Held on the 3rd Sunday after Trinity, June 22, 1539.
Like them, young people, be subject to the elders. All of you be subject to one another, and hold fast to humility. For God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in his time.
This epistle does not teach about the main thing that 1) we call Christian faith, but only exhorts to good works. For we see and grasp here that we are not such preachers who forbid good works, but we teach and preach about good works. But there are four good pieces in it.
The first one is about humility. He spoke of the preachers, as can be seen from the beginning of the 5th chapter, and told them, who govern the people with the word and sacraments, that they are not set as lords, that their rule is not worldly. The world must have this, and God has given it sword, gallows and other powers. No preacher should exalt himself, but be humble and help the people with preaching and good examples. For our rule is not dominion. All others should do the same, even if they are not preachers or in spiritual government, but are who or what they are. The young people should humble themselves, the youth should honor their age. One should be respectful to a gray head. For this is honestly and well suited to youth. If only we could persuade the youth! The young males and females should be obedient to the old matrons, and the maids to the wives. Students and servants should be obedient and humble. Learn this and see if it would not stand well in the world if it were so. So the young team should honor the old age. The boys should also be humble and let themselves be drawn and obey their parents, and also be willing to obey their masters. If they now followed St. Peter's teaching, then they would have
1) Buchwald: that.
We have enough good works to do. I would rather see such a city, where the youth would be obedient to the elders, otherwise see a hundred barefoot monasteries. If the youth were admonished and followed, even if the old men and women honored the young, then it would be well.
It is now a very mean complaint how disobedient, wanton, hopeful and proud the youth is. For when a schoolmaster punishes a pupil, or a matron scolds a maiden, she says: What is it to thee? Well, it is God's commandment that one should be humble. It is not arbitrary that it should be up to thee whether thou shalt do it or not, but thou shalt do it with goodness and will, or thou shalt have thunder over thy head. The youth is now wild, rough and naughty, and no one wants to be punished, but everyone wants to be a squire, free 2). But everyone will be to this vice and one speaks of the courtly: Fie on you, you impudent, you proud wretch! One is despised and cursed, and also maligned by those whom it does not concern, and arrogance or pride harms no one but yourself. And this is yet to be despised, that men spit upon one another; but God above in heaven will not suffer it, saying, Ye shall not be hopeful. If you will not be humble for the sake of the Lord Christ's example, which is set before us and preached to us, and if you will not let the world curse you for the sake of men, for the sake of your contempt, then do it for the sake of the wretched devil, who is cast out of heaven for the sake of hope. If then thou art hopeful, thou hast first of all for an enemy the whole human race, which saith, Behold, thou young wretch, fie on thee! Above that, that the whole world also sneers at you, you also have God as your enemy. You have started a vicious quarrel against God, who has rejected you.
2) Buchwald: "Junker Frei. Cf. Col. 1280: "Junker, frei und ungestraft sein".
create. If therefore thou wouldest not spare thyself, that the world should grudge thee, consider that our Lord taketh thunder and lightning in his hand, and wilt smite thee therewith.
But the world follows the example of the devil. For if you look at the Bible, you will find that the devil wanted to sit hard with our Lord God, and Lucifer says [Is. 14:13]: "I will ascend into heaven, and exalt my throne above the stars of God." But he fell into the abyss of hell. We follow this example, especially the young people, who do not think otherwise than that they are everything.
Look at the examples in my time! Muenzer was proud of his heart, and so were the Anabaptists. But how did they fare? They have not only done great harm to the court, but also disgraced it. But not only the world is unfavorable to them, but also all creatures, God and the angels. Therefore he admonishes us not only with frightening examples, but also with kind words, and says: "The bishops should first remain in their office and let emperors and kings rule. Then he addresses the youth; when they are punished and admonished by old honest people, they should not say, "What are you asking about that, you old man, but call them fathers? But if you do, you must hear: She has hardly crawled out of her shell and does not look at an honest matron! Therefore let the devil take you in marriage. Then God says: You are not a Christian, your baptism and Christ are lost in you. You are of the devil, as you stand and walk. I have seen many such virgins who remained sitting and were despised. But Christ humbled himself for our sake even to the death of the cross, Phil. 2:8. Therefore we should also humble ourselves, or we are not Christians. And if we are proud against those who are higher than we are, then the baptism, suffering and blood of Christ are lost to us.
The spirits of the wicked are hopeful in the first table, and they have a devilish arrogance (which is straight against the name and word of God), which grows out of the spiritual
goods. These are usually the bishops, preachers and their disciples, who have learned something from them, because they turn into rats. Therefore they puff themselves up, saying: "I am learned, I have the spirit of God," and think that they are so wise that the whole world is vain fools against them.
This hope arises and grows from the gifts of the spirit, as being learned in the Scriptures, about which they especially boast a lot. After that, that one is a learned lawyer or doctor of medicine. These are all gifts of God, that one is a skilled theologian, jurist or medicus. From this arises a haughtiness, that they think the others are all geese and fools, or stink before them as dirt, not thinking that their skill is God's gift or grace. Item, if one can make a little verse, he does not consider it a gift of God, but as if it had grown on him by nature, then they pride themselves on the gifts of God and abuse them, blaspheme and disgrace God, whom they should otherwise honor and praise. A theologian remembers: I am an excellent, learned man. But you say here: I should serve others with my art, and should not want to be a delicious magister or a lord. But the devil does not let us recognize the gifts of God, but only tempts us to pride ourselves with them. Lawyers who are not theologians are the worst. So are theologians who do not have the Spirit of God; no one can agree with them. To all of them St. Peter says: You should not be proud!
And here lift up and learn what right good works are! What is a cap or a plate against it? Learn then to say, Though I have more gifts than another, yet am I no better. Why am I proud? What am I bragging about? Do I want to push our Lord God down from heaven? Therefore I will be humble. For the humble are our Lord God's friends, and God is also their friend. And if they do not humble themselves, everything about them, baptism and Christ, is lost. Therefore he says, "Hold fast to humility!" For the devil will also want to take away this virtue.
Let every trustworthy person know that
that he has made God his adversary, and that he has lost Christ and baptism! This is pride against the first table, if we do not use the gifts of God for His glory and the benefit of our neighbor. So with this pride I make everyone despise me, yes, God himself is mine, and I will not partake of the gifts and goods of Christ; as we see then that the rotten spirits all go to the devil with the wicked.
After that, arrogance is in the other table. Since 1) one is a prince or nobleman, he thinks the others are all geese. And if they are learned, they make themselves believe that they are doing well by despising others. But here you have a verdict that God and the world are looking at you. What an excellent work it is when a prince is born of a high tribe, and yet lives humbly, not exalting himself with jewelry and gifts! Should such not stand better than a cap or plate? Is it not a beautiful virtue when a count is humble! No more adornment adorns him. For God is well pleased with humility. Therefore hear what God says, who says: Humble yourself, or you are not a Christian, but the property of the devil. Your cap or crown will not save you from death and sins. Therefore, remember to judge yourself first by the example of the Lord Christ and not by the image of the devil.
This is the arrogance of the burghers and peasants. That is why they have so many guilders and thalers. They make themselves believe that they should be worshipped. But it is ridiculous for them to be so proud. It reminds me of the way they used to decorate pictures. If a citizen is a little learned, he is a fine little creature. Then the goose feathers have also grown. About this is also the women's court. Some are so beautiful that they stink with pride. She lets herself think that her dirt stinks, too.
St. Peter wants to indicate that the world does not like hope. For the world is not like whores and thieves, as it is like this vice, piety. But here you hear the judgment of God, of all the angels and nations, that
1) Buchwald: that.
The proud are unpleasant and cursed people. And if you are also proud, you have lost God's grace and mercy, and Christ is of no use to you, and you have also lost His everlasting kingdom. Therefore he says, "Hold fast to humility." Let me tell you a lesson! If you are proud, whether in the first or in the second table, as God has adorned and gifted you, whether in soul or in body, that you are noble, beautiful, or rich in goods, each one learn the lesson: "God resists the hopeful." There you have an enemy, who is called God, with his dear angels and saints, and the 2) world, which is otherwise bad and evil. Such a rejected filth is arrogance, that even the evil world cannot let you go unchallenged. Write the rhyme in your house, much more in your heart: "God resists the hopeful", and do not forget it! God is then not only unfavorable to you, but you have a quarrel against God, and have lost God, Christ and baptism, and are in the devil's jaws and crawling up his ass. Therefore, if a Christian wants to be such a Christian, it is not necessary for him to go to a monastery and call upon the saints. Here St. Peter shows him what pleases God and what adorns and decorates you before God more than any emperor's crown and splendor; namely, that everyone be humble in his position. If an old, honest man punishes or admonishes you, accept it kindly. If you are a theologian and have many gifts, humble yourself even against a child still in the cradle or recently born, or you will have God as your enemy.
This is truly a fine sermon of good works. And this is a fine house, village, city and school, where children behave against their parents, and students against their teachers, young journeymen against old people, young women against honest matrons. But the devil prevents it. We cannot get this angelic clothing. Because the devil is proud. Therefore he cannot suffer you to be humble. When a maid is scolded, she says: I would make my wife hellish.
2) Buchwald: the.
Have fire! So also a servant says: Before I would suffer this, I would have the Lord St. Vitus. 1) Now be proud, but know that the devil is your god, and just as he has fallen and been thrust out of heaven into hell, so he will also drag you with him. It is no trouble for a man to wear a gray cap and flask, for now everyone wears a flask. So it is not much work to get up at night and sing. But that you, maiden, should hold an honest matron in honor, or that a student should let himself be pulled by his schoolmaster, and that one of the nobility should be humble, that will not follow. The devil is blocking and defending himself. Therefore St. Peter says: "Hold fast to humility", as if he should say: If you want to be humble, you must be braided, stapled and knotted together. As if someone already wants to anger me and gives me cause for impatience, gives me an evil word or an opportunity for malice or anger, and the devil also provokes me to it, then one says: "Shall I suffer this? Soon one falls into the other's hair. Therefore you must join your hands together. For humility will not come in, nor will it be put on like a gray skirt. For there is the devil, who does nothing but sow hope among men, so that they say, "I have as much money in my pocket as you have. Item: I am as noble, beautiful and learned as you. Let it be true at once, but think: Why was beauty, skill, wisdom and understanding given to me by God, but that I should serve God humbly with them and be beneficial to my neighbor? Even if I am provoked to anger, I shall not do it, but hold fast, clench my claws; for it is easily taken. It tickles you that you are noble. That is one reason why it wants to drive away your hope and take away your humility.
If we acted in such a way as to be humble, we would be full of good works. For it is impossible that a humble man should do or do any evil work. If a man is noble and humble, he is full of good works, and he wins the love and favor of his fellow men.
1) i.e. Valentine's disease, falling sickness. (Buchwald.)
Subjects and grace with God, that he may grow and increase in the knowledge and faith of the Lord Christ. Humility does not make one proud, nor does it make one do evil, and in the meantime we made the monks wear caps. Our humility is useful and useful to men and pleasing to God. But if you are not humble, then hatred, envy, anger, malice, all kinds of harm, oppression, hindrance, defense and all kinds of devilish works flow out of your attitude of hope.
But these are right works that adorn us and are acceptable before God, before all angels and before the world, even before all evil people, namely humility, that the humble have a fine peaceful heart. For otherwise one has a troubled heart and disfavor with God and men. Whoever wants to have God as his enemy, let him follow the devil and be only proud! He will soon lose Christ, who redeemed him with his blood, and his baptism will be in vain.
Therefore he says not only, "Be humble," but also, "Hold fast to humility. For evil men and the devil will tempt you to hope. But therefore beware of this vice. "For God resists the proud." If you are proud, you can do no good. For what you do comes from pride.
There St. Peter lets a little bit of the dread underrun, as if he should say: You have a "mighty hand" over you, so that the hope can steer. For hope is a water bubble, and not yet so strong, which makes a great belly, as if it wanted to storm the sky. But there is no power nor force behind it, and it is capable of as much strength as a fly's foot. Even if one were graced and adorned with many gifts, one is still like a water bubble. As Isaiah said in the 40th chapter [P. 6. 7.]: "All flesh is like hay, and all its goodness is like a flower of the field. The hay withers, the flower fades; for the Spirit of the Lord blows in it." Item, in the same chapter the prophet says: "Behold, the Gentiles are esteemed as a drop that abideth in the bucket, and as a mite that abideth in the balance. Behold, the isles are as a little stick."
If it is so about you that you do not know from your power and authority whether you will still live tomorrow or have your thalers and use them, and you are not sure of your life for a moment, but above you, up in heaven, is the "mighty hand" that is stretched out with thunder and lightning, what are we proud of? He did not spare the angels, who were pure and glorious creatures and had beautiful angelic gifts. He will not spare yours either. It is a glorious gift that one is a prince, just as Ezekiel says of the prince of Tyre [27:3, 28:2, 14] that he is the most beautiful on earth, as the most beautiful angels are in heaven. Yet he says, "How will you fare? You must go to the abyss of hell. The fact that you are a nobleman is given to you by God. Otherwise you are born as naked in the world as another, and you are not sure of your life for a moment.
Read all the histories and you will find it alfo, and experience will also teach you. 2) The pope is also proud and has had his feet kissed. Pope Alexander III stepped on the neck of the Emperor Barbarossa and told the verse from the 91st Psalm [v. 13.]: "On the lions and vipers you will walk and tread on the young lions and dragons." 3) Wasn't that a splendid arrogance? But the emperor suffered it patiently and said: I do it not to thee, but in honor of St. Petro. But
1) Buchwald: morning.
2) Buchwald: learn.
3) Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XIX, 1964.
the pope stepped on his neck once again. This arrogance has been too great.
Now our Lord God can. He is a visitator; he sleeps, lets you be arrogant and grow. If it will be too much, God opens his eyes. Then the pope will no longer kick the emperor.
The Turk is also proud; but I hope he is on the highest level. He may scuffle us one more; for the text is not missing: "God resists the proud. If the Turk were a hundred thousand times as proud, it would not help him if he opened his eyes, whose power is above. He will then ask as little about the Turkish emperor's and the pope's power as I ask about a fly. Therefore see that you do not despise this, and humble yourself! Then you will have a gracious God, and men will also be kind and favorable to you. For even wicked and evil men praise this virtue. Therefore, we should not boast or be proud, but fear the wrath of God. He will make you "high" before Him and before men "in His time". Again, the hour will not fail to come when you will be cast down for the sake of hope.
This would be reason enough to humble oneself. But the devil does not admit it. He wants such poor water bubbles to be proud. If you want to have an angry God, and if all the sacraments that God has otherwise given you are in vain, then lift yourself up and be hopeful. Again, if God is to be your friend, and if it is good for you, be humble!