D. Martin Luther's sermon on our blessed hope,
about the saying of St. Paul Tit. 2, 13. *)
Held at Kemberg, August 19, 1531.
(1) We Christians are obligated to pay homage to our dear Lord God every day and to make our sacrifice, that is, to perform His holy word, publicly in church and at home in houses. Such worship is signified in the Old Testament by the morning sacrifice and the evening sacrifice. So that we also do our sacrifice today, let us take before us a saying from St. Paul, and hear what our dear Lord God teaches us through His apostle.
Tit. 2, 13. We should wait for the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
So much is enough on this time.
2 Shortly before this text, v. 12, Saint Paul taught, as your love has heard, what the preaching of the Gospel should create and work in us, namely, that it should instruct us and "discipline us to renounce ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live chastely, righteously and godly in this world. For in the three pieces he grasps the Christian life and understands everything that a man should do and how he should behave towards himself, towards his neighbor and towards God. Towards himself, a Christian should conduct himself in such a way that he draws his own body well, is "chaste", moderate and sober, and
not to lead a free, impudent, wild, unclean and disorderly life in eating, drinking, words, gestures and deeds. Towards his neighbor he shall behave in such a way that he lives "justly", does neither harm nor hurt anyone in body, goods, honor and everything that is his, but gives and does to everyone what is due to him. He is to conduct himself toward God in such a way that he lives "godly," that is, fears, loves, trusts, praises, honors and obeys God. These are all righteous, delicious, good works, commanded by God Himself in the first and second tablets of the Ten Commandments. And this is how our whole life should be as long as we are here.
(3) After the apostle has thus defined the Christian life and indicated how a Christian's character and conduct should be, he adds a special part and admonishes us that in such a chaste, righteous and godly life (since we have renounced the world, its ungodly character and evil lusts) we should "wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God". 2c. This means that the life of Christians should be directed so that they do not think about living on earth alone and remaining in this world (as sows and unreasonable animals do, who do not care or think about anything else than how they may live here on earth and fill their bellies), but should hope and wait for another, better life. A sow
*This sermon, which Luther delivered on the occasion of a visit to N. Bartholomäus Bernhardt von Feldkirch, prepositus and pastor in Kemberg, on August 19, 1531, was prepared for printing by Andreas Poach, pastor of the Augustinians in Erfurt, "from [l. Georgen Rörers, blessed, written books" for printing, and had them printed in 1561 in Erfurt by Georg Naumann, "zu dem bunten Leuen, bei St. Paul". This edition is provided with an inscription to the "honorable, virtuous virgin Engel vom Hagen". "Datum Erfurt in Vigilia Martini 1560." In the collections it is found: in the Eisleben one, vol. II, p. 136; in the Altenburg one, vol. V, p. 603; in the Leipzig one, vol. XI, p. 468 and in the Erlangen one, first edition, vol. 19, p. 328 and 2nd edition, vol. 18, p. 31. We give the text according to the second edition of the Erlanger, which brings the first printing; the same differs only by a few insignificant variants from that of the Eisleben edition.
and unreasonable animal has no hope of improvement; when the belly and this life cease, its comfort and hope are also over. But a Christian has one better hope, when this temporal, perishable life ends, that he will enter into an eternal, imperishable life and heavenly being, in which is joy and bliss.
(4) For Christ did not come from heaven and become man for this reason, nor did he die for us on the cross for this reason, nor did he rise again from death and ascend to heaven for this reason, so that he would let us remain here on earth in misery and sorrow, much less under the earth in the grave and death, stink and worms, forever, but so that he would deliver us from all this and take us to his eternal kingdom in heaven. Neither were we baptized and made Christians for this reason, nor do we hear the gospel for this reason, that we should fill our faint, stinking belly and remain in this evil, sorrowful world forever, but that we should come into another life and being, where we are no longer allowed to eat, drink, have toil and labor, suffer, be sad, die and decay 2c. Since we have been bought by the precious blood of Christ, born again in holy baptism through His joyful resurrection from the dead, and called through the gospel to a living hope, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading (as St. Peter says 1 Peter 1:3, 4), which will be preserved for us in heaven, we should also hope and wait for this blessed hope with joy and confidence.
(5) This Christian art and masterpiece is taught to us here by St. Paul, and he exhorts us Christians to learn to distinguish between this present, perishable life and that future, imperishable life, and to turn our backs on this present life, which is passing away and which we must finally leave behind, and to always set our eyes on that future life, hoping for it firmly and surely, as it remains forever, and into which we belong. We should wait in good works, in discipline, righteousness and godliness, he says, for the blessed hope; that is, we Christians should send ourselves to a better life than this life on earth is. We are to build on it much more firmly and hope for it more surely, whether we have already attained it.
not yet see and feel, because we build and hope on this present life that we see and feel now.
(6) Such things are rightly taught, but not soon learned; rightly preached, but not soon believed; well exhorted, but not easily followed; well said, but evil done. For there are very few people on earth who wait for the blessed hope, for the future, imperishable inheritance and kingdom, and wait for it as surely as it should be that they do not possess this present life so surely. Few are those who look at this temporal life only through a painted glass, and at once blinkingly, 1) but at that eternal life with clear, open eyes. The blessed hope and the heavenly inheritance are, alas, all too often forgotten; but the temporal life and the transitory kingdom on earth are all too often thought of. The transitory is always in sight, thought of, cared for, and rejoiced in, but the imperishable is turned away; the latter is pursued day and night, and the latter is cast to the winds. Now, truly, it should not be so with Christians, but the antithesis should be. A Christian should look at this temporal life only with closed eyes and blinkingly, but the future eternal life he should look at with completely open eyes, and with clear, bright light, and should be only with the left hand in this life, on earth, but with the right hand, and with the soul and whole heart, he should be in that life, in heaven, and wait for it in certain hope always cheerfully.
For this is what St. Paul teaches in 1 Cor. 7:29, 30, 31, when he explains what this means, "waiting for the blessed hope," and says: "Further, this is the opinion of those who have wives, that they are as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they wept not; and those who rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those who buy, as though they possessed not; and those who have need of this world, that they abuse not it; for the things of this world pass away." With these words, the dear apostle wanted us to understand this life on earth, which we now see with our physical eyes.
1) Otherwise in Luther also (St. Louis edition, vol. XX, 1008): "blinzling", that is, blindlings, with closed eyes. In the Cisleben edition it is written "blindstich".
He would like to darken and obscure the life we see in heaven, so that we might learn to look at it only in the twinkling of an eye, as if it were not our true life. But that life in heaven, for which Christ has redeemed us, for which we have been baptized and have received the gospel, he would gladly draw out and bring into the light, so that we may learn to send our eyes, heart and soul to it, and await it with joy in fresh hope. For if we want to be Christians, our final request should not be to be free, to let ourselves be free, to buy, to sell, to plant, to build, as Christ says, Matth. 24, 37. ff. Luc. 17, 26. ff., that the ungodly will do, especially before the last day (although we also need it for the need of the body), but our final request should be something better and higher, namely the blessed inheritance in heaven, which does not pass away. Likewise he does 2 Cor. 5, 1. 2. and says: "We know, if our earthly house of this tabernacle is broken down, that we have a building constructed by God, a house not made with hands, which is eternal, in heaven. And above the same we also long for our habitation, which is from heaven." And soon after, v. 6, 7, 8: "We are always confident, and know that while we dwell in the body, we are not at home with the Lord;' for we walk by faith, and not by scraping. But we are confident, and rather desire to walk apart from the body, and to be at home with the Lord." There he also makes a distinction between this perishable and that imperishable life, and says that this life on earth is not our home and right life, on which we have to set our date 1) but should long for the right fatherland and have a desire for the eternal dwelling in heaven. And Phil. 3, 20. 21. he says: "Our citizenship is in heaven, from whence we also wait for the Savior Jesus Christ, the Lord, who will transfigure our vile body to be like His transfigured body, according to the working, that He may also make all things subject to Him. As if he wanted to say: It is not in this world that we Christians live, walk and dwell, but in heaven is our
1) Date -- confidence, hope.
Citizenship, walk and dwelling. We are indeed citizens and farmers on earth for a time, according to the outward worldly nature, but this is not our true, hereditary, lasting citizenship; but our true citizenship is with Christ in heaven, where we will remain citizens forever, when he comes from heaven and takes us up. Therefore we also ought to judge ourselves as not being of this world, nor belonging to it, but belonging elsewhere, to another citizenship and kingdom, where we have an abiding nature.
8 St. Peter does the same when he says 1 Ep. 2, 11: "Dear brethren, I exhort you, as strangers and pilgrims, 2) abstain from carnal pleasures. He calls us strangers and pilgrims, 2) indicating what our life is on earth and what we should keep it for. A "stranger" is called an arrival or alien, who is not a citizen of the place where he dwells, by arrival and birth, but has his arrival elsewhere. SumMa, a stranger is called, who is not native, as the children of Israel were strangers and not native in Egypt, where they had come from the land of Canaan, by the Theurung; as Moses often reproaches them and says, 2 Mos. 22, 21. 3 Mos. 19, 34.: "You were strangers in the land of Egypt." A "pilgrim" is a wanderer who travels through a country, and is not in his city nor in his place, where he belongs, but only lodges in a foreign place, as if in transit; who is not only an arrival, like a stranger, but is also a guest, and has nothing of his own, nor intends to have anything in the place of his pilgrimage, but passes through badly. As the children of Israel were pilgrims in the wilderness, so the Christians are strangers and pilgrims in this world, 1 Petr. 2, 11. Hebr. 11, 13. They are "strangers" because they come from God into this world after the fleshly birth, created from nothing, and do not remain in this world, but have to leave this world, like all other people on earth, as Job Cap. 1, 21. says: "I came naked from my mother's womb, naked, naked and naked.
2) Erlanger: "pilgrim". This form is derived from the Latin pers^rinus. Otherwise also "Bikgerin" and "Bilgram" are found.
I will go there again." They are "pilgrims" because after the spiritual birth, when they are born again of the Holy Spirit through the water bath in the Word, they are on earth as guests, and their life is only a pilgrimage, as the patriarch Jacob calls it, Gen. 47, 9. Now St. Peter wants to indicate that we should not look at this life differently, but as a stranger and pilgrim looks at the country, in which he is a foreigner and guest. A stranger must not say: Here is my fatherland, because he is not a native there. A pilgrim does not intend to stay in the land where he wanders and in the inn where he lies overnight, but his heart and thoughts are elsewhere. In the inn he takes only his food, meal and lodging, and always wanders away to the place where he is at home. So you Christians, he says, are only strangers and sojourners in this world, and belong to another country and kingdom, where you have a permanent home and abiding place forever. Therefore present yourselves as strangers and sojourners in this foreign land and inn, from which you take no more than food, drink, clothing, shoes, and whatever you need for this night's lodging, and think only of going away to your homeland, where you are citizens.
(9) We should take good note of this, so that we may rightly know the Lord Jesus Christ, and rightly learn to enjoy his gospel and holy baptism. Not that we build an eternal life for ourselves here in this world, pursue it and cling to it as if it were our main treasure and kingdom of heaven, and as if we wanted to enjoy the Lord Christ, the gospel and baptism for this life, and become rich and mighty in it, but because we must live on earth as long as God wills that we thus eat, drink, free, plant, build and house, and what God has provided, as strangers and sojourners in a foreign land and in an inn, who will remember all these things and set up their staff again, out of the foreign land and out of the evil, uncertain inn into the right fatherland, where there will be security, peace, tranquility and joy for eternity. And so we enjoy the Lord Christ, the gospel and baptism to that life in heaven and the kingdom of God.
10. For our Lord Jesus Christ is not such a Messiah, as the Jews have desired and still desire and hope for a Messiah, who is a worldly king and establishes an earthly kingdom on earth, in which he makes his children great lords in this world, distributes gold, silver and goods, gives worldly joy and pleasure, but leaves them in death, and finally dies himself, together with them, like other kings on earth; but is an eternal king, and his kingdom is an eternal kingdom, in which he is Lord over sin and righteousness, over death and life, and gives and gives to his children heavenly goods, eternal righteousness, life and blessedness. So we are not baptized to stay here on earth and build a paradise and kingdom of heaven for ourselves here; nor is the gospel preached to us for the sake of this worldly being and life, but that heaven may be opened to us and we may be helped to eternal life.
(11) As for this temporal life, how to attain and maintain it, this is taught by the temporal government, which God has subjected to man's reason by His Word, saying Genesis 1:28: "Rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creeps upon the earth. The emperor in the empire with his rulers and lawyers teaches how to govern land and people, maintain worldly peace 2c. Father and mother, master and wife in the house teach the children and the servants how they should build the field, plow, sow, plant, harvest, spin, sew, milk the cows, wash in the kitchen, cook, work, keep house 2c. For such human beings and things concerning this temporal life, there is no need of Christ, baptism, or the gospel, for all these things are planted in human reason, so that it understands and knows how to govern and judge such things. But Christ in his kingdom teaches us through the gospel of higher things, which belong to that life, and which human reason cannot comprehend nor grasp, namely, where we may remain when this bodily, perishable government and being cease, and we leave the world, and what is in the world, together with this life.
and have to step into another being and life.
(12) He who does not direct and send his heart to that everlasting life, and only clings to this temporal, perishable life, does not understand what baptism, the gospel, Christ and faith are. For Christ calls us to eternal life through the gospel, and through baptism places us in his eternal kingdom, and thus assures us through Word and Sacrament that if we believe the word and sign, we are much more certain of the same life and kingdom than of this life and kingdom on earth. Whoever thinks that everything is only to do with living, eating and drinking, scratching and scratching, being stingy and collecting a lot of money, seeking pleasure and having good courage: what can he know or understand about baptism, the gospel, Christ and faith?
(13) But, as I said, this is soon preached, but not easily believed. For even we Christians, who have been baptized, hear the gospel and have begun to believe, still feel that the spirit in us is weak, but flesh and blood and reason in particular are strong, and always draw us back, that we hold that life in low esteem, and sometimes even doubt it, so that where we want to confess otherwise, we must confess ourselves, we seldom think of the fact that we must finally leave it and this life, and thus send ourselves to know where we want to stay. On top of this comes the stupidity that we are always afraid of death, mourning and trembling when things go badly for us. This is a sign that we do not wait for the blessed hope, as we should. This is what happens to us Christians; but the rest of the great multitude in the world goes safely along, seeking peace and good days, seeking pleasure and joy on earth, drowned in avarice, and so engrossed in the world as if they wanted to stay here forever and leave heaven to God.
(14) Now we are not baptized for this life, nor are we called Christians for this reason, that we may be citizens, peasants, masters, servants, wives, maids, govern and be governed, work and keep house; but for this purpose we were baptized, and for this purpose we hear the gospel and believe in Christ, that we may have the same status (whether we are here on earth already, as long as God wills),
and must serve God, each one as he is called by God) leave all, and depart from this world into another being and life, where there is neither servant nor master, neither maidservant nor wife, neither woman nor man, but where we are all alike and one in Christ Jesus, Gal. 3:28, just as such equality begins here in faith, but is accomplished there in sight, 1 Cor. 15:53 ff, where there is no death, but eternal and incorruptible life; no sin, but righteousness and innocence; no fear nor sorrow, but security and joy; no dominion, nor authority, nor power, but only God will be all in all; summa, where God and Christ Himself is, together with all His elect and saints. To this eternal life we were baptized, to this Christ redeemed us by his death and blood, and to this we received the gospel. As soon as a child is lifted out of baptism and the vestment is put on it, it is from that moment on dedicated to eternal life, so that for the rest of its life it will only be a pilgrim and sojourner in this world, and so it will be prepared to leave this temporal life behind and hope and wait for that everlasting life.
(15) Now St. Paul teaches us here that we should not sink too deeply into this temporal life, like sows and unreasonable animals, which care nothing about the life to come. A sow lies on her bed or on the dung heap, rests and snores, and thinks only where the miserable and the small are, knows of no death, fears no hell, rejoices in no heaven, hopes for no future life, but the miserable and the small are her heavenly kingdom. So are the people who think no further than how they may live here on earth. Such certainly do not believe that there is a resurrection of the dead and eternal life; even though they speak with their mouths in childlike faith, "I believe in a resurrection of the flesh and eternal life," they do not believe it from the heart. Such people have been baptized in vain, have heard the gospel in vain, and still hear it in vain and in vain, because they do not believe that it is true that after this life there is another life.
to hope. Therefore the apostle says: "We should wait for the blessed hope", as if he wanted to say: We have come through the gospel to the treasure, which is called, not money and goods, not power and honor, not pleasure and joy of this world, not even this life on earth, but a hope, and a living "blessed hope", which will make us alive and blessed in body and soul, completely and forever. We are called to the treasure through the gospel, and we are baptized into the treasure; therefore let us deal with this temporal life in such a way that we think of leaving it behind us, and strive for the same blessed hope as "the goal and jewel set before us by the heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus", Phil. 3, 13, that we should chase after it and always wait for it.
How long shall we wait for the blessed hope? Will it remain a hope forever, and nothing more come of it? No, he says, our blessed hope will not remain like this forever, but will finally appear, so that we will no longer be allowed to hope and wait, but it will be revealed to us what we now believe and hope for, and we will be fully granted 1) and possessed of what we are now waiting for. In the meantime, we must wait for the blessed hope until it comes to manifestation. But when it has come to the appearance, then the hope and the waiting will cease. For he puts these two together: "hope" and "appearance"; but in this order, that the hope precedes, and the appearance follows the hope. And thus he makes a distinction between this life of hope and that life of appearance; or as he calls it in the saying (as we introduced above [§7] from 2 Cor. 5, 6. ff.), between this life of faith and that life of seeing. As if he wanted to say: Here it must be believed, hoped for and waited for, but there it will appear. He who does not wait for the blessed hope will not come to the appearance; but he who is firm and undoubting
1) Warranty - legal possession.
who waits for it, must not take care of the appearance. He also makes such a distinction in Col. 3, 3. 4: "Your life is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ, your life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also be manifested with him in glory." St. John also makes such a distinction, 1 Ep. 3, 2: "We are God's children, and it has not yet appeared that we are; but we know when it shall appear that we shall be like Him." Because we live here in this world, that future life is covered and hidden, and must be recognized and grasped with the eyes of faith alone. This present life is manifest to the five senses and to human reason, for it is visible, but that life is invisible; therefore it cannot be seen with the eyes of the flesh, nor measured by reason.
But he says that it will be "a manifestation of the glory of the great God, and of our Savior Jesus Christ. There he does not only speak of the glory in which Jesus Christ will appear for his person and for himself, which will be an excellent glory, as he himself says Matth. 25, 31: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory, and all nations will be gathered before him" 2c., but also to understand the glory that Jesus Christ will work in all creatures, and especially in His elect and believers, as He Himself interprets such glory in 2 Thess. 1:10, when He says: "The Lord Jesus will come to appear glorious with His saints, and marvelous with all believers."
This glory is so deeply hidden that no human reason can enter into it. It is far too high for reason to understand and comprehend that this mortal body should rot and stink so that no filth and carrion on earth stinks like it, and become powder and ashes, and be eaten by worms, and yet come forth again from the stink, dust and worms, and rise again, that it should be the same body, but brighter and clearer than the sun, so that no creature on earth will be more beautiful. What,
says reason, should there be glory to wait for, when I see vile, abominable beings? I see that a man, if he is already baptized, has the gospel, believes in Christ, just as well dies and, if he has died, rots, stinks, as one who is not baptized nor believes, yes, becomes such an abominable carrion that no one can stay around him: what do you tell me much about glory? Yes, wait for it, and do not bake! So does reason, and cannot do otherwise.
(19) Now it is not necessary to listen to reason, nor to follow what it says, but to listen to what baptism, the gospel and faith teach. Baptism teaches that we are not baptized for this life, but that we should wait for another life. The Gospel says 1 Cor. 15:3, 4, "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." V. 16, 17. "If therefore the dead rise not, neither would Christ be risen, and our faith be vain and false." Faith bases itself on this, saying, "Well, though a man die, and when he is dead, look hideous, and rot, and stink, and be eaten of worms, yet do I not turn to it, and give me nothing that reason saith concerning it. I have a light that goes far beyond all reason, namely baptism and the gospel; that same light thus tells me that God will make of this foul flesh and shameful, dead body, which now rots and stinks, in its time a beautiful, glorious flesh and a living, clear body, which is brighter than the sun and smells better than all balm. I have no doubt of this, although I see it much differently now before my eyes; for because God says such things in his word, he will also do them. So faith must firmly bind itself to the word, fight and contend against all reason.
(20) And how could we expect reason to be more valid than God's word in these very matters concerning our salvation, and to judge and judge in God's works what it cannot comprehend with its five senses and sharp thoughts? God has done more and still does daily what reason cannot comprehend. He has created heaven
and earth, sun, moon and all creatures were created from nothing. What was the sun, the beautiful, bright light that fills the whole world with its brilliance and glow, six thousand years ago? Nothing. Now all reason must confess that nothing, from which the sun was created, is much less than a filth and dead stinking carrion. If God created the sun from nothing, which is much less than a dead body, should he not have so much power and strength that he could raise a dead body and make it alive again?
The grain is thrown into the field before our eyes and sown; now therefore ask all reason: What is the grain in winter that is sown in the field? Is it not a dead, rotten and decayed thing, covered with frost and snow? Nevertheless, in its time a fine, beautiful, green stalk grows out of the same dead, rotten and decayed grain, which therefore blossoms like a forest, and gains a full, thick ear, since twenty, thirty, sixty grains are in it, and life is found, where before there was only death. If God has done this to heaven, earth, sun and moon, and still does this yearly to the grain of the field, when he calls that which is nothing to be, and does this against all reason, should he not also be able to do what is for the glory of the children of God, even though it is against all reason?
Therefore, we should not let our reason be misled here, for Christ has purchased this treasure for us through His blood, and we have been called to this glory through the Gospel, and have also been baptized as a sign and certain seal of it, and lack nothing but the appearance and revelation that God will remove the cover that still hangs over it, so that we may see face to face what we now see through a mirror (as St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 13:12) in the dark word. For this reason we are to reject all reason and long for it, and wait for it in firm faith and certain, constant hope, and pray to God that His kingdom may come soon, so that we may finally obtain the treasure to which we were baptized and for which we hear the gospel.
2'3 St. Paul says rightly, 1 Cor. 15, 42. 43.: "It is sown corruptible, and will rise incorruptible. It is sown in dishonor, and will rise in glory. It is sown in weakness, and shall rise in power." He proves the glory that Christ will work on us through the resurrection with a similitude of sowing. When a farmer sows grain in the field, or a gardener puts beans or peas in the ground in the garden, he does not see the beans or peas decay, but looks at the stalks and pods that grow from them. He knows that the bean and the pea were also a stem and a pod before; therefore he puts it into the ground, so that it may again become a stem bearing pods. In the same way we should not think that our body, when it is dead and buried, will decay in the earth, but we should think that it will come out of the earth again and become alive. When the dead body is buried, it is sown decayed; not that it should lie eternally in the earth under decay, but that it should rise again from the earth incorruptible. He is sown in dishonor, shame and disgrace; for he stinks horribly, the worms eat him, the toads and snakes pierce his eyes, ears and nose, so that nothing remains but dead men's legs. There is nothing honest, nothing lovely, nothing glorious, but vile, stinking, foul creatures. But he shall rise in glory, that he may be glorious beyond measure, smelling better than any balm, and more beautiful than any creature.
(24) Therefore, when we sit in the garden or walk in the field, let us exercise and strengthen ourselves in the article of our faith concerning the resurrection of the dead. A gardener sets cherry stones, a husbandman casts grain into the ground, and does not look at the stones he sets, nor at the grain he sows; otherwise he would well keep the stones and grain; but looks at the tree, and at the grain that shall grow out of it. His heart is so minded that he says, "Now I will plant the seeds, and in due time there will be a fine young tree that will bring forth the most beautiful cherries. Now I sow the grain; for half a year a fine, green stalk shall stand there, with full, thick
Ears. So we Christians should not look at the body that is laid in the grave, but at the body that will rise again from the grave and come forth. Just as we stand against the creature, hoping and waiting that out of the seed that is cast into the earth will grow a beautiful grain, and that out of the seed that is planted will grow a tree, so we should also stand against our body, believing without a doubt that it will rise again from the dead. A husbandman, when he sows the field, does not look so keenly at the grain he has in his hand as he looks at the grain that will stand in the field for half a year. He turns his eyes and heart away from the grain he has in his hand and looks much more diligently at the grain that will come afterward.
(25) Therefore we Christians should also look much more diligently to the life to come, and wait for it much more surely than for this present life in which we now live. Through baptism we are sown, and through death we must decay. When the hour comes for us to die, we should think, "Well, let us die and decay; it must and should be so with the human body, as with the grain that falls into the earth and decays. But just as the husbandman waits for another grain, which he does not yet see, and which in its time will be found in the field, so certainly, even more certainly, I will wait for another, future life, even though I do not yet see it. This is how we Christians should be.
But where are they who wait in such certain hope for eternal life? The largest crowd in the world pretends not to long for eternal life. A farmer knows the art and has the virtue of waiting for his beans and pods in the garden and for the fruit in the field, which he does not yet see, but we Christians still lack this art by far. This is not at all what the nature of reason wants in us when it comes to faith and our Christianity. A farmer can say: Now I am planting vain young beans and pods, sowing vain young grain; but a Christian cannot say:
Now I live, and I do not know how long; but even if I die, I am waiting for another life, which is much more certain to me than this life, which I see now. Even if my body now suffers, dies and decays, the same body will come forth again and will no longer be able to suffer, die and decay. Of this I am sure, for I have been baptized and have the word of God; therefore I am God's bean and grain, who planted and sowed me through baptism and the gospel. 1)
27. In this way, a farmer could make a fine Bible out of his field, and from the seed he sows, study and learn the article: "I believe in the resurrection of the dead," and say, "This grain, which I sow now, shall lose its essence; but there shall grow up out of it a beautiful green stalk, as long as I am, yielding thirty, sixty, a hundred grains; and out of this bean, which I now put into the ground, shall grow a stalk, yielding young fresh beans. This is my dear book, from which I study and learn that my body, when it is buried in the earth, will become a beautiful, living body; for in this work of the field, which I now have before my hand, that I sow and plant, God will teach me his work, if he will one day work in me. Just as I now sow grain and plant beans, so God sows and plants me through baptism and the Word; therefore I am His bean and grain. Now when I die and rot, this stinking, corruptible body will become a fragrant, incorruptible body.
(28) But the wicked devil and our flesh make it so that we do not do this, but rather sting, scrape, scratch, and begin strangely, as if there were no life left but this present life. Thus, with such a nature, we disgrace our Christian life. In name we are Christians, but in deed we are mere swine: we have no thoughts at all of waiting for another life. No husbandman does with the grain what we do with our bodies. For no one is so minded that he should
1) Marginal gloss in the Eisleben edition: "Thus said Polycarpus in his torture. Viäs Lussd. üist."
for this reason, that it may remain in the field forever. But we have baptism, the word, and are thereby sown and planted by God for another life; nevertheless, we think that baptism and the gospel were given to us so that we should remain here in this world forever.
Therefore St. Paul admonishes us here and says: "No, dear friends, opinion does not have it; the saving grace of God did not appear for us to remain here in this world forever. There is something else than this life on earth; there straighten yourselves. You may work, feed yourselves godly and honestly, eat and drink because you are here, but you should know that this is not the main thing, nor your eternal treasure, but it is the piece of cake that belongs to this life, to maintain the belly, as it also ends with the belly. The saving grace of God has appeared for this reason, that you should hope and wait for another life, for which you were baptized, and of which the gospel teaches you; for to this end our Lord Jesus Christ will also appear as a great God and true Savior, to deliver us from this misery and take us into his kingdom.
(30) Then it will be glorious with the Christians. Now it is going on horribly and shamefully with them. A Christian, when he dies, stinks just as a Turk and godless man; there is no difference between a Christian and an un-Christian. Moreover, Christians here on earth are subjected to the cross, are persecuted and plagued by the devil and men everywhere, must be the footcloth of all the world, are driven away from everything they have, and in addition are blasphemed, desecrated and condemned; therefore Christians are not glorious in this world. In contrast, the world is glorious, worshiped and celebrated. Christians are trampled underfoot, the world is carried on the hands.
This is the brightness and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth, that he is despised and rejected, but he will come and appear in glory, bringing with him a brightness that will be glorious, so that all creatures will be more beautiful than they are now. "The sun's light will be seven times brighter than it is now; the moon's light will be more beautiful than it is now.
Trees, foliage, grass, fruits and everything will be seven times more beautiful than now. Is. 30, 26. 65, 17. 2 Petr. 3, 13. Revelation 21, 1. The Christians will then come out of the graves and shine as the most beautiful, shining stars. A holy martyr, who is now persecuted and burned to powder for the sake of Christ and His Gospel, as a dark, black star, will then float in the air, be twitched towards the Lord in the clouds, and ascend to heaven as a bright, shining, glorious star, Dan. 12, 3. Summa, all the elect and saints of God will be in the greatest glory. He Himself, the Lord Jesus, will sit in the clouds "on the throne of His glory, and before Him will be gathered all the families of the earth", Matth. 25, 31. f. The whole world will be transfigured and will be a hundred thousand times more glorious than it is now. Summa, he will appear, that it will be called appeared.
But why does he call it an "appearance of the great God"? Are all three persons of the eternal divine majesty equally eternal, equally great, as Athanasius says in his Symbolo? Answer: He does not speak here of the essence of God, or of some person in the Godhead, but of the appearance. He does not say that our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his nature and divine essence, is now small, but now great, but that he will appear on the day of his future and show himself as a great God. According to his divine nature, he is always equally great, but according to his appearance and revelation, he is not always equally great. For before the last day he has not yet revealed nor shown his greatness, but on the day of his future he will show himself and let us see how great and glorious God he is. Now he is small, according to the appearance and display; he lets pope, emperor, kings, lords, princes, citizens, peasants play and do with his gospel and with his Christians as they themselves want, as if he were a puppet god who does not see, does not hear, does not know, nor understand. But then he will be great and appear in his majesty, so that they will see in whom they have stabbed.
In the day of his flesh he was small; indeed, he was, as he himself says, Matth. 11, 11, "the smallest in the kingdom of heaven. "For though he was in divine form (says St. Paul Phil. 2, 6-8.), he nevertheless manifested himself, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made like another man, and in his ways was found to be a man; he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross," and allowed himself to be caught, bound, spit upon, scourged, crucified, and killed, and in all these things presented himself as if there were no greatness, no power, no majesty. As the Gospel testifies, his enemies and crucifiers shouted and cried out, "Won!" Marc. 15:29 ff: "Fie on you, how finely you break down the temple and build it in three days! Help yourself now and come down from the cross. He has helped others, and cannot help himself. If he is Christ and King in Israel, let him now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe.
34 In the realm of faith he still presents himself like this today. Even though he has risen from the dead, ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God in divine power and glory, he still hides his greatness, clarity, majesty and power, has his prophets and apostles chased away and murdered, Paul beheaded, Peter crucified, his holy martyrs thrown into bands and prisons, beaten, stoned, hacked to pieces, stabbed and miserably killed; His Christians in the world suffer want, affliction and adversity, just as in the day of his flesh. John the Baptist had to lose his head for the sake of a desperate whore; he, the Savior and Helper, was silent about it, "went away on a ship into a desert alone", Matth. 14, 10. ff. Marc. 6, 27. 32. Is this not a small, childish God, who does not save Himself and lets His children suffer as if He does not see how badly they are doing?
(35) And so it is, as the Scriptures of the prophets and the Psalms have declared, that the wicked boast, mocking the Christians and their God, and say, "Where is their God? Ps. 115, 2. If he is God, he will take care of himself and his people, so that his name will not be cut off like this, and his people will not suffer like this. If he sees and knows not these things, he hath not eyes to see, neither understanding,
That he may know it. But if he sees it and knows it and lets it happen, he is not a pious, faithful God and has no heart for his people. If he sees and knows, and cannot help, he does not have hands that can do anything, nor power that he can save. Therefore the prophet Isaiah says of him, Cap. 45, 15: "Truly thou art a hidden God, O God of Israel, the Savior." For he hides his omnipotence, wisdom, power and strength, and presents himself childishly, as if he could do nothing, knew nothing, understood nothing, or did not want to do it. Now he lets our adversaries handle his word, sacraments and Christians as they wish; he lets us call and shout, and is silent about it, just as if he were writing, or would be busy, or would be over the field, or would be asleep and not hear, as Elijah says about Baal, 1 Kings 18:27. 18, 27. But he will show his greatness, his omnipotence and his power, as it is written Ps. 78, 65. 66.: "The Lord awakens like a sleeping man, like a strong man rejoices, who comes from wine. And smiteth his enemies in the butt, and hangeth upon them an everlasting reproach."
(36) In the meantime, Christians baptized in his name must keep still, let their feet run over them, and be patient. For in the realm of faith he will be small, but in the realm of sight he will not be small, but great. Then he will show that he has seen the misery of his people, and heard their cries, and had an inclined will to help them, and also had strength enough that he could help. Now he hides his good will, his power and strength, but when he will appear, then he will reveal his will, his power and strength. Now he can also help and save, he has strength enough that he can do it; there is no lack of will that he wants to do it; but all this is covered in the word that we cannot see it, but must grasp it with faith. But on the day of his coming he will remove the cover and appear as a great God, and do justice to his name, so that people will say: This is a Lord and Savior.
We must wait for such a manifestation of the glory of the great God. For
Before such an appearance he does not show his omnipotence, power, strength, will and help, but rules and leads his Christianity in weakness under the cross, has his gospel and name blasphemed and desecrated, his Christians persecuted, reviled, strangled and killed, and remains silent about it. He lets himself be called a savior and helper, but in reality he does not show himself so fully and obviously as a savior and helper. But when he will come and appear, then he will prove his omnipotence, wisdom, power and help fully and obviously, so that the devil together with all his scales will have to confess and say: This is a great God. Until now we did not know why the Christians believed, confessed, worshipped, honored and praised their Christ as a God and Savior, but now we learn it by deed, for he truly proves that he bore such a name with honor.
38 This is the reason why St. Paul calls Christ a great God, because he wants to give it to understand that he will reveal his great majesty and power on the day of his appearance before all creatures. He will not lie in a manger, nor ride on a donkey, as he did in the first future, but will burst forth from the clouds with great power and glory. He will not let his Christians be trampled underfoot, but will make them beautiful stars and suns, so that they will shine and shine before all creatures. Thus he also speaks 2 Thess. 1, 7. ff.When therefore the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with the angels of his power, and with flames of fire, to execute vengeance upon them that know not God, and upon them which obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall suffer punishment, and everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, when he shall come to shine gloriously with his saints, and marvelously with all them that believe." Summa, he will appear and reveal himself in such a way that all creatures will recognize and see that he was mighty over his enemies and was able and willing to help his people. Whether he already before the blessed day of his future his
If he did not show and reveal his omnipotence, wisdom, power and will, he never lacked omnipotence, wisdom, power and will, but wanted to hide himself so that he revealed himself in his own time.
(39) And this is also the blessed hope, for which, as he said, we must wait, that we may hope and wait for the appearing and manifestation of his omnipotence, wisdom, glory, power and authority. Now there seems to be none; indeed, the contradiction seems to be. Therefore it is necessary that we hold fast to the word and strengthen ourselves in faith, patience and hope until the hour of his glory and power and our salvation comes: as a husbandman must stand in hope through the winter, waiting for his grain, until it breaks forth from the earth in the spring, grows and grows green.
40 But before the hour comes, and we have to wait for it, we should spend our lives in good works, so that we live godly before God, justly toward our neighbor and chastely toward ourselves. "For this cause," says Titus 2:14, "Christ gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all unrighteousness, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, diligent to do good works."
Now we have often heard what good works are, since through baptism and the gospel we have come to the light and knowledge that we know what good works are, which was not known in the papacy. Before the Gospel came, they preached that good works were those which we ourselves devised and chose out of our own devotion; as that one went to St. James, the other to another pilgrimage; the former gave the monks into the monastery, and had many masses said; the latter put up little wax lights, fasted on water and bread, and prayed so many rosaries 2c. But now that the Gospel is coming, let us preach that good works are not those which we choose of our own accord, but those which God has commanded; as when each one does what God has commanded him to do, and what is required of him in his position here on earth.
A servant does good works when he fears God, believes in Christ, and enters into the obedience of his master. First
He is righteous before God through faith in Christ, then he walks by faith, leads a godly life, is moderate and chaste, serves his neighbor, mucks out the barn, feeds the horses 2c. If he goes in in such works, he does better works than no Carthusian. For since he is baptized, believes in Christ, and waits in certain hope for eternal life, he goes forth, is obedient to his Lord, and knows what he does in his profession, that it pleases God. Therefore, what he does in his profession is all good and delicious. It does not seem that they are great, excellent works when he rides in the field, drives in the mill, etc., but because God's command and order is there, such works, however small they may seem, cannot be and are called anything else but vain good works and services of God. . 43 So also, a maid does good works when she does her work in faith, and does what she is called a woman when she sweeps the house, washes dishes and cooks in the kitchen 2c. Even if such works do not seem like the works of a Carthusian, who has a mask around him and opens people's mouths, they are still much better and more delicious works in the sight of God than the works of a Carthusian, who wears a hard shirt, keeps his early hours, looks at night, sings for five hours and eats no meat 2c. For though these are shining and shining works in the sight of the world, yet they have no commandment and commandment of God; how then can they be good works that please God? Likewise, when a citizen, a farmer, helps his neighbor, serves him in whatever way he can, warns him when he sees that he might suffer harm to his body, wife, child, servants, livestock and goods, helps him where he needs his help 2c., such works do not appear either; but they are nevertheless vainly good, delicious works.
(44) When worldly authorities punish the wicked and protect the pious, when the subjects are subject and obedient to their authorities, and do so in faith in Christ and in hope of eternal life, these are good works, even though they do not shine or appear before reason. For what God does on earth through His Christians and saints is not to shine or shine before the world, but rather to be a good deed.
The devil will be black, despised and condemned by the devil and the world. Again, what the devil does through his hypocrites and false saints should shine and shine, so that all the world opens its mouth and nose, and is amazed at it, as if it were a good, delicious thing, when it is all the devil's deceit and lies. If one consults reason, then the works of a servant, a maid, a master, a wife, a mayor and a judge are mean, small works compared to the fact that a Carthusian watches, fasts, prays and does not eat meat. But if one takes God's word into consideration, the works of all the houses and monks, even if they were all melted down into one heap, are not as good as the works of a few poor maidservants who are placed in God's kingdom through baptism, who believe in Christ, and who wait in faith for the blessed hope.
(45) These two things St. Paul wished to preserve in Christendom: the knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and the knowledge of our commanded office; that we might know our Christian estate aright; first, that we are called through baptism and the gospel to be heirs of eternal life; wherefore we also ought to wait for the blessed hope and appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, because we have now become Christians and heirs of the kingdom of heaven, that everything we do by faith in our profession and state is good and precious work, therefore we should also be diligent to do good works. And these two things we should learn well. The first, of blessed hope, we must have for that life, that we may know where we are to abide when this life is ended. The other, of good works, we must have for this life, that we may know how to keep ourselves in our state and office.
46 Therefore, since we have heard what our blessed hope is, for which we should wait, we should now also learn what good works are, namely, those that are done by faith, in our commanded ministry, according to God's commandment and word. Although such works do not shine in the sight of reason, they are nevertheless delicious in the sight of God.
Monk, that he may see and know them. So, I am a preacher, that is my office; if I now believe in Christ, and wait for the blessed hope, and thereupon go, wait for my preaching, and do my office, although my work has a low reputation, yet I would not interpret with all the monks and nuns, and with all their works, which they do in the monastery. 1) And so, through baptism and faith in Christ, I have my knowledge of that life, and through God's word, a report for this present life, how I should conduct myself in it.
47 A wife is also a living saint if she believes in Christ, waits for the blessed hope and appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then goes and does what is proper for a wife. For our works, which we do in our commanded office, even though they are regarded by the world as common and small works, will be praiseworthy in the sight of God if they are done out of faith in Christ and in the hope of eternal life.
(48) But, as I said, the world is not worthy to see and know a good work. For as reason knows nothing of the blessed hope of eternal life, so neither does it understand what good works are. Thus it thinks: This maid milks the cows, this farmer plows the field; these are all common, small works, which also the heathen do; how then can they be good works? But this one becomes a monk, that one becomes a nun, looks sour, puts on a cap, wears a hair shirt: these are special works that other people do not do, therefore they must be good works. This is how reason thinks. Thus one comes from the knowledge, both of the blessed hope and of good works.
(49) Therefore no one can know either this present life or that which is to come, nor can he really send himself to it, unless he is a Christian. He says, "God has given me eternal life through His Son, and I was baptized into it and called to it through the gospel, so I will wait for it with confidence. But besides this he has given me
1) booty - swap.
I am to be a master, a wife, a servant, a maid, a schoolmaster, a preacher, 2c. and to serve him in my profession; therefore I will also be diligent in good works, a fine godly servant, an obedient, disciplined maid, a diligent schoolmaster, a faithful preacher, and do what is pleasing to God.
Whoever knows these things and acts accordingly, his life will not be difficult or sour, and he will not grumble against God, even though he is sometimes in a bad way. For because he is sure of eternal life, and waits for the blessed hope and appearing of the Savior Jesus Christ, he gladly does and suffers all that he should do and suffer. Then, because he recognizes his calling and knows that he serves God in it, he is undaunted to carry out his commanded work. Even though the world is evil and wicked, and life in this world is dangerous and arduous, and the works he does are of little repute, he knows that his position and office are divine, and the works he does in such a position are good and pleasing in the sight of God. Therefore, lead this life with a good conscience and a happy heart, and say: Here I serve God as long as I live, and wait for the blessed hope and appearance of my Savior Jesus Christ; when He will reveal Himself from heaven, I will possess eternal life. But whoever does not know this and does not act accordingly, his life must become sour and difficult. Because he is not sure of eternal life and does not wait for the blessed hope, he cannot be satisfied nor have patience. As soon as things change and do not go as he wants, he becomes impatient and grumbles against God. After that, because he is not sure whether his deeds will please God
If he falls, he can have no joy in his heart nor a good conscience in his work, so he brings this life to fear, sorrow and a heavy nature, and loses eternal life with it. Because he lives on earth, he lives like a sow; when he is to die, he has no hope, weeps, laments and says: "My life has become sour, now I must leave it and die, and I do not know where to go.
(51) It serves such a man right; why does he not learn these two things: first, what his hope is, and what he has to wait for in heaven; then also how he should send himself into his office, and how he should live here on earth? Because he has not learned any of these things, it cannot be otherwise; this life must become sour and difficult for him, and he must have hell to go with it. But a Christian who knows these two things has here a sweet life on earth, and there eternal life through Christ our Savior. Even though he has much toil and unpleasure in his position, he still has joy in his heart and a good conscience in his toil and labor, because he knows that his work and labor are all good works and services to God. If he is a servant, he is happy and in good spirits; if he goes into the woods, rides in the field, he sings; if his master is strange, scolds him and does him wrong, he has patience and waits for another life.
(52) Therefore we are to learn these two things diligently, that we may know what our hope is, not in this life, but in another life to come, and how we are to live godly in this world, and be diligent in good works. And that is enough of this saying for this time; may our dear God grant us His grace to live by it, amen.
Heb. 11:13-16.
All these died in faith, not having received the promise, but having seen it afar off, and having been put off, and having been well pleased, and having confessed that they were sojourners and strangers on the earth. For those who say this indicate that they are looking for a homeland. And that is, where they would have meant the one from which they came.
they had time to turn back. But now they desire a better one, namely a heavenly one, therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
1 Chron. 30, 15.
We are strangers and sojourners before you, like all our fathers. Our life on earth is like a shadow, and is no endurance.