After this, Christ speaks to the people through all kinds of parables. The disciples ask him why he is doing this, and Christ answers in two ways, as we will see later.
On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And many people gathered to him, so that he entered the ship and sat down, and all the people stood on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it. Some of it fell into the rocky soil, because it did not have much earth; and it soon died out, because it did not have deep earth. But when the sun went out, it withered, and because it had no root, it became dry. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. Some fell on good ground and bore fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
The first equal speech, from the sower.
1 The first equation is of an arable or sowing man; which is dealt with more extensively in the postils. But two points are to be noted here. The first one, against the swarming spirits, who think that the oral word is of no use, because it does not bear fruit with most of them. The fools, namely, as if they themselves bore fruit, whereas they are exceedingly wicked precisely because they despise the word of God. This heresy has spread far and wide, and is very wicked.
(2) For every man is of such a nature that he is immediately ready to judge others, but he is not concerned about himself. Hence also the poet speaks:
Nemo in sese descendere tentat,
Sed praecedenti spectatur mantica tergo.
That is: No one tries to recognize himself, but on the front man's back one has the satchel before one's eyes]. There is nothing else; such foolishness must be shown to the world.
let the beam bearers straighten the splinter bearers. Big thieves hang the little thieves; big peelers punish little peelers. This is the world; this is what it has been, is still, and will remain the world, just as its prince, the devil, accuses, condemns, and kills the saints of God, although he himself stands in the greatest condemnation of all. So it also happens in the church that such people condemn the saints because of some things they do for the sake of the word of God. And they want to have a church or saints without sin, which is impossible to find. Therefore, they conclude that either they do not have the true word, or the outward word must be of no use.
(3) But here you see that the seed bears fruit in a good soil; indeed, if the seed were not there, no fruit would follow from the earth. So, if the oral word were not in the church, there would be no fruit in it.
(4) Therefore it is the highest wisdom not to be offended by the multitude of those who despise the word. No one can believe what great men are lost over this annoyance today, who think that nothing should be seen in the church but what gives the greatest appearance of holiness. First of all, the Donatists separated from the church because they saw that evil was mixed in it. Afterwards they became divided among themselves, and the followers of Maximianus separated from the Donatists because they found evil among them. For the same foolishness the Novatians also left the church, and many other sects more, which have always taken this as the cause, that they did not want to suffer the wicked. Of these Augustine deals extensively against the Donatists. Therefore, it is no wonder that even today this foolishness plunges many into ruin, and that even great men take offense at it, to say nothing of Münzer and other enthusiasts.
5 But they are not to be excused, especially if they want to be Christians. For they either do not read this chapter of Matthew, or they despise it. For if they read it and believed it, they would see clearly enough here
see that the seed, that is, the word of God, hardly benefits the fourth part, and that the remaining three parts have the same word with the fourth, and yet remain evil. Why do they either not read this; or, why do they not believe it? Here they would have the most powerful solution to the question, namely: How it is possible that the word is true and useful, and yet only the third part brings forth fruit? Whose fault is it? The word? No, but in the soil, or the listeners. All hear the same word, but not all bear fruit.
6. is it not an obvious nonsense that mari wants to put the blame, which lies with the listeners, on the word? namely: man does not respect the heard word; therefore the word is not a true word. The devil does not love GOD; therefore GOD is not a true GOD. A son does not honor the father; therefore the father is not a true father. A highwayman is not obedient to distant princes; therefore the prince is not a true prince. The ungrateful and hopeful people must be beaten with such nonsense that they speak and do all wrong things. And yet, as I have said, this plague is common, that men judge the word according to the individual fruits, and conclude thus quite incorrectly: Where all that is contained in the word does not take place, the true word is not there; but now, with these or those, all that is contained in the word does not take place; therefore they do not have the word. The present gospel says no to the above statement, saying that many things which the word contains do not happen, namely, where it falls among thorns, on the rock, by the way; therefore it is false.
7 Therefore, the fourth part of the harvested land is already enough for the truth of the word; yes, even only the seven thousand men in Israel under Elijah [1 Kings 19:18] and the remnant in the church [Romans 9:27]. For they that remain shall be saved, not the whole multitude: they therefore that look on the whole multitude are justly offended at the word. But they that look on the remnant know that it is enough for the remnant to bring forth fruit, though there be no fruit in the remnant.
which": is without benefit. So much for the first point.
(8) The other is for us, the godly, to remember, so that we may have comfort if not all hear our word, lest we become fainthearted or despair, or abandon the word altogether because many, even most, despise it. At least for the sake of the elect we should teach and look to the remnant who shall be saved. The other three parts may go to the devil. If not all princes believe, yet one or the other believes. If not all peasants are good, it is enough that two or three are good. If most of the scholars and saints fall, it is enough if we keep their few. It will not be otherwise; we must let thorns remain thorns, and cannot make it good earth. So we must also leave viam [the way], and petrosa [the stony ground], and take comfort in the good earth, which therefore also does not become thorns, whether its neighbors are thorns, and therefore its fruit of the seed does not behave, whether the thorns choke the seed. It is, as I said, a very great annoyance that there are so many despisers, but this is also a divine comfort, that we are assured that our work is not in vain, (as Paul speaks 1 Corinth. 15, 10.), because the word of God does not return empty [Is. 55, 10.], but it is a power of God to make blessed all who believe in it [Rom. 1, 16.], and the Holy Spirit comes through it at least to the fourth part of the earth 2c.
V. 10. And the disciples came to him, saying: Why do you speak to them by parables?
(9) Here the disciples raise a question: Why does he not speak to the people in plain words, but in parables? Christ gives them a very broad answer to this, but it is also high and difficult. For he seems unwilling, or rather envious, as if he did not want them to be instructed and understand what he teaches, because he speaks:
With hearing ears they do not hear.
10 But his opinion is recently this: This people is so miserably hopeful and wicked that even where I speak and work openly, they not only do not want to hear and learn, but also revile and blaspheme the truth they have recognized. Therefore I do unto them as they would have it, that, because they will not receive the clear and plain word, they must hear parables which they cannot understand, though they would. If thou wilt not hear that thou canst understand," I will speak that thou shalt not understand. If thou wilt be blind, let it be so, and be blind always. Thus it comes to pass that Paul saith 2 Cor. 4:3, "If our gospel be hid, it is hid in them that shall perish." Likewise Cap. 3, 14: "Until the present day the covering of Moses remains uncovered over the Old Testament, when they read it." In sum: to the enemies of the Word, the Word cannot be preached in any way so that they accept it, because they are ready to slander and falsify everything. For this reason it is quite right that the teaching is presented to them in parables, so that they not only do not understand it, but also slander it, because they blaspheme everything they do not understand.
Therefore it is not the fault of Christ, as if he was unwilling or envious, but of the desperate wickedness of this people, who always wanted to hear only pleasant and sweet things from the prophets; if not, they killed them, as Isaiah introduces them in chapter 30, v. 10: "Preach to us gently", what pleases us. For they have taken it into their heads that God is pleased with all that they think, speak and do.
This is the first answer. But Marcus notes in the 4th chapter v. 33. another one besides this one by saying:
And by many such parables he told them the word, after they could understand it. And without parables he spoke nothing to them 2c.
How does this agree with that? The first answer, as I have said, belongs to the wicked, but this latter belongs to the godly.
blessed. For the wickedness of those makes them understand nothing (as he says: By understanding too well, they make them understand nothing). For they do not want to learn, but to judge. Therefore, whether they speak plainly or faintly, the malice of the heart drives them elsewhere, so that they slander. The good, however, are most charmingly won over by parables and figures. For even if they do not understand everything, the images themselves remain with them. Just as when children and the unintelligent hear that in heaven there will be round dances, honey, milk, games, gold, precious stones, even though they do not understand the things presented here, they understand from the images of the words that in heaven there is the greatest joy. So also here: although they do not understand the seed according to the thing, nevertheless they grasp so much from the words that the seed is a delicious thing, which one must preserve, namely, either the law of Mosis, or another doctrine. For they could not yet grasp the gospel according to the thing itself. But a wicked man grasps neither the thing nor the words here; but is disgusted with it, and blasphemes it either as foolish or as most harmful.
(14) Even the ignorance of the matter works for the good of the godly, because they are attached to the words with which the matter is presented, and do not blaspheme. But for the wicked, the very fact that they hear the word, which they also twist into evil things, works against them. This is what he now says in the text:
V. 11, 12. To you it is given to know the secret of the kingdom of heaven, but to these it is not given. For to him that hath shall be given, that he may have the fullness; but from him that hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
You have, because you at least keep and honor my words and do not despise them. This "have," namely, to love the word, is already much and a great gift, even if you do not understand everything perfectly. For that
1) The poet Terence.
is already a catch, if one knows what the words mean. For those who do not care whether or not they know what the words mean, do not keep the words either. They have nothing against it, because they do not even grasp the word, even despise it. Therefore the word together with the thing is taken from them. But to you the thing is also given together with the word. "He fills the hungry with goods and leaves the rich empty" [Luc. 1, 53].
V. 13. 14. Therefore I speak to them by parables. For with seeing eyes they see not, and with hearing ears they hear not; for they understand not. And upon them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, With the ear ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and with the eye ye shall see, and shall not understand.
16 Here he digresses far, and in this saying he cites the passage of Iesaiah, and says: "For this reason I speak to these (namely, arrogant and completely hopeful people) by means of parables, because they are of such perverse wickedness that they neither hear nor see even that which they apparently hear and see, because they do not understand it; that is, they do not want and do not care that they understand it, but let themselves think as if they understood far greater and higher things. Therefore, the higher they go in understanding, the lower and lower I go in speaking, so that the arrogant may seek empty things, but the lowly may find me. And this is so that they may be humbled, and lower themselves from the height of understanding to the lowliness of learning. But this they will not do; so they remain as they are, that is, "with hearing ears they hear not, and with seeing eyes they see not." Not as if the fault were in my words that they hear, or in my works that they see, but the fault is in their ears and eyes, as Isaiah foretold, and pictured this people, that they have always been such a people, and will be in the future, against all the prophets of God who preach the word of God, but most of all against Christ Himself.
17. but it is a terrible prophecy; and yet there are many examples in the human race of God manifestly and palpably holding up His word and works to the eyes and ears of men, so that they see and hear it (as He speaks here), and yet the blindness of their hearts is so great that they do not see or hear what they see and hear. They have seen, I say, that these miracles could not be done, nor such glorious things taught, except by GOD; and yet they deny of everything that it comes from GOD, and ascribe it to Beelzebub. That is to say, to be blind with eyes to see, and to be nonsensical with good sense. Such a great artist is the devil, and so much can he charm the senses that they think that God is the devil, and again that the devil is God.
V. 15 For this people's heart is hardened, and their ears hear evil, and their eyes slumber; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should help them.
18 Here he adds the cause of this monstrosity, saying: "For this people's heart is hardened, and their ears hear": evil, and their eyes slumber" 2c. Just as he will say below in the 15th chapter, v. 19. "Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, thievery, false witness, blasphemy"; so he speaks here also: This, that one is blind with seeing eyes, deaf with hearing ears, and senseless with a good mind, comes from a hardened heart, or, as it is said in Hebrew, from such a heart, which is covered with mud, which is even slimy; namely, through the inclination and long habit to think differently and to be of a different mind. But when the heart is turned away from a thing, and the mind is alienated from it, it is quite natural that the eye looks at it carelessly, and the ear listens to it with difficulty and displeasure. For things which we despise, we do not appreciate to look at, or to hear, or to think about. And when they hear the word, it seems to their alienated eyes and ears as if they were in a strange world.
19 The cause of this monstrosity is therefore clear, namely, their heart is so constituted. But as the heart is constituted, and as it is minded, so are all the senses and inclinations, so that a wrong heart is like a painted glass, according to which the senses judge, and judge wrongly, because they form their opinion according to the heart.
(20) These words, "Lest at any time they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, that I may help them," seem to be spoken out of envy, as if he did not want them to see and be helped. But this whole passage must be read in context, so that it hangs together like a chain in this way: This people has a hardened heart, and ears that hear evil, and closed eyes 2c., hence it comes that they cannot be converted, and they cannot be helped. As if he wanted to say: The hardening of their heart stands in the way, that they do not see, and that I cannot help them. I would gladly help them," he says, "that is why I am sending my Son; but the hardening of their hearts stands in the way of my will and their salvation.
In this way, it is pronounced shorter and clearer than how Lyra expresses it: The little words "upon that," or "upon that not," would be taken here inferentially (consecutive), not intentionally (affective). For if one arranges the text in this way: The heart of this people is hardened, that they do not see, and I cannot help them, the understanding is clear. That they cannot be helped, that makes, because they do not see. But that they do not see, that is because their heart is hardened. Thus it is clear that God is said to have the will to help them; but this is punished in men, that their heart prevents this. But the higher question: Why some are hardened, others let themselves be softened? does not belong here, nor is it necessary or useful. Now follows the Sunday Gospel. 1)
1) For the thirteenth Sunday after Trinity in the parallel passage Luc. 10, 23. ff. With regard to the parable of the sower, which is preached on the Sunday of SIXDAYSIME, Luther already referred to his postilion at the beginning of this chapter.
V. 16-23 But blessed are your eyes that they see, and your ears that they hear. Verily I say unto you, Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see that which ye see, and have not seen it; and to hear that which ye hear, and have not heard it. Now therefore hear ye this likeness of the sower. When a man hears the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked man, and taketh away that which is sown in his heart: and he it is that soweth by the way. But he that is sown out of the stony place is he that heareth the word, and soon receiveth it with joy. But he hath no root in it, but is fickle: when tribulation and persecution arise because of the word, he is soon vexed. But he that is sown among the domes, if any man hear the word, and the care of this world, and deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and bring not forth fruit. But he that is sown in the good land is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it, and bringeth forth fruit: and some bear an hundredfold, and some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.
22 By this he means that you do not have closed eyes, like those slanderers and despisers, but your eyes are open and focused on the word. Therefore you see, and that which kings and prophets had a desire for, but which they did not actually see, and which was not set before them. This is found in the postilion.
The Other Equal Speech.
V. 24. He set before them another likeness, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that soweth good seed in his field.
This second simile of the seed is somewhat more frightening than the first. For the first speaks of the same seed in different fields, that is, of the different hearers of the word, since the word of God is prevented, either by the way, or on the rocky ground, or among the thorns. But this other simile speaks of different seed, namely of good and evil seed in the same field, that is,
of different doctrines, namely of the right some doctrine, and of the heretical doctrine.
(24) He means to say that the kingdom of heaven or the church is such that where the word of God is preached, there the devil also sows his heresies; as it is said: Where God builds a church, there the devil also wants to have a chapel or a shrine. Thus in the people of Israel, beside the tabernacle and the temple, innumerable sects of idolatry arose. Likewise Christ proclaimed beforehand that there would be false prophets and false Christs in the church, Matth. 24, 24. But this is a miserable and greater evil, that false teachers also come, who teach such things that depart from the word, since this is already misfortune enough, even if all teachers teach the same word and in unison, that the way, the stone, the thorns, do so much harm. Now, in addition to this misfortune, there is also a wicked sower. Evil disciples are also given an evil master. A godless teacher is given to a bad character. This is what he says here, that even on a good land evil seed is sown. Therefore Paul also complains that the innocent hearts are deceived, Rom. 16, 18, and it grieves him that the Galatians, who were so fine, were deceived [Gal. 5, 7]. For the heretics do not catch pleasure-seeking worldly men, not the thorny, not the miserly, but the most select people, and those who have the best conscience, who seek the truth with all earnestness, that [it] must hurt one.
(25) But he sets forth this terrible parable for the comfort of the godly, that they may not be dismayed when they see the doctrine of the word troubled by such great evils, and may not think that the church and the faith are in despair because of it, when they see many and strong heretics raging in the church; but they should think, It must be so, because it was preached beforehand, that it will be so. If it should move anyone, it should move the Lord Himself, who sees and proclaims all these things beforehand. Accordingly, behold the image of the church among the heretics, which is beautifully depicted here.
V. 25 But while the people slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away.
26 First, he depicts a good farmer who sows good seed in a cultivated and good field; then a neighbor and an evil farmer who, out of hatred for his neighbor, spoils his field with weeds. (This is the church, in which Christ is the husbandman, as he himself explains below. For this similitude his disciples understood better than the two that follow. The devil is also a husbandman. The good seed are the good ones who were begotten from the Word. The evil seed are the wicked begotten of heresy 2c., as we shall see below. Now that this painting has been set up, one must diligently ponder the words themselves.
Dr but the people slept, his enemy came re.
27 Thus he shows that it is impossible to prevent the heretics. For while the apostles confidently and joyfully teach the word, and hope that all things will be pure and sure, behold, while they sleep, as it were, and fear nothing of the kind, false apostles and false brethren suddenly arise. Who can guard against them? They are brothers, and become unawares husks, as Cain against Abel.
So a Christian and a preacher should never hope that all the people in his church are pure. The devil always has his own mixed in, who break out when the occasion arises, even though they pretend for a time. So it happened to the apostles; so it happens to us nowadays from those who learned our doctrine from us while we were asleep, and especially from those to whom we were least careful. And this will also happen further on from those whom we consider to be very devoted to our teaching now 2c. For we are still asleep with regard to those who will be in the future 2c.
29 But it comforts us in this so heavy misfortune that it must happen this way, because it preaches Christ. John also consoles himself
even for this reason [1. Ep. 2, 19.]: "They went out from us, but they were not from us." Always out of the best comes the worst, as out of angels devils, out of Christians heretics, out of the people of God crucifiers of God. It must be so; therefore fearless and unruffled. It is said: inter triticum [among the wheat]. Tares shall not alone grow among tares, but also among the wheat. The devil also wants to sit in heaven, and does not like deserta et arida loca [desert and arid oerter]. He likes to eat sweet morsels, and he likes to eat pure oats. For he considers his unflattery to be thesem and balm. The pure little fruit wants to live among the roses. We have to suffer so much in the church.
And walked away.
(30) This is the only trick of Satan and the heretics, that they do not want to appear to be teaching evil doctrine. For they can bear nothing worse than to be said to be harmful to the church, since they alone boast of being the purest and most faithful servants of the church, zealous for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. No, no one has done so little harm, indeed, so much good, as they. He wipes his mouth very well, has eaten nothing, and walks away with honor. That is annoying. To do harm, and yet to have done right and well. Then strike, O Christ 2c. "But they will not do it for long (says Paul 2 Tim. 3, 9.), for their foolishness will be revealed to everyone."
V. 26. When the herb grew and bore fruit, the tares were also found.
Behold, little fruit, do you find yourself? For the pure ministers of the word know and discern their doctrines. And Paul saith, "There must be breeds among you, that they which are righteous may be manifest among you," that the false may be separated from the true [1 Cor. 11. 19.], according to the first Psalm, v. 5. "The wicked stand not in judgment;" and lastly, the chaff abideth not with the wheat. And every evil tree before it brings forth fruit,
sometimes surpasses a good tree in splendid leaves; but when one has tasted its fruits, one says: Fie on you! such a beautiful tree bears such evil pears 2c. In this way, as long as the heretics lie hidden under the pretense that they are with us, they are exceedingly beautiful, but when they begin to teach and do the opposite, the spirit of truth soon becomes aware of them. And so all who call on the name of the Lord [2 Tim. 2:19] depart from unrighteousness, and they also depart from us and make sects.
V. 27 Then the servants came to the father of the house and said: Lord, have you not sown good seed in your field? Where did he get the weeds?
(32) They say this because they are angry with heresies for the love of the Word, and would that there were none, but that all everywhere were like-minded; and it grieves them that the devil reigns in the church.
V. 28. He said to them: This is what the enemy has done. Then said the servants: Do you want us to go and weed it out?
The Lord answers strangely, yet comfortingly. For it is strange that he confesses that it is the enemy who has sown the tares, and yet will not let them be pulled up. This is a consolation against the gushing spirits and those who are annoyed by the weakness of the church.
34 For from the beginning of the church, the heretics held that the church must be holy and without sin. But seeing that some in it were subject to sins, they soon denied that this was the church, and made sects of which they wanted to be the holy church. Hence come the Donatists, the Cathars, and many others, and to-day the Anabaptists 2c. who all cry out with the same fury: The true church (because they see that sinners and the ungodly are mixed among them) is not the church, and they separate themselves from it.
35. this thought also plagues great people, to whom it seems unworthy that weeds should be
should be mingled among the wheat; even the Lord's own servants, because they desire to sow it 2c. Therefore it is the greatest wisdom not to be offended when wicked men and heretics come into the church and from the church. For Christ says here: that the enemy sows them. And the greatest consolation is this, that we know that they do no harm, but that we must suffer the tares to be mixed with them.
V. 29. He said, "No, so that you do not plow up the wheat at the same time that you plow up the tares.
(36) These words, "Lest ye pluck up the wheat at the same time," which he gives as a reason why it should not be plucked up, can be understood in two ways. First, because some good people who would still be converted among them would be damned and corrupted at the same time if they were denied the church and fellowship with the wheat. This should by no means be done, because the access to the mercy seat must be open to the penitent. For "to be cut off" is as much as to be cut off from the church and fellowship.
37 Secondly, if we would not suffer weeds, there would be no church. For since the church cannot be without weeds, to pull up the weeds would be to pull up the church. This opinion is the most simple and genuine, because the truth is that the church cannot be without evil. And the enthusiasts, who do not want to have weeds among them, bring about that there is no wheat among them; that is, by wanting to be pure wheat and a pure church, they cause by their excessive holiness that they are no church at all, but a mere sect of the devil. For the hopeful, and those who are puffed up with vain conceit of holiness, are nothing less than the church, which confesses that it is a sinner, and which bears heretics, sinners, and the ungodly, that is, the tares mixed in. Since they do not want this, they separate themselves and pull out the wheat with the tares, and become nothing less than the church.
V. 30. Let both grow together until the harvest.
38 That is, endure and be patient. Do not take it into your heads that you want to be without evil people and heretics; you will not be able to change that. This is for me to judge on the future day of judgment, when I will free you from this suffering.
39 Here the question arises: whether the pope should be tolerated in the church, and whether it is necessary that the monasteries be restored to him? because it says here: "Let both grow. They want this to be understood in such a way that they should be allowed to live freely as they wish, unpunished and unhindered 2c. For this is how they explain it: let, that is, admit it. If this is true, then we are not allowed to punish them now, but we are bound to keep quiet and to let them have everything. Likewise, why don't they grow both (that is, us equally)? Because they want to exterminate us. Consequently they argue against Christ, that they want to exterminate us, and they alone want to grow 2c. And why do they not also say in the same way that Christ is the author of their sin, because he has forbidden to weed them out? and so he seems to confirm them.
40 Therefore this thought is not valid. For this word "let them" is not such a word with which he wants to confirm and approve them, but a word so that he wants to comfort us and exhort us to patience. As if he wanted to say: Because you are forced to tolerate the wicked, and the church will not be without wicked people, therefore you should be patient. Let them go, let go what you cannot hold. Thus he speaks elsewhere of the Pharisees: "Let them go, for they are blind", Matth. 15, 14. and Matth. 8, 22: "Let the dead bury their dead" 2c. Therefore he does not forbid to punish them, to avoid them, to put them under ban 2c., but if they do not respect the punishment, let them go; have patience and do not despair of the church because of this. For what you cannot judge, leave to me. I will find those who despise you 2c.
(41) And so this passage is to be understood of the patience of the saints who are in need.
to tolerate the evil and wicked people in the church; as it is said: "They went out from us, but they were not of us", 1 John 2:19. Therefore, if one wants to eradicate the wicked from the church, this is nothing else than that one wants to have the church without evil, which is impossible. However, this also means that we do not tolerate them, that we do not approve of them, that we do not let them be weeds in peace, but we rebuke them, we put them under ban, we do what we can. So Adam did not let Cain go unpunished; and yet, because he was incorrigible, he let him go his way. And Christ did not let Judas go unpunished; and yet, because he was not corrected by it, he let him go.
(42) And so the word "let" is not for them, but against them, that we do not allow them freedom to sin, nor do we consent to it. But if they continue to sin and despise our reminders, then we let them go their way. So we do not let the papacy do what they want, that is, we do not approve of their doctrine and their life; and yet, because they do not want to, we let them go.
43 Therefore, to the question: whether one may tolerate the pope and restore the monasteries, this is the answer: one may not tolerate him in such a way that we approve of his things and consent to them, but if they do something by force and take it to themselves, we must suffer. And that means to let both grow together and not to weed them out. For if we should leave them in sin with our consent, we would indeed pluck up the wheat, and make them grow alone as they will. But now we do not leave them to give our consent, but reject it, and separate ourselves from them, saying, Well, we must be among evil men, as it is said in 1 Cor. 5:10, "Otherwise we must depart out of the world." So let it be just as much these as others; but God will judge them in His time who despise us.
(44) Therefore they falsely say this against us, that we should let them, that is, let them do as they please, that they should go unpunished, even to the extent that they should not be punished.
from the word of rebuke, as if they were doing right and well, while Christ's opinion is that they should be left as people who do evil and cannot be corrected, as outcasts from the community of spiritual people. They demand (on the basis of this word) the freedom to sin, as if it had been granted to them, while Christ indicates with this very word that the freedom to sin is punished or condemned, completely in the opposite sense.
(45) But this is beautiful and noteworthy, that those who support themselves on this passage and want to prove from it that weeds must be allowed to grow, confess by this very fact that they are weeds. For how do they defend themselves with this passage, that they should be allowed to grow, unless they want to teach us by their own mouth that they are tares? Nevertheless, if we teach against them as against the tares, they want to be the church or the wheat. Therefore they are condemned by their own words, because they want to be tares and wheat at the same time, that is, ungodly and the church. Yes, that would be a fine predicament; if they realized that there was danger, they could hang their mantle to the wind on both sides, and if they liked, the church, and also, if they wanted, again tares, and thus be free and safe on both sides. Who would not want this? as they do and want, so it should be right 2c.
And at harvest time I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to be burned; but gather the wheat into my sheaves.
46 This is a comfort, that they shall not abide for ever, and that the harvest shall come at last, in the which the wheat shall be delivered from the tares; though it is hard now to tolerate their insolence in the church. But because Christ or the evangelist has still saved the interpretation of this parable, and [Matthew] puts two other parables between them, we also want to keep this order.
The third parable is about the mustard seed.
He set another likeness before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. Which is the least of all seeds; but when it groweth up, it is the greatest of cabbages, and becometh as a tree, that the fowls of the air should come and dwell under the branches thereof.
(47) The third simile is taken from a grain of mustard seed, and under it he removes another offense, namely, the offense of weakness, which is found in the word and in the church before the world, even in the eyes of the godly. For the next preceding simile contained the offense of ungodliness and sects in the church; here he treats of the outwardly annoying appearance of the church itself, saying: "The church is like the tiniest grain, which seems very small. Here reason is annoyed and says: "Ah, what would become of the poor doctrine and the small cluster? If kings, scholars, saints preached; yes, if angels came as to Moses; but now poor, unlearned and also infirm men are accepted and come, and they want to rule the world and teach; the fishermen, the sinners, the donkeys teach wise men 2c.
(48) This trouble, which, as I have said, arises because of the weakness and lowliness of the word and of the persons, also makes an impression on ourselves, in that the reason of the flesh says: How, thou alone, thou vain man, dost subject thyself to so great things? How, if you alone were lacking? If God allows so many, so great, and all people to err, how if He also allows you to err individually? And here belong the reasons of proof: The church, the church! the fathers, the fathers! the conciliarities, 1) the habit, the multitude, the greatness of such wise people! Whom should not these mountains of proofs, and the clouds, yea, the seas of examples overwhelm? And yet it must be so, that in all the world Christ is the only one, in
1) Instead of Consilia in the Wittenberg we have adopted Consilia with the Jena.
Peter alone in all Rome, Paul alone in all Greece, one pastor in a whole city; and each one of these is despised in his own place against the glory of the world, and yet they all speak against the world. Yet from this single grain grows such a great church that afterward great men, princes and wise men come and rest in it through faith.
(49) Thus he says that the world was converted to faith in a strange and miraculous way, that is, through weakness, against all power, wisdom, righteousness, (2c) which is apparently a divine miracle. For the kingdoms of the world are not raised up by weakness, but by power against the weak. Therefore, it is a completely different way to propagate the kingdom of God than with the kingdoms of the world.
50 And with this very reason of proof it is proved that the church is the kingdom of God, because all the other kingdoms of the world contend against it alone, which, moreover, is weak, despised, and regarded as nothing at all, and yet does not overcome it, but at last overcomes all kingdoms, and converts them to itself, that is, by divine power. But before it grows like this, its weakness and lowliness is annoying, that is, it is despised and contested by the birds of heaven until they come and nest under its branches.
51 And it is strange that he compares mustard to cabbage. For cabbage herbs are good for eating, and can be cooked, and are useful for the stomach, 2c. But mustard has a bitter taste 2c. Therefore, he herewith indicates that the cabbage, that is, the kingdoms of the world, are indeed great and pasture for the belly; and yet the mustard finally grows, so that even princes and kings, and what else is cabbage, humble themselves to the faith, and become subject to the word, and rejoice that they are worthy to sit in the church of God, and to dwell under its branches.
52 This is why Christ here calls mustard a tree, while it is a perennial and a herb, namely, its we
not because of its essence. As if he wanted to say: The mustard is not really a tree, but if you look at the birds that live under its branches, it will be the largest tree among all. On other trees dwell the small birds, but on this mustard sit the eagles, the kings, the princes, the wise men, who abandon their trust and become very small, like the flies that sit on this tree. In sum, the Church and the Gospel finally become greater and higher than all kingdoms. The kingdoms pass away, the Church remains and triumphs, having finally subdued them by faith, as the stories testify since the beginning of the world.
The fourth parable of the leaven.
V. 33. He spoke another parable to them: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour, until it was leavened.
This fourth simile is to be understood, according to the letter, of Sarah, who kneaded flour for the angels and baked cakes out of it, Gen. 18, 6. And Christ himself dignified her to put an allegory of her here, as a lover of this pious woman, because of her faith and patience 2c.
(54) First of all, then, as all things are twofold, so is leaven; one is old, and the other is new. As Paul also says, "Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new dough." Likewise, "Let us keep Easter, not in the old leaven of malice and mischievousness," 1 Cor. 5:7, 8. And it is close before [v. 6.]: that a little leaven leaveneth the whole dough, namely, in both ways. A good leaven leaveneth well, and an evil leaven leaveneth wickedly 2c.
55) But Christ wants to comfort us with this likeness, and to give us to understand that when the gospel, as a new leaven, has once been mixed among the human race (that is, the dough), it will not cease until the end of the world, but will run through the whole mass of those who are to be saved, and will come to all who are worthy of it, even against the will of all the wards.
of hell. And just as it is impossible for the acid, once mixed into the dough, to be separated from the dough again, because it has changed the nature of the dough, so it is impossible for Christians to be torn away from Christ. For Christ is so incorporated into them as a leaven that it is One Body. One mass, One cake, One loaf 2c.
(56) Therefore it is in vain for the devil to chase and persecute the church out of the world, that is, if he wants to separate Christ from the believers, the acid from the dough. For as it is impossible for men to separate the acid mixed in from the dough, so it is impossible for the devil to separate Christ from his church. The dough is leavened; the devil will not separate the acid from the dough. If he boils it or roasts it, roasts it and bakes it, the leaven, Christ, is in it and shall remain in it until the last day, so that everything is leavened and nothing of the dough remains unleavened.
Here, according to the art of speech, a vivid picture of the devil can be drawn, as he stands there and tries hard to separate the acid from the dough, and yet achieves nothing, except that he sullies his hands and, as it were, weighs them down with dung. It is as if an angry maid wanted to knead the dough until she separates the acid from the dough, and yet does not know that the more she kneads, the more she mixes the leaven into the dough and drives it in. Thus one may paint the devil's cap with bells, standing over a trough, and kneading very angrily, so that he may separate Christ from the church; and yet the fool does not know that by his kneading he mixes the leaven of Christ the more among the church and drives it in.
(58) Therefore the word that is mixed in with it will remain until the end, that is, for our comfort, so that we can mock the devil and say: Be angry, devil, the mercury is in the pond, the leaven is in the dough, you have provided it. This is what we see, that the church has lasted until now, and we know that it will also last in the future, until all Israel is blessed, and the whole mass is leavened.
All these things Jesus spoke to the people in parables, and without parables he did not speak to them. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables, and will utter the mysteries which have been since the foundation of the world.
(59) Then follow the words of the evangelist, which are sufficiently offensive, especially to scholars. First, he says that Christ did not speak to the people without parables, of which something has been said above [10 ff]. Secondly, that he says that this fulfills what is written in Psalm 78, v. 2, since in the place referred to there is no mention of Christ at all, but (as the text indicates) of the old stories and deeds that God did in the people of Israel, so that it would seem to a worldly person as if Matthew included this passage more out of a desire to cite Scripture than with good judgment to support his gospel.
(60) If we cannot answer this according to the capacity of our understanding, we must let the Holy Spirit be master, if he wanted to tempt us and make fools of us over one single passage, since he has been so clear in all the others. For it is indeed hard for Abraham, after he had believed everything, that he should finally believe things contrary to each other, that is, that the Son of Promise should be killed. Therefore it is safer to confess his ignorance than to want to understand everything. So also here: although this passage (as it seems) is not necessary, yet the Holy Spirit knows why he has included it.
(61) According to my understanding, Matthew has interpreted this general saying to something special. That is, just as the psalm sings of the stories of the fathers, all of which signify many things, so Christ also wants to say many things as stories, which nevertheless signify many things that should happen in the whole world. For just as all these words of Christ are of something other than what they signify (although what they signify are historical things), so also the stories of the people of the Old Testament signify, although they are things that really happened,
but at the same time those things that would happen in the church and with Christ. That is why this saying from the 78th Psalm v. 2. can be generally applied on both sides, since it says: "I will open my mouth to proverbs, and utter old stories. As if he wanted to say: Christ's parable speeches are like those old stories. For in both, besides the things that happened, something else is taught. Both, then, can be rightly understood in the words, "I will speak ancient history."
62 And the Hebrew text in this very Psalm aptly helps this opinion, which calls "ancient history" chidoth, that is, riddles or aenigmata, and immediately after that secret hidden things, or mysteries. From these words it can be seen that Matthew was not moved without cause to regard Christ's parables also as chidoth and mysteries; namely, as those which were generally preached in this quoted saying of the Psalm. Yes, even Christ himself speaks here [v. 11.] that his parables are mysteries. As if he wanted to say: I speak to you chidoth and hidden things, such as the Psalm speaks. And so we both speak parables, both the psalm and I, and so we agree with each other. This is enough. Whoever wants more, let him search for himself.
N. 36-39 Then Jesus sent the people away and came home. And his disciples came to him, saying: Explain to us this parable of the weeds of the field. And he answered and said unto them: The Son of Man is the one who sows good seed. The field is the world. The good seed is the children of the kingdom. The tares are the children of wickedness. The enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The reapers are the angels.
63) Here follows the interpretation of the second parable, which Christ gave of the wicked in the church, as stated above 23 ff. However, if Christ himself had not interpreted all the pieces in this way, no one would be able to understand it. However, if Christ himself had not interpreted all the pieces in this way, no one would have submitted to it, indeed, no one would have met with it, namely, that the field
the world, the good seed the good, the sowing moun Christ himself, the tares the wicked, the enemy the devil, the reapers the angels, the harvest should be the end of the world. For this interpretation does not refer to the household or to the worldly regiment, but it is entirely heavenly and divine. For who would know without the word of GOD that the angels would be the reapers, the harvest the end of the world, the enemy the Tenfel, the sower Christ. For reason knows nothing of angels, nothing of devils, nothing of the end of the world, nothing of Christ. Even if it could imagine under the field a kingdom, and under the good seed the good, under the tares the bad, it could not understand it of a heavenly thing, because it cannot grasp the things that are eternal.
Accordingly, we Christians who believe in an eternal kingdom are told that we should be certain: First, that the end of the world and the harvest, which is here foretold, is certain, and that this world will not stand without end. This is comforting to the weary who have no rest in this world. "If we hope in Christ alone in this life, we are the most miserable of all men," 1 Cor. 15:19.
Secondly, that we must suffer the wicked along with them, and that the church will always be full of sects, aversions and wicked people. But we should not despair because of this, as if the Church were not a Church because of this, or as if God had abandoned the whole human race. All this is part of our consolation, so that in this world among the wicked we may safely await the future harvest through patience.
Thirdly, we should be warned that the devil does not sleep, but goes about seeking whom he may devour [1 Pet 5:8]. For we must not hope 1) that he will cease. To sow evil among the church; therefore watch and pray.
67 Fourth, that neither Christ nor his servants will abandon us, that is, that he will not abandon his church.
1) Instead of desperandum in the Wittenberg we have assumed sxerarMum with the Jena.
For here it is written that his servants denounce the tares to him: "Lord," they say, "have you not sown good seed in your field? Whence then hath he the tares?" Therefore, there will always be such people in the church who will accuse the wicked and the offenders by prayer before Christ, and will display their hatred and abhorrence by confession and preaching.
68 Similarly, it is also written here that Christ speaks with his own and knows and notices these troubles, even though his servants do not complain and pray. For he gives to understand that he sees all these evils very well and even better than they could complain about them. And so the church is never without Christ, who looks at everything closely, nor without some believers who are thoroughly taught by God. For the Church remains the Church, and Christ remains Christ, even though the aversions and the evils abound.
Fifthly, that the angels of heaven also belong here, and at the harvest, which is quite certain, they will administer the office of the reapers. For since God has already appointed His angels as reapers, nothing is more certain than that this harvest will certainly take place. For such great reapers are not appointed in vain, which also increases our comfort and makes it certain.
V. 40-43: As the tares are weeded out and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of this world. The Son of man shall send his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all offenses, and them that do iniquity, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom.
(70) Since he delights, as it were, in speaking of the last day, he then goes on to speak about it in a lovely way, and describes the ministry of those reapers or angels, saying: "The Son of man will send his angels," which is just as much as: they shall become the reapers. "And they shall gather out of his kingdom all offenses, and them that do iniquity," that is, both the ungodly doctrines and all wicked men.
schen. "And shall cast them into the furnace of fire." This is the first piece of the harvest, that they will separate the tares from the wheat. The second piece is that they will present the wheat cleaned. Then on both sides this will happen, that those, the tares, will burn in the eternal fire. But these, the wheat, will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom.
71. Who could have interpreted this harvest like this? Who would have thought that the wheat would shine like the sun, and the tares would burn like hay, and both for eternity? Therefore, he does not exclaim in vain at the end:
He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
As if he wanted to say: This means talking about other things, because the world talks. And here it is time to hear, not to think. For these things cannot be grasped by speculation, but only by hearing. Those who do not hear grasp nothing.
The Fifth Parable of a Protection 2c.
V. 44. But sometimes the kingdom of heaven is like a hidden treasure in the field, which a man found and hid, and went away rejoicing over it, and sold all that he had, and bought the field.
The fifth parable is of a treasure hidden in the field, which means that the kingdom of God is sought in vain by our powers and efforts or works of the law. "For we are not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of GOD" [John 1:13]. In this way the Jews were after righteousness, and did not attain righteousness [Rom. 9:31]. They had the field, but they did not see the treasure in it. So also today and at all times the works saints labor with the law (as with a field), and yet do not thereby attain to the end of the law, that is, to Christ [Rom. 10:4], but he remains hidden from them. But he is found by those who have not searched for him, as Paul Rom. 10, 20. from the 65th chapter.
Isaiah v. 1. So when the Jews had the field, the Gentiles came, and when they found Christ in the law, they went and sold all that they had, and bought the field with the treasure, that is, the law with Christ contained therein, and for him they gave their lives and all with joy.
This, then, is the nature of the kingdom of God, that one seems to possess it, and yet does not possess it; another possesses it, and yet does not seem to possess it. This is why the hypocrites want to be the church and are not, because they do not recognize the treasure of the church, namely Christ. But the godly know him, and yet do not seem to be the church, but remain hidden from the world. [2 Cor. 4, 3. 4. Col. 3, 3.]
Thus this reason has been established from the beginning of the world: the Church is not the Church, and that which is not the Church is the Church. Why is it said here that the treasure is found and hidden after it is found? 1) Because it is received without merit, as it were by chance, and yet it remains hidden from the wicked, although it is clearly presented to them by words and deeds, by the cross and by miracles [2 Cor. 4:3, 4]. He is hidden (not to those who find it) and remains hidden. He who has it knows it; he who does not have it never knows it.
76) Therefore, this parable contains a very important consolation, that we should not let ourselves be challenged when the wicked boast that they are the church, and yet cannot understand it. It is the poor people who understand it, and who take away the cause of the church from them, and let them have the name of the church, while they do not know the cause. 2) The poor people who understand it, and take away the cause of the church from them, and let them have the name of the church, while they do not know the cause. Meanwhile, these go and possess worldly honor and riches under the name of the church; but those lose and give away all that is theirs, under the name of heretics and rebels. This is how it will be and how it will be, not otherwise, so that the treasure will remain hidden from them, and we, in the danger of losing everything, will keep it.
1) With the Wittenberg edition, we took this sentence as a question.
The Sixth Parable of a Protection 2c.
V. 45, 46. But once the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking good pearls. And when he found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
This sixth simile teaches almost the same thing as the previous one, except that the former speaks of what is found, while the latter speaks of what is sought. Therefore he teaches here of increasing faith, and implies that the pearl is not unknown, but that one has heard of it, that it is delicious. Therefore, it is sought as a known one, and because one has begun to recognize it, one strives to possess it completely. For this merchant does not deal with anything else than seeking the pearl. Above it was said: The husbandman searched for something more precious, and found [the treasure in the field], that is, he received it without merit. Here the merchant has only this in mind, that he may receive the recognized pearl.
78 For so it is with the Christian life, that he who has begun it makes himself believe that he has nothing, but he pursues it, and continues that he may lay hold on it. Therefore Paul says Phil. 3, 13. 14.: "My brothers, I do not yet consider myself to have grasped it. But one thing I say: I forget what is behind, and reach out to what is ahead, and chase after the goal set before me, after the jewel which holds out the heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus. For indeed, nothing is more harmful to a believer than when he misses it, thinking that he has already grasped it, and that it is not necessary to search for it first 2c. For this is the reason why many fall back, and wither and become lukewarm because of security and sloth.
Thus also Bernard says: To stand still in the way of God, that is, to go back. Therefore, whoever has begun to be a Christian, it still remains for him to think that he is not yet a Christian, but to try to become a Christian, so that he can boast with Paul [Phil. 3, 12, 15, 16]: I am not.
but I seek to be, and: as much as ours are perfect, let us abide by this rule. For a Christian is not something perfect, but in the process of becoming. For it is said to him, Ask, seek, knock au; it is not said, ye have it already, ye have found it, ye have entered already, but: Ask, seek 2c. Therefore, he who is a Christian is not a Christian; that is, he who lets himself think that he is already a finished Christian, since he is only a man who is to become a Christian, is nothing. For we chase after heaven, but we are not yet in heaven. And just as the one who thinks that he is already in heaven will never go to heaven, the one who chases after heaven is already in heaven, because God sees him as if he were already in heaven. In sum: Mau must increase, not stand still and surely snore. Our old man must (as Paul says) decay, and the inward one be renewed from day to day [2 Cor. 4:16].
Woe to the one who is already completely renewed, that is, the one who thinks he is already renewed. Such a one has undoubtedly not yet seen to be renewed, and has never tasted what it is to be a Christian. For he who has begun to be a Christian does not think that he is a Christian, but he has a great desire to become a Christian; and the more he increases, the more he seeks to become one, and the less he thinks he is one. So utterly wonderful siud the works of this kingdom. "He that standeth," says Paul, "let him see that he fall not" [1 Cor. 10:12]. And again, "If any man think himself to be anything, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself" [Gal. 6:3].
The seventh parable is of the net cast into the sea 2c.
V. 47-50. But once the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea to catch all kinds of fish. But when it is full, they draw it out to the shore, sit down, and gather the good into a vessel; but they cast away the bad. It will be the same at the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The emphasis of this parable lies in the last part, namely, that at the last judgment the wicked will be separated from the pious. As Christ himself declares, "The angels will go out at the end of the world and separate the wicked from the righteous.
82) Accordingly, this parable should nourish the hope of the faithful, namely, that although in this life they are forced to tolerate the wicked who are mixed among them, they should be certain that at last in that day the wicked will be separated from them, just as the angels once separated the Sodomites from Lot.
This is also the case against the spirits of the swarming ones, who do not want to suffer the wicked among the good, as if they alone were the good, and want to separate the wicked before the last judgment. But here Christ says, first, that this separation will not take place until the end of the world, second, not by men but by angels. And so they are obviously nonsensical; in old times the Donatists and their kind, but nowadays Münzers Appendix 2c.
(84) But this is a defect that is inherent in us from original sin, that we do not want to tolerate the unjust and injustice. We are ready to punish the wicked and to judge all, but then also to arrogate to ourselves the wisdom, justice and power to improve everything, as if I were righteous and wise before other people, just as that [Pharisee] said in the Gospel [Luc. 18, 11]: "I am not like other people. So Donatus with his followers wanted to be pure before all sinners, and Muenzer wanted to exterminate all the ungodly. That means to see the mote in his brother's eye, but not to see the beam in his own eye [Matth. 7, 3].
But this evil will not cease until the end of the world. There have always been such people, they are there now and will be in the future, who want to separate the rotten fish before the net comes to shore, and yet do not realize that they themselves are the rotten fish that are to be separated. Every man wants to be pious and master other people.
This is the "being like God" that we contracted in Paradise: Paradise, as if we ourselves were without fault. There it is up to God alone to judge and improve everything: here, by word, there, by deed. But it is said: If one is good, they are all good.
V. 51. And Jesus said to them: Have ye understood all these things? They said: Yes, Lord.
When the parables were finished, he asked the disciples, "Do you understand all these things? As if to say, "Why do you not ask me about these other parables, as you asked me about the first two? perhaps because you have understood everything? (For so they say to him.) Awe yes, you are fine people, and understand it finely.
88. But Christ speaks to his disciples as a father speaks to his children. Not as if he did not know that they understood nothing of all this; and he praises them as if they understood, because they would understand in the future. Just as if a father were playing with his son, and he asked him about something higher than he understood: even if the little son answers foolishly, the father says, "Yes, my dear son, you answer right; in time you will understand. So Christ is not playing children's games here, but he deals with his disciples as with children, in the most simple-minded earnestness and serious simplicity; for he thinks of what they would become through the Holy Spirit, and he bears their childish foolishness or simplicity.
For how would the disciples understand all this, since they did not yet know what the kingdom of God was, thinking it to be a temporal kingdom; much less did they understand these parables which dealt with this very kingdom. But because they hold their teacher in all honor, and out of great humility and simplicity do not want to confess that they do not understand, therefore this simplicity and sincerity of theirs pleases him; and in hope of their future perfection he tolerates this ignorance of theirs in a fatherly way, yes, he even praises them.
90. in sum, one must be careful with this and
If you think of Christ's similar behavior toward his disciples, you will think that Christ is a loving father who jokes with his dear children seriously and with pleasure, and interprets what they say and do foolishly or childishly in the best possible way, looking to the future when they will do the thing seriously. As if he wanted to say: All your things are as I speak them. I speak to you in parables as to children, and you are still childish; but the time will come when you will become men and do serious things, and then this will also be done in earnest, which you now hear me speak in the same way. Meanwhile I speak childishly, and you also answer childishly; then everything will be without parables 2c.
V. 52. Then he said, "Therefore every scribe who has been taught about the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings forth from his treasure all things and new.
He makes the conclusion with an enigmatic speech, which is quite strange. He says, "Since you understand everything, you are worthy of your future ministry. As if he wanted to say: Yes, that is right, that is how it should be; whoever wants to be an apostle should be able to do everything, just as you know everything. Just like a rich householder, who should have his house full of everything that is good, who could say, "Bring me wine from afar, 1) new wine; long ago this, long ago that. That is, everything must be full, so that he can give as much as he wants, and as much as anyone wants.
(92) And it is evident that this also is spoken from the same attitude as the preceding, namely, as a father has toward his son, or a teacher toward his pupil, who says: "So, dear son, dear boy, this is how it should be done; you are learned and can do everything; continue, you are doing the right thing; I did not mean that you were so learned; ei, you can fully apply, there is nothing lacking. So lovingly and tenderly does Christ speak of his disciples concerning the future ministry which they were to carry on and fulfill by the rich measure of the Holy Spirit.
93. therefore, because you understand everything, you are
1) i.e. previous year's or older wine.
you are worthy to be scholars of Christ, taught for the kingdom of heaven, namely, to promote the same. For "scribe" actually means what we call a doctor, a teacher. Therefore also Lucas, Cap. 5, 17. calls them Nomodidascalos, teachers of the law.
The treasure, or the amount of knowledge, is nothing other than the right knowledge of the Law and the Gospel. For in these two the whole wisdom of God is concluded, and, as it were, compiled in a brief epitome.
And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that he departed thence, and went into his own country, and taught them in their synagogues, so that they also were saved.
95. now follows the story of the contempt of the preachers and teachers 2c., So he comes to his homeland, teaches there, and, as Lucas, Cap. 4, 23., they had heard of his miracles, which he had done at Capernaum, and tempted him, as Lucas reports more extensively. But they were annoyed with him, because he was far more powerful in teachings and deeds than others had been before. Therefore they thought that he did not do such things by the power of God (otherwise they would not have been annoyed, but edified), but by the power of the devil, and considered him to be a kind of sorcerer. This is what they say:
V.55. 56. Where does this man get such wisdom and deeds? Is he not the son of a carpenter? Is not his mother's name Mary? And his brothers Jacob, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence came all this to him? And were vexed with him.
96 As if to say: He will certainly have to do with the devil, he wants to be something in front of his friends; and so they believe that his speeches and deeds are devilish, from which one should have an abhorrence.
97. but they 1) tempt him, as Lucas testifies Cap. 4, 23: "Do here also as to
1) Instead of tentat in the Wittenberg is to be read with the Jena tentant; likewise (immediately following) instead of: äieat is to be read äieant.
Capernaum." As if they wanted to say: You are a juggler, dear one, juggle us here too. Christ is angry at this and gives them a harsh answer by saying, "There were many widows," 2c., as one reads in Lucas, Cap. 4, 25. This passage must be cited here in its entirety in order to explain Matthew with it. For there it also follows that the Nazarethites, enraged at his harsh speeches, wanted to throw him down from the mountain as a sorcerer of good hope, who despised them 2c.
V. 57. But Jesus said to them: A prophet is not counted less anywhere than in his own country and in his own house.
98 This is an important saying, because he says: A prophet is of no value in his homeland. This is all too true. John, Cap. 1, 11, speaks in the same way: "He came into his own, but his own did not receive him." Likewise St. Paul, 2 Tim. 4, 4. "They will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn to fables." And we see this strange circumstance in all histories, that nowhere is there so great a disgust for the word of God as where it is abundantly taught. Those who do not have it, desire it. Those who have it, despise it. Yes, what is the most serious is that no heresies arise but in the churches and from the churches. This only comes from the fact that they are disgusted with the word and despise it, and immediately become its judges. For if they did not despise it, they would listen to it with reverence and not cause heresies.
Let this be our consolation, that our word, yes, God's word, is despised by those who are closest to us, and not only by the peasants and the nobles, who soon get tired of it, but also by the scholars, and by our own household members, or fellow bishops, who try to throw us down from the mountain, because we do not want to speak and do what they want. It is said, "A prophet in his fatherland," and as he states in Matthew, Cap. 10, 36. from the prophet Micah [Cap. 7, 6: "Of the
Men's enemies will be his own household." But against this we are comforted by this [Luc. 4, 30.], that Jesus passed through their midst. They will not end it, and must let the prophet remain.
V. 58. And he did not do many signs there because of their unbelief.
(100) That he adds that he could not do signs because of their unbelief shows their great contempt, for they considered him nothing but a kind of magician. And for the sake of this beautiful righteousness, these so holy and strong people do not need a doctor, just as a doctor could not heal the sick, where no one wants to be sick.
101 Marcus says, Cap. 6, 5: "He could not do a single deed there without laying his hands on the sick and healing them. As if he wanted to say: No outstanding work, which one could call a feminine deed, as raising the dead 2c., but he healed a few fevers; these were admittedly only small deeds.
102 But this is a terrible judgment on those who have the word abundantly, and with whom the word is as it were in its fatherland, that nothing great happens with them, except that some few and small people do only a little, because they become sure and say, "Yes, we have it all now, we need nothing more; even if all the prophets were not there, we would still know everything.
Here learn and know that one must tolerate such despisers. We will not change them, but they will grow worse day by day, until they cast us out and crucify us, as happened to Christ with his own. No, strangers do not have to do it; his own have to do it. For it is not possible for a prophet to perish anywhere else but in Jerusalem [Luc. 13:33]. Cain kills his brother Abel, not the wolves or the bears, but a man and, moreover, his brother, who lived with him in the same house, who was born with him of the same parents, who could not have been closer to him.