1537. (?)
Matth. 21, 23. And when he came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said: By what 2) authority doest thou these things? And who gave you this power?
2) In the original: "waser".
The gospel puts to shame the wisdom of the whole world. Whoever does not recognize his foolishness, this gospel will not be useful to him. De duabus justitiis, externa et interna. Nos autem tantum inspicimus externam, non curantes internam. Ideo Christus crasse arguit eos, et praefert meretrices Pha-.
*This sermon is among the twenty-one sermons which l>. Caspar Güttel, pastor of St. Andreä in Eisleben (he died in 1541), bequeathed to his church. These are, according to Kawerau, Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte, vol. 5, p. 449 ff, transcripts by Agricola of Luther's earlier sermons. The year 1537, which is given in the manuscript, will hardly be the original date (cf. Köstlin, Martin Luther, vol. II, p. 437; p. 673 p. 437, 2); p. 731), but the sermons belong to an earlier time. With respect to the 21st sermon, Schlegel, vita I-anAori, p. 130, Not. 2, has already expressed the assumption that it was preached in 1530 (i.e., on April 20, 1530) at Coburg. Cf. Erlanger Ausg., 2nd ed., vol. 19, p. 379. Cf. the appendix to this volume, no. 6 and no. 7, which confirms the year 1530 for the 20th and 21st sermons. They were first printed in the Halle part, p. 371, then transferred to the Leipzig edition, vol. XII, p. 589; further in Walch and in the Erlangen edition, 1st ed., vol. 18, p. 26; 2nd ed., vol. 19, p. 318. We reproduce the text according to Walch, comparing the Erlangen. On the nature of these sermons, see the preface to this volume.
risaeis. Is it not a disgrace to reproach the holy people? There is nothing more dishonest in men than to seek their own gain; than the tax collectors, who sought their own with other people's harm; that is the greatest shame in the world, to practice usury.
A woman shall receive wit, rule and discipline from man, for man is her head. Now it is a great shame that a man makes himself a servant of money. Therefore the male gender is highly reviled when they are called tax collectors and usurers. For there is a root of all evil and blasphemy. Those who love money have no good in them; they are the worst, most harmful, most shameful people on earth. A woman has nothing more on God's ground than honor, which God wants to preserve. Whoever breaks her honor, God will avenge him. For if she loses her honor, she has lost all that is good. Now if you want to rebuke the world to the highest degree, you call the man a tax collector and the women prostitutes. When these two things are gone, when a man loses his head, his Christ, and his reason, then no government can go: when there is no more discipline, then everything in the world falls to the ground.
3) Even above this worldly disgrace, Christ says that much greater, more shameful and harmful 2) people are the Pharisees, blasphemers, who take His name in vain; there He pushes all the world's wisdom and piety to the ground. Therefore, God Himself concludes the judgment that tax collectors and harlots may come to mercy. For repentance is the best repentance. They recognize in their conscience that their finances are wrong. So even the poor wretch can see that it is evil. The Pharisees, however, do not recognize themselves as sinners, but as righteous; therefore they are worse, because they do not desecrate people, like whores and tax collectors, but God and his name.
4 So Christ teaches this righteousness of heart, that we recognize ourselves as sinners before him, and he will graciously forgive sin. This teaching penetrates, the poor consciences gladly accept it. But the high
1) Walch: human. The contrast here is "man" and "woman".
2) In the Erlanger: harmful.
Priests, who have the prestige, rebuke Christ, saying, "Why do you submit to the ministry that is not commanded to you? We have authority to teach; you have not; we sit on the throne of Moses, we have the order of the whole law, and have pious men among us, as Zachariam, John's father. Therefore they do not soon fall away from the law. That is why Christ punishes them as the stiff-necked. The Pharisees think nothing else, because Christ could not give them an answer. But he asks them again and says: "Give me credit for one word. John baptized among you. Did he receive orders from men than from you, or did he receive them from God? Ye ever commanded him not, nor refused him not to baptize; yea, ye asked him much why he baptized. For God sent him as a sign to point to the future Messiah who is already walking among them. God does nothing secretly that he wants to be public. That is why Christ sees them in a trap, they cannot pass by. They know in the Scriptures that there is to be a baptism; therefore Christ seizes them to lead them out and confess: We are rude asses.
Therefore do not speak much to the stubborn people; let God rule, they will be disgraced by themselves, as here the Pharisees pass judgment on themselves, saying they know nothing of the Scriptures. Therefore they find themselves blind, and let heaven and earth pass away before they should confess the truth. If we say that baptism is from God, he says that we do not know God. If we say it is from men, they will fall away from us. So they are caught in the heart, and cannot pass. Impietas enim confunditur, non convincitur. They do not follow the truth. As the Magi did all the signs, without only the Cinifes 3) they could not do; they are caught, their heart is decided, that they must say, Digitus Dei est, there is something new and higher in it, than we grasp. But nevertheless they want to keep their splendor and not be lost; for they do not want to know, the devil has even possessed their heart. If a tiny spark
17. 18.: 86inip1i68 - gnats or, as Luther translates: lice. Hebrew, Lxoä. 8, 12. 13. 14.: O'lp.
of reason in them, they would say: We want to hear both parts against each other etc. Then they will not comply with the little bit of truth they have in them until death comes.
The main part of Christian doctrine is to heal the conscience, and to stir the heart, to strengthen the faith. No gifts are more conducive to the improvement of faith than prophecy and the interpretation of Scripture. The pagans have written more about outward morals and honesty than the apostles themselves.
7) Some people are outwardly pious and Christians, 2) inwardly they are boys. 3) Works are innate in us; 4) therefore we cannot judge otherwise, for whoever does pious works, makes offerings, prays, gives alms, is said to be pious; whoever does something unskilful is said to be evil. The judgment lets the world
1) Perhaps to read: irritate (Erlanger).
2) Walch and the Erlanger: Christian.
3) In the original: "Some people are outwardly pious and boys, inwardly they are pious and Christians."
4) The meaning will be: that we seek to base our righteousness on works, which is innate to us.
do not depart from it. But the gospel is to do nothing but build consciences, and stir hearts, and strengthen faith; the other doctrines are nothing but heathen statutes over the body.
8. he that is pious doeth much good; and not he that doeth much good is pious. Therefore Christ says [v. 31], "Harlots and knaves" etc. Let the doctrine go pure, let it offend whosoever will. Electi non offenduntur etc. To the others Paul says: Quorum damnatio justa est. Paul teaches it to be and says: Solum Dei fundamentum stat, God's seal is, Dominus novit suos. If you have one Christian, preach to him, strengthen him, all devils and men will stand against him, you have enough to do with him. Those who are not Christians, let them be angry; let them go. It does not help: We mean well with the statutes. You must always be on the point about righteousness, namely, "He who believes in Christ, having sinned against all the sins of the world, shall be blessed. If he does not believe, no good work can help him, for he is not built on the foundation.