attain a crown, that
thou mayest be a citizen and a lord in heaven. This ought to influence us, if
we wanted to be Christians, and if we held his words to be true. But no one
cares who it is that says this, and still less what he says; they let it pass
through their ears in such a way that no one concerns himself about it any more
nor lays it to heart.
But he shows with these words that no one understands
this unless he is already a true Christian. For this trait and all the rest
that follow are simply fruits of faith which the Holy Spirit himself must work
in the heart. Where now faith is not, there the kingdom of heaven also will be
wanting, nor will spiritual poverty, meekness, etc., follow, but only sordid
raking and scraping, quarreling and noisily contending for worldly goods.
Therefore all pains are lost upon such worldly hearts, so that they never learn
or know what spiritual poverty is, nor do they believe or care for what he says
and promises about the kingdom of heaven; although for their sake he so orders
and ordains it that he who will not be spiritually poor in God’s name, and for
the sake of the kingdom of heaven, must still be poor in the devil’s name and
get no thanks for it. For God has so hung the greedy to their belly that they
are never satiated with their greedily gained good, nor can they ever be happy.
For squire greediness is such a merry guest, who never lets any one rest; he
seeks, pushes and hunts without ceasing, so that he dare not enjoy his dear
treasure for an hour; as Solomon the preacher too wonders and says: “A man to
whom God hath given riches, wealth and honor, so that he wanteth nothing for
his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof,
but a stranger eateth it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.” He must
always be afraid and anxiously concerned how he may keep what he has, and add
to it, that it perish not, or be diminished, and is so completely tied up that
he dare not cheerfully spend a penny. But if there were a heart that could be
content and satisfied, it would have rest and the kingdom of heaven besides;
otherwise along with great possessions, or indeed with its greediness, at must
have purgatory here and there hellish fire besides, and as they say: Travel
here with a barrow and there with a wheel; that is, have here trouble and
anxiety and there bitter grief.
Notice, God always overrules it so that his word must
remain true, and no one be saved or satisfied except Christians; and the rest,
although they have everything, yet they are none the better off – indeed are
not as well off, and must still be poor beggars, as far as the heart is
concerned; only that the former are willingly poor and are looking forward to
an imperishable eternal possession, that is to the kingdom of heaven, and are
blessed children of God; but the latter are greedy for worldly good and still
do not get what they want, and must besides be all the time martyrs of the
devil. And there is, in short, no difference between a beggar before the door,
and such a wretched greedy-gut, except that the one has nothing and can be put
off with a crust of bread, whilst the other, the more he has the harder he is
to fill, even though he should get all the world’s money and goods in a heap.
Therefore this sermon, as I said, is of no account for
the world, and answers for it no good purpose; for it insists upon being sure
of its case, and will not take anything upon faith, but must see it and handle
it, and says, it is better to have a sparrow in your hand than to be gaping at
a crane in the air. Therefore Christ lets them go, does not want to force
anybody or drag him to him by the hair; but he gives his kind counsel to all
who are willing to be advised, and holds out before us the most precious
promise. If thou wilt, thou hast here peace and rest in heart, and there
forever what thy heart shall desire. If thou wilt not, then go along and have
rather here and there all manner of misery and misfortune. For we see and know
that all depends upon being satisfied and not clinging to worldly good; as many
a one is whose heart God can fill, though he has only a bit of bread, so that
he is cheerful and better contented than any prince or king. In short, he is a
rich lord and emperor; need have no care, trouble or sorrow. That is the first
part of this sermon: He who wants to have enough here and there, let him take
heed that he be not greedy and avaricious, but accept and use what God gives,
and earn his daily bread in faith, then he will have here his paradise and even
the kingdom of heaven, as Paul says, 1 Timothy 4:8, “Godliness is profitable
unto all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to
come.”
V. 4. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be
comforted.
As he began this sermon against the teaching and faith
of the Jews (and indeed not of them alone, but of the whole world, even where
it is at its best, which clings to the notion that it is well off if it only
has possessions, honor, and its mammon, and it serves God only for this end),
he now continues and shows the folly of what they regarded as the best, most
blessed life upon earth, viz., having good, quiet days and suffering no discomfort,
as some are described in the seventy-third Psalm: “They are not in trouble as
other men, neither are they plagued like other men.”
For that is the chief thing that men desire, that they
may have joy and pleasure and have no trouble. Now Christ turns the leaf over,
states the exact opposite, and calls those blessed that have sadness and
suffering, and so throughout, all these statements are made in direct
opposition to the world’s way of thinking, as it would like to have it. For it
does not want to suffer hunger, trouble, disgrace, contempt, injustice and
violence, and those who can be free from all this it counts blessed.
So that he means here to say that there must be
another life than the one they seek and care for, and
that a Christian must see to it that he is a sufferer and sorrow-bearer in this
life. He who will not do this may indeed have a good time here, and live
according to all his heart’s desire, but he will have to suffer forever
hereafter, as Luke says,
See, that is exactly our text: “Blessed are they that
mourn, for they shall be comforted;” and again, as much as to say: Those who
here seek and have nothing but joy and pleasure shall weep and howl forever.
Do you ask again: What then are we to do? Are those
all to be damned that laugh, sing, dance, dress well, eat and drink? We surely read
about kings and holy people that were cheerful and lived well. And especially
Paul is a wonderful saint, who insists upon it that we be always cheerful,
Philippians 4:4, and says, Romans
Answer: Just as I said before, that to have riches is
no sin, nor is it forbidden; just so to be cheerful, to eat and drink well, is
no sin, nor is it condemnatory; in like manner it is not wrong to have honor
and a good name; and yet I am to be blessed if I do not have this, or can do
without it, and instead of this suffer poverty, wretchedness, disgrace and
persecution. So both of these things are here, and must be, to mourn and be
cheerful, to eat and suffer hunger, as Paul boasts concerning himself,
Philippians
Therefore, the meaning is: Just as not he is called
spiritually poor who has no money or anything of his own, but he who does not
hanker after it or put his confidence in it as if it were his kingdom of
heaven: so also not he is said to mourn who is always outwardly of downcast
countenance, looking gloomy and never laughing; but he who does not comfort
himself with having a good time and living sumptuously, as the world does –
that cares for nothing but having constant joy and pleasure, and revels in it,
and does not think or care how it goes with God or the people.
Thus many excellent, great people, kings and others,
that were Christians, have had to mourn and bear trouble, although they lived
splendidly before the world; as David everywhere in the Psalms complains about
his weeping and sorrowing. And also now I could easily give examples of great
people, lords and princes, who have had the same bitter experience with
reference to the precious gospel; as, now at the late diet at Augsburg and on other
occasions, although they got along very well outwardly, and were clothed in
princely style in silk and gold, and to all appearance were like those who walk
upon roses, yet they had to be daily right among poisonous serpents, and they
had to experience at heart such unheard-of arrogance, insolence and shame, so
many evil tricks and words from the shameful papists, who took pleasure in
embittering their hearts and as far as they could in preventing them from
having a single cheerful hour, so that they had to chew the cud of inward
misery and do nothing but lament before God with sighs and tears. Such people
know something of what it means to mourn and be sorrowful, although they do not
at once show it, but eat and drink with others, and sometimes with laughing and
jesting, to conceal their sorrow. For you must not think that mourning means
only weeping and lamenting, or wailing, like children and women; this is not
yet the real deep grief, if it has found its way to the heart and pours itself
out through the eyes; but that is it, when the real hard blows come that strike
and crush the heart, so that one cannot weep or dare complain to any one.
Therefore mourning is not
a rare plant among Christians, although it makes no outward show, even if they
would gladly be cheerful in Christ, and also outwardly as much as they can. For
when they look at the world they must daily see and be painfully conscious of
so much malice, arrogance, contempt for and blasphemy of God and his word, and
besides so much misery and misfortune that the devil occasions, both in church
and state, that they cannot have many cheerful thoughts, and their spiritual
joy is very weak. And if they were to look at such things all the while, and
did not sometimes turn their eyes away, they could never be cheerful at all; it
is enough that this really happens oftener than they would wish, so that they
need not go far to find it.
Therefore only begin and
be a Christian, and you will soon learn what mourning means. If you cannot do better,
take a wife, and settle yourself, and make a living in faith, so that you love
the word of God and do what belongs to your calling; then you will soon learn,
both from neighbors and in your own house, that things will not go as you would
like, and you will be everywhere hindered and hedged so that you will get
enough to suffer and must see what will make you sad at heart. Especially
however the dear preachers must learn this thoroughly, and be daily exercised
with it, so that they must take to heart all manner of envy, hatred, scorn and
ridicule, ingratitude, contempt besides, and revilement, so that they are
inwardly pierced and uninterruptedly tormented.
But the world will have none of this mourning,
therefore it seeks those callings and modes of living in which it can have a
good time and need not suffer anything from anybody, as the monks’ and priests’
calling used to be. For it cannot endure that it should in a divinely given
calling serve other people with constant care, trouble and labor, and get
nothing for this but ingratitude and contempt and other malicious treatment as
a reward. Therefore when things do not go with it as it wishes, and one is
scowled at by another, they can do nothing but pound away with cursing and
swearing, yes, and with their fists besides, and are ready to sacrifice
property and reputation, land and people. But God orders it so, that they still
must not get off so easily, that they need not see or suffer any misery, and he
awards to them as a recompense, because they try to avoid it, that they still
must suffer, and even make this twofold greater and heavier by their wrath and
impatience, and cannot have any comfort and good conscience. But Christians
have this advantage, that although they mourn they shall be comforted and be
blessed both here and there.
Therefore, whoever does not want to be out and out a
worldling, but to have part with Christians, let him be counted in as one who
helps to sigh and mourn, so that he may be comforted, as this promise tells. We
read of a case of this kind in the prophecy of Ezekiel, chapter nine, how God
sent six men with deadly weapons to the city of
For those who thus mourn may
properly have and take joy when they can, so that they do not utterly sink
through sadness. For Christ also added these very words and promised this
consolation, that they should not despond in their sorrow, or let the joy of
their heart be entirely taken away and extinguished, but should mingle this
mourning with consolation and refreshment, otherwise, if they never had any
comfort or joy, they would have to pine and shrivel away. For no man can endure
nothing but mourning; for it sucks out the very juices
of the body, as the wise man says: “Grief has killed many people.” Also: “A
gloomy spirit dries up the marrow in the bones.” Therefore we should not only
avoid this, but we should commend and urge such people to be cheerful sometimes,
if possible; or at least to moderate their grief and partly forget it.
Therefore Christ does not wish that there should be
nothing but mourning and sadness here, but warns against those who will not
mourn at all, who want to have only a good time and all their comfort here; and
he wants to teach his Christians, if it goes badly with them and they have to
mourn, that they may know that this is God’s good pleasure, and it should also
be theirs, and that they should not swear, or rage, or despair, as though their
God had no mercy. When this is the case, the little bitter draught is to be
mixed with honey and sugar, and so made less repulsive; that is the purpose of
this promise, that this is well pleasing to him, and that he calls them
blessed, besides that he comforts them here, and there they shall be entirely
relieved of sorrow. Therefore bid good-bye to the world and all that harm us, in the name of their lord, the devil, and let
us sing this song and be cheerful, in the name of God and Christ. For it will
surely not end with them as they wish; but, although they now rejoice at our
misfortune, and do much to injure us, we will still keep up good courage, and
shall live to see that they will have to weep and lament when we are comforted
and happy.
V. 5. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the
earth.
This beatitude follows admirably upon the first when
he said: Blessed are the poor in spirit, etc. For as he there promised the
kingdom of heaven and an eternal inheritance, so he here adds a promise of this
present life and possessions here upon earth. But how does this agree together?
to be poor and to possess the land? It seems to me
that the preacher has forgotten how he began. For, if one is to possess the
land and worldly goods, he cannot be poor. But he does not mean to say here
that to own the land and have all kinds of possessions here upon earth, means,
that every one is to possess a whole country; else God would have to create
more worlds; but he refers to the blessings that God bestows upon each one,
that he gives to one wife, children, cattle, house and home, and what is
implied in this, that he may abide in the land (where he lives) and have
control of his worldly goods, as the scriptures usually speak, and it is
repeatedly said in Psalm thirty-seven: “those that wait upon the Lord shall
inherit the earth;” also, “such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth,”
etc. Therefore, he himself adds here the gloss, that to be spiritually poor, of
which he spoke before, does not mean to be a beggar,
or to throw away money and goods. For he teaches here that
they are to remain and dwell in the land and have to do with earthly
possessions; as we shall hear bye and bye.
Now, what does it mean to be meek? Here you must, in
the first place, be again reminded, that Christ is not speaking at all about
the government and its official authority; for it does not belong to this to be
meek (sanftmuthig, as we use the word Sanftmuth in German); for it holds the
sword, that it may punish the wicked, and it has a wrath and vengeance that are
called the wrath and vengeance of God; but he is speaking only of individual
persons, how each one is to conduct himself towards others, aside from official
position and control; as father and mother, if they do not live as father and
mother towards their children, nor perform their official duty as father and
mother, that is, towards those who are not called father or mother, as
neighbors and others. For I have elsewhere often said that we must make a wide
difference between these two, office and person. He who is known as Jack or
Martin is a very different man from him who is called Elector, or Doctor, or
Preacher. For here we have two different persons in one man. One, in which we
are created and born, according to which we are all alike, man, woman, child,
young, old, etc. But when we have now been born, God makes of you another
person, makes you a child, me a father; one a master, another
a servant; this one a prince, that one a citizen, etc. That means then a
divine person, holding a divine office, and moves clothed
with its own dignity, and is not called simply Jack or Nicholas, but a
prince of
Therefore, if we hold official and authoritative
position, we must be strict and rigid, be wrathful and punish, etc. For here we
must do what God places within our reach and of his own accord commands us to
do. Beyond this, in what is unofficial, let every one learn for himself that he
be mild towards everybody, that is, not to deal with and treat his neighbor
unreasonably, with a hateful or revengeful spirit, like those who rush through
headlong, never willing to bear anything or yield an inch, but turning the
world upside down, never listening to anybody or excusing him for anything, but
pile on the bundles at once and never stop to think, only how they may take
vengeance and strike back again. Rulers are not hereby forbidden to punish and
enforce retribution by divine authority; but also no license is here granted
for a judge, burgomaster, lord or prince, who is a villain, and confounds the
two persons and goes beyond his official authority through personal malice, or
from envy, hatred and hostility (as often happens) under the mantle of office
and legal right’ as if our neighbors, under the name of the authorities, wanted
to carry out something against us which they could not otherwise accomplish.
And especially he is here talking again with his Jews,
as he had begun, who always insisted upon it that they were not to suffer
anything from a heathen and a stranger, and that they were always right if they
unhesitatingly avenged themselves, and quoted for this purpose the sayings of
Moses, as Deuteronomy
Observe, Christ is here rebuking those wild saints who
think every one is master in the whole world and has a perfect right to bear no
suffering, but only to make a racket and bluster, and with violence to defend
his own; and he teaches us that he who wishes to rule and possess his own, his
property, home, etc., in peace, must be meek, so that he may overlook things
and act reasonably, and suffer just as much as he can. For it cannot be
otherwise but that your neighbor will sometimes take advantage of or injure
you, either accidentally or through malice. If it was done accidentally, you
make it no better on your part if you neither can nor will endure anything. If
it was done maliciously, you only aggravate him by scratching and pounding,
whilst he is laughing at you and making merry that he is worrying and vexing
you, so that you still can have no peace or quietly enjoy your own.
Therefore choose one of the two, whichever you please:
either to live with meekness and patience among the people
and keep what you have with peace and a good conscience, or with racket
and rumpus to lose your own, and besides have no peace. For this is settled,
the meek shall inherit the earth. And look only yourself at those queer
characters that are always quarreling and disputing about property and other
matters, and yielding to nobody, but are determined to rush everything through,
whether they do not squander more by quarreling and contending than they could
ever gain, and at last lose land and people, house and home, with unrest and a
bad conscience besides; and God adds his sanction to it, which says: “Be then
not meek, so that you do not keep the land, nor enjoy your mite with peace.”
But if you want to live rightly and have rest, then
let your neighbor’s malice and hostility smother and extinguish itself;
otherwise you cannot better please the devil, or more greatly harm yourself,
than by getting up an angry racket. Have you a government over you? report the case and let them attend to it. For it is the
business of the government not to permit the innocent to be much oppressed; and
God will also overrule in such a way that his word and ordinance abides, and
you according to this promise come to possess the land. Thus you will have
peace and blessing from God, but your neighbor will have unrest, together with
God’s displeasure and curse. But this sermon is intended only for those who are
Christians, and believe, and know that they have their treasure in heaven, that is secure for them, and cannot be taken from
them; therefore they must have enough also here, although they do not have
chests and pockets full of red ducats. Since you know this, why will you let
your joy be disturbed and taken from you – yes, why even make disquiet for
yourself and rob yourself of this excellent promise?
Observe, you have now three points with three rich
promises, so that he who is a Christian must have enough, both temporal and
eternal, though he must here suffer much, both inwardly, in heart, and
outwardly. Again, the worldlings, because they will not endure poverty, nor trouble, nor violence, neither have nor enjoy either the
kingdom of heaven or worldly good with peace and quiet. You can read more about
this in Psalm thirty-seven, which is the real commentary upon this passage, and
richly describes how the meek inherit the earth and the ungodly are to be cut
off.
V. 6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst
after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Righteousness must here not be understood as being the
Christian righteousness in general, whereby the person becomes pious and
acceptable before God. For I have before said that these eight beatitudes are
nothing else than a teaching about the fruits and good works of a Christian,
which must be preceded by faith, as the tree and main body or sum of his
righteousness and blessedness, without any work or merit, out of which these
beatitudes must all grow and follow. Therefore understand here the outward
righteousness before the world, which we observe among ourselves towards
others, that this is the meaning, short and simple, of these words: he is a
really blessed man who perseveringly and assiduously strives to promote the
general welfare and the right conduct of every one, and who helps to maintain
and carry this out with word and deed, with counsel and act.
This is now also an excellent beatitude, which
comprehends very many good works, but which is by no means common. For
instance, that we may illustrate, if a preacher wishes to be counted as
hungering and thirsting for righteousness, he must be ready to instruct and
help every one in his calling, that he may conduct it properly and do what
belongs to it, and when he sees that there is something wanting, and things do
not go right, that he be on hand, warn, rebuke, and correct as well and by such
means as he can: thus that I, as a preacher, be faithful to my office, and
others to theirs, that they follow my teaching and preaching, and thus on both
sides the right thing is done. Where now there are such people as take a
special and earnest interest in gladly doing what is right, or in being found
rightly at work, these may be said to be hungering and thirsting after
righteousness. If this were the case there would be no knavery or injustice,
but complete righteousness and blessedness on earth. For what is the
righteousness of the world else than that every one do in his calling what is
due? That means that every one’s rights should be duly regarded, those of the
man, the woman, the child, the man servant and maid servant in the family, the
citizen or the city in the land; and it all amounts to this, that those who are
to oversee and rule other people execute this office with diligence,
carefulness and fidelity, and that the others also faithfully and willingly
render to these due service and obedience.
Nor does he without cause use the phrase: “Hunger and
thirst after righteousness;” he means thereby to indicate that in order to
attain it one must have great earnestness, a yearning eagerness and incessant
diligence: that where there is a lack of this hunger and thirst, all will
amount to nothing. The reason is this; for there are too many and great
hindrances, both on the part of the devil, who is everywhere blocking the way,
and on the part of the world, (namely his children,) which is so wicked that it
cannot endure a pious man, who wants to do right or help others to do it; but
it so annoys and worries him that in the end he loses patience and is out of
humor about it. For it is painful to see how shamefully people act, and reward
whole-hearted kindness with ingratitude, contempt, hatred and persecution.
Hence also many persons who could not bear to witness this base conduct, at
last grew desperate about it and took refuge in the wilderness, fleeing from
human society and becoming monks, so that the saying has often been verified:
“Despair makes a monk ;” either, that one does not trust to make his own living
and runs into a monastery for his stomach’s sake, as the great crowd has done;
or, that one despairs of the world and does not trust to remain pious in it or
to help other people.
But this is not hungering and thirsting after
righteousness. For he who wants to preach or rule in such a way, that he allows
himself to be made weary and impatient, and to scamper off into a corner, he
will be slow to help other people. It is not your duty to creep into a corner
or into the wilderness, but to come out briskly, if you were therein, and offer
both your hands and feet and your whole body for use, and hazard everything
that you have and can do; and you are to be such a man as can be hard against
hard, so as not to allow himself to be frightened off or dumfounded, or be
overcome by the ingratitude or malice of the world: but you should always push
along and persevere as much as possible. In short, you should have such a
hunger and thirst after righteousness that will never diminish or cease and
cannot be satiated, so that you care for nothing else, only so that you may
accomplish and maintain what is right, despising on the other hand everything
that would hinder you. If one cannot make the world altogether pious, let him
do what he can. It is enough, that he has done his own duty, and has helped
some, if only one or two. If the others will not follow, then let them go, in
God’s name. One must not run off because of the wicked, but conclude: it was
not undertaken for their sake, nor for their sake was it dropped; perhaps bye
and bye some of them may come to their senses, or there may be fewer of them, and
they may somewhat improve.
For here you have a consolatory, certain promise, with
which Christ allures and attracts his Christians, that those who hunger and
thirst after righteousness shall be filled; that is, that they shall be
delightfully rewarded for their hunger and thirst by seeing that they have not
labored in vain, and that at last some have been reached who have been
benefited; and it will be manifest not only here upon earth, but still more
hereafter, when every one will see what such people have accomplished by their
diligence and perseverance, although things do not now go as they would like,
and they have nearly lost heart; as when a pious preacher has snatched so many
souls out of the jaws of the devil and brought them to heaven; or a pious
faithful ruler has helped many lands and people, who bear this testimony of him
and praise him before the whole world.
Just the opposite, are the sham saints who out of
great sanctity forsake the world and run into the wilderness, or hide
themselves in corners, so that they may escape the trouble and worry that they
must otherwise endure, and pay no regard to what is going on in the world;
never once thinking upon it that they ought to help or advise other people with
doctrine, instruction, exhortation, reproof and correction, or at least with
praying and supplication to God. Yes, they are disgusted with it, and grieve
over it, that other people become pious, for they want to be considered the
only holy ones, so that whoever wants to get to heaven must buy from them their
good works and merit. In short, they are so full of righteousness that they
look contemptuously upon other poor sinners, just as the great saint Pharisee,
Luke 17, intoxicated with self-sufficiency, blurts out
his contempt for the poor publican, is profuse in his self-congratulations, so
that he pays his respects to God, and is thankful that he alone is pious and
other people bad.
Observe, these are the people against whom Christ here
speaks – the proud, self-sufficient spirits that tickle themselves with and
find joy and pleasure in the fact that other people are not pious, whereas they
ought to pity, compassionate and help them; they cannot do anything else but
despise, backbite, judge and condemn everybody; and everything must be stench
and filth except what they themselves do. But; that they should go and instruct
and benefit a poor faulty sinner, that they shun as
they would shun the devil. Therefore they will have to hear again, how Christ
exclaims about them, Luke
V. 7. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy.
This is also an excellent fruit of faith, and follows
well upon the preceding: he who is to help others and contribute to the common well-being
and success, should also be kind and merciful – that is, that he should not be
ready to raise a racket and make a disturbance if something be wanting, and
things do not go as they should, whilst there is still hope of improvement. For
that is one of the virtues of sham sanctity that it can have no compassion for
or mercy upon the fallible and weak, but insists upon the extremest strictness
and most careful selection, and as soon as there is the slightest failure, all
mercy is gone and they do nothing but fume and fret; as also St. Gregory shows
how to recognize this, and say: Vera justitia compassionem habet, falsa
indignationem – true holiness is merciful and compassionate, but false holiness
can do nothing but be angry and rage; and yet they say: Pro zelo justitiae, (as
they boast), that is, we do it through love and zeal for righteousness.
For all the world is coming to see that they have been
carrying on their mischievous and outrageous tricks under the beautiful,
excellent semblance and cover that they were doing it for the sake of
righteousness. Just as they have heretofore exhibited and are still exhibiting
their hostility to and treachery against the gospel under the name of
protecting the truth and exterminating heresy; they claim thereby to merit that
God is to crown them for this and raise them to heaven, as those who out of
great thirst and hunger for righteousness persecute, strangle and burn his
saints.
For they claim, forsooth, to have the name, even more
than the true saints, of hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and put
on such a sanctimonious appearance and use such admirable words, that they
think even God himself will not know any better. But the noble tree is known by
its fruits. For, when they should insist upon righteousness, that both
spiritual and temporal affairs be rightly conducted, they do not do it, do not
think of instructing and improving any one, live themselves in constant vice,
and if any one rebukes their conduct, or does not praise it and do as they wish,
he must be a heretic and let himself be damned to hell. See, just so is surely
every sham saint. For his selfrighteousness makes him so proud that he despises
everybody else, and can have no kind, merciful heart.
Therefore is this a necessary warning against these
abominable saints, so that every one may take care, if he has to do with his
neighbor, whom he should help and rectify in his way of living, that he still
may be able to be merciful, and forgive, that it may be seen that you are
honestly aiming at righteousness, and not wishing to gratify your own malice
and anger, and that you are so righteous that you deal amicably and gently with
him who is willing to desist from unrighteousness and become better, that you
bear with and endure his fault or weakness until he comes to terms. If,
however, you try all this, and still find no hope of improvement, then you may
give him up and turn him over to those whose place it is to punish him.
This is now one side of mercifulness, that one takes
pleasure in forgiving sinners and those at fault. The other is to be beneficent
also towards those who are externally in need or require help, which we call
works of mercy, from Matthew 25:35. This feature too the ostentatious Jewish
saints knew nothing about. For with them there was nothing but ice and frost,
yes a heart hard as a block or a stone, and not an affectionate drop of blood
that found pleasure in doing good to a neighbor, and no mercifulness to forgive
sin; they cared and planned alone for their own belly, although another might
die of hunger; so that there is much more mercifulness among open sinners than
in such a saint; as it cannot be otherwise, since they praise only themselves
and count themselves holy, despising every one else as of no account, and suppose
that all the world must serve them and give them plenty; but they are not under
obligation to give anything to or to serve anybody.
Therefore this sermon and exhortation is despised by
and of no account among such saints, and finds no scholars except those who are
already cleaving to and believing on Christ, who know of no holiness of their
own, but who, as already described, are poor, wretched, meek, really hungering
and thirsting, and so disposed that they despise nobody, but compassionately sympathize
with the need of everybody else. To these applies now the comforting promise:
It is well for you that are merciful, for you will find again abundant mercy,
both here and hereafter, and such mercy as inexpressibly far exceeds all human
benefactions and mercifulness. For there is no comparison between our
mercifulness and that of God, nor between our possessions and the eternal
treasures in the kingdom of heaven; and he is so pleased with our benefactions
to our neighbor that he promises us for a penny a hundred thousand ducats, if
it were necessary for us, and for a drink of water the kingdom of heaven.
Now, if any one will not suffer himself to be moved by
this excellent, comforting promise, let him turn the other side of the page and
hear another sentence: “Woe to the unmerciful, and let them be cursed, for no
mercy shall be shown to them; as now the world is full of such people, among
the nobility and citizens and farmers, who so wondrously sin against the dear
gospel that they not only give nothing to poor pastors and preachers, but
besides take and torment, where they can, and act just as if they meant to
starve it out and drive it out of the world, and notwithstanding go along quite
securely, thinking that God must keep quiet about it and let them do just as
they please.” But they will be struck some day, and, I fear, somebody will come
who will make of me (who have given warning enough) a prophet, and he will
treat them with perfect heartlessness, and besides take from them reputation
and property, body and life, that God’s word may remain true, and he experience
unmitigated wrath and eternal displeasure who will not show or have mercy, as
St. James says: “He shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no
mercy.” Therefore also Christ at the last day will adduce this unmercifulness
as the worst injury done against himself, even all that we have done out of
uncharitableness, and will himself utter the curse: “I was hungry and thirsty
and ye gave me no meat, ye gave me no drink, etc. Depart ye,
therefore, ye cursed, into everlasting, hellish fire,” etc. He warns and
exhorts us faithfully from pure grace and mercy. Whoever will not accept this,
let him choose the worse and eternal damnation. Consider the rich man, Luke
V. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
see God
This beatitude is somewhat obscure, and not so easily
understood by us who have such gross carnal hearts and minds, and it is hidden,
too, from all the sophists, who should really be the most learned, so that none
of them can say what it means to have a pure heart, and still less, what it
means to see God; they busy themselves with mere dreams and evil thoughts,
about matters of which they know nothing themselves by experience. Therefore we
must look at these words according to the Scriptures, and learn to understand
them correctly.
A pure heart, they fancy, means that a man runs off
from the community into a corner, a monastery, or the wilderness, and does not
think upon the world, nor concern himself about worldly affairs and business,
but amuses himself with nothing but heavenly thoughts; they have by this
fanciful teaching not only befooled and dangerously misled themselves and other
people, but have committed the murderous fault of holding as unclean the doing
of things and holding of positions in society that are unavoidable in the world
and indeed are by God himself appointed. But the Scripture speaks of this pure
heart and mind, that it is quite consistent with it that one be a husband, love
his wife and children, think about them and care for them, and busy himself about other matters that belong to such a relation.
For all this God has ordained. But what God has
ordained, that cannot be impure – yes, it is the very purity with which we see
God. Thus, when a judge acts in his official capacity and condemns a criminal
to death, that is not his office and work, but God’s.
Therefore it is a good, pure and holy work (if he be indeed a Christian) which
he could not do if he had not already a pure heart. Also, that must be called a
pure work and heart, although a man or maid-servant in the house performs a
dirty, filthy task, as hauling manure, or washing and cleaning children.
Therefore it is a shameful perversion when one pays so little attention to the
relations that are embraced in the ten commandments, and gapes after other,
special, showy works; just as if God had not as pure a mouth or eyes as we, or
as pure a heart and hand when he makes both man and woman: how should then such
works or thoughts make an impure heart? But thus they shall become blind and
fools who despise the word of God and measure purity only by the outward mask
and display of works, and meanwhile have to make mischief with their own
wandering thoughts, and stand gaping to climb up to heaven and feel after God,
until in the effort they break their own necks.
Therefore, let us understand rightly what Christ means
by a pure heart; and notice again, that this sermon was principally aimed at
and sharply directed against the Jews. For, as they wanted to have no
suffering, but coveted a life of ease, pleasure and joy, and would not hunger,
nor be merciful, but to be self-satisfied and the only pious ones, besides judging
and despising others; so their holiness, too, was this, that they must be
outwardly clean, in body, skin, hair, clothes and food, so that not even a
little spot dare be upon their clothing. And if any one touched a dead body, or
had a scab or the itch upon his person, he dared not approach other people;
that they regarded as purity. But that is not what constitutes being pure, said
he; but those I praise who take pains to be of a pure heart, as he says,
Matthew
What then is a pure heart? or
in what does it consist? Answer: It is easily told, and you need not climb to
heaven nor run into a monastery after it and make it out with your own
thoughts; but be guarded against all such thoughts as you call your own, as
against so much mud and filth, and know, that a monk in the monastery, when he
is sitting in his deepest contemplativeness, and thinking of his Lord God, as
he paints and imagines him to himself, is sitting (if you will pardon me) in
the dirt, not up to his knees, but over head and ears. For he
is following his own notions, without any word of God, which is simply lying
and delusion; as the Scriptures everywhere testify.
But that is a pure heart, that
is ever on the lookout for God’s word, and takes this in place of its own
thoughts. For only that is pure before God, yes purity itself, through which
everything that comes in contact with it and belongs to it is and is called
pure. So with a common rough mechanic, a cobbler or a smith, who sits at home,
though he be personally unclean and sooty, or smells badly on account of being
blackened and soiled, and thinks: My God has made me a man and given me a
house, wife and child, and ordered me to love them, and with my labor to
nourish them, etc. Now observe, he is making a heart matter of it with God,
and, although outwardly he stinks, inwardly he is perfectly fragrant before
God. But if he gets to be highly pure, so that he also embraces the gospel and
believes on Christ (without which indeed that purity cannot be), then he is
pure through and through, inwardly at heart towards God, and outwardly towards
everything that is under him upon earth, so that everything that he is and
does, whether he goes, stands, eats and drinks, etc., is pure to him, and
nothing can make him impure; so when he looks at his own wife or sports with
her, as the patriarch Isaac, Genesis 26:8, which to a monk is disgusting and
makes him impure. For there he has the word of God, and knows that God has
given her to him. But if he forsook his wife and took up another, or neglected
his trade or office and injured or worried other people, he would be no longer
pure; for that would be against the command of God.
As long, however, as he is faithful in these two
particulars, namely, in the word of faith towards God, by which the heart
becomes pure, and in the word of the knowledge of what he is to do towards his
neighbor in his calling, everything is pure to him, even if with his fists and
his whole body he is busy with dirt. A poor servant girl, if she does what she
ought to, and along with it is a Christian, she is before God in heaven a
beautiful, pure maid, so that all the angels applaud her and love to look at
her. On the other hand, the very strictest Carthusian, though he fasts and
castigates himself to death, does nothing but weep for pure devotion, and never
thinks about the world, and yet is without faith in Christ and love towards his
neighbor, is a mere stench and pollution, both inside and outside, so that both
God and the angels abominate and are disgusted with him.
So you see how all depends upon the word of God, so
that what is comprehended in and moves with that, must all be called clean,
pure and snow-white as to God and man. Therefore
Therefore guard yourself against all your own
thoughts, if you wish to be pure before God, and see to it that your heart is
established and fixed upon the word of God, then you
are pure over and above all Carthusians and saints in the world. When I was
young, they gloried in this proverb: Love to be alone and your heart will stay
pure; and they quoted in proof a saying of St. Bernard, who said whenever he
was among the people he befouled himself – as we read in the lives of the fathers
of a hermit, who would not have any one come near him or talk with anybody, and
said: “The angels cannot come to him who moves among men.” We read also of two
others who would not let their mother see them; and as she often watched her
opportunity and once took them by surprise, they presently closed the door and
left her standing without a long while weeping, until they, finally persuaded
her to go away and wait until they would see each other in a future life.
Behold, that was called a noble deed, and the height
of sanctity and most perfect purity. But what was it? There is the word of God:
“Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother.” Had they regarded that as holy
and pure, they would have shown their mother and their neighbor all honor, love
and friendship: on the contrary, following their own notions and self-chosen
holiness, they cut themselves off from them, and by their very attempt to be
the purest they most shamefully defiled themselves before God; just as though
the most desperate scoundrels could not have such thoughts and put on such an
appearance that one would have to say: “These are living saints, they can
despise the world and hold intercourse only with spirits; “ – yes, with spirits
from the bottom of hell. The angels like nothing better, than when we
familiarly handle the word of God; with such they love to dwell. Therefore let
the angels be undisturbed up there in heaven, and look for them here below,
upon earth, in your neighbor, father and mother, child and others, that you may
do to them what God has commanded, and the angels will not be far away from
you. I speak thus, that one may learn in this matter of purity to order himself
aright, and not go so far to hunt for it as the monks do, who have thrown it
quite out of the world and stuck it in a corner or into a hood; all of which is
stench and filth, and the true harboring-place of the devil; but let it be
where God has placed it, namely in the heart that clings to God’s word, and
uses its calling and all creatures in accordance therewith, in such a way that
both the entire purity of faith toward God is embraced therein, also outwardly
shown in this life, and everything is done in obedience to the word and command
of God, whether it be bodily clean or unclean.
So I have said above, concerning a judge who has to
condemn a man to death, and thus shed blood and pollute himself with it, which
a monk holds to be an abominably unclean deed; but the Scripture calls this
serving God; as St. Paul, Romans 13:1-4, calls “the higher powers” that “bear
the sword,” “the minister of God ;” and it is not their work and command but
his, that he lays upon them and demands from them.
Now you have the meaning of a pure heart that acts in
accordance with the clean and pure word of God. What is however their reward,
or what does he promise them? It is this, that they shall see God. A glorious
title and a splendid treasure! But what does it mean to see God? The monks have
here again their dreams, that it means to sit in the cells and meditate
heavenward, and lead a contemplative life – so they call it, and have written
many books about it. But it will never do to call that seeing God, when you
come harping on your own notions and scrambling heavenward; as the sophists and
our factious spirits and crazy saints insist upon measuring and mastering God
and his word and works by their own brains: but it is this, if thou hast a true
faith that Christ is thy Savior, etc., then thou seest at once that thou hast a
gracious God. For faith leads thee up, and opens for thee the heart and will of
God, where thou beholdest nothing but superabundant grace and love. That is
exactly what it means, to see God, not with bodily eyes, (for with these no one
can see him in this life,) but with faith, that beholds his paternal, friendly
heart, in which there is no wrath or disfavor. For he who regards him as
wrathful, does not see him aright, but has drawn a veil and cover, yes, a dark
cloud, over his face. But to behold his face, as the Scripture expresses it,
means to recognize him aright as a gracious, benevolent father, upon whom one
can rely for everything good; and this comes only through faith in Christ.
Accordingly also, if thou livest in thy calling after
the word and command of God, with thy husband, wife, child, neighbor and
friend, thou canst see what is the mind of God in regard to these relations,
and canst conclude that he is pleased, as that is not thine own dream, but his
word and command, that never belies or deceives us. Now it is a most excellent
thing, and a treasure above all that one can think or wish, to know that one is
standing and living aright towards God: in such a way, that not only the heart
can comfort itself with the assurance of his grace and glory in it, but that
one can know that his external walk and conversation is pleasing in his sight;
whence it follows that he can cheerfully and heartily do and suffer everything
and let nothing alarm or dishearten him. None of these things can they do who
do not have this faith and a pure heart that is guided only by God’s word; as
all the monks have openly taught that no man can know whether he is in a
gracious state or not; and it serves them just right, that, because they
despise faith and real godly works, and seek a purity of their own devising,
they must never see God, nor know how they stand with him.
For if you ask some one, who has most diligently
observed his hours for prayer, held his masses daily, and fasted, whether he is
sure too that God is pleased with this, he must say he does not know that, and
is doing it all at a venture; if it succeeds, let it succeed. It is not
possible for any one to say anything else. For no one can boastingly say: God
gave me this hood, or ordered me to wear it; he commanded me to hold this mass,
etc. We have all been groping in this blindness hitherto, when we were doing so
many so-called good works, making contributions, fasting, praying rosaries, and
yet we never dared to say: This work is well pleasing to God; I am sure of
this, and will die upon it. Therefore no one can say that in all his doing and
living he has ever seen God. Or if any one should presumptuously glorify such
works, and think that God must regard them favorably and reward them, that
would mean seeing not God, but the devil in place of God. For there is no word
of God for that, but it is all devised by men, grown out of their own hearts.
Therefore it can nevermore make any heart sure or satisfied, but it remains
hidden under presumption until the last hour comes, when it all vanishes and
drives into despair, and so it never comes to pass that one sees the face of
God. But he who lays hold upon the word of God and abides in the faith, can
maintain his stand before God and look upon him as his gracious Father, and
need not fear that God is standing behind him with a club; is sure that God is
looking graciously and smilingly upon him, together with all the angels and
saints in heaven.
See, that is what Christ means by this word, that only
those behold God who have this pure heart; whereby he cuts off and sets aside
all other sorts of purity, so that, where this kind is not, although otherwise
everything be pure in a man, it avails nothing before God, and he can never see
God. On the other hand, if the heart is pure, everything is pure, and it
matters not if outwardly everything be impure, yes, even if the body is full of
sores, scabs and leprosy all over.
V. 9. Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be
called the children of God.
Here the Lord honors with a high title and excellent
praise those who find pleasure in diligently trying to make peace, not only so
far as they are themselves concerned, but also among other people, that they
may help to settle ugly and tangled disputes, endure contention, guard against
and prevent war and bloodshed; which is indeed a great virtue, but very rare in
the world and among the sham saints. For those who are not Christians are both
liars and murderers, like their father, the devil. Therefore they serve no
other purpose than to create strife, contention, war, etc.; as we now find
among the priests, bishops and princes hardly anything but bloodhounds, who by
many tokens have abundantly shown, that there is nothing they would rather see
than that we should all swim in blood. Thus, if a prince becomes angry, he thinks
at once that he must begin a war; then he inflames and incites everybody, until
there has been so much warring and shedding of blood that he begins to be sorry
for it, and gives a thousand ducats for the souls of those that were slain.
These are nothing but bloodhounds; they cannot rest until they have taken
vengeance and sated their rage, until they have dragged their land and people
into wretchedness and misery; and yet they want to be called Christian princes
and have a good cause.
There is more needed to begin a war than that you have
a good cause. For although we are not forbidden here to carry on a war, as
above said, that Christ here does not mean to detract anything from the powers
that be and their official authority, but is teaching only individual people
who wish to lead for themselves a Christian life; yet it is not right that a
prince determines to have a war with his neighbor, even though (I say) he has a
good cause and his neighbor is in the wrong; but the meaning is: Blessed are
the peacemakers; so that he who wants to be a Christian and a child of God, not
only does not begin war and strife, but helps and advises for peace, wherever
he can, although there was reason and cause enough for going to war. It is
enough, if one has tried his best for peace and all avails nothing,
that one acts on the defensive, to protect land and people. Therefore
not Christians, but the children of the devil are those to be called, the
quarrelsome fellows, who rush to their rapiers and jerk their sword from its
sheath for a word; still more, however, those who now persecute the gospel, and
cause its preachers to be innocently burned or murdered, who have done them no
harm, but only good, and have served them with body and soul. But of these we
say nothing now, but of those only who maintain that they are right and have a
good cause, and think that they, as high and princely persons, ought not to
suffer, although other people would suffer.
It is also meant here, if injustice and violence are
done to you, that it is not right for you to consult your own foolish head, and
begin right away to take vengeance and strike back; but you are to think over
it and try to bear it and have peace. If that will not answer, and you cannot
endure it, you have law and governmental authority in the land, where you can
seek relief in a regular way. For the powers that be are ordained to guard
against this injustice and punish it. Therefore he who injures you, sins not
only against you, but rather against the authority itself, for the order and
command to keep the peace was given to it and not to you. Therefore let your
judge, whose business it is, avenge and punish this, for against him your
opponent has done the wrong. If you, however, take vengeance into your own
hands, you do still greater wrong, for you make yourself guilty of the same sin
as he who sins against the powers that be, and interferes with their office;
and by so doing you put your own good cause in the wrong. For the common saying
is: “He who strikes back is in the wrong, and striking back makes a quarrel.”
Notice now this is one thing that Christ here demands
against the revengeful and uproarious; and he calls those peacemakers, in the
first place, who help to make peace among the people, as pious princes,
counselors or jurists, and persons in authority, who hold their governmental
position for the sake of peace. In the second place, pious citizens and
neighbors, who by their salutary good counsel adjust, harmonize and settle
contention and strife (that has been occasioned by bad, poisonous tongues)
between husband and wife, or among neighbors; as St. Augustine boasted of his
mother, Monica, that when she saw two at outs she always spoke the best on both
sides, and whatever of good she heard about the one party that she brought to
the other, but whatever of evil she heard that she kept quiet, or mildened it
as much as she could, and thus she often effected a reconciliation. For it is among the women particularly that the shameful vice of
slander is prevalent, often so that great trouble is occasioned through an evil
tongue. To this those bitter and poisonous brides of the devil largely
contribute, who if they hear a word about anybody give it a point and edge, and
intense bitterness against others, so that sometimes wretchedness and murder
are the result.
This all comes from the fact that there is naturally
sticking to us the shameful, devilish filth, that every one likes to hear and
tell the worst about his neighbor, and is tickled if he sees a fault in some
one else. If a woman were as beautiful as the sun, and had any mark or little
spot upon her body, one should forget everything else and look only for the
spot, and talk about that. So, if some one were the most renowned for honor and
virtue, yet a poisonous tongue shall come along and say she had been seen once
laughing with somebody, and so defame her as to eclipse all her praise and
honor. Such are real poisonous spiders that can suck nothing but poison out of a beautiful, lovely rose, and ruin both the
flower and the sap, whilst a little bee sucks nothing but honey out of it and
leaves the roses uninjured. That is the way those act, who discern nothing in
other people, unless there is something faulty or impure in them, which they
can blame; on the other hand, what there is good in them, they do not see; for
men have many virtues which the devil cannot destroy, and yet he hides or
defaces them that they shall not be seen. So, in the case of a woman, though
she be very full of faults and have no other virtue, yet she is a creature of
God, and can at least carry water and wash clouts; and there is no person upon
earth so bad that there is not something in him that one must praise. How is
it, then, that we leave out of view the good and feast our eyes upon what is
impure, as if we took delight (by your leave) in looking only at a man’s
behind, when God himself has covered the uncomely parts of the body, and (as
Paul says, 1 Corinthians 12:24) “has given more abundant honor to that part
which lacked?” And we are such a filthy set, that we seek only after that which
is dirty and stinks, and wallow in it like hogs.
See, those too are real children of the devil, who
himself gets his name from doing that, so that he is called diabolus, that is,
a disgracer and reviler, who finds his pleasure in this, that he puts us most
completely to shame, and embitters us among ourselves, so that he may occasion
only murder and misery, and allow no peace or concord between brethren and
neighbors, husband and wife. I once heard of a case of this kind, of two
married persons who lived together in such love and harmony that they were the
town’s talk, and when the devil could not hinder this in any way, he sent an
old hag to the woman, who told her that her husband was going with another
woman and meant to kill her; she thus embittered her heart against her husband,
and advised her to conceal a knife about her person, that she might get ahead
of him. When she had accomplished this, she went to the husband and told him
the same about her, that she meant to murder him, and
in proof of it (said she) he would find at night a knife beside her in bed.
That he then found, and cut off her head with it. Whether this be true or not,
it shows at all events what wicked, poisonous tongues can do, even between
those who heartily love each other, so that they may properly be called
devil’s- months or female devils, as he, the devil, diabolus, signifies nothing
else than a bitter, poisonous, evil mouth.
Therefore be on your guard against such as these, that
you pay no attention to them, and learn to put the best construction upon, or
even to conceal, what you hear about your neighbor, so that you may make and
keep peace and harmony; then you can be called with all honor a child of God
before all the world and the angels in heaven. You should let yourself be drawn
and attracted by this honor – yes, you should run after it, if that were
possible for you, even to the end of the world, and gladly give for it all that
you have. Now you have it here offered to you and spread before you for
nothing, do not need to do or give anything for it, except that if you want to
be a child of God, that you also show yourself to be that, and do the works of
your Father towards your neighbor. For thus has our Lord
Christ done for us when he reconciled us to the Father and secured his favor,
and still daily intercedes for us and pleads our cause.
Do thou likewise, that thou mayest be a pacificator
and mediator between thy neighbors, and carry the best to both sides, but
withhold the bad, that the devil has inspired, or explain it as well as you
can. If you come to Margaret, do as was said of Monica, the mother of
Augustine, and say: O, dear M., why are you so bitter? She surely don’t mean it
ill; I see nothing else about her but that she would like to be your dear
sister, etc. In like manner, if you meet with Catharine, do the same with her.
Then as a true child of God you would have effected on
both sides a peace, as far as you could.
But if you will or must speak of the evil, then do as
Christ has taught you. Do not carry it to others, but go to him who has done
the wrong and exhort him to do better; not in such a way that you make a
display of it when you come, and expose the person concerned; that you speak
when you should be silent, and be silent when you should speak. This is one and
the first way that you should deal alone between yourself and your neighbor.
If, however, you must tell it to others, if the other course does not answer,
then tell it to those whose duty it is to punish, father and mother, master or
mistress, burgomaster and judge, etc. That is the right and regular course to
pursue, that what is wrong may be done away or punished. Otherwise, if you
spread it among other people, the person remains unbenefited, and the evil
unrebuked, and will besides be reported abroad by
yourself and others, so that it will be on everybody’s tongue. Notice how a
pious physician does with a sick child; he does not run about among the people
and herald it abroad, but he goes to the child and examines his pulse, or
whatever is necessary, not that he may gratify his pleasure at the child’s
expense, or make fun of him, but with the good and kind intention of helping
him. So we read of the holy patriarch Joseph, Genesis 37:2,10,
who was with his brothers, by the cattle, and when they were badly reported of,
he went and told it to their father, as their master, in whose place it was to
look into the matter and punish them, for they would not hear him.
But you may say: Why then do you yourself publicly
attack the pope and others, and do not keep the peace? Answer: One must advise
and help all he can for peace, and keep silence as well as he can. But, when
the sin is public, and becomes too widely spread, or does public injury (as the
pope’s teaching), then it is no longer right to be silent, but to protest and
rebuke, especially for me and others, who are in public office, whose duty it
is to teach and warn everybody. For the command and duty has been laid upon me,
as a preacher and doctor, who am to watch that no one is misled, so that I may
give account of this at the last judgment. So
V. 10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for
righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
I have said above that these statements and promises
must all be understood as matters of faith, and as said concerning things that
are not seen nor heard, and they have no reference to outward appearances. For
how can those be said to be prosperous and blessed outwardly who are poor and
mourn, and besides must suffer all sorts of persecution, which things the whole
world and reason call adversity, and which they teach to avoid? Therefore
whoever wants to have the blessedness and the good things that Christ here
speaks of, he must lift up his heart above all senses and reason, and not judge
himself by his feelings, but must argue thus: Am I poor, then am I not poor.
Poor I am outwardly, according to the flesh, but before God in faith I am rich.
So, when he feels sad, dejected and worried, he must not judge accordingly and
say he is an unhappy man, but he must turn about and say: I feel sadness,
indeed, misery and inward sorrow, but nevertheless I am blessed, cheerful and
comfortably fixed upon the word of God. Just the opposite of this is the case,
too, in the world, so that those who are called rich and happy are not so. For
Christ utters his woe against them, and calls them unhappy, although it appears
as if they were well off and succeeding admirably. Therefore they should raise
their thoughts above riches and a good time which they are enjoying, and should
say: I am indeed rich and live in the midst of enjoyment, but alas for me if I
have nothing else than this! For amid all this there must assuredly be abundant
misery, wretchedness and sorrow, that will overtake me
before I am aware of it. The same is true of all these sayings, that every one
of them has a different aspect before the world from that it wears according to
these words.
Now we have hitherto treated nearly all the parts of a
Christian mode of living and the spiritual fruits of faith in these two aspects:
First, as to his person, that he is poor, sad, miserable,
suffers want and hunger, and along with this, towards others is a useful,
beneficent, merciful, peaceable man, and does nothing but good works. Here he
now adds the last, how he is treated for all this – that although he is full of
good works, even towards enemies and evil men, he must get this reward from the
world, that he is persecuted, and lose body, life and everything for it.
Therefore, if you wish to be a Christian, consider
this well, that you may be unterrified, and not on that account become out of
heart and impatient, but be cheerful and content with it all, and know that you
are not badly off when this happens to you. For the same thing happened to
himself and all the saints, (as is soon hereafter stated,) and to those who
wish to be Christians it is for this reason thus foretold, that they shall and
must suffer persecution. Therefore you must make your choice. You have two ways
open before you, either towards heaven and eternal life, or towards hell;
either with Christ or with the world. But you must know this: If you live so
that you will have a good time here, and no persecution, then you will not get
to heaven with Christ, and the converse; and you must, in short, either let Christ
and heaven go, or choose this, that you will suffer all manner of persecution
and evil treatment in the world. In a word, he who will have Christ, must
forfeit personal ease, life, goods, honor, the favor of the world, and not be
frightened at contemptuous treatment, ingratitude or persecution.
The reason is this: The devil is a wicked, wrathful
spirit, and neither can nor will endure it that a man enters the kindom of God.
If any one undertakes to do this, he throws himself in his way, and stirs up
and tries all the opposition against him that he can. Therefore, if you wish to
be a child of God, get ready for persecution, as the wise man says, and Paul in
2 Timothy
But he adds significantly this expression: “for
righteousness’ sake;” to show that it is not enough to be persecuted if this be
wanting. For the devil and bad people must also endure persecution and one
scoundrel often quarrels with another, and they are not mutually friendly; as
one murderer persecutes another, a Turk makes war upon a Tartar, but these are
not for that reason happy; but it is true only of those who are persecuted for
righteousness’ sake; as also Peter, 1 Peter
Therefore see to it, that you have in the first place
a real divine cause for the sake of which you must suffer persecution, and are
really sure of it, so that your conscience can safely rest upon it, even if the
whole world were opposed to you. Therefore, first of all, the word of God must
be confidently and firmly grasped, so that no doubt or hesitation can arise
from that source. As, if now the emperor, bishops or princes wanted to forbid
married life, liberty to eat, using both forms in the sacrament, etc., and
would persecute you on that account: then you must see to it, that your heart
is sure of the matter and firmly convinced that the word of God has made these
things free and unforbidden, yes, commands us to make a serious matter of them
and stake even life upon them. Thus you can confidently say: this cause is not
mine, but it is that of my Lord Christ. For I have not concocted it out of my
own head, nor have I undertaken or begun it of my own accord, or at the advice
or suggestion of any one else; but I have received it from the mouth of Christ,
brought down and announced from heaven, who never belies or deceives me, but is
himself pure truth and righteousness. Upon the word of this man I will venture
to suffer, to do and leave undone whatever is befitting, and his word, by
itself, shall avail more to comfort and strengthens my heart, than the raging
and threatening of all devils and of the world can avail to terrify me.
For what does it amount to, if a prince or emperor is
foolishly furious in his rage, and threatens with sword, fire or the gallows,
if my Savior on the contrary, friendly communes with my heart and comforts me
with these assurances that I am blessed, and in hearty sympathy with my God in
heaven, and all the heavenly host and holy beings call me blessed? If my heart
and mind are in such a state that I can suffer for the sake of his word and
work, why should I allow myself to be frightened by these wretched people, who
indeed rage and foam in hostility against God, but who suddenly vanish like
smoke or like poor soap-bubbles? As the prophet Isaiah says, 51:12 sq.: “I,
even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid
of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
and forgettest the Lord thy Maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens and
laid the foundations of the earth,” etc., that is, he is everlasting and
almighty who comforts thee and has pleasure in thee: when they all shall have
vanished he will still be sitting above there, and thou too. Why will you then
care more for the threatening and fuming of a miserable, stinking maggot-bag,
than for this divine consolation and approbation? You should rather thank God,
and be heartily glad of. it, that you are worthy to
suffer thus, as the apostles went forth ( Acts
See, are we not now highly blessed with
these words, if we only accept it with loving gratitude? for
there is no lack of persecution. And we have along with it the great advantage,
that our enemies themselves cannot condemn our cause, and must confess (no
thanks to them for it) that it is right and the truth; but there is this wanting
in the matter, that we should teach it, for they will not learn or accept from
us, what has never happened or been heard of before. Therefore, what we suffer
on this account is a holy, blessed suffering, as they must themselves bear
witness, and it is now no longer a human, but a real devilish persecution, so
that they say we must and shall not call it the word of God, but must hold our
tongue and not preach, unless we first go and fall at the feet of the Pope, and
submit to be judged as it may please him and his minions.
Therefore let us suffer, so much the more willingly
and joyfully, everything that they can do against us, because we have the
strong, sure consolation, and great, glorious satisfaction, that our teaching
and cause are confirmed by their own mouth; besides that, we hear in this place
the excellent charming promise that we shall be well rewarded in heaven, and
are to rejoice and exult in this, as those who do not need to look forward to
heaven, but have it already; and they with their persecuting only the more help
us thitherward, yes, actually drive us toward heaven. Now see, whether these
simple, short words cannot give as much courage as the whole world can do, and
inspire more comfort and joy than all the suffering and torment that our
enemies can inflict upon us; if we do not hastily skim over them, but heartily
appropriate them and duly consider them.
This we have to say as to the persecution that is
carried on by actual violence and affects person or property, when Christians
are seized and tortured, burned, hanged and massacred; as happens now, and has
happened heretofore. Beyond this there is another kind of persecution which is
called defamation, disgracing, putting to shame, which concerns our honor and
good name, in which way Christians above all others have to suffer. Of this
Christ now further treats.
V.11. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and
persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my
sake.
This is also a great, severe persecution, and (as
above said) the real suffering of Christians, that they are most bitterly and
poisonously slandered and defamed. For, although other people too must suffer
persecution, so that they are violently and unjustly treated; yet men are
satisfied with allowing them to retain their honor and good name. This is
therefore still no real Christian suffering. For to this it is not enough that
all manner of tortures and torments are imposed upon them; but along with this
their name must be most shamefully spit upon and slandered, so that the world
loudly boasts, when it murders the Christians, that it has executed the worst
scoundrels, whom the earth could no longer carry, and that it has done God the
greatest and most acceptable service, as Christ says, John 16:2; so that there
is no name upon earth so slandered and disgraced as that of a Christian, and no
people so bitterly opposed and attacked by such malicious, poisonous tongues as
the Christians.
They are showing this now thoroughly in their
treatment of the dear gospel and its preachers, by such slanderous abuse,
lying, deception, evil artifices, and malicious misrepresentations, that one
would rather die ever so often than endure these poisonous, malicious darts.
Here comes the Pope hurling his thunderbolts and damning us under nine hells,
as children of the very worst devil. In like manner his hangers-on, bishops and
princes, are raging and roaring with such an abominable vilifying and reviling
as to strike one through and through, so that one: would at last have to become
weary, and be no longer able to endure it, if we had not a stronger and
mightier consolation than all their malice and rage amounts to. Therefore we
let them rage and defame, that they may plague themselves and have the
scorching misery with their poisonous insatiable hatred and envy. But we are
well satisfied and in good spirits. If they are determined to be very angry and
rage, we can, on the other hand, laugh and be cheerful.
Therefore I say again: Let him who wants to be a
Christian know that he must expect to suffer such persecution from poisonous,
wicked, slanderous tongues, especially where they can do nothing with their
fists, that he may let all the world sharpen their tongues upon him, and aim at
him, sting and strike him, and he on the other hand only defiantly despise all
this, and besides laugh in God’s name, and let them rage in the name of their
god, the devil, in the comfortable assurance (as above said) that our cause is
right, and is God’s own, which they must themselves confirm, although they
indeed condemn us, and yet say it is the truth; besides, our heart and
conscience before God are assured that we are teaching aright. For we are not
teaching out of our own head and reason or wisdom, nor are we seeking our own
advantage, property or honor thereby before the world; but we preach and praise
only God’s word and his doings. On the other hand they, our enemies, glory in
nothing but their own works, merits and holiness, and us, who do not practice
these things with them, they persecute on that account.
For they do not persecute us as if we were adulterers,
robbers or thieves, etc.; they can indeed tolerate amongst them the most
desperate scoundrels and villains; but they raise a terrible hue and cry,
because we will not approve their doctrine and life, and praise only the
gospel, Christ, faith and really good works, and thus suffer not for ourselves,
but everything for the sake of Christ the Lord. Therefore we will sing the
whole tune with them, and we will show them that our head is harder than
theirs. For, in a word, they must let the man alone, whether
they like it or not.
V. 12. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is
your reward in heaven.
These are surely sweet, comforting words,
that ought to make our heart cheerful and courageous against all sorts
of persecution. Ought one not to regard as dearer and of more account the word
and consolation of the dear Lord, than that of an impotent maggot-bag, or the
raging, threatening, excommunicating, cursing and thundering of the abominable
Pope, even if he were to pour out upon us the very dregs and whole hell of his
wrath and cursing, like a cloudburst; because I hear that Christ my Lord is so
heartily pleased, and orders me to be myself happy along with it, besides he
promises me such an excellent reward, that the kingdom of heaven shall be mine
and everything that Christ has, along with all saints and all Christendom; in
short, such a treasure and consolation that I ought not to exchange it for all
the world’s possessions, joy and music, although every leaf and blade of grass
were a tongue that sang my praises. For here it is not a Christian that calls
one blessed, yes, not an angel, but the Lord of all the angels, at whose feet
both they and all creatures must fall and offer supplication. Therefore they,
along with all other creatures, even the very leaves and grass, must cheerfully
join in singing about me and dancing in my praise.
And what on the other hand are they who slander and
curse me but mere nits and lousy fellows (pardon the expression), yes, much
more infamous than can be told. Even if all creatures, the leaves and blades of
grass in the forest, and the grains of sand along the sea-shore, were so many
tongues to rebuke and annihilate them, what would all that be in contrast with
the single word of this man? For his voice sounds so clearly that heaven and
earth must be filled and resound with it, whilst on the other hand the
slobbery, hoarse scratching and coughing of his enemies are no longer heard.
See, thus we ought to learn a little how to use and
take advantage of these words, that do not stand here in vain, but were spoken
and written to strengthen and comfort us, with which he as our dear Master and
faithful Shepherd or Bishop, equips us to be unterrified and well prepared to
suffer, if they impose upon us all manner of torment and misfortune for his
sake, both by words and deeds, and that we may despise all that is offensive to
us, and condemn it despite our reason and heart.
For, if we are led by our own thoughts and feelings,
we have a hard time of it, and it hurts that one should serve, help, advise and
benefit the world and everybody, and get no thanks for it but the very worst,
most bitter hatred, and cursed, poisonous tongues, so that, if flesh and blood were
to rule here, it would soon say: If I am to get nothing else for this, then let
who will cling to the gospel and be a Christian, and let the devil henceforth
help the world, if it will have it so. Hence too everybody is now complaining
and crying – the gospel is making much discord, strife and disturbance in the world, and everything is worse since it has been published
than it was before, when every thing moved along quietly, and there was no
persecution, and the people lived together as good friends and neighbors.
But this is what it means: If you will not have the
gospel or be a Christian, then go and be a worldling, and nobody will persecute
you, and you will be a friend of the world. But if you will have the gospel and
Christ, then you must expect to have trouble, contention and persecution
wherever you go. Reason: because the devil won’t allow it to be otherwise, or
cease to egg the people on against the gospel, so that all the world is
incensed against it; just as now farmers, citizens, noblemen, princes and
lords, who are hostile to the gospel from sheer wantonness, and do not
themselves know why.
Therefore I make this reply to these idle talkers and
grumblers: There neither can nor ought to be a peaceful, quiet state of things.
For how could it be so where the devil is ruling, and is a
deadly enemy to the gospel? And this, indeed, not without reason, for it
hurts him in his kingdom, so that he feels it; and if he would let it move on
unhindered, his kingdom would soon be totally destroyed. But if he is to resist
and hinder it, then he must rally all his art and power, and stir up against it
whatever he can. Therefore do not hope for any peace and quietness as long as
Christ and his gospel are in the midst of the devil’s kingdom. And woe upon the
pleasant and comfortable time that used to be, and upon those who now wish to
have it back again! For this is a sure sign that the devil is ruling with great
power, and no Christ is here; as I, alas! am
concerned, lest it be so again, and the gospel be taken away from us Germans
all too soon, which is what these noisy fellows are struggling for.
But we have this assurance, that it is not our fault
that things are not going right. For we would be heartily glad if everything
went right, and have done our part by teaching, exhorting, beseeching,
entreating and yielding, even towards our enemies, offering them peace, and
everything that we ought to do; yet we accomplish nothing, except that they
persecute, slander and abuse us most shamefully, and cannot cease until they
may cool their rage in our blood. As it will not there fore be otherwise, we
let them go on at last with their threatening, raging and defaming, and take to
ourselves the comfort of which we have heard, assured, that they cannot
accomplish what they desire unless they first have hurled Christ from heaven,
and made him, with all that he has said, a liar.
V. 12. “For thus persecuted they the prophets that were
before you.”
You are not alone (he means to say) in suffering thus.
Look about you and count backward to all the holy fathers that ever lived
before you, and you will find that they were served the same way. What special
treatment do you expect? Is he to change his plan on your account? He had to
suffer it in the case of his dear patriarchs and prophets, that they were
persecuted and slain, besides being persecuted and traduced by everybody, and
made the mock of the world, as we see in the Scriptures, that it was a common
proverb, if one wishes to name a prophet, one names for them a fool; as in the
history of Jehu, 2 Kings
See, this is surely an excellent, precious Preacher
and faithful Master, who omits nothing that serves to
strengthen and console, both by word and promise, besides by the example and
testimony of all the saints and of himself; and with this agree all the angels
in heaven and all creatures. What more, then, should we have and desire? Should
we not in consideration of such consolation, for his sake patiently endure the
wrath and insolence of the world and the devil? What would we do, if we had not
a righteous divine cause, and such excellent assurances, and still had to
suffer like other people who have no consolation? For it cannot be in the world
that one need not suffer anything, and there must be (as above said) some
suffering on account of the gospel, that the pious may thereby be tested and
helped to their promised consolation, joy and blessedness; but the wicked and
despisers or enemies of the gospel be punished and damned.
Thus now, has Christ hitherto prepared and instructed
his Christians, how they are to live and suffer in the world, and especially
those who are to hold public office in the Church; although even aside from
this, every Christian ought to be always ready to stand by himself, where it is
necessary, to confess his Lord, and to represent his faith, and be always
ready-armed against the world, the devil, the mob, and whatever may be arrayed
against him. Now he goes further, and means to commit to them the office, and
teach them how to administer it; afterward also to lay
upon their lips what and how they are to preach. For with these characteristics
a Christian is entirely perfect if he personally lives right and suffers
variously because of this, if he afterwards also properly administers his
office, in which he is to serve and help others. Thus he now adds:
V. 13. Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt
have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing,
but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
With the word salt he indicates (as above said) what
their office is to be. For salt is not salt for itself; it cannot salt itself;
but this is the use of it, that one salts meat with it, and other things needed
in the kitchen, so that they retain their taste, re main fresh, and do not
decay. So, says he, Ye are also salt; not that which belongs to the kitchen,
but that with which this flesh, which is the whole world, may be salted. This is
indeed a glorious office, and a great, excellent honor, that God should call
them his salt, and adds, that they are to salt everything that is upon earth.
But to be this a man is needed, who is ready, as Christ has hitherto taught, to
be poor, wretched, thirsty, meek, etc., and to suffer all kinds of persecution,
reviling and defamation. If this be wanting, the man will never be a preacher
who will do the right kind of salting, but he will be a savorless salt, that is
of no manner of use.
For it is asking a great deal, and heaping it on too
heavily, that the poor fishermen or any poor despised man should be called
before God a salt of the earth, and undertake to lay hold and salt everything
that is of human kind upon earth. Reason and nature cannot do it; for it grows
weary of it, and cannot bear that it must get from it only disgrace, shame and
misfortune, and would soon say: Let the devil salt the world for me. Therefore
our holy fathers, bishops, monks and hermits have acted shrewdly in neglecting
preaching and attending to other matters, or have withdrawn from intercourse
with the people; for they saw that it costs too much to sit in constant danger
of losing honor, property and life, and they thought, we will hand it over to
others, and meanwhile creep into corners and serve God, having a good time.
Hence it is a difficult matter to be an apostle or
preacher, and fill such an office; yes, impossible, judging according to flesh
and blood. But there must be such people as do it willingly for the sake of God
and Christ the Lord, who does not wish to force any one to it or drive him with
commands. For to be a Christian demands a willing heart; he who does not
heartily desire it had better let it alone. But our joyful and defiant
confidence is this, when we are in trouble, the world and the devil looking
askance at us, and doing us all the harm they can, that he says to us: Ye are
the salt of the earth. When this word shines into the heart, so that a man can
rely upon it, and be absolutely sure that he is God’s salt, then let him be
wrathful and malicious who will not laugh. I can be more confident and boast
more upon his single word than they upon all their power, swords and guns. For
because he recognizes me as being that, and gives the evidence of it through his
word, all the angels in heaven, yes, sun and moon, together with all creatures,
must confirm it and stand by us against the world and the devil. And even if
that were not so, we would still have enough in his single word, that he thus
names and baptizes us. That they must let stand; and we will surely be before
them in honor as long as Christ and his word endures.
Now it is easy to understand how it is with this
salting, namely, that one must stand up and say: everything that is born and
lives upon earth, is of no account, it is rotten and corrupt before God. For,
because he says bluntly and plainly, they shall be a salt of the earth, that
is, as to everything that the world is; then it must follow, that everything
that is in the world, and is called flesh, or mankind, must be rebuked and
thoroughly salted, so that we condemn the sanctity, the wisdom and the divine
worship of all the world, self-devised, aside from the word of God, as coming
from the devil and belonging to the pit of hell, if it do not hold to Christ
alone. This is then a harsh style of preaching; it makes us disagreeable to the
world, and deserves that men get angry at us and strike us in the mouth.
For the world could easily endure that we preach
aright about Christ and all the articles of the faith; but it we want to lay
hold of them and salt them by showing that their wisdom and sanctity are of no
account, yes, are blind and damned, this it cannot and will not endure, and it
charges the preachers with not being able to do anything but scolding and
biting; it blames us with having disturbed society and created discord, with
having maligned the clergy and good works. But what can we do about it? If we
are to salt, it must bite. And although they denounce us as biters, we know
that it has to be so, and Christ has ordered this, and he means that the salt
shall be sharp and bite away, as we shall hear. So St. Paul also does
constantly; he rebukes the whole world and denounces all its living and acting,
if there be no faith in Christ; and Christ says, John 16:8, “when the Holy
Ghost comes, he shall reprove the world of sin,” etc., that is, he shall attack
everything that he finds in the world, shall make no exception or difference,
shall not rebuke some and praise others, or punish only thieves and scoundrels:
but he will seize all, all in a mass, one with another, whether one be great,
small, pious, wise, holy, or whatever he may be; in short, everything that is
not Christ. For the Holy Ghost does not need to come into the world or send
preachers into the world that he may exhibit and punish outwardly gross sins,
adultery, murder, etc., which the world itself can very well know and punish;
but that which it regards as the most precious, and in which it is at its best,
claiming to be pious and holy, and meaning thereby to serve God.
Therefore it is all wrong, that some now sophistically
assert that it is enough that a preacher tell every one what is right, and
simply preach the gospel, but that one dare not touch the Pope, the bishops,
princes and other ranks or persons, whereby much discord and contention are
occasioned; but the real meaning is: If you will preach the gospel and be of
use to the people, you must be sharp and rub the salt into the wounds, that is,
must show the opposite and rebuke what is not right, as now the mass, monkery,
indulgences, etc., and everything that is connected with them, so that these
scandals are removed and no one is thereby deceived. Therefore we must keep on
here with our salting, that we may protest and leave no room for its coming
back again or being sneakingly introduced; for this will happen, if the salting
is not diligently kept up, as used to be the case in Christendom, so that
miserable rotten human teaching ruled and ruined everything; which would not
have been the case, if the salt had remained. For there would have been no lack
of sound doctrine, because by the grace of God still the Scriptures, the
gospel, the sacraments, the pulpits remained in the Church, if only the bishops
and preachers had attended to this, and had employed these means for salting
with them whatever is of the old Adam.
Therefore Christ here exhorts and warns the disciples
so diligently that they see to it that this salting is always attended to, and
says: If the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall
it then be salted? Salt that has lost its savor means that which has lost its
strength and sharpness, and no longer seasons or bites; that is, when the
office in Christendom deteriorates so that one ceases to reprove the people,
and does not show them their misery and their inability, nor insist upon
repentance and self-knowledge, lets them live along as if they were pious and
all right, and thus allows their wrong notions of self-righteousness and
self-chosen worship to prevail so long, until the true doctrine concerning
faith is entirely wrecked, and Christ is lost, and things come to such a pass
that there is no help for it.
This he foresaw as here intimated, and he predicted
the future danger, even the injury and corruption of Christendom, that this
salting or official rebuking would be neglected, and instead of it there would
arise a swarm of parties and sects, when every one would herald his own hobby
as a true doctrine and worship, when all this is nothing else than worldy,
carnal notions, originating in our own head and reason, wherewith we tickle
ourselves and thus actually rot in them, as in a mass of natural, stinking,
rotten flesh, upon which salting and rebuking are thrown away.
From this you see how much importance is attached to
this matter, so that Christ with good reason treats of it here, before all the
rest, and commends it so earnestly. For without this Christendom cannot exist,
and Christ cannot endure, nor can there be proper
thinking or living: so that there is indeed no great injury or corruption of
Christendom, except where the salt, wherewith everything else should be
seasoned and salted, has lost its savor. And this happens so easily. For it is
a poison of such a kind that it is pleasant to take, and exactly suits the old
Adam. For he does not like to stand in such danger, risk life
and limb or suffer persecution, disgrace and defamation. Hence our
bishops and clergy are the shrewdest people upon earth, in this matter, (though
they are not good enough to be called salt that has lost its savor, but are the
very devil himself, for they do not at all attend to their bishop’s office, but
are themselves the greatest persecutors); for the), preach in such a way, as to
keep out of danger, and have money and property, besides honor and power; for
whoever has to rebuke the world at large, emperors, kings, princes, wise men,
learned men, and say that their way of living is damned before God, he must
have his head taken off. But if I act the hypocrite before them, and say they
are all right, then I go scot free, keep my favor and honor, etc., and meantime
flatter myself that I mean nevertheless along with this to preach the gospel.
But despite all that, I have become salt that has lost its savor. For in that
way I let the people stick in their own old crazy notion and carnality, so that
they go to the devil, and I at the head of them.
This office thus encounters many
temptations and hindrances, both on the right and left, so that many keep
silence
either through fear of the danger of harm and persecution, or for the sake of
honor, property or enjoyment. Besides, we are weak, lazy and averse to this
duty, so that we are easily led to neglect it, and grow weary, when we see that
things do not go as we like, and it looks as though it were of no use, and the
people act contemptuously, yes, even become worse the more we rebuke them.
Therefore we must be firmly set against all this, and
have respect only to the command of Christ, who imposes this office upon us,
and means that we are to open our mouths promptly, and rebuke what is to be
rebuked; paying no attention to our own danger, inconvenience or advantage and
enjoyment, neither to the malice and contempt of other people, and take comfort
from the fact that he makes us his salt, and will support us in doing our duty.
And he commands us confidently to salt, without giving heed to it or allowing
ourselves to be alarmed about it, whether the world will not endure it, and
consequently persecute us; nor are we to despair although, as we think, we are
accomplishing nothing. For what he commands us to do, we should be pleased and
satisfied with, and let him decide what and how much he may accomplish through
us. If the people will not hear or accept it, we are nevertheless salt, and
have done our official duty. Then we can with all honor and cheerfulness stand
before the bar of God and testify that we have faithfully told every man his
duty, and have stuck nothing under the bench, so that they have no excuse, as
if they did not understand, and it had not been told them.
But those who allow themselves to be scared, and are
silent for the sake of favor, honor or worldly good, they will have at the last
day to hear it said of them: This was our preacher, and he did not tell us of
it; and he will not excuse them, although they say: Lord, they would not hear.
For Christ will say in reply: Do you not know that I commanded you to salt, and
diligently warned you to do it; ought you not to have feared my word more than
them? This ought in all conscience to alarm us. For here you hear the sentence
that he pronounces upon all such salt that has lost its savor, and says:
V. 13. “It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be
cast out and to be trodden under foot of men.”
That is as much as to say: They shall not have a good
time of it even here upon earth, but shall be completely rejected by Christ as
those who no longer belong to him, and shall never be his preachers nor belong
to Christendom, wholly cast out and robbed of all fellowship in heaven and with
all saints; although they may retain the name, and are held in high honor by
the people as the best preachers and holiest people upon earth; as was the case
in the papacy at the time when it was the most pious and holy, (not as now,
when it has grown to be a worldly imperialism and a spiritual devils’
government,) when the pope himself preached and ruled the churches, and had
everything admirably arranged, and brought under settled rules and regulations,
(as St. Gregory did, and some before and after him,)which all the world held to
be the best government, and the holiest form of worship that could be
established upon earth, and yet it was all of no account. For there was no salt
there, by which this should have been brought to the test of the word of God,
and should have been rebuked, as being our own self-devised holiness; but all
the world praised and sanctioned it, and thus gave encouragement to those who
were arrogantly presumptuous and trusted in it, as if they were leading a truly
blessed life and were a holy class; as it also praises and exalts St. Gregory
himself, so that, although he was a holy man (as I regard him) yet he
accomplished no good by his teaching, and yet made so fair a show that no one
can find fault with it, so that, if they could now bring back matters and
restore them to what they were, nobody would dare say a word against it, or he
would have to be called the vilest heretic that ever was.
This is now one part of the warning, namely, if the
salt have lost its savor it is no longer of any use. The other part sounds
still more terrible, when he pronounces the sentence upon it, that we are to
let it be “cast out and trodden under foot of men.” If the true salt, that is
the true interpretation of Scripture, has disappeared, by which the whole world
should be rebuked, and which should let nothing avail but only simple faith in
Christ, then it is all over, and all our teaching and rebuking does no more
good. For God has already rejected and damned both the
teaching and the living, the master and the pupil. In short, if this point
concerning Christ be not insisted upon, that we are justified and saved through
him alone, and if we do not hold all else, aside from him as damned, all
resistance and restraint is at an end, yes, there is no measure or limit of all
heresy and error, of all sects and parties, when everybody invents and scatters
abroad something peculiar of his own; as used to be the case among us under the
Pope, when no monk could have a dream without dragging it into the pulpit, and
making a special divine service out of it, and no lies were so shameful that
they were not accepted, if only any one ventured to take them into the pulpit;
until at last things went so far that not only Christ was lost, but God
besides, and they themselves believed hardly a single article of the faith any
more, so that I may say that in a hundred years there were few Popes that
believed a single article; just as it is now in German countries, among those
with whom the article concerning Christ has disappeared and one factious party
and error after the other has arisen: when one denies the sacrament, another
baptism and other articles, and many become altogether Epicurean, who believe
nothing at all, just like the Popes and their cardinals at Rome, and so at last
become nothing but swine and kine, and die like these.
Therefore, I have always exhorted, just as Christ here
does, that the salt remain salt, and lose not its savor, that is, that we
urgently insist upon the principal article of the faith. For if this be neglected,
not one part can rightly remain, and all is lost; there is no faith or
understanding any more, so that no one can give right instruction or advice. In
short, one must let everybody trample upon him, that is (as above said,) no
bacchanalian or jackass is so contemptible, but that if he can only invent
something new, everybody will run after him and believe it. For what have not
the abominable monks hitherto dared brazenfacedly to preach, and beguile the
people with their brotherhoods, little prayers, rosaries, yes, with their
scabby hoods, that they put upon the dead, and therewith promise them heaven?
What is that else, than to let every body trample upon you, and be at the mercy
of every preacher of lies? This comes from the devil’s getting possession of
the heart and totally ruining it with his rotten, damnable doctrines and
superstition, so that Christ is gone, and the knowledge of him is lost.
For if I cling to this, that Christ alone is my
righteousness and holiness, no monk will ever persuade or mislead me by his
hood, rosary, this or that work and childish human notion. For through faith I
am a judge of all imaginable conditions and ways of living, so that I can
condemn everything that offers to show me anything else that is to avail before
God. But if I neglect this, and let the treasure go, and am instructed to seek
elsewhere and otherwise to be pious, to conciliate God and atone for sin, then
I am already prepared for all sorts of snares and nets of the devil, and to let
myself be led as he pleases; then presently comes some one who preaches to me:
If you want to be pious and serve God, then put on a hood, pray daily so many
rosaries, burn so many little candles to St. Anna: then I fall in with this
like a blind man and everybody’s fool and prisoner, and do everything I am
told, so completely that I cannot defend myself from even the most trifling
mistake.
See, Christ has himself here foretold this, and given
warning that so it would be; and no one has ever lived who knew just how to be
on his guard against it. And if we are not now wide awake, and do not take good
care that we firmly hold this article, then it will happen to us also, that we
hold no article properly and purely, nor cease to err and create factious
parties until it is all over, and no preaching or teaching will be of use any
more, but we shall stay swine and kine; as it is, alas! already
among the great mass, because of our despising the gospel and being ungrateful
for it.
V. 14, 15. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is
set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a
candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candle-slick, and it giveth light unto all
that are in the house.
This is the other part of the office which he commits
to the clear apostles; that they are to be called, and to be a light of the
world, namely to instruct souls and point them to eternal life; by this he
subjects the whole world to the apostles, that it is to be and must be
enlightened through them, and concludes that it all, with everything that it
can do, is nothing but darkness and blindness. For if it without this had a
light that could enlighten its (as it indeed thinks it has,)why
did he need the apostles for this? Now see, if this is not a high, excellent
office, and an honor above all honor, that everybody in the world, whether
called kings, princes, lords, learned men, wise men, holy men, must sit down,
and the apostles stand up, and all must let their wisdom, holiness, etc., be
rebuked and condemned, as those who do not know what to teach or how to live,
or how they are off with God.
But here comes master Pope with his ugly bishops, who
want to be called the vicegerents of Christ, and of the apostles; who undertake
to master the word of Christ, and depreciate the apostles, where they drivel
that it was not enough that the apostles preached, and that the Holy Ghost sent
forth light through them, but we must hear and heed the councils of the holy
fathers, and the ordinances of the Popes, who have taught much more and better.
But we are to know that Christ is not such a juggler who talks with half words;
but, because he calls them a light of the world, their teaching alone must
avail and be sufficient to enlighten all the world, so that one needs no other
light;.yes, that what is apart from their teaching is nothing but darkness.
Although they may shine long with their lantern, it is after all nothing but
mere laws devised by men concerning external things which without their help
everybody understands, and could easily himself discover and make so that one
ought in fact to call them not lux mundi [light of the world,] but lex Dei [law
of God], as those who undertake to govern God him self and his Christendom with
their laws, just as if they were much better than the apostles. They obscure thus
the light of the apostles with their blind doctrine, with which they cannot
properly rebuke or instruct any man’s conscience; as we see in all the books of
the Pope, and of all the universities, and so they cannot be called either salt
or light. For when they do their best, they rebuke the gross, external things
that have already been condemned by secular law and the light of reason. But
the really hard knots and principal things, as unbelief, false sanctity, they
take no notice of, yes, are themselves in them over head and ears. Therefore
their teaching is sheer nonsense, and besides darkness and blindness, not to be
able to see anything higher to salt and to enlighten than how one is to eat
flesh or fish, to dress and behave this or that way.
Therefore, it surely is and remains the office of the
apostles alone both to rebuke aright the real internal vices, and again to
heal, comfort and cheer up all poor distressed consciences, and allow no one to
go unrebuked in wrong-doing or uninstructed and unencouraged in what is good.
Therefore Christ also here appoints and consecrates them as preachers, that we
shall and must hear them alone, and admit no other factious spirits whom the
devil brings in alongside of them, who claim to be the salt and light, yes, even
to lord it over Christ, and scream out, the doctrine of faith amounts to
nothing, one must aim higher, and otherwise afflict one’s self, so that one
suffers and mortifies himself: which, if one looks at it on all sides, is
nothing but being taught about our own doing, and yet never amounts to showing
what is unbelief and rebuking the real arrogant vices that are sticking in that
same doctrine, with which they set themselves up as salt and light; they do not
stop with the calling and command which he here gives to the apostles and says:
Ye shall be the light; at this alone we aim, that we may be sure of this, and
confidently say, that Christ has consecrated us to this, and has made it the
duty of Christians to salt and shine by virtue of our office and by divine
command.
For this is also for this reason necessary, because
Christ means that this office shall be exercised not secretly or in only one
place, but openly, throughout the world; and he shows them plainly enough, what
they have to expect from the world, when he says: “a city that is set on a hill
cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and set it under
a bushel,” etc. That is as much as to say: He who wants to be a light
must see to it that he do not creep into a corner, but stand forth publicly and
be not afraid. For so it goes, as we said before, that those who are called to
be apostles, and shine, do not like to come to the front, allow themselves to
be frightened off by threats, danger, persecution, or are befooled with
friendship, favor, honor and worldly good, so that they do not come forward and
open their mouths, but creep into corners, hide behind the hills, and shut up
their whistles. So it is with our clergy who sit in office; and they are
ordered to stand up before Christendom and publicly shine with their teaching;
but they hide it under the bench, yes, have become worse than that, for they
are the very ones that persecute the word, and want to put out the light, and
only stir up against it emperors, kings and the whole world; at the same time
they sit in the house and want to rule alone the church, have possession of
pulpit, baptism, sacrament, and everything that belongs to the calling and
office. But this is what the apostles predicted, that shepherds should become
wolves, and Antichrist should sit in the
In contrast with these are the other factious spirits,
who have no calling to this office, who might well remain at home in the
corner; they want to push themselves in everywhere and be the only ones to
shine, so that everybody must hear them and look to them. But these, too, seek
only thereby their own honor, and they preach only so
long as the people hang on to them and they need fear no danger. But if they
were to stand as true preachers, to whom the office is entrusted, and steadily
shine in public, letting no wind or weather frighten or silence them, they
would soon disappear and let nobody be found at home. So the dear office of the
ministry has to be treated on both sides, that either those neglect it who
should exercise it, or those want to exercise it who have not been called to
it; and so it is never properly attended to, except when Christ provides such
persons as he here describes and has prepared beforehand, as above.
He means now here to say: If you wish to be my
preachers, you must be really prepared to take your place publicly and stand up
before the world, as upon a high mountain, that you may be readily seen and
openly heard, concealing nothing or hiding it under the bench, that you ought
to preach, neither keeping silence or speaking out of love to any one; but, as
you are the light, shining openly and free, without regard to honor or shame,
wealth or poverty, hatred or favor, death or life; and know that you are
serving me, who has appointed you to be the light. Such would then be the right
kind of people, who do not let themselves be bent to the one side or to the
other; as Psalm 45:says concerning the office of the ministry: “The scepter of
thy kingdom is a right scepter. Thou lovest righteousness and hatest
wickedness,” etc. This is the virtue and glory of the gospel and its preachers.
For all other teachings are free from danger, they all preach what people like
to hear and what is agreeable to reason, they need not fear that any one will
persecute them. But this teaching is everywhere opposed, because it will come
to the front and show that the light and teaching of the world is of no
account; then they try in every way to obscure for us this light, and push it
into a corner, or throw it under a bushel, so that we may drop our teaching, or
recant and let ourselves be bent and interpreted as they may please. But we
will not let ourselves be driven from our position, but will continue to be a
city upon a hill, and the light upon the candlestick in the house. For he who
has made us the light will surely keep us as such. Therefore he now concludes:
V. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
See how earnestly he urges the exhortation, which he
would have no need to do, if there were not great danger and occasion for it;
and it is as much as to say: They will try to obscure your light, and will not
endure it; but only be bold and in good heart against them, so that you may
accomplish only this much, that you do not creep under the bushel, but perform
honestly the duties of your office, then I will see to it that they shall not
thus obscure it. For this is certain, so long as a Christian preacher stands in
his lot and does his duty, and can despise the world’s abuse and persecution,
the office too must remain, and the gospel cannot fall, because there are still
those remaining who hold to it; as there must be some abiding evermore, even to
the last day.
That is to say, however: “That they may see your good
works and glorify your Father which is in heaven,” is spoken after the manner
of St. Matthew, who is in the habit of speaking in this way of works. For he,
together with the other two evangelists, Mark and Luke, does not in his gospel
treat so fully and profoundly upon the great subject of Christ as
But you must not look at what is said and taught about
works in such a way as to separate faith from them, as they are docked by our
blind teachers: but always connect them with faith, so that they are
incorporated with it, spring from faith and move with it, and are praised and
called good be. cause of it; as I have often taught. So also here, when he says: that they may see your good works, you
must not regard them as mere trifling works, without faith, as the good works
of our clergy have hitherto been; but as such works that faith performs, and
that cannot be done without faith. For by good works here he means the
practicing, illustrating and confessing the teaching concerning Christ, and
suffering for doing it. For he speaks of those works with which we shine. But
shining is the proper office of faith or teaching, whereby we help others also
to believe.
Therefore it is works of the highest and best
character, just those from which it must necessarily follow, as he here says,
that our heavenly Father is honored and praised. For this teaching or preaching
takes from us all the glamour of holiness, and says,
there is nothing good in us whereof we can boast. And besides, it interests the
conscience, how it is to deal with God, exhibits to it the grace and mercy of
God, and the entire Christ: that is, it truly reveals and praises God, which is
also the true sacrifice and worship. These works are to be the first and most
important, that are followed also by those that are called works of love, in
daily life and outward treatment of our neighbor; these shine also, but only in
so far as they are begun and carried on in faith.
Now you can yourself conclude that St. Matthew here is
not to be understood concerning the common works which every one is to do
towards his neighbor, from love, of which he speaks in Matthew 25; but chiefly
of the true Christian work, namely correct teaching, insisting upon faith and
showing how to strengthen and keep it, whereby we testify that we are true
Christians. For the others are not so reliable, since even sham Christians can
bedeck and hide themselves under great, beautiful works of love. But to teach
and confess Christ truly is not possible without faith; as
For this alone is the surest work of
a true Christian, if he so praises and preaches Christ that the people learn
this, how they are nothing and Christ is everything. In short, it is such a
work that is done not with reference to one or two, when it remains hidden as
other works; but publicly before the whole world to shine and let itself be seen, and alone for this reason is also
persecuted. (For other works they can very well endure.) Therefore it is
properly called such a work by which our Father is recognized and praised. This
the other less important works cannot attain to, that have to do only with our
fellow-men, and belong to the second table of the law. These have to do with
the first three great commandments that refer to God’s honor, name and word;
and besides they must be well tested and purified by persecution and suffering,
that they may endure; also be defamed before the world that they may remain
free from the desire of personal honor, and from arrogance, and be so much the
more praised before God, as his honor and praise are thereby assailed [i.e. by
works courting self-praise, personal honor, etc.]. Therefore, too, they stand
most securely, so that God the more vigorously defends them, and makes them
effective over against the violent persecutions of the world. Therefore we
should give these works the decided preference as by far the most important,
and afterward perform the others also as between ourselves and our fellow-men,
that so both may have their due – that we first of all constantly teach and
insist upon faith, and then live accordingly, and thus everything that we do is
of faith; as I have always taught.
V. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or
the prophets; [am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
Because Christ the Lord entrusted and strongly
commended the office to the apostles, he now goes further and himself begins
both to salt and to shine as an example for them, that they may know what they
are to preach; and attacks both the teaching and the life of the Jews, to
rebuke and to reform their wrong notions and doings; although here, as I have
said, he does not treat of the great principal doctrine of faith; but first he
begins below, and rightly explains and extols the law, which was greatly
obscured and perverted by their Pharisees and Scribes. For that is also a very
important matter, that one should make the teaching of God’s commands clear and
set them forth correctly.
But it is a sharp, unendurable salt, that he attacks
and condemns these people as neither teaching nor living aright, and finds
fault with them in everything, who were yet the very best and holiest, who were
daily teaching the commands of God, and were exercising themselves in holy
worship, etc., so that no one could rebuke them; he gave them thereby occasion
to fiercely exclaim against him, and to accuse him of wishing to undermine and
destroy the law which God had given, etc.’ just as the Pope and his crowd cry
out against us, and denounce us as heretics who forbid the doing of good works.
So he foresaw very well that he would be thus charged, and that his teaching
would be interpreted in this way. Therefore he anticipates with a preface and
explanation that it is not his intention to undermine the law; but that he is
here for the very purpose of rightly teaching and confirming it against those
who would weaken it by their teaching.
For there was surely need of such a statement, on
account of the high reputation that they had, and in view of the excellent show
that they knew how to make and dress up, that they alone were the people of
God, that they had so many prophets and holy fathers, that whoever ventured to
rebuke them would have to hear at once: Who art thou, that thou wilt be alone
wise and blame everybody, as though our fathers and we have all been in error,
who have the word of God and preach it? Just as the whole world is now howling
at us, and saying we condemn the holy fathers and the whole Church that surely
cannot err, because it is ruled by the Holy Ghost, etc. Because thou art
blaming our doctrine and life, this is a sign that thou condemnest both the law and the prophets, the fathers and the whole
people. To this now Christ replies: No, I will surely not destroy the law or
the prophets, but I hold them in honor and insist upon their observance more
earnestly and diligently than you do; yes, so earnestly that heaven and earth
shall pass away before I will allow a letter or the smallest tittle to perish
or to have been written in vain; yes, I will still further say, that whosoever
despises the very least commandment or teaches otherwise, he shall on account
of this very smallest thing in the kingdom of heaven be rejected, although he
rightly kept all the rest. Therefore we agree upon this point, that we are
strictly to teach and observe Moses and the prophets; but the point now is,
since we both are required to and wish to teach the law (as also now both
parties, viz. the Pope together with the other crowds, and we appeal to the
same Scriptures, exalt at the same time the one gospel and word of God), that
one may be sure which side rightly holds and interprets the Scriptures or the
laws of God, or which does not. About this there is dispute. Here I must salt
and rebuke. For the Jews with their glosses have perverted and corrupted the
law: and I have come to set things right again; just as we have had to attack
the preachings of the Pope, that have corrupted for us
the Scriptures with their stench and filth.
He does not thereby deny that they are the people of
God, and have the law, the fathers and the prophets; just as we do not deny or
condemn the Christians, baptism, gospel, that were under the Pope, but we say,
it is the right baptism, gospel, etc., that we have. But we fight against
accepting what they have daubed over them, and approving of the way in which
they interpret and pervert them, and have defiled the pure doctrine with their
nasty and maggoty, yes devilish appendage of their hoods, tonsures,
indulgences, purgatory, sacrificial masses, etc. Here we have to salt and work,
that we may clear out this stench and make things clean. So it appears that
just those who are really destroying the law and the Scriptures adorn
themselves with the beautiful name of the Scriptures, the gospel, the Christian
Church, etc., and, under this pretense, bring in their maggots, and have so
corrupted the church as to rob it of its value; and then they make an ado about
us, that we are assailing the Christian Church, the holy fathers, good works,
etc.
He now says: I am not come to destroy the law, but to
fulfill it; that is, I will not bring another or a new law, but will take the
Scriptures that you have and properly extol them, and explain them in such a
way that you may know how we are to demean ourselves. For the Gospel or the
preach-lug of Christ does not bring a new doctrine which neutralizes or changes
the law; but just that (as
Therefore we have the same truth here that
V. 18. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and
earth pass, one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be
fulfilled.
That is, I insist upon it, that it must all be taught
and held pure and entire, and not the least part of it be done away; whereby he
shows that he found it far otherwise, namely, that both doctrine and life had
not been rightly conducted. Therefore he must (as here follows) take in hand both
of these and thoroughly salt them, that there may be a purification. So also
must we teach that we do not allow a letter to be detached from the gospel, but
say: Everything must be taught, believed and held purely.
He thus intimates that he is about to preach a sharp sermon, and will not lie
under the charge that he means to destroy the law; but will turn the attack
from himself upon them, and prove how they have weakened and destroyed the law,
and for this have daubed their glosses over it. Just as our papistic neighbors
have done with the gospel and the Scriptures, when they utterly ignored the
most important topic, justification by faith; also, they have withheld one form
from the sacrament and concealed the words of the sacrament; yes, they have so
coarsely misrepresented, that they have preached these commandments which
Christ here announces, not as necessary statutes, but as merely good counsels,
directly contrary to these words and stipulations, that sooner heaven and earth
must pass away than that one of the least of these be not observed. Thereupon
he at once passes an earnest sentence upon such preachers, as follows:
V. 19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these
least commandments, and shall leach men so, he shall be called the least in the
kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and leach them, the same shall be
called great in the kingdom of heaven.
I will be so positive about these (says he) that I not
only will not break any of them; but whoever is a preacher, and annuls or
ignores the very smallest part, let him know that he is not a preacher of mine,
but is damned and shall be turned out 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 holds it to be a small matter that
he despises God’s command, so shall he also be despised and rejected.
All the preachers of the gospel must also be prepared
to make the same boast before all the world; as we can
confidently challenge our opponents to show us a passage or article of the
Scriptures that we suppress or do not rightly preach. For they
themselves had to testify at the Diet of Augsburg that our confession is purely
scriptural, and not opposed to any article of the faith. But they are making a
great ado about this only, that we do not also hold their peculiar notions that
the Councils and Popes have sanctioned, and we are to be damned because we do
not like their nasty maggots and rotten human trifles. Although we have always
shown ourselves ready to work with them, and indeed could still do it, if they
would allow us the liberty and diversity, that it is not necessary to salvation
nor contrary to the gospel, whether one omits anything or shares in it to
please them, as any other free, unnecessary thing, that neither helps nor
hinders us; as when, for instance, in the carnival season one shares in the
mummery. But this they will not admit; and so we cannot do otherwise, nor give
up Christ our Savior (who has shown and bestowed upon us more kindness through
his dear suffering and death, than the Pope, Franciscus, Dominicus, or any
saint) for the sake of their rotten notions that can benefit or help nobody. If
they would grant us this liberty, we would try to observe everything with them
that they demand of us, and even better than they do themselves.
But because they are not satisfied with this, but want
to compel us to forsake Christ and the pure doctrine which they themselves
cannot find fault with, we despise them, as condemned and rejected by Christ,
with both their doctrine and life, as those who not only corrupt but absolutely
nullify a word or command of God, in that they shamelessly teach that it is not
necessary to love God with all the heart; also, that one honors his parents, if
he wants to go into a monastery or give to the Church his money with which he
might keep his parents; so also, any one may desert his espoused bride and go
into a monastery. In short, everything that the Lord here demands according to
the command of God, they have declared to be unnecessary, as though this were
merely good advice or works of supererogation, etc.
Hence you see what an excellent sort of Christian
teachers and holy people they are, who dare to annul and destroy recklessly all
the commands of God, and yet want to go scot free, and venture to require it of
us, yes, with threats and force try to drive us to hold their human nonsense to
be necessary, and, if we do not accept and praise this, they assail us with
horrible edicts and all sorts of furious rage. Now calculate for yourself what
Christ will say to it, since he here pronounces so severe a sentence, that he
shall have no part in his kingdom who breaks one of the least of these
commandments, although he teaches and keeps all the rest exactly. Where do you
think is the place for them, except in the glowing fire of hell, where it is
the deepest? For there never has risen such a shameful people upon earth, who
so shamelessly treated the word of God, which they know to be right, and still
wish to be held in honor as Christians that are leaders. Therefore beware of
them, and let no one be frightened by their damning, persecution and raging.
For here we have the consolation that those who teach purely and truly the word
of God, and adhere to that, shall be great with Christ in the kingdom of
heaven, although that crowd curses them to the bottom of hell.
I omit, however, here to say how the law must be
fulfilled, so that no letter or tittle of it pass, etc., whilst we still teach
that no man can fulfill it. For I have said that Christ is here speaking
particularly not concerning the life, but concerning the doctrine; and he is
not discussing the great subject what he is and what he gives to us, namely,
that we cannot be justified or saved by the works of the law, but thereby only
come to the knowledge of ourselves, how we are not able to fulfill properly a
tittle of it of ourselves. And although after we have become Christians by
baptism and faith, we do as much as we can, we still can never thereby stand
before God; but must always humbly find our way to Christ, who has most purely
and perfectly fulfilled it all, and bestows himself with his fulfillment of it
upon us, so that through him we may stand before God, and the law cannot hold
us guilty or condemn us. So that it is true that all must come to pass and be
fulfilled even to the smallest tittle; but only by this one man, of which
enough is said elsewhere.
V. 20. For I say unto you that except your
righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye
shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Here you see how he plunges in and antagonizes not
ordinary people, but the very best in the whole nation, who were the true
kernel and quintessence, and shone before the rest like the sun, so that there
was no more highly esteemed class nor more honorable name among the people than
that of the Pharisees and Scribes; and if one wanted to name a holy man, he
would have to name a Pharisee; just as among us the Carthusians or hermits were
called: as the disciples of Christ no doubt themselves believed that there was
no greater holiness to be found than among these, and they least of all
expected that he would assail these people. Nor did he venture at once to
mention names, and blame certain persons among them, but the whole class; and
he rebukes also not certain evil practices or sins, but their righteousness and
holy living; so completely, indeed, that he denies and closes the kingdom of
heaven against them, and condemns them at once to hell fire. Just as if he now
said: All priests and monks, and all that are called spiritual, without
exception, are eternally damned to hell, with all their system, where it is the
best. Who could hear or endure such a sermon?
That is now one thing that he acknowledges, that they
have a righteousness, and lead a correct, honorable
life; and yet he so completely rejects it, that if it be not better than that,
it is already condemned, and all is lost that one can accomplish by it.
Secondly, notice, that he is treating of those who wish to get to heaven, and
who seriously think about another life, which the other great rude mass do not
regard, nor do they ask about God and his word, to whom everything that we say
about the gospel is preached in vain. But these are preached to, that they may
know, that such righteousness is false, which one must salt and rebuke, as that
with which they deceive both themselves and others. and
lead to hell from the right road, and that they may consider, on the other
hand, what the true piety is which the law demands; as Christ now presently
will show.
V. 21. Ye have heard that it was said to them of olden
time, Thou shall not kill; and whosoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the
judgment.
Here he takes up several of the Ten Command merits, to
explain them properly, and shows how the Pharisees and Scribes gave no further
explanation of them and attached no further significance to them than lies in
the mere words, as referring to external gross works. So, in the first place,
in this fifth commandment they saw nothing more than the word kill, that means
strike dead with the hand; and they let the people stop short with that, as if
nothing further were here forbidden, and as if besides a convenient shield were
provided, so that they would not be guilty of the killing, though one handed
over another person to death. So, when they delivered Christ to the heathen
Pilate, they would not defile their hands with blood, that they might continue
to be pure and holy; and they were so strict, that they would not even go into
the palace of the judge; and yet it was they alone who caused his death, and
forced Pilate against his will that he had to kill him. Yet they acted as if
they were entirely clean and innocent, so that they even blamed the apostles in
regard to it, and said: “You intend to bring this man’s blood upon us;” as
though they should say: It was not we, but the heathen, that killed him. So we
read about king Saul in 1 Samuel
See, that is the beautiful Pharisee holiness, that can
make itself clean, and stay pious, if it only does not slay with its own hand,
although the heart is sticking full of wrath, hatred and envy, and secret evil
and murderous designs, and the tongue besides full of cursing and blasphemy;
just as is the case with the holiness of our papists, who have become real
masters in this business; and, that their holiness may not be rebuked nor they
be bound by the words of Christ, they have come handsomely to his assistance,
and have deduced twelve counsels from his words, that Christ has not commanded
all this as necessary, but has left it at the option of every one to be
observed as good advice, whoever wishes to merit something special above
others; that it is instruction altogether superfluous, that one can easily
dispense with.
But if you ask them for what reason they have invented
these recommendations, or how they prove them, they say: Why, if one should
teach thus that would mean nimis onerativum legis christianae, that is,
Christian people would be too heavily burdened; as those at
And here they have also discovered a little gloss, to
help their lies, and thus they say, it was indeed commanded to refrain from
anger and spite in the heart, but not from the tokens of wrath, that is, as we
say in German, to forgive, but not to forget, and to have the idea that you
will not be angry or do anything bad, and yet withhold all kindness from your
neighbor and bestow upon him no good word or token of friendship. Here ask of
God himself and Christ, why he did not withhold this kindness from those who
crucified him, reviled and most shamefully blasphemed him, but prayed for them
and said: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do, although they
were the most shameless villains, who deserved the fiercest wrath and
punishment. Yes, if he had been angry at us in that way, who
were his enemies and practiced all manner of idolatry and ungodliness, he would
have had to stay up there in heaven and not shed his blood and die for us, but
say after the manner of this little gloss: I will forgive, indeed, but I will
not forget. Meanwhile we should all have continued to be the devil’s own, and
no man could have escaped going to hell. In short, it is absolutely a
disgraceful, cursed little gloss, and in fact a sin and a shame,
that any one in Christendom has dared to teach this, in the face of such
a clear and open text; yet they have daubed all their books full of these lies,
and are trying now besides brazenfacedly to defend them. But hereby we are to
see and recognize our Pharisees and hyprocrites, with their great sanctity,
which they profess with many special works, but at the same time without
hesitation transgress the commands of God and also teach others to do the same;
as Christ here and elsewhere depicts them.
It is indeed true, that one must be angry, if those do
it whose duty it is, and if the anger does not go farther than to rebuke sin
and what is evil; as, when one sees another sin, admonishes and warns him, that
he may refrain from it, etc. That is a Christian and brotherly, yes, a fatherly
anger. For you see in the case of pious parents, that they do not punish their
children in such a way that they mean to do them harm or injury, but that
badness may be repressed and evil averted; so also the powers that be are to be
wrathful and punish. Here it is indeed right that one should have no anger in
his heart, and yet must show signs and tokens of anger, since both the word and
the fist are rough and sharp, but the heart remains sweet and friendly and
knows of no spite. In short, it is the anger of love that wishes harm to no
one, but is a friend of the person, whilst hostile to the sin, as even nature
may teach every one. But it will not do to abuse this as a shield, and hide and
dress up under it spite and envy in the heart against our neighbor; as those
knavish saints do and teach.
So Jesus now takes up this command, and means to say
this: You have thus heard from the Pharisees how Moses commanded, and of old it
was thus taught: Thou shalt not kill, etc. Therewith you tickle yourselves and
deck yourselves out, take on airs as those who diligently teach, and observe the
laws of God as they are taught from Moses, and were received by them of olden
time; you take your stand and insist upon it: There is Moses, he says, Thou
shalt not kill. You hold on to that word, and won’t let it mean anything else
than just as it sounds in the plainest sense, so that the simple-minded must
say: “It is true; that’s the way it stands in the book;” thus you darken the
word with your continual bawling and your foul glosses, so that one does not
see what the words really contain and mean. For do you think that he is
speaking only of the fist where he says: Thou shalt not kill? What does he mean
by you? Not only your hand, foot, tongue, or any other single
member; but all that you are, body and soul. Just as when I say to any
one: You shall not do this; I speak not with the fist, but with the whole
person. Yes, even if I should say: Thy fist shall not do it,
I mean not the hand alone, but the whole person to whom the hand belongs; for
the hand alone would do nothing if the whole body with all its members did not
cooperate.
Therefore, Thou shalt not kill, is as much as to say:
You may find as many ways to kill as you have members of the body, by your
hand, tongue, heart, by signs and gestures, by angrily looking at any one, by
begrudging him his life, by your eyes or even by your ears – if you don’t like
to hear him spoken of, that all means killing. For then your heart and all
there is about you is so disposed that you would be glad if he were already
dead, and although meanwhile your hand is quiet, your tongue is silent, your
eyes and ears are muffled, yet your heart is full of murder and manslaughter.
V. 22. But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry
with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment,’ and whosoever shall say
to his brothel; Raca, shall be in danger of the council,, but whosoever shall
say: Thou fool, shall be in danger of hellfire.
Behold, this is the true light, that shows the true
meaning of this commandment, and that puts to shame their foul gloss, as a dark
lantern in contrast with the bright sun, and it now shines with such a
different appearance, that they are presently amazed and say, That is teaching with authority, and not as their scribes. Although
this explanation is clear enough, and elsewhere often treated of, we must yet
here for the sake of the text expand the words a little. In the first place he
says: He who is angry with his brother is in danger of the judgment; that is,
he has merited the same punishment that is inflicted upon a murderer, namely,
that he should be condemned to death. For he repeats the very words that stand
in the text, Leviticus 24:17 (which he now himself has quoted): He that killeth
any man shall surely be put to death. Because now he who is angry with his
brother comes under the same sentence, he is also properly called a murderer.
In the second and third statement: Whosoever saith to his brother, Rata, or,
Thou fool, is in danger of the council and of hell fire, he means the same
thing as to be in danger of the judgment, namely, that he is in danger of being
put to death.
But he mentions three particulars, to show how the
punishment becomes greater and more severe the more the sin continues and
reveals itself. For he speaks as in a process before the
court, when a criminal is to be punished. As namely, when one has
committed murder, he is in danger of the judgment, that is, he is brought
before the court, indicted, and a charge is brought against him, as one who has
caused death. That is the first grade or step towards death; yet the sentence
has not yet been passed, so that he still may have room to vindicate himself
and be acquitted. Secondly, when however the sentence has been passed that he
is to die, then he is in danger of the council, so that a consultation is held
concerning him, what kind of punishment is to be meted out to him; then he is
again nearer to death, so that he cannot escape. Thirdly, when the sentence of
death has now been passed, and all has been determined upon, he is handed over
to the executioner, that he may take him away and perform his official duty. So
he indicates by these steps, how one sinks deeper and deeper into punishment;
just as he who is to be executed draws steadily nearer and nearer to death.
Therefore, it is as if it were said: He who is angry in heart is already
deserving of death before God; but he who goes further and says: Raca, or, Thou
fool, has already had sentence pronounced upon him, etc. In short, he is
already damned to hell fire who is angry with his
brother. But he who says Raca, deserves to go still deeper
into hell; still deeper, however, he who kills also with words and fist.
So the punishment and condemnation is entirely one and the same, and yet the
same is heavier and more severe as the sin progresses and breaks out more
fiercely.
As to the meaning of Raca, we are told that it
signifies all sorts of indications that show our anger against our neighbor: as
when one neither speaks to or looks at him; or when one is pleased and secretly
rejoices when it goes ill with him; or where one in any way shows that he would
be really glad if his neighbor would be utterly ruined; as there are now many
of these poisonous, wretched creatures, that array themselves most bitterly
against us, both publicly and by secret and treacherous practices, as those who
would most gladly hear that we were all exterminated, and yet they pose as holy
Christian people.
The other phrase: Thou fool, means not only the
various indications [above mentioned] but all the words that come from a bad,
poisonous heart, that is hostile to its neighbor.
Otherwise, if they come from a kind, motherly heart, there is no sin. For one
may indeed rebuke and scold with words, as St. Paul calls his Galatians fools,
and Christ says to his disciples: O fools, and slow of heart to believe; yes,
not only this, but we must also be angry and wear a stern and forbidding
exterior. For this is all a godly anger and vexation at the wrong, not at the
person, but for the benefit of our neighbor. In short, it is a necessary anger, that cannot be dispensed with in any house, in any
city and government, yes, in any pulpit. For should father, mother, judge and
preacher haul in mouth and fist, and neither rebuke nor restrain the evil,
government and Christianity and everything would go to destruction through the
wickedness of the world. So that the meaning here is: hate the cause, yet love
the person; as the jurists very well say, if they only would make the right use
of it.
V. 23-24. Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the
altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave
there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy
brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
He makes a long sermon over this command, which looks
indeed like an easy text, but the vice [here rebuked] is very wide-spread and
common, especially among high, mighty, wise people, as at the courts of kings,
lords and princes, and those who are anything, or can accomplish anything upon
earth, they are most deeply involved in it, and yet must not be blamed with it.
For it wears a very specious appearance, and nothing can dress itself up so
handsomely and adorn itself with the appearance of sanctity, wherewith many people
deceive themselves and others; and they do not see how they are at heart
hostile to their neighbor, or cherish a secret spite against him, and
nevertheless want to be pious, serve God, ands as he here says, go to the altar
and bring a sacrifice, supposing that it is all right with them. This is the
way of it; they put on a handsome appearance and stand under the cover of what
is called zelus justitiae [a zeal for justice,] a virtue that loves justice and
is indignant at evil and cannot tolerate it; just as the sword and ruling
authority are appointed to administer righteousness and punish wickedness; as
also father and mother, master and mistress, must become angry and punish. Here
comes now the pious villain, puts on his little robe and says he does it out of
love for righteousness, and has good and reasonable cause for what he does: as
now princes and others are brim-full of poison, hatred and envy against our
people, live on in this spirit, make no conscience of it, and the whole thing
is nothing but “indulgencies” and “relics.” For they cover themselves with the
beautiful excuse, that they say they are hostile to heresy, and they make a
great virtue out of its a holy zeal and a love for the
truth; and there is at bottom nothing but a shameful, poisonous hatred and
spite, that cannot otherwise show and gratify itself.
For I know, and may well say, that all our opponents
(except our dear lord the Emperor, personally, who has not been correctly
informed about us,) neither have nor know any reason why they should hate and
be hostile to us, except mere envy and mischief. For they make no charge
against us of any wrong-doing, that we are scamps or scoundrels, or have
injured them in any way; they know too, and have had to confess it, that our
doctrine is the exact truth; yet they are so full of poison that they would
bear with the world full of nothing but desperate villains rather than with us
and ours.
So there are many excellent, honorable, learned and
otherwise upright people, who are so filled with anger, envy and hatred, and
are so embittered by it, that they are unconscious of it, and are fully
satisfied that they are doing it by virtue of their office or for the sake of
righteousness. For their excuse is too plausible, and so delusive that no one
dare accuse them of being anything else than upright, pious people. So their
hearts at last become hardened, they strengthen and harden themselves in the
poisonous vice, and sin against the Holy Ghost. For it is a two-fold
wickedness; first that the heart is full of anger, hatred and envy; secondly,
that it is not acknowledged to be sin or evil, but is to be called virtue,
which is equivalent to smiting God on the mouth and making him out a liar.
Notice, for this reason Christ warns so diligently
that every one be specially careful at this point lest
he be deceived by this hypocrisy and false appearance. For no one believes how
such a simple statement can be so far-reaching and affect such great people.
For by these words, as he says: “If thou bring thy gift to the altar” he shows
clearly that he is speaking of those who serve God, and claim to be the true
children of God, and are reputed to be the best of all. What is wrong with
them, then? Nothing, except that their heart is sticking full
of hatred and envy. Dear friend, of what account is it that you are
incessantly fasting and praying, giving all your money for God’s sake, and
castigating yourself to death, and doing ever so many good works, more than all
the Carthusians, whilst at the same time you ignore the command of God that he
wishes to be obeyed? That you make no conscience of reviling and calumniating
others, and yet wish to present a great sacrifice? Just as if one had caused
war and murder, and had shed much blood, and afterward paid a thousand ducats
for having masses said for those who were killed; or if some one had stolen a
great sum of money, and then would give alms for God’s sake. Thus they deceive
God (yes, themselves) with the pretty pretense, that he must now regard them as
genuine living saints.
Therefore he says now: Do you wish to serve God and
present an offering, and have you injured any one, or do you cherish anger
against your neighbor? then know at once that God will
not accept your offering, but lay it right down, and drop everything and go
first of all and be reconciled with your brother. By this he means now all
works that one can do to serve or praise God (for in those days there was no
better work than to offer sacrifice); and he rejects it entirely, and commands
that it be dropped at once, unless your heart first assures you that you are
reconciled with your neighbor and do not know of cherishing any ill-will. If
this be done, then come (says he), and offer thy gift. This he adds, so that no
one should think that he wishes to reject or despise such a gift. For it was
not an evil act, but one ordered and commanded by God; but that is evil, and
utterly spoils it all, that they disregard the higher commands of God and
despise them. That is making an abuse of sacrifices against your neighbor.
There is also an abuse in regard to this matter that
is of more consequence – that one seeks thereby to be
saved, to atone for sin, and to rely upon it and have confidence before God; of
this we treat elsewhere. In itself it is a good work; just as all other works
of public worship, as praying and fasting, are not to be despised or neglected,
where their intention and use are proper, namely, that one does not do them
thereby to merit heaven, and when the heart is all right towards our neighbor,
and thus both faith and love are pure and right. But if thou prayest and
fastest, and yet along with this speakest evil of thy neighbor, defamest and
slanderest people, thy mouth indeed speaks holy words and eats nothing; but it
meanwhile pollutes and defiles itself with thy neighbor, against the command of
God.
Therefore he rebukes and forbids such fasting in
Isaiah 58:3, wherewith they mortified their bodies and made pretense of great
devotion, and he says: Behold in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and
exact all your labors. Ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the
fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to
be heard on high, etc. And he further teaches how we are to fast properly: Is
not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the
bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens and to let the oppressed go
free, etc. Break thy bread to the hungry, and when thou seest the naked, cover
him, etc. Here you see how he is chiefly concerned about our love for our neighbor.
V. 25-26. Agree with thine adversary quickly, while
thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to
the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into
prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shall by no means come out thence, till
thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
In the previous text he preached to him who had
injured his neighbor or was angry at him: but here he tells how he is to act
who is injured; and he carries out the figure that he had introduced, namely
the usual course taken before a court, when two parties are opposed to one
another, one accusing, the other being accused, and the judge pronouncing
sentence and punishing the guilty party; and he means only to say that he who
injures another should peaceably become reconciled with him; that the other,
however, should consent to be reconciled and cheerfully forgive. This is now
also a fine point, and here many can very nicely cover over and adorn their
scoundrelism, by saying that they will gladly forgive, but not forget. For
there is ever the pretense at hand, of which I have spoken, that anger against
the wrong is reasonable, and they think they are acting with good reason, and
all is right and proper.
Therefore he warns here again, and shows that in this
commandment not only is wrath forbidden, but it is also commanded that we are
cheerfully to forgive and forget the harm that has been done to us: as God has
done with us, and still does, when he forgives sin, that he blots it out of the
record altogether and remembers it no more; yet not so that one must or can in
such measure forget it, that one dared never think of it again; but in such a
way that you can have just as friendly a heart towards your neighbor as before
he injured you. But if the stump remains in your heart, so that you are not as
friendly and kind towards him as before, then it cannot be said that you have
forgotten, not even that you have heartily forgiven, and you are still the
knave who comes before the altar with his gift and means to serve God, whilst
his heart is yet sticking full of anger, envy and hatred. But very few people
pay regard to this; they all wear the beautiful mask, they do not see how their
heart stands in relation to this command, which in short tolerates no wrath or
ill-will against one’s neighbor.
It is true, as above said, that anger there must and
shall be; but take care that it be properly applied, and remember that thou art
commanded not to be angry on thine own account; but for the sake of thine office
and of God, and that thou must not confound the two, thy person and office. For
thine own person thou must not cherish anger against any one, however badly
thou art injured; but where thine office requires it, there must thou be angry,
even though no harm has been done to thy person. Thus a pious judge is angry at
a criminal to whom he wishes no harm for his own person’s sake, and whom he
would rather leave unpunished, and his wrath proceeds from a heart in which
there is nothing but love towards his neighbor, and it is only the evil deed
that is to be punished that must bear the wrath. But if thy brother has done
something against thee and angered thee, and asks thy forgiveness, and ceases
to do evil; then the anger also must subside. Whence comes then the secret
spite that thou nevertheless art still cherishing in thy heart, when the cause
and occasion of the anger is gone, and instead thereof other acts appear
showing that the man is converted and has become a totally different man, and
has become a new tree, with new fruits, who now loves and honors thee
supremely, so that he blames and rebukes himself on thy account? Thou must
before God and all the world be a desperate man, if thou dost not again show
thyself thus towards him and heartily forgive him, so that the sentence is
properly pronounced against thee that is threatened here.
V. 27-30. Ye have heard that it was said to them of
old time, Thou shall not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever
looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already
in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee,
pluck it out and cast it from thee.’ for it is profitable for thee that one of
thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into
hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and
cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should
perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
This is a bit of salt against the teaching of the
Pharisees; he treats in it of two things – first of adultery, then of cutting
off. Concerning adultery, they had given the literal meaning to the fifth
commandment, and taught thus: There is nothing more forbidden than the real act
of adultery; and they did not regard it as a sin if they were at heart inflamed
with lust and evil desire towards another, and also outwardly revealed this
with ugly words and immodest gestures, and this did no harm to their sanctity
if they only did otherwise good works, diligently sacrificed and prayed, etc.
That was not teaching the commands of God, but perverting them; it was not
making the people pious, but only worse; it was giving room and permission for
all sorts of sin and unchastity. But here you hear a different master, who
shows their sanctity to be sin and shame, and throws true light upon this
commandment, and decides that adultery is committed also with eyes, ears,
mouth, yes most of all with the heart; as when one looks at a woman, or sports
with her, yes thinks of her lustfully.
Now see how matters must have stood among this people,
and what kind of people Christ had to deal with, since not only the great,
common crowd, but those who stood above other people and ought to teach and
control them, not only permit such things, but do them themselves, and increase
the occasion for adultery, and yet wish to be counted pious if they only do not
actually commit adultery; although it is easy to calculate how pious and chaste
people can be for works’ sake, if so much allowance be made, and they can carry
it so far as to have their heart full of eager lust, that also reveals itself
by all sorts of signs, words and gestures towards each other. What else can
then follow but the act itself, if opportunity offers? Or, how is he therefore
so much the more pious, although he cannot perform the deed that he would like
to accomplish and is unceasingly lusting after it in his heart? Just as a
wretch can wish to see his master dead, although he is lying in prison, and
would like to kill him himself, if he could only get at him: are we therefore
not to call him a murderer, or even to count him
pious?
But do you say: If that be true, that also with a look
adultery can be committed, what are we then to do? Men and women must live
together and have daily intercourse. Or are we to run out of the world, or
punch out ears and eyes, and have our heart torn out? Answer: Christ does not
here forbid that we are to live together, eat, drink, yes, even laugh and be
merry; that is all still free of harm, if only the one feature be wanting, that
means, to lust after her. It is true, the Jews try to help themselves out in
this way, by saying there is no sin, if one loves another with thoughts and
signs; just as they do not regard it as sin to be angry with a neighbor and be
hostile to him at heart; so that one must not condemn the whole nation and so
many holy people, as if they were all murderers and adulterers. Therefore they
must apologize for these commandments, that one is not to interpret them so
strictly; but, as our learned men have said: These may be good counsels for the
perfect, but nobody is bound by them; and they have gone so far in this matter
that there has been great disputing and doubting, whether bad conduct with a
whore, outside of marriage, is even a sin; and it is in fact now in Italy among
respectable people counted an honor, so that one almost regards those as holy
who go no farther than this. Again, however, there are those who have narrowed
it down altogether too much, and want to be so very holy, that they forbid even
looking at any one, and have taught that all association of male and female
persons is to be avoided. Hence come the excellent
saints that have run away from the world into the wilderness and into
monasteries, so that they may shut themselves off from all seeing and hearing,
from all dealing and fellowship with the world.
But Christ states the opposite of both these extremes;
he will not let the command of God be so twisted; and such counsel be given in
the matter as to give a loose rein to unchastity and villainy. For he says in
plain and clear words that he who looks at a woman with evil desire is an
adulterer, and sentences him besides to hell-fire, when he says it is better
that one should put out his eye than that the whole body should be cast into
hell. And he also does not want such saints as run away from mankind. For if
that were to be the rule, the ten commandments would
nowhere be needed. For if I am in the wilderness, separated from everybody
else, no one can thank me for not committing adultery, murdering and stealing;
and I still may think meanwhile that I am holy and have violated none of the
ten commandments, which however have been given by God for the very reason that
he may teach us how we are to live aright in the world with reference to our
neighbor.
For we are not so made that we are to run away from
one another, but are to live together and share both good and evil. For as we
are men, we must also help to bear all sorts of human misfortunes and the curse
that has fallen upon us, and so prepare ourselves that we can live among bad
people, so that every one may there prove his holiness and not let himself be
made impatient, so that he flees away. For we must live upon
earth among thorns and thistles, in a state of affairs that abounds in
temptation, opposition and trouble. And you have not helped yourself in
the least though you have run away from the multitude, and yet carry along with
you the same bad companion, that is the lust and evil passion that adheres to
flesh and blood. For you surely cannot deny your father and mother, though you
are alone and locked up, nor can you throw away your flesh and blood from you
and let it lie. The command is not to lift your foot and run away; but abide in
your lot, bravely to stand and contend against all manner of temptation, and
patiently to force your way through and conquer.
Therefore Christ is a true Master, who teaches you not
to run away from people, nor to change your place; but to lay hands upon
yourself, and cast from you the eye or the hand that offends you, that is, to
remove the occasion of sinning, which is the evil lust and desire that sticks
in yourself and comes out of your heart. If this be out of the way, you can
easily without sin be among the people and have intercourse with everybody.
Therefore he says plainly (as above said): If thou lookest upon a woman to lust
after her, thou hast committed adultery with her in thy heart. He does not
forbid your looking at her; for he is speaking to those who must live in the
world among the people, as the whole previous teaching of this chapter and also
that which follows abundantly shows. But he means that we are to separate from each other the
looking and the lusting. You may look, indeed, at any woman or man;
but only be careful that there be no lusting. For to
this end God has ordained that every one should have his own wife or her own
husband, so that every one may properly gratify both lust and desire. If you do
not go beyond this you have his sanction, and he adds
his blessing to it, and is satisfied with it, as his ordinance and creature.
But if you go beyond this, and are not satisfied with what God has given you,
but go lusting and gaping after others, then you have already gone too far, and
have confounded the two, so that the looking is spoiled by the lusting.
This is also the chief cause of adultery, that is
always apt to happen when one does not regard God’s word in reference to his
wife, as that which God gives him and blesses, but at the same time he fixes
his gaze upon another woman; then soon the heart goes after the eyes, so that
lust also and desire are added, which I ought to have for my wife alone. Aside
from this, flesh and blood is overcurious, so that it is soon discontented with
and tired of that which it has, is gaping after something else, and the devil
adds his promptings, so that one sees nothing in his wife but what is faulty
and fails to see what is good and praiseworthy. Hence it comes to pass that
every other woman is more beautiful and better in my eyes than my own wife;
yes, many a one who has a really beautiful, pious wife, allows himself to be so
blinded, that he dislikes her, and attaches himself to an ugly, shameful piece.
Therefore this would be the true art and strongest
safeguard against this sin (as I have elsewhere more fully explained, of
marriage and wedded life), if every one would learn rightly to regard his
spouse according to the word of God, which is the most precious treasure and
beautiful ornament that one can find in a man or woman, and would mirror
himself in it; then he would love and esteem his spouse as a divine gift and
treasure, and would think thus if he sees another (even if she were prettier
than his own): Is she pretty? well, she is not so very
pretty, and if she were the prettiest on earth, I have at home a more beautiful
ornament in my wife that God has given me, and has adorned with his word above
all others, even though she be not beautiful in body, or be otherwise
defective. For if I look at all the women in the world, I find no one of whom I
can boast as I can of mine with a good conscience: This one God has bestowed
upon me and placed within my arms, and I know that he and all angels are
heartily pleased if I cling to her with love and fidelity. Why should I then
despise this precious divine gift, and devote myself to another, in whom I find
no such treasure and ornament?
See, I could easily look at all women, and talk with
them, laugh and be merry in such a way that still there should be no lust and
desire on my part, and I would not let any one seem to be so beautiful or
desirable to me, that I would act contrary to God’s word and command; and
though I was tempted by flesh and blood, yet I did not need to consent, nor
allow myself to be overcome, but I had to contend bravely against it and
conquer through the word of God, and to live in the world in such a way that no
one’s wickedness could make me wicked, and no enticement could make me an
adulterer. But because one does not see or regard this word of God, it has
easily happened, that one becomes tired of his spouse and averse to her, and
prefers another and cannot resist the lust and desire. For he does not know the
art, that he can rightly regard his spouse according to the beauty and ornament
with which God has clothed her for him; he sees no further than according to
the eyes, as his wife appears to him ill-shaped or faulty, and another prettier
and better. So you understand when looking at a woman is sin, or is not sin,
namely, that one is not to look at another as every one is to look at his wife.
Yet we are not here to span the bow too tightly, as if
one were to be damned because, when tempted, he feels that this lust and desire
towards another begins to arise. For I have often said that it is profitable to
live in flesh and blood without sinful, evil inclination, not only in this
matter, but also against every commandment. Therefore moralists have made this
distinction, with which I concur: that an evil thought, without assent, is not
a mortal sin. It is not possible, if some one has offended you,
that your heart should not feel, or be moved, and begin to heave to take
vengeance. But that is not yet criminal, if it only does not determine and
proceed to do harm, but resists this inclination. So also in this case; it is
not possible to prevent the devil from shooting into the heart evil thoughts
and lust. But then take care that thou dost not allow such arrows to stick
there and grow fast, but tear them out and throw them away, and do as long ago
was taught by one of the ancients, who said: “I cannot prevent a bird from
flying over my head; but I can easily prevent it from making a nest in my hair,
or biting off my nose.” Thus it is not in our power to prevent this or some
other temptation, so that thoughts do not occur to us: if we only stop with
their occurring to us, so that we do not admit them, although they knock for
admittance, and prevent their taking root, lest they might lead to consent and
a purpose to sin. But nevertheless it is still sin, but it is included in the
common forgiveness, because we cannot live in the flesh without committing many
sins, and every one must have his devil; as also St. Paul complains about the
sin ( Romans 7:17)that dwells in him, and says, that he finds in his flesh no
good thing, etc.
That, however, some have here raised the question, and
pointedly asked whether it is sinful for a man to desire to marry a woman or
for a woman to desire to marry a man, is silly, and both questions are contrary
to Scripture and to nature. For when should people marry, if they would not
have desire and love for one another? Yes, that is the reason why God has given
this eager desire to bride and bridegroom, otherwise every one would flee from
and avoid marriage. Thus he has also commanded in the Scriptures, that both,
man and woman, should love each other, and he shows
that he is greatly pleased when husband and wife are well adapted to each
other. Therefore this desire and love must surely not be lacking, and it is
very fortunate and agreeable if it only lasts a long while. For without this,
trouble comes, both from the flesh that one soon becomes tired of this state,
and is unwilling to bear the discomfort that comes with it; and also from the
devil, who cannot bear to see two married people treating each other with true
affection, and does not rest until he gives occasion to impatience, strife,
hatred and bitterness between them; so that it is an art not alone necessary,
but also difficult, and peculiar to Christians, to love one’s wife or husband
properly, so that one may bear the faults of the other and all sorts of carnal
misfortune. At first it all goes very well, so that for love (as it is said)
they are ready to eat each other up; but when the novelty is over, then comes
the devil with satiety, and tries to rob you too much of desire in this
direction, and excite it too much in another.
Let this suffice for the topic of lust and desire. But
what are we to say about the way Christ spans the bow when he says that we are
to pluck out the eye and cut off the hand if it offends us? Are we then to
cripple ourselves, make ourselves lame and blind? Then we would have to take
our own life, and every one become a self murderer. For if we must throw away everything that offends us, we would have
first of all to tear out our heart. But what else would that be than to
destroy all nature and the creatures of God. Answer: here you see clearly that
Christ in this chapter is speaking not at all of mere worldly affairs, and that
all such expressions that occur here and there in the Gospel (such as to deny
one’s self, hate one’s soul, forsake everything, etc.,) do not belong at all to
the sphere of secular affairs or the civil government, nor are to be understood
according to the statutes of the old Saxons, as the jurists call them, to pluck
out eyes, to cut off the hand, and such like; or how could this life and civil
government endure? But he is speaking here of spiritual life and spiritual
affairs, in which one does not externally, corporeally, and in the sight of the
world, throw away his eye or his hand, deny himself and forsake all things, but
in his heart and in God’s sight. For he is not teaching how to use the fist or
the sword, or to control life and property, but only the heart and conscience
before God; therefore we are not at all to apply his words in the sense of the
legal terms or those of secular government.
In this way he speaks also in Matthew
This is now what is here meant: If thou feelest that
thou art looking at a woman with an evil desire, then tear out that same eye or
sight (as being forbidden by God) not of the body, but of the heart, from which
lustful desire comes; then thou hast rightly plucked it out. For if the evil
desire is out of the heart, then the eye will not sin, nor offend thee, and
thou lookest now upon that woman with the same bodily eyes, but without desire;
thou wilt be just as if thou hadst not seen her. For the eye of which Christ
speaks, which was there before, and is called the eye of lust or desire, is no
longer there, although the bodily eye remains uninjured. Thus he speaks also about
the castrated. If the heart has resolved to live chastely without marriage (if
it has grace) then it has made itself a eunuch for the kingdom of heaven’s
sake, and does not need to injure any member of the body. In short, it is such
a castrating and plucking out that neither a fist nor a hangman can do, but the
word of God in the heart.
Therefore those are fools who transfer these and
similar sayings from the spiritual to the secular sphere, as if Christ had
taught what was contrary to secular rule, yes, contrary to the natural order of
things. Therefore some have made such fools of themselves that, through
impatience and despair of being able to fight against flesh and blood, they
have gone so far as to help [i.e. castrate?] themselves, so that the bishops in
the councils had to forbid the practice. That all comes of a misunderstanding,
that they do not distinguish between the ruling and doctrine of Christ and of
the world; they abide by the gross conception of castration, so that they think
no further than how the world designates and understands it in its sphere:
whilst Christ himself excludes this understanding of it, and takes it away, and
distinguishes those who are castrated by nature or by human hands (whether by
their own or those of others,) and contrasts them with those who are castrated
neither by men’s hands nor by nature; whereby he clearly shows that he is
speaking alone of spiritual castration, since the body with all its members is
entire and uninjured, and yet has not sexual desire as others have, which
cannot be cut out of flesh and blood, even though one were to rob himself of
his natural members: as they say themselves, that such eunuchs or castrated
persons have more desire for or love to women than any others; therefore also
great kings (or queens) have preferred such persons as chamberlains, on account
of the great fidelity and love they have for women.
But it appears also, that Christ often on other
occasions used this expression: “If thine eye, or hand, or foot, offend thee.”
For they are applied elsewhere in the gospel, also to other matters, in such a
way that he used it as a common saying, and applied it as a common comparison
to all kinds of sin, that one should not yield to the occasion and inclination
to sin; here, however, it is significantly applied to a particular case,
namely, to adultery, so that the command is to pluck out the eye that is about
to offend us by evil desire: for adultery is commonly occasioned by looking,
and comes into the heart through the eyes, if one does not resist the
temptation. Thus he employs the same words with reference to another mode of
giving offense, ( Matthew 18:8 sq.) so that he calls it an offending eye or
hand, if a preacher and teacher, or a lord and tyrant, seeks to mislead thee
from the truth and true doctrine; and he bids thee to tear it out and cast it
from thee, so that one may say: Thou art it is true my eye or hand, my master
or ruler; but if thou wishest to turn me from the truth to false faith, or to
compel me to do evil, I will not follow thee, etc.
V. 31-32. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away
his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: but I say unto you, That
whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth
her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced
committeth adultery.
Here we see clearly how they wrested this commandment,
giving room and liberty enough to violate it, and yet not counting their
conduct sinful, if they only did not make too glaring an exhibition of it by
open adultery; for they were permitted, if one disliked his wife and wanted to
be rid of her, and had become fond of another woman, that he might leave her
and court another that better pleased him; and, although the latter had another
husband, they could easily induce him to dismiss his wife, so that he had to
put her away, and yet she should not be said to be taken by violence. Thus it
was also a small matter among them, whether one had had sexual intercourse with
another woman, so that he thereby took her to wife; as they at any rate wanted
to have more than one wife; and they had indeed brought things to such a pass
that every one without qualms of conscience acted in the matter of marriage and
divorce just as he pleased. Therefore, Jesus takes up also this matter of
divorce, rebukes and condemns their knavery and abuse of the permitted divorce,
to instruct their consciences how one is properly to proceed in this matter, so
that one does not go too far and act contrary to the commandment. He touches
upon it here, however, only in a few words; for afterwards, in the nineteenth
chapter, he discusses it more at large.
How are we now, however, to proceed in matters
pertaining to marriage and divorce? I have said that we are to leave this in the
hands of the jurists, and committed to the secular government, because marriage
is quite a secular, external thing, as wife, child, house and home, and other
things that belong to the authority of the government, as this is altogether
subject to the reason, Genesis I. Therefore, what the civil authority and wise
people determine and ordain in reference to this matter according to right and
reason, with that we should be content. For also Christ does not here appoint
or ordain anything as a jurist or ruler, in external matters; but only as a
preacher he instructs the consciences so that we rightly use the law concerning
divorce, not for knavery and personal wantonness, contrary to the command of
God. Therefore we will not here go any further than to see how the matter stood
among them, and how those should conduct themselves who wish to be Christians;
for with those who are not Christians we have nothing to do (as those who must
be governed not with the Gospel but with compulsion and punishment), so that we
may keep our office pure, and not grasp after more than is committed to us.
In Deuteronomy 24:1 and 4 we read: “When a man hath
taken a wife and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favor in his
eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her; then let him write her a
bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand,” etc.; but a prohibition is at
once appended to this, that the same man (if he afterwards would like to have
her again) “may not take her again to be his wife,” etc. Now, this law they
soon learned, and bravely abused, so that every one easily discarded and
dismissed his wife, when he was tired of her, and longed for another (though
Moses allowed such dismissal only when he found “some uncleanness in her” on
account of which they could not well remain together); and they took such
liberties in this matter that they themselves saw that their custom was
blameworthy and quite too wanton, and they therefore asked Christ, Matthew
19:3: “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?” He gives
them an answer, too, and reads them a sharp text besides, which they had never
heard before, and concludes just as here, that both he who gives the bill of
divorcement (except for fornication), and marries another, commits adultery, and
decides that she also commits adultery who marries another. (For
otherwise she could not commit adultery, if she remained unmarried.)
Thereby he not only rebukes them for acting wantonly in the matter of
divorcement, but teaches that they should not practice divorcement at all, or,
if they do, both parties should remain unmarried, and concludes that divorcing
is always a cause of adultery.
To their question, “Why did Moses then allow such
divorcement?” he answers: “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses
suffered you to put away your wives.” Not that it was commendable or well done;
but that you are such vile and rude people, that it is better to allow this
than that you do worse, cause misery or murder, or live together in perpetual
hatred, discord and enmity: as it yet might even be advisable (if the temporal
authorities should so order it), on account of some queer, self-willed,
stubborn people, who are never satisfied with anything, and are not at all
adapted for mar-tied life, that they should be allowed to separate from one
another. For government cannot otherwise be carried on; on account of the
badness of the people one must often yield something, though it be not well done, lest something worse may happen.
Thus it is now settled, that those who want to be
Christians are not to be divorced, but each to retain his or her spouse, and
bear and experience good and evil with the same, although he or she may be
strange, peculiar and faulty; or, if there be a divorce, that the parties
remain unmarried; and that it will not do to make a free thing out of marriage,
as if it were in our power to do with it, changing and exchanging, as we
please; but it is just as Jesus says: “What God has joined together let not man
put asunder.” For trouble here is owing solely to the fact that men do not
regard marriage according to God’s word as his work and ordinance, do not pay
regard to his will, that he has given to every one his spouse, to keep her, and
to endure for his sake the discomforts that married life brings with it; they
regard it as nothing else than a mere human, secular affair, with which God has
nothing to do. Therefore one soon becomes tired of it, and if it does not go as
we wish, we soon begin to separate and change. Then God nevertheless so orders
it, that we thereby make it no better; as it then generally happens, if one
wants to change and improve matters, and no one wants to carry his cross, but
have everything perfectly convenient and without discomfort, that he gets an
exchange in which he finds twice or ten times more discomfort, not alone in
this matter but in all others.
For it cannot be otherwise upon earth; there must
daily much inconvenience and discomfort occur in every house, city and country;
and there is no condition upon earth in which one must not have much to endure
that is painful, both from those that belong to him, as wife, child, servants,
subjects, and externally from neighbors and all kinds of accidental mishaps.
When now one sees and feels this, he is soon tired of his condition and
discontented with it, or breaks out with impatience, scolding and cursing; and
if he cannot avoid or get rid of this annoyance, he will change his condition,
thinks every one’s condition and state better than his own, and when he has
been long changing about he finds he has been going farther and faring worse.
For to change is soon and easily done; but to improve is doubtful and rare.
This was the case, too, with the Jews in their marriage changings and divorces.
Therefore in this matter we ought to do as we have
always taught and exhorted: If one wants to undertake anything that he wishes
to be blessed and successful, also in temporal affairs, as in marrying,
remaining at home, accepting a position, etc., that he appeal to God and seek
counsel from him who is to give it, and whose it is. For it is not a trifling
gift of God, if one gets a pious, tolerably good wife: why should you not then
pray to him that he may cause it to turn out well? For the first eager and
curious desire will not accomplish this, or give permanence, if he does not add
his blessing and give success, and help to bear the occasional discomfort.
Therefore, those who do not do this, but rush into things of their own accord,
as if they needed no help from God, and do not learn to adapt themselves to
circumstances, they deservedly realize in them a real purgatory and hellish
torment, without the devil’s help; and because they bear no trouble with
patience, but have selected just what suited them best, and want to set aside
and ignore the article that is called forgiveness of sin; they have as a reward
a restless, impatient heart, and so must suffer double misfortune and get no
thanks for it. But we have said enough of this elsewhere.
But you ask: Is there then no reason for which there
may be separation and divorce between man and wife? Answer: Christ states here
and in Matthew 19:9, only this one, which is called adultery, and he quotes it
from the law of Moses, which punishes adultery with
death. Since now death alone dissolves marriages and releases from the
obligation, an adulterer is already divorced not by man but by God himself, and
not only cut loose from his spouse, but from this life. For by adultery he has
divorced himself from his wife, and has dissolved the marriage, which he has no
right to do; and he has thereby made himself worthy of death, in such a way
that he is already dead before God, although the judge does not take his life.
Because now God here divorces, the other party is fully released, so that he or
she is not bound to keep the spouse that has proved unfaithful, however much he
or she may desire it.
For we do not order or forbid this divorcing, but we
ask the government to act in this matter, and we submit to what the secular
authorities ordain in regard to it. Yet, our advice would be to such as claim
to be Christians, that it would be much better to exhort and urge both parties
to remain together, and that the innocent party should become reconciled to the
guilty (if humbled and reformed) and exercise forgiveness in Christian love;
unless no improvement could be hoped for, or the guilty person who had been
pardoned and restored to favor persisted in abusing this kindness, and still
continued in leading a public, loose life, and took it for granted that one
must continue to spare and forgive him. In such ease I would not advise or
order that mercy should be shown, but would rather help to have such a person
scourged or imprisoned. For to make a misstep once is still
to be forgiven, but to sin presuming upon mercy and forgiveness is not to be
endured. For, as before said, we know already that it is not right to
compel one to take back again a public whore or adulterer, if he is unwilling
to do it, or out of disgust cannot do it. For we read of Joseph, Matthew
In addition to this cause of divorce there is still
another: if one of a married couple forsakes the other, as when one through
sheer petulance deserts the other. So, if a heathen woman were married to a
Christian, or, as now sometimes happens, that one of the parties is evangelical
and the other not (concerning which Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians 7:13), whether
in such a case divorce would be right? There Paul concludes: If the one party
is willing to remain, the other should not break the engagement; although they
are not of one faith, the faith should not dissolve the marriage tie. But if it
happens that the other party absolutely will not remain, then
let him or her depart; and thou art not under any obligation to follow. But if
a fellow deserts his wife without her knowledge or consent, forsakes house,
home, wife and child, stays away two or three years, or as long as he pleases
(as now often happens), and when he has run his riotous course and squandered
his substance and wants to come home again and take his old place, that the
other party must be under obligation to wait for him as long as he chooses, and
then take up with him again: such a fellow ought not only to be forbidden house
and home, but should be banished from the country, and the other party, if the
renegade has been summoned and long enough waited for, should be heartily
pronounced free. For such a one is much worse than a heathen and unbeliever,
and is less to be endured than a miserable adulterer, who, though he once fell,
can still reform again and be faithful as before to his wife; but this one
treats marriage just as he pleases, does not feel himself under any obligation
to abide as husband and father with wife and children and perform his duty
toward them, but holds himself sure of a safe reception if the notion takes him
to return. But this is the state of the case: He who wishes to have wife and
child must stay with them, share with them good and evil, as long as he lives;
or if he will not, that we teach him that he must do
it or be entirely separated from wife, house and home. But where these causes
do not exist, their other defects and faults are not to be counted a hindrance
or lead to a divorce, such as quarrels or other mishaps. But if parties are divorced
(says
Let this suffice for what is said on this subject in
the text, for I have elsewhere written enough about it. The chief safeguard
against such divorce and other domestic trouble is (as I have said) that every
one learn to bear with patience common faults and mishaps in his condition and
surroundings, and to overlook them in his wife, and be assured that we cannot
have everything just right as we would have it. Why you cannot have it otherwise
or better in your own body, and must put up with all sorts of filth and
disagreeableness that it daily causes you; so that if you were to throw away
everything that is unclean about it, you would have to begin with the belly
that nourishes you and has to keep you alive.
If now you can endure this in your body, so that it
makes a stench for you before you are aware of it, or begins to suppurate and
ulcerate, so that there is no purity in your skin, and you make due allowance
for all this; yes, you show all the more care and love for it by waiting upon
it, washing it, enduring and helping where anything is wanting; why should you
not do it here in the case of your own spouse whom God has given you, in whom
you have a still greater treasure and whom you have more cause to lover For
there ought to be such love among Christians as that of each member of the body
towards every other (as St. Paul often remarks), when one kindly regards the
faults of another, himself sympathizes with them, endures and removes them, and
does all he can to help his neighbor. Therefore, our principal idea [:
heubtartikel] is nothing else than simple forgiveness of sin, both in ourselves
and toward others; so that, as Christ in his kingdom without intermission is
bearing with and forgiving all manner of faults, so also we among ourselves
bear and forgive in all conditions and in all things. May God allot to him who
will not do this, that he may never have rest, and make his single misfortune
or plague ten times worse.
V. 33-37. Again, ye have heard that it hath been said
by them of old lime, Thou shall not forswear thyself, but shall perform unto
the Lord thine oaths: Bug I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven,
for it is God’s throne: nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; neither by Jerusalem,
for it is the city oaf the great King. Neither shall thou swear by thy head,
because thou canst not make one hair black or while. But let your communication
be Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatever is
more than these cometh of evil.
This text has been spun out with many glosses, and
many a queer notion and error has been drawn from it, so that many great
doctors have been worried about it, and could not become reconciled to the
blunt prohibition here that we are to “Swear not at all,” but “let your communication
be Yea, yea, and Nay, nay.” So that some have stretched their conscience so
tightly, that one doubts whether one ought to take a solemn oath not to avenge
himself when he is set free from prison, or whether we are by an oath to make
peace and a treaty with the Turks or unbelievers, etc. Now we cannot deny that
Christ himself and
But we have been told sufficiently, that Christ does
not wish here to interfere with the secular authority and ordinance, nor to detract at all from the powers that be; but he is
preaching here only for the individual Christians, how they are to conduct
themselves in their ordinary life. Therefore we are to regard the swearing as
forbidden in exactly the same sense as above the killing and the looking upon
or desiring a woman. Killing is right, and yet it is also wrong; to desire a
man or a woman is sin, and it is not sin; but in this way, that we rightly
distinguish both, namely, that it is said to you and to me: if you kill, you do
wrong; if you look at a woman to desire her, you do wrong. But to a judge he
says: If you do not punish and kill, you shall yourself be punished; likewise
to a married man or woman: If you do not cleave to your spouse, you do wrong.
So both are right, that one is to kill and not to kill, to be and not to be
with a woman; namely, that you do not be wrathful or kill, or look lovingly
upon a woman, unless you are specially authorized by God’s word or command to
do so. If you are wrathful, however, when God commands you, or if you have a
wife according to the word of God, then each is right; for what God says and
commands is a very different thing from when you do it of your own accord.
As you have understood that, so understand this also;
that the prohibition here is, “Swear not at all,” just as he has entirely
forbidden killing, so that there may be no wrath in the heart; in like manner,
that we shall keep so aloof from man and woman as not to be looking at them, or
thinking upon them to desire them. And it would be a dangerous sermon if we
were to apply it to the exercise of governmental authority or to married life,
and were to say to the judge, Thou shalt not become indignant, or give
practical proof of wrath; or to a wedded pair, Thou shalt not look upon or love
thy wife or husband: but we must turn about here and teach the opposite,
saying: Thou judge shalt be angry and punish; and every one shall have and love
his spouse. How then does Christ say one must desire no woman, and have no
wrath in his heart? Answer, as said above, he is speaking of the woman that God
has not given you, and of the wrath that is not demanded of you, that you are
not to have. But if it is demanded of you, then it is no longer yours, but it
is God’s wrath, and no longer your desire, but that which is given and ordained
by God; for you have God’s word for it that you shall love your spouse and not
desire any other. Thus also in regard to swearing; we must see to it, if we
have God’s word for it or not.
That he here insists so much upon the prohibition,
that he does also in opposition to their false teachers, who preached in this
way, that taking an oath and swearing, although done needlessly and without the
word of God, was not sin; yes, they had made a distinction (as Christ here
shows) how one might swear freely, and what oaths should be valid or not; as,
that one might readily swear by heaven, or by Jerusalem, or by his head; that
those were little oaths, and did not have much validity, if only the name of
God were not invoked; they had indeed at last carried it so far that a mere yea
or nay was of no account, and they held that it mattered nothing if they did
not do anything which they had not sworn to do; just as they had taught in
regard to killing, that one should not consider a secret anger and spite as
sin; the same also, if one were hostile to his wife, had no desire for her or
love for her, but had desire for another and proved this by looking at her and
sporting with her, and by other signs.
Against such impure saints he began to preach, and
says: If you do not become different and more pious you will not enter the kingdom
of heaven. The matter of swearing must not be treated as you are doing, who
make it right and valid where and when you choose; but the command is, You are
not to swear at all, neither by the temple, nor by Jerusalem, nor by your head,
as little as by God himself; but let your dealings with each other be yea and
nay, and abide by that. For that is an abuse of the name of God, if one to the
yea or nay adds oaths and swearing, as if a mere yea and nay were not valid or
binding unless the name of God were added. There is also a further abuse, that people swear so thoughtlessly, as is now so
commonly done, when they use the name of God with almost every word. That must
all be strictly forbidden; as also cursing that is done in God’s name, if it
must not be done.
For cursing is just like swearing, both being good and
bad. For we read in Scripture that often holy people have cursed; thus, Noah
curses his one son, Ham, and the patriarch Jacob pronounced an evil blessing
and a curse upon his three sons, Reuben, Levi and Simeon, also Moses against
Korah; yes, Christ himself bitterly curses in the psalter his Judas, and in the
Gospel the false teachers; and Paul, Galatians 1:9, curses all teachers who
preach otherwise (even if it were an angel from heaven), that they shall be
anathema, that is, condemned and cursed by God; as if we should say: Let God
oppose them and totally destroy them, and give them no mercy or good fortune.
So the time may come when one must curse, or do wrong. Thus, that we should now
ask God’s blessing upon pope, bishops and princes and wish them success, whilst
they with malicious schemes and wicked plottings are seeking to shed the blood
of pious people and to throw Germany into confusion; that Christians should not
do, but should and must say in regard to it: Dear Lord, curse, and hurl all
their scheming to the bottom of hell. Hence, no one can rightly pray the Lord’s prayer without implying a curse. For, when he prays:
Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, etc., he must gather
up in a mass everything that is antagonistic, and say: Cursed, execrated,
disgraced be all other names, and rent asunder and destroyed be all kingdoms
that are opposed to thee, gone to ruin be all hostile schemes, wisdom and
purposes, etc.
This, however, is the distinction: Of himself no one
is to curse or swear, unless he has God’s word for it, that he must curse or
swear. For, as above said, where it is done in accordance with the word of God,
then it is all right to swear, to be angry, to desire one’s wife, etc. But it
is in accordance with the word of God, if he orders me to do it by virtue of my
office and on his account, or demands it through those who are in office. Thus,
that we may understand it by an illustration, if it should happen that thou art
imprisoned, and in the hands of the authorities, and they would demand of thee
an oath not to seek for vengeance against them; or, if a prince demands an oath
of allegiance; or a judge demands an oath from a witness; then it is your duty
to take the oath. For there stands the word, that thou shalt
obey the powers that be. For God has so ordained and established
government, that one must be under obligations to another, so that all
questionable matters may be adjusted, decided and settled by the use of the
oath, as the epistle to the Hebrews teaches.
But do you say: Yes, but here stands a different word, that Christ says: Thou shalt not swear. Answer, as
above said concerning killing and being angry: Thou, thou shalt not do it, as
for thyself. Here, however, it is not thou that swearest, but the judge who
orders thee to do it, and it amounts to the same thing as if he did it himself,
and thou art now the mouth of the judge. Now Christ here neither commands nor
forbids anything to the government, but lets it take its own course as it is
bound to do; but he forbids you to swear of your own account, arbitrarily or
from habit; just as he forbids to draw the sword, yet does not thereby prevent
your being obedient to the government, if your prince had need of your
services, or would summon you to go to war; for then you are bound to enter
heartily into the work of the war, and it is no longer your hand or sword, but
that of the government; and you are not doing it yourself, but your prince, to
whom God has committed it. Thus we speak also in similar cases. As, if it
should come to pass, that we would make a treaty and concord with our enemies
or the Turks, then the emperor and princes could both give and take an oath,
although the Turk swears by the devil or his Mahomet, whom he regards and
worships as his God, but we worship our Lord Christ and swear by him.
Thus you have now a cause, for which it is right to
swear, namely, the necessity of taking an oath from obedience to the
government, to confirm the truth or to endure things for the sake of peace and
harmony. The other reason is love, though it be not demanded by the powers that
be, but is done out of kindness to a neighbor, etc., just as also love is
wrathful and rebukes, when it sees a neighbor sin or go astray; as Christ
teaches in Matthew
Accordingly, if I see any one in spiritual need and
danger, weak in faith, or conscientiously fearful, or seriously doubting, and
so forth, then I am not alone to comfort, but to asseverate besides, to
strengthen his conscience by saying: As sure as God lives and Christ died, so
surely this is the truth and the word of God. There an oath is so needful that
we cannot do without it. For by that the true doctrine is established, the
erring and timid conscience is instructed and comforted, and delivered from the
devil. Therefore in such a case you may swear just as hard as you can. Thus
Christ and Paul swore, and called God to witness. Thus an oath is suited to
every threatening or promise that a Christian preacher preaches, both in
alarming hardened sinners and comforting the timid.
In the same way, if one is to vindicate his neighbor
or rescue his honor in opposition to bad, malicious tongues, one may also say:
Before the dear God you are wrongly accusing him, etc. For this is to use God’s
name aright, to the honor of God and the truth, and for our neighbor’s benefit
and salvation. For in such a case you have the word and command hovering over
you, that orders you to love your neighbor, to rebuke the disorderly, to
comfort the sad, etc.; and because it is commanded it cannot be wrong, yes, it
even urges you to swear, and you do wrong if you neglect to do it. In short, if
you have the word of God [on your side], then may God give you grace right away
to swear, to rebuke, to be angry, and to do all that you can. But whatever is aside from this, not commanded, nor for your neighbor’s
need or advantage, in that case you should do none of these things. For God
wants nothing at all that you do of your own ,notion,
without his sanction, be it what it may, even if one could raise the dead. Much
less will he tolerate it, that one should abuse his name, appealing to it when
there is no need or occasion for it, or that one daily at home and every where
else use it improperly, as is now done, when men swear with all they say,
especially in beer-houses, so that it were well if this were strictly forbidden
and punished. Thus you have a proper, clear understanding of this matter, so
that one need not vex himself in vain in regard to this text and make a
purgatory out of it when there is none.
Now Christ says: I say to you, Swear
not at all, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by
But that he says: Thou shalt not swear by thy head,
for thou canst not make one hair white or black, that he says concerning his
creature, not concerning the use we make of it: For he does not mean to say
that we cannot powder our hair that it may become black or some other color;
but that it is not in our power to bring out a hair that is white or black, nor
can we prevent it from becoming thus or otherwise. But when it has grown, then
we can cut it off altogether or burn it; just as we can to some extent change
one created thing by means of another, but we cannot take any part in having it
created so or otherwise. Thus he makes our own head a sanctuary, as that which
is not of our work or power, but the gift and creature of God.
That he now concludes: “Let your speech be Yea, yea; Nay, nay,” etc., that he plainly addresses to such as have
no command or occasion to swear. For (as was said) of his own accord no one
should swear at all. But when these two features are added, command or
necessity, then you are not asked to swear for yourself; for you do it not of
your own accord, but on his account who demands it of you, namely, your
governmental authority, or the need of your neighbor, or God’s command.
V. 38-42. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye and a
tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever
shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man
will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coal, let him have thy cloak also.
And whosoever shall compel thee logo a mile, go with him twain. Give to him
that asketh thee, and from that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
This text also has been the occasion of much inquiry
and error to nearly all the teachers who have not known how to distinguish
rightly between secular and spiritual matters, between the
As now in previous passages he rebuked and rejected
their teaching and false interpretation, he here also takes up the passage,
that stands recorded in the law of Moses, for those to whom was committed
governmental authority, and who were to punish with the sword, that they should
and had to take eye for eye and tooth for tooth; in such a way, that they
sinned just as heavily if they failed to use the commanded sword and
punishment, as did the others who seized the sword and took revenge themselves,
without command: as in former passages, he who did not dwell and abide with his
wife, to whom he had been married, sinned just as much as he who dwelt
unmarried with another woman. That they now had perverted and confounded, so
that they applied to themselves this text, that was meant only for the
authorities, and they interpreted it in such a way, that also every one might
take vengeance upon his own responsibility, take eye for eye, etc., just as
they had confounded matters in other passages, and applied to themselves the
being angry, which belongs to and was enjoined upon the authorities; also they
had torn away from its connection with married life the carnal desire; in the
same way, too, they had perverted swearing, aside from its proper use in time
of need and for purposes of love, to their own trivial habit and other abuses.
Now comes Christ and overturns this perverted, false
notion and theory, gives the authorities their due, but teaches his Christians,
so distinctly as individuals, aside from official position and authority, how
they are to live, personally, that they desire no revenge, and that they be so
disposed, if one smites them on one cheek, that they may be ready, if
necessary, to turn to him the other also, and not only refrain from taking
revenge with the fist, but also in heart, with their thoughts and all their
faculties. In short, he calls for a heart that is not impatient, revengeful or
disposed to break the peace. This is now a righteousness
very different from what they taught and held, and yet they wanted to deck
themselves out with texts from Moses, that one might readily avenge himself and
offer resistance, if he were violently attacked, because it stands in the text:
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, etc.
Now many people have stumbled at this saying, and not
only the Jews, but even Christians, have stumbled at it. For it seemed to them
too strict and hard, that one must not resist evil at all, since we must have
law and punishment among us; and some have quoted in opposition the example of
Christ, John
Therefore they said that it was not necessary to turn
the other cheek to the smiter, and they came to the relief of the text in this
way, that it is enough that one is ready at heart to offer also the other;
which may not be untruthfully said, but was not rightly understood. For they
suppose that to offer the other cheek to the smiter means that one must say to
him: See, thou hast this cheek too, and smite me again; or that we are to throw
the cloak to him who wants to take the coat. If that were the meaning, then we
would have to give up at last house and home, wife and child. Therefore we say
that here no more is intended than that every Christian is taught that he must
be willing and patient to suffer whatever is necessary, and not seek revenge or
strike back.
But still the question and dispute here remain,
whether one is to suffer all sorts of things from everybody, and in no case
make any resistance; also if we are not to contend or complain before the
court, or to claim or demand one’s own. For if this were absolutely forbidden,
there would be a strange state of affairs, so that one would have to submit to
everybody’s caprice and insolence, and no one could be safe from another, or
keep anything, and at last there would thus be no government at all.
To answer this, thou must always observe this main
point, that Christ is preaching for his Christians alone, and means to teach
them what kind of people they are to be, in contrast with the carnal notions
and thoughts which then were still cleaving to the apostles, who supposed that
he would establish a new government and empire, and give them places in it, so
that they might rule as lords, and bring into subjection to them their enemies
and the evil world; as indeed flesh and blood always wishes and seeks in the
gospel that it may have its rule, honor and advantage, and have nothing to
suffer; after this, too, the pope has hankered, and has come to rule in such a
way that his establishment has become a mere secular government, and one so
dreaded that the whole world has to be subject to him.
So we now see, too, that all the world is seeking its
own in the gospel [is selfishly using the gospel], and thus so many sects and
parties arise, that aim at nothing else than how they can push themselves
forward and make masters of themselves, and crush out others; as Munzer began
with his peasants, and as others have shown who imitated his example. And even
real Christians are tempted in the same way, when they see things going so
badly in the world, even in their own sphere, so that they feel like laying
hold and managing things. But it ought not to be so, and no one should think
that God wants to let us govern and rule with secular law and punishment; but
the deportment of Christians should be totally different from this, so that
they have nothing to do with such things or even to care about them, but should
let those to whom such things are committed care for the division of property,
trading, punishing, protecting, etc., and be content with their disposal of
them; as Christ teaches: Give to Caesar the things which are Caesar’s. For we
are transferred to a different, higher sphere, which is a divine, eternal kingdom,
where we need none of the things that belong to the world, but every one is in
Christ a lord for himself, both over devil and world, as has been told
elsewhere.
Those now who are part of this same secular
administration, must necessarily have control of right and punishment, and
observe the distinction of rank, of persons, dispose of and divide property, so
that all things are well-ordered, and every one may know what he is to do and
have; and no one should interfere in the office of another, nor impose upon
another, or take what belongs to him. For these things we have lawyers, who are
to teach this and manage such matters. But the gospel has nothing to do with
such things, but teaches how the heart is to stand related to God; and in all
such matters it should be so disposed that it remains pure, and does not
stumble upon a false righteousness. This distinction mark and observe
carefully, as being the very foundation principle in accordance with which we
can easily answer such questions, so that you may see what Christ is speaking
about, and who are the people to whom he is preaching, namely, concerning
spiritual matters and life, and for his Christians, how they are to live before
God and in the world, and conduct themselves so that their heart may cleave to
God, and have no concern about worldly government, authority, power,
punishment, anger, revenge, etc.
If now one asks whether a Christian’s to go to law, or
defend himself, etc., then answer simply: No. For a
Christian is such a person who has nothing to do with such worldly affairs and
law, and belongs to such a kingdom or government in which the only current rule
is, as we pray: Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Here there
should be nothing but mutual love and service, even towards those who do not
love us, but are hostile to us, and do us harm and injury, etc. Therefore he
says to such that they shall not resist evil, and even not seek revenge, but
that they should turn the other cheek to him who strikes them, etc.
And then there is another question, whether a
Christian may be a man in a secular position and conduct the office and work of
a ruler or judge, in such a way that the two persons or two kinds of office are
joined in one man, and he thus be a Christian and a prince, judge, lord,
servant, maid, which are merely worldly persons, for they belong to the sphere
of the world. To this we answer: Yes. For God has Himself ordained and
appointed this worldly sphere and these distinctions, and has besides confirmed
and praised them by his word. For otherwise this life could
not endure, and we are included in them, yes, born in them, before we became
Christians. Therefore we must remain in them, too, as long as we are
here upon earth; but only so far as our outward, worldly life and condition are
concerned.
Therefore it is not indeed possible to ignore these
secular relations, for a Christian must be some kind of a worldly person,
because he, at least as to body and property, is under the emperor; but as to
his own person, according to his spiritual life, he is only under Christ, and
not under the authority of the emperor or of any man. And yet externally he is
subject to and under obligations to him, in so far as he is in a civil position
or office, has house and home, wife and child; for all such things are of the
emperor. Therefore he must necessarily do what he commands him, and what is
required by such an external life, and does wrong, if he should have house,
wife, child, servants, and would not nourish or protect them, if necessary; and
it would not suffice for him to say that he was a Christian, and had to forsake
everything or let it be taken from him, etc.; but he must be told: You are now
under the control of the emperor, where you do not count as a Christian, but as
a father, lord, prince, etc. A Christian you are, as to your own person, but as
to your servant you are another person, and are bound to protect him.
See, we are now speaking of a Christian in relation,
not of him as a Christian, but as bound in this life to another person, whom he
has under or over him, or also alongside of him, as lord, lady, wife, child,
neighbor, etc., when one is bound to defend, shield and protect another, if he
can. Therefore it would not be right to teach here to turn the other cheek and
to throw away the cloak after the coat. For that would be just playing the
fool, as was said of a cranky saint, who allowed the lice to nibble at him, and
would not kill any of them on account of this text, asserting that one must
suffer and not resist evil.
Are you a prince, judge, lord, lady, etc., and do you
have people under you, and want to know what is becoming in you? Then you do
not need to inquire of Christ, but consult the law of the emperor or of your
state, which will soon tell you how you are to conduct yourself towards your
inferiors and protect them. What kind of a foolish mother would she be, who would not defend her child against a wolf or a dog
and deliver it, and then say: A Christian must not defend himself? Ought we not
to teach her by a good flogging, and say: Are you a mother? then
do a mother’s duty, that is committed to you, and which Christ has not
abrogated, but much rather confirmed.
Thus we read of many holy martyrs, who under infidel
emperors and lords have gone forth to war, when summoned, and in all good
conscience have struck right and left and killed, just as others, so that in
this respect there was no difference between Christians and heathen; and yet
they did nothing contrary to this text. For they did it not
as Christians, for their own person, but as obedient members and subjects,
under obligation to secular person and authority. But if you are free
and not obligated to such secular authority, then you have here a different
rule, as a different person.
Therefore only learn the difference between the two
persons that a Christian must carry at the same time upon earth, because he
lives among other people and must use the goods of the world and of the
emperor, just as well as the heathen. For he has the same blood and flesh that
he must maintain, not through the spiritual authority but through the land and
soil that belongs to the emperor, etc., until he is bodily removed altogether
out of this life into another. If now this is properly distinguished, just how
far the personality of the Christian and that of the man of the world extends,
you can nicely explain all these sayings and apply them properly where they
belong, so that one may not mix and confound them together as the pope has
clone with his teaching and ruling.
This is now what we have to say of the person who is
obligated toward other persons under secular rule, which is called that of
father, mother, lord and lady, etc. But how is it, if only your own person is
concerned, so that injury or injustice is done to yourself, whether it is
proper then to oppose this with violence and defend one’s self? Answer: No. For
here even the principles of the world and of the emperor themselves teach:
Striking back provokes quarrels, and he who strikes back invokes injury. For by
so doing he becomes obnoxious to judicial authority and loses his right; just
as in other cases, as when some one robs or steals from you, you have no right
to steal or rob from him and forcibly to take anything from him. But we are
generally disposed to avenge ourselves quickly, before one has time to look
about himself. But this ought not so to be. But if you are not willing or able
to endure it, then you may go before the judge with him and there maintain your
cause.
For he allows it to happen that you
in the ordinary way demand and take your rights, but so that you are careful
not to have a revengeful heart. So a judge may properly punish and put to death,
and yet he is forbidden thereby to have hatred or a spirit of vengeance in his
heart; as it often happens, that one abuses his office to gratify his own
caprice. If now, however, this does not occur, and you simply seek to protect
and maintain yourself properly against violence and abuse, not to avenge
yourself or injure your neighbor, then you do no wrong; for when the heart is
pure then all is right and well done. But there is danger here, for the reason
that the world, along with flesh and blood, is evil, and it always seeks its
own, and nevertheless wears a plausible appearance and conceals the scoundrel.
So it is not forbidden to go to law and lodge
complaint against injustice, violence, etc., if only the heart be not faulty,
but equally patient as before, and one is doing it only to maintain what is
right and not give place to what is wrong, and from sincere love for
righteousness; as I gave an illustration above from the case of Joseph, the
holy, who complained of his brothers to their father, when they had done
something wrong and an evil report had gone abroad about them; and he is
praised for this, for he did it not out of an evil heart, that he wanted to
betray them, or wanted to create strife, as they regarded it, and in
consequence became hostile to him; but he did it out of a friendly, brotherly
heart, for their good. For he did not like to see that they should be the
objects of an evil report, so that it could not be said that he sought revenge
or meant harm, but did it for their good, and suffered in consequence of their
blaming him with mischief.
This we read, too, in the Gospel, Matthew 18, in the
parable of the servant to whom his lord forgave all his debt, and he was not
willing to forgive his fellow-servant a small debt, that the other servants
were very sorry, and told this to their master, not because they were
revengeful or glad of his misfortune, but kept fist, heart and mouth quiet, so
that they did not swear, or carry slanderous reports to others, but brought the
matter before their master, whose business it was to punish, and they sought
what was right, but with a truly Christian heart, as those who were under
obligation to their master to be true to him; for so it should necessarily be,
whether in a house or in a city: if a pious, faithful servant or subject sees
another do wrong or injury to his master, that he report it to him and shield him
from harm; in like manner, a pious citizen, if he see violence and harm done to
his neighbor, that he help and defend him. These are all secular transactions
which Christ has not forbidden, but rather sanctioned.
For it must surely not be that we are to give room and
occasion for every one’s caprice, and submit to it in silence and do nothing
about it, if we can in the usual way succeed in defending ourselves; although,
otherwise, we must necessarily suffer, if injustice and violence are done to
us. For we must not sanction what is wrong, but give witness to the truth, and
may properly appeal to the law, against violence and outrage; as Christ himself
before the high-priest Annas made his appeal to justice, and yet,
notwithstanding, submitted to be smitten, and offered not only the other cheek,
but his whole body.
Behold, you have thus an excellent, clear statement as
to how you are to proceed in both these cases, so that we have no need of the
prolix and dangerous glosses that used to be sought after; but, so that we keep
things apart, and do not mix them, in order that each may move in its own
sphere and yet both be effective, namely, in such a way that a Christian may,
without sin, carry on all kinds of worldly business, but not as a Christian,
but as a worldly person, and yet his heart remain pure in his Christianity, as
Christ demands; which the world cannot do, but it abuses all worldly ordinances
and law, yes, all creatures, contrary to the command of God.
Thus, if a Christian goes to war, or sits and acts as
a judge, and punishes or sues his neighbor, this he does not as a Christian,
but as a warrior, judge, jurist, etc.; but retains nevertheless a Christian
heart, desiring to harm no one, and sorry that an evil must befall his
neighbor; and he lives thus at the same time as a Christian towards everybody,
who suffers all sorts of things, for his own person in the world, and yet along
with this also, as a worldly person, holds fast, uses and does everything that
the law of the land, or city, or family demands. In short, a Christian, as a
Christian, lives for none of those things that one sees in him, in this outward
life. For all this belongs to the government of the emperor; which Christ does
not mean to overthrow, nor to teach that we are to run away from it, and to
leave the world or one’s office or place in society; but we are to make use of
this rule and established order, and remain under our obligation to it, and yet
inwardly live under another rule that has nothing whatever to do with that ones
also does not hinder it, but readily endures its presence alongside.
Thus we now approach the text with this distinction
[in view] and make all these various applications of it, namely, that a
Christian is not to resist any evil; again, that a worldly person is to oppose
all evil, so far as his official position calls for it. How the head of a
family is not to allow his servants to oppose him or to abuse each other, etc.,
so also a Christian is not to have a dispute with any one, but to give up both
coat and cloak when they are taken from him. But a worldly person is to protect
and defend himself by appealing to law, if he can, against violence and
outrage. In short, in the
But if you say: Yes, still Christ says here in plain
words: Resist not evil, that sounds so distinct, as if
it were absolutely forbidden? Answer: Yes, but see to whom he says this. For he
does not say there is to be no resisting of evil, for that would be a downright
overturning of all rule and authority; but thus he speaks: You, you shall not
do it. What are these You? They are the disciples of Christ whom he is teaching how they are to live
as to themselves, aside from the worldly government. For to
be Christians is a different thing (as has been sufficiently stated), from
holding and executing a worldly office or calling. Therefore he means to
say: Let him who is clothed with worldly authority resist evil, execute
justice, punish, etc., as the jurists and the laws teach; to you, however, as
my disciples, whom I teach, not how you are to regulate yourselves outwardly,
but how you are to live before God, I say: You shall not resist evil, but
suffer all sorts of things, and have a pure, friendly heart towards those who
do to you wrong or violence; and if some one takes your coat, that you do not
seek revenge, but rather let him take your cloak also, if you cannot prevent
it, etc.
He states two ways by which one suffers wrong, or has
his own taken from him. In the first place, through mere violence and outrage,
as when one is smitten on the mouth, or openly robbed, without any warrant of
law; that means, to strike upon the one cheek. Secondly, if it is not open
violence, but is done under the semblance and with help of the law; as when one
seeks an occasion against you before the law, as if he had a claim upon you, so
that he may compel you to give up your own. That Christ calls taking your coat
by law, when one denies your right to your own, and you must both innocently
suffer injustice and besides be held guilty as if you were in the wrong, etc.;
not that you suffer injury or violence by the law, which is appointed to defend
the pious: but, that scamps and scoundrels are sitting as judges and in office,
whose business it is to execute justice, and yet, if one cannot get at you with
violence, they turn and twist the law, and make an ill use of it according to
their caprice; just as the world artfully and daily does, so that now nothing
is so common as to make right wrong, and right out of wrong, by all sorts of
sudden expedients and queer tricks.
Most frequently, however, this happens to pious
Christians, to whom the world is at any rate hostile, and takes pleasure in
tormenting. Therefore Christ tells them of it beforehand, that they must expect
this in the world, and must submit to suffering, especially if it happens
because they are Christians, that is, on account of the gospel and the
spiritual government, so that on its account they expect abuse, and let
everything take its course. For we must at all events suffer,
since as single persons we cannot do anything or defend ourselves against the
authorities if they set themselves against us. Otherwise, if this be not the case, and you can defend and protect yourself by
means of the law, so that justice is done to you or yours, then you do right,
and ought to do it.
V. 42. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that
would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
He indicates three things that Christians are to
endure in temporal things: that they allow things to be taken from them, that they suffer willingly and freely give. Here they
(the scribes) taught no further than the law of the world and of the Emperor
reaches, which does not bid you to give your own to another, nor to allow it to
be taken from you; but it teaches you how to manage and deal with your
property, so that you get an equivalent for it by buying, selling, exchanging,
etc. Now Christ has nothing to say about this, but lets things take their
course, as reason teaches, how one is to divide property, to trade, etc. But he
shows what a Christian ought to have, over and above all this, namely, these
three things, that he allows things to be taken from him, either by violence or
with the semblance of right; also, that he cheerfully gives, and also
cheerfully lends. Therefore, we must here again distinguish between secular law
and the teaching of Christ. According to secular law you may properly use your
possessions, trade with them, buy and sell; as we read of the holy patriarchs,
that they dealt with money and property, like other people, just as it must
indeed be if we will live among the people, nourish wife and children, etc. For
this all belongs to such a life, so that the belly can claim its own, and it is
just as necessary as eating and drinking.
But over and above this, Christ teaches you, that in
all these things you should nevertheless be ready gladly to let things be taken
from you, to do good, or to give, and also to suffer, if you can, and to endure
violence, not alone with your property, but also with your life, as has been
explained under the previous text; and all this especially for the sake of the
Lord Christ, if one tries to get at you because of the gospel, so that in that
case you are ready to give up not only your coat but your cloak also, not only
property and honor, but also your very life. For in such a case there can be no
doubt, and a different case, indeed, can not easily occur. For in other cases,
which belong to worldly affairs and government, you have judges and law, if
injustice or violence be done to you, that you can appeal to and find help. But
if you cannot secure justice or protection, then you must suffer; just as those
even must suffer who are not Christians.
But here we must see to it, that we do not give knaves
and rogues a chance to take advantage of the doctrine and assert: The
Christians must suffer in every way, therefore we may confidently encroach upon
their property, take and steal it; and a Christian must submit to sit there
with all that he has before ever), desperate scoundrel, so that everything is
open before him, and one must give or lend to him as much as he wants, and not
demand it again, etc.; as the wretched, renegade Emperor Julian made merry over
this text, and took from the Christians whatever he wanted, saying that he
wanted to pay them in their own coin. No, my dear fellow, that’s not the way.
It is indeed true, that Christians are to be ready to endure all manner of
suffering; but if you come before the judge, or fall into the hands of the
hangman, then look out for what he will make you suffer. A Christian must
expect to suffer what is done to him by you and every one else; but it is not
his duty to allow free play for your caprice, if he can prevent it by an appeal
to the law and by the help of the authorities. And although the authorities may
not be willing to protect him, or even may themselves
act with violence, he is not on that account to ignore the treatment as if he
sanctioned it.
So also here, although he ought to lend and give to
every one that asks him; yet if he knows that he is a scoundrel, it is not his
duty to give to him. For Christ does not require me to give my own to every
knave, and withhold it from my own and others, who need it, whom I am besides
bound to help, and then myself be in want and a burden to others. For he does
not say that we are to give and to lend to everybody, but to him who asks us,
as the one who is in need, etc., not to the one who capriciously wants to force
something from us, as those who already have enough, or who want to feed
themselves without work by imposing on other people. Therefore we ought to see
to it and know what sort of people we may have in any place, who may be poor
and without property, or who are not [in this condition], and not encourage
every scamp or tramp who has no need and could very well provide for himself.
For there is plenty of such trash now roaming about the country,
who want to avail themselves of this teaching, and under its sanction
revel upon the property of others, and squander everything, and so wander from
one place to another. We ought to turn such fellows over to the constable, and
let them be taught something else, that they must not deceive pious people with
their crankiness.
St. Paul teaches this in 2 Corinthians
In this case you must act as a worldly person, so that
you may be prudent as you are living among the people, and may know the poor,
and see what kind of people you are dealing with, and to whom you should or
should not give. If you then see that it is an honest seeker, open your hand and
lend to him, if he can repay you again. But if he cannot, then bestow it upon
him and square the account; as there are pious people who would gladly work and
provide for themselves, with wife and children, and yet they cannot succeed,
but now and then get into debt and trouble; for such every town should have its
common treasury and alms, and church officers who should find out who these
people are, and how they live, etc., so that one does not encourage lazy tramps
or burden the community.
V. 43-48. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shall 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 hale you, and pray for them that
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 which
love you, what reward have ye? do not even the
publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even
the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your
Father which is in heaven is perfect.
This saying, which Christ here quotes, does not stand
in any one place in the Old Testament, but here and there in Deuteronomy,
concerning their enemies, the heathen around them, as Moab, Ammon, Amalek; and,
although it is not expressly said that they shall hate their enemies, yet it
follows from these statements, as he says in Deuteronomy 23:6, that they are
never to show any favor to the Ammonites and Moabites, and their other enemies,
also never to congratulate them or wish them success. This was indeed making a
liberal grant to the Jews and opening a wide door for them, and they made good
use of it too. But just as in other matters, so they failed also rightly to
understand this, but carried it too far and abused it to gratify their own
caprice. Therefore Christ explains it differently, and shows them the right
meaning of the law, which they ignored, and gave prominence to such sayings as
seemed to sound in their favor, so that they might therewith find support for
their crookedness.
Here mark again the distinction’ in the first place,
that he is speaking only of what Christians, as Christians, are to do,
especially for the sake of the gospel and of their Christianity. Thus, if some
one hates me, envies, slanders or persecutes me for
the sake of Christ and of the kingdom of heaven, I am not to hate, persecute,
slander and curse him in return, but to love, benefit, bless and pray for him.
For a Christian is a man who knows no hatred or animosity at all against any
one, has no anger or revenge in his heart, but simply love, mildness and
beneficence; just like our Lord Christ and our heavenly Father himself is, whom
he here too takes as his pattern.
Now the question arises: What are we to say to this,
that in the Scriptures we often read that holy people cursed their enemies, and
even Christ and his apostles did the same? Is that loving and blessing one’s
enemies? Or, how can I love the pope, whom I daily revile and curse, and with
good reason, too? The simple answer is’ I have often said, the office of the
ministry is not our office, but God’s. But what is God’s, that we do not do,
but he himself, through his word and office as his own gift and business (or
creature) [Geschaft, in some copies, Geschopffe.] Now it is written, John 16:8,
that it is the office and work of the Holy Spirit to reprove the world; but if
he is to reprove it, he must not act the hypocrite or flatterer and say what it
likes to hear; but he must rebuke and roughly assail it; as Christ denounces
woe upon his Pharisees and Paul says to Elymas, Acts
See, thus does the word of God call the whole world to
account, roughly seizes both lords and princes, and everybody else; it
denounces and curses their whole way of living, which it is not becoming for
you or me to do, unless it is our official duty. David was right in proceeding
thus in the second psalm, and telling all kings and lords to consider and
humble themselves and submit to the doctrine concerning Christ, to be rebuked
and taught better, or they should be summarily damned and given over to the
devil. I would not dare to do that; but God’s word moves in this way, thunders
and lightens, and storms against great mighty mountains, and strikes in, so
that it smokes; it dashes to pieces everything that is great, proud,
disobedient, as is said in Psalm 29:3; and again, it sprinkles, and moistens,
plants and strengthens what is weak and sickly, as poor parched plants.
If now any one wants to rush in, snapping and snarling
with cursing and scolding, not as a teacher and preacher, who has been
entrusted with the administration of God’s word, he does wrong. But he who has
been entrusted with this office must execute it; and he also does wrong if he
neglects it, or through fear does not open his mouth, and rebuke what is to be
rebuked without regard to persons; as we must now say to our bishops that they
are tyrants and scoundrels, who act openly with all injustice and caprice
against God and the right. For this I do not of myself, but in view of my
office; otherwise, as to my own person, I must not wish any evil to any person
upon earth, but on the other hand wish well and speak and act kindly to
everybody. For I am not in this way hostile to the pope,
bishops and all the enemies that persecute us and so greatly torment us.
I do not at all begrudge them any of the temporal goods, power and honor that
God gives them, indeed would gladly help them to keep them, yes, would even
besides be much more glad if they were as rich also in spiritual goods as we
are, and had no want; and it would be our heart’s joy if we could by the
sacrifice of our very life bring them to this, and snatch and save them from
their blindness and from the power of the devil.
But as they positively will not have this, nor can
endure or accept anything good that we offer them, we must also let them go
their way, and say: If it has to be that one or the other must perish, God’s
word and the kingdom of Christ, or the pope and all his crowd, then let him
rather go to the bottom of hell, in the name of his god, the devil, so that
only God’s word may remain. If I must bless and praise, or curse and damn one
of the two, then I will bless God’s word and curse them, with all that they
have. For I must place the word of God above everything else, and hazard body and
life, the favor of the world, goods, honor, and every precious thing, so that I
may keep that and cling to Christ, as my highest treasure in heaven and on
earth. For one of these two things must take place, that either
the word of God may abide, and they fall in with it; or, if they will
not accept of mercy and goodness and all happiness, then they must not suppress
it [the word of God].
Thus a Christian can easily accommodate himself to the
situation, so that he may properly conduct himself towards both enemies and
friends, and love, bless, etc., every one, so far as his neighbor’s person is
concerned; but yet, along with this, so far as God and his word are concerned,
that he do not suffer these to be encroached upon; but he must place this above
and before everything else, and make everything bend to it, without regarding
any one, friend or foe, inasmuch as this is not our cause, nor our neighbors’,
but God’s, and him it is our duty to obey, before everything else. Therefore I
say to my worst enemies: So far as my person is concerned, I will most gladly
help you and do everything good for you, although you are my enemy and are
doing me nothing but harm; but so far as God’s word is concerned, there you are
not to expect any friendship or love, if you ask me to do something against
that, even if you were my nearest, best friend; but, if you will not endure
this, I will pray for and bless you in such a fashion that God may dash you
down to the ground [in some copies, “that God may oppose you and bring you to shame.”]
I will gladly serve you; but not to the end that you may overturn the word of
God; you never can bring me to give you for such a purpose as that even a drink
of water. In short, men we are to love and serve; but God above everything
else: so that, if we are called upon to hinder or thwart these, then there is
no more place for love or service. For the command is: Thou shalt love thine
enemy and do him good; but to God’s enemies I must also be an enemy, so that I
do not with them run counter to God.
Thus he has refuted this position too, against the
foolish notion of the Jews, who gave a false interpretation to the Scriptures,
as if they were allowed to be hostile to their enemies; and he so explained the
law, that they were to have no enemy at all against whom they should be
hostile; although Moses had said that they should not have and make any
friendship with certain strange heathens, whom not they but God himself had
specially designated as his enemies. But that they should themselves regard as
enemies whomsoever they would, and curse, persecute and torment them, that was not the intention of Moses. For Solomon also, who
rightly understood and explained Moses, speaks thus: If thine enemy hunger,
feed him; if he is athirst, give him to drink; which saying
But see how high he places the standard,
that he not only rebukes those who do evil to their enemies, but also
denies the piety of those who fail to do them good when they need it. For he
says first: Love your enemies. But to love means, to have a good heart and
cherish the best wishes, with cordial sympathy, and be especially amiable
towards every one, and not mock at his misery or misfortune. He means also that
we are to show the same feeling by our words, when he says: Bless them that
curse you, etc., so that we are not to utter an evil word against them, even if
they most violently abuse, slander, revile and curse us, but to speak to them
kindly and wish them well. Hence comes that beautiful,
Christian expression, employed by some pious people, when they hear that some
one has done. them wrong, or played some ugly trick
upon them – they say: May God forgive them! as though
moved by compassionate sympathy, and not desiring anything else than that no
harm may come to them from God on account of it. That means a good tongue
against other evil tongues, so that both heart and mouth show nothing but love.
Then, in the third place, he means that this [loving]
heart should be shown also by deeds, and all kinds of friendly acts, saying: Do
good to them that hate you. But this is a very rare virtue, and such a doctrine
as does not at all suit the world, and it is quite impossible for nature to
return nothing but good for all sorts of evil, and not be overcome by malice
and shameful ingratitude; but to overcome evil with good, as St. Paul says.
Therefore he had before stated that he who would be a disciple of Christ and
get to heaven must have another and better righteousness than that of the
Pharisees and Jewish saints.
The fourth topic, however: “Pray for those that
despitefully use you and persecute you,” bears more directly upon our doctrine
and faith, than upon our person and life. For that they persecute us, this
happens on account of God’s word, they claiming that they are right and we are
wrong. When this is the case it is our duty to pray and commend the matter to
God, because we have no one upon earth to whom we can appeal for vindication.
And since we see that those who persecute us are running counter not to us, but
to God himself, and are interfering with his kingdom, and are doing the
greatest harm not to us, but to him himself, and have become obnoxious to his
wrath and condemnation; we should rather have pity on them, and pray for them,
that they may be brought out of their blindness and fearful doom. For no one
can do us any harm, unless he has first done it to a far greater Lord, namely
the high Majesty in heaven.
Yet this also only in so far as it is done aside from
official responsibility and does not interfere with this, so that we, as I have
always said, carefully distinguish the teaching which relates in general to
each single person, from the teaching which belongs to those who are in office,
whether spiritual or temporal, whose work it is to punish and withstand the
evil. Therefore, even though they be in themselves kind, yet right and
punishment, as their official work, must run their course; and it would not be
right for them to neglect this, as through compassion, for this would be to
help, strengthen and encourage the evil; as if I should say to our enemies, the
pope, bishops, princes, and whoever they may be, who persecute and trample upon
the gospel and the poor people that adhere to it: Dear sirs, may the dear God
reward you, you are pious people and holy fathers, etc.; or if I were to keep
silence, and worship them, or kiss their feet. No, dear brother, the right
thing for me to say is: I am a preacher, who must have teeth in his head, must
bite and salt, and tell them the truth; and, if they will not hear, I must
excommunicate them, shut up heaven against them, consign them to the fire of
hell, and turn them over to the devil, in God’s name, etc.
Whosoever now has this office, to rebuke, to revile,
etc., let him do it; but aside from the office, let every one follow this
teaching, not to revile or curse, but to act in a kind and friendly manner,
although others may act badly, and thus divert the punishing from yourself and
turn it over to those whose office it is. For the evil doer will be apt to find
his judge who will not spare him, even if you do not avenge yourself or seek to
do it. For God will not suffer any wrong to go unpunished, but will himself
take vengeance upon our enemies, and will send home to them what their
treatment of us has merited; as he himself says: Vengeance is mine, I will
repay; accordingly St. Paul exhorts Christians, Romans 12:19: “Avenge not
yourselves, but rather give place unto the wrath of God;” by which words he not
only teaches, but also comforts, as if he would say: Do not assume to take
vengeance upon one another, to curse and wish evil to each other; for whosoever
does you harm or injury, he is interfering with an office that is not his,
assuming to punish or injure you without orders, yes, contrary to the command
of God. If now you do also the same, then you interfere with the office of God,
and sin just as greatly against him, as he has done against you. Therefore
restrain your fist, and give place to his wrath and punishing, and let him
attend to it, who will not let it be unavenged, and who punishes more severely
than you would desire. For he has not assailed you, but much rather God
himself, and has already fallen under his displeasure; he cannot escape from
him, as no one has ever yet escaped him. Why then will you be angry, since
God’s wrath, which is immeasurably greater and more severe than the wrath and
punishing of the whole world, has already fastened upon him, and has already
taken greater vengeance than you could do; and besides, he has not done you the
tenth part of the harm that he has done to God? Why then do you wish to curse
heavily and take vengeance, since you see that he is lying under this severe
condemnation, so that you should rather have pity on his misery, and pray for
him, that he may escape from it and reform, etc.
And to confirm and impress this teaching he presents
two examples: first, when he says: That ye may be the children of your Father
which is in heaven; for he lets his sun rise on the evil and the good, and
sends rain upon the just and upon the unjust; as though he should say: If you
want to be called true children of your Father in heaven, then let his example
move you so that you also live and act as he does. He causes his sun to rise
daily, and sends rain both upon the pious and the evil. Here he has in a few
words included all the earthly benefits that God bestows upon the world, when
he mentions these two things, the sun and rain. For if these, or even one of
them, were wanting, the whole world would long since have become waste, and
have perished. If the sun did not daily rise, one could never work, but all
animals, along with all trees, vegetables and grass would perish from frost.
Hence the sun alone conveys the blessing of which the world is full, and which
it cannot pay for, so that all, both animals and man, can seek their
nourishment, and it bestows also heat and warmth, so that everything remains
alive, grows, increases, and does not perish. In short, it is not possible to
enumerate what benefits God bestows every hour and moment through the sun. Yes,
where is the man that acknowledges this, or is thankful for it?
But, although God gives, produces and preserves
everything through the sun, yet we must have the rain also. For if the sun were
constantly shining, everything at last would dry up and pine away for heat, and
no fodder or grain could grow for man or beast. Therefore he has tempered it
with the rain, so that it can revive, and retain its moisture and strength.
There are now embraced in these two the four things that belong to life, which
the philosophers call the primas qualitates, cold, warm, dry and moist, so that
there must not be one without the other. For if there were nothing but cold, or
again nothing but heat, there could be no life. Now
the sun brings two of these, heat and dryness; the rain also brings two, so
that it is cold and moist. Thus God gives to the whole world daily most
abundantly and gratuitously, to his enemies as well as to his friends, life,
with all that is needed for its use and advantage. Yes, he causes it to rain
the most in a waste, wild forest and ocean, where it is of no use at all, and
gives only scant showers where pious people live. Yes, he gives the best
kingdoms, countries, people, money and goods to the worst scoundrels; to the
pious, however, hardly bread enough to eat.
Since now God everywhere in the wide world displays to
us these illustrations, just as if he wished thereby to exhort us and to say to
us: If you do not know what kind of a person I am, and how I am doing good to
you, ask the sun and moon and rain about it, and everything that is cold, wet,
warm or dry; then you will see not only innumerable benefits that I am
displaying to my Christians, but also much more to the wicked, who show me no
gratitude, but reward me by persecuting most shamefully my Son, and pious
Christians; so, that you must be ashamed to look at the sun, that is daily
proclaiming this to you, ashamed even to look at a little flower or the leaf of
a tree. For it stands written upon all leaves and grass, and there is no little
bird, yes, no trifling fruit, no berry, no little grain, so minute that does
not show this to you and say: For whom do I yield my fruit or berry? For the vilest miscreants and scoundrels upon earth. What
charge do you then bring against yourself, for having no love at all towards
God, or benevolence toward your neighbor, and for not showing at least some
kindness to others, since he is doing you so much good, without ceasing, by
means of all his creatures?
Now there is surely no man upon earth who suffers the
hundredth part as much from bad fellows as He must daily suffer, not alone by
this, that men abuse his goods and all his creatures for purposes of sin and
shame; but much more, that the very ones who have the most of these goods, as
kings, lords and princes, are as hostile to him and his word as to the devil
himself, so that they would gladly destroy it at once, if they could; they rage
and storm against it with all manner of abuse, cursing, reviling, and besides
with actual violence, so that there is no one upon earth to whom more hatred
and envy, along with all sorts of knavery and trickery, are shown than to his
Christians. Well, this is what he has to endure daily from the whole world; yet
he is so good, and daily causes the sun to shine, and lets those enjoy his blessings
abundantly who rather deserve not to have a blade of grass or a moment of
sunshine; but they merit rather that he should rain upon them incessantly
nothing but hellish fire, and hurl upon them thunderbolts, hail, spears and
bullets. But he must be called a very good Father who bestows upon such
desperate scoundrels so much property, land, people, fruits and good weather,
and allows them to lord it in every way over his domain, so that sun and moon
and all creatures must serve them, and allow themselves to be abused in the
interest of all their caprice and wickedness against God. If now we wish to be
children of this Father, we ought to let these striking examples move us to
live accordingly.
The other illustration is taken from the evil fellows
and murderers among themselves. They also understand the art of clinging
together and treating each other well; yes, they make common cause with one
another, and yet their whole aim is to injure other people, to rob and murder,
and this alone for the sake of temporal, uncertain advantage. Therefore you
ought surely to be ashamed (he means to say), who are called Christians and
God’s children, and want to get to heaven, and have such a good, faithful
Father, who promises and gives you everything good; and yet you are no better
than robbers and murderers, and are like all bad fellows upon earth. For there
never have been any so bad as not to observe kindness and friendship towards
one another; how could they otherwise get along? For even the
devils in hell cannot antagonize each other, or their kingdom would soon be
destroyed; as Christ himself says.
See, now, how good are you, if you are friendly and
gracious only towards your friends? You are just about as good as thieves and
rogues, whores and scoundrels, yes, as the devil himself. Yet you act loftily,
are secure, and think you are all right, and can take on splendid and boastful
airs as if you were an angel; as our factious spirits now boast of the great
love that they have for each other, so that one must see from this that the
Holy Ghost is with them. But what is it that they do? They love their own
riotous rabble; along with that they are full of deadly and murderous hatred
against us, who have never done them any harm; so that we can see very well
what sort of a spirit they have, and yet they can very well boast that they
have as much love as scamps, scoundrels and murderers, as much indeed as the
devils towards each other. After this fashion no man upon earth would be
wicked. For there is no one so desperately bad that he does not need to have
somebody for a friend; how else could he live among people, if he were snarling
and snapping at everybody? If now you wanted to conclude here: He loves his
friends, therefore he is good and holy; then you must make at last the devil,
and all his, good and pious. Therefore Christ here means to conclude against
the Pharisaic saints, that what they teach about love, etc., is all knavery;
and he teaches them to turn the page and look at the Scriptures aright, if they
want to be the people of God, so that they might see and show love towards
their enemies. Thereby they could prove that they had a true love, and were
God’s children, as he shows his love to enemies and the ungrateful.
For Moses himself also plainly said this, as in Exodus
23:4,5: “If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt
surely bring it back to him again;” also, “If thou see the ass of him that
hateth thee lying under his burden, thou shalt surely help him up again,” etc.
Here they should have found that they were under obligation to love their
enemies, if they had rightly looked at the text, and had not merely glanced at
it, as our blind teachers skim over the surface of the Scriptures. For since he
here commands them to restore and help up an ass or an ox that belongs to an
enemy: he means that they should so much the more do it when the enemy himself
is in danger of person, property, wife, child, etc.; and it amounts to this:
Thou shalt not desire thy neighbor’s injury, but prevent it, and, if thou
canst, help him and promote his advantage. Thereby you can at last move him,
and by kindness overcome and soften him, so that he cannot but love you,
because he sees and experiences nothing evil, but only love and pure goodness
in your treatment of him.
Thus Christ now ends this chapter with this teaching
and these illustrations, and says: Therefore be ye perfect, as your Father in
heaven is perfect. Here our sophists have indulged in many dreams about
perfection, and have applied everything to their orders and classes, as if
pastors and monks alone were in the state of perfection, and one higher than
the other: the bishops higher than the others, and the pope the highest of all.
In this way this word is snatched away entirely from the ordinary class of
Christians, as if they could not be called or be perfect. But you hear that
Christ is not here talking to bishops, monks and nuns; but in general to all
Christians who are his disciples and who wish to be called the children of God,
not like the publicans and base fellows, such as the Pharisees and our
ecclesiastics are.
But how are they to be perfect? Answer, briefly, for
elsewhere I have treated of it more fully: We are not to be or become perfect,
so as not to have any sin, as they dream about perfection; but to be perfect
means, here and everywhere also in Scripture, that in the first place the
doctrine [that we hold] be entirely correct and perfect, and then that the life
also be directed and move accordingly; as here this doctrine is that we are to
love not only those who do good to us, but also our enemies. He now who teaches
this, and lives according to this teaching, he teaches and lives perfectly.
But the teaching and life of the Jews were both
imperfect and wrong, for they taught to love only their friends, and they also
lived accordingly. For that is a partial and divided,
and only half a love. But he demands a whole, round, undivided love, so that
one loves and benefits his enemy, as well as his friend. Thus I am called a
real perfect man, one who has and holds the doctrine in its entirety. If,
however, the life does not fully accord with this, as indeed it cannot, since
flesh and blood constantly hinder, that does not detract from the perfection:
only so that we strive after it, and daily move forward in it, in such a way
that the spirit is master over the flesh, and holds it in check, keeps it under
and restrains it, so that it does not have an opportunity to act contrary to
this teaching; in such a way, that I let love move in the true middle way,
uniformly toward everybody, so that it excludes no one. Then I have the true
Christian perfection, that holds its place in no special offices or classes;
but it is and is to be common to all Christians, and forms and fashions itself
according to the example of the Heavenly Father, who does not part and parcel
out his love and kind deeds, but lets all men upon earth enjoy them alike,
through sun and rain, none excluded, good or bad.
THE SIXTH CHAPTER OF ST. MATTHEW.
V. 1-4. Take heed that you do not your alms before
men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in
heaven. Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before
thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may
have glory of 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 in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall
reward thee openly.
Hitherto the Lord Christ was rebuking the false
teachings and interpretations of Scripture, by which the people had been led
only to avoid sinning with the fist, the heart meanwhile remaining internally
entirely impure; and he showed and clearly exhibited the true meaning of the
Scriptures and of the law. Now he assails their way of living, after denouncing
their teaching, and rebukes their good works, and shows that they have nothing
good, neither in doctrine nor works, although they were daily teaching and
doing good works, as holy people, so that they were regarded as the best kernel
of the whole Jewish people, and as the holiest on earth, and the whole world
had to look to them as its mirror and pattern, according to which they should
live: as we have hitherto known how to look for the true doctrine and life
nowhere else than among our spiritual pastors and monks; and yet these are now
rebuked by the Gospel, so that every one sees that they have neither taught nor
lived aright, but have misled and deceived themselves and the people.
Now it is truly a mortifying preaching that comes into
the world in such a way as to let these holy people have no claim to anything
right or good; whereby it will merit to be opposed and not
tolerated in the world. But the Holy Ghost does not shrink on this
account, but goes on, as it is his of-rice, wherever he comes, to rebuke both;
as indeed both need to be rebuked. For this is true, where the teaching is not
right, there it is impossible that the life, which must be directed and
controlled by it, should be right and good; but what one does in accordance
with it, those are bye-paths and deviations, and so much the worse because at
the same time there remains the semblance and the notion that it is the true,
divine teaching which points and leads towards heaven, and the works have the
name of being good, and yet they look no further than to the fist: as they
supposed it was enough, and well done, if they only did the works, gave many
alms, fasted and prayed, no matter how their heart stood towards God; and
besides they were defiled by the shameful trait that they were doing it all
only to be seen by the people and get honor and glory by it from the people;
for that reason Christ here rebukes and utterly rejects it.
And first of all he rebukes their alms, which is still
the best among all external works. For it means nothing else than to help the
poor and needy; and it embraces not only giving a piece of bread to a beggar
before the door, but all sorts of kind deeds and all good works done to a
neighbor. For the little word alms is taken from a Greek word which means
mercy; as we also generally call them works of mercy. Whence also the
Scriptures praise these works above all others, even those done towards God, as
sacrificing, praying, etc.; as Christ himself says through the prophet Hosea: I
have delight in mercy and not in sacrifice. So also in Isaiah 58, he finds
fault with their grieving him by fasting and scourging their bodies, and demands
these works, that they are to do good to the poor, to feed the hungry, to
clothe the naked, etc. How does it then happen, that he here rebukes the
Pharisees on account of such a good work?
Answer: He does not rebuke the work, but their purpose
and aim in doing it. For the deed would be in itself good, but it is spoiled by
their smearing their filth over it, because they seek only their own glory and
honor before the people by it, and do it not for the sake of God or their
neighbor. Therefore he pronounces a short, sharp judgment, that all such alms,
however great, many and costly they may be, are in vain and of no account.
But who believes that this vice and fault is so common
in the world, and especially in the case of the best, and how few there are of
those who without this seeking for worldly honor or favor are doing good works?
Take all the alms given in the whole papacy, and count up as many as you can
find, that are not given with this intention. Yes, the world will never get to
understand what it really means to give alms. For we are all inclined that way,
if the people would not begin to praise us, or to show us honor, gratitude or
favor, every one would soon draw back his hand. For if the pope had said to the
princes and founders [of monasteries, etc.]: Gentlemen, I will not give you a
penny for all your foundations and alms, etc., what do you suppose they would
have given for churches and other institutions? They would not have had a stone
hauled or laid in position; as we now see, because we teach correctly and
exhort to these works, so that we are to give for God’s sake, from a pure,
simple heart, without any seeking for our own honor or merit, etc., now nobody
wants to give a cent. But hitherto, when they had praise and honor for doing
it, it snowed with alms, endowments and wills; and yet this had something to do
with it, that men believed they were meriting heaven thereby; nevertheless,
that was not the real reason, but it was just what Christ here says, that it
was a great thing in the eyes of the people, and was praised. Otherwise they
would not have cared for it, so as to do it for the sake of God and the kingdom
of heaven.
This we can readily understand by the fact, as said
above, that if we persuade and urge the people most earnestly to perform such
good works, and represent it in the most attractive way that we can, as
something heartily pleasing to God, along with all the angels in heaven, and
that God will reward it a hundred fold: still nobody will touch it. What is the
defect in our plea? Simply this, that one is no longer to get for it praise and
honor, gratitude and praise before the world. Because the head is cut off, the
body will not follow any more. But if the head were to become alive again, then
things would soon move on again as they used to do, when this was the way it
went. If a rich prince gave so much to a monastery, then they all came and
said: Deo gratias! and they promised to merit it
[God’s favor] with their prayers and divine worship. That had to be proclaimed
in all pulpits, and all the world had to say: O, that
is a splendid deed! That is the way it was done everywhere in all the papacy;
although there may have been a few whom God found honest. See, this is a sure
indication that this was done only so as to merit thereby gratitude, honor and
praise.
In addition to this you have also this evidence, that
these saints soon become angry and withhold their gifts, if they experience
ingratitude or contempt. For if they did not do it for the reason mentioned,
they would not become angry at this, or for that reason cease, but they would
continue and say: I did not begin it for that purpose, and for this reason I
will not cease; but for God’s honor and pleasure I will do it, even though no
one gives me a good word for it. But if you come scratching along after this
fashion: I have done so much for him, and it is forgotten already, and there’s
no gratitude in the people, etc., I would gladly take out my heart and give it
to some one; but since I see that it has to be lost, and he shows himself so
ungrateful, and all my labor and trouble go for nothing, I’ll let him have hell
fire before I give him a cent or a crust of bread; see, there the scamp peeps
out, and you show by your own words why you are doing it, namely, that people are
to worship and celebrate you, and honor you as a god; as we now see in the case
of some great miserly bishops, how they can rage and scold, if one is not
always thanking them, or saying what they like to hear, so that they even
insult princes and lords with it, and want to blame everybody.
See, this is the shameful perversion of good works,
and the common fault in all the world, that nobody
does anything good without such a design. For the world cannot get out of the
crazy notion, nor tolerate and overcome ingratitude. That is where the monks
come from, who ran off into the wilderness, because they were too weak to
endure this, that they should be in the world, help and do good to everybody,
and get as their reward nothing but contempt, harm, disgrace and ingratitude.
But what devil tells you to do a good work with the expectation of meriting the
honor and favor of the world, which is uncertain and can soon fall away and be
changed, and not to have a better object in view, namely God, for then it
cannot be lost, as he will richly repay you, both now and hereafter? And you
are served exactly right; since you are such a rogue, and aim at nothing else
than to be worshipped by the people, and make a god of yourself; he can very
well let the world and the devil deal with you, so as to take your godhead from
you and throw it into the dirt, where it ought to lie. For, as you try to sit
on God’s throne and appropriate the honor that belongs to him, he very properly
hurls you down again, so that complete disgrace is all the thanks you get for
the stolen honor. Therefore, it is a miserable business, as to the world [in
its relation to almsgiving]: whether it is professedly pious or wicked, in
either case it is worthless. For it will either be an open devil, with evil works;
or it will be God himself, with good works. It is intolerable, in either case.
Therefore no one can do a good work unless he is a Christian. For if he does it
as a man, then he does it not for the honor of God, but of himself and for his
own benefit; or, if he pretends it is for God’s honor, this is a malodorous
lie.
Thus Christ now means to teach how one is rightly to
give alms, and says: If thou givest alms, do not have a trumpet sounded before
thee, and have it loudly reported, so that a whole town must know it and talk
about it; just as among us, when a charitable distribution is made, all the
bells are rung; but, if you give alms, do it so that your left hand does not
know what your right hand does. That is just what
These simple alms we do not find among the worldly.
For their giving is of such a character, that the right hand gives, but the
left hand takes That is called – givers, takers – as the children mockingly
call each other; yes, given in such a way that one takes ten times as much in
place of what he gives, as, where one gives a drop of water and takes a cask of
wine. For the world gives in such a way that it will have the honor that is
immeasurably greater than all money and property, and buys thee with a trifle,
so that it may have in thee a perpetual captive, with body and life, and
whatever thou hast, yes, and God himself besides. Therefore says Christ: If
thou givest alms with the right hand, take care that thou dost not seek to take
more with thy left hand; but hold it behind thee, and do not let it know
anything about it; so that it means given with simplicity, and not taken, or
given in such a way that one must owe thee ten times as much, and celebrate and
worship thee as an idol; as our young squires now do – if they have served some
with a ducat or two, they want to have him so bought and under such obligations
to them, that he must let everything be gold that they say and do, and dare not
say a word to them except what they like to hear. My good friend, if you can
sell your bits at that rate, you are not a poor tradesman, by any means.
Therefore let every one know
how to guard against this vice, and watch himself closely that he be not also
found among these. For there are but few people that are aware of it, and it
deceives also even those who suppose they are very pious and full of good
works, and are yet in this way twice as bad as others; thus God is specially
hostile to this vice, and can less endure it than that one should openly rob his
neighbor and do him wrong, than to give in this way, and so shamefully spoil
the good work, so that you make of yourself an idol, and you more securely bind
and hold your neighbor than any one else. But that is the way it goes; where
the true doctrine lies prostrate, and yet everybody professes great piety,
there these good works follow, that have nothing but a vain show, and do twice
as much harm as open evil works.
But some one may say: What is to come of it, that he
says that alms are to be secret? Is it objectionable for one to let it be
proclaimed and shown to those who are to take and receive it? Answer: No; you
must see what Christ has in view, for he is looking at the heart and intention,
namely, if it is given or bestowed so that honor and glory are sought by it,
then it is of no value before God, although many poor may thereby be helped.
But to give alms in secret means where the heart does not expose itself, or
seek honor and name from it; but is so disposed that it gives away freely,
without regarding whether it may have any show or praise before the people;
yes, if besides it is despised and abused by everybody, thus it is called
secret and done alone before God, even though it takes place openly before all
the world. For it is covered over by this simplicity of the heart that does not
inquire or care about the issue, let God decide, let come from it gratitude or
ingratitude, good or evil. For thus I do not see it, though others may see it;
thus I and others in our preacher’s office must do, so that we do not concern
ourselves whether we thereby please the people or not; yes, must rather expect
for it contempt, ingratitude, persecution, and all sorts of misfortune. For
every good work must expect this, and by it be tried and proved, that it may endure
and be found upright; which is not the case with the other hypocritical sham
work.
In short, he who means to be a Christian must not want
to do, or omit any good work, out of regard for others, but only in order to
serve God with his office, calling, money, goods, or whatever he has or can do,
and honor him so far as he can, although he may never merit any thanks thereby
upon earth. For it is also impossible that a pious man should be here rewarded
for the very smallest work that he does, even if he were crowned with gold and
received a whole kingdom. Therefore he should look for nothing more than
getting his bread and butter for it, and expect no reward from the world, that
is not worthy to recompense a good work, or indeed to recognize and honor a real
Christian; and if it even knows him, it is not so good as to thank him.
Because, therefore, it is not undertaken out of regard for the world, it ought
not to be omitted on its account; but it should be commended to God, who will
abundantly reward it; not secretly, but openly, before the whole world and all
angels.
If we do not so understand and feel in this matter, we
cannot perform any really good work; but we become impatient, discontented, and
allow ourselves to be overcome by the shameful ingratitude of the world, so
that thereby this good work is ruined and lost; and it then appears that we
meant to do it not for God’s sake, but for the sake of the people. And as for
myself, I would long ago have given the world its walking-papers and let it go
to the devil, rather than let it hear a word from me. But it is no concern of
hers, but of our dear Father in heaven; out of love for him, and for his praise
and honor, we will preach and do good, because all else in the world is hostile
to him and most shamefully despises and reviles him, and does all it can to
oppose and vex him; and we take our comfort from the fact that he yet lives if
all the world perishes; and because he has declared and promised that he will
properly recompense and reward it, he surely will not lie to us. Then try it,
and you will find that it will not fail you. This, at first, in a general way,
is what we have to say in regard to almsgiving and all other good works, how a
Christian is to be disposed in heart in regard to them, etc.
V. 5-6. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as
the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing 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. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy
Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Along with almsgiving, or doing good
to our neighbor, it is also our Christian duty to pray. For, just as the
necessities of the present life demand that we do good to our neighbor and
sympathize with him in his need (for that is why we live together upon earth,
so that one may serve and help the other); so, because we are daily exposed in
this life to all manner of danger and need, that we cannot avoid or turn aside,
we must also ever call upon God and seek for help, both for ourselves and every
one else. But as proper almsgiving is a rare thing in the world, not only
because of the common robbing and stealing that abound in the world, as no one
does good to his neighbor, and everybody scratches on his own dung-pile, and
does not ask how his neighbor gets along; but also because if they do a good
deed, they seek only their own interests thereby; so that thus the world is
nothing else than a set of robbers and thieves, both on the right and left,
both bodily and spiritually, both in bad works and good.
Just so now is praying a rare thing, that no one does but Christians, and yet it was such a common thing in the world, especially among the Jews, as Christ here shows, in synagogues and at the corners of the streets, and now in so many churches, monasteries, nunneries, etc., muttering and bawling day and night with singing and reading, so that the world is everywhere full of it, an