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| Martin Luther Biletet er henta frå Wikimedia Commons. |
THE DISCIPLES & THE FRUITS OF GOD'S WORD
4 Mykje folk strøymde no saman frå alle byane rundt omkring. Då ei stor folkemengd hadde samla seg om han, fortalde han dei ei likning:
5 «Ein såmann gjekk ut for å så kornet sitt. Og då han sådde, fall noko attmed vegen. Det vart nedtrakka, og fuglane under himmelen kom og åt det opp. 6 Noko fall på steingrunn, og det visna med same det kom opp, fordi det ikkje fekk væte. 7 Noko fall mellom klunger, og klungeren voks opp saman med kornet og kvelte det. 8 Men noko fall i god jord, og det voks opp og gav grøde, heile hundre gonger det som vart sådd.» Då han hadde sagt dette, ropa han ut: «Den som har øyre å høyra med, høyr!»
9 Sidan spurde disiplane han kva denne likninga skulle tyda. 10 Han svara: «Dykk er det gjeve å kjenna løyndomane om Guds rike. Men dei andre får det i likningar, for at dei skal
sjå, men ikkje sjå,
og høyra, men ikkje skjøna.
11 Likninga tyder: Såkornet er Guds ord. 12 Dei attmed vegen er dei som høyrer ordet; men så kjem djevelen og tek det bort frå hjartet deira, så dei ikkje skal tru og bli frelste. 13 Dei på steingrunn er dei som tek imot ordet med glede når dei høyrer det. Men dei har ikkje rot; dei trur ei tid, men når dei blir sette på prøve, fell dei frå. 14 Det som fall mellom klunger, er dei som høyrer ordet, men på vegen gjennom livet blir dei kvelte av sorger og rikdom og nytingar og ber ikkje fullmogen grøde. 15 Men det i den gode jorda, det er dei som høyrer ordet og tek vare på det i eit fint og godt hjarte, held ut og ber grøde. __________________________________________________________________
SECTION I. THE NATURE OF THE WORD SPOKEN HERE.
1. This Gospel treats of the disciples and the fruits, which the Word
of God develops in the world. It does not speak of the law nor of human
institutions; but, as Christ himself says, of the Word of God, which he
himself the sower preaches, for the law bears no fruit, just as little
as do the institutions of men. Christ however sets forth here four
kinds of disciples of the divine Word.
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SECTION II. THE DISCIPLES OF THIS WORD.
2. The first class of disciples are those who hear the Word but neither
understand nor esteem it. And these are not the mean people in the
world, but the greatest, wisest and the most saintly, in short they are
the greatest part of mankind; for Christ does not speak here of those
who persecute the Word nor of those who fail to give their ear to it,
but of those who hear it and are students of it, who also wish to be
called true Christians and to live in Christian fellowship with
Christians and are partakers of baptism and the Lord's Supper. But they
are of a carnal heart, and remain so, failing to appropriate the Word
of God to themselves, it goes in one ear and out the other. Just like
the seed along the wayside did not fall into the earth, but remained
lying on the ground in the wayside, because the road was tramped hard
by the feet of man and beast and it could not take root.
3. Therefore Christ says the devil cometh and taketh away the Word from
their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. What power of
Satan this alone reveals, that hearts, hardened through a worldly mind
and life, lose the Word and let it go, so that they never understand or
confess it; but instead of the Word of God Satan sends false teachers
to tread it under foot by the doctrines of men. For it stands here
written both that it was trodden under foot, and the birds of the
heaven devoured it. The birds Christ himself interprets as the
messengers of the devil, who snatch away the Word and devour it, which
is done when he turns and blinds their hearts so that they neither
understand nor esteem it, as St. Paul says in 2 Tim 4:4: "They will
turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables." By
the treading under foot of men Christ means the teachings of men, that
rule in our hearts, as he says in Mt 5:13 also of the salt that has
lost its savor, it is cast out and trodden under foot, of men; that is,
as St. Paul says in 2 Thes. 2:11, they must believe a lie because they
have not been obedient to the truth.
4. Thus all heretics, fanatics and sects belong to this number, who
understand the Gospel in a carnal way and explain it as they please, to
suit their own ideas, all of whom hear the Gospel and yet they bear no
fruit, yea, more, they are governed by Satan and are harder oppressed
by human institutions than they were before they heard the Word. For it
is a dreadful utterance that Christ here gives that the devil taketh
away the Word from their hearts, by which he clearly proves that the
devil rules mightily in their hearts, notwithstanding they are called
Christians and hear the Word. Likewise it sounds terribly that they are
to be trodden under foot, and must be subject unto men and to their
ruinous teachings, by which under the appearance and name of the Gospel
the devil takes the Word from them, so that they may never believe and
be saved, but must be lost forever; as the fanatical spirits of our day
do in all lands. For where this Word is not, there is no salvation, and
great works or holy lives avail nothing, for [it is] with this, that he
says: "They shall not be saved," since they have not the Word, he shows
forcibly enough, that not their works but their faith in the Word alone
saves, as Paul says to the Romans: "It is, the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom 1:16).
5. The second class of hearers are those who receive the Word with joy,
but they do not persevere. These are also a large multitude who
understand the Word correctly and lay hold of it in its purity without
any spirit of sect, division or fanaticism, they rejoice also in that
they know the real truth, and are able to know how they may be saved
without works through faith. They also know that they are free from the
bondage of the law, of their conscience and of human teachings; but
when it comes to the test that they must suffer harm, disgrace and loss
of life or property, then they fall and deny it; for they have not root
enough, and are not planted deep enough in the soil. Hence they are
like the growth on a rock, which springs forth fresh and green, that it
is a pleasure to behold it and it awakens bright hopes. But when the
sun shines hot it withers, because it has no soil and moisture, and
only rock is there. So these do; in times of persecution they deny or
keep silence about the Word, and work, speak and suffer all that their
persecutors mention or wish, who formerly went forth and spoke, and
confessed with a fresh and joyful spirit the same, while there was
still peace and no heat, so that there was hope they would bear much
fruit and serve the people. For these fruits are not only the works,
but more the confession, preaching and spreading of the Word, so that
many others may thereby be converted and the kingdom of God be
developed.
6. The third class are those who hear and understand the Word, but
still it falls on the other side of the road, among the pleasures and
cares of this life, so that they also do nothing with the Word. And
there is quite a large multitude of these; for although they do not
start heresies, like the first, but always possess the absolutely pure
Word, they are also, not attacked on the left as the others with
opposition and persecution; yet they fall on the right side, and it is
their ruin that they enjoy peace and good days. Therefore they do not
earnestly give themselves to the Word, but become indifferent and sink
in the cares, riches and pleasures of this life, so that they are of no
benefit to any one. Therefore they are like the seed that fell among
the thorns. Although it is not rocky but good soil; not wayside but
deeply plowed soil; yet, the thorns will not let it spring up, they
choke it. Thus these have all in the Word that is needed for their
salvation, but they do not make any use of it, and they rot in this
life in carnal pleasures. To these belong those who hear the Word but
do not bring under subjection their flesh. They know their duty but do
it not, they teach but do not practice what they teach, and are this
year as they were last.
7. The fourth class are those who lay hold of and keep the Word in a
good and honest heart, and bring forth fruit with patience, those who
hear the Word and steadfastly retain it, meditate upon it and act in
harmony with it. The devil does not snatch it away, nor are they
thereby led astray, moreover the heat of persecution does not rob them
of it, and the thorns of pleasure and the avarice of the times do not
hinder its growth; but they bear fruit by teaching others and by
developing the kingdom of God, hence they also do good to their
neighbor in love; and therefore Christ adds, "they bring forth fruit
with patience." For these must suffer much on account of the Word,
shame and disgrace from fanatics and heretics, hatred and jealousy with
injury to body and property from their persecutors, not to mention what
the thorns and the temptations of their own flesh do, so that it may
well be called the Word of the cross; for he who would keep it must
bear the cross and misfortune, and triumph. field,
8. He says: "In honest and good hearts." Like a field that is without a
thorn or brush, cleared and spacious, as a beautiful clean place: so a
heart is also cleared and clean, broad and spacious, that is without
cares and avarice as to temporal needs, so that the Word of God truly
finds lodgment there. But the field is good, not only when it lies
there cleared and level, but when it is also rich and fruitful,
possesses soil and is productive, and not like a stony and gravelly
field. Just so is the heart that has good soil and with a full spirit
is strong, fertile and good to keep the Word and bring forth fruit with
patience.
9. Here we see why it is no wonder there are so few true Christians,
for all the seed does not fall into good ground, but only the fourth
and small part; and that they are not to be trusted who boast they are
Christians and praise the teaching of the Gospel; like Demas, a
disciple of St. Paul, who forsook him at last (2 Tim. 4:10); like the
disciples of Jesus, who turned their backs to him (John 6:66). For
Christ himself cries out here: "He that hath ears to hear, let him
hear," as if he should say: O, how few true Christians there are; one
dare not believe all to be Christians who are called Christians and
hear the Gospel, more is required than that.
10. All this is spoken for our instruction, that we may not go astray,
since so many misuse the Gospel and few lay hold of it aright. True it
is unpleasant to preach to those who treat the Gospel so shamefully and
even oppose it. For preaching is to become so universal that the Gospel
is to be proclaimed to all creatures, as Christ says in Mk. 16:15:
"Preach the Gospel to the whole creation;" and Ps. 19:4: "Their line is
gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the
world." What business is it of mine that many do not esteem it? It must
be that many are called but few are chosen. For the sake of the good
ground that brings forth fruit with patience, the seed must also fall
fruitless by the wayside, on the rock and among the thorns; inasmuch as
we are assured that the Word of God does not go forth without bearing
some fruit, but it always finds also good ground; as Christ says here,
some seed of the sower falls also into good ground, and not only by the
wayside, among the thorns and on stony ground. For wherever the Gospel
goes you will find Christians. "My word shall not return unto me void"
(Is. 55:11). [pages 119-121 omitted (section III) in this on-line
edition]
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SECTION IV. WHY CHRIST CALLS THE DOCTRINE CONCERNING THE DISCIPLES AND THE
FRUITS OF THE WORD A MYSTERY.
19. But what does it mean when he says: "Unto you it is given to know
the mysteries of the kingdom of God", etc.? What are the mysteries?
Shall one not know them, why then are they preached? A "mystery" is a
hidden secret, that is not known: and the "mysteries of the kingdom of
God" are the things in the kingdom of God, as for example Christ with
all his grace, which he manifests to us, as Paul describes him; for he
who knows Christ aright understands what God's kingdom is, and what is
in it. And it is called a mystery because it is spiritual and secret,
and indeed it remains so, where the spirit does not reveal it. For
although there are many who see and hear it, yet they do not understand
it. just as there are many who preach and hear Christ, how he offered
himself for us; but all that is only upon their tongue and not in their
heart; for they themselves do not believe it, they do not experience
it, as Paul in 1 Cor. 2:14 says: "The natural man receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God!" Therefore Christ says here: "Unto you it
is given", the Spirit gives it to you that you not only hear and see
it, but acknowledge and believe it with your heart. Therefore it is now
no longer a mystery to you. But to the others who hear it as well as
you, and have no faith in their heart, they see and understand it not;
to them it is a mystery and it will continue unknown to them, and all
that they hear is only like one hearing a parable or a dark saying.
This is also proved by the fanatics of our day, who know so much to
preach about Christ; but as they themselves do not experience it in
their heart, they rush ahead and pass by the true foundation of the
mystery and tramp around with questions and rare foundlings, and when
it comes to the test they do not know the least thing about trusting in
God and finding in Christ the forgiveness of their sins.
20. But Mark says (4:33), Christ spake therefore to the people with
parables, that they might understand, each according to his ability.
How does that agree with what Matthew says, 13:13-14: He spake
therefore unto them in parables, because they did not understand? It
must surely be that Mark wishes to say that parables serve to the end
that they may get a hold of coarse, rough people, although they do not
indeed understand them, yet later, they may be taught and then they
know: for parables are naturally pleasing to the common people, and
they easily remember them since they are taken from common every day
affairs, in the midst of which the people live. But Matthew means to
say that these parables are of the nature that no one can understand
them, they may grasp and hear them as often as they will, unless the
Spirit makes them known and reveals them. Not that they should preach
that we shall not understand them; but it naturally follows that
wherever the Spirit does not reveal them, no one understands them.
However, Christ took these words from Is. 6:9-10, where the high
meaning of the divine foreknowledge is referred to, that God conceals
and reveals to whom he will and whom he had in mind from eternity.
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