From Mary Magdalene.
John 20:11-18.
And Mary stood before the sepulchre weeping without. And as she wept, she looked into the sepulchre, and behold two angels clothed in white sitting, one at her head, and the other at her feet, where they had laid the body of Jesus. And they said unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
have laid. And when she had said this, she turned back, and saw JEsum standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She supposed it was the gardener, and said unto him, Lord, if thou hast carried him away, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will fetch him. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. Then she turned, and said unto him, Rabbuni, that is, Master. saith Jesus unto her, Touch me not: for I am not yet ascended unto my Father. But go unto my brethren, and say unto them: I ascend to my Father, and to your Father, and to my God, and to your God. Mary Magdalene comes and proclaims to the disciples: I have seen the Lord, and these things he said to me.
This story, dear friends, happened on Easter Sunday. When the other women and the disciples had gone home from the tomb, Mary Magdalene alone remained at the tomb and the angels appeared the second time. This is why I say this, and why it was written, so that the article about the resurrection would be clear and firm, so that no one would doubt it. So let us stay with the Gospel and take two parts from it: the first, the example of Mary; the other, the words and teachings of the Lord, which he recites to Mary here.
This Mary is now a fine example for us to follow as a Christian. And the evangelist has also written it so diligently that we who read or hear it may also draw a little heat from the fire that burns and is in the dear Magdalene. For you see that her heart is on fire, that she is so full of love for the Lord Christ that she walks as if she were mad and foolish. She is alone at the grave and sees two angels before her; she is still so full of both sorrow and anger that she is not at all frightened by such a sight. It must have been a deep heart that was drowned in sorrow. No man is so stout-hearted that he would be horrified if he were to see an angel unawares. And she is nevertheless a woman in addition. She still walks along in such a way that she neither sees nor hears, she also does not inquire anywhere; her heart even hangs elsewhere. Likewise also afterward, when she perceives the Lord Christ as the gardener, she thinks no further, and bursts upon him, thinking that all the world is of the same mind with her, and says to him badly, "Tell me, where hast thou laid him?" That is to say, she runs out so rashly and with sheer unreasonableness. She would have wished him a good morning beforehand.
have. She did not do any, nor did she think that he would ask her what she wanted or of whom she said? And what is more, she said, "Where did you put it? Tell me, and I will fetch him." O yes, a beautiful fetching should be for me! A woman wants to carry a dead body! Summa, she neither hears nor sees, nor does she know what she is saying, so much have the thoughts of the dear Christ taken over and captured her heart.
(3) The evangelist has certainly written this for us, so that we may see an example of a beautiful, fine heart, which is so full of Christ that it neither sees nor hears anything in front of it. She does not think otherwise than that he is stolen. There is no doubt that she was angry with the Jews because it was not enough for her that they had strangled Christ, but they did not even allow him to be buried. They will also have said: What are they doing, how can they torment and torture us poor people like this? These thoughts will no doubt have cost her many a tear, because she is so sure that he is gone. It is especially a longing faithful heart, which was full of love for the Lord Christ. Oh that we should have such a heart, we would be different people! But we always remain in one, cold today, much colder tomorrow, and are thus hopelessly discontented people. Nevertheless, a Christian heart should be so skilful that it lets itself think it knows nothing more about anything but Christ. The devil will be far enough from such a heart. But the holy angels and the Lord Christ himself will be near, as we see in Mary. And that is enough of the example of Magdalene. Let us also turn to the other part.
4. that Christ says to the Magdalene: "Do not touch me, I am not yet finished...".
These are words that belong to faith, because they demand and teach faith. For they also demand and teach faith. But the story happened this way: When she called Christ by name and knew him by voice, she approached him and wanted to touch him, as it happened. Now Christ does not want this, and commands her not to touch him, because he has not yet ascended to the Father.
Now how are we to understand this? He does not want to be touched when he stands before her? Can he be touched afterwards, when he has ascended to the Father? It seems to be a foolish answer; nevertheless, it reads like this. The other evangelists also write that he allowed himself to be kissed and grasped by others. All this happened because, as all teachers write, Mary Magdalene thought that he had thus risen, that he would live with them again as before. As she saw Lazarus and other dead people, after they were raised by Christ, walking among the people as before. She did not think that he should begin another eternal life; she did not think that he would need this mortal life as before. Against this Christ says: "No, dear Mary, I am not touched in this way; I have not risen from death for this reason: I am now in another being and life, that I may be king and lord over all that is there; as he will say further in the Gospel about his ascension. So this is his opinion, that he punishes her weak, imperfect faith, so that she enters into a stronger faith; in which he has no interest at all, whether she touches it or not. Therefore he soon goes and makes a preacher out of her, that she must be a master and teacher of the dear apostles, and commands her such a message:
Go to my brothers and tell them: I ascend to my Father, and to your Father, to my God, and to your God.
(6) You should grasp these words very well. For you know how much has been taught about the brotherhoods under the pope, and how much has been said about them.
has boasted. There was no chapel anywhere, no saint anywhere, he had a special brotherhood. To this also belonged the rosaries, and what the devil and but devil more has been. Therefore we should thank our dear God that he has eradicated such errors. And if the holy gospel had done nothing else, it would still be a great thing that it has purified such blasphemy. Although they themselves do not boast much about such brotherhoods, but imitate us and learn from us how they should preach. So it is now certain that every brotherhood has been a fon- derable idol. For they have wished to become something and deserve something before others, against this one and true brotherhood, of which the gospel says here. Now this is the true iconoclasm, that such idolatries are put down by the holy gospel. And all spiritual brotherhoods, as they have hitherto been called, are to be cast away and done away with. Of the secular ones, that one city joins with another, I do not say; I let them remain in their dignities.
(7) But this brotherhood we alone will have, since we shall have fellowship of goods before God, of which the text here says, which is well worthy to be written in letters of gold and in our hearts. "Tell my brothers," he says. This is a word sweeter than sugar and honey, that the dear Christ comes before the disciples think of it. Peter has even denied him; the others had all kept as faithfully to him as a hare to its young. What did they do to deserve that he called them his "brothers"? Namely, that we deserved it, that they denied him so strongly; as we also did. For our merit, since we also earned the gospel, was also this, that we daily crucified Christ, both on the altars and pulpits, and thus deceived the poor people. If he should have paid us evil, we would all have deserved that the earth would have swallowed us up in front of the altars and in the pulpits. As also happened to St. Petro; the
goes confidently into hell, denying Christ, and all the other apostles. Nevertheless they shall be called brethren, nevertheless he saith unto Mary, Go and tell my brethren. etc.
8 The epistle to the Hebrews highly praises this, saying: "For this reason he is not ashamed to call them his brothers," Heb. 2:11. And in the 22nd Psalm v. 23: "I will tell your name to my brothers. There one sees that the dear saints can move such words, how a great glorious title this is, that we are to be called Christ's brothers.
(9) But how great a thing it is in no man's heart that he should make us brethren, and give himself freely to us unbidden. Now if a heart could firmly believe such things, of whom would it fear? or what would it fear? But the sorrowful unbelief is so great that we cannot grasp the words. For, dear Lord God, what is it when he calls us brothers? Namely, that he makes us heirs of all the goods he has, Rom. 8:16, 17.
(10) Now therefore, if any man do this, and tell the inheritance and the goods which he hath, there shall be found together a poor miserable beggar, and the greatest and highest king. For we are full of sin, under the devil, and always have evil consciences, fear and heartache. But Christ is the Son of God, full of righteousness, wisdom, life, joy and comfort. And who would tell all such goods, which he inherited from the Father? He has distributed all these goods in the word that he calls us brothers to all who want them. For he clearly says, Matth. 12, 50: "Whoever does the will of my Father is my mother, brother, sister." "This then is the will of the Father," as John Cap. 6, 40. indicates, "that one believe in the Son." He wants us to believe in the Son, so that we can be sure and believe that everything he promises us is true. If you do this, then you will hear that you are Christ's mother, brother, sister and all of these things together.
(11) These are such words that no man nor angel can adequately say and strike out, as they are worthy.
would have been. How could he have spoken more kindly and lovingly, the pious Christ? It is the kindest names that men have among themselves, "mother," "brother," "sister," etc., that go through marrow and bone. I am your brother, he says, if I have a penny, a florin, you shall have it too: eternal righteousness, eternal life, wisdom, joy and comfort. All that I have shall be yours. If you have sin, guilt, harm, hell, death and the devil, that shall be mine; I have bounty enough to redeem you and pay for you. Whoever could believe this comforting promise would already be in paradise and heaven. What should such a heart, which believes these words, fear? or what should it care for? It would have to say, I do not want to worry about anything, because I have such a brother. If sin, an evil conscience, fear of death and hell, persecution from the world, and whatever else may come, I can comfort myself with these words and say: I am a brother, appointed to common goods and a common inheritance; therefore I will not let myself be challenged by all these things etc.
(12) It was a beautiful, sweet and comforting sermon to the dear Peter and the other apostles. They were sitting with each other, facing death, because they were not allowed to move anywhere in front of the Jews. They also had an evil conscience, because they had so shamefully departed from their Lord Christ and in His distress and suffering. Especially Peter, who had denied him three times. Then the thought occurred to him: Well! I have not only denied my dear Lord, but I have also conspired and given myself to the devil. In sum, they all sit together in the midst of hell, with evil consciences and terrors. They cannot think that he will forgive them; much less can they think that he will receive them as brethren.
(13) Therefore the dear Lord Christ comes to them with the word, as if he were going to hell, and says, Ye are my brethren. I actually consider them to be
to the first have hardly believed. For these are such great and profound words that cannot be grasped or learned at once. For think of it yourselves, dear friends, how can I come and enter into hope, because I am such a great sinner and have spent my life so shamefully, that I should nevertheless become Christ's brother? It cannot be grasped in our hearts. Therefore we have enough to learn from it. And let us only learn well. This is not the fault of our stubborn and hard unbelief. For this reason we who are still hesitant and have an evil conscience have a certain indication that we do not believe this comforting message and are still full of unbelief. Well, he will also be gracious to us, as he was to the dear apostles. But let us be careful not to let ourselves think that we can do it. We have enough to learn all our lives from every sermon, let it be regarded as little as it wants to be.
14 Now behold, dear friends, this is a Christian brotherhood, beside which no other brotherhood is to be admitted, call it what you will. I will not share my good works with you, neither will you share them with me: rather send them to the light gallows among the stinking thieves. For all such brotherhoods tear us away from this brotherhood of Christ, which allots and gives us all that Christ is and has. Dear, these are such words that cannot be taken to the wind, as if some frivolous man had spoken them. They are truly such words that one can die on them. And then one experiences first of all how strong and comforting this sermon is, when one is in a strong challenge. In this Christian brotherhood, no saint has more than the other. St. Peter and St. Paul have no more of it than Mary Magdalene and I and you. And if you take them all together, they are all brothers at the same time and there is no difference between the persons. St. Peter and St. Paul have the same property that I and you have, and all those who are baptized and do the will of the Father. St. Peter and St. Paul, what do they have? Namely, that their sins are forgiven, comfort and help are promised in all distresses through
Christ, against sin, death and the devil. I have, and so have you and all believers.
(15) It is true that I and you do not hold and believe this as firmly as St. Peter, but it is still the one treasure. Just as when two of them can hold a cup of malmsey in their hands: one trembles with his hand, the other does not. So also two can hold a bag of money: one in the weak hand, the other with the strong hand. The hand, God grant it be strong or weak, neither gives nor takes away anything from the bag. So here, too, there is no other difference between me and St. Peter, except that he holds such treasure more tightly. Nevertheless, I should and must know that I have the same thing that St. Peter and all the saints have had.
(16) It is strange and lying that the thief, a knave like me and you, should be able to say: I have as much as St. Peter. God forbid! say the hypocrites, should I consider myself equal to St. Peter? etc. But it is not a hope. And if you say so, just notice that it is a scandalous humility and an ingratitude, more than a humility. For those who say this want to bring it about by their works that they may be like the dear saints. But we say that we are like the dear saints, by whatever name they may be called, and do not ascribe this to our fists; but those who are so humble want to get there by their works; let them always go, the devil will also reward them. A Christian should and must say: I know very well that I have earned hell with St. Peter; but that I am now as rich and holy as St. Peter, well then, I have earned it just as he did: it is all God's goodness and grace. But you can't get them there, the mad Sabbath saints; they want to get there badly with works. This is then a quite devilish hope, that a man wants to come into this brotherhood through himself.
(17) Now this is righteous humility, when I say, I know nothing in myself that I should be like the saints for my sake. Therefore, because I am condemned because of my sins, my Lord is coming.
Christ therefore saith unto me, as unto Petro, Dear brother. For this is not presumption or hopefulness, when a man takes what is given him, but rather gratitude; for by this he confesses that he has it from another, and not from himself. Thus a beggar takes a skirt from a rich man, and yet is not a hope; but it may well be a need. This then is right humility, when I see that I am altogether lost, he gives me a presumption that is not upon me; on which then we may insist, as he says in the Gospel of Luke Cap. 12:32: "Little multitude, fear not: it hath pleased your Father so well that he should give you the kingdom." He will give you the kingdom, he says. So do not see what is due to you because of your merit; only hold open the sack and take what he gives you and will gladly give you.
(18) Now this is a good presumption, which I have not of my works, nor of myself; but because I have the very goods which Christ has, that I also know that St. Peter has no other Christ than I and thou. And would God that we could be so presumptuous. The beggar should not run away when he is given a piece of bread: it is not a hope if he takes something for God's sake. But you may let go of the hope that is in you, as there is your own wisdom and righteousness. So you must not fear that the dear saints will be angry with you if you respect them in the same way. It is only because we cannot be hopeful enough here; but turn it badly: where we ought to be humble, and take what is given us, as those who may, we do not; and where we ought to be hopeful and insist, we want to be humble and ashamed. This is no different from the fact that we are so blinded and stubborn by nature that the words of comfort do not penetrate our hearts sufficiently.
(19) It could also be said in more words that we are to be joint heirs in heaven and earth. But would God that we knew only a little of it, so that it would not overflow in our hearts, again, and again.
Foam on the water. For if this teaching sinks right into the heart, then all suffering and misfortune is only a joke. As we see in the dear martyrs, a virgin of fourteen years went to her death in leaps and bounds, no other than to a dance; as they say of St. Agnes. Where does the courage in a young maiden come from? Namely, from the fact that they believe and certainly believe that they are to be joint heirs with Christ. This is why a Christian is so completely taken in by faith that he does not pay attention to any misfortune. If he is thrown into prison, if they want to kill him, if everything is one to him, he consoles himself with the fact that the same prison and the same death are Christ's prison and death, because he is a joint heir. That is enough of this saying. Now let us continue.
I ascend to my Father, and to your Father, to my God, and to your God.
(20) These are beautiful and kind words, since he emphasizes the benefit and fruit of his resurrection even more sweetly. First, he makes a distinction between us and himself, saying not, "I ascend unto our Father;" but, "I ascend unto my Father, and unto your Father." There he wants to indicate that we do not have another father and he also has another father, but that we are not sons of the father as he is. He is the natural and born son of the father, and not a son whom he took to himself from another lineage, as it is called: filios adoptionis; and this advantage he now has above all others. So now this is mighty great, which he says: "and to your father." This is a whole and rich brotherhood, that God is not angry with us and judges us, or is our tyrant and executioner; but our Father. So with this word he opens heaven, and closes to all believers the fatherly grace and mercy.
(21) Poor Peter sits in the hall, and when he hears the name of God, his heart is terrified. For he cannot think otherwise: God is hostile to sin and has created hell to punish sin; just as we must think.
If St. Peter and we are to see things differently, it must be done differently. An evil conscience cannot do otherwise. But those who are so wicked will also find it one day. So Christ wants to wash and rinse such a heart with these words, and says: "Dear one, it is not as you think: I am your brother; so is my father also your father. So he takes out of the heart the angry look, and puts in its place a kind and right look.
(22) Consider, then, how a father's heart is toward his sons and children. I am not speaking of such fathers, as there are many who are not worthy to be called men, who have no regard for their children. We see in the wild animals that it is a natural creature, implanted by nature, that they love their young, not to mention men who have wit and reason above that. So Christ gives us with this word: "and to your Father and God", all that the Father has and is able, that we should have the same for inheritance. If one believes this, what will follow from it? Namely, that I think: "Well, if he is the Father and not a terribly angry image, of whom shall I be afraid or anxious? He is greater, mightier, more powerful than the whole world and all creatures. There one sees nothing but fatherly kindness.
(23) Now we who do not believe these things are we who have not been sent before to such a glorious inheritance. My heart always says: I would gladly believe it all, if I were like St. Peter or St. Paul. So we always want to go up with works; we don't want to have anything as a gift, and we say: I believe that Mary, St. Peter, St. Paul, are brothers of Christ; but I have not earned it, nor am I worthy of such great honor. But these are all foolish things. Do you not hear that it is a gift? St. Peter is just as much a poor, miserable sinner as you are. So now the word says to both of them, to you as well as to St. Peter, that you are God's Son and God is your Father, that God no longer wants to be terrible or hostile to you. St. Peter now seizes
Such a word: "and to your Father and God", and is therefore true, as the word reads, God is his Father and he is his Son. If you want to be like St. Peter, do the same and speak with such faith.
(24) Dear Lord God, there is nothing more to be done than to grasp it, and only stop and let it be given. So only believe the word and be hopeful, insist and defy it. For the treasure is worthy of throbbing and defiance. Christ wants to be your brother, God wants to be your father: so all angels must be your friends, and the sun, moon and stars must laugh and rejoice with you; hell must be completely closed, and nothing else must be there but the fatherly and gracious will of God. Behold, the man can speak so beautifully and sweetly.
(25) I think that this is a true brotherhood, that he goes up to the dear Mary and commands her: "Go and say to those who have denied me and have been unfaithful to me that they are my brothers; and that I want to provide that my Father should also be their Father. It is not necessary for you to do this or that, to fast, to build churches, to say mass, to dress like this or like that, to go on pilgrimages here or there. Only give so much honor to our Lord God, and accept what he gives you, and believe what he promises you. This will of the Father is not difficult to keep; yet we do not do it. This is no different from sin, which has so completely taken over and surrounded us, and clings and clings so hard to us, and stretches us (as the epistle to the Hebrews Cap. 12, 1. calls it), that someone always wants to know something he has done, so that he can rely on it.
(26) I can hardly leave it, and yet I am so crushed and shattered that I am barely alive. This is the real millstone that can never be removed from one's neck. Therefore, one must always learn and practice that Christ is our brother and God is our Father. If the heart believes it, then one can stretch out the neck finely and say: Dear God, I must give up my life for the sake of your word, which I want to keep.
I will gladly do so, for I know that you are my Father, so you can give me life again, even though I am dead. But as I said, it is only up to us to believe and accept it. The treasure is certainly there, the word cannot lie to us, since he says: "Go and tell my brothers"; item: "I ascend to your God". There is neither danger nor sorrow, except for a few misfortunes that we cannot grasp. This is what it means: I believe in a holy Christian church. We are all saints, and cursed be he who does not call himself a saint and boast. If you believe the words of Christ, you are as much a saint as St. Peter and all the other saints. Cause, Christ will not lie.
27 Therefore, if you do not say, "I have as much as St. Peter, and I am as holy as St. Peter," you are ungrateful to your Lord Christ. Dear, I and you have denied too much before, shall we do it more at all? Such boasting is not a hopefulness, but a humility and thankfulness. And he who does not do it blasphemes Christ and baptism. For baptism is a work of God and holy: so is Christ also holy; his blood and his body are also holy; how then could I, if he gives and bestows these things upon me, that I should not also be holy? It would be as much speaking as if I said, Christ is not holy. For we are graced and adorned with his holiness, which heaven and earth are too narrow and too small to contain; and should we still doubt whether we are also holy? Always at home with your works, you should not give him anything, that he should say to you:
Dear Squire, you want to make me holy with your holy being. Dear, it is not a joke, but a great, dangerous thing, to speak of the communion of saints. We honor Christ with it, not ourselves, when we boast of the same holiness, that because we are in his holiness and suffering, we also become holy from it.
(28) Is it not true that if a rich man had a thousand guilders and yet wanted to say he was poor and had nothing, he would be a fool? So also here: that I acknowledge myself to be a sinner, I do right, as far as my person is concerned; because I am no longer Adam's child, but God's child, so then I am truly holy. So a fine distinction must be made. As far as I am a man and Adam's child, I belong to hell, even if I were a Carthusian. That is where humility belongs. But they do not do that who deal with works, they turn it around completely and strut on it.
029 But if thou thinkest that thou art baptized into such a brotherhood and filiation, say, Now never a child of Adam, now never a sinner, so long as I am in this brotherhood. If you can then insist on it, do so. I still study on it; for it is very hard for a sinner to say: I have a chair in heaven next to St. Petro. And yet we must praise and extol this holiness. This alone is called the golden brotherhood. That is enough of this text preached for this time. May God grant us His grace and save us from the sorrowful unbelief, so that we may one day learn to believe, amen.