Held 1517.
Matth. 8, 23-27.
And he entered into the ship, and his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, so that the little ship also was covered with waves; and he slept. And the disciples came to him and woke him up, saying: Lord, help us, we are perishing. Then he said to them: Ye of little faith, why are ye so fearful? And he arose and rebuked the wind and the sea; and there was silence. But the people were astonished and said: What manner of man is this, that the wind and the sea obey him?
It is certain that the sea in this gospel means the world, that is, this restless, inconstant and transitory life; the storm and the winds are themselves the governors of darkness, the evil spirits under heaven; the ship is the church, and as many as are ours have the true faith; yea, faith itself is the ship in which Christ is, which is driven about by constant danger.
(2) Since, then, we are necessarily in danger at all times, he is blessed who feels and senses his danger; but he is unhappy who does not perceive it, and not he who has none; for no man is without much and great danger. But such a one does not see that he is in danger, yes, he is dead and completely immersed in danger; because just as no temptation is a double temptation, yes, the whole temptation: so also no danger is the greatest danger among all, and the greatest safety is the greatest temptation; the greatest wealth is, as they say, the greatest poverty; the greatest righteousness is the greatest unrighteousness; the greatest wisdom is the greatest foolishness; and the utmost of each becomes the utmost among all and its greatest danger. Many a temptation is no temptation; the highest unrest is the highest peace; the greatest sin is the greatest righteousness; the highest foolishness is the greatest sin.
*) Löscher I, 787; Erl. A. opp. var. I, 200
is the highest wisdom. For in the former a fool rests in himself and forgets God; in the latter a wise man forsakes himself and flees to God. But to rest in oneself and forget God is the basic soup of all evils and all evil; but to focus on God is the summa of all good. Just as St. James says Cap. 1, 2: "My brethren, consider it joy when you fall into many troubles"; and in the opposite Cap. 5, 1: "Well, ye rich, weep and howl over your affliction" etc. And Isa. 47, 8. 9. says: "Hear now this, thou that livest in pleasure, and sayest in thine heart, I am, and no more; I will not become a widow, nor be barren. Both of these will come to you suddenly, in one day, that you will be a widow and barren." And in the Psalms it is said, "Calamity shall come upon thee quickly." Therefore it is well with those for whom the water breaks in their ship, because they are moved. Seek help from God.
(3) And therefore, behold, how Christ in all things seeketh our gain and our profit; and even as he sleepeth, he ministereth unto us; as he leaveth us, he receiveth us; as he causeth us to be troubled by the tempest, he worketh our profit: because thereby he worketh, not that we should perish, but that we should turn unto him, that we might be helped continually more and more. For he wants to awaken in us a desire for himself, so that we will continue to call; he wants us to call, so that he will hear; he wants to hear, so that he will help and make us blessed,
and so teach us to despair of ourselves and to trust in him. And this is true, as he says: I kill, that I might make alive. We are therefore taught that if he sleep, we perish. For he to whom Christ does not sleep does not perish; he who does not perish does not call; he who does not call is not heard; he who is not heard receives and receives nothing; he who receives nothing has nothing; he who has nothing will perish. Therefore he that perisheth not perisheth indeed; and to whom the Lord sleepeth not, to him indeed he never waketh. Sleep therefore, O Lord Jesus, that thou mayest watch; and perish, that thou mayest help us.
4. even if the whole world from the outside lets us be calm, behold, each one is himself a very great and wide sea, full of creeping animals, great and small, which are in us; yes, the great dragon is also in us. For behold, how many tempests are aroused by the eye alone! how much by hearing! how much by taste! Finally, even the soul, which is the most mobile and slippery, how many beasts and worms it has in its thoughts; how many large and small animals, that is, various and diverse desires,
Worry, hatred, fear, hope, pain and vain pleasures. To this comes the dragon, that is, the tyranny of the flesh, the tinder of lust, the law in the limbs. When this dragon rages with his wind and water whirl, who is safe, who is calm? Behold, with how many and great miseries we are filled within ourselves. Such a one indeed weeps, and says (Klagt. 3, 51.): "My eye devours my life"; and again (Jer. 9, 21.): "Death has fallen in at our windows." He who does not feel this is dead, as I have said; but he who feels it in fact is one of Christ's disciples, when Jesus awakens and says, "Lord, help us, we are perishing." But, alas! how many and almost all Christians we see immersed under the water, and how few there are who cry out. Yea, we also do this after and because of our own righteousness, that we are saved not by the calling of Christ, but by the power of our works. We make ourselves safe, that we may avoid temptations and trials, and not be driven by danger to cry out; and they that would enjoy good works unto peace must perish a thousand thousand times. Woe to them!