[The following sermon is taken from volume II:166-172
of The Sermons of Martin Luther, published by Baker Book House (Grand Rapids,
MI). It was originally published in 1906 in english by Lutherans in All
Lands Press (Minneapolis, MN), as The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin
Luther, vol. 11. This e-text was scanned and edited by Richard Bucher,
it is in the public domain and it may be copied and distributed without
restriction.]
I. THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND.
I. In today's Gospel Christ gives us another lesson in faith, that we
should not be overanxious about our daily bread and our temporal existence,
and stirs us up by means of a miracle; as though to say by his act what
he says by his words in Matthew 6,33: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God,
and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." For
here we see, since the people followed Christ for the sake of God's Word
and the signs, and thus sought the Kingdom of God, he did not forsake them
but richly fed them. He hereby also shows that, rather than those who seek
the Kingdom of God should suffer need, the grass in the desert would become
wheat, or a crumb of bread would be turned into a thousand loaves; or a
morsel of bread would feed as many people and just as satisfactorily as
a thousand loaves; in order that the words in Matthew 4,4 might stand firm,
that "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God." And to confirm these words Christ is the first
to be concerned about the people, as to what they should eat, and asks
Philip, before they complain or ask him; so that we may indeed let him
care for us, remembering that he cares more and sooner for us than we do
for ourselves.
2. Secondly, he gives an example of great love, and he does this in
many ways. First, in that he lets not only the pious, Who followed him
because of the signs and the Word, enjoy the food; but also the slaves
of appetite, who only eat and drink, and seek in him temporal honor; as
follows later when they disputed with him at Capernaum about the food,
and he said to them in Jn 6, 26: "Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs,
but because ye ate of the loaves," etc., also because they desired to make
him king; thus here also he lets his sun shine on the evil and the good,
Mt 5,45. Secondly, in that he bears with the rudeness and weak faith of
his disciples in such a friendly manner. For that he tests Philip, who
thus comes with his reason, and Andrew speaks so childishly on the subject,
all is done to bring to light the imperfections of the disciples, and on
the contrary to set forth his love and dealings with them in a more beautiful
and loving light, to encourage us to believe in him, and to give us an
example to do likewise; as the members of our body and all God's creatures
in their relation to one another teach us. For these are full of love,
so that one bears with the other, helps and preserves what God has created.
3. That he now takes the five loaves and gives thanks etc., teaches
that nothing is too small and insignificant for him to do for his followers,
and he can indeed so bless their pittance that they have an abundance,
whereas even the rich have not enough with all their riches; as Ps 34,
11 says: "They that seek Jehovah shall not want any good thing; but the
rich must suffer hunger." And Mary in her song of praise says: "The hungry
he bath filled with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away."
Lk 1, 53.
4. Again, that he tells them so faithfully to gather up the fragments,
teaches us to be frugal and to preserve and use his gifts, in order that
we may not tempt God. For just as it is God's will that we should believe
when we have nothing and be assured that he will provide; so he does not
desire to be tempted, nor to allow the blessings be has bestowed to be
despised, or lie unused and spoil, while we expect other blessings from
heaven by means of miracles. Whatever he gives, we should receive and use,
and what he does not give, we should believe and expect he will bestow.
II. THE ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION.
5. That Christ by the miraculous feeding of the five thousand has encouraged
us: to partake of a spiritual food, and taught that we should seek and
expect from him nourishment for the soul, is clearly proved by the whole
sixth chapter of John, in which he calls himself the bread from heaven
and the true food, and says: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me,
not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled.
Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto
eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you." Jn 6,26-27. In
harmony with these words we will explain also this evangelical history
in its spiritual meaning and significance.
6. First, there was much hay or grass in the place. The Evangelist could
not fail to mention that, although it appears to be unnecessary; however
it signifies the Jewish people, who flourished and blossomed like the grass
through their outward holiness, wisdom, honor, riches etc., as Isaiah 40,
6-7, says: "All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the
flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the
breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass." From the
Jewish people the Word of God went forth and the true food was given to
us; for salvation is of the Jews, Jn 4,22. Now, as grass is not food for
man, but for cattle; so is all the holiness of the outward Jewish righteousness
nothing but food for animals, for fleshly hearts, who know and possess
nothing of the Spirit.
7. The very same is taught by the people sitting on the grass; for the
true saints despise outward holiness, as Paul does in Phil 3, 8, in that
he counted his former righteousness to be filth and even a hindrance. Only
common and hungry people receive the Word of God and are nourished by it.
For here you see that neither Caiaphas nor Annas, neither the Pharisees
nor the Scribes follow Christ and see Christ's signs; but they disregard
them, they are grass and feed on grass. This miracle was also performed
near the festive time of the Jewish Passover; for the true Easter festival,
when Christ should be offered as a sacrifice, was near, when he began to
feed them with the Word of God.
8. The five loaves signify the outward, natural word formed by the voice
and understood by man's senses; for the number five signifies outward things
pertaining to the five senses of man by which he lives; as also the five
and five virgins illustrate in Mt 25, 1. These loaves are in the basket,
that is, locked up in the Scriptures. And a lad carries them, that means
the servant class and the priesthood among the Jews, who possessed the
sayings of God, which were placed in their charge and entrusted to them,
Rom 3, 2, although they did not enjoy them. But that Christ took these
into his own hands, and they were thereby blessed and increased, signifies
that by Christ's works and deeds, and not by our deeds or reason, are the
Scriptures explained, rightly understood and preached. This he gives to
his disciples, and the disciples to the people. For Christ takes the Word
out of the Scriptures; so all teachers receive it from Christ and give
it to the people, by which is confirmed what Matthew 23, 10 says: "For
one is your master, even the Christ," who sits in heaven, and he teaches
all only through the mouth and the word of preachers by his Spirit, that
is, against false teachers, who, teach their own wisdom.
9. The two fishes are the example and witness of the patriarchs and
prophets, who are also in the basket; for by them the Apostles confirm
and strengthen their doctrine and the believers like St. Paul does in Rom
4,2-6, where he cites Abraham and David etc. But there are two, because
the examples of the saints are full of love, which cannot be alone, as
faith can, but must go out in exercise to its neighbor. Furthermore the
fishes were prepared and cooked; for such examples are indeed put to death
by many sufferings and martyrdoms, so that we find nothing carnal in them,
and they comfort none by a false faith in his own works, but always point
to faith and put to death works and their assurance.
10. The twelve baskets of fragments are all the writings and books the
Apostles and Evangelists bequeathed to us; therefore they are twelve, like
the Apostles, and these books are nothing but that which remains from and
has been developed out of the Old Testament. The fishes are also signified
by the number five (Moses' books); as John 21,25 says: "Even the world
itself would not contain the books that should be written" concerning Christ,
all which nevertheless was written and proclaimed before in the Old Testament
concerning Christ.
11. That Philip gives counsel as how to feed the people with his few
shillings, and yet doubts, signifies human teachers who would gladly aid
the soul with their teachings; but their conscience feels it helps nothing.
For the discussion Christ here holds with his disciples takes place in
order that we may see and understand that it is naturally impossible to
feed so many people through our own counsel, and that this sign might be
the more public. Thus he lets us also disgrace ourselves and labor with
human doctrines, that we may see and understand how necessary and precious
God's Word is and how doctrines do not help the least without God's Word.
12. That Andrew pointed out the lad and the loaves, and yet doubted
still more than Philip, signifies the teachers who wish to make the people
pious and to quiet them with God's laws; but their conscience has no satisfaction
or peace in them; but only becomes continually worse, until Christ comes
with his Word of grace. He is the one, and he alone, who makes satisfaction,
delivers from sin and death, gives peace and fulness of joy, and does it
all of his own free will, gratuitously, against and above all hope and
presumption, that we may know that the Gospel is devised and bestowed,
not through our own merit, but out of pure grace.
13. Finally, you see in this Gospel that Christ, though he held Gospel
poverty in the highest esteem and was not anxious about the morrow, as
he teaches in Matthew 6, 34, had still some provisions, as the two hundred
shillings, the five loaves and the two fishes; in order that we may learn
how such poverty and freedom from care consist not in having nothing at
all, as the barefooted fanatics and monks profess, and yet they themselves
do not hold to it; but it consists in a free heart and a poor spirit. For
even Abraham and Isaac had great possessions, and yet they lived without
worry and in poverty, like the best Christians do.
