John 21:19-24.
Jesus said to Peter, "Follow me. And Peter turned, and saw the disciple following, whom Jesus loved, who also lay at his breast at supper, and said, Lord, who is he that betrayeth thee? And when Peter saw him, he saith unto JESUS, Lord, what is this? JESUS saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is it to thee? Follow me. And there went forth a saying among the brethren: This disciple does not die. And Jesus said not unto him, He dieth not: but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? This is the disciple that testifieth of these things, and hath written these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
001 When Christ thrice asked Peter if he loved him also, and Peter thrice answered, "Yea, I love thee, thou knowest that"; he thrice commanded him his sheep, saying, "Feed my sheep." After this he announced his death to him, saying, "Verily I say unto thee, Peter, when thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and wentest whither thou wouldest: but now, when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and lead thee whither thou wouldest not."
So this gospel follows it: "Follow me"; as if he should say: "Because it should be so with you, remember and follow me, give yourself willingly to death. For that this following means dying is clear enough, and all the disciples also understood it thus, and is a light and easy gospel.
(2) But that some here almost trouble to know whether St. John has died or is still alive is sufficiently shown by the evangelist that Christ did not want us to know, therefore we should not inquire about it.
He says: Jesus did not say that he should not die, and yet he does not say that he should die either, so he leaves it in doubt. If Christ had already said: I want him to remain until I come, it would still be understood that he would die at the last day; but now he says: "If I want him to remain", it is even more sinister that he does not say badly whether he wants to or not.
(3) But he hath given us an excellent and notable doctrine in this, for the which Christ also rejected Peter with such words, and it is this: Regardless of all the saints' examples and lives, each one should wait for what he is commanded to do and carry out his calling. Oh, this is such a necessary, wholesome teaching. It is a mistake, almost common, that we look at the works of the saints, and how they have walked, we want to think afterwards, that it is deliciously well done. This is aided and abetted by the useless talkers who preach the life of the dear saints and do not properly present it to the people as an example.
4 Christ acts and speaks against this. Peter is a picture of such wild wanderers: since Christ had commanded him to follow him straight for himself, he turns around and looks for another, worries where the one whom Jesus loved is going. So do these also; leaving that which they are commanded to do, and looking on another's walk and works, which God loveth, which are his saints; wherefore Christ bringeth him again, saying, What is it to thee where he walketh? Follow me, let me do with him; how, if I thus would let him remain, wouldst thou therefore also remain? Do you think I want that from you, that from him? No, not so; wait thou for thine own, and what I say unto thee, he shall find his also. I will have many servants, but they shall not all be of one work.
(5) Behold, many people are found doing all kinds of things without being commanded. Some people have heard that some saints have gone to walk, of which they are praised; so the fool goes, leaves his wife and child, who are commanded to him by God, also runs to St. Jacob, or here and there, not seeing how his profession and command is much different than that of the saint whom he follows. So they also do
with pencils, fasting, clothing, celebration, piety, monasticism, nunnery; it is vain to look behind one's disciples whom Christ loves, and to turn one's back to the command and calling of Christ's followers; to say that it is well done, to have followed the saints.
Therefore, see how a right road goes the way of God. First, he does not like man's doctrine and way or commandment. Secondly, he does not like his own requested or exquisite works. Thirdly, he does not like the examples of the saints, but is directed to wait and see how God will lead him, what He wants him to do; as the prophet Ps. 25:8, 9, 12 says: "God teaches them the way He has taught"; item: "He will teach the meek His ways" etc.
(7) This is what you want to say: But if I am not called, what shall I do? Answer: How is it possible that thou art not called? thou shalt ever be in a state: thou shalt ever be a husband, or wife, or child, or daughter, or manservant, or maidservant. Take the least estate before thee: If thou art a married man, thinkest thou hast not enough to do in the same estate, to rule thy wife, thy child, thy servants, and thy goods, that all may go in obedience to God, and do wrong to none? Even if you had four heads and ten hands, you would still be too little for him, so that you could neither walk nor do any holy work.
Item 8: If you are a son or a daughter, do you think that you do not have enough to do with yourself, that you keep your youth chaste, modest, obedient to your parents, not to offend anyone with words or deeds? Yes, because one has come from the way to respect such command and profession, one goes and prays rosaries and does such things, which serve nothing to the profession, and no one thinks that he is aware of his status.
009 Item: If thou be a maid, or a servant, thinkest thou that thou shalt be idle, when thou shalt faithfully serve thy lord, or wives, according to thy station and command, with all diligence, and keep thy youth in check?
Item 10: If you are a prince, Lord, spiritual or temporal, who has more to do than you?
That thy subjects do right, peace be, and none be wronged? Whence thinkest thou that the saying cometh, A prince or lord is a wild thing in heaven? Only because they leave their office, want to rule far away and cannot rule themselves; then they come and want to do it with measuring. Then they come and try to bring it back by hearing masses, rosaries, prayers, indulgences, as if God were a dawdler or a child who can be fooled with a penny.
So also now the bishops and spiritual prelates, who should feed the sheep of Christ and follow Christ, suffer death over it; so they pray their seven times *) and say mass, let themselves be called pious people. But if one of the bishops goes to heaven, another heaven must be created. All bishops are now hellish fireworks, so that none of them cares for a single hair of his office.
(12) Behold, therefore, as no man is without command and calling, so no man is without works, if he will do right. If, then, every man is to be careful to remain in his station, to look to himself, to do his bidding, and therein to serve God and keep his commandment, he will have so much to do that all time will be too short for him, all places too narrow, all strength too little. For the evil spirit challenges such ways horribly and makes them sour for man, so that he hardly stays in them. But if he brings him to the point where he forgets his occupation and lets him go, he no longer attacks him so hard, he has brought him out of the country road, sometimes lets him find a little grassy or wooden path, that is, to do someone else's good work; So the fool thinks he is doing right, and thinking of great merits in heaven, gets further and further from the road, until he gets into the most harmful delusion, that he thinks it is God to do the works, as King Saul did. Oh no, dear man, God is not concerned with works, but with obedience, as the same book 1 Sam. 15, 22. says: "God does not want sacrifices, but obedience." Therefore
It happens that a pious maid, if she goes in her command and sweeps the yard or carries out manure according to her office; or a servant plows and drives in the same opinion: goes straight to heaven on the right road; whereas another, who goes to St. Jacob or to the church, leaves his office and work, goes straight to hell.
(13) Therefore we must close our eyes, not looking at the works, whether they be great, small, honest, contemptible, spiritual, corporal, or whatsoever reputation and name they may have on earth; but at the command and obedience which is in them: if the same be, the work is also rightly delicious and wholly divine, whether it be so small as to pick up a straw. But if the obedience and command does not go, the work is not right either, and it is damnable, certainly the devil's own, even if it is as great as raising the dead. For this is decided, God's eyes do not look at the works, but at obedience in the works; therefore he also wants us to look at his command and call, of which St. Paul says 1 Cor. 7, 17: "Let every man continue in the calling wherein he was called." And St. Peter 1 Ep. 4:10: "Ye shall be as the faithful and good officers, or ministers of divers mercies; that ye may minister one to another, and promote that which ye have received." Behold, St. Peter says that the graces and gifts of God are not of one kind, but of several kinds. And each one should take care of his own, practice them, and be useful to others.
(14) What a fine thing it would be if every one were to wait for his own, and yet serve the other with it, and so lead one another on the right road to heaven. St. Paul also writes Romans 12:4, 5, 6 and 1 Corinthians 12:12: "That the body has many members, but not all the members do the same work." So we also have many members of a Christian congregation, but not all of them do the same work, so that no one should do another's work, but each one should do his own, and all should walk in one accord in simple obedience, in many commands and diverse works.
15 Do you then say: Shall we not follow the lives and examples of the dear saints?
Why is it preached? Answer: It should be preached in such a way that God would pledge Himself in it to provoke us, and also to comfort us with His goodness and grace, and then not to show works, but obedience in it. But now obedience is left aside, and we are led so deeply into works that we are completely out of obedience, open our mouths to works, and despise our own command and calling. Therefore, there is no doubt that it is only the devil's doing that God's service is only focused on churches, altars, mass, singing, reading, sacrifices and the like, as if all other works were in vain or of no use at all. How could the devil have led us astray from the right path, since he has so narrowly focused God's service only on the church and the works that are done in it?
16 Beware, behold, Christ will not suffer St. Peter to look around, even for the disciple whom he loved. Do you think it was in vain that the disciple whom Christ loved was drawn before all the apostles? Nor was it in vain that he did not call him by his name. He might well have said, Peter turned back and saw John; but, "whom Jesus loved" etc. But he wanted to counteract this vice and put the work of the saints out of sight, so that pure obedience would remain, and no one would want to boast or excuse himself for having followed the saints' example.
(17) Behold, we read in the Scriptures that God would not have David build a church, though David purposed to do so; for there was no command before: but of Solomon he would have it, to whom also he gave a command. This is where all the idolatries came from, because they looked at the works of the saints and not at their obedience. You have seen how Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob sacrificed to God on the altars; when they approached, they wanted to follow and idolatry came out of it. Such people the scripture calls apes; this is also such a beast, which only looks at the works, and wants to do everything, yet nothing is commanded to it.
18 Therefore let us well grasp the words of Christ, "Follow me." You, you; let
If others wait for theirs, you wait for yours; they will come. For it is not in vain that the gospel says that the disciple whom Peter looked at also followed, but he followed without looking at Peter. Almost the whole gospel is written for the sake of these words and teachings, because it does not teach much about faith, but about the consequence and works of faith. In St. Peter's person he also addressed all the spiritual prelates in this and taught them their office, of which the whole gospel would be about; but they may want to be untaught by us, therefore we must also let it go and stick to our own things.
19 The other doctrine of this gospel is, that every man should be content with his own portion, and not grudge another, nor murmur whether he be unequal unto him. For here, though John alone is called the disciple whom Christ loves, yet no one grumbles about it, nor begrudges him. No one murmured that he should not die when they thought he would, nor did any murmur go out among them, but, as the text says, "A discourse has gone forth among the brethren," they have spoken of it as brethren (hear, all disciples and Christians), and have granted him well.
020 And this is no small virtue, which many great men lack: for even the holy patriarchs lacked such virtue, and disliked Joseph their brother's authority.
(21) And it is a common plague that no man is content with his own, that even the heathen saith, How is it that another man's field yieldeth better fruit, and his neighbor's cattle more milk than ours? Item: How is it that no one is content with his own nature, that everyone thinks that the other's nature is better than his? He that is a merchant praiseth the craftsman that he sitteth quietly in peace, when he must go astray in the land; again, the craftsman praiseth the merchant that he is rich and among men, and so forth: every man is weary of his own nature, and sigheth after another. If he is married, he praises him who has no wife.
he praises the conjugal state; if he is spiritual, the worldly state pleases him; again, if he is worldly, the spiritual state pleases him; and God cannot deal with them so that they would be satisfied. If they served him in the way in which he had ordained them, it would not be grievous nor difficult for them; but now that they are weary, no one grieves them, for they grieve themselves, making their lives grievous to themselves without any need or cause.
(22) And if God were to allow a man to change his nature according to all his will, to atone for such weariness, he would become equally, even more, weary in everything else, and in the end remain with what is his. Therefore one must not think of the change of the being, but of the weariness. Put away and change the weariness, then one being will be like the other and all states will be equal, as it has come to you, that you neither need nor desire a change.
(23) Thus some pagans have thought that if all men's evil were brought together in one heap, and it were to be distributed equally there, it would certainly come to pass that each would much rather keep his own. God rules the world so equally that every advantage is followed by its equal disadvantage. And everyone sees no more than how smoothly another's shoe fits, but does not see where he presses it; again, he who has the shoe on pays no attention to how smoothly it fits, but how badly he presses it. With foolishness the world goes on, that each one only looks at his own evil and the other's good; but if he saw his own good alone and the other's evil also, he would thank God and let himself be satisfied in the most peaceful way, how little or how bad it would be for him.
(24) To avoid such restlessness, unrest and weariness, faith is useful and necessary, which certainly believes that God governs equally and chooses each person in the way that is most useful and convenient for him, so that it would not turn out better if he himself had the same choice. This faith makes for peace, satisfaction, tranquility, and drives away weariness. But where faith does not exist and man acts according to his feelings,
If he judges his own feelings and sensibilities, see, that is where the displeasure begins; for he feels only his own evil and not that of his neighbor, in turn, does not see his own advantage, nor that of his neighbor's evil; so from his feelings follows displeasure, unwillingness, effort and work in his life, thus becoming impatient and dissatisfied with God. Then God's praise, love and gratitude are silent in him, he remains a secret murmurer against God all his life, like the Jews in the desert; yet he has nothing more to gain from it than that he makes his life sour for himself and still earns hell with it.
(25) Therefore you see how faith is necessary in all things, and how it makes all things easy, good and sweet, even if you were in prison or in death, as the martyrs prove; and without it all things are hard, evil and bitter, even if you had the pleasure and joy of all the world, as all great lords and the rich prove, who have the most miserable life all the time.
(26) Then some say: Yes, if I knew that it was not my foolishness or the devil that had led me here, and if I were sure that God Himself had thus provided for me, I would gladly be happy, content and satisfied. Answer: This is a foolish and unchristian pretense, which indicates a faithless heart. Christ says Matth. 6, 28: "Look at the flowers of the field, how they grow"; item Matth. 10, 29: "Not a leaf falls from the tree without your Father's will in heaven, and not a bird comes to the earth without His will; how much more you, who are more than birds, even your hairs are all numbered".
(27) Therefore, if your being is a state that is not sin in itself, even though you have come into it through sin and foolishness, that same being or state is not the less pleasing to God; for all things are pleasing to God, says Moses Genesis 1:31, without sin. Therefore, if you are in a state that is not sin in itself, then you are certainly endowed by God and in a state that is pleasing to God; just watch and do not sin in it. If you were to fall from the ground and break a leg in two, would that be a sin?
The room or the bed is not the more evil or displeasing to God that the same fall would have brought you into and forced you to stay, although another would have come into it without such a fall.
(28) Yes, let this be a sure sign to you that you are in a right state pleasing to God, if you feel his weariness and displeasure; surely God is there, challenging you with the evil spirit, trying you whether or not you are fickle or steadfast, and giving your faith cause to contend and strengthen itself.
29. also when I speak of the state, which is not sinful in itself, I do not mean that anyone may live here on earth without sin; all states and beings sin daily: but I mean the states, which God has appointed, or their appointment is not against God, as there are, marriage, servant, maid, lord, wife, overlords, rulers, judges, officials, peasants, citizens etc. Sinful state I call robbery, usury, public women's being, and as now are, pope, cardinals, bishops, priests, monks, nuns states, who do not preach or hear preaching. For these 'estates are certainly against God, where they only deal with masses and singing, and do not deal with God's word, so that a common woman may go to heaven much sooner than this one.
(30) To be spiritual and not to handle the Word of God, which is to be their one work, is just like being married and never being with each other, but to screw one out here and the other out there; that it is to be feared that many monasteries and convents are many whorehouses and houses of the devil, pious and outward in the body, but vain sin inwardly in the soul.
We will now be content with these two teachings. St. Augustine, however, walks here, and through these two apostles, Peter and John, interprets two different lives: through St. Peter the real life, through St. John the contemplative life; he says: Therefore the real life must follow Christ and die, but the contemplative life remains forever. Which is fine and easy, without some of the same two lives having been so much
The people who have written it, that they have even obscured it, no longer know what is real or visible life.
(32) But I, according to my gross understanding, proceed thus, that the real life must not only cease, and die bodily, but also spiritually; that is, it must be rejected before the world, that man should not rely on his works, though they are good and must be done; but should live by his faith alone, and rely on Christ, that is, the disciple whom Christ loves. Here the gospel breaks open and shines forth with its spiritual interpretations, all of which I cannot see. For Christ's word and deed so drive out works that they think only of faith.
33 Let us therefore take John as the faith, or the inward life of the soul in faith; St. Peter, as the works, or the outward life in works, so that they are not separated from each other in one man; so we shall see mysteria, what is real and contemplative life with its dying and abiding.
34 First, he says, "This is the disciple whom Christ loves. This means that faith alone makes the true beloved disciples of Christ; they also receive the Holy Spirit through the same faith, and not through their works. Works also make disciples, but not beloved disciples, but temporal hypocrites who do not stand; for God's love does not keep them, therefore they do not believe.
35 Secondly, this is the disciple who rested in supper on Christ's breast. O a great thing is this: faith possesses the heart of Christ, that is, it has all the goods of Christ and all right understanding. I have often said above, before in the epistle of the early mass on Christ's day, that faith makes of Christ and man one thing, that both possessions become common. What Christ is and has is the believer's own, and again, as Paul says in Romans 8:32: "God gave His own only Son for us; how can it be that with Him He has not given us all things?" Thus, a believer in Christ relies on Christ and trusts in Him.
rests on him as on his own property, given to him by God; just as St. John rests on Christ's breast as on his bed, is safe and certain.
Behold, such abundant good is and brings with it the faith of Christ, that it leans a man on Christ, and makes him rest securely in the most gentle manner, that he fears nothing, neither sin, nor death, nor hell, nor the world, nor the devil; for he rests on life, on grace, on blessedness, having all things in heaven and on earth; but only in faith, not yet manifestly. This signifies that John does not rest on Christ's breast after the resurrection or on the morrow, but before the resurrection and in the supper, that is, still in this life, which is a supper, that is, at the end of the world, in which the paschal lamb and the gospel feeds souls, is prepared, presented, and eaten in faith and by preaching.
37 Thirdly, he especially calls the breast, not the womb or the arms, which means that faith has all the wisdom of God and the right understanding of all things. This is also what St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 2:15, 16: "We have the mind of Christ"; item: "The spiritual man judges all things, and is judged by no one"; item 2 Cor. 3:16: "Whoever is converted to the Lord, to him the veil of Moses is taken away, that he may know all things." Therefore, the believer can judge what is good and right from all walks of life, from all works, from all teachings, from all spirits, and does not fail.
(38) Behold, therefore, through the faith of Christ, man not only hath all things, but also understandeth, knoweth, and judgeth rightly, surely, and wisely concerning all things. Moses saw this in his law, Deut. 7, 31, where he teaches how the priest's breast is due and should be his own from all animal sacrifices. But priests are all believers and Christians, as St. Peter says, 1 Petr. 2, 9. Therefore such faith brings him all good and all wisdom, that by good they are rich kings and have enough, by wisdom they are great priests, and can judge, separate and teach all the world.
39. fourth: "This is the disciple who said to Jesus, 'Lord, who is he that deceives you?
will rathen?" What does this mean? Judas the betrayer has been a figure of the pope, bishops and all clergymen, who leave the word of God and lead their own doctrine and works, so that they destroy the Christian truth. Now their nature has a pretty appearance in their spiritual gestures, nature and works, so that no natural reason can understand that they are mistaken, yes, natural reason helps and praises such.
(40) Since true faith and the glory of works cannot stand side by side, and no one can rely on God's grace, that is, rest on Christ's breast, who relies on works and his things; so grace and truth must perish as much as the glory of works rises. So it happens that the truth goes down unawares and so secretly through these traitors, the clergy; yes, also so secretly that the orthodox would not be aware of it if they did not diligently strive for the truth. For Christ proclaimed in Matth. 24, 24 that the elect may also be deceived. Therefore it is not enough for John to rest on the breast of Christ, but he stops and asks who the deceiver is.
41 Thus, the orthodox, by investigating the Christian truth and looking at grace, learn who this traitor is; for by observing that grace alone, that is, Christ, helps, and that nothing apart from grace helps, and that nothing else is to be built upon, they easily see, by such contrasting of grace and nature, that everything apart from grace is seductive. And grace also answers them in their hearts, so that they see how all the deceivers are, the killers and destroyers of grace, who set up doctrine, life and work apart from grace, pretending to make spiritual, pious people.
42 Therefore the betrayer of Christ is not, but only the glorifiers, who go about in a good appearance of holy life, spiritual standing, and yet thereby destroy the Christian truth and light of grace in themselves and everyone, so that vain humanity remains with them; which no one recognizes, except those who have a right faith; yet these also no sooner, but they take heed,
Otherwise they also let such works go along in a simple opinion, thinking they are done right in faith, because they seem to be like the true works. Hence the name of the betrayer is Judas Sharioth. Judas is called a confessor, because all such saints confess Christ, do not deny him publicly, and even seem better in life than the righteous confessors. But Sharioth means reward; for such saints are only profiteers, profiteers, and selfish; all that they do they seek their own, do nothing freely in honor of God; just as Judas, in carrying his bag, seeks and creates nothing more than his profit. Behold, thus the world is full of spiritual men; but at bottom there is no more behind them than vain sharioth, their own seeking and profit, and with their pretense deceive all the world from the right way of faith; and thus they despise and sell Christ, that is, Christian truth and grace. This is what is to be said further in the Passion.
43 Now behold, why St. John does not express his name; for faith makes no sect, no distinction, as works do; so neither hath he any special work, whereof he may be called; for he doeth all manner of works, as they seem unto him, one as another. But Judas Sharioth's being is divided into works without faith; for one is called a bishop by his hat and staff, not by faith; one a barefooter by his robe and clogs; one a bishop by the robe and clogs.
an Augustinian from his black robe; so henceforth, one from this, the other from that. But faith, through all works and estate, remains altogether nameless; therefore it also makes disciples whom Christ loves. Peter also has a name, for faith is not without works; but it is a name that Christ has given him, and is not that of which he becomes the dear disciple.
44 Now we see what it is, that this disciple should remain and follow Peter, as it was said above; for faith abideth until Christ come, and then it ceaseth: but works must perish and be despised. The world can take away and destroy all things from us, even our good works and good life; but faith must remain in the heart, and remain also until the last day. From all this it is easy to understand that St. John did not write such a thing about himself for his own glory, as if he wanted to be held up as something special in front of others; but he wanted to show such secret and rich virtue of faith, which he also only understood after Christ's ascension that this was done by Christ for this reason.
45 It is also a good sign that Peter looks to John, and not John to Peter. For the works should look after the faith, where it remains; not again, the faith on the works. And many other interpretations may be found in this, who has time and desire to search.