Luc. 18:31-43.
And he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be accomplished which were written by the prophets concerning the Son of man. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles; and he shall be mocked, and reviled, and spit upon; and they shall scourge him, and kill him; and the third day he shall rise again. But they heard none of these things, and the words were hid from them, neither knew they what they spake. Now it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Jericho, that a blind man sat by the way side begging. When he heard the people passing by, he inquired what it was. Then they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, JEsu, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. But they that went on before afflicted him, that he should hold his peace. But he cried much more, Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus held his peace, and commanded him to be brought unto him. And when they had brought him nigh unto him, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may see. And Jesus said unto him, Be thou seen; thy faith hath helped thee. And straightway he saw, and followed him, and glorified God. And all the people who saw these things praised God.
*) Held in the house, 1534.
(1) In today's Gospel there are two parts. The first is the prophecy in which the Lord tells the twelve apostles about his suffering. And these are the words which the angels on Easter Day hold out to the women at the tomb, saying, Luc. 24:6, 7: "Remember how he said unto you, while he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinners, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." For the Lord Jesus is now on his way from Galilee to Jerusalem, where he stayed and was crucified. The other is the miracle of the blind man.
(2) Of this prophecy the evangelist tells us three times that the disciples did not understand. For they thought he spoke strange words, having a peculiar understanding. For this reason it was as if they heard a strange, unknown language, of which they could not understand a word. And that was because their hearts were so set that they thought: This man performs so many miraculous signs, he raises the dead, he gives sight to the blind, etc. that we must see and grasp that God is with him. Therefore, he must become a great lord in time, and we, his servants, will also be princes and great lords. For who would want to harm such a mighty man, who can heal and drive out death and all plagues with a word? Therefore their heart was thus: God is too good in him, he will not let him suffer anything; but that his words are as if he were speaking how he should suffer and die, that will actually have another interpretation. This was the simplicity of the apostles.
(3) This shows that all the works of God are of this kind: if they are spoken of before they are done, they cannot be understood; but when they are done, they are understood and stand. So John reports several times that Christ's disciples only understood afterwards what he had spoken to them. Therefore, God's word and faith belong together. For when God speaks, he cannot speak otherwise than of things which are far beyond reason, and which we naturally cannot understand nor comprehend; therefore it is to be believed. Now when one has believed it, than
then one should also know that it is true and understand it correctly.
4. as if to give an example: God's word teaches us about the resurrection of the dead, which reason does not understand. Therefore it can be seen that worldly people, and above all the scholars, mock us and take us for fools, that we believe it, and let ourselves be persuaded that there is life after this life. So that God became man and was born of a virgin into the world, this also reason does not understand; therefore it must be believed until we come there and see it, and say: Now I understand it, yes, I also see that it is true what I believed before. So that one should obtain God's grace and mercy through water baptism without all merit, and receive forgiveness of sin through absolution, is also very false in the sight of reason; therefore it considers Christians foolish and foolish to believe such things. For it thinks: If one is to reconcile God, something higher and better is needed, namely good works, which make us sour and hurt. As we have the example of Pope Paul before our eyes, who points people to their own merit through his preaching.
5 For reason will not accept that it should believe that through baptism and faith in Christ alone all that belongs to salvation should be accomplished; for it sees that the word is a small thing; he who leads it is also a poor, frail sinner. That a man should stake his life and limb for eternity on such words is ridiculous. Therefore, even if God's word is spoken to people so clearly and plainly, reason still does not understand it, it still does not believe it. For this reason, the gospel must have and keep its name before the world as heresy and a doctrine of the devil, since people are seduced with it and taught that they should do no good; reason cannot judge otherwise.
(6) Therefore, learn to believe the word of God with simplicity, and say in your hearts, "Well, if I do not see, grasp or feel that it is so, then I hear that God says it. He is so powerful that he can make it true, so that in his time and in that life I will grasp it and understand it, even see it.
and grab if I don't understand it right now.
(7) This is also seen in examples. Before David attacks Goliath, he thinks he will strike and kill him, as he says to Saul: "The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from this Philistine. 17, 36. 37. Item, to the Philistine himself he says v. 46: "This day the Lord will deliver thee into mine hand, that I may smite thee, and take thy head from thee." Everyone has heard these words from the mouth of David, but they have considered them a lie and a mockery. And it is true that if it had been David's word alone, and not God's, it would have been nothing. But they are God's words, and David believes them before he hears them. That is why it comes out this way, and it does not matter if it was disgraceful to others, and they could not believe that it would happen this way and come true. For it was unbelievable to reason that David, who was considered a small person compared to Goliath, should throw down and cut down such a great, strong giant with one stone. But David believed and did it. Then one could see, yes, grasp that it was true and not a lie.
8 But before, when only the word was there that David said, "The Lord will deliver you into my hand today," it was the greatest lie, yes, an impossible thing. For reason makes its calculation, as Saul did in 1 Sam. 17: David is a boy, a shepherd, who has not been in any war, and comes with a stick and a sling, as if he wanted to fight off a dog; as Goliath scornfully reproaches him and says: "Am I a dog, that you come to me with a stick?" But the giant comes with his armor and great spear. Is not this a likeness of armor, and a ridiculous thing to behold, that the little young archer David should do such a thing, which no man in all the camp may be afraid to do? Well, David didn't see it himself, but he believes it, that God has blasphemed the
would punish his enemy and help him; and it came to pass thus.
9 Thus it goes through and through: God's word and work is always considered impossible before it happens. Nevertheless, it happens, and is exceedingly easy and small when it comes to pass. But before it comes to pass, it is not to be known or understood, but to be believed. For how sin is washed away by baptism, and how we shall rise from the dead on the last day, is something that reason will never understand; especially because it is seen that many a holy man is eaten by birds, torn to pieces by dogs and wolves; some are burned to ashes, and the ashes are thrown into running water: as the pope did to St. John Hus at Costnitz. So reason thinks: Where will our Lord God take the body again? Well, says God, I say it, it is my word. Therefore, it is not only unbelievable, but also impossible to see. But if you believe it, it shall come true; for I am almighty and can make all things out of nothing.
What were we a hundred years ago? No more than the child that will be born twenty, thirty, forty years after us. Since God is able to make all things out of nothing, He will also be able to make something out of that which was something. Therefore, one should not look at whether a thing is possible, but one should say: God has said it; therefore it will happen, if it would otherwise be impossible. For even though I cannot see or grasp it, He is the Lord who can make an impossible thing into a possible thing, and out of nothing into everything.
(11) Therefore they are exceedingly grievous fools, who would measure our Lord God's word and work according to their reason. For since I cannot bring a dead man to life, should God not be able to do so either? Therefore, let everyone beware that he does not measure God's word and work according to his own sense and ability. For if our reason could grasp and comprehend everything, our Lord God could have kept his mouth shut. But because He speaks, it is a
Sign that our reason does not know nor understand everything, and that God's word is above and against all reason; as can be seen in experience.
12. I proclaim the forgiveness of sins, and absolve or release you from the command of Christ. Then you hear the word, and when you have heard it and are absolved from sins, you still do not feel that God and His angels are smiling at you. You know nothing of such joy, of which the Lord says, "The angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner who converts."
13 So when you are baptized, you have the skin and the flesh after baptism, which you had before baptism. But shall both absolution and baptism be nothing? Oh no. Therefore learn to say: God baptized me. God has absolved me from sins through His Word. Therefore I firmly believe, even though I do not see or feel it, that God looks upon me and calls me His Son; and Christ, my Lord, calls me His brother; and the dear angels have a special great joy over me. These things, I say, I believe, and have no doubt at all. If the pope does not believe it, it does not matter; I will believe it, for God will not lie to me in His word.
(14) The disciples here could not do this art; otherwise they would not have discussed it long, or wondered; they would have decided: Just as he speaks, so shall it be done; for the man cannot lie, let it be done when or how he wills. But the blind man, as the evangelist reports, can do such art exceedingly well. His eyes are so blind that he cannot see a thing with them, but as soon as he hears the word, "Behold," he believes. That is why it happens to him as he believes. Such a word, while it is still alone, speaks of a thing that is not there. For the blind man's eyes are still closed; but soon after the word, because he believes, the work follows, just as he believed. So the disciples also should have done. Even though they did not see as they could, they still believed because they had his word. For nothing belongs to the word but faith.
This is the first thing we should learn from today's Gospel, namely, to believe the Word of God with all our heart, without wavering. The pope knows nothing about such faith, nor does he teach anything about it. But you should know and be able to know that there is a Christian heart that not only hears God's word of forgiveness of sins, but also firmly believes it, and does not doubt it, even if it does not feel or see anything about it. For this is to be found and followed only afterwards. When we have firmly believed, the experience will also be found that we will say: Oh, I am glad that I have believed. But the others, as, Papists, Turks, Jews, who have not believed God, will stand and cry out: Woe is me, that we have not believed! Who would have thought of that? So they will have to believe in the end. But it will be lost, and they will not be able to help, it has lasted too long.
(16) This is the first thing, that we should not be offended at the word of God, even though it be wonderful, false and impossible; but stand firm on it: If God has spoken it, then it must be done. For no one should ask whether it is possible, but only see whether God has spoken it. If God has spoken it, He is so powerful and true that He can do it. Therefore it should be believed; but he who does not want to believe it blasphemes God to the highest degree. We should diligently guard against such sin, so that we do not doubt God's word, let God make it sound as false as it ever can. For what God speaks will certainly be true. So we have God's word in baptism, in the Lord's Supper, in absolution and in the sermon; God Himself speaks to us, absolves us of sins. We should believe this and consider it true, and not doubt it. This is the first part.
17 In the other piece, about the blind man, the evangelist teaches us a real begging art, that one should learn to be horny before God, be insolent, and always stop. For he who is stupid soon lets himself be rejected and is not fit for begging. One must take off one's little cap of shame and think that our Lord God wants us to be horny and to beg.
should stop. For it is his pleasure and honor that he wants to give much, and it pleases him well that one should do much good to him. Therefore, one should do it as unashamedly as he likes. For he who wants to wait until he is worthy of God's giving him something will certainly never ask for anything. Therefore, it is best to take off one's cap of shame and open one's mouth quickly and say: "Lord, I am in great trouble and distress here and there, both in body and soul, and therefore need your help and comfort; you will not deny me this, but will certainly grant it, according to your gracious promise.
The beggars in the streets and alleys know this art well, but people do not like it, get tired of it, and reject such beggars with bad words. But our Lord God likes such beggars, who stop confidently and do not want to be turned away. As we see here in this blind man, he would have liked to have healthy eyes. Therefore, when he hears the noise passing by, he first asks what it is. When he hears of Jesus, he begins to cry out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. Those who go before him threaten him to be silent, but he does not turn back; indeed, the more he is resisted, the more confidently he cries out.
(19) This is a true lecher and a fine beggar, such as our Lord God loves. Therefore we should take good note of this example, and also come before the Lord Christ and ask him: "O Lord, I am a poor sinner; grant that your kingdom may come to me also, and forgive me my sin. Help here, help there etc. He who thus begs and impudently entreats does right, and our Lord God is pleased; for he is not so disgusting as we men. We can be made weary, unamused and unwilling with lust; but it is a great honor to him that he should be thought a great lord, and not desist, but say, "O Lord, it is your honor to be glorified by my begging of you. Therefore, dear Lord, see not that I am unworthy, but that I am in need of thy help, and that thou art the only right helper of all sinners. Therefore it is in your honor that I call upon you, so that I cannot escape your help. etc.
(20) Such insolent prayer, which perseveres and is not deterred, is pleasing to God. As we see here with the blind man; as soon as he begins to ask, the Lord immediately calls him to Himself, and everyone has to get out of the way. And he, the blind man, is not ashamed of anything and lets himself be led to him. Immediately the Lord asks him: "What do you want me to do to you? You can see how the Lord's hands are open. As if to say, "Ask what you will, and it shall be done to you. The blind man does not tarry long, and says, "I pray that I may see. The Lord answered, "Yes, you shall see. This is what it means to ask insolently, but to be answered very graciously. This is what we should learn to do for the blind man, and so we should lead him out with our prayers and present our need to Christ, believing for sure that he will hear us and grant us.
(21) In the priesthood we ourselves despised our prayers and thought: If others do not pray for us, we will get nothing. But no Christian should do such a thing; but, as soon as the need comes, run into the chamber and fall on his knees, saying, "Lord, here I come, needing this and that, though I am unworthy. But see my need and my sorrow, and help for your glory's sake. So learn to pray unashamedly, and do not doubt that God will give you what is good and useful to you for the sake of Christ. For the promise is clear and certain: "Whatever you ask in the name of Jesus shall be done for you. But see to it that you do not grow weary, but persevere. The more you do it, the better the Lord likes it; he will not let you tire of your prayers. Yes, your prayer would be so strong and earnest, he should give you the same hour, what you desire, which otherwise he would not yet do and would delay for a long time; but he hears and grants you for the sake of anxious prayer. How I hope that the last day will not be so long in coming, but will come sooner than we can think through the anxious groaning of Christians. As the Lord Luc. 18. gives a similitude of the widow, who would not relent, when the judge, who asked neither God nor man, said, "I can no longer suffer the widow to persecute me.
so deceive; I will help her, that I may depart from her, and be henceforth delivered from the running. "But should not God," saith Christ, "also save his elect, which cry unto him day and night, and should have patience over them? I tell you, he will save them in a short time." As if he wanted to say: Prayer makes God hurry, otherwise he would not hurry so.
(22) Therefore prayer serves that we may obtain a thing the sooner, which otherwise would be longer delayed; yea, since nothing would come of it at all. So that this example serves that we should be impudent beggars and learn to pray, and not let ourselves be weary, but say, "Lord, it is true that I am a poor, unworthy sinner.
I do, but nevertheless I must have this or that; give it to me. For here it is not a question of whether I am pious or not; a few things are enough, that I am needy, and that thou wilt gladly give what is useful to me for body and soul.
(23) So if you pray and hold fast, he will surely say to you, as to this blind man, "What do you want me to do? Be thou sighted; thy faith hath helped thee." For to pray and not to believe is to mock our Lord God. But faith alone is based on the fact that God, for the sake of Christ, His Son and our Lord, will be merciful to us, hear us, protect us, save us and make us blessed. May our dear Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, help us to do this, Amen.