V.1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished such a commandment unto his twelve disciples, that he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
The eleventh chapter contains an example of those who despise the gospel, therefore he shows throughout the whole chapter that he is furiously angry with them, in order to make clear by the matter itself the opposite of the previous chapter, that is, how those who do not hear his servants are to be punished. It has two parts. In the first part he is angry with those who despised John the Baptist. In the second part he is angry with those who despised him. At the end he consoles himself in this anger, and says: Oh Lord God the Father, it is right after all, they are not worth it etc.
Before he [Matthew] speaks of this, he says in the beginning that after he had given these commandments to his disciples, he again began his work and his ministry, and preached in the cities, so that he was always busy not only with words but also with works, alternately working and resting. For it was another thing that he gave commandments to his disciples at home and especially, and that he labored publicly with teaching and reading in their synagogues and cities.
V. 2-10 Now when John heard the works of Christ in prison, he sent two of his disciples, saying, Art thou he that should come, or shall we wait for another? Jesus answered and said unto them: Go and tell John again what you see and hear. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who does not take offense at me. As they went, Jesus began to say to the people of John, "Why did you go out into the wilderness to see? Did you want to see a reed that
the wind weaves to and fro? Or what did you go out to see? Did you want to see a man in soft clothes? Behold, they that wear soft garments are in the houses of kings. Or what did you go out to see? Did you want to see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, he also is more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my angel before thee, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
(2) Accordingly, the first thing dealt with here is the contempt of John. As for the first part, where Christ answers the disciples of John, this has been sufficiently dealt with in the postilion; likewise also the other part. Only that we note this, that Christ here shows his displeasure when he says: "Why did you go out into the wilderness to see? As if he wanted to say: You have a preacher there; but how you hold him, that can be seen: you go out to hear him. Yes, if he would speak as you would have him, he would be a fine preacher. If he were a reed, that is, of unstable doctrine, as your heart is, you would believe him. If he were a flatterer and a foxtailer, and as it were softly clothed, he would please you. If he taught that Christ had not yet come but would come in the future, and if he denied me and said that I, who am such a lowly man, am not Christ, then he would be heard by you. Because he does not do this, you turn up your noses at him and say, "Who is he? Does he teach nothing else but this? But I tell you, he is not such a one; but "he is the angel sent before me". How this is treated more extensively in the postilions.
3 And herewith he indicates three kinds of preachers: Of the first kind are those who are moved by every wind, as Paul says to the Ephesians, Cap. 4, 14: "So that we may no longer weigh and sway.
Let every wind of doctrine"; and Sirach, Cap. 5, 11: "Be not persuaded by every wind, and follow not vainly every way, as the fickle hearts do." These are those whose ears are always itching for something new [2 Tim. 4:3], who have a disgust for what has once been taught, and who accept everything and anything. Just as under the papacy we accepted the teachings of all dreamers (because they were only new). And now, after the Gospel, the Sacramentarians, the Anabaptists and others have risen. For the world is a sea (as Isaiah says [Cap. 57, 20.]), which cannot be still, but always roars and is moved by the waves, which always rise and fall; as can be seen in the waters that are moved by the wind. The earth, however, and a rock, stands unconquerably and immovably firm against these crashing waves, which fall back into themselves again.
(4) The other kind is those who preach for favor and to please people. These stand long enough, and last as long as favor and pleasure last. Such people are the Jews in their statutes of men, and the papists in their doctrines. They persist stubbornly, not because what they teach is true, but because it pleases the kings and great men of the world. These do not do it out of an inward unsteadiness of heart and a tickle, like the first ones, but they are bound by the outward vanity of gain and profit and honor. And these are the ones "who wear soft garments in the houses of kings.
The third kind are those who earnestly desire to be pious, and who, like those of the second kind, are consistent enough; but they do not look to favor or gain, and are not moved to and fro, as the former, but in good conscience (as it appears) they desire to be justified by works. These are actually the works saints who, apart from Christ, want to be saved by their merits, of which many have been and still are, as it says in Rom. 10:2, 3: "They strive for God, but with ignorance. For they do not know the righteousness that is before God, and seek to establish their own righteousness, and so are ignorant of the righteousness that is before God.
before God, not subject." These are the ones who only want to recognize John as a prophet, but not as an angel who goes before Christ, that is, they do not want to be referred to Christ, but want to be the way to the Father through themselves etc.
V. 11. Verily I say unto you, Among all that are born of women there shall not come forth one greater than John the Baptist.
For this reason Christ preaches in the third part against all three kinds of people, but especially against the third kind etc. First, he exalts the ministry of John, that is, the gospel; second, he exalts its fruit, and those who hear the word. First, he says, you should know, especially you of the third kind who want to be justified by the law, that this John surpasses all who were before him; he is also above Moses and all the prophets. Therefore, it is nothing that you defy your ancestors, or the prophets, or Moses. Here, here, I say, you have the one who is greater than all those, that is, he preaches something greater than all those. Therefore, you should give way to him, and leave to him all the glory of all the previous teachers, and listen to what he teaches. He teaches about the present Lord, who now walks among you. Therefore, if the Lord is present, all his former servants must rightly depart. In sum, John must be listened to because he points to Christ, and this pointing is preferable to all the teachings of the fathers, prophets, Mosis, patriarchs and all the saints until eternity; for he teaches from Christ the Lord, not from Moses the servant.
(7) Therefore, those who declare this word of Christ, "Among all those born of women, there is none greater than John the Baptist," about the holiness and worthiness of his person (as has been done so far), can be tolerated, but they have only grasped the shells, not the core. Christ speaks of the official and public worthiness of John, which is incomparably greater than the worthiness of his person.
ner person. That therefore the mind is this, Among all that are born of women there hath not arisen that is greater, that is, there hath not been a more excellent preacher that hath spoken of so great and of so present things. For he does not say, "There is no greater born of women;" but, "Among all those born of women, there has not arisen one greater." The emphasis is in the verb "arise," not in the noun "those born" (natos). But "to come up" means to arise to office and public status. So no one among all men has administered a greater and more important office than John. Thus one finds everywhere in the holy scriptures that these words: to arise, to come up, to stand, to sit, mean as much as to be in public office. As when it is said [Matth. 24, 11.], "False prophets will arise." [John 1:26], "He has stood in the midst of you." [Matth. 23, 2.]: "They sit on Mosi's chair" etc. [Luc. 7, 16.]: "A great prophet has arisen among us." So also here, when it is said, "John was the greatest of all that arose," that is, he preached the greatest things among all, namely, that Christ was present etc.
But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
But here Christ excludes himself and prefers himself to John, saying: "He who is least in the kingdom of heaven", etc. This is a paraphrase, as if he wanted to say: But I am greater than he. He speaks, as I said, cheerfully, therefore he uses images in his speech, and calls himself the least in the kingdom of heaven, since he could have said par excellence: But I am greater than he.
(9) But on this passage we should 1) preach anew, how Christ is the least of all, because in his life he served all who were least by deed, being a servant of the lepers, the blind, the lame, the poor, the dead, the damned. But even more he served in his life with suffering, that is, on the cross.
1) Instead po8tu1at in the Wittenberg we have adopted with the Jena postnlst.
He was the servant of all, in that he bore the sin, the wrath and the death of all men, as he says: "I did not come to be served, but to serve" [Matth. 20, 28]. This servitude, especially of his suffering life, no saint has rendered; therefore he alone is the least of all, and the greatest of all; Eph. 4:9. "He is gone down into the lowest parts of the earth." But of this, as I have said, shall be spoken in his place.
V. 12. But from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and those who do violence snatch it away.
10 Secondly, he exalts the fruit of the word. And in these two passages Christ is joyful and lovely, looking on the glory of the preaching ministry that is about him and the fruit of the believers. Afterwards he becomes angry against the unbelievers etc. But the fruit of the word is that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence from the days of John, and those who do violence snatch it away. He says that the gospel is not preached in vain; there are those who hear it, and hear it in such a way that they cannot be torn away from it by any force: they would rather leave life than deny it. These are the ones who break in by force and penetrate as if they wanted to break the door: they want to be saved; their conscience drives them to sigh anxiously for the forgiveness of sins. There are a great number of them. Thus the word "the kingdom of heaven suffers violence" is nothing else than that people love the word fiercely and prefer it to all goods of body and life.
(11) The simile is taken from warfare (for faith is warfare). For those who want to maintain a possession or a city, they absolutely need force, risk life and limb on it, and leave everything above it. So these also risk life and limb on God's word; that is, to do violence to God's kingdom and to take it by force. For Christ speaks with such words, which are taken from war and from soldiers when they are in the field, but in a spiritual way. Thus calls
According to St. Paul [2 Tim. 2, 3] all Christians are good fighters of Jesus Christ, and the Scriptures call God a Lord of hosts.
V. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
(12) Then he also adds this fruit, that from the days of John the law is finished, and the prophecies are fulfilled (2c). And here Christ speaks great things, and presumes a great deal, namely, that until John, his angel, Moses and the prophets and the whole kingdom and priesthood had been valid; but now they must depart altogether, and make way for the Son, who is a Lord over Moses and the prophets, and now only John must be heard, and it would be in vain if one were to refer to the law and the prophets and oppose them. For here the Lord himself is present, whom John showed with his fingers; everything becomes new.
(13) And this is the grievance of the Jews to this day (against which Paul also contends everywhere), because they will not forsake the law and the prophets, and defy the divine prestige of the law and the prophets. But there is no use for that; it is over, John has come, the Lord himself is here; the law, the service, place, temple, persons, generations, people and everything has come to an end. For until John, the prophecy of all these, their kingdom, their priesthood, was valid. Now another kingdom, worship, temple, priesthood, people, race is at the door.
14 And with these words Christ secretly answers the secret question, how John is greater than all those born of women. How is he greater than Moses, than the prophets, than the kings, than the priests, than the temple, than the holy place, and than all things? He answers: Indeed he is greater than all these; so that they must yield to him altogether, and hear him, or perish. For until now their kingdom and worship has been, John begins another.
V.14. 15. And if you will accept it, he is Elijah who is to be the future. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
(15) Hereby he answers another secret question, namely: before the law and the prophets shall cease, Elijah shall come, as Malachi says [Mal. 4:5]. So if they are to cease now etc., where is the promised Elijah? He answers, "He is the Elias who is to be future" (that is, of whom it is prophesied). But because you imagine that he will come differently, you err by waiting for the personal Elijah, since Malachi does not speak of Elijah the Thisbite, but vaguely, of a certain prophet Elijah, who can be different in person from that Elijah the Thisbite, and yet a true Elijah and prophet. Therefore he says, "If you will accept it," that is, if you will give ear and be instructed, and let go of your opinion: He is the same Elijah. But just as you do not recognize me for the Lord, neither do you recognize him for my Elijah. In the meantime, the Scripture is being fulfilled, while you do not believe and know nothing about it, and wait for another Elijah and Messiah, who will never come. Therefore I say to you, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." As if he wanted to say: The time is now fulfilled, Elijah is here, also the Lord himself is present; therefore hear Elijah, and seize the Lord whom he preaches. And with these words he thus makes an end, resigns, and gives a letter of renunciation to Moses, the prophets, and the whole old worldly regime, which was tolerated until the coming Christ. Now that he has come, let them all take hold of him and leave their people and their father's house, Ps 45:11.
V. 16: To whom shall I compare this generation? It is like the little children who sit in the marketplace and call out to their companions.
(16) Here he gradually became angry with the unbelievers and his despisers, as if to say: "Although the time of grace and the day of salvation has come, and all the glorious promises of the prophets are now being fulfilled, yet my people are so foolish and blinded that they do not see how great things are happening, because they not only do not recognize me, their Lord, but they also do not recognize me in the most arrogant and certain way.
as a fool, because they are far wiser than wisdom itself. And these words are full of images of biting mockery, and indicate a great anger that cannot be expressed by simple words. Just as when Ulan says: You are a pious one, it sounds harsher than if you said: You are a mischievous one. Likewise: You are a rightist, that sounds stronger than if you say: You are a wrongist. Because such figures express the very highest degree. As: You are a right man, that is, you are an exceedingly cunning rogue, so that if one holds all the other rogues against you, one does them an injustice by calling them rogues, so even you surpass them all. Therefore he says, "To whom shall I compare this generation?" As if he wanted to say: The wickedness and the perverse nature of this evil and adulterous generation is so great that it cannot be expressed in any words or depicted by any likeness. Finally, he needs a certain children's game for the simile, since the playmates speak to each other:
V. 17. We whistled to you, and you would not dance; we mourned to you, and you would not weep.
(17) What kind of game this was, we do not know. In our country there is almost a similar one, by which they mock each other, and say to the grumpy playmates: "O game-breaker, sow-stealer! he buys a little spur for an egg, and rides it in two on a sow"; by which it is implied that the other part spoils and stops the game by its grumpy nature, which the others wanted to continue with pleasure. In this way, perhaps, those who disturbed the game by their grumpiness also mocked their companions, saying, "We whistled to you, and you would not dance; we lamented to you, and you would not weep." As if to say, "If we ask, it is of no avail; if we are angry, you ask nothing. Oh, you are hostile game-breakers, you are good for nothing.
(18) So also these ungodly men are not skilled in this divine play, that is, in the gospel, and, as much as there is in them, they completely abolish it, so that they do not focus either on the gospel or on the gospel itself.
this way or that way. The way you do it is wrong. For example: If we teach that one must fast in the strictest way, and live miraculously, quite differently from other people, then they say: O, beware of these! all heretics lead a strict life, so that they may deceive others; the devil lies hidden under this hypocrisy. That is it that he speaks:
V. 18. 19. John came, not eating and not drinking; so they say, He has the devil. The Son of man is come, eating and drinking; so they say, Behold, how is man a glutton, a winebibber, the fellow of publicans and sinners. And wisdom must be justified by her children.
19 John has the devil, that is, he is a hypocrite, teaching heresy under a good pretense. On the other hand, if we do not fast, but live according to common custom like others, they say, "Behold, what carnal men and sinners these are; there is no difference between them and others. And so it comes to pass: You may live as you please, but the devil must possess you. If you live strictly like John, you are a hypocrite and a secret servant of the devil. If you live ordinarily with Christ, you are a manifest servant of the devil.
(20) Is not this a hateful sort of people, who can like nothing but what they themselves choose? and yet they themselves constantly choose. For if John had changed his severe way of life and lived as meanly as Christ, they would also have said, "Behold, this man is a glutton and a drunkard; what good can he teach? On the other hand, if Christ had changed his mean way of life and lived as strictly as John, they would have said: O this is a hypocrite of the devil, beware of his teaching. Thus the wicked never lack cause to condemn the word of God. For you may live and do as you please, they always have something to reprove, lest they be forced to acknowledge the word (against which they have a hatred). This is in truth the word in Isaiah Cap. 6, 10: "harden the heart of this people, and let their ears be thick, and blind them.
their eyes, that they see not with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts, and be converted and recovered." They should and must take offense at everything God does and says.
(21) A perfect example of this is given by the papists, who deal with us in the same way; since they cannot condemn the doctrine, they touch our lives. In the beginning, they accused us of being hypocrites of the devil, since we lived in a celibate and austere state; now that we live according to the common way, they cry out against us as carnal people. But if we taught nothing, they would be satisfied if we were strict hermits like St. Anthony, or whoremongers like the bishops and canons. But now, because we teach, they could not tolerate us if we were also people like Antonius; and if we were also Abraham and Jacob, they would not leave us undamned. It is all about the word; because they cannot suffer nor reprove it, they hang on to our life, which they can turn as they please, according to their poisonous heart.
(22) Therefore, again, we must go through freely. Since nothing pleases them, neither our whistling nor our complaining, let us freely do what pleases God and our conscience suffers, and again not look at them. If they will not dance nor weep, let them sit still and laugh. Let us whistle and lament where and when we can; let us eat and fast when we should; let us mourn and be glad when we can. Let them go to the devil. What good is it if we mourn and grieve to death for their sake? They want neither our joy nor our mourning; so we say: Dear world, put on a robe and hang it on your neck; if you do not want to follow, stay behind. For your sake I will not stay here. As you wish, little bird; if you do not want to eat, die. Now he makes a comforting remark:
And wisdom must be justified by her children.
23. that is: nothing else will come of it, God must be the disciple, the world wants to be the master, it knows how to speak and do everything better than God Himself; as God speaks and does, so does the world.
it is not right. The poets express this in common life thus: The sow teaches Minerva. For the authorities must also suffer many masters, as it is said: He who clenches on the road 1) has many masters; and as we say in domestic life of children with wise noses: The egg teaches the chicken.
24 Therefore it is a comfort to us to know that it is no wonder that our things are considered foolish in the eyes of the world, but there is also a terrifying threat in the words that fools judge wisdom.
V.20-24 Then he began to rebuke the cities in which most of his deeds had been done, and yet they had not improved. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If such deeds had been done in Tyro and Sidon as were done in you, they would have repented before time in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, Tyro and Sidon will be more miserable than you at the last judgment. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be cast down to hell. For if the deeds that were done in you had been done in Sodom, they would still be there today. But I say unto you, That it shall be worse for the land of Sodom at the last judgment, than for thee.
(25) Herewith he poureth out his wrath, and breaketh the bottom of the barrel, against the ungrateful despisers, and wise judges against the gospel. But behold his wrath, that he should so describe his cities, his people, his flesh and blood, that they should be far, far worse than the idolatrous heathen and most wicked people. And this saying is also very well to be remembered and feared, namely, that with God those are worse than all the heathen who hear the word of God and do not respect it. Secondly, that there is nothing more frightening than to have the word of God and yet to neglect it. Third, how much more grievous do you think are those who, in addition, prevent, blaspheme, and persecute it? etc. For it is seen here that Sodom (which was most irredeemably corrupted as an example) was not so much hated by God as
1) The Wittenberger has incorrectly used eolts instead of "all.
Capernaum, which was the place that Christ had chosen for His dwelling. That is how highly the divine word is respected in the eyes of God. But just as Capernaum then laughed at these threats, so today the world laughs at them, because it wants to perish in the most terrible way.
26 But this passage also comforts us. For if this happened to the Lord himself, that he was most despised where he taught the most and did the most miracles, what wonder is it that the same thing happens to us, that we have to experience the ingratitude of those whom we have served the most and whom we have taught the most diligently. The word of Christ must be fulfilled: "The servant is not above his master" [Matth. 10, 24]. It is indeed painful that the ingratitude of the world is so great, which we would have liked to help with our ministry, but we must experience this together with Christ, who freely confesses here that he has done much for these cities, and especially that he has raised his Capernaum to heaven, that is, he has made it very famous; but he threatens him with hell.
(27) Now that he has ceased to rebuke the unbelievers, he turns to the godly and lovers of the word, and again becomes joyful, for although they were lost, yet the word is not preached in vain. There are still some (he says) who have a delight in the word. And in view of these he rejoiced in spirit (as Lucas says, Cap. 10, 21.) and praised his Father, saying:
I praise you, Father and Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes. Yes, Father, for it has been pleasing in your sight.
28 As if to say: Away with these sad spectacles of divine wrath, and away with those who will not hear and believe; why should I torment myself in vain with their wickedness? Rather, I am joyful in you, O Father, who do not even honor these hopeful ones and those who are wise in their eyes, even to your truth. I praise
You do not want those who do not want you and want to know everything better, and you do not respect them and let them go in their wisdom, nor do you approve or admire their actions and wisdom, but you despise them again and choose the foolish and simple in their place, so that you may reveal it to them. For these love thy word and accept it. "Yes, Father, it has been pleasing in your sight," that is, it is pleasing in your sight to reject those who are trustworthy in their righteousness and wisdom, and again to choose those who are fools in their sins and foolishness. Yes, Father, you are truly a righteous God, who hates the trustworthy and secure, and loves the lowly and wretched. This may be called a God. This is not what other gods or men do, but only before you is this judgment valid.
By this example we also shall be strengthened and comforted, namely, that our doctrine is pleasing to God, although so great and so many people reject it, and it is accepted only among the wretched and despised. This was also foretold by Isaiah, that Christ should convert "the yeasts of Israel" (Is. 49, 6. according to the Vulgate). But the yeasts are the rest, when all the wine is lost. So it is said that when the greatest and best part is lost, the remnants and those that mean nothing are preserved. Thus, in the time of Eli, only seven thousand were preserved [1 Kings 19:18]. And 1 Cor. 1, 26. f. the apostle says: "Consider, brethren, your calling; not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but what is foolish in the sight of the world, that God hath chosen" etc. And under the apostles perished among the Jewish people all that was great, namely the priests, the princes, the wise etc. Only the yeasts were preserved.
30 It is the same today. The whole world walks along in proud contempt; only we beggars cling to Christ. But our glory is that we know that it is thus pleasing in the sight of God. And there is no doubt that Christ, here all the examples in front of
I have seen the times when God preserved only the remnants and let all the others perish, as in the Flood, in the fall of Sodom, in the Babylonian captivity.
(31) Christ must be understood here as some common preacher who is angry at the multitude and greatness of those who despise the word, and finally consoles himself with the small number of believers and with the certainty of the word and of divine favor. For the speeches of his divinity follow immediately.
(32) I do not remember what I used to say about the wise and the prudent; but in my ordinary thoughts I do not understand the "wise" and "prudent" to mean only those who are wise and prudent in matters of state and in the household; just as in the household those are "wise" who know how to govern a house beautifully and to keep everything in good order. But "wise" are those who are prudent, and who take heed of everything, who give sharp and prudent attention to what is for the benefit and harm of their well-established household. A wise householder is one who arranges and sends his food well. A prudent man is one who knows how to guard against harm and evil tricks. And it is almost the same difference that Ovid indicates when he speaks:
Non minor est virtus quaerere, quam parta tueri.
[That is, it is as great a virtue to keep that which is acquired in good counsel as to acquire it.] A wise man is one who knows how to acquire something; but this is not enough if he is not careful and prudent, and has diligent care and attention how to preserve and maintain what he has acquired against those who seek to rob him of it, to deceive him about it, to pursue him, and to corrupt him by all sorts of intrigues.
This, methinks, is the meaning of the Hebrew words Binah and Chochmah, that is, diligence, attentiveness or care. For many know how to acquire money and goods happily and wisely enough, but afterwards everything is lost through security, carelessness, negligence, that is, through carelessness,
or it is destroyed by the deceit and cunning of others, and by the envy of neighbors and the disloyalty of householders. In sum, wisdom is required to acquire goods, and prudence is required to prevent misfortune. Not all have both. Many have wisdom without prudence; many have prudence without wisdom, but few have both. So also many rule wisely in the worldly government, but they are not careful against the persecutions and enemies. Thus it happens that they lose everything through their imprudence, which they have acquired with great wisdom. Christ is not talking about these two things here.
In the church, "wisdom" is to grasp the knowledge of the faith and the teachings of Christ in the right way. But "understanding" is to beware of the persecutions of Satan, of heretics, and of all deceitfulness that is brought forward under the name of the Word. Here many are deceived by certainty and simplicity. On the other hand, the heretics have much understanding, though they lack true wisdom. For they know how to protect false religion bravely and most cunningly, and to guard against that which is against it. And they are indeed wiser than the children of light [Luc. 16, 8], that is, they take more care of their own than the godly, who, if they are only sure of the truth, do not take such great care.
(35) Christ speaks primarily against these, who want to be wise and judge in matters of religion, because they have the law and human reason for themselves, which is exceedingly clever and raises itself against true religion both by teaching and by judging. Therefore, Christ here boasts that God is right to hide His secrets from these wise and prudent people, because they themselves want to be above God, not below Him. Not that he hides it in fact or will, since he commands to preach it publicly under the whole heaven and in all countries, but that he has chosen such a preaching, from which the wise and prudent have an abhorrence by nature, and which is hidden from them by their own guilt, because they do not want to have it, as it is written in Is. 6, 9.
means, "Behold, and perceive not." Behold, they see, that is, they have the doctrine which has been manifestly and publicly preached, and yet they see not, because they turn away from it, and will not have it. Thus they hide the truth from themselves through their own blindness. On the other hand, he reveals it to the ignorant, because the ignorant accept it when it is revealed to them; and the truth is revealed to them because they want and desire it. That is enough of these two words. Now follows a haughty glory of Christ from his divinity.
V. 27: All things have been given to me by my Father. And no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it.
(36) He who says "all things" takes nothing away; therefore he is true God. This agrees with the eighth Psalm, v. 7: "You have put everything under his feet." Again, when he says, "They are delivered unto me of my Father," he indicates that he is truly man who received it from the Father. For neither does God hand over anything to a mere man, nor does a mere God accept it from anyone. For neither a mere man can be above all, nor a mere GOtt can be below GOtt. Thus, in this one person, true God and man come together. After that he withdraws into the interior of the Godhead, saying:
No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it.
This is the only passage in which Matthew speaks in the manner of John: "No one has ever seen God; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared it to us," John 1:18. And it must be known that the words "knowing" and "seeing" are not to be taken in a philosophical but in a theological sense, that is, that not only the Father knows the Son, and the Son knows the Father in essence, or what God is; of this knowledge the philosophers and sophists dispute, and obtain
They never, but what the Father wills in divine things and what is mine; that is, it is to be understood from the counsel and will of the Father and the Son. For so it is also among men. What is the use of knowing the body of a man if one does not know his mind and spirit or will? For this does not even mean to know man, but to know what a man thinks and wants is to know him truly. So it is also with God; if one knows his counsel and will, that is truly knowing God. But now Christ says that it is unknown to all what God is in this way, except that it is known only to Him, the Son; and no one knows what the Son is except the Father. This is what is said: The counsel and will of God, that he would save the world through the Son, who came in the flesh and suffered, and that through faith in him all might be in grace with God, and that the Son is of the same mind with the Father in this respect in the Godhead, this is the mystery that is hidden from the wise and prudent.
(38) And indeed, he says, it is so hidden that it is impossible to know it unless the Son reveals it. That is, all must become disciples to the service of my word, and receive the Spirit from me, after hearing and under the hearing of the word; neither law, nor righteousness, nor wisdom, nor whatever it may be, will avail anything; I am it, and apart from me all is nothing. Therefore, either one must hear me, who reveals it; or it is done for all men, as far as eternal bliss is concerned.
(39) And the word "will", when he says, "To whom the Son wills to reveal it", is not meant to indicate envy or difficulty, as if he will not reveal it gladly and with unwillingness, but it indicates an exuberant kindness, by which he announces that it is all in his power and that he alone has the will to reveal it. It shall be he who will gladly do it. The others also want to teach it, but they cannot, because they are not the person who can have the will to teach; they are rather thieves and murderers [Joh. 10, 8].
The following text clearly shows that this is his will. If someone, moved by the word: "If he wants", wants to say: "Yes, who knows if he wants? I can hear that he can if he wants to, but I doubt whether he also wants to; perhaps he is hard in this and does not want it; to this he answers: Yes, I want to reveal it to him extremely gladly, because this is my will that I reveal it. Just as I alone can reveal it, so I alone will reveal it; look around for no one else. Yes, I want it so much that I call you, who do not want it, of my own free will, call, order, insist, ask and try it in all ways, so that you want to hear me, who reveal it to you. "Come here, come here to me, all of you," I say, not doubting my will; I am very inclined and willing to reveal it to you.
The other opinion, of the inner revelation, according to which he reveals it to the one to whom he has wanted to reveal it from eternity, is also true; but it is not in the place here. For here he makes his office common to all, but does not dispute the eternal revelation. At the same time, however, he indicates to whom this revelation actually belongs and who are capable of it, by making a distinction among the disciples. For although he preaches publicly to all and reveals his gospel, not all grasp the word and do not pay attention to it, because they are secure and put their trust in themselves and their own righteousness, in their wisdom, in their works, in their fame, in their riches, and in men, but it is the weary and the burdened, the miserable and the oppressed. As he said above [Matth. 5, 3. 4.], "Blessed are the poor in spirit and those who mourn." Likewise [Cap. 11, 5.], "To the poor the gospel is preached." And behold the glorious will by which he makes us confident to go to him, saying:
V. 28. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
(42) Let no one tremble or fear to come to me; let him come to me confidently and joyfully. I will not drive him back, I will not reject him, I will not harm him.
I do not want to increase his pain. O a great and rich mercy of him who calls poor sinners so sweetly to himself. Who would now despair? He would have to be an enemy to himself, and exclude himself from the word "all. For he who calls all excludes none. That is, to comfort the afflicted sinners. So let us approach the mercy seat with joy, that we may receive mercy and find grace in time of need, Heb. 4:16.
There is an emphasis, as on all words, but especially on this one: "To me. As if he wanted to say: Why do you run elsewhere? Why do you seek your merits? Why do you care for the intercessions of others? "To me, to me," he says, "come; without me you run in vain; without me you seek and do all in vain. So it is said in Hosea [Cap. 13:9], "Israel, thou bringest thyself to trouble; for thy salvation is with me alone." And the whole 55th chapter of Isaiah belongs to this, where he says: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the water, and you who have no money, come, buy and eat, come, and buy without money and for nothing, both wine and milk.
You who are weary and burdened, I will give you rest.
44) Although these two words, "you who labor and are burdened," could be understood of the tribulations, they actually refer to the conscience, which, apart from Christ, is laboring, that is, in many ways worrying and torturing itself under the law and its tyranny. For it feels burdened with sins, with the wrath of God, and with death. It would like to shake this burden from itself, but it cannot. Therefore it suffers misery, it is miserably worried and tormented. For the works cannot give it peace, nor can they take its burden from it. And finally it would be forced to despair if it did not go to Christ, who does both: he takes away the burden, that is, he remits the sin, and eases the trouble, that is, makes happy and secure. And thus he restores, or gives him rest, that he may not feel the sin; or, if
it feels them, despises them in Christ. He is not afraid of the law; or, if he is afraid, he overcomes it through Christ, who is our rest, victory, peace, salvation, joy against sin, against the law, against death, against the flesh, against the world, against the devil etc.
45. and it is to be noted that they are words of majesty when he speaks, "to me, I will refresh you." For no angel, let alone a man, would dare to promise this, because he indicates that he has power over sin, death, the law, justice, life and blessedness. But God alone is able to do this, that he can set the weary and the burdened free and comfort them.
(46) And this is the revelation which he said would be hidden from the wise and prudent, but known to the Father and the Son alone, and through the Son alone would it be revealed in a powerful way to the wretched.
(47) After this revelation of grace, or deliverance from sins and death, which is grasped by faith, and when so grasped, justifies, there now follows an exhortation to bear the outward cross. For in this way Christ, through the gospel, transforms eternal damnation into a temporal suffering, and at the same time he also makes this light by this consolation, saying:
V. 29. Take my yoke upon you.
(48) As if to say, I take your yoke upon me and deliver you from it, and you in turn take my yoke upon you. For the change is pleasant enough, that you bear a moderate and temporal yoke, while I, on the other hand, bear your eternal yoke, and at the same time not only deliver you from this eternal yoke, but also make this temporal yoke easy and sweet for you, partly by my example, partly by the inward comfort of the Holy Spirit, and by the encouragement of the word from without. Therefore I exhort you that you do not also complain to suffer a little for my sake, and bear the hatred of the devil and of the world, and the burdens of your flesh, which are against me.
the Spirit; behold how much I suffer and bear for you.
49 Hereby he indicates that the cross is on the necks of those who want to be refreshed by Christ, that is, those who believe in him. For the devil must necessarily hate them. Therefore he makes them strong for patience by his mighty example and his sweet words, as follows. He points them to his example by saying:
Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart.
(50) These, then, are two different things: Christ bearing our sins, and him being our example. There we do nothing, but receive from him, but here we do and suffer such things as he has done. There he restores the weary, here he commands us to bear his yoke etc. But he says, "Learn." Yes, indeed, learn. He will remain the master, and no disciple will learn from the master, nor will he be like him. And he speaks very beautifully, "From me." For in the other examples of the saints there are many dangerous things, also many errors and mistakes. Therefore, it is best and safest to imagine this pure and certain example. If you follow Anthony, Jerome, Gregory, you may err and often follow a fault instead of a virtue; as, in their miraculous fasts and labors. Here is no error, no danger.
(51) Above all, this must be written in large letters, and it must be made clear that Christ does not say, "Let me teach you to fast and watch (as the miraculous saints insist); nor does he say, "Let me teach you to walk on water and to perform other miracles that are proper to my person," but rather to learn these common things, namely, to be meek and humble according to my example. These virtues belong to the second table, are low and mean, and therefore despised and without appearance; whereas the miraculous works of the monks shine. But you learn these virtues, which are despised by others, even if you are not familiar with the wondrous, strange works of holiness of those monks.
shine; they are glorious in the sight of God. Be satisfied with this.
Both meekness and humility are necessary if we are to bear the yoke of Christ. Meekness" serves against impatience and revenge, so that we do not attack the persecutors nor wish them ill, but pray for them, as Christ teaches Matth. 5, 5: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
(53) And this fruit, that is, true meekness toward the enemy, no one can bring forth but a Christian. For the patience of the heathen (like that of Regulus and others) was a bad fiction, either because they could not avenge themselves, or because they wanted to have the appearance and glory before others that they were patient. The hatred against the enemies has always remained; nature cannot do otherwise. Christ alone and his own are truly meek, that is, those who have no vengeance against their enemies, but desire their salvation from the heart; indeed, it grieves them that they should perish. And that they give them a rebuke or punish them, they do out of love, as a father punishes his son. Therefore, learn, learn, learn to be gentle, and you will have done infinite works, each of which surpasses the miraculous works and rules of all monks. For there is no one more cruel, impatient and vengeful than the hypocrites and false saints; and they are even serpents, which of all animals are the most vengeful. Therefore Christ also calls the Pharisees serpents and vipers. They are equally ready, yes, furious, to judge others, but to justify themselves. Therefore it must necessarily follow that they like to take revenge,
(54) Here Christ makes a distinction between humility, saying that one is from the heart and the other is not from the heart. But if the construction be taken thus, "For I am meek and lowly in heart," it may be applied to both. For just as humility can be fictitious, so also meekness can be fictitious, as I have already said of the patience of Regulus, the Romans, the Greeks, and the monks. However, he puts the word "from the heart"
actually to humility. For he saw in his church the hypocrites (whom he hated very much), who distinguish themselves by no appearance of virtue so much as by the appearance of humility. And the world is also deceived by nothing else so much as by fictitious humility. A gray skirt, a tight rope, barefoot shoes, hanging one's head, humble words, stooping, bowing, looking sour, being special, that does the trick. Drinking and being humble from the heart does not do it. And yet among these larvae the most hopeful hope rages, as the examples of all times confirm,
55] Therefore, just as gentleness is a Christian virtue, according to which we remain kind and benevolent toward our enemies, so humility is that Christian virtue according to which we remain kind toward our brethren (who are weak, sinners, wretched), even inferior to them, always considering that we must be the servants of those who are inferior to us, and that therefore we must not lord it over them because we possess more gifts or virtues. And all this must be from the heart. For thus Christ, though he was Lord over all, and had incomparably more virtues than his apostles, yet became their servant, as he saith, "The Son of man is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister" [Matt. 20:28]. Likewise [Matt. 11:11], "He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." And Paul [1 Cor. 9:19], "I have made myself a servant to everyone." Likewise Christ: "I am among you as a servant" [Luc. 22, 27.).
(56) If the popes and ministers of the church were such people, there would be no unrest or strife, either from within or without. For if you are gentle with your enemies, you will not cause trouble, but will have mercy on them. And so all tumult, all war, all envy, all wrath will cease, and all will be at peace, as much as is in us. If you will be "humble in heart" (that is, truly) toward the brethren and households, no one will despise another, no one will judge, no one will strive to be higher, but all will be lower and servants among and toward one another.
and each will always want to be more unworthy and inferior to the other. But if one deceives in this way, what else can there be but peace, quietness, joy and comfort among one another? This is what he says:
This is how you will find rest for your souls.
(57) As if to say, all seek peace and tranquility, but some seek it by revenge, by oppression, by corrupting their enemies; others seek honor, want to rule, and thereby despise others beside them and are arrogant. Both ways are a way to unrest, and these "do not know the way of peace," as Paul says [Rom. 3:17]. This is not the way; it must be called gentleness and humility of heart.
V. 30. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
This is a prophetic word and well known because the prophets often used it. For they call their visions or sermons "burden", as, a burden of the word of the Lord. What is a burden? In truth, the law itself is an unbearable burden, as Peter says Apost. 15:10, because the law demanded things that nature could not fulfill, and so it increased sin; then it condemned it, and so it threatened death. Therefore the law is called a ministry of sin and death [2 Cor. 3:7, 9]. But the yoke of Christ is an encouragement to take up the cross, that the old man may be put to death. But the cross is easy when the burden of the law is taken away, that is, sin and death. For if you believe that you are righteous and alive before God, that you are a child and heir of heaven, you will soon say with proud confidence, "If God is for me, who can be against me?" [1 Cor. 15, 55.:] "Death, where is thy sting? Hell, where is thy victory?" where is thy glory? "For who is," saith Peter [1 Epist. 3, 13.], "that can hurt you, if ye follow that which is good?" What harm can there be if God is good and gentle? Look at the martyrs, how they laugh at the punishments! Why? Because they have this joyfulness and freedom of heart.
(59) Those who interpret the yoke of Christ as the evangelical law, that is, the commandments, inasmuch as they were given by Christ, are greatly mistaken. And the sophists have made it very sour here to show how the yoke of Christ is easier than the yoke of Moses; since Moses only forbade the work, but Christ also forbade every useless word and the whole heart. Finally, these blind men have concluded that the law and the gospel are like excedentia and excessa, namely, that the law is easier in this respect than the gospel, because it forbids not the heart but the hand; but that the gospel is easier in this respect than the law, because it abolishes circumcision and ceremonies. O blindness! which is well suited for such people who do not want to read the gospel out of contempt etc. This should rather have been taught, how wonderful the power of Christ is in his saints, who through faith in the hearts of men turns death into laughter, punishment into joy, hell into heaven. For those who believe in him laugh at and despise all these evils, from which the world and the flesh fearfully flee and bear abhorrence. This is what Christ calls a sweet yoke and a light burden, that is, bearing the cross with joy; as Paul says: "We glory in tribulations", Rom. 5, 3. Likewise: "Be glad in tribulations", Rom. 12, 12. and similar sayings more in Paul. And Christ says Matth. 5, 12: "Be glad and of good cheer" etc. And of the apostles it says, Apost. 5, 41: "They departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they had been worthy to suffer reproach for his name's sake."
(60) The wicked know nothing of this feeling of joy in temptations, and it is not in human powers, but it is the power of the Holy Spirit that changes men so that they despise what others tremble at; and what those weep over, they laugh at.
(61) This is a great power to make an unbearable yoke not only bearable, but also sweet and easy, since it is not the burden that is so unbearable.
itself, but the person who carries the burden is changed. For this is done with new strength, which (as Paul says [Phil. 4:13]) is able to do all things through Him who makes it mighty. For if I were commanded to carry heaven and earth, I would certainly be terrified. But if someone were to give me sufficient strength to carry it very easily, as if I were playing ball, then I would be able to carry it.
I would not carry it alone, but I would also play with it and take pleasure in carrying it. And this is the power of Christ, who therefore expressly says: "My burden. As if to say: My burden is distinct from other burdens; my burden does not press, but rather lightens and carries than is carried. Mosi's burden neither presses nor helps, but rather overpowers than frees.