Held 1517.
Matth. 20, 1-16.
The kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day's wages, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said unto them: Go ye also into the vineyard, and I will give you that which is right. And they went. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and said unto them: Why do you stand idle here all day? They said to him, "No one has given us anything to do. He said to them: Go ye also into the vineyard, and that which is right shall be done unto you. And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their wages, and lift up the last unto the first. Then came they that were hired about the eleventh hour, and received every man his wages.
his penny. But when the first came, they thought they would receive more; and they also received every man his penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the father of the house, saying: These last have labored but one hour, and thou hast made them like unto us, who have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered and said to one of them: My friend, I am not doing you wrong. Have you not become one with me for a penny? Take what is yours and go. But I will give to this last as to thee. Or have I not power to do what I will with mine own? Do you look askance because I am so kind? So the last shall be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.
These only worked for an hour, and you made them equal to us.
(1) First, it is clear that the Hebrew language uses the verba transitiva neutraliter or absolute. For he says here: fecerunt, that is, they have labored, or, they have been laborers; since it follows immediately: "Thou hast made them like unto us."
Secondly, it is clear that the number of hours is taken from their end; as: the first hour is that which ends in the beginning of the others; and if someone has begun to work in the first hour, it is understood that he begins at the seventh hour, if the sixth is taken with us for the first hour of the day; for thus the seventh will be the first, the eighth the second, the ninth the third, the twelfth the sixth, the third the ninth, and the fifth will be the eleventh. This is proved because it is said here that those who have worked only your hour have come at the eleventh hour. It follows that this was the last hour of the day, after the end of which they received their wages in the evening. The last hour is from five to six; so they came at five o'clock and worked until six o'clock, which is the twelfth hour. And in this way the clock at Nuremberg also shows the hours, that the first hour is after it has already been a whole hour of day.
Third, this gospel has great mysteries. Namely, some have worked one hour, others three, others six, others nine, others twelve equal natural hours. For those who came at eleven o'clock worked one hour; those who came at nine o'clock worked three; those who came at seven o'clock worked six; those who came at three o'clock worked nine; and those who came at one o'clock worked twelve hours. Who will talk out these miraculous things? So far
the number of work decreases as the number of occupation decreases; and again: as far as the number of occupation decreases, so much the number of work is decreased. The number of occupation is the least by the first hour, but the greatest of labor, namely two; and the number of labor is the least by the eleventh hour, but the greatest of occupation, namely two. And the third number of the profession has the ninth number of the work, and on the other hand the ninth number of the profession has the third number of the work, between which the middle sixth number of the profession is equal to the sixth number of the work. Of these five degrees you shall hold that they indicate the five senses and the human sex.
4 Note that the first do not work except for a certain conditional wage; the others, though they do not work for a certain conditional wage like the first, do not work without a conditional wage. Therefore, it is said of the first that they were sent away with their pennies at a day's wages, according to the contract that had been made. These are those who do not serve God other than for their own sake, and this for a certain reward determined and chosen by themselves, as those who serve God only for the sake of temporal things. These, because they do not serve with a free heart, but in lust, their service is laborious to them, and they do it with difficulty, looking more to their own gain than to God's will. This is the greatest people of the synagogue.
5 Of the others it is said, "What will be right, I will give you." These trust God a little better, but they still seek gain and what is theirs; in this they are better than the first, that they put it in the hands of the Lord, and do not choose the name of a reward: but these also are hirelings. The third and fourth
make no contract, either for a certain reward or for an uncertain reward: but they are not yet servants of perfect freedom, because they do not work without command, and are not so ready and willing that they should require to work and have a master. The fifth, however, are the freest generation, chosen for the merit of labor. These say, "No one has hired us," as if to say, "Oh, how gladly we would work, if only we were held worthy, if only someone would hire us. Behold, how one hour of free and willing service, done in humility, accomplishes more than a whole day of rewarding and unwilling service, done in pride. For that the first were proud and respected their work somewhat is clear, because they did not want to sell it except for a certain reward. The others, who also thought that they were something, considered themselves worthy of reward. The third and fourth likewise, as the text teaches, looked to the reward, or, as I have said, they did not work without orders. These, however, work freely without the reward being named; moreover, they do more with pleasure than they were commanded to do, indeed, it pains them that there is no one to command them, for they are most willing.
(6) And let it be believed that these degrees of laborers abide always in the church of God. For there are priests who do the work of the Lord for a certain gain, of which the whole world is now full. Others (as the mendicant monks) serve for an uncertain reward; others are driven by zeal for vain glory; others labor for their pleasure in the mysteries of God.
tes. But the last ones preach out of a pure love for God, and these attain the jewel by a short run, as today's epistle (1 Cor. 9, 24.) says with truth: "They all run, but one attains the jewel."
(7) But let us leave the depths of understanding and take only one lesson from this, that only humility is praised to us, as everywhere, so also in this gospel. For if the first had not been proud, they would not have grumbled or complained that he made those who did less like them; indeed, they would not have praised their work, namely, the burden and heat of the day. All saints of works must necessarily have such pride, who know nothing of the grace of God, and consider what they are able to do and what they do to be their own, and that the Lord should not judge according to his goodness, but according to the burden and weight of their works. But he who has known grace is not surprised when God gives equal rewards for the small and for the great works. Finally, such people must inevitably fall into a mischievous eye and into envy of the rewards of grace. Thus it is said here, "Do you look askance because I am so kind?" as if to say, "My kindness to others makes you envy them. Thus we obtain all reward not by the greatness of works, nor by the labor of righteousness, but solely by the goodness, favor, and willingness of God. Why are you proud now, O man! What is it to you, to whom, when, how and how much God wants to show mercy? Let his holy and righteous will be enough for you, which also gave you your work, but by it you are puffed up against it.