Vom Gebrauch der Mittel. Aug hinauf, Hand an!
Eyes Up, Hands On
We are called to use earthly means while keeping our hearts fixed on God as the true source of all strength.
We shouldn't despise the means God puts into our hands; yet we also shouldn't hang our heart on them, but look to God right in the middle of using them—the one who gives the strength and fruitfulness so they can do what they're meant to do. A little piece of bread nourishes me, but through God's power. A little herb heals me, but through God's power. A fragrant little flower refreshes me; the power is God's. A good friend comforts me; yet for that comfort to take hold and give life, God's power must be in it.1 This is how it must be: eyes looking up, hands busy at work. That is the right way. Eye toward heaven, hand into the cask!2
The Danger of Idolatry
Placing trust in created things rather than the Creator turns those means into idols that fail when the means themselves are exhausted.
In that way, the bite is truly blessed and tastes good to me. Eye to heaven, the cup in your hand! When it's applied that way—freshly and rightly—the medicine helps and takes effect.3 Cursed people, who look only to the means and not to God! They turn the means into an idol. Whenever you put a piece of bread in your mouth without believing that God gives it the power to satisfy, you make that bread your god. If you have bread, you have courage, because your god is still alive.4 When the bread is gone, your courage collapses; for your god, who was supposed to nourish you, is dead.
God as the Ultimate Source
While we use means to avoid testing God, we must recognize that only His word provides true healing and satisfaction.
I will use the means God provides so that I don't put Him to the test, yet I won't put my trust in those means so that I don't deny Him.5 God can certainly help without means; He is powerful enough for that. Neither herb nor poultice heals them, but your word, Lord, which heals all things. Wis. 16:12. But means cannot help without God; they are far too weak for that. They will eat and not be satisfied. Hos.✦ 4:10. Stay close to God; that's the surest way.
Read the original Latin
Die Mittel so Gott an die Hand gibt, sollen wir nicht verachten; doch auch nicht das Herz dran hängen, sondern mitten im Brauch der Mittel auf Gott sehen, der Kraft und Gedeihen dazu gibt, daß sie wirken können, was sie wirken sollen. Ein Stücklein Brot nähret mich, aber durch Gottes Kraft. Ein Kräutlein heilt mich, aber durch Gottes Kraft. Ein wohlriechendes Blümlein erquickt mich; die Kraft ist Gottes. Ein guter Freund tröstet mich; soll der Trost haften und saften, muß Gottes Kraft dabei sein. Drum muß es heißen: Aug hinauf, Hand an! so gehts recht. Das Aug gen Himmel, die Hand ins Faß!
So ist der Bissen recht gesegnet und schmeckt mir wol. Das Aug gen Himmel, den Becher in der Hand! und so frisch angesetzt, dann hilft die Arznei und kommt zu Kräften. Verfluchte Menschen, die nur auf Mittel sehen und nicht auf Gott! die machen aus den Mitteln einen Abgott. So oft du ein Stück Brot in den Mund steckst und glaubst nicht, daß ihm Gott die Kraft gebe zu sättigen, machst du das Brot zu deinem Gott. Hast du Brot, so hast du Muth, denn dein Gott lebt noch. Ist's Brot auf, fällt der Muth hin; denn dein Gott, der dich nähren sollte, ist todt.
Ich will der Mittel brauchen, die Gott beschert, auf daß ich ihn nicht versuche; doch will ich nicht auf die Mittel mein Vertrauen seken, auf daß ich ihn nicht ver leugne. Gott kann wol ohn Mittel helfen, dazu ist er mächtig genug. Es heilet sie weder Kraut noch Pflaster sondern dein Wort HErr, welches alles heilet Weish. 16, 12. Aber Mittel können nicht ohne Gott helfen, dazu sind sie viel zu schwach. Sie werden essen und nicht satt werden Hos. 4, 10. Halt es mit Gott, das ist am sichersten.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Hos.4.10 — They shall eat and not be satisfied; they have played the harlot and shall not increase, because they have forsaken the LORD to give themselves to
Notes
- 1 ↩haften und saften: literally 'stick and give sap'; rendered as take hold and give life to keep Scriver's organic metaphor without archaism.
- 2 ↩Faß is the table vessel/cask in this house-and-table devotion setting; next section shifts the same motto to 'cup in hand' (Becher).
- 3 ↩frisch angesetzt can mean freshly applied/begun; in context of Arznei (medicine) and the eye-to-heaven maxim, rendered as applied with that fresh, right posture.
- 4 ↩Ironic address to the one who treats bread as god: courage lasts only while the false god (bread) 'lives'—i.e., while bread still remains.
- 5 ↩Source has seken and ver leugne; read as setzen and verleugne.
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