Matth. 4, 18-22.
Now as Jesus went by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting their nets into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them: Follow me; I will make you fishers of men. Soon they left their nets and followed him. And as he departed thence, he saw two other brethren, Jacob the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and he called unto them. Soon they left the ship and their father and followed him.
1. duplices sunt piscatores. Primi immittunt in mare integrum rete; alteri fractum rete resarciunt. Ante hos piscatores Christus breve verbum dicit: Poenitentiam agite, i. e. (There are two pairs of fishermen. The first two throw their undamaged net into the sea, the other two mend their torn net. Before the text speaks of these fishermen, Christ says a short word: "Repent", that is), all the world should renounce their presumption and repent, that is, mend their ways. Repentance must have a cause attached to it, that a man may depart from his mind and his ways into a better way. For without such a good cause, a wanton head and mind will not depart from his ways. But if I bring a good cause, he will depart from his own mind and spirit. So Christ does here. He does not simply say, "Better yourselves, your lives are not good for you;" but he adds a cause to it, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand;" which kingdom of heaven is to help everyone, to raise the dead, to give sight to the blind, to help all the world in body and soul. Then everyone falls to it,
and says: "Well then, if God will help us in body and soul, then I will renounce my own presumption and cling to God alone. So no one will repent and amend his life and forsake his lust, unless he is told of a better; so he follows faithfully. Let each one ask his own heart how he is redeemed from the laws of men, only that a better cause has been presented to him, namely, how Christ alone will bring it about, 1 Cor. 1:30: Factus est nobis a Deo sapientia, justitia etc. (He is made for us by God). (He is made unto us of God unto wisdom, righteousness etc.).
(2) Jeremiah has long since pictured these fishermen in Cap. 16:14 ff. when he says: "Our God has delivered us, not from Egypt, but from the land of Aquilonia, that is, from Babylon, when the Jews were brought there. "Behold, I will send them many fishermen, and they shall catch them," that is, I will cause to be preached unto them the good things that I have done. With this preaching they shall be caught like fish. So Christ speaks here: Faciam vos fieri piscatores etc. (I will make you fishers). (I will make you fishers etc.)
How do you go about catching fish? One is bold, takes a small rod, and dares to catch a fish from the big sea
1568 L-19, 372-374, On the profession of Peter, Andrew, Jacob and John. W. XU, 2026-2029. 1569
catch. If it were not so mean, it would be a great wonder that someone would dare to catch fish from a lake with a small net or hook. So the small, weak word of God is also a small thing, and yet catches many people from this raging sea. So Peter goes to An tiochiam, has a small word in his mouth, that is the fishing rod, and has a white stick in his hand, comes and offers peace in the house of the leather tanner. Peter listens to whether the man receives him in God's name. Then he asks him, what is God? If he cannot, he tells him. The people tell their neighbors in the marketplace, and one wins over the other until there are many of them, and they drag Peter out to preach publicly. Then this loose fisherman, Peter, wins the city from Caesar and the devil, so that they believe in Christ and cling to the King Christ alone, according to the soul.
4 It is a wonder above all wonders that such a small word, which has no standing in the world, should win so many people, and with such a small net catch such large whale fish and small fish. For example, a great prince or Pharisee would turn away from the glittering works of his saints and rely on Christ. So find such people all pulled out of the world. Joh. 15, 19: Non estis de mundo. (Because a man has nothing but flesh and the world, there is no good morsel in him, no one can enjoy him: just as when the fish is still in the sea, it is of no use to anyone; but when it is pulled out, it is roasted, and it is eaten, and a good morsel is made of it. So also, when a man is drawn out of the world, the fish leaves the water, and is roasted and boiled by the cross, and is enjoyed, that many people have use of it. Otherwise, while he is still in the world, he is ad omne opus bonum inutilis et reprobus, as Paul says, nor useful to God, nor to the world.
5. be de usu verbi. Nunc de officio verbi dicemus. (Let this be of the use of the word. Now let us also speak of the office of the word). It goes like this: I. docet, II. arguit. (1. it teaches, 2. it punishes.) Thus in the book Esdra, where one sub Dario (under Darms)
commanded the Jews to build the temple, the builders have a trowel in their right hand and a sword in the other to ward off the wicked. So, in spiritual building, one must have trowels to always stop, and to comfort and uplift the people more and more. Praeco sit potens in doctrina (Let a preacher be competent in doctrine), powerful in doctrine and sure that he can do it, so that all the world must say that the doctrine has something in it. That means to wall and to cast the net into the sea. It seldom goes out in vain, Isa. 55, 11. Although it does not comfort me today that I do not feel it, it will probably hit someone else, tomorrow it will hit me. The fishermen are not commanded to do more than cast the net; God will order the fish he wants. So we can do no more than lend our mouths.
And mended their nets.
The others mend the net; έλέγχειν, convincere contradicentes (punish the contradictors), says Paul Tit. 1, 9. There one should bare his teeth, and show the point of the sword, and bark against the wolf. There is no silence. Then it will be said, "The shepherd may feed, but he does not ward off the wolves from the sheep; item, he does not ward off the enemies from the place of refuge. It is not lacking, there will arise mobs and sects, which are hostile to the word, their splendor goes down. Then one must tell them the truth and speak: You lords, you are wrong with your church endowments, masses, fasting, and worship. You are blasphemers, and profane the precious blood of Christ, who alone is the propitiation. Therefore, because you lead the people to your false worship, there is no patience to be had with you here. If they are angry because of this, it is better to anger people than to anger our God, who can pervert body and soul (etc.). So you have heard how God wants to help the world with such small fishermen and small net of the weak simple word. That is, docere, arguere unb oppilare contradicentes (teach, punish, shut up the contradictors), convince them that they blaspheme and deny God etc. Deo gratias.