Held 1516.
Luc. 11, 34.
The eye is the light of the body. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body is light. But if thine eye be evil, thy body also is dark.
1, Although this is understood figuratively by the eye of intention and purpose, it "ird, according to the intention of the feast,
*) Löscher I, 756; Erl. A. opp. var. arZ. I, 140
D. Red.
indeed, of Christ himself, better understood by the eye of one who rules. For it is said everywhere in the Scriptures that we are blind and should be blind, and that we do not rely on our eyes.
Therefore the eye is the teacher of another; as Job 29:15: "I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame." And the Lord says (Matt. 18:8), "If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee"; and Zech. 2: "The Lord is the eye of men, and of all the tribes of Israel."
2 Therefore the Lord wants to draw us away from the false teachers, so that we do not easily believe the deceptions, so that it does not happen that one blind man leads another; since he praises himself in this when he says: "I am the light of the world," I am the eye of men, "the true light, which enlightens all men who come into this world. (Joh. 1, 9.) Therefore, where this light is not present, it is certain that the light that is in us is darkness, and the whole body is dark; that is, all that we are, do, live, and all who are governed by such an eye are dark, even though they imagine that they are the most enlightened, because they rely on their good intention and purpose, that is, on their own eye.
Addition.
(3) Our eye is out of us, and not to be sought in us; yet it is to be found in us, and in us. This is to be understood thus: that our eye is not ours, or ours alone, in which we are to trust; and that we are not to think how we judge ourselves according to our sayings, but that we are to pray to be governed by God, with the Psalmist, who says, "O Lord, my God, direct my way and my walk before thee." And so we must completely despair of ourselves and of our eye, yes, it must be torn out, because it prevents us from following the eye of the Lord. And yet the eye of the Lord is closest to us, and is not found outside of us, but within us; as this is clearly evident from experience: since when a man is enlightened, he does not wander anywhere with his body or soul, but remains as and where he is, and inwardly the eye of true government is revealed to him. But this is spoken figuratively.
4. according to the letter, the eye itself is the bishop and prelate, so likewise it is not to be looked for outside us, but in us; not in the heresy, but in the church. And yet it is not in us, but apart from us, because it is not made by our power; for by the Lord are ordered the dominions and kingdoms. Such an eye was St. Martin after his body, which was at Tours, which body was then all light, because the eye was simple and true. Therefore, all the power is in the prelate: if he is blind, the people will also be blind; if he sees, the people will also see. Therefore there is nothing more to be taken care of than that there be a good bishop among the people, especially a preacher; for this is the office of a bishop, that he preach. But now nothing is so lightly esteemed as the office of preaching, and little care is taken for it. Now and then it is despised by all, since it alone should be cared for with trembling.
(5) A true and faithful preacher is a great thing; for how will the people know what they ought to know, unless the teacher be wise and faithful, not only to know what he ought to teach, but also to be willing to teach it? For if he is blind, he will not be wise; and if he will not use wisdom, he will not be faithful. And first I have set that he must be wise; for many desire, but they know not [namely, what and how they ought]; others know, but they desire not; and both are evil servants. But a good servant is he that knoweth and willeth, that is, he that is wise and faithful. Among these there is, first, one who wills but is blind, whom Satan's angel guides with foolish zeal; and second, one who sees but wills not, whom laziness and faintheartedness of heart make lazy. As the children of Dan and Reuben Jos. 18, 3. are punished because of laziness, that when they were able, they nevertheless did not want, to fight the heathen (that is, the vices) by the sword of the word of God. But let us now proceed to our purpose of finishing the fourth commandment.