Luc. 14:1-11.
And it came to pass, that he entered into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees, on a sabbath day to eat bread; and they kept watch over him. And, behold, there was a man before him, addicted to water. And Jesus answered and said unto the scribes and Pharisees, saying: Is it also lawful to heal on the Sabbath? But they held their peace. And he took hold of him, and healed him, and let him go, and answered and said unto them: What man is there among you whose ox or ass falls into the well, and he does not immediately bring him out on the Sabbath day? And they could not answer him again. He said the same thing to the guests, when he saw them sitting upstairs, and said to them: If you are invited to a wedding by someone, do not sit at the top, lest a more honest man than you be invited by him; and when he comes who has invited you and him, say to you, "Leave this one," and you will have to sit at the bottom with shame. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down at the bottom, that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up. Then you will have honor before those who sit at table with you. For he that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
In today's Gospel there are two pieces: the first concerns worship, how to act toward God; the other, how to act toward people.
*) Held in the house, 1332.
(2) But here a question of the first part arises: Whether it is better in the sight of God to keep the Sabbath, or to help men and do them good? For this is what the Pharisees are here to do, that they hold on to the Lord Christ, which he did with the water addiction.
He will do what is good for him: If he does not help him, they think, he may be reproached for being unmerciful and doing no good to the people; but if he helps him, he is ungodly and does not keep the Sabbath; thus he may be convinced that he is disobedient to God and his word. Now let the good Lord do what he will, but he is caught, for they go astray on both sides. And especially do they mean it dangerously with the breaking of the Sabbath. For with the Jews it was a great holy thing about the Sabbath, because they kept it firmly. But what does the dear Lord Christ do, who is a prisoner and, according to the Pharisees, has lost everything? He goes through the midst of them and does what is right, puts the Pharisees to shame, and drives them in such a way that everyone sees that they are all fools, even though they have the name that they are the spiritual rulers who teach and lead the people, and are therefore considered to be great doctors.
(3) This then is the sum of this bargain, that he saith unto them blandly under their eyes, they know not what it is to keep the sabbath, and to sanctify it. Your thoughts, he says, are these, as if keeping the Sabbath holy meant walking idly and doing no work on it. No, this is not how you must keep the Sabbath; but to keep the Sabbath holy means to listen to God's word and to help your neighbor as much as you can. For God does not want to keep the Sabbath so holy that one should leave one's neighbor in distress or neglect it. Therefore, if I serve my neighbor and help him, even though I work, I have kept the Sabbath right and well, for I have done a divine work on it. This teaching of the Sabbath, then, is primarily intended to help us understand the third commandment, what it is and what it requires of us, namely, not that we should celebrate and do nothing, but that we should hear God's word and do and live according to it. What does this say and teach us? It instructs us that, according to the other table, we should love one another and do all good. This is what God wants you to hear and learn on the Sabbath. It must follow that you do not desecrate the Sabbath with such good works.
004 Therefore saith Christ, Ye Pharisees are such rough teachers, that ye call it breaking the sabbath to do good. This is what is preached most on the Sabbath, that we should love one another. But what does loving mean? It does not mean to deal with thoughts, but to be favorable to one's neighbor from the heart, to comfort or punish with the word where it is necessary, and to be helpful to him with counsel and action, and thus to help him in body and soul. As John says, 1 John 3:18: "Little children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth." This, says the Lord, is what God commands you to do on the Sabbath; indeed, what is more, He has appointed the Sabbath so that you may hear and learn to be kind to your neighbor in word, and helpful in deed where it is needed.
Thus the Lord punishes the false saints, who made a wrong mind out of God's word, and boasted that they kept the Sabbath, when they showed so little love that they would not have given a shirt or a pair of shoes to a naked man. Rascals are those who turn back the word of God. For where God's word commands and says, Love your neighbor and do him every good, they say, Oh no, I would break the Sabbath with this. This is called unrighteous teaching, and God's command is even wrong. For God tells you on the Sabbath to love your neighbor, to care for him, and to do him every good in all that he needs in body and soul. As you can see in the example that the Lord introduces here. Is it not a disgrace, he says, if an ox or an ass falls into the water on the Sabbath, you do not break the Sabbath by helping the poor little animal? Therefore, if it is not a sin to help cattle on the Sabbath, are you not great saints, that you can love oxen and donkeys, run them down with ropes and poles, help them out of the water and save them, and forbid that a poor man should not be loved or helped on the Sabbath?
(6) So it shall be with all them that would master and teach the Lord Christ, that they catch themselves, and openly denounce the Lord.
The Pharisees, who think that the Lord cannot escape them, either help the poor man who is addicted to water or not. But he gives them such an answer that they are ashamed and do nothing more against him, saying, "You hypocrites, you are unholy and break the Sabbath. What you seek in me you will find in yourselves. For "to sanctify the Sabbath" means to hear God's word and to do holy works, to love one's neighbor and to do to him what he needs, to be obedient, to be merciful, to be helpful, comforting, to give food and drink etc. This is what one should do on the Sabbath, and is called serving God rightly. For he has no need of other foolish services; nor does he want people to howl in church all day long, as our papists are wont to do. He wants us to hear his word and to live and do according to it.
7) This is the reason for the beautiful saying of the prophet Hosea Cap. 6, 6: "The Lord delights in love more than in sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God more than in burnt offerings. What is the knowledge of God? Nothing else, but hearing God's word. Cause, without the word, no one will know anything about God. But when the word comes and says: I am the Lord your God, who sent my Son and gave him to die for you, who received you in baptism etc.: by such a word we learn to know God, that he is gracious and merciful; which reason can neither know nor learn by itself. But from this it follows, because one comes to the knowledge of God through the Word, that it means to serve God and to sanctify the Sabbath rightly, if one hears God's Word and lives and does according to God's Word. This is what the unholy hypocrites, the Pharisees, do: they do not hear God's word, nor do they act on it; yet they want to have the name, they do not break the Sabbath.
(8) So do our papists, kings and princes, who are still opposed to the Word, hear mass every day; this is the high, special service, which they cannot observe every day. But on the other hand they hear in one
In a month, in half a year, yes, often in a whole year no sermon. And even if they hear a sermon, they hear nothing from the Scriptures or the true Word of God, but vain man's words and lies. This is their worship, that they may sanctify the Sabbath or feast day. This can be done in no other way than by listening to God's word and practicing the works that are held out to us and commanded in the word.
(9) For this reason, we Christians should observe the Sabbath every day. For we are to hear God's word every day and live our lives according to it. However, Sunday is set aside for the common people, so that everyone may hear and learn God's word on the same day and live according to it. For the other six days the common man must wait for his work and earn his living. God will gladly let this happen, for he has commanded the work. But the seventh day He will sanctify, that no work shall be done on it, but that every man may be free to exercise himself in the word and works of God, and to do, not the temporal things, but the things which God requires and wills in His word.
(10) This is the first part of today's Gospel, that everyone may learn that it is called serving God and sanctifying the Sabbath rightly and well, when we hear God's word and do according to it. Therefore, when you go to the sermon, when you read a gospel, it is called serving God, and is much more pleasing to Him than all sacrifice and holiness, as Hosea says.
11 The other piece teaches about humility. For thus the Lord himself interprets the parable at the end: "He that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted." This you shall learn, that it is true not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of men; for all men are of this nature, that they are enemies to those who hope. On the other hand, it must be a particularly evil person who is hostile to a humble, pious heart. It is natural that everyone should love him; as you can see, when a maiden in the house is willing and obedient, and with a simple, bad heart does as she is told, the ruler is soon in the dark.
The people have taken it into their hearts that they cannot be hostile to such husbands and wives (servants). So it is natural that everyone loves humble, conscientious, quiet people.
(12) Again, no one can be kind to trustworthy people. As soon as father and mother notice disobedience and pride in a child or servant (for these two bad manners are commonly found together), so that they say, "I must not do what you tell me to do," then father and mother think how to break their pride and humiliate them, or push them out of the house. Secular authorities do the same. Whoever is proud and does not want to be obedient, they teach him with a rope or a sword through Master Hansen.
(13) How is it that no one can suffer pride? Not in any other way, except that God wills it, and his word stands there and says: He will confidently help to humble those who are proud and hopeful. As can be seen in all classes: what is rich, learned, sensible, beautiful, strong, powerful and mighty, as soon as they have fallen into hope and have not willingly given themselves down, God has overthrown them, so that they have had to fall. For thus it is written: Deus resistit superbis: God Himself sets Himself against those who are arrogant. Whoever then takes upon himself such a heavy enemy, which he cannot bear, must fall, and no power nor strength can help him.
(14) On the other hand, he who is humble wins the heart of God and men, so that God and all his angels, and after that the people, regard him as a particularly noble treasure. This is followed by happiness and blessing; as one can see that often the son of a poor citizen or farmer, to whom his father does not have to give three pennies, becomes a great lord, since princes and lords have to take notice of him because of his intellect and art. Where does such good fortune come from? From the fact that our Lord God cannot leave it alone: what is humble, he adds to it with his grace and mercy, and all that he has. As the 113th Psalm says, v. 5 - 8: "Who is like the Lord our God? who has set himself so high, and looks on the lowly in heaven and earth. The
He raises the lowly out of the dust, and lifts up the poor out of the dung, that he may set him beside the princes, beside the rulers of his people. This is what God does to the humble. But those who are proud and want to be on top, against them He lies down with all disfavor, and does not stop until they are down.
(15) This should move us to humble ourselves, and the children and servants of the house to be obedient, and to remember: God wants me to do what I am told; I am not to be hopeful, but humble. This I will do, and not worry about it, even though I am in a lowly condition. For I know that if I conduct myself in this way, God will not let me be so low; he will lift me up.
16 So it was with Saul: he was obedient to his father, tending donkeys, and considered himself the least of Benjamin. To such a donkey driver God sends the prophet Samuel and anoints him king. For because he was humble and unworthy of hope, God extended to him all grace and mercy. But what happened? When Saul was king, his heart swelled so that he became proud and asked nothing of our Lord God and His word. Therefore, just as God had lifted him up before, so afterward He brought him down again, so that he stabbed himself in despair, and his family was cut off.
(17) David was a fine, strong, sensible young man. But he was also humble and did not exaggerate. He remained a shepherd and did what his father told him to do until Samuel came looking for him and anointed him king. The story tells how he had seven brothers, all of whom were proud and hopeful and despised their young brother David. But God said to Samuel, "You shall not look at the form or the person, but you shall anoint as king the one I will show you; I do not like the others. Also, since God exalted him, David was able to remain humble; otherwise, if he had become proud, God would have overthrown him like Saul. But because he remained humble, even though he had already been driven out of the kingdom, he was restored to it; and God still does him such a great honor that he
promises him that Christ will be born from his tribe.
18. all these things are written and preached to us for this reason, that we should be humble and beware of the hopefulness, and not say, as the wicked housemaids do, "Well, who may always lie in the kitchen, washing dishes and sweeping up? Must I not always do what I am called etc. Behold, if thou wilt be proud, what is it that God will do against thee? For he does not lie, he cannot suffer hope or pride, as we see before our eyes. For what do you think the fault is, that everywhere in the world it is so bad, that everywhere so much rough, un
of skillful, unfortunate men and women? Nothing else, because when they are young, everything wants to be proud, no one wants to do what they are called and should do. Therefore our Lord God lets them go like swine, so that they will never learn anything righteous. For thus it is decreed: That which is lifted up shall be brought down; and again, that which is brought low, he cannot leave it; he must lift it up. Praise and thanks be to God that he teaches us this day, and give us his grace that we also follow this teaching for the sake of his Son, Christ Jesus, amen.