Matth. 11, 25-30.
At that time Jesus answered and said: I praise you, Father and Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes. Yes, Father, for it has been well pleasing in your sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father. And no one knows the Son but the Father; and no one knows the Father but the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Today's gospel is a wonderful, beautiful comfort and necessary teaching for the poor Christians, who are not only despised in the world and suffer much, but they must also bear the name and suffer the shame as if they were not God's people, but heretics and cut off members of the church. How Christians should comfort themselves in such disgrace and suffering is what the Lord wants to teach us here.
But that we may understand such comfort the better, we must show how the Lord came by such thanksgiving. Soon in the beginning of this chapter, the evangelist tells us how John sent his disciples to Christ and told them to ask whether he was Christ or not. John does not do this as if he did not know that he was the true Christ, for he had previously publicly testified to him in his sermon and pointed out to him with his finger that he was the Christ and the little lamb of God, but so that his disciples would also learn this from the Lord Christ's sermon and miraculous signs, and would recognize him as the true Christ and adhere to him as their savior. This pleases the Lord Christ very much about John, that he fulfills his ministry so diligently, and even then does not cease to lead others to the Lord Christ, since he is already in prison and can no longer preach publicly. For this reason, he praises him highly for carrying out his ministry so faithfully.
3 Again, he also severely rebukes the Jews for their unbelief, that there is no
Preaching to them will help, and they will blaspheme John as well as Christ and believe no one. In particular, he reported the three cities, Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, where he had preached first and performed miraculous signs, but they had changed least of all. This is a very great trouble, which we also have to bear today, not only because our doctrine has so many powerful opponents, who neither want to see nor hear the gospel, but also because there is still so much trouble and little improvement in our part. This is the reason why the holy gospel is so often criticized by worldly people, who say that if it were a holy and blessed doctrine, people would improve and become more devout. Therefore it grieves the Lord Christ very much that the world is so evil and wicked, and does not want to become more pious according to the great grace of the gospel; and first of all he threatens such impenitent disciples that they will have to bear a heavier judgment on the last day than Sodom and Gomorrah, Tyre and Sidon. Then he consoles himself and says:
I praise you, Father and Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and have revealed them to babes.
4 Such words must not be understood as if God were lacking and did not want everyone to have the knowledge of the gospel. For he is a God who wants everyone to be saved. For this reason, he does not give his Son to anyone in particular,
but to the whole world; John on the third v. 16: "Thus God loved the world" etc.; and has the sermon of his Son preached not only in this or that place, in the corner, but publicly and in all the world, so that one must see that he would like everyone to accept it and believe, and become blessed. But on the other hand, what is wise and understanding, great and powerful in the world, is seen to despise the gospel, and is thought to have no need of it; but especially what are holy people, who cannot tolerate that their works and merits should be despised, and only the grace that comes through Christ should be praised. God cannot tolerate such unbelief, ingratitude and stubborn wickedness; for this reason he does not want to drag anyone by the hair. Whoever does not want to accept it, but wants to be wiser and wiser than the word of God, he lets him go and tries what he can do with his wisdom. And so it happens that the more such people follow their wisdom, the further they get from the gospel.
5 This, saith Christ, is right and well done. Father, I praise thee, it is done for them: if they be not saved by thy name and grace, let them go to hell in the name of the devil with their wisdom and prudence. Here no one holds the other. But those who are poor, miserable, afflicted people, and thank God from the bottom of their hearts, because otherwise they find no comfort in the world, that they nevertheless have and can hear God's word: for their sake, says Christ, I also praise you, dear Father, that you let them grow in faith from day to day, and become firmer and more certain in the knowledge of your grace, and more ardent and cheerful in love and in all good.
(6) So this thanksgiving teaches us this much: Whoever trusts in his own wisdom, piety, power, or anything else, and despises God's word, should get further and further away from God and His word from day to day. Again, whoever hears it, accepts it with his heart, and asks for it to bear fruit in his life, God wants to give him more and more blessings and spiritual gifts from day to day. This is what God does, and it is right and well done; therefore
Let no one be offended by it, but praise and thank God for it, as Christ does here.
(7) It is pitiful and very annoying to see that today popes, cardinals, bishops and others, who have the name and are called spiritual, thus hold the word in contempt, thus blaspheme and revile it. But do not be offended by this, but learn God's judgment and sentence, that he resists the trustworthy, and can put up with nothing less than that one despises his word and wants to revile it. Therefore he withdraws his hand and lets them become more and more hardened day by day. This is their right reward, so that we may stumble against it and not fall into such contempt of the word and trust in our own power, wisdom and holiness; but in all humility hold on to the dear gospel, hear it gladly, and learn to improve ourselves from it. This is a good, necessary and useful lesson that we should take from these words of Christ.
(8) Now the world itself divides Christ in such a way that the wise and understanding do not accept the word. But those accept it who are underage children, or despised and wretched people. But it is impossible that such two parts could get along with each other. For wise, sensible people do not want to be of the devil; therefore they cannot suffer that the underage should consider themselves God's people and church and boast. Therefore, they use their wisdom and understanding to restrain and exorcise the word and the underage people who have the word. In the face of such hardships and trials, which Christians must endure in the world, there is the consolation that Christ says:
All things have been given to me by the Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it.
(9) Let this be a great comfort, even the highest comfort, that a Christian may be able to endure all kinds of trials and sufferings. If the wise and sensible have honor, power, money, and goods in the world, that is something; but it is all temporal, it must all be left on earth, and the danger of it is not to be taken for granted.
If they do not exist, it is not necessary that so much the more a severe judgment and condemnation will follow. But Christians have another treasure, the Son of God, in whom they can take more and higher comfort than all that the world is, has and is able to do. For as he says here, "All things have been given to him by the Father; therefore neither the devil, sin, death, nor anything else will be able to dampen him and take him away from us.
(10) Therefore let us take comfort in the power that he has, and be joyful and of good cheer. For though the world take away all things from us, yet against its will it must leave us all things; because we keep him to whom all things have been delivered by his Father which is in heaven.
(11) Yea, saith thou, how then do I enjoy his? I feel that I have to pay for it here on earth. If I were not a Christian and did not publicly confess the gospel, the world would let me stay and not persecute me. Well, here learn how you should enjoy the Lord Christ here on earth. He says, "No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it." This is what is said: Whoever accepts me and believes my word, I will teach him to know my Father. If then he know the Father, he knoweth me also, and hath all things.
How does this work? Thus: The world does not know God; for although it already knows that God created heaven and earth, gave us body and life alone, and revealed the law from heaven, this does not yet mean that it knows God correctly. For we must always be afraid of such God, because we see in ourselves such manifold sin and such horrible disobedience. For the more glorious God is in His creatures and the more good He does for us, the more we must fear and be terrified of Him, since we have not fully obeyed such a gracious, benevolent God, but have sinned so often and so much against His will. Reason can never do otherwise. But where one knows and believes that Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, is the Son of God, and
When we see how God did not let him become a man for our sake alone, but showed us all good things through him, and let him be crucified for our sake, so that he would pay for our sin, and through his death overcome our death, and through his resurrection open the way to eternal life for us, then we learn what God is, that he is not hostile to us, who are still poor sinners, but loves us, as St. John says on the 3rd verse. It says that He will not condemn us for our sins, but will help us out of them and make us righteous, and will not strangle us, but will give us eternal life.
(13) Thus one can have all joy and pleasure in God. For who would not also love such a gracious God, who does not spare His only Son, but for our sake gives Him up to death and the cross! This is a thousand times and a thousand times a more certain, brighter indication that God means well with us from the heart, than that He has given us body and soul, created heaven and earth for our use, led the Jews out of Egypt, and what other such good deeds there are. But such knowledge of God we have only from our Lord Jesus, who teaches us with his own ministry and work what kind of God we have, and what we should think of him and provide for ourselves.
(14) But now see for thyself whether this is not a great and high consolation, since a Christian can hold fast in all kinds of trouble, and overcome all kinds of affliction by it? For here we must say, as Paul did, "If God is for us, who can be against us? Who also spared not His only Son, but gave Him up for us all: how shall He not with Him give us all things? Who will accuse the elect of God? God is here who makes righteous. Who wants to condemn? Christ is here, who died; even more, who was also raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, representing us. Therefore nothing can separate us from the love of God, neither tribulation nor fear, neither persecution nor hunger, nakedness, peril nor sword" etc.
15. such comfort comes alone
through the Lord Christ, as he says: "No one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it. But he who does not learn to know the Lord Christ from the Gospel, who speaks or knows whatever he wants about God (as pagans, Turks and Jews want to know much about Him), is nothing. He does not really know God, and for this reason he must be without consolation and fall into despair in all his temptations and troubles. For it is impossible for a heart to be satisfied apart from this consolation, which is called the right knowledge of God; especially when the great temptations come, that one must leave life and limb, struggle with sins and conscience, and wait for the future, partly in another world. This is the comfort that the Lord Christ wanted us to have, so that we would fast for it and build it up in us; therefore he says:
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
(16) The wise, the prudent, are therefore most certain: they are not afraid of their sins, for they consider themselves holy and pious; nor are they afraid of the devil, for he leaves them well satisfied and unchallenged. Thus they can practice and exercise their will to wealth and violence with the Christians as they wish. Christians, on the other hand, are always biting themselves with their sins and consciences, they have to defend themselves against the devil, and they have to bear and suffer everything from the world; the Lord gives them the name of truth and calls them troublesome and burdened people, who have enough to do with themselves, and yet they cannot remain unchallenged by the devil or the world.
(17) Now where shall they go to find rest, or refreshment, or refreshment? Come to me, says Christ, and I will teach you, because you have experienced and know what distress and sorrow you have in the world, that you may also know what comfort, joy and glory you shall have in God. So your hearts will not complain about suffering, but also rejoice in it.
So that these words are primarily intended to teach us what we have in Christ when we find ourselves weary and burdened. Namely, such a Lord, who does not want to make more trouble and burden us more, or condemn us because of sin; but he wants to help us carry the trouble and burden, and with his comfort and strength, through the Holy Spirit, so intercede with us that we do not fall to the ground under the burden, but lift ourselves up and are able to carry it to the appointed place. Otherwise it would be impossible, if such help and refreshment were not there, that one should not fall to the ground and thus have to despair and perish in misfortune.
18 This is a different sermon, because in the papacy Christ was taught, since he was considered a severe judge, from whom, without other intercession, no mercy could be found or hoped for. Therefore, not one person in a thousand was found who did not place more trust in the Virgin Mary and other saints than in Christ. It is as if Christ, because we are weary and burdened beforehand, wanted to throw more effort and a greater burden on us. It has never been possible to have a good hearty confidence and complete trust in the Lord Christ, since Christ directs everything, both with his life and his teaching, so that we may love him, put our heart and trust in him, and have a happy conscience through him.
Therefore, where there is no other abuse in the papacy but this false, blasphemous teaching, everyone should flee from it as from the devil and guard against it with the greatest diligence. For it is Christ, as he himself testifies here, who no longer wants to weigh down weary, burdened hearts, but to comfort them, to help them carry themselves and to refresh them. Therefore, it is only up to him, when we recognize ourselves to be quite weary and burdened, that we find our way to him in such confidence, and seek refreshment in him, and not in the world or in ourselves. But there are two excellent arts involved, as the Lord further reports and says:
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
The yoke of Christ is called suffering for his sake and for his word. Such a yoke will never remain outside. Therefore it is not necessary for you, like the monks and hermits, to make and load your own cross. You must not go into the wilderness and run away from the people; stay with and among the people, in your profession, and do only this, that you take the word of God seriously and confess it freely: then the devil and the world will have cause enough to lay more on you than you would like to bear. For so Paul says: "All who want to live godly in Christ JEsu will have to suffer persecution." And even if the devil and the world were dead and left you satisfied (which is impossible), your flesh and sinful nature will give you enough to deal with. So that the yoke of Christ and the burden find themselves fine. Now if any man will bear it aright, and so bear it that he shall not fall under it, but shall have comfort and joy under the cross, let him learn these two things of the Lord Christ, as the best instructor and doctor.
The first, that he be meek; the second, that he be humble in heart. These are short words, but it will take a very long time before we can learn them, or even spell them. For there are two shameful doctors or schoolmasters in our way, who will not let us come to such an art. The first, our flesh and reason; the other, the world with its annoying example. For flesh and reason are unpleasant and vengeful, grumbling and thinking that they want to remedy their own suffering. As can be seen from the example of the whole world. To such a schoolmaster and angry doctor, says Christ, do not follow, but follow me. I am meek, I do not seek revenge; I put God's revenge at home, and let what God wills go over me, but trust Him, He will not leave me, but will graciously help me out. This is what makes me meek and patient in overcoming everything. Learn this for the first.
Secondly, we see how the flesh and reason, according to the example of the world, always wants to be above itself and higher, cannot let itself be restrained, but thinks it must help itself. The same angry doctor, says Christ, do not let yourselves be deceived either, but follow my example. I am humble of heart, I do not desire to be in front, but I follow behind, let myself be kicked and pushed until God lifts me above Himself and does not want me to be kicked and pushed anymore. If you also follow me in this, you will certainly find rest for your soul. For the body was created to carry like an unruly donkey; otherwise it would become too horny and insolent. Therefore it is enough for us that our consciences are not weighed down by Christ and his merit; let the body have its way.
(23) This makes Christ's yoke gentle and his burden light. For let suffering be what it may, we know that it is only a temporal suffering. On the other hand, we have the comfort of eternal life, and we know that if we bear it with meekness and humility, it will bring us eternal glory; as Christ comforted His disciples, John 16:22."Your sorrow shall be turned into joy: for I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice; and your joy no man shall take from you"; and Paul, Rom. 8:18: "It is certain that the suffering of this present time is not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed in us."
24. Therefore this is a comforting, beautiful gospel, which every Christian should know by heart, so that he might not only defend himself against the annoyance that the gospel is despised and persecuted by wise men; but also to comfort himself in all kinds of crosses and temptations with the fact that we have such a Lord who teaches us to know God rightly; through which knowledge, if we are otherwise meek and humble, we may overcome all kinds of misfortune and pass through the pit of this life to eternal bliss. May our dear Lord God grant this to us all, through Jesus Christ, His Son and our Redeemer, amen, amen.