Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 67
The .xxiiii Sonday after Trinitie Sonday. ¶ The Gospell. Math. ix.
WHyle Iesus spake vntounto the people he holde there came a certayne ruler and worshippede him, saying: my daughter is euen nowe diseased, but come and laye thy hand vponupon her, and shee shall lyue. And Iesus arose and folowed hym, and so dyd his Disciples. And behold a woman which was diseased with an issue of bloud twelue yeare, came behynde hym and touched the hemme of his vesture. For shee said within her selfe: If I may touche but euen his vesture onlye, I shalbe safe. But Iesus turned hym, aboute, and when he sawe her, he sayde: daughter be of good comforte, thy faythe hath made the safe. And the woman was made whole euen the same tyme. And when Iesus came into the rulers house, and sawe the minstrelles and people makyng a noyse, he sayde vntounto them: Get you hence, for the mayde is not dead, but slepeth. And they laughede hym to scorne. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and toke her by the hand, and sayde, damosell aryse. And the damosell arose. And this noyse was a brode in all that lande.
THE EXPOSITION.
IN this Gospell are sette foorthe two miracles, which ought bothe depelye and diligently to bee consydered and pondred of vsus. First of the diseased woman, which hadde so stronge faithe in Christ, that if she myght but touch his garment only, although he knew not of it, she doubted not, but that she should recouer her healthe. The second is of a certain ruler, which beleueth also, that although his daughter be deade, yet that Christ wyll make her alyue agayne. And truly Faithe is meruailously sette foorthe in bothe these miracles, yea and that for oure sake, that we maye know & vnderstand, of how great vertue, myght, strength, and power, the true & christen faith is, and what excellent and great thinges it worketh: agayn, that whosoeuer hath thys faith, that leadeth vntounto Christe, he shall neuer lacke healpe and confort at Gods hande, but abundantly receaue, what soeuer he hath nede of, accordyng to this promyse: what thynges soeuer ye desyre when ye pray, beleue that ye receaue them, and ye shall hauehave them.
But fyrst of all let vsus consyder the exaumple of the woman that was troubled so longe with a greuous and noysom disease. Marke the Euangelist saith, that she had spent all her substaunce vppon phisitions.Marc. 11. For she had ben diseased of that sicknes by the space of .xii. yeares, and was alwaye worse and worse, so that it is meruayle, that she continued alyue so long, hauyng that disease,Marc. 5. and yet is she easily restored to her helth, doyng nothing els (for as much as she had heard that some had recouered theyr healthe onelyonly by touchynge Christes garment) but labouryng that she also myght come vntounto the touching of his vesture. Therefore she enforceth her self asmuch as she can, to go throw ye gret throng of people vntounto Christ. For she is afraid to make intercession vntounto Christe for her health, so that of very humilitie and lowlines of mynd, she cometh behynd, as though Christ shold not knowe of it, toucheth his garmēt, & streight wais as she beleued, she begā to be better, & the issue of bloud was staied, where as before she had proued all things, ye & that with great losse of her goodes, and yet founde she no ease, but dayly worse & worse, as S. Marke in his Gospell dothe testifie.
And this also is diligently to be noted, that Christe not hauehave thys miracle of healyng the woman, kepte secrete, but he demaundeth, who touched hym? The Apostles also thought, that it was a matter almoste worthy to be laughed at, that Christ shoulde aske this question, who touched hym, seyng there was so great a thrōg of people about him on eueryevery side. But Christ felt that, which they knew not.How the woman touched Christe. For there was not only the touchyng of handes, but also of heart, and of a certayn and sure faithe, confidence and trust in Christ whiche was the cause that so great power wente out of Christ, so that he hym selfe perceyued it. And Christ would not hauehave that touchyng hyd, yea and that for our sake. By askynge the question, who touched him he vrged, and as it were enforced the woman to comfoorth, and to declare openly al thyngs before so many as were presente, what hadde chanced, that he myghte hauehave an occasion to commende thys womans Faith. For this is the moste acceptable and hyghest honoure, that we can geue vntounto Christ, euen to beleue in him and to looke for all good thynges at hys hande. Therfore he prayseth the womanne, and speaketh vntounto her moste curteously, sayenge: Be of good confort daughter: Thy Faithe hath made thee whole. Go in peace, and be whole frome thy disease. And here now must the disciples needes confesse, that it was not for nothyng, that Christ asked, who touched hym? Agayn, that it was no common touchynge, but some notable and excellent thynge, seynge that Christe so greately cōmendeth the woman, & calleth her daughter, ye & also maketh her whole, with no small praise of her faith.
But this is a meruailous sayeng of Christ, yf wee wyll weygh the matter aryghte. He confessethe that power proceded from him▪ And when the woman cō fesseth the matter openly before hym, he doothe not impute it to hym selfe, but to the fayth of the woman, that so greate vertue and power goeth frome hym, when notwithstandyng thys healthe proceded not frome the womanne, but frome Christe. But Christ doothe this to thys ende, that hee maye shewe vntounto vsus, how greatly this thyng pleaseth hym, when the Faythe is suche, as moste certainely hopeth and looketh for health and helpe of hym alone. As though he shoulde saye: onelyonly prouide thys, that ye may bee well endewed with Faythe, in what soeuer daunger ye bee. For my mynde is muche more ready to helpe, then your desyre is to craue it. I doo much more redyly delyuer you from death, then ye desyre lyfe. This to bee true, Christe declareth it plainely in this place, seyng that he so bothe liberally and gladly suffreth vertue and power to procede from him in healpynge this woman.
Therfore we ought to learne by this example, that in all peryls and daungers we shold set our Faith only vponupon Christ,From christ alone muste we looke for all healpe, in oure aduersitie. and looke for all healpe at his hande onelyonly. But what doo we? We heare this at sermons in the temples: we are put in remembrance therof at home, neyther doo wee wante his miracles at thys daye: yet canne not our Faithe be excited and stirred vp to beleue hym. Menne wyll not beleue, tyll they hauehave great abundance of all necessarye thynges. As long as we are in healthe, we hope and beleue well, of the helpe of God. But if pouertie and sycknesses ones come, we hauehave no Faithe at all. We lament, we crye, we complayne, as though there were no healpe to be had neither in heauen, nor in earth, although we heare dayly both in sermons and otherwise, that God wil hauehave mercy on vsus for Christes sake, and deliuer vsus from all euill, if we flee vntounto hym with strong Faithe, and doubt nothyng of his mercifull promise made vntounto vsus in the blood of Christ. But how doth this agre with the womans act? whiche peraduenture ones or twise had heard of Christe, and of his myracles, and yet commeth she with so stoute and strong faith vntounto Christ, that if Christ had ben in the highest part of heuen,The force of faythe. this Faith would hauehave brast thorowe all thynges yea and hauehave brought Christ downe into the earth for to hauehave holpen her. For as we hauehave oftentymes sayd: God can not there deny helpe, where he is truely and with a right faith sought and called vponupon.
Wherfore we are (alas for sorowe) to muche wretches, whiche hauyng the worde of God so playnly, yet suffer not our faith therby to be excited, stirred vp and confirmed. But all the faulte of this matter is in the diuell, and in oure corrupte and wycked fleshe. For if thys were not, we shoulde neuer be so vntowarde to beleue, that Christ would helpe vsus in all our necessities and combraunces, were they neuer so great and many. For as it is sayde, Faythe can not deceaue vsus. Therefore Christ dooth here ascribe it to Faithe, that he made thys woman whole. Thy Fayth (sayeth he) hathe made thee whole: Go in peace, & be thou whole from thy disease. So lykewise shall faithe in Christe rayse vp from death vntounto lyfe, vanquyshe the deuyll, destroye synne, and bryng euerlastyng saluation. Although CHRIST doothe suche woorkes, yet are they the works of Fayth: for without faith such workes are not wrought, as ye know, that neither Christ nor the sacramentes, nor the word of God profite any thyng without Faith. Faith muste doo all thynges, or ells they must be lefte vndoone: I speake of things pertainyng vntounto saluation.Rom. …4. For what soeuer is not of Faith, is synne. And thus much of the first miracle.
The second miracle is of the rulers daughter, that was dead. Luke recordeth, that thys mayde was so olde in yeres,Luc. 8. as the woman was diseased of the bloudy issue, that is to saye, she was .xij. yeres olde: for so long had the woman be troubled with her sycknesse. All thynges were prepared for the funerall The minstrelles, whyche by theyr syngyng and playinge (as the maner of that people was) gaue tokens of the buryall, were there present. There was a great noyse of them that wept, & cried, as the maner is in preparation for so noble a buriall. In the meane season, the Father of the mayde, when all thynges were paste hope (for what hope can there bee, when lyfe is gone out of the body?) maketh haste vntounto Christe, nothyng doubting, but if Christe were present, the mayde myght easylye be restored vntounto her lyfe. For so declare his wordes: He fell downe at the feete of Iesus (sayth the Euangelist, and sayd: My daughter is dead: I pray thee, come, and lay thy hand vponupon her, that she may be safe and lyue. For although Marke and Luke saye, that he came to Iesus, when hys daughter laye a dyenge, yet they also declare, that before Christe came to the rulers house, the mayde had geuen vp the Ghost, and notwithstandyng they signifie, that the father dydde not caste awaye his Faithe, but surely beleeued, that CHRIST woulde restore vntounto her bothe lyfe and healthe. Who hathe euer sene or hearde of suche meruaylous people? A woman whyche in no place of the worlde coulde fynde healpe, conceaued suche a fayth, hope, truste, and confidence in Christ, that if she might but touche the hemme of his garment, she should be healed. And this her persuasion was not so farre out of the waye, but that as she beleued, so came it to passe in very dede. In like maner the maides father, when his daughter was dead, was certeinly persuaded, that if Christe did but laye his hande vponupon the dead mayd, she should receaue her lyfe againe. It is easie to be beleued, that a man by his hande may rayse vp one that is fallen a sleape: But to rayse vp one frō death, no hande, no diligence, no paine taking, no noise &c. Is able to do it. Would not reason thus thincke? But the ruler thought not so: for if he had, he would hauehave tarried at home, and neuer hauehave taken that iourney vntounto Christ but he surely beleued, that Christ both was able and also wold restore his dead daughter vntounto life. And here may we see, how acceptable & pleasant a thing▪ faith is to Christ, which faith notwithstā ding reason & the worlde iudgeth plaine folishnes. For although Christ was occupied about necessary busines, & was in disputation with the disciples of Iohn, yet all these things set a part, when he perceaued this faith of the ruler, he turneth vntounto him, foloweth him, & satisfieth his desire according to his faith: in somuch that when he cōmeth into the house, & seeth all things prepared for the burial fearinge lest that present sight shold tourne ye fathers minde, & that the example and incredulitie of the men that were there present, should cause him to fall from his faith, he straightwayes falleth vntounto the cōfirmatiō of the fathers faith bydding him to be of good cheare, and not to feare, but only beleue. He cōmādeth also the people, yt were present, to accōpany the corps vntounto ye burial, for to depart & to go out of the house, where the dead maid lay. As though he should say: what hauehave ye to do here? Do ye thincke to cary out the dead? ye are deceaued, ye muste seke a dead corps in an other place. Here is none for you. This maide onelyonly sleapeth. But they laughed him to scorne, knowing right wel yt she was dead. But Christ affirmeth, yt she is not dead, so that now this only remaineth, yt he proue his sentence to be true be shewing yt she lyueth. And amōg al that were there present, ther was none of that minde with Christ, but the father of the mayde, & Christ was content therwith, so that for him, that is to say, for his faith sake, he worcketh this miracle and sheweth euidently, that the mayd liueth. If it had not bene for the fathers faith, the mayd had neuer reuiued, nor had lyfe again before the great day of the generall resurrection, but had remained styl not in sleape, but in death: so noble a thing before God is faith, which loketh for health and helpe at the hande of Christ only. Therfore Christ cōmeth vntounto the mayde, taketh her by the hand, and by the power of his worde he calleth her again vntounto lyfe: and streightwayes the mayde rose vp, euen as though she had bene waken out of a swete sleape. We ought to note diligently these wordes, that Christe sayeth here: The mayde is not deade, but she sleapeth. For they are wordes right wel worthie to be remembred, yea and if it were possible, all that we hauehave, were to be geuen, so that we might kepe, vnderstand, and beleue these wordes, euen so as Christ meaneth. For he that knew this, when he beholdeth a dead corps of a man, he wold cōsider and right wel vnderstād that the man is not dead, but sleapeth. He that could so chaunge his iudgement, that he woulde counte him that is dead to be but as one a sleape: he might worthely reioyce, yt he hath learned a most excellent art. But this we learne by experience both in our selfes and in other, that the more any man excelleth in reason, the lesse doth he beleue this,Reason can not comprehend the mastereis of god. and the more laughe it to scorne as a drousie dreame and mere madnes, as it appeareth here, when they deride the Lorde Christ, and laugh him to scorne, and thincke on this maner: what, will this felow rayse vp dead folke vntounto life? Is it not to be thought yt he is madde? But so goeth the worlde: So high is the wisedome of God, that reason coūteth it plaine folishnes. For thinck this with thy selfe: yf thy child were dead, & I should saye to the: He is not dead, but sleapeth onelyonly, and he maye be waken and raysed vp from his sleape wyth this litle finger of mine: woldest thou not take it for a plaine mocke, and a plaine laughing to scorne of thy calamitie and mishappe? Euen so Christ in this place is in like maner handled, that is to saye, laughed to scorne, and taken for a foole.
Wherfore learne thou this of this gospel, that death before Christ is but a sleape, as likewise sicknes before him is health, as we see here: He rayseth vp the dead mayde with his finger, as one that weare a slepe. The woman was deseased, but when she cōmeth ones vntounto Christ, she is diseased no more. So likewise of other. The blynd, when they come to hym, receaue their sight, synners are iustified: ye condemned are saued, so wonderfully can he deale with vsus, & farre otherwise then either reason can ymagine, or beleue. This mayd before all men is dead. But before mine eyes, sayeth Christ, she lyueth, and only slepeth. Dauid before his owne, and before all mens eyes is a shepehearde and keper of shepe, but before me he is a Kyng.
All ye that beleue in me, before your selues are sinners, but before me ye are holy and as the Angels of God. For I do no more but speake the word, and sin, death, disease, &c. streightwayes geueth place, and in their steade commeth righteousnes, lyfe, health, &c. As I speake the worde, so must the matter be.
Therfore god in this place speaketh so maruelous a worde, & so against all reason after the iudgement of the worlde, when he saith of the maide, that she is not dead. If he had sayd only, she sleapeth: mē might hauehave said according to the comon prouerbe, yea she sleapeth S. Michaels sleape, which continueth till the daye of iudgement. But he sayeth expresly: she is not dead, other saye: Surely she is not aliue. It is true before their eyes, but before Christ she liueth: and yt they may vnderstād this to be true, he rayseth her vp only with his finger, as one child vseth to rayse vp an other, whē he is a sleape. To be short all these things tend to this ende, that we should not consyder our mishappes according to the iudgement of reason,with Christen eies must wee consider all thinges. but with Christen eyes & after the sentence of faith. For the Christen eyes are suche, that when they loke vponupon synne, hel & death: they saye. I see not death: I fele no sinne: I perceaue no damnation: but I see thorow Christ lyfe, holines, & saluation, In lyke maner when I am poore, I feele no pouertie, but I perceaue that I hauehave ynough euen to the vttermost. For I hauehave Christ, which in a momēt is able to geue vntounto me, whatsoeuer I hauehave nede of, although I hauehave nothing presently. He that coulde get suche eyes, he might truly glorie of the Christen eyes, & he should farre otherwise iudge of thinges in ye time of dearth, pestilence, &c. Then the world vseth to iudge. All men behold & loke vpō the present abundāce: and as the store is, so is their hope concerning the life. If there be muche, then are they of good confort. If there be but lytle: Then they despaire. So lykewise whē the plague is, they that are able, prouide for them selues by fleing,Note. and thinke they may be sure in other places. But a Christian man althoughe he be neuer so greatly diseased and infected with the plague shall notwithstanding thinke thus: I hauehave Christ: If it so please hym, this disease can not hurt me. And vndoubtedly, yf we had suche faythe, what so euer aduersitie came, it shoulde neuer trouble vsus, but we shoulde be without all feare, yea mery and quiet. But when we beleue not, neyther hauehave suche eyes, but beholde all thinges with carnall eyes: herof cometh vntounto vsus so greate feare and tremblyng, that we thincke that the vengeaunce of god will fall vponupon vsus out of hāde, and that we by no meanes can auoyde it.
So saith Christe in the gospell: It is written,…ath. 21. Exod. 3. I am the God of Abraham, and the god of Isaac, and the God of Iacob. God is not the god of the dead, but of the liuinge. Ergo Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob do liue, and are not dead. When notwithstanding they were dead and buried more then iij, thousande yeres past and consumed before many hondred yeres vntounto duste, so that there remaineth nothing at all of them. But Christe proueth for a certeintie, that they lyue. The reason is: For all thinges liue to God, but to vsus all thinges are dead. For the worlde and reason can none otherwise but behold death. But the eyes of the Christians see those thinges, which they see not, & only heare in the worde, as here Christ and the father do behold the dead mayd. And as we hauehave spoken of death, so may it be sayd of sinne. The knowledge and confession of sinne is necessarie, and the glorie of righteousnes ought to be in sight.Marc. 16. Mat…. 26. For the worde of Christe in baptisme is: He that beleueth and is baptised, shalbe saued. Again, his worde in the supper is this: Take, eate,1. Cor. 113 this is my body that is broken for you: Drincke: This cuppe is a newe Testament in my bloud, which shalbe shed for you vntounto ye remissiō of sins. This word must be beleued that it is true: and although I fele & see the contrary, yet is there no credit to be geuen vntounto it. In like maner when thou seest a Christen man dyinge, thy eyes beholde the dead man, but thou must shutte and close vp those eyes, and open suche eyes as beholde the word, and so shalt thou see that the man is not dead, but that he lyueth before god. For the word of Christ is:Iohn. 8▪ He that beleueth in me, shal neuer se death. And this must we learne of this gospell, that all that is before our eyes, be it neuer so plaine & euident, neuer so wide and open. Yet is it nothing. For if death in a Christian is to be reputed and taken for nothyng: Uerely blindnes, deafnes, leprosie, pestilence, and other diseases are to be counted lesse then nothinge. Therfore when pouertie, sicknes, syn, &c. offer them selues to thy eyes, be not therfore troubled, but shut thy carnall eyes, and open thy Christen eyes, and saye: I am a Christian and hauehave a Lord. Whiche is able to rule all these thinges with a worde. Why then should I vexe my selfe? For this is certein: loke how easely Christ deliuereth this mayd from corporal death: euen so easely also wil he deliuer vsus, if we only beleue, & hauehave a sure hope to be relieued and holpen by him. For this also must we consider here, that this mayd was not restored to life by her owne faith. For he that is dead, beleueth not no more then he seeth or heareth, but her father beleueth and this his faith is so mightie, that the maide receaueth life again. Again. For as Christ saith: All thinges are possible to him that beleueth.
So mightie is faith. Be the matter neuer so great, if thou canst beleue, and hauehave sure hope in Christ, thou shalt neuer be deceaued of thy desire, neither shall the deuill or death be able to preuaile any thyng at all against thee, as both these miracles testifie, whiche are set forth to vsus for this purpose, and the faith both of the woman and of the dead maydes father commended of Christ, that he might prouoke vsus also to beleue, and that we shold otherwise beholde creatures before god, and otherwise before vsus. Therfore although before our selues we be poore and dead, subiecte to syn, and afflicted with pouertie, pestilence, or any other diseases yet must we beleue, that it is otherwise before god, & boldly say on this maner: Although pouertie, pestilēce, sin, death, do now trouble me, yet this as a christian I know, that there is no pouertie, no pestilence, no sinne no death at hand. For before Christ al thinges are wealth, health, righteousnes & life. And althoughe I see not this presently, yet if the worde should come, I should see it with these my carnall eyes. And this is true, and by no meanes to be doubted of. God graunt vsus for his son Iesu Christes sake our alon Sauiour and redemer thorow the holy ghost, such eyes, as may behold all calamities and mishappes otherwise, then the worlde beholdeth them, and kepe suche conforte & light vntounto the ende, that in this worlde we may receaue ioye and pleasure and in the worlde to come euerlasting lyfe. Amen.