Ambulans Jesus juxta mare Galileae: et reliqua.
Christ on a time went along the Galilean sea, and saw two brothers, Simon,
who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, etc.
As they before with a net had fished on the sea waves, so Christ caused
them afterwards by his heavenly lore to fish for the souls of men; for they
withdrew the people from fleshly lusts, and from worldly errors to the
stability of the earth of the living, that is, to the eternal country, of
which the prophet, through God's Spirit, said, "I will send my fishers, and
they shall fish for them; my hunters, and they shall hunt them from every
down and from every hill." Fishers and uneducated men the Lord chose to him
for disciples, and so instructed them, that their lore excelled all worldly
wisdom, and they by their preaching inclined emperors and {579} kings to
the true faith. If Jesus had chosen at first eloquent teachers, and sent
worldly philosophers, and the like to preach, then would it have appeared
as if the true faith had not sprung up through God's might, but from
worldly eloquence. He chose fishers ere he chose emperors, because it is
better that the emperor, when he comes to Rome, cast aside his crown, and
kneel at the fisher's memorial, than that the fisher kneel at the emperor's
memorial. Emperors he chose, but yet he ranked the indigent fisher before
the rich emperor. Afterwards he chose the wealthy; but it would have
appeared as if they had been chosen for their possessions, if he had not
previously chosen the needy. He then chose worldly philosophers, but they
would have waxed proud, had he not before chosen the uneducated fishers.
Consider now how the Lord took glory away from mankind, that he might give
them glory. He took from us our vain glory, that he might give us the
eternal. Thou shalt not glory in thyself, but, as the apostle said, "Let
him who glorieth glory in God."
Peter and Andrew, by Christ's behest, straightways left their nets, and
followed him. They had not yet seen him work any wonders, nor had they yet
heard from his mouth of the meed of everlasting reward, and yet, after the
utterance of one command, they forgot that which they had. Many of God's
miracles we have heard of and also seen; by many stripes we are oftentimes
afflicted, and by manifold asperities of threats terrified, and yet we
despise God's behest, and will not follow him to the way of life. Now he
sits in heaven, clothed with the humanity which he fetched in this life,
and admonishes us of our conversion, that we constantly cleanse our lives
from sins, and direct them by his commandments. He has wholly subjected the
necks of nations to his yoke, he has prostrated the glory of the world, and
by frequent destructions manifests the approach of his rigid doom, and,
nevertheless, our proud mind will not {581} voluntarily forsake that which
it loses daily by compulsion. My brothers, what excuse can we use at his
doom, now that we will not turn from this present love of the world,
through his commandments, nor are we corrected by his stripes.
It is to be expected that one of you in his still thoughts say to himself,
What did the brothers, Peter and Andrew, leave, who had almost nothing? but
in this case we should rather consider their desire than their possession.
Much he leaves who holds nothing for himself. Verily we hold our
possessions with great love, and the things which we have not we seek with
infinite desire. Peter and Andrew left much, when both of them wholly left
the will to have, and renounced their own lusts. Some man will now say, I
would imitate the apostles, who despised all worldly things, but I have no
possessions to leave. But God beholds the man's heart, and not his
possessions. He reckons not what great riches we spend in gifts to him, but
observes with how great desire we offer to him our gifts. Behold now these
holy chapmen, Peter and Andrew, with their nets and ship bought for
themselves everlasting life.
God's kingdom has no price of worth, but is priced according to a man's
property. The kingdom of heaven was given to these beforesaid brothers for
their net and ship, and afterwards to the rich Zacchaeus for the half part
of his possessions, and to a widow for one farthing, and to a man for a
drink of water. I imagine that these words will not be quite clear to you,
if we do not explain them to you more openly. "Zacchaeus was a rich man,
and had observed the Saviour's course, and would see who he was; but he
could not for the many that went with him, because he was short of stature.
He then ran before Jesus, and ascended a tree, that he might see him.
Christ then looked up towards the rich man, and said, Zacchaeus, descend
quickly, for it seemeth good to me that I now to-day enter thy dwelling.
Zacchaeus then swiftly alighted from the tree, and received him {583}
rejoicing." When Zacchaeus had invited Christ, he stood before him, and
unhesitatingly said to him, "Lord, behold I distribute the half part of my
goods to the poor, and whatsoever I have robbed by fraud, that I am willing
to compensate fourfold." The Lord said to him, "Now to-day is salvation
accomplished to this household, for he is Abraham's offspring. I come to
seek and to save that which was lost among mankind." Thus had Zacchaeus
bought the kingdom of heaven with the half part of his possessions: the
other part he held to the end that he might indemnify those fourfold whom
he had unjustly bereaved.
Again, "At a time Jesus sat within the temple at Jerusalem, before the
treasury, and beheld how the folk cast their alms into the treasury, and
the many rich brought great things. Then came there a poor widow, and
offered to God one farthing. The Lord then said to his disciples, I say
unto you in sooth, that this poor widow hath brought a greater gift than
any of these rich men. They all gave that part of their riches which seemed
good unto them, but this widow hath offered all her substance with
bountiful mind." Thus had the poor widow bought eternal life with a little
money, that is, with one farthing.
Jesus said in some place to his apostles, "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever
giveth cold water to drink to one thirsty man of those who believe in me,
his meed shall not be lost." My brothers, consider now with how trifling
value God's kingdom is bought, and how precious it is to possess. The
purchase may not be augmented for any treasure, but it will be priced to
every man according to his own property.
We read that at Christ's birth heavenly angels were seen above the born
child, and that they with great delight sung this hymn, "Gloria in excelsis
Deo, and in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis:" that is in our tongue,
"Be glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those men who are of
good will." No gift is so acceptable to God as good {585} will. If any one
cannot obtain the means of offering a visible gift to God, let him offer an
invisible one, that is, good will, which incomparably excels earthly
treasures. What is good will but goodness, so that he grieves for another
man's misfortune and rejoices in his prosperity; loves his friend not for
the world, but for good; to bear with his foe with love, to command to no
one that which he likes not himself, to help his neighbour's need according
to his power, and to be willing beyond his power? What is any gift in
comparison with this will, when the soul offers itself to God on the altar
of its heart? Of this said the psalmist, "In me sunt, Deus, vota tua, quae
reddam laudationes tibi:" "God Almighty, in me are thy promises, which I
will pay through praises." As if he had openly said, Though I have not
outward gifts to offer unto thee, yet will I find in myself that which I
may lay on the altar of thy praise; for thou livest not by our gift, but
thou art more gladdened by the offering of our hearts. This offering cannot
be in the heart which is occupied with covetousness or envy, for they are
adverse to good will, and as soon as they touch the mind, the good will
departs: therefore the holy preachers would desire nothing in this world
with covetousness, nor have any separate possessions, to the end that they
might without envy inwardly love each other.
Verily the prophet Isaiah saw the apostles to come, when, through the
Spirit of God he said, "Who are these that here fly as clouds, and as doves
to their windows?" The prophet saw them despising earthly possession, and
with their minds approaching to heaven, and abounding in the words of life,
in wonders shining, and called them doves, and flying clouds. Our windows
are our eyes, through which our soul beholds whatsoever it desires without.
A dove is a meek animal, and a stranger to the bitterness of gall. Verily
the holy apostles were as doves at their windows, when they {587} desired
nothing in this world, but they meekly beheld all things, and were not
drawn by desire of any rapine to that which they beheld without. He who by
rapine desires the things that he beholds with his eyes without, is a kite,
not a dove at his windows.
We have now in part run over the exposition of this gospel, now we will say
to you the signification of the names of those four apostles, whom Christ
first chose. Simon is interpreted _obedient_, and Peter _acknowledging_,
Andrew _bold_, James is interpreted _withering_, and John _God's grace_:
this signification every christian man should certainly hold in his life.
Peter was called Simon before his conversion, but Christ called him Peter,
which signifies _acknowledging_, because he acknowledged Christ with true
belief, when he said, "Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God."
Undoubtedly he who rightly acknowledges God, and obeys him, holds in his
life the signification of these two names. If he boldly, for the name of
God, endures hardship, and manfully withstands the temptations of the
devil, then fulfils he in his conduct the signification of Andrew, which is
interpreted _bold_. James is called _withering_, and he is truly withering,
who with prudence withers his fleshly vices, and the instigation of the
devil. John is interpreted _God's grace_. He is aptly called God's grace,
who obtains the grace of God through good deserts, to the end that he may
zealously fulfil his commandments.