You know that in the third commandment it is commanded that one should hear and act upon God's holy word on the Sabbath. For in this way the day is sanctified to the Lord, when one hears His word and gives thanks to Him for His good deeds.
Therefore we also want to keep the Sabbath holy, to listen to his dear, holy word, to thank him and to pray. So today, on this holy Sunday, we read from the Gospel of Marc. 8:
Marc. 8, 1-9.
At that time, when there was a great crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them: For they have tarried with me three days, and have nothing to eat: and if I should send them home without eating, they would die of hunger by the way. For some had come from afar. And his disciples said unto him, Whence shall we have bread here in the wilderness to fill them? And he asked them: How much do you have of bread? They said, "Seven. And he commanded the people to lie down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples to set before them: and they set before the people. And had a little fish; and he gave thanks, and commanded the same also to be presented. And they did eat, and were filled: and they took up the rest of the fragments, seven baskets. And there were about four thousand of them that had eaten; and he sent them away.
1. In this gospel we are given two consolations, that our dear Lord Christ will supply both the soul with the word and the body with bread; so that, though he leaves his own on earth poor and despised, so that they are not regarded as other people in the world, but everyone is hostile to them and does not give them a morsel of bread (for they should and must be called the poor, lowly multitude): Nevertheless they shall not be so poor and lowly, that they have nothing at all, and die of hunger: but he will provide them with a goodly livelihood, that the belly may be supplied.
(2) But the Lord Christ here keeps his own doctrine and rule, which he gives in Matthew 6:33: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and the rest shall be added unto you. As if to say, "Do not worry that you will die of hunger, but only think as you hear my word; when this has happened, let the Father in heaven take care of your belly; he has already decided that you shall not
*) Held in the house, 1532.
die of hunger. Christ keeps this rule here. The evangelist reports that the people stayed with the Lord for three days. But what do you think they did or sought with him? No doubt nothing else, but that they followed the word and desired to hear it. This is the reason why he takes care of them so warmly and makes it seem as if he must see to it that they get food so that they do not faint.
(3) That therefore this should be the chief doctrine, that we should seek the word first of all, and follow after it. When this is done, we should then let the Lord Christ take care of the belly.
4 In the same way the evangelist Marcus says in the 6th chapter, when Christ feeds the five thousand men in the desert with five loaves and two fishes, that he crossed over and separated himself from the people to a special place in the desert. When the people became aware of him, they came after him from all the towns and villages, about five thousand men. But when he saw the great multitude, saith Marcus, he
of the same lamented. For they were like sheep that have no shepherd, and began a long sermon.
(5) This is the first lamentation which the Lord regards as a godly preacher: that they were like a scattered multitude. Just as we were under the papacy: the one called St. Barbara, the other St. Catherine; there was no right preacher anywhere, who would have given us the right pasture and led us to right teaching. Everything floated and lived in idolatry and error. Marcus says that it was the same with the poor people of the Jews. Priests and Levites were appointed to preach about the future Christ and his kingdom of grace. But what did they do? They turned the shepherds into harmful wolves and preached their own dreams, so that the poor sheep pined away, just as it happened to us in the papacy. No one knew that God, for Christ's sake, wanted to be merciful to us and forgive sins; therefore, they could not know how they would fare with our Lord God. Everyone thought that if he wanted to be saved, he would have to help with his works and life. This is now the first sorrow and damage that the Lord sees in the poor people, and he takes it to heart and gives them a nice long sermon. As if he wanted to say: "What are the hopeless priests doing? There are so many people who would like to hear and learn something from our Lord God, but there is no one to do it; the priests are busy with their splendor, avarice, indulgence and sacrifices.
Therefore says Marcus, "The poor people were to be looked upon as sheep that have no shepherd. O Lord God, if a sheep has no shepherd, it is a poor, miserable little animal. Cause, it has need enough, if it already has a shepherd, dog and stable. What does it want to become where there is no shepherd, no servant, no dog, no pen? Then the sheep will get lost by themselves. It is the same with us. Shouldn't the devil reign where there is no word of God nor right preaching? We have enough to do, if we like to hear the gospel, read it, preach it, pray for it, if there are pious pastors and faithful pastors. What should it be, where they are not? It soon happens that
People are persuaded that this one will become a monk, that one a nun, that one will accept this saint, that one another saint as a savior, and all go astray and among the wolves.
(7) These are the kind and loving eyes of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, that he sees into the hearts of the people, and takes care of them so warmly, that they go away without a shepherd. Therefore, even though he had escaped into the wilderness for the sake of his rest, as Marcus says, he still comes forth and first of all lets their spiritual hunger be his command, and preaches a beautiful sermon to them, feeding and comforting them first of all in their souls.
8 So also in today's gospel, when the evangelist indicates that the people stayed with the Lord Christ for three whole days, there is no doubt that they heard his preaching. And it would be good that such a sermon was also written; but the evangelist Marcus only wanted to describe the work. If it were St. John, he would also have described the sermon of the Lord next to the work. But St. Matthew and Marcus write more of the Lord's works and history than his sermons.
(9) Now this is the first part, that our dear Lord Jesus is careful and has a sorrowful heart over the abandoned souls; therefore he suspends his prayer, which he has to do against his Father, and takes care of the poor people and preaches to them.
(10) Because he has such a heart, how do you think he will receive on the last day the indolent pastors who do not faithfully maintain their office, and even deceive their parishioners? item, princes and lords who force the people to idolatry and do not want to let them keep the word pure? But especially, what do our bishops want to say here and how do they want to answer for themselves, who bear the name and boast of the office that God has made them bishops and pastors, and yet do nothing, except that they knowingly keep the people in idolatry, and do not want to let them come to the right knowledge of the Word and right worship, and punish their subjects with their bodies and goods, where they do not want to permit such idolatry and do not want to carry it along?
(11) What will fathers and mothers say who do not keep their children and servants diligently to the church and the word? He will undoubtedly say, "You fathers, mothers, lords and wives have had so many souls among you that you should have raised them to godliness and kept them diligently to the word. But you did not do it, you let them become reprobate and grow up without any fear of God. From whom shall I demand account for such unspeakable damage? From no one, except from you parents, masters and wives, whom I commanded to watch over it, but you did not comply, so that child and servants would have learned something. So on the last day Christ will address bishops, pastors, preachers, father, mother, masters and wives and demand an account from them. He not only feeds the belly, but above all he feeds and nourishes the soul with the Word, so that people may be led to a knowledge of the truth, become godly, pious and blessed. He sets such examples before us that we should follow in his footsteps.
(12) Therefore there is no greater and higher work that we can do on earth than to draw people with preaching and teaching. The devil is very hostile to such good work and therefore attacks it so hard with mobs, tyranny, violence and persecution. So it is also a difficult thing in itself, and costs a lot of effort and work, before the children and the young people are brought a little on their feet, so that they accept the teachings and become God-fearing. Summa, it is not more difficult work, because to bring other people to godliness is also not a greater service to God.
(13) Therefore the Lord Christ is the first to give the greatest alms here, and does the highest work and noblest service, helping the poor people in their souls. With this work he has sanctified the Sabbath rightly and well, and served God more and helped the people better than if he had given a thousand guilders to each one of them who heard his sermon. For spiritual food far surpasses bodily food, as by it man lives forever.
(14) Let father, mother, lords and wives follow such an example, so that they may have faith in
Their own children, their own servants, deserve heaven; that is, to do the highest and most pleasing work to God according to faith, when they, according to the example of Christ, first help souls, so that they do not lead to the devil.
(15) After this spiritual almsgiving, after the sermon, the bodily almsgiving also begins, that the Lord also helps the body and provides bread and food for the people. For as he goes out in Marci 6, and his disciples come to him, and say, v. 35, 36: "It is desolate here, and the day is now gone. Let them go from thee, that they may go about into the villages and markets, and buy them bread; for they have nothing to eat"; as if to say, Lord, thou preachest too long, for it tarrieth unto the evening, and the people have nothing to eat, wouldst thou make the sermon shorter, and give us to eat instead; he answereth and saith, "Pray ye them to eat"; they say, Shall we give them to eat? There is nothing here; so he commands the people to all lie down on the green grass near the table, and breaks five loaves among five thousand, so that they take up twelve baskets full of crumbs. So he calls his disciples to him, and says to them, "I am grieved for the people, because they have stayed with me three days, and have nothing to eat; and if I let them go home from me without eating, they will faint on the way." And when the disciples say, They have not so much bread in the wilderness as to satisfy the people; he breaketh seven loaves among four thousand, that they may all eat and be filled, and gather up seven baskets full of fragments.
16 This is the other alms. That Christ first preaches to the people and teaches them with the word is the rich alms; that he helps the body and fills the belly is the lesser alms. For he came not to destroy soul or body, but to help both. He did not come so that a Carthusian should fast and pray himself to death. The body has been given work to do, so that it should not be idle but should exercise itself, but man should work in such a way that he remains healthy and does no harm to the body. We should not break our heads.
and do harm to the body, as has happened in the monasteries of the papacy to many who have corrupted themselves with far too much praying, fasting, singing, watching, casteism, reading, and lying in prayer, so that they have had to die before their time, and I myself have done the same and broken my head, so that I have not yet overcome it, nor will I overcome it for the rest of my life. One should not do such a thing, for that is to kill oneself.
17 Christ also takes care of our belly, which is mortal; therefore the body should be taken care of, then put to work, but in such a way that it remains healthy. In chapter 33, Sirach says in v. 25: "To the donkey belongs his food, scourge and burden; to the servant his bread, punishment and work; but," he says soon after, v. 30, "do not lay too much on anyone, and measure out in all things. The body is to be given its food, that it may be preserved and remain healthy; after that it is to be set to work, that it may have something to do, and not become lecherous; thirdly, the scourge or punishment must also be there, that it may always have on and continue, not becoming slothful nor negligent. It is said, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread, until thou return unto the ground from whence thou wast taken." A husbandman with plowing, digging and tilling, a preacher with preaching and teaching, a schoolmaster with reading and educating children, and so on each with his commanded work.
(18) But such things shall have their measure. For man cannot always work; he must also have his rest, without which no one can last long. Therefore God has not only ordained the day for work, but also the night for sleep and rest. And we keep the noon hour for eating. For God is not a murderer, as is the devil, who wants the saints of works to fast to death, to pray, to watch. But God has no pleasure in this, so it is said: If the donkey has his food and does not want to work, strike with the scourge, but so that you keep moderation in all things, as the wise man admonishes.
19 This is the other consolation, that we learn the matter well and seek first the word of God. Whether we seek the same in the wilderness, and lack
We do not have to suffer over it. We have a rich Lord who takes care of our needs and to whom we should turn for all good things. Though it may seem that there will be a lack, yet he will provide for us and not leave us alone, if we will only hear his word diligently, believe in it and be devout. But where Christ provides, there all fullness must be found, though there be nothing at all; as is seen here.
020 For let us make a reckoning, and divide seven loaves among four thousand, and see how far they will reach according to our reckoning. Then we shall see that seven loaves are scarcely enough for four or five tables of people, that is, for forty or fifty men to be satisfied. But whereof do the others eat, that they may be filled also? Now Christ has here no more than seven loaves and a little fish, and yet reaches so far that four thousand men have enough, and there remain seven baskets full of crumbs, not counting women and children; of which there will undoubtedly have been many. With this miraculous work, our dear Lord Jesus Christ wanted to show that even if there is a need, he still knows the art of this day, that he can feed four thousand men with seven loaves and a little fish.
21 We should imagine such examples, so that we may learn to believe that if we faithfully and diligently adhere to God's word, we will be as poor as we want to be, and our Lord Christ will still give us our food and feed us. It has never been heard that a Christian died of hunger, as the 37th Psalm, v. 25, testifies. They, the Christians, have been persecuted, thrown into prison, and killed; but yet, if they have first passed away the first and rich alms, and have believed the word, they have all found to eat, and have been fed.
(22) Thus today's gospel serves us to learn to recognize our dear Lord Jesus Christ as a gracious Lord and Father who is pleased to help us in body and soul. For such teaching we should thank God today, and ask that He may provide for us with His spiritual and temporal blessings through Christ, amen.