Lucae 9, 51-56.*)
1537. (?)
1. hoc evangelium valet contra zelum malum, fund teaches] how to quench evil zeal. For Satan does not celebrate, sows his seed everywhere among the good-hearted, starts well, but does not end well. Here also is the desire of the disciples for vengeance, fire from heaven, to consume the wicked, who will not shelter Christ. But Christ pulls them around and scolds them for wanting much more.
that the devil wants, because God. It will also meet us, and have a piece here of repentance.
Lucas, more than the others, keeps a fine order, summarizes the life, work and teaching of Christ in three parts. First, he goes from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and again from Nazareth to the Jordan, and from the Jordan again to Nazareth.
*This sermon belongs to the twenty-one sermons from the library of the St. Andreas Church in Eisleben. It is found in the Hall volume, p. 396; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XII, p. 604; in the Erlanger, I. edition, Bi^ 18, p. 62; 2nd edition, vol. 19, p. 356. We give the text according to Walch's old edition, comparing the Erlanger.
Christ. To learn what happened afterward of Christ in Galilee and Samaria. He came to Jerusalem slowly, in the thirtieth year. Third, when he had preached in Capernaum and Bethsaida, he started the third pilgrimage and wanted to finish it to redeem the people.
3 Jesus knew very well the time of his preaching from Daniel, and in the half year of the fourth year of his preaching he was to die, therefore all sayings belong here. Ecce, ascendimus Hierosolymam, et filius hominis tradetur, Matth. 20, 18. 19. et 16, 21. As often he remembers Jerufalem, as often he is afraid of death. The one in the garden is the excess. Otherwise he suffered much fear of death and got through it; but the one in the garden cost blood. This is our consolation. For if we did not have such a priest, who was thoroughly tempted, how would we stand? Therefore, in adversity, the words of Christ are our comfort: Filius hominis non venit animas perdere, sed salvare. Quantumvis me premant peccata in conscientia, so Christ has come to preserve the soul into eternal life. This is quite a piece of the Gospel, for which it is used. So Lucas writes of this place Cap. 9, 51. ff. 1) Nothing else, but what was done by Christ in Jerusalem and Judah: Christ also wants to prove by this that he did not come to destroy the souls.
The other piece will teach us repentance, and teach 2) to go home. It is written in a simple way, but it is horrible to say. Christ wants to die for all men, and wants to testify that his Father has commanded him to do so; that all the world should learn how kindly God means it with the world, because he pushes his dearest Son so deeply into death. Shouldn't now all the world put its hands under him and help him? no one wants to shelter him. Shouldn't the whole world cry out: "Come ten fires and swallow up such ungrateful people, who have taken such a son of God, who has opened heaven for us, and who has given him a new life?
1) These words should probably be rearranged and read like this: So from this place, Cap. 9, 51., fan] writes Lucas rc,
2) Walch: learn.
and accepts all that is good, 2c. yet does not want to 3) house and feed him. Is it not an abominable thing? It is right that the disciples should be angry with the ungrateful in the eyes of nature. But God does not want to suffer it yet. God wants to punish murderers and usurers, but much more He wants to punish those who despair of Him in their sins; there one does not want to let God be God. So we are all murderers in our souls before God, if we soon pass judgment on a sinner who sins publicly; God will not condemn him, because he does not despair of God. It should have been so; he should move away so that no one would cast him out if he had done a miracle. So it had to be, Luc. 24, 26. Must, must, what must be, that is unhindered. So Lucas does not excuse the evil people; but it had to be so, no one should endure him. He should hurry to Jerusalem and die there.
V. 54. If thou wilt, O Lord, let us say that fire shall fall from heaven, and consume them, as Elijah did.
O you companions, how do you walk here so comfortingly? They think that whoever does not accept Jesus will soon go to hell. Whoever sees and hears it, concludes: Only to the devil, will you not receive Jesus. They have been rude and strange; they have feared the mighty priests' earnestness and wrath; therefore they will have thrust him out as a heretic and reprover of Moses. They cast him out with words and works, and defiled him as a deceiver. Therefore the disciples are caused to pronounce a swift judgment against such desecrators of dear Jesus. That is why they cry out for vengeance.
6 But here learn from this gospel that the Holy Spirit has enough to resist, to subdue the zelum malum from the pious. Here Christ says, "Remember of what spirit ye are the children," namely, of the Holy Spirit, who is a spirit of peace, not of discord. This is what Peter also ver-
3) Taken by us from Walch's old edition. Erlanger: "still one does not want to accommodate him" 2c.
4) Perhaps: aptly.
gessen in the garden, since Christ said to him: Mitte gladium in vaginam etc.. Here it is not a matter of fencing, but of suffering. The Spiritus Sanctus allows it now, and is silent, that mau Christum thus crucifies and desecrates. We should be of the gentle spirit. Quoniam beati mites, they shall be lords of the earth [Matth. 5, 5.]. But there belong eyes of faith; for they are burned 2c. Nor do they live out of the ground, as Abel and John Hus. Thus, because we have the pure doctrine, it must also happen to us that everything that is great in the world must cling with force and power against this doctrine. But God alone sustains it, otherwise it would have perished long ago. There is also a terrible rage against this doctrine, and we hear and see it; silence does not apply. We do not fence with the wicked for the sake of their lives; we want to cover them with a mantle. But because they defame the doctrine and defend their ungodly status, there is no silence, we must speak against it. But here we are also John and Jacob; our heart is so minded that we all desire vengeance on the godless tyrants. So we are murderers. If God can suffer it, why can't we also suffer it? Christ also has such zeal; when he chides the cities, Matth. 11, 21. ff: "Woe to you Chorazim, Bethsaida, Tyro, Sidon", he subdues it, and says v. 25: Confiteor tibi Pater etc.. Here we have to say: What am I reproaching myself for, that I am thus grieving? it shall be thus.
God wants it. Otherwise there is worry, one lays hands on it. God is not allowed to our fencing. It is a matter of suffering and giving revenge to God. If not, we already have an evil spirit in us. We should lift up and realize why Christ came, namely to preserve souls and not to destroy them, thinking of this spirit of God.
7 See how God has shown us the tip of the peasants' rebellion; they were not children of the right spirit. One should do it with the word alone, not with the fist. Although there were many pious people among them, who were hurt that Christ was thus desecrated in the monasteries and foundations. But they went too far over the line, and laid their hands on their own revenge; so they had to fail.
(8) Even today we are of this mind: when the ungodly blasphemers are wronged, we take pleasure and delight in it. So we desire vengeance. Here each one may repent and ask God to protect us from such murderous thoughts. We are still in it. It should please us that God punishes in this way; but we should not desire pleasure and vengeance, but have compassion, and remember why the Son of Man came, namely, that one should not desire judgment and vengeance against sinners. For God will not suffer a sinner to be reproved.
1) We have taken "probably" from the Erlanger.