Matth. 25, 1-13.
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. But five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish took their lamps, but they did not take oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels, with their lamps. And when the bridegroom departed, they were all drowsy, and fell asleep. And at midnight there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then these virgins all arose and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. Then the wise answered and said: Not so, lest it break both our lamps and yours. But go ye to the merchants, and buy for yourselves. And as they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. At last the other virgins also came, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. And he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore: for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man shall come.
We want to let the legend of St. Barbarians go, because there is hardly a lousier one in the whole book of legends than this one: it is all lies and forgeries with the shepherd who betrayed them, that he had become a stone, and with the sheep that they had been turned into locusts; it is more poetic and similar to a fable than Christian. We want to act the gospel recently, as much as God gives grace, so that you may get back to your work sooner. For you know that we do not celebrate this and other such holy festivals for their sake; for to them
and we are little helped by the celebration: but for the sake of the gospel, that this may be made known to you by constant diligent preaching, wherefore also both Sundays and other holidays are most exposed to be celebrated.
(2) In this gospel we are commanded to watch and wait for the Lord, because we do not know when the day of the Lord will come: he will therefore creep up on us before we look around; suddenly he will attack us and snatch us away, as a bailiff snatches the birds with a rope or a net. We are also warned of this by
diligently the dear apostles. St. Paul, when he had written much to the Thessalonians about the last day, how it will happen, soon after speaks: "But of the times and hours, brethren, it is not necessary to write; for you yourselves know that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, It is peace, it hath no speed; then destruction shall quickly overtake them, as the sorrow of a woman with child, and they shall not escape," 1 Thess. 5:1, 2, 3. So also St. Peter says, "The Lord is with us. Peter says: "The Lord does not waste the promise, as some do the delay; but he is longsuffering toward you, not willing that any should perish, but that every man should give himself to repentance; but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night," 2 Pet. 3, 9. 10.
3 Therefore this similitude shows us nothing else in sum, but that we should watch and not be too sure, since we do not know the day of the Lord, when he will come. As Christ himself says in the previous chapter: "Watch, for you do not know what hour your Lord will come. But this ye ought to know, that if a householder knew what hour the thief would come, he would watch, and not suffer his house to be broken into. Therefore be ye also ready: for the Son of man shall come at an hour when ye think not," Matt. 24:42, 43, 44. All this is spoken against our security, that we are too sure, and always think that there is no need, that the last day will not come for a long time; against which Christ and the apostles cry out, that we should perceive the day, watch, and stand in constant fear, lest he find us unready. Therefore they that watch shall receive the Lord with grace: but they that find with assurance shall have him with disgrace.
(4) And with this likeness we are shown how the state of the Christian churches stands, and is finely pictured here. The kingdom of heaven is nothing else but a kingdom prepared with the gospel, which began after the resurrection of Christ, when Christ's disciples were sent out into all the world to preach the gospel to every creature, Marc. 16, 15.
Nothing else, because when we speak of faith, of the gospel, of hope and of love; yes, when we speak only of this piece of one, it is spoken of the kingdom of heaven.
Now this parable here tells us of the exercise that is in the kingdom of heaven, in Christianity, which exercise the Lord gives and takes away according to His good pleasure, so that we must always stand in fear and be afraid that the Lord will take away from us this joy and exercise that are in this kingdom, lest He find us safe and snoring, as happened here to these foolish virgins.
006 When therefore this kingdom is preached, it doeth these things: some receive it with heart, and are sincere, and believe the word, and go forth also, and do good works, and let their lamps shine before the world: for they are well armed with lamps and oil, that is, with faith and love: which are signified unto us by the wise virgins. Then there are some who also accept the gospel, but they are sleepy, they are not serious, they do many works, but they lack faith, they think that they want to do it by works, they are sure and think that there is no need, God lets Himself be paid by works; they are represented to us by the foolish virgins. In the Scriptures they are called foolish, who do not obey the word of God, who follow their head, do not allow themselves to be told, but their head is the best; but the same happens to them in the end, as it happens to these foolish virgins here. These two sexes are in this realm, namely, where the gospel and God's word is preached, there is also the practice of faith; some follow, some do not follow.
7 And notice especially here that this parable does not speak of the persecutors of the gospel, for they are already judged and cast out of this kingdom, but speaks of those who are in this kingdom. He also calls the foolish "virgins," because they have the name that they are Christians and belong to this kingdom; they also preach the gospel, do good works, yes, they seem more beautiful in works than the others. What do they lack? They are not serious,
They seek their own glory and not God's alone; there is no fear in them; they are well disposed to joy, they all want to go to the wedding, and they are many, they all have lamps, but they are not supplied with oil. But when the bridegroom, the Lord Christ, comes on the last day, they will all go with him to the wedding. There were many people on earth when the flood came: only eight souls went with Noah into the ark, 1 Petr. 3, 20., 2 Petr. 2, 5. It will be the same here: many will appear to be Christians, but few will enter the wedding with the bridegroom.
8 Then the foolish virgins, the saints of works, the hypocrites who trusted in their works, will say this to the wise virgins, that is, to the righteous Christians who trust only in the mercy and goodness of God:
Pray us also of your oil; to whom our lamps go out.
(9) Of course the lamps go out where there is no oil: works do not do, that is certain; you cannot create comfort for yourself with works; God's grace and mercy is where you must seek comfort and help. Whoever proves it, has it. Therefore the wise say to the foolish:
Not so, lest it break us and you.
(10) This is a thunderbolt against those who rely on the merit of the saints and other people, since no one has enough of their own, let alone has anything left to share with others. Therefore, when they come and knock, and would gladly go in to the wedding, they will have to hear, like the foolish virgins, "I do not know yours," they have come in who should come in. This will be a terrible judgment: they will be forsaken by all the saints, yes, by all creatures; for whom he does not know, no one knows. Therefore let us ever take heed diligently to the parable, for it is told us; and let us be earnest of the gospel; let us not sleep, or stand too secure; for before we know it, the bridegroom will be,
the Lord Christ, will come. Whoever is ready then goes with him into the wedding. This is also what the Lord means when he concludes this parable, interpreting to himself what he has said and saying:
Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man shall come.
(11) As in another place he exhorts us to sit in constant readiness for that day, saying, "Let your loins be girded, and your lights be burning; and be ye like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he shall break forth from the marriage: that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him quickly. 12:35, 36. And soon after he saith, v. 40: "Therefore ye also be ready: for the Son of man shall come at that hour, when ye think not." There is one more thing in this Gospel that should be very comforting to us, as it speaks:
When the bridegroom left, they all became sleepy and fell asleep.
12 All, he says, that is, both the prudent and the foolish. The wise also sleep, the true Christians also sin at times: God can well suffer sinners in his kingdom, where one only recognizes the sin, where one alone opens when he knocks; yes, his kingdom is nothing other than a kingdom in which one only forgives sin forever. Sin will certainly remain with Christians, because flesh and blood are there; but that is the consolation, that we know they do not harm us, and if we ask God, He forgives them, as St. John 1 Ep. 2, 1. 2. says: "My children's sins I write to you, so that you may not sin; and if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with God, Jesus Christ, who is righteous. And the same is the propitiation for our sin, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world." And in the Lord's Prayer we pray daily: Lord, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, Matth. 6, 12. If we believe, it will surely be done for us.
(13) Now this is the difference between the right devout Christians and between the
False Christians: the devout know how only the grace and mercy of God takes away sin; but the false Christians think they can appease God's wrath and get rid of sin with works.
Of the Kingdom of God.
14. Since the word "kingdom of heaven," "God's kingdom," "Christ's kingdom" is often used in the New Testament, and a Christian also has great power to know what it is, namely, how it is nothing else but the word that preaches forgiveness of sin, which is the holy gospel, for in this kingdom there is all grace and goodness, all forgiveness and remission of sins, all love and kindness: Therefore let us say a little further, how it is with this kingdom and with the forgiveness of sin.
15 God's kingdom, by which he rules over all believers and protects, punishes, pays, guides and soothes them as a faithful king etc., The fact that they in turn trust in him completely, willingly accept his fatherly discipline and punishment, and follow him in obedience everywhere, is not worldly or temporal, but spiritual; it does not consist in eating or drinking, Romans 14:17, nor in any outward thing, but only in justification, satisfaction and comfort of the human heart and conscience. Therefore it is nothing other than forgiveness and the taking away of sins, by which consciences are defiled, afflicted and troubled. For at the same time as a worldly, temporal kingdom stands in it, that people may live in tranquility and peacefully nourish themselves with one another: so God's kingdom gives such things spiritually and breaks the kingdom of sins, and is nothing else than an annihilation and forgiveness of sins. God reigns in the heart by making peace, tranquility, and comfort in it through His word, just as sin makes the opposite, namely, unrest, fear, and distress. In this, God shows His glory and grace in this life, that He accepts and forgives man's sin; this is a realm of grace. But when sin, with its courtiers, the devil, death and hell, will no longer challenge man, he will be in the kingdom of grace,
Then there will be a kingdom of glory and perfect bliss.
16 From this follows first: God's kingdom is not accomplished or ruled by any law, not even by God's law, much less by man's law; but only by the gospel and faith in God, by which the hearts are cleansed, comforted and satisfied, Acts 15:9. 15:9, when the Holy Spirit infuses them with the love and knowledge of God, and makes man One Thing and One Spirit with God, so that he becomes minded to want and desire, to seek and love what God wants. And here it is no different than two friends who are united with each other, and one wants what the other wants. This is why a person in this kingdom of God is perfect, merciful, compassionate and kind to his neighbor, because he knows from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that God does the same to him and to everyone and pours out His goodness in a benevolent way. No one can know this kind of God by law, but only by the spirit and word of the Gospel. Therefore, no one attains peace, comfort, and tranquility of heart or comes to the kingdom of God by any law; and those who make many laws draw people away from God's kingdom to the kingdom of sin, in which there is unrest, fear, sorrow, distress, and all unhappiness of conscience, just as in the kingdom and knowledge of God there is peace, joy, and comfort of heart.
(17) Secondly, in this kingdom of God our dear Lord Christ reigns, as a hospital director among the sick, poor and infirm. For no one belongs to this kingdom except vain sinners and wretched people who are forgiven their sins; therefore Christ also says in the Gospel: "Woe to you who are rich, for you have lost your comfort," Luc. 6:24. On the other hand, the poor, the wretched, the abandoned are comforted and rejoiced by the Gospel. For Christ came to claim only the sinners and not the righteous, Matth. 9, 13, 1 Tim. 1, 15, so that all the glory might be given to God the Lord, because He forgives sin out of grace and pure mercy.
(18) This eradication of sins, in which Christ reigns as a King of the Kingdom of God, is accomplished in two ways. First, by forgiving, remitting and covering sin, so that God will not look at it, respect it or avenge it, even though it is in man; as Psalm 32:1, 2 says: "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, in whose spirit is no falsity." And in Isaiah Cap. 43, 25, God says: "It is I, I myself, who erase your iniquity for my own sake, and your sin I will remember no more." Secondly, that He purifies sin through various crucifixions and sufferings. For there are two things, to forgive sin, and to take away sin, or to blot it out. When a man believes and is baptized, all his sins are forgiven; but after that, by various crosses and deaths, as long as he lives, sin must be swept away. Sin remains in us as long as the mortal body lasts; but it is not counted in the wrath of God for Christ's sake, but it is swept away and purified with fatherly chastening. In such sweeping and cleansing, the pious Christians who boast and rejoice in the cross have all comfort, peace and joy; as St. Paul says to the Romans Cap. 5, 1-5: "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom we also have access by faith to this grace in which we stand, and boast in the hope of the future glory that God is to give. Not only this, but we also boast in tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings patience; patience brings experience; experience brings hope; and hope does not come to shame. All this because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." So you have two pieces here. In the first, we are justified in this kingdom of God; second, made glorious, and that by the cross and suffering, without which we never come to glory. For in the first they are justified, in the other they are glorified.
19. Thirdly, the pious Christians are not recognized in the cleansing or expurgation of sins, which is done by various crosses and chastisements; for in this they are quite unequal among themselves, and one suffers this, the other that, one is chastised in this way, the other otherwise, so that even the apostles did not love and suffer alike: but in the forgiveness of sins or justification of faith, in which God turns His wrath away from them, and receives them into grace, and holds them for His dear children, and counts no sin to their condemnation. In this they are all equal, just as they all live under One Heaven. For this reason, those who judge Christians according to their customs, works and outward appearance are grossly mistaken and wrong; as the gospelers did and condemned Christ, because he did not keep their customs, but dealt with loose, sinful people, Matth. 11, 19; when he said to himself in Luca Cap. 7, 39: "If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what woman this is that touches him, for she is a sinner.
20. Take an example of the above. A physician who undertakes to heal a sick person first promises him health with God's help, thereby giving him a comforting confidence; then he begins to purging, evacuating, comforting and the like, which help to bring about health. Thus, when God has forgiven sin and accepted man for grace, he puts all kinds of crosses on him, and purifies or renews him from day to day in the knowledge and love of God, until he becomes pure and new; this happens when this mortal body perishes.
(21) Fourth, in these two parts of the kingdom of God, two kinds of people are found abusing the same kingdom of the graces of God and the gospel. Some become lazy and careless, saying: If my sins are forgiven in vain, by grace, and are blotted out in baptism, I must do nothing about them. The others, on the other hand, think that they want to atone for sin with their works, so they rely on their merit, become proud and hopeful, and despise others who do not do so. The
1932 L. n, S8-Ä0. on the day of Barbara, the holy virgins. W. XI. 2577-4880. 19ZZ
The first abuse forgiveness, the others the sweeping away or cleansing of sins: both do not want to be subject to the glory and majesty of God. The first despise His grace; the others resist it as unmerciful: they are therefore swine and dogs. All these things are now seen in the gospel, by which Christ reigns in the kingdom of God: which some abuse for fleshly liberty; but some again think that it is not enough for salvation, but their works must also do something, and thus they deny and despise God's grace. You may see more of this in the epistle to the Romans, where he deals with these two kinds of people.
(22) Fifthly, such a kingdom of God, or forgiveness of sins, has no goal or measure, as the text of the Gospel beautifully shows, when Peter asked the Lord, "Lord, how often must I forgive my brother, is it enough seven times? Jesus said to him, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven times," Matt. 18:21, 22, that is, as often as it happens; and this is followed by the same thing that the Lord said there, in which Christ exhorts us in the highest way, in the face of God's displeasure, to forgive our neighbor his trespasses without any difficulty, because God forgives us innumerable, infinite trespasses and sins. Our debt that we owe to God is ten thousand pounds, that is, without number or measure, so great that we cannot pay it with all our ability, with all our strength and with all our works; for we cannot blot out any sin, not even the smallest. Therefore, if God forgives us so much by grace in His kingdom, it is reasonable that we forgive our neighbor a little.
The Scriptures are full of such a kingdom of God of the forgiveness of sins, and say that Christ's kingdom and reign will extend from end to end. Thus David says Ps. 72, 8: "He shall reign from sea to sea, and from the waters even to the end of the world. And soon after he says v. 11: "All the nations shall serve him." See the same whole psalm about the kingdom of Christ. This is also proclaimed by the angel Gabriel to the virgins of Mary, when he thus said of Christ: "God the Lord will serve him.
He will be king over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom," Luc. 1:32, 33. These and similar sayings indicate that the forgiveness of sins, in which Christ's and God's kingdom stands, has no measure or goal.
24. Sixth, this shows how unchristian they are who measure the forgiveness of sins by fifths or lots, namely, those who measure their indulgences by years, carennials, by the forgiveness of the third, fourth, or half part of the sins; For in this they make the kingdom of God narrower and narrower, and also defile his mercy; for there is no end to his kingdom, neither is there a number of his mercies, but "every one that calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved," Romans 10:13. 10, 13, as often as he does. When the sinner sighs, God will no longer remember his sin, as it says in the prophet Ezekiel Cap. 18, 21.
(25) Seventh, just as the kingdom of God has no measure nor end in the forgiveness of sins, so it has no end, but continues forever and ever without ceasing; although the subjects of this kingdom do not always, firmly and faithfully remain under it, but often fall away; for thus God's favor and grace always remained over St. Peter, even though he denied the Lord and fell away. The parable in the Gospel also points to this, as we have just said; for the servant who would not show mercy to his fellow servant made himself unworthy of God's mercy and deprived himself of the kingdom of heaven, which stands in the forgiveness of sins, as mentioned above.
(26) Here the learned theologians of the school have prudently argued whether and how the forgiven sin returns when a man sins again, and they themselves do not know what they are saying. Do thou badly in the words of the gospel, that thy sins be forgiven thee as often as thou forgivest thy brother; thou shalt forgive him as often as he sins against thee. Therefore, in this likeness Christ exhorts us all to forgive and pardon all those who offend us. As if he wanted to say: Just as in human
In the kingdom of heaven, where nothing is really done but forgiveness of sins, that is, in common Christianity, I will do likewise to him who forgives another his sin; and so again, to him who does not show mercy to another, I will not show mercy to him either. I am toward you all as one Lord and King; but you among yourselves are equal as fellow servants and fellow journeymen. Therefore, because I, your Lord, forgive you willingly, you should be the more inclined to forgive one another. In the same way he asked us in the Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our trespasses," which he would not have done if he had not promised and graciously forgiven. But nevertheless he attached such a promise to a sign when he said: "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you", Matth. 6, 14. The first is a sign, the other a promise.
27. Notice how Christ places the atonement for sins in our own consciences, so that no one may be excused; item, how we are commanded to repent and make atonement for our sins by forgiving one another's sins and faults, so that we may be merciful and kind to our neighbor, if we want the Father to be merciful and reconciled to us. We should certainly consider it so: if we interpret and turn the sins and faults of others, however great and grave they may be, for the best, we shall also have a kind Father toward us in heaven. Therefore it is unchristian and blasphemous to say: I cannot and will not forgive him who has sinned against me, I will reckon *) etc. For such blinded people do not realize that they are stealing God's honor, to whom alone belongs vengeance, and that they are taking it upon themselves, and thus appropriating to the devil their own soul, which they have from God and which they also owe to him in turn; for this they may be causing a small temporal thing.
*) Instead of "calculate", d has "avenge". D. Red.
Such people should take to heart these words in the gospel Matth. 18, 32-35: "You rogue, I have forgiven you all this debt because you asked me; should you not also have mercy on your fellow servant, as I have had mercy on you? And his master was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he paid all that he owed him. So shall my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not your brother his trespasses from the heart.
It is not enough that you show kindness to him with gestures, signs, mouths or tongues and forgive, but from the heart; otherwise God will not forgive you, you will also be cast out of the kingdom of God's mercy. Therefore, if we feel the mercy of God towards us, we should also gladly forgive the other brethren who have offended us. Therefore, the merciful Father forgives our sin, so that we may also forgive our brothers and show mercy, just as he is merciful to us and forgives sin, death, guilt and pain. If we do this, we are in the kingdom of God, for God's goodness lives in our hearts and makes us good; Christ sits at the right hand of the Father and reigns no less in the hearts and consciences of the faithful, so that they love him, fear him, shun him chastely, and follow him obediently, like an obedient people to its king, and are conformed to him in all deeds. As he says: "You shall be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect", Matth. 5, 48. In this God is perfect, that He tolerates our wickedness, infirmities, sins and imperfections, and forgives us, that we also may do so to our brethren; but if we do not, we shall be cast out of His kingdom, and be subject to the kingdom of sins, death and the devil, even as the unfaithful, disobedient countrymen are cast out of the land and driven out of the country, from which God graciously preserves us, amen.
29. You are to put all this into the following pieces: 1) Christ reigns when he comes through the
In this realm, the conscience has peace, comfort and tranquility because it knows and recognizes that God is merciful and does not impute sin to it. 2) In such a realm, the conscience has peace, comfort and tranquility, because it knows and recognizes that God is merciful to it and does not impute sin. 3) Therefore, man gladly endures all kinds of crosses and sufferings, by which sin is swept away; he also makes an effort to do good to everyone, as God does to him. 4) Thus the Lord rules in two ways: first, by assuring believers of the grace of God and the forgiveness of sins; and then by laying out the cross to purge away the rest of sin; for which reason Christ becomes a true
sign of faith and an example of life. 5) Forgiveness of sins makes the sweeping away of sins, tries a faithful Christian or kingdom companion of this heavenly kingdom. 6) He who forgives his debtors belongs to the kingdom of God; he who does not forgive them remains under the kingdom of sins.
(30) This is what I wanted to say this time about the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of Christ (which is One Thing), namely, that it is nothing else but a kingdom in which there is nothing but the forgiveness of sin; which kingdom is proclaimed and offered to us through the gospel, and God grant that we may accept it.