October 31, 1516.
Translated from Latin.
Theme [Luc. 19, 8:]
But Zacchaeus came forward and said to the Lord.
Conclusio or final speech.
To whom Christ is something, all things are nothing; but to whom Christ is nothing, all things are always great. But what this means, that Christ is something or nothing, let us learn from Zacchaeus, whose mind was set on it, as the evangelist says, that he sought to see Jesus for who he was. From this it necessarily follows that he thought highly of him, but of himself nothing. After that he rejoiced when he received Christ with him. Hence this, "Christ is something," means to have pleasure in him, to delight in him, to long for him, to love him, to esteem him great, but to esteem himself quite unworthy of him and not to seek him (which is already presumptuous), but only to desire to see him, and to esteem all those worthy, 1) to praise and extol, whom he should esteem worthy to turn to them, despairing, as it were, and never presuming that he [Christ] should come to them, though one should be quite ready to receive him, but be content to wonder in such a manner at and submit to those to whom he is seen going. This godly, humble
1) There is hardly any doubt that before luäiWre a word is dropped out and fliMos or deatos must be inserted, as Walch has already done.
and right mind (affectus) alone considers Christ to be something. On the other hand, "that Christ be nothing," that is, not to delight in him, but in ourselves and in what is our own, even to despise him, and not to desire him. But it is well to note that those who delight in Christ, desire him, and esteem him great, are of different kinds. Some do it carnally, or curiously, or childishly, or according to their own opinion, as those in the Gospel who marveled that he had gone to a man who was a sinner, wishing that he had gone to them because they thought themselves worthy of such honor. These are wicked people, who rather only think highly of themselves and please themselves and imagine themselves to be something, thinking that they are wise, understand [only everything] right and lead a good life. And so they seek their own honor through Christ, that is, through the honor of God, because in order to confirm their worthiness they have God as their guest, who has therefore come to them because they are worthy of Him - by esteeming Him great, so that they might be esteemed through Him; but if they do not receive such esteem through Him, they soon cease to esteem Him high and great, and so they seek their righteousness in their good opinion of themselves. If this does not happen, they are angry and grumble that sinners are preferred to them. And immediately the unfortunate
*) This sermon is found, from the manuscript mentioned in the previous number, first in Löscher, Reformations-Acta, Vol. I, p. 734; printed from it with the same errors in the Erlangen edition, opp. var. arx., Vol. I, p. 177; with improved text in the Weimar edition, Vol. I, p. 94. We have translated according to the latter. Löscher gives the year 1517 as the year in which our sermon was delivered, in contradiction to his own statement (p. 729) that Luther was then busy with the interpretation of the holy ten commandments. However, Luther concluded his lectures on this subject on St. Matthew's Day (February 24) 1517. In the "Interpretation and Interpretation of the Holy Lord's Prayer," which contains Luther's Lenten sermons of 1517, our "Sermon of Zacheo" is already mentioned (printed by Melchior Lotther in Leipzig 1518, p. Bd). (Weim. Ausg., Vol. I, p. 94.)
He is haughty with bold judgments [of others], or boasts about himself, blaspheming God, because he had previously adorned himself so beautifully with the adornment of good works. Such people seek Christ in such a way, not so that they may be saved through him, but so that they may receive testimony that they are saved. They do not seek the author of righteousness, but a witness of their holiness, and thereby they consider themselves better and higher than Christ. Oh, dear God, what a great folly it is to judge one's neighbor! Here all murmur, all pass a bold judgment; such a general plague is a bold judgment even to this day; the cause of it is the great blindness and ignorance of wisdom, which is hidden in secret from the wise, but is revealed to the little ones. For they are foolish and coarse saints, who, because they perceive no gross defects in themselves, do not admit that they still have defects in themselves. Therefore it is safer to have many great and gross infirmities than none. The reason is this: because, although every man is vain and lying before God, those people alone do not know this who find themselves somewhat so in their mind and heart, and are satisfied with this, saying, "I am not aware of anything, therefore I am justified," although this very thing is the most terrible sin, not to be aware of anything in such a way as to be justified by it.
Others (seek Christ) spiritually and in truth, who, as I have said, do not dare to desire that he should come to them, because of their all too great unworthiness and his dignity; and yet precisely with this they call him to themselves most vehemently, by inferring affirmation from the very strongest denial. And in such a way, GOD is sought by not being sought, is praised by not being praised, is loved by not being loved, is demanded by not being demanded, it is knocked by not knocking, and while fleeing from Him, one runs to Him. Behold, all this is in Zacchaeus in a wonderful way. For nowhere have I seen this way more beautiful and
more gracefully described than in this passage. For no one hears the right prayer but God, not even man himself, and it is with prayer, even that which takes place in the spirit, as with a circle, a sign, a thought, 1) that is, what we ask is, as it were, the circle. This is what we present to God when we pray. This we feel quite well. But God hears the reason for the desire in the innermost heart, which goes beyond all thoughts. And as God does this, the praying person realizes with amazement how he has received everything that he had not dared to ask for. And so this becomes true: what the soul asks, it does not ask, and what it does not ask, it asks because it does not know what it asks; as Christ says and the Apostle Paul [Matth. 20, 22. Rom. 8, 26.]: "We do not know what we should pray for as we ought." Thus, as St. Augustine says, St. Monica was heard according to the main point of her desire. And Zacchaeus is also an example, who desired to see Christ, and yet did not desire that He should come into his house, but in fact he would have desired this most earnestly, because it is evident that if anyone had asked him whether he would like to have Christ in his house, he would certainly have answered, "O would God that this should happen!" And this has happened, although others who have desired the same have not been heard, because the main point of their desire was not for Christ, but for themselves.
Corollary. No one publicly thinks that he is asking or praying rightly, but asks that he be taught by God to pray and ask. Therefore, arrogant people who think they have used all diligence in their prayers will be sure not to pay attention to it, nor will they stand in fear, even if they have prayed for an evil reason of the heart.
Conclusion. It is clear from this gospel that God only asks about the inner self and the heart, so that if someone had done and given away everything, and
1) "Circle, sign, thought" is meant to denote something indeterminate of which one does not become fully aware.
the heart, he shall not have done anything. Thus it is said in Proverbs 23:26: "Give me, my son, your heart," not the hand, nor at least the body, but the heart, and that to me, not to you. So it is also said in Genesis 4:4, 5: "The Lord looked graciously on Abel and his sacrifice; but on Cain and his sacrifice he looked not graciously," which the apostle Heb. 11:4. explains thus: "By faith Abel offered a greater sacrifice than Cain." Behold! faith makes the difference between Abel and Cain. And what great power there is in this thing is evident from the opposite displeasure. For in the 4th Psalm [v. 3.] it is said, "O ye children of men! how long have ye a hardened (gravi) heart? 1) How are ye so fond of vain things, and of lies?" That is, all things that are offered without the heart are vain and lies; which things ye boast of to your shame because of your hardened heart. And Ps. 95:9, 10, 11, 2): "Forty years have I been very near unto this generation; and I have said, Ever do they err with their hearts, but they have not known my ways; unto them have I sworn in mine anger, They shall not come into my rest." Behold, without the heart one always goes astray, incurs wrath, is deprived of rest; vanity is sought, falsehood is loved, instead of honor one seeks disgrace. For the Hebrew text actually has this meaning: You children of man, how long are you restful in such things, which after all bring shame? since you love vanity and seek lies.
Thus, the dedications of the churches in their ceremonies and outward performances are signs that we are to consecrate the heart to God. For what does God ask for the outward church building (templum signi) if He does not have the temple that is signified by it (templum signati)? What would a man do to another man if he were to pay him annually in the sale of goods?
1) According to the Vulgate.
2) According to the Vulgate. V. 9 and 10 shortened. From the 9th verse comes the word proxioms, which Luther placed, while in the 10th verse it is oüsvsus.
3) and the conclusion (dicas) and wrote down what he would owe him and would have to perform, but still never paid it? Would he not finally, tired of the mere signs and words, put an end to the whole thing at once? For it is certain that one man would not want to suffer this from another, and yet God should endure this unceasingly. But behold, that is why he lets lightning strike the church buildings more often than other houses, because there he is provoked to anger more than he is worshipped with completely trivial signs. But let us return to the Gospel and explore and consider the wonders of God's law. Here we see Christ as the true judge of hearts, who does not look at the person, that is, at the outward appearance, whether it be good or evil. For if he had looked at the person, the reputation of those who murmured was better, since he had come to a sinner; yet he let them go; Zacchaeus was worse; yet he was not ashamed of him. For those followed him and desired his; but this was a chief of publicans, those were good, this was evil. Hence this wonder, that they which desire Christ desire him not, and that they which desire him not desire him: and he goeth in unto them that desire him not, and fleeth from them that desire him. Let us therefore here consider the diversity of hearts and of desire, that we may be instructed in wisdom from the heart. It is certain that those desired Christ to enter in with them, otherwise they would not have grumbled that he had entered in with Zacchaeus. But their heart was perverse and vain, which Christ saw, but they saw not. For their heart was such that they counted themselves worthy of Christ's approval, and therefore they desired that by Christ's return their worthiness might be proved and extolled by so great a prophet, that it might be said, "Behold, what great men these are, with whom so great a man doth return!" Thus, they sought their honor and the pomp of their
3) rsAistrs stands for reZtzsta.
Righteousness and theirs in Christ. They were not yet empty and purified in themselves; therefore they were angry that he did not glorify them with his entrance, and said that he had entered with a sinner, as if to say, "There are many righteous here who are well worthy of so great an honor; yet he prefers a sinner." Behold now what foolish pride does, how manifest sins it brings forth, namely, bold judgments, belittlement, envy, and spite. Thus, Christ is set forth as a sign of contradiction, so that the thoughts of the heart may be revealed. For who would have known that they thought such things if Christ had not revealed them? Indeed, the human heart itself does not know that it has such thoughts until it is revealed through the contradiction of this sign. But Christ did not come to bear witness to vanity, to approve and justify the righteousness and honesty of men, but to glorify his heavenly Father; not for the glory of our righteousness, but for the praise of his mercy and grace, as the apostle says. Therefore he cannot come to those who consider themselves worthy and righteous, but only to the wretched, who are eager for mercy and unworthy of grace. Thus it is evident how they desired Christ and did not desire Him at the same time, because to desire Christ in that way, that is, through oneself, and in order to gain one's own honor, is rather to not desire Him.
Zacchaeus, however, did not demand Christ's promise, and yet he desired it. That he did not ask for it is evident from the fact that he went up to see him pass by, but did not presume to ask for him to come and stay with him. For it is evident that he did not consider himself worthy of it, because he wanted to be satisfied if he had only seen him, and could then remain hidden, for he had no reason to believe that it would bring him glory that Christ had come, and also knew that he did not deserve it above all others. But that he desired him is clear from the fact that he received him with joy. For the joy is a sign of a previous love and desire. For if someone had asked him,
if he did not wish to have Christ with him, he would have answered: "I do not dare to wish or want that. But they would have answered, "Indeed, and I hope that this will happen." Behold, then, the depth of the human heart, whose truth is so very deeply hidden, and whose willing so secret, that it does not know itself, nor does it delight in willing; but this willing alone is felt, is lived, but it does not express itself. This is an honest heart, this is the inwardness of man. Therefore Christ says: "Today salvation has come to this house from God", and therefore also you are righteous, because this is my house. And again: therefore, because he also is a son of Abraham: he, he, not they. Behold now how they are vexed, though he did it not, that they should be vexed to their destruction. He could have called Zacchaeus to mercy secretly, but he wanted this to happen publicly, so that they would recognize their own false righteousness and become like Zacchaeus. And he wanted to heal them all of their sickness by the example of this one, although they misused this remedy. Hence he also concludes, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." He did not come to glorify the already righteous and blessed; he wanted them to stumble, not that they might fall, but that they might know themselves, because they were full of ambition and self-love.
This vice, however, is in every man unless he is corrected by grace, and it has been so from the beginning of the world, and will remain so to the end; because men seek their own in all things, even in Christ. But it is especially prevalent in our time, where the people are brought to this vice by seducers, liars, 2c., when they should rather be dissuaded from it. Such people are those who preach indulgences, of whom I will say a few things for the sake of example and because many have desired it. For I have already spoken more about them, especially since this preaching is at the door; so that I may be excused from indulgence, but you may be excused from it.
from the danger of such a wrong mind. First, I testify that the intention of the pope is a correct and true one, at least that which is laid down in the letters and decrees (syllabis). Secondly, perhaps the words of those who take their mouths so full (buccinant) are true in a certain sense, but still some things are either not spoken according to the truth (vere), or not rightly understood. Therefore, to know that there are three pieces of repentance is to teach according to the ordinary way. But it is better this way: repentance is twofold, namely the apparent (signi) and the actual (rei). Actual repentance is the inward repentance of the heart and is the only true repentance, of which Christ says [Matt. 4:17], "Repent," and Peter in Acts 3:19, "Repent and be converted." The apparent repentance is the outward one, which has often happened, although the inward one has often been a fabricated one; and this has two parts, namely confession and atonement, of which John the Baptist Luc. 3, 8. says: "Do therefore righteous fruits of repentance." Confession is again twofold, namely a public and a special one. Of the public one Jacobi speaks in the last chapter [Jac. 5, 16.]: "Confess your sins one to another." Of the special one I do not know where Scripture speaks of it. Therefore I leave it to the jurists and demand of them that they prove where, from divine right, satisfaction and confession are proven, as they are now in use. For satisfaction, which John Lucas 3 prescribed, is the service of the whole Christian life, and is both general, imposed on all, and public. But where secret confession and penance are taught and commanded, I confess that I do not know.
Conclusion. The indulgence presupposes repentance, yes, it should serve to make repentance a true one, or it mainly serves this purpose, but it does not take away anything other than what has been imposed for private satisfaction. And so it is to be feared that it often works against inner repentance. For inner repentance is true repentance,
true confession, true satisfaction in the spirit; since the truly penitent displeases himself in all that he has done, actively converts to God, acknowledges his guilt without reservation (pure) and confesses it to God from the heart. After that, he offends and punishes himself inwardly through the abhorrence of himself, therefore he satisfies God with it. Yes, a truly penitent would, if it were possible, want all creatures to see and hate his sins, and is willing to be trampled underfoot by all. He does not seek indulgence and remission of punishments, but the execution of punishments. Therefore, repentance or inner penance is twofold; one is an imaginary one, which is commonly called "gallows repentance" because it is easily perceived in those who immediately backslide and fall all too often (saepius). These grieve over sin in such a way that they [suffer] over the punishment of sin, and nothing displeases such a person but God's displeasure at sin: for he would rather that God liked sin, and so he desires God as an unrighteous one. This is a most perverse, but very common thing, that man, out of fear of punishment and love of himself, hates the justice of God and loves his ungodly nature; for he hates punishment. The other is true repentance, of which I said that it hates sin out of love of justice and punishment, because it desires that the offended justice be avenged. Therefore, it does not desire indulgence, but the cross: as one reads in many legends, as of St. Paula, whom St. Jerome refused that she should not weep and should chastise herself less; but she did not want to do so, should it also entail the loss of bodily health.
Therefore see how dangerous is the preaching of indulgences, which takes away grace and teaches to flee from satisfaction and punishment, so that it is to be feared that it is the effect of error, which the apostle preached [2 Thess. 2, 11]. For how is it possible (qua facilitate) that at the same time and at once true repentance and such an easy and rich indulgence are preached?
since the true new one demands a strict fulfillment and this [the indulgence] slackens too much? Or shall we make the excuse that the same is to be understood only from the repentance of the perfect, and so it is not
necessary to bring people to perfect [repentance]? But why do the harlots and tax collectors begin this repentance? Rather, all are to be exhorted to this [true repentance].