Luc. 6:36-42.
Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A full, pressed, shaken, and superfluous measure shall be put into your bosom: for even with the measure that ye measure with shall ye be measured again. And he said to them the same thing: May a blind man guide a blind man? will they not both fall into the pit? The disciple is not above his master; if the disciple is like his master, he is perfect. But why do you see a mote in your brother's eye, and do not see the beam in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, "Be still, brother, I will take the mote out of your eye, and you yourself do not see the beam in your eye? You hypocrite, first take the beam out of your eye, and then see to it that you take the mote out of your brother's eye.
In today's Gospel, our dear Lord Christ teaches his disciples and all of us how we should relate to one another and live a Christian life. For when we have believed, and are called Christians, saved by the Lord Christ from sin, death, and all unhappiness, a new life shall follow, that we may do what he would have us do. Such a new life the Lord puts into one word: "Be merciful, as your Father is merciful.
Now everyone knows what merciful means, namely, such a person who bears a kind, friendly heart toward his neighbor, has compassion on him, and takes his need and misfortune, whether it concerns his soul, body, honor or goods, with seriousness, and lets himself go to the heart in such a way that he thinks how he can help him; he also proves it by deed and does it with pleasure and gladly. Such a heart, says the Lord, you should have toward everyone, so that it is not a mercy like that of sinners and tax collectors: they also (as Christ says shortly before this Gospel) practice mercy among themselves, love one another, show kindness and friendship to one another, lend to one another; but they do this so that they may receive the same again. This is a ruthlessness that does good in order to receive good or better again.
*) Held in the house, 1533.
But we, if we want to be Christians, should be merciful, as our Father in heaven is: not only to those who are our friends, but to everyone, even to those who are enemies to us and persecute us, because we let ourselves think that they are not worthy that we should speak a kind word to them. As we then learn, that it goes out very hard. Let us say, what is the knave to me, he has done this and that to me, I know his useless mouth well; should I help him? I would rather that the lice eat him etc. So our nature always wants to draw us to the ruthlessness that only goes to our comrades who play tricks on us; it does not want to go with the others.
(4) This is not the opinion, saith Christ; but if your neighbors have offended you, if ye will be Christians, remember that ye be merciful, and as merciful as your Father is; otherwise ye cannot be his children, nor my brethren, who with my blood have redeemed you from sins and death. For this you must all confess, that you have done your God and Father in heaven all harm and offence, and have kept none of his commandments at all, yea, have transgressed all of them, who would have cause enough to say, Should I give my son for such desperate husks? To the devil with them, into the abyss of hell; for they do not fear, love and trust me, yes, they despise, blaspheme and hate me, swear and curse by my
names, persecute and condemn my word, disobey parents and authorities, are murderers, adulterers, thieves, covetous, usurers, perjurers, and in sum, they do all evil; therefore let them always go where they belong. So God, says Christ, could also say to you: but he does not; but over all your wickedness he goes and is kind and gracious, giving not only life and limb, food and drink, wife and child, food and all necessities for this life, but also his Son and eternal life.
(5) You shall also learn such mercy. For if someone has offended you and done something that is not pleasing to you, what is that compared to what you have done so often and so grievously against God? Now if God has such great mercy that He gives His only begotten Son to His enemies, that through Him they may be redeemed from sin and death; and gives us for this purpose soul, body, goods, and all that we need, since He should justly send punishment, even hail, thunder, lightning, and hellish fire, and all calamities: learn thou also by this example, that thou mayest say, Though this man or that man hath offended me so greatly, that I should make him eat maggots, yet will I not do it. For such would be only a pagan, and not a Christian mercy. If he has done me evil and wrong, who knows where I have deserved it. Therefore, now that he is in need of my help, I will not repay him, for I see that he is in need of help and that I can help him. So does my Father in heaven with me etc.
(6) One can see what the peasants are up to; if they could give their goods, which they bring to market, for a lot of money, they would rather do it than not. It is the same in the cities. Everyone collects money, feasts and brags, and lies and cheats others wherever he can. This should at least be a displeasure, if it would again cause a need, so that one would think: "Oh, right, let the boys only be worn down. But a Christian should not do this, but say: What do I care, even if they are bad? This shall not move me, that I also would be wicked.
I will do like a good tree. If you break off the fruit that it has borne for a year, it brings forth others, and is not angry about it; so I will do likewise. If I have done thee good before, and thou hast been unthankful, and hast done me evil in return, thou shalt not move me to be angry with thee. If thou be a briar, that canst not but prick, let it remain; I will not therefore become one, but will remain a fine and fruitful vine, and bring forth good grapes. For so does my Father in heaven: He gives wicked men and wicked women as well as the pious and the righteous, cattle, oxen, calves, eggs, butter, cheese, house, farm, wife, child, money, goods, body and soul, peace, good weather, and whatever is needed. He lets the dear sun shine, since we well deserved that he let hellish fire rain down. But he does not: he does not want to become a thorn bush because of our ingratitude, but says: "If you will be nothing but evil, I will remain good, let my sun and my rain go over the evil and the good.
(7) This is the example which our dear Lord Christ sets before us, that we should continue in such godliness, and not allow other people's wickedness to cause us to become wicked also; as the world is wont to do, it avenges itself, and soon pays for itself. This shall not be among Christians, but shall say, Thou art a briar, thou hast pricked me evil: but for thy sins I will not become a briar also, but will do thee all good in thy trouble; beseeching God for thee, that he will forgive thee these things, and turn thee out of the briar into a goodly fruitful vine. That is, "Be merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful," who does the very best to his worst enemies.
Now, one must understand this so that one does not think that God wants to have all punishment forbidden and removed. For Christ preaches here to his disciples, who had no regiment. The children in the house, the peasants in the village, the citizens in the city, the princes in the empire have no right against each other; for in the house rules father and mother, in the village the judge, in the city the burgher, in the city the governor.
In the empire, it is the emperor. The children in the house, the peasants in the village, the citizens in the city, the princes in the empire are all equal among themselves; therefore they should keep this rule among themselves, which the Lord gives here, that no one should do evil to another, but be merciful to one another. But where persons are unequal, as the emperor in the empire against the princes, the nobleman or judge in the village against the peasants: there one should not use mercy against the wicked, but punish the wicked. So parents should not be merciful to their children when they are wicked, but should strike quickly. Husband and wife are not to be merciful against the servants either, but punish what is to be punished and do not overlook anything. This is what God demands of them; and if they do not do it, they must give God a hard account for it.
(9) Therefore this command of Christ of mercy is for those only who are equal. But where there are unequal persons, let each wait for his special command, and let not mercy hinder such a command. But where there are equal persons, citizen against citizen, peasant against peasant, child against child, servant against servant, a Christian should speak: You have done me harm and evil, that God may forgive you; but I do not have to punish you for it. This is called mercy.
(10) If any further harm comes to thee, tell thy father, judge, mayor, or prince, and say, This and that he doeth to me; that thou judge not, neither pass sentence. So no child shall strike another, no peasant, no burgher shall strike another, no nobleman shall overreach another; but to the authorities announce and say: This and that has happened to me, which is not mine to punish, for I do not have the office. This is called mercy, where this proper means is sought from those who have it in their power, so that the wicked may be controlled and their will to anger increased. So Joseph did. He saw much wickedness in his brothers, but he did not punish them himself, for he was not commanded to do so; instead, he told his father: Father, so do Simeon, so do Levi.
may watch and defend. This was right and well done, and a special work of mercy. But he earned disfavor, hatred and envy with it. For his brothers could not believe that he meant so well for them and did such a great work of mercy for them. For with such an announcement Joseph helped the soul from the devil and the body from the executioner.
(11) So shall it be among the children and the servants, that no man revenge himself, but with a gentle and not bitter heart declare to the rulers, parents, lords, and wives, what is wrong. In this way, one helps the other in body, money and goods, and even in soul, so that you will no longer be so lazy, careless, careless, forward, unfaithful, but will be better. Therefore the young servants should learn such mercy, if something happens to you, or you see something naughty, that you do not strike, but say: I am sorry, I wish you had not done it. This is called praying for your neighbor. Then go and tell him who has the power to punish, who can correct and change it, and who has the command to do it. For God has appointed enough people to do this, namely princes, lords, officials, fathers, mothers, priests, chaplains, and finally also the executioner, who are to punish sin. The others, who are not in such offices, should leave it unpunished and show mercy, that is, advise and help with what they can.
(12) Now then, we are to understand that this command is for equal persons, since no one has authority or command over the other. But where there are unequal persons, one is a father, the other a judge, the third a prince, they shall also show mercy to their equals; but not to the subjects. For there is a special command that they should punish the evil of the children, servants and subjects. But where there are like persons, they shall bear toward one another a kind, friendly, compassionate heart, help, admonish, announce; this is called living a Christian life. But if they scold you about it, as the children and the servants do, and call you a traitor, it does no harm. Think that you are a fig tree.
or good vine, and let no thorn bush make you. So does the dear sun: it now looks at many a rogue who has stolen the previous night or broken the marriage, and yet it remains a beautiful sun, even though you are a black devil, and because of your sins you are not worthy to look at it. For she thinks thus: Even if I must now watch your mischievousness, I also want to see one day that you are hanged on the light gallows. Now you laugh at me, and I must shine upon you for your mischievousness; but what matters if you do not improve, I will also shine upon you one day for your punishment?
Experience shows that God does not let any evil go unpunished. For he who escapes from his father and mother does not escape from the executioner. You must either atone and mend your ways, or certainly await punishment; for God will not leave anything unpunished where correction does not follow. Many a murderer and thief passes through, becomes a fugitive, leaves all the country, and thus escapes punishment for a time; but where no correction follows, it ultimately happens miraculously that they run into the hands of the authorities and receive their reward. For the common saying is not lacking: Bad boys can escape from their parents, but they cannot escape from the executioner. Therefore, what the father cannot force with the rod, the executioner's rope and sword shall force. If you do not want to turn to the life sentence, then suffer the death penalty, that is your deserved reward.
14. *) So the Lord Christ would have us lead a good life, and do good works among ourselves, which are righteous, and not a bad show. For this reason he commands us to be merciful, not like the Gentiles, who are merciful to those from whom they expect help, so that one hand washes the other. Not so; but as the Father which is in heaven, which poureth down with heaps what we have need of, that the whole world may have enough to raise up: not to the pious only, whom he would have paid all in one day; but also to the wicked.
*) From a sermon preached in the house in 1533.
Therefore do not let his goodness fail, although most of the part is evil and ungrateful; indeed, the evil ones always overtake the best and most part.
(15) This, saith Christ, I set as an example unto you that are my Christians, that ye should not only help your friends; for such godliness will I have among the heathen: but also unto enemies, as ye see that your Father maketh the sun to shine upon every man, even upon murderers, thieves, adulterers, wicked scoundrels, citizens, and peasants, who should be worthy that their eyes should never look upon the dear sun. But he does not do so; he will not let his mercy fail for the sake of people's wickedness.
(16) So, saith he, do ye also, be not offended, withdraw not your hand, as the world doeth, saying, All is lost that is done to the wicked. That is not saying anything. Serving friends is nothing special; for the heathen themselves are friendly and helpful as long as they hope for and feel help. But if the help is not forthcoming, the good deeds dry up. There one sees publicly that it is not a spring or a living fountain of love, but only water carried in sand and a heathen help. You Christians must rise higher, and be undaunted to help even your enemies, since you deserve vain ingratitude, and think: If they want to be ungrateful, well, there is God, who still has so many devils, so many bad boys on earth, so much water, fire, pestilence and other plagues, so that he can punish them; he will find them well. Knowing then that it cannot go unpunished, I will keep a sweet, compassionate heart, ready to counsel and help. This means a Christian heart and Christian love, which the heathen do not have, who do not help further, so they deserve thanks and help. But the Christians should have such a heart and love, which, like a living spring, is not to be exhausted, nor does it dry up, although the benefit, like the water in the sand, is lost and is in vain. Now the Lord goes on, and divides such mercy into several pieces, and says:
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
The Lord would have us be righteous Christians, who do not boast of the faith and the gospel with words, as people do now who want to be evangelical and know much to say about Christ; but if you really look at it, there is nothing behind it. So most of them, even those who have and hear the gospel, deceive themselves and go to the devil with their false faith. Christ would gladly prevent such evil; for this reason he does not present us with a strange, unknown example, but with his Father's and our own example, which we ourselves have experienced, that he has acted in this way with us, and says: We should do the same with other people.
For we have all been in the judgment of God and in condemnation because of our sins. What then has our Father in heaven done? Is it not true that he has neither judged you nor condemned you, but has forgiven your sins, has removed hell and condemnation, and has accepted you into grace? You have such an example in yourself and in your person; follow it and do the same to others: then you are a true Christian who believes in Christ and does not judge or condemn your neighbor, but gladly forgives him for what he has done against you.
(19) But if thou wilt not do it, but wilt receive mercy with the servant of the devil, Matt. 18, and wilt not prove the same to others here, know that thou art not a Christian, and that God will again cast thee out of mercy into judgment and damnation, and will deprive thee of all the goods which he hath given thee, and will again lay upon thy neck all the iniquity which he hath left thee: this thou shalt have for a certainty, for it is written: "Judge not, that ye be not judged," that is, if ye will not refrain from judging, God also will judge you.
20 But now we see how it is difficult to leave it so excessive; as soon as someone offends us in the slightest, then the judgment comes quickly: What shall I do to the rogue?
do more? I have done this and that to him; that is the thanks, so he pays me. That is an unmerciful mercy and an annoying help, that one wants to judge as soon as the thanks does not follow. And it is fine, as Gregorius says: Vera justitia habet compassionem, falsa autem est duplex iniquitas: The right piety is compassionate, but the hypocritical piety is a twofold unmercifulness. This is what one learns when someone gives me a florin, he would like to buy me with it and make it his own. Therefore, as soon as I say or do something that he does not like, or that is not useful in a certain case, he soon says to me: "See, I have given you this and this; will you not also do this friendship for me? That is to serve, to serve thee again, as the heathen do, and to judge.
(21) But it shall be thus: If thou doest good to any man, and he knoweth it not, or doest evil against thee, thou mayest warn him not to do it, lest he sin against God. But if you want to become an enemy to him, and deliver him or judge him, and not help him again in his need, beware. Commit him to his judge, for you do not know what God will do with him, whether he will convert or not. If he does not convert, God has, as said before, so many devils, executioners and other bad guys that he can punish him in his own time. As you can see, now here, now there a misfortune can happen unawares. Therefore beware that you do not judge, but think: If God had wanted to deal with me according to the severity that I have long deserved, I would have had to die in my sins ten, twenty, thirty years ago, since I lived in all shameful idolatry and hypocrisy.
(22) So also beware of condemnation, for it does not belong to you. You may punish, instruct, admonish and announce it to those who are to judge and condemn. But nothing else belongs to you, except to be merciful, not to judge, not to condemn, but to forgive. And though thy neighbor would not cease from sinning against thee, yet let thine heart be with him.
be inclined to forgive, neither hinder him nor desire to avenge you; but where you can, promote and create his best.
23 But such things are painful and very difficult. But remember that you are a Christian, and if you want to remain a Christian, you must attack yourself more seriously than the unbelievers. As the example of our Father in heaven shows us. For if you do good to your neighbor, and he does not thank you, or even wants to harm you, you must not doubt that God will find him well; let him take revenge, and do what you are commanded.
(24) One reads a story of how a misbehaving son took his father by the hair and dragged him to the threshold, where the father began to cry out: Stop it, stop it, my son, for I also dragged my father to this place; as I did to him, so now do you to me again. This is the judgment of our Lord God, who knows how to punish iniquity and especially ingratitude. Therefore command thou him, and do as thou art commanded here, that thou be not punitive, but merciful. God will not remain outside with the punishment, as the Lord further reports here:
Prayer, and it will be given to you again. A full, pressed, shaken, and superfluous measure will be given into your bosom. For with the same measure that you measure with, you will be measured again.
(25) The Lord has ever summed it up well, and would like us to become fine, pious Christians, and to be righteous in all things. Therefore, just as he commanded that we should deal graciously with poor sinners, as God deals with us, not judging them nor condemning them, but commanding judgment and sentence from God and pleading for them: so he further commands here that in other needs we should also be helpful to them with giving and counsel; and then we should certainly hope that we cannot give so much and so abundantly, but that God will always give more and more abundantly. So that the heart may always spring up in love, and not let the thorns prick it, that it may dry up. As the heathen do, they cannot refrain from judging and condemning;
As soon as you do something they don't like, they won't forgive it until you fall at their feet and worship them. So, where they do not know how to enjoy again, they give nothing. Therefore, the heavy judgment remains upon them, that God will judge them again, condemn them, and neither forgive nor give them.
(26) We should beware of such naughtiness, and do to our neighbor as our dear God in heaven has done to us. He cancels the judgment and wants to forgive; he will neither avenge nor condemn, regardless of the fact that we are so ungrateful and throw our hands and laps at him for his good deeds. We should also learn this. If not, then we may wait for the judgment that he says: "With what measure you measure, it will be measured to you again.
27 But now we must confess that our God has measured us very richly. For if God had wanted to measure us according to our merit, we would have deserved wrath, strife and all misfortune, so that the earth would have swallowed us up as soon as we were born on it; not to mention that we have kept ourselves so badly throughout our lives. So that the right measure for us would have been death and hell. But what does God do? He pours away all that we have deserved, wrath, disgrace, judgment, death, hell, and gives us heaven, grace and freedom from the accusations of the law and our evil conscience. He pours out all lack and guilt, and gives all good. That is ever graciously measured. But afterwards, if you do not want to measure others again, do not wait for anything else, because as you measure, God will measure you again. Thou didst tarry before, for God had pardoned thee with all grace: but now, as thou doest and misteakest with thine ingratitude, so shall it be measured unto thee.
(28) This is a wonderful sermon, in which one sees that God is more concerned with the service of his neighbor than with his own service. For in his cause and as far as he is concerned, he forgives all sin and will not avenge what we have done against him. But again, if we do evil to our neighbor, he will be merciful to us.
also be at odds and forgive nothing at all. Therefore, the measurement here must be understood after faith and not before faith. For before you came to faith, God did not deal with you according to your merit, but according to grace. He made you come to his word and promised you forgiveness of your sin. This is the first measure of us, since we began to believe.
29. Because we have received such a measure from God, he says, "Remember and measure other people in the same way. But if thou doest not, it shall be unto thee even as thou doest unto others. Thou art ungracious unto them: I will be ungracious unto thee also. Thou judgest and condemnest them: I will judge and condemn thee also. You take from them and give nothing: I will also take from you and give nothing. The measure is according to faith, that our dear Lord God takes such care of works toward our neighbor, that he will call back what he has done for good, if we will not also do good to our neighbor.
30 Therefore, whoever thinks of serving God faithfully, let him do to his neighbor as God has done to him, that is, let him not judge, let him not condemn, let him forgive and give gladly, let him be kind and helpful where he can. For otherwise we will be like the servant in Matthew 18, who was given a great deal of grace, because the Lord released him and freely gave him all his debt: but since he would not give his neighbor the hundred pennies, nor be patient until he paid them, the ten thousand pounds came back to him, and he was handed over to the tormentors until he paid everything.
(31) Now it is true that it is not possible for us to keep to this rule at all times. We very often forget mercy: where we should be kind, we chasten; where we should speak good words, we curse. If therefore these things come to pass, that in this case we do contrary to the commandment of Christ, let us take heed that we beware of the sin of the Pharisees, and not go and continue in sin without conscience; but that we soon repent, remember this image, and do as our Father hath done unto us, that we also forget, and
Forgive, and let no iniquity nor ingratitude make us bitter.
(32) But if one is to forgive, it is also necessary that the one who is to be forgiven recognize his sin and be sorry for it. For that I should forgive the pope and other enemies of the word their sin, that is not possible for me. Cause, they think it right that they persecute our doctrine. But if they confess that they have done as fools, they will henceforth cease: then should forgiveness of sins follow. For if sin is to be forgiven, there must ever be sin. Whoever wants to be right and does not confess sin, as Saul did with Samuel, cannot be forgiven sin.
This is the doctrine of Christian faith, which the Lord holds up to us from the example of our Father in heaven. He elaborates on this doctrine in the simile of the splinter, or pike, **) in the eye, and the beam. As if to say, "I see that you are grieved, for you are grieved by your harm, and you cannot soon forget it: as soon as you see your adversary, or think of him, you are filled with bile, and think, "He has done this and that to me; I would that he had all the misfortune. Dear children, says Christ, not thus: if he has harmed you here and there, or touched you with a word, in truth it is only a splinter and a small penny, a small stick in the eye; whereas you have a great beam in it, if you want to see what you have done against God. Therefore, it takes a lot to judge and condemn another.
34 In other matters, the schoolmaster must be more learned than his pupil, or the pupil will not learn much from him. What manner of schoolmaster art thou then, that wilt teach and judge others, and yet art just as wicked, and canst teach no more than he whom thou dost presume to teach? In the sight of men, the Lord will say, such things are not fit for a drop; how then will it be
**) Bechtlein - Splitter. D. Red.
in my kingdom and in the sight of God, since you are all criminal at the same time?
35 Therefore, learn this parable finely in the work: when you hear, see, or suffer something that you do not like to hear, see, or suffer, that you say: Patientia (patience), it is a small sin compared to my sins; God sees much more fault in me than I can see in other people: therefore I will gladly keep silent and forgive; only that God also forgive me and keep silent. But there is no end to it; in the world one brother always punishes another for the sake of the splinter, and yet he himself has a large beam in his eye. For where you have one thing for your neighbor, God has a thousand and a thousand for you, that you have never kept His commandments all your life, and have sinned against them manifoldly. You do not see this, and you go on, wanting to eat your neighbor for the sake of a few bad words. Fie on you, are you so sharp-eyed and yet cannot see such a large beam?
For this reason a Christian should be accustomed differently: when he sees the splinter in his neighbor's eye, he should first, before he judges, stand before the mirror and look at himself in it; there he would find such large beams that one would like to make troughs out of them, and he would have to say: What is this? My neighbor offends me once in a quarter, half, whole year; but I have become so old, and have never kept my. God's commandments, yes, transgress them every hour and moment; how then can I be such a desperate rogue? My sins are vain four-clawed great oak trees; and the poor little splinter, the little stick in my brother's eye, do I let myself err more than my great beams? But it shall not be; I must first see how I shall be rid of my sin, then I shall have so much to do with it that I shall forget the little splinter. For I am disobedient to God, to my authorities, to my father and mother, to my dominion, and I continue to do so, and I do not cease to sin.
Be so ungracious to my neighbor and not credit him with a few words? Oh no, Christians should not do this.
(37) Thus the Lord will always point us to the example of our Father in heaven, who will not see our great beams, that we may have patience even with the little splinter, and not judge nor condemn.
38. Whoever will not be moved to mercy by such a glorious, beautiful promise, that God will abolish all judgment and condemnation and gladly forgive us if we forgive and do not judge one another, that there will be neither hell nor death, but only mercy and kindness; again, whoever will not be frightened by this and will not be turned away from judgment and condemnation, that where he finds a mote in his neighbor's eye, God will find a beam in his eye: I cannot know what will move, comfort or frighten him.
(39) Are we not wicked men and great fools, that we will not give a word of credit to one, when God will give credit to us for all our sins? and where we slacken our judgment for a moment, that he will slacken his judgment for eternity? But what good will it do us if we do not do this, and want to follow the example of the world rather than that of our Father in heaven? Nothing else, but that we throw ourselves out of grace into the highest disgrace, and where we could otherwise have a gracious, merciful, mild God, we ourselves make God unfriendly to us, and move him to anger and punishment against us.
40 We should well consider such misery and thus learn to live our lives in a Christian manner, so that everyone, friends and enemies alike, may see in us that we are true disciples of Christ and have such a heart, where there is an inexhaustible fountain of love within that never seals up. May our dear Father in heaven, through his Holy Spirit, graciously grant this to all of us for Christ's sake, amen.