Marc. 16, 14-20.
Last of all, as the elders sat at meat, he manifested himself, and rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him risen: and he said unto them: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned. But the signs which shall follow them that believe are these: In my name they shall cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall cast out serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; and they shall lay their hands on the sick, and it shall be better with them. And the Lord, after he had spoken unto them, was lifted up to heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God. They went out and preached in every place, and the Lord worked with them, confirming the word with signs.
Now it seems almost ridiculous to human reason that Christ gave the disciples to the devil for the sake of the cause; but it is nothing ridiculous, as we shall hear. For at the same time, there is nothing more noble and better in the sight of God than faith, which makes man blessed; therefore, there is also nothing more harmful and worse than unbelief; as Christ Himself says John 3:18: Qui non credit, jam judicatus est (He who does not believe is already judged). It does not please the devil everywhere that Christ has risen and is judged.
*) Held in the Easter season of the year 1537.
D. Red.
that such things are proclaimed. It is one thing for him, and one thing hurts him more than the other, women or men say that he has risen from death.
Reason laughs and scoffs, saying, "Is it all truth and the holy gospel that the women have spoken? Why then does Paul forbid women to preach in the church? Because we all know well that the whole human race would never have come into such great fall and disgrace if Adam had not believed Eve. For such arguments the devil can finely mock and bring up against God's honor. But, my dear reason
and tender world, it has a different shape with these women than with Eve. How? The women have it from a true schoolmaster that they say about "the" Lord Christ's resurrection. Eve, however, has the right lying cask, which is by nature a liar and a father of lies, the devil, as a teacher. Therefore it is further from each other that the women say to the disciples and Eve to Adam, than heaven and earth. Therefore it is the least thing for women to say that they have seen Christ, but the most important thing is that they say this because of the command and preaching of Christ. Whoever then will look at and listen to women without this, must doubtless think little of the fact that Christ is risen; as also happened to the disciples.
3 For this we must grasp well: Where God's command is, there he is himself, and what is proclaimed from his command, that he also does himself. Whether he uses a woman or a man, a man or a donkey, it is right and not to be despised in any way. He will not put his word there, and command them to hear it, whom we will have for it; but
which are pleasing and useful to him. If anyone despises it, he will surely sin against his divine majesty. Amos the prophet is a rough shepherd, but he wants him to be a prophet who will preach against idolatrous princes, bishops and people. What else are the shepherds of the field who go and tell all the world that the Messiah has been born? That is how God wants it. If anyone does not believe the women when they speak of the resurrection of the Lord, he has not despised the women but Christ Himself. If the rulers of Jerusalem and the chief priests with Herod the king despise and will not give credence to the poor shepherds or to Amos, they have all despised God. How well would it have pleased the gentle reason if God had sent some other king or prince to the godless kings of Israel in glorious splendor and with many angelic attendants to politely show them his opinion with all reverence? The same is to preach the gospel to the whole world, commanded by God through Christ to the unlearned poor fishermen.