Von der Beichte und Buße, Luc. 18. Kunst und Brunst
The Art of the Penitent
The author introduces the tax collector's prayer as a model for the spiritual art of drawing near to God through repentance.
Where do you find them together?1 With the poor tax collector. I learn five little arts from him.2 His little penitent sigh is short, but who can repeat it after him from the heart without many tears?✦ God, be merciful to me, a sinner!✦ It's a little art that he unites God and the sinner. You drift away from God through sin; you draw near to Him again through repentance. Can you place fire and straw side by side without the straw catching fire?
Grace Amidst the Fire of Judgment
The author explores the paradox of how faith allows a sinner to stand before a consuming God without being destroyed.
Isn't God a consuming fire in his wrath?✦ Aren't sinners like stubble? But faith accomplishes that.3 He knows that God would rather be with the sinner than anywhere else, just as a doctor would rather be with the sick than anywhere else.✦ It's yet another little art that he unites sin and grace, which after all fight each other like fire and water.4 How does grace square with sin? What sin calls for is not grace, but disfavor and wrath.5 What does Moses say about that?
The Mediator of Mercy
Faith anchors itself in God's promises, positioning grace as the necessary mediator between the holy God and the weeping sinner.
But faith grounds itself on the small words of comfort in God's Word, where grace is announced to penitent sinners—Ezek. 33. Matt. 11. He applies the promise to himself and says: The grace promised to all penitent sinners won't be refused to me, a penitent sinner, either.6 The third little art is that he chooses grace as mediator between God and himself: God, be merciful to me, a sinner! God here, the sinner there, grace in the middle. God has drawn the sword, the sinner has bared his back; grace throws herself into God's arms and holds the sword. God is angry, the sinner weeps; grace stills and comforts.
Christ as the Only Mercy Seat
True repentance abandons self-reliance and seeks God's grace exclusively through the wounds and blood of Jesus Christ.
Don't let your works step in between God and you, for with your works you earn death. You'll find nothing in yourself that can mediate; so despair of yourself completely and cling entirely to God's mercy.7 The fourth little art is that he seeks God's grace in Christ alone: hilastheti, he says—that is: for the sake of the Messiah, whom you have set forth as a mercy seat through faith in his blood, forgive me my sin.89 No saint can earn grace for you. The grace of God rests in Jesus alone. Take hold of Jesus, and you've taken hold of God's grace along with him. Ah, when you show Jesus's wounds to your God, his heart bleeds, and he must be gracious to you. So cling to Jesus.
The Exchange of Sin for Righteousness
The author describes the divine exchange where Christ's righteousness covers the sinner's debt, culminating in the union of confession and absolution.
If there is sin in you, with him is righteousness.10 In you is the curse; with him is the blessing. In you are death and damnation; with him are life and blessedness. He can pay more than you owe. A single drop of his holy blood is strong enough to wipe out your sins and the sins of the whole world.✦ The final and best little art is that he packs confession and absolution into one small sigh.11 The confession is: Me, a sinner—or I, a poor sinner. The absolution: God, be merciful to me—or you will be merciful.12
The Certainty of Divine Pardon
Because God has sworn he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, the penitent can be assured of absolution.
Openly confessed, fully absolved.13 I say: I am a poor sinner—what will God do with me? He cannot cast me off; his mercy won't allow it, and his oath even less so.14 For he has sworn: As surely as I live, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn and live—Ezek. 33:11. God must answer me: I am gracious to you. Ah yes—on earth, justice comes before grace.15 In heaven, grace comes before justice.
Returning to the Father
The chapter concludes with the invitation to return to God like the prodigal son, trusting in his merciful nature.
God still has grace for a poor sinner. God himself pursues the sinner, offers him his grace, draws him near, and calls out: "Return, you faithless Israel, and I will not turn my face against you, for I am merciful and will not be angry forever."✦1617 3:12. Because of that, I dare to do it: I turn back like the lost son and say, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am not worthy to be called your son; take me back into your grace."18 15. God will do it; I know that.
Read the original Latin
Wo findet mans zusammen? Beim armen Zöllner. Fünf Kunststücklein lerne ich von ihm. Kurz ist sein BußSeufzerlein, aber wer kanns ihm von Herzen ohne viel Thränen nachsprechen? Gott sei mir Sünder gnädig! Ein Kunststücklein ists, daß er Gott und den Sünder vereinigt. Du entfernst dich von Gott durch die Sünde, trittst wieder nah zu ihm durch die Buße. Magst du auch Feuer und Stroh bei einander legen, daß das Stroh nicht anbrenne?
Ist Gott nicht ein verzehrend Feuer in seinem Zorn? Sind nicht die Sünder wie die Stoppeln? aber das thut der Glaube. Der weiß daß Gott nirgend lieber ist als beim Sünder, wie der Arzt nirgend lieber ist als beim Kranken. Noch ein Kunststücklein ist's, daß er Sünde und Gnade vereinigt, die doch mit einander streiten als Feuer und Wasser. Wie reimt sich Gnad zur Sünde? auf Sünd gehört nicht Gnad sondern Ungnad und Zorn. Was sagt Moses dazu?
Aber der Glaube gründet sich auf die Trostsprüchlein göttliches Wortes, darin den bußfertigen Sündern Gnade angekündigt wird Ezech. 33. Matth. 11. Er macht die Zueignung auf sich und spricht: Die Gnade die allen bußfertigen Sündern zugesagt ist, wird auch mir bußfertigen Sünder nicht abgesagt werden. Das dritte Kunststücklein ist, daß er die Gnad zur Mittlerin erwählt zwischen Gott und sich: Gott sei mir Sünder gnädig! Gott hie, der Sünder da, die Gnad in der Mitte. Gott hat das Schwert gezückt, der Sünder den Rücken geblößt, die Gnade fällt Gott in die Arme und hält das Schwert; Gott zürnt, der Sünder weint, die Gnade stillt und tröstet.
Laß ja deine Werke nicht in's Mittel treten zwischen Gott und dir, denn mit deinen Werken verdienst du den Tod. In dir findest du nichts was mitteln könne; darum verzage nur gänzlich an dir, und hänge dich lauterlich an die Barmherzigkeit Gottes. Das vierte Kunststücklein ist, daß er die Gnade Gottes allein in Christo sucht: hilastheti sagt er, das ist: um des Messias willen, welchen du hast vorgestellt zu einem Gnadenstuhl durch den Glauben in seinem Blut, vergib mir meine Sünde. Kein Heiliger kann dir Gnad erwerben. In Jesu allein ruht die Gnade Gottes. Jesum ergriffen, Gottes Gnade mit ergriffen. Ach wenn du Jesu Wunden deinem Gott zeigest, so blutet ihm sein Herz, er muß dir gnädig sein. Darum an Jesum halt dich.
Ist in dir Sünde, bei ihın ist die Gerechtigkeit. In dir der Fluch, bei ihm der Segen. In dir der Tod und die Verdammnis, bei ihm das Leben und die Seligkeit. Er kann mehr zahlen, als du schuldig bist. Ein Tröpflein seines heiligen Blutes ist kräftig genug, deine und aller Welt Sünden auszutilgen. Das letzte und beste Kunststücklein ist, daß er Beicht und Absolution in ein Seufzerlein fasset. Die Beicht ist: Mir Sünder, oder Ich armer Sünder. Die Absolution: Gott sei mir gnädig, oder wirst gnädig sein.
Kund gebeichtet, rund absolvirt. Ich spreche: Ich bin ein armer Sünder, was will Gott mit mir machen? Verstoßen kann er mich nicht; seine Barmherzigkeit leidets nicht, noch viel weniger sein Eid. Hat er doch geschworen: So wahr als ich lebe, ich habe keinen Gefallen am Tode des Gottlosen, sondern daß sich der Gottlose bekehre und lebe Ezech. 33, 11. Gott muß mir antworten: Ich bin dir gnädig. Ach ja, auf Erden geht Recht vor Gnad. Im Himmel geht Gnad vor Recht.
Es ist noch immer Gnad bei Gott für einen armen Sünder. Gott selbst läuft dem Sünder nach, beut ihm seine Gnade an, lockt und ruft: Kehre wieder du abtrünniges Israel, so will ich mein Antlitz nicht gegen euch verstellen, denn ich bin barm_herzig und will nicht ewiglich zürnen Jer. 3, 12. Drauf wage ich's, kehre mit dem verlornen Sohn wieder zurück und spreche: Vater ich habe gesündigt in den Himmel und vor dir und bin nicht werth daß ich dein Sohn heiße; nimm mich wieder zu Gnaden an Luc. 15. Gott wird's thun, das weiß ich.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Luke.18.13 — But the tax collector, standing far off, was not even willing to lift his eyes to heaven, but kept beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner.'
- ↩Luke.18.13 — But the tax collector, standing far off, was not even willing to lift his eyes to heaven, but kept beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner.'
- ↩Deut.4.24;Heb.12.29 — For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Heb.12.29 — For our God is a consuming fire.
- ↩Matt.9.12;Mark.2.17;Luke.5.31 — But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." Mark.2.17 — When Jesus heard this, he said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Luke.5.31 — And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do.
- ↩1John.1.7 — But if we walk in the light, as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
- ↩Jer.3.12 — Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, 'Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am steadfast in love, declares the LORD. I will not be angry forever.'
Notes
- 1 ↩mans zusammen points back to the chapter pairing Kunst und Brunst (skill and fervor); the pronoun is left as in the German.
- 2 ↩Kunststücklein is a fond diminutive of Kunststück: a small skill, craft, or feat of art; kept as 'little arts' to match the chapter theme Kunst and later uses of the same word.
- 3 ↩das thut der Glaube: 'that' points back to the prior image of putting fire and stubble together without the stubble catching fire—faith accomplishes the impossible union of wrathful God and sinner.
- 4 ↩Kunststücklein: diminutive of Kunststück—kept as 'little art' to match the chapter's series of five 'Kunststücklein' learned from the tax collector (Luke 18).
- 5 ↩Ungnad: the antonym of Gnade (grace/favor)—rendered 'disfavor' rather than 'disgrace' to keep the court/favor sense opposite grace, paired with Zorn (wrath).
- 6 ↩Zueignung is the personal appropriation of a general promise; rendered as 'applies the promise to himself' rather than a technical loanword.
- 7 ↩"verzage ... an dir" means renounce all confidence in your own resources, not hopeless despair of salvation.
- 8 ↩"hilastheti" is Greek ἱλάσθητι ("be merciful / be propitiated"), retained as the source quotes it; the chapter's Luc. 18 frame points to the publican's prayer.
- 9 ↩"Gnadenstuhl" is the traditional Lutheran rendering of ἱλαστήριον (mercy seat / place of propitiation), echoing Romans 3:25.
- 10 ↩Source reading 'ihın' is taken as 'ihm' (him), matching the parallel sentences that follow; likely a print/OCR corruption.
- 11 ↩Kunststücklein continues the chapter's series of 'little arts' of penitent faith; Seufzerlein is the brief sigh of the heart in which confession and absolution are joined.
- 12 ↩Second clause (wirst gnädig sein) is elliptical: likely a confident faith-address to God ('you will be merciful'), pairing petition with assured absolution; next section answers with 'I am merciful to you.'
- 13 ↩Early modern pair: kund = openly/clearly made known; rund = thoroughly/completely. absolvirt is older spelling of absolviert.
- 14 ↩leidets = leidet es: his mercy will not suffer/permit rejection; Eid points forward to God’s sworn word in Ezek. 33:11.
- 15 ↩Recht = right/justice/law; paired antithetically with Gnad (grace) against the heavenly order in s8.
- 16 ↩Source has hyphenated line-break form 'barm_herzig'; read as 'barmherzig' (merciful).
- 17 ↩Archaic 'beut ... an' = modern 'bietet ... an' (offers).
- 18 ↩'nimm mich wieder zu Gnaden an' rendered as 'take me back into your grace' to keep the grace lexicon; the idiom also means receive back into favor.
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