Held on the 4th Sunday after Trinity, June 29, 1539.
Cast all your care upon him, for he cares for you. Be sober, and watch: for your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Next, we dealt with the epistle of St. Peter, that we should humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, and that He should lead us to be
in his time. For he wants us Christians to be humble and to know that God resists those who hope, and he wants Christians to know that they have a mighty hand over them that would fight against them, so that they cannot lead it out. Now he speaks further:
"Cast all your care upon him; for he
Today is the day of St. Peter and St. Paul, therefore they should be remembered as the highest apostles. But their legends are very much falsified by the pope, without it being known for certain in the Gospel that they were called by Christ to the apostleship. All other books say that St. Peter was crucified in Rome. But the pope leans very much from St. Peter. Today, the highest feast is held in Rome, not for the sake of St. Peter, but because the Pope is the head of the whole world for the sake of St. Peter. Today, in Rome, St. Peter's and St. Paul's heads are also pointed out, and all the prestige is left for real skulls, since they are wooden and painted with colors. The pope and his people know well that they are wooden skulls; only that he thus fools and mimics us. No man has virtue in himself, as the pope and his have, that they mock God and man. The Turk and the Tartars are also wicked men; but that they should point wood to St. Peter's and Paul's heads, they do not. But the Pabst's way is to ape us poor Christians and lead us around by the nose. Therefore, we should thank God that we have come out of this error and must no longer hold the work of fools high and for sanctity, as it is still highly celebrated in Rome. I have seen several paintings there, which the evangelist St. Lucas is said to have painted.
But now we do not have St. Paul's and Peter's heads, nor anything else from their bones, but both their spirit and soul, and what they had in their heart, we still know. It is not really known in Rome where the heads of both apostles have gone. For God did it to them as He did to Moses, who had to die with Miriam in the desert, and the Jews did not know their burial place, so that they would not worship Moses' corpse.
It is said that in the kingdom of France there are six apostles and in Spain four, St. Matthias is said to be in Trier. 1) But we have St. John, St. Peter, St. Paul alive with us, as well as the Lord.
1) Cf. Tischreden, Cap. 27, s 143. Walch, St Louiser Avsg., vol. XXII, 922 f.
Christ; spirit and soul live in us, speak with us. For what would I gain from this if I had their bones with me in a golden coffin? They could not talk to me, and I would gain nothing at all with them if we were not also to hear their language and speech. Therefore let them be fooled by the sanctuary they have invented; we still have their doctrine, sermon and epistles. Let us make a proper shrine, that we may lay up their doctrine, wisdom, and thoughts in it. For even if we had their bones and had a golden church built for them, it would not help us. But here we can still hear them speak, just as if they were still alive. For if they were alive, they could not speak otherwise than as they wrote in their epistles. For this reason we now have them spiritually alive with us. Let this be a sanctuary for us, which they do not have in Rome. So we celebrate the feasts of the apostles every day, as often as we preach their gospels and epistles, and those who hear them now hear them as well as those who lived in their time and heard them. Therefore we are blessed people who still have the apostles' writings, and I would rather have David's soul and spirit than his body. For the body could not speak to me, but when I open the psalter, David speaks to me as if he were present with me. So we are set much higher than the pope, if we alone accepted their preaching and honored them spiritually. For one does them no honor, if one closes their dead legs in a golden coffin and keeps them. But take his epistle to the Romans and other epistles, and learn from them to know Christ, whom I have taught, that ye may know to say of me, how I have taught Christ. So even St. Peter, St. Paul and all the saints say to us that we should honor them in this way. So I would rather that anyone accept my teaching than put my dead body in a box of gold.
So we honor the saints St. Peter and St. Paul, that we may know what their heart was, if we accept and listen to their teaching, which they spoke through the Holy Spirit,
2) Buchwald: on it.
who dwelt in their souls. Now accept St. Peter, you have his spirit, soul and heart here, since he says: "Humble yourselves! It is an honor for me that you have kept this and have recognized your God and Lord through me.
Now we hear further about St. Peter's sanctuary. "Cast all your care upon him." This is a beautiful sermon, as he preaches from his heart, saying: "Learn to cast all your care upon God, and be sure that he will take care of you." He speaks of the Christians, who have to suffer much in the world, and says: "Whatever you have, bodily and spiritual, cast it confidently home to him with all joy; do not think: Where will I take money or a house, this or that, where will I stay if I am to die? The world thus does that it can do nothing else but care, does not cast its care on God, but cares how it may become rich, how it may be healthy. It also has on itself the spiritual concern, how it may receive a gracious God and die blessedly.
But hear thou St. Peter, what thou shalt do! The 55th Psalm [v. 23.], "Cast thy cause upon the Lord. He will provide for thee, and will not leave the righteous in trouble for ever." So also here St. Peter says: "Give it from yourself and let it be from God and say: Oh, heavenly Father, you have created me; now it does not work as I would like it to work differently. And go thou then, establish thy office and work of thy profession, saith GOD, and let me take care! This doctrine we Christians hold (which is found nowhere else [but in the Holy Scriptures]) 1) alone; [it is] in St. Peter's heart, and written by his heart and pen. No pagan, no jurist can throw away the care, but are all very careful, and if it does not turn out as they would like, they want to become mad and foolish. Here, look at the lives of all people, especially the great merchants; they spend their lives with useless worries and plots, and when things go badly, they want to fly off the handle. It was much better that
1) We made this addition from the interpretation of the first epistle of St. Peter, Col. 1284, from the Berten: "Dieweil es GOtt so will haben." This sentence reads in Buchwald: "We Christians hold this doctrine, which is found nowhere else, in St. Peter's Pagans alone" 2c.
I would follow St. Peter's advice, and I would arrange my office and let God take care of it; that a prince would protect the pious and punish the wicked, and could order God to take care of them. No, one does not do that. Yes, I should punish him or speak harshly to him, so that he might do me harm! Oh, if you want to be careful, then just leave the office! Now you like to hear us praising and extolling all the estates, but nevertheless no one wants to do his duty. When the authorities are called upon to perform their office, they hesitate and fear that this or that may happen to them. Now the authorities have not been praised by us because they alone come in beautiful clothes. Nor is the clergy praised because a bishop is a splendid, handsome person, but because he is supposed to go out and grab the hair and wool of those who live angrily and punish them. This is what God wants; then the honor will be found. But the authorities want to be praised for being highborn, and they want to use the Gospel alone for this purpose, where it is good for them. But it is said: Do your duty and give the care to the Lord.
Some also say of me: "I should not write against the bishops as I did against the bishop of Mainz, because it might cause unpleasantness. I will let God take care of that. If you do not want to do the same, what do you seek in the office? Let someone else sit in it, who can order God to take care of it! There is a lack of all ranks, and especially of regimentation, so that no one wants to hang on the cat's bells. The lower classes should govern themselves. But it does not happen; God knows it well. That is why he established the authorities and gave them parents, because children are evil by nature.
It is lacking that one does not want to take it and command God to take care of it. God has taken upon Himself the greatest thing, namely the worry. God had the light before He made the sun, and He could do without the sun. So he could also rule without you and punish all murder and vice; but he does not want to do it, he wants to use you for this, since you, regent, are to punish the wicked, as St. Paul says Romans 13:4. He could also preach to all without the apostles, comforting the afflicted,
and punish, but he will do it by means. But the negligence of the authorities is now great; they are lazy dogs that feist on the cushion, and make a stink, as Isaiah says, eating the good morsels out of the bowl. But if we are Christians, we must confess that a Christian will speak and live in a way that offends people, and will punish sin.
But only do so, says St. Peter, do not be so careful; but do what you have to do in your position and office, go through with boots and spurs! If we were not such lazy, gluttonous dogs, God would accomplish much through us.
With the Turks and the Jews there is vain work and stopping, and our Lord God lets the enemy succeed. The priest does the same. But we don't want to do anything, we all want to sit on our cushions. If you are afraid of people's useless speeches, blasphemies, and scurrilous words, you are a felt. Rather, say: I have power and authority from God to punish, to ward off evil, so that everyone may be afraid, otherwise you yourself are the cause of an evil regime and of all evil; just as I was put in the preaching ministry for this reason, that I should punish; whether it upsets the people and they are angry about it, what is it to me? I did not start it for this reason, so that I would be praised. Let it be as God wills! So let us continue in doing and suffering, and cast our care upon him. In the same way, when I am sick or in mortal distress, I should say. If you are a Christian, you are talking here about St. Peter's sanctuary, that God has let you live so long, and has not preserved you because of your sorrow, as your own experience testifies, and has given you his dear Son. Into the hands of God I will entrust myself; go, dear soul!
Thus, the Holy Spirit through St. Peter wants to make the hearts of all Christians peaceful and comforting, so that they will do everything they are commanded to do in their profession, and also suffer everything, and still have a joyful heart that God can command everything and say: I do what God has commanded me to do. If I have to suffer persecution, I suffer as much as I can. If I have to die because of it, then I command God to do my best.
Soul, so that the care remains with God alone, who has taken it upon himself. Oh, if one could persuade the wise people and the princes and the great merchants, who think that they often want to help things with their suggestions, wise counsels and practices, that they would do their duty and let God take care (for He has taken the greatest upon Himself), then things would be much different for them.
But we even turn it around, bite and eat ourselves with the worries, how this or that may happen. Then we fail to see that it does not happen. The preacher of Solomon also says: "Do what is your duty and do not worry. For a long time you must worry that it will rain or that the sun will shine. Nothing will come of your care, but plow the earth and pray that God's will be done and the grain will grow well. The great worry of farmers and noblemen is the devil. We Christians are called to work and suffer. He who wants to do his work properly will have to suffer, but let him command God to take care of it. That is why I say that everyone should do what he is obliged to do in his profession, work and suffer, and the third, as the care, give home to our Lord God. But the world does not follow St. Peter's advice, but does the opposite. It does nothing and hinders the trades, nor does it want to suffer anything, but the people fall into vain sorrow. Wouldn't it be better to work and go about it freshly and confidently, even if one had to suffer something unpleasant about it, that one would only be cheerful about it and say: Therefore, I have not slept; 1) I have prayed and commanded God the matter, God will send it well.
We Christians have this teaching. The pope, the lawyers and the Turks do not have it. The Jews have nothing but blasphemy against Christ. But we know that God is almighty and can give everything, and we should call upon Him boldly and boldly as our dear Father and cast our cares upon Him. He is pleased to do so. This is what we can do, so that we can get rid of our worries altogether. He also has a strong neck and back and can carry it well.
1) Buchwald: "and would therefore speak without being left out: I" 2c. - For our improvement, compare Walch, old edition, vol. 9, 1276, ยง 33.
Therefore throw them on him, "because", says St. Peter, "he cares for you". If he said that about gold and silver, that it had the power and strength to take care of our life, health and food! If a prince could do that, provide for every man! But since it is now preached by God, who is true and almighty, that we should confidently cast all care upon him, if we could do that, this life would be half a paradise. But because of our care we lead a troublesome and miserable life. Verily, in times past we ran to Rome, to St. Jacob and now and then, and would have liked to be free of worry. I became a monk for the sake of sorrow and gladly sought a happy good conscience toward God at the end of the world. But now it comes to us, and without money, that God, who created you, sustains you and preserves your life. He also takes care of you. Earlier you were tired of torture. When you work and suffer what seems evil to you, when things do not go your way, know that God cares for you!
If we did that, we would have half of heaven and paradise. Think what a treasure it is to have a quiet, peaceful heart. Even if you are sick and full of French, your courage is good and joyful in the Lord. Now where the pestilence comes from, I ask nothing of it, for God is careful for me. And to such people all evil and wickedness would be a sweet yoke. Otherwise, one cannot do any good work, nor suffer anything, and becomes an unfit person, so that sin and shame are the result.
Now if you want to see St. Peter, not the head, but his heart, hear what he says here: "Cast all your anxiety out of him! Do not keep them 1) with you, and do not so as to remember: Who knoweth whether he remember me? For then you make yourself such a man, unfit to work and to suffer. Yes, say the wise men, do not throw it into the corner, it cannot be thrown away like that! Therefore, St. Peter says, "Do not doubt what God has commanded here, that you may cast your trust in Him, and you can
1) Buchwald: "Keep it".
don't throw so much at him, he'd rather [if you throw all your worries at him]. 2) If we learned this art, we would do more in one year than others do in a hundred years. A fearful prince does not execute his office. But he says: Dear God, I command you, I will dare it in your name. If it goes badly for me, you will help, - he can do much good; for the great stone "unbelief", that is, his worries and thoughts are gone. For he hangs it on our Lord God's neck, there it lies well.
It is a fine golden saying, which every Christian should know well, that St. Peter says: Be sure that God cares for you. Otherwise the devil sows worry in our hearts; but worry does not belong in it, but on our Lord God's back, who says: I will see to it that your work goes forth. When the opposite is done, their hearts are full of sadness and sorrow, and because of this they become sullen, afraid of all bushes, and impatient. It serves them right; why do they turn the hindmost into the foremost? Those who are in office do not want it. If we had people who governed in this way, things would be fine. But none of the mayors, nobles and priests will do anything. Truly, if you neglect and neglect the government with your care, you will have to give God a heavy account for it. But here you have a crown and a rosary, so that people will honor you. They also give honor, authority to the authorities. But you, authorities, do not do your duty, you only want to eat the fat and not step into the dung. So now the youth also wants to be pulled. If they could govern themselves, there would be no need for so many estates and order, authorities. But God wants to prove His majesty and strength in our weakness. He accepts me as a preacher who is like a fly and a water bubble. Before, he created us from nothing. So we human beings are still the same as nothing. For today we are alive, tomorrow we are dead, and yet He does not meet the devil with
2) Supplemented by Buchwald.
The Lord will not be able to do the glorious majesty that he will do on the last day, but he will do it in weakness and foolishness. There he can also do great things.
Now St. Peter preaches about the devil. Here you see that the devil is the cause of all sorrow and misfortune.
Be sober and watchful, for your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
He wants to say that we are not set on the cushion, and that we should eat the fat above, but we have an adversary, the devil. That would be still low; but that is hard, that he is hostile to us and is grievous, and in addition he is wicked and strong. He does not want to fight with stones and trees, even though he sometimes rumbles in the woods and throws everything over, but he means you Christians.
This enemy is not so that he snores and sleeps and sits on a cushion, but he goes about day and night, and there is no feasting with him, and does not go about that
he sees what we do, but how he devours us. Therefore we should not be safe, as if the devil were far from us and beyond the sea, but with us in the city, in the chamber, yes, in our flesh and blood. And we also see how much misfortune, murder, death, fornication and avarice he causes, except the great gross murders. He causes many miserable cases. Listen to St. Peter, who says: "We have an adversary, who not only hinders the spiritual and temporal government, but also brings and leads us into other gross evil and sin. There we only hear him, here 1) we grasp him. That is why people do not hear God's word and become such people. We have enough to do who hear God's word daily and learn to resist this enemy. How will others resist him, who live without all knowledge of God, without faith and fear of God?
1) "grasp" put by us, instead of: "praise" in Buchwald. Already earlier (St. Louiser Ausg., Vol. 7, 1514) we saw that Buchwald read g in p: "to throw out with rags" instead of: "nnt lungs".