Sermon 104

Pfeiffer Sermon 104Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Ich spriche, daz nâch got nie wart kein dinc, daz edeler sî denne lîden. Wand wêre ie dinc edeler gesîn denne lîden, daz hête der vater von himelrîche ûf sînen sun Jêsum Kristum geleit schînbêrliche für alliu dinc. Nû vinden wir niht von deheinem dinge, daz in Kristô was nâch der menscheit alsô vil als von lîden. Wande dô er wart geboren, dô kam lîden zuo im unde verliez in nie die wîle er mensche was ûf ertrîche. Ich spriche ouch daz, wêre Kristus mensche ûf ertrîche gewesen âne die gotheit, dennoch wêre er über allez menschlîchez künne edel gesîn von sîns lîdennes wegen; wan daz ist wâr; daz lîden edel ist: wer allermeist lîdet, der ist aller edelest. Nû wart nie menschen lîden gelîch dem lîdenne, daz Kristus hâte. Dâ von ist er billich edeler denne alle liute.

Ich spriche ouch daz, wêre ie kein dinc edeler gesîn denne lîden, dâ mite hête got den menschen erlôst, oder wir möhtin wol sprechen, daz er sînem sune wêre vient gesîn, sô er wol edeler hête gewizzet denne lîden. Ich spriche ouch daz, wêre lîden niht edel für alliu dinc, der vater von himelrîche der hête sînen sun Kristum etlîche stunde ûf ertrîch âne lîden gelân. Nû vinden wir niht, daz Kristus ûf ertrîche ie stunde wêre âne lîden; dâ von muoz lîden sîn für alliu dinc. Ich wêne ouch des, ê daz unser frouwe gotes muoter welte enbern des lônes, den si verdienete mit dem lîden, sô si hâte an der minsten stunde, dô si ir kint an der marter sach, ê wölle si noch ûf ertrîche sîn unt der götlichen angesihte enbern unz an den jungesten tac, daz ir denne der lôn wider würde. Alsô grôz ist der lôn, den si an der kleinen stunde erwarp.

I say that after God there never was anything nobler than suffering. For if there had ever been anything nobler than suffering, the Father in heaven would manifestly have laid it upon his Son Jesus Christ above all things. Now we find nothing in Christ, according to his humanity, so abundantly as suffering. For when he was born, suffering came to him and never left him for as long as he was a man upon earth. I also say that if Christ had been a man upon earth without the Godhead, he would nevertheless have been noble above all humankind on account of his suffering; for this is true: suffering is noble. Whoever suffers most is the noblest. Now no man’s suffering was ever equal to the suffering that Christ had. Therefore he is rightly nobler than all people.

I also say that if there had ever been anything nobler than suffering, God would have redeemed man by means of it; otherwise we might well say that he had been an enemy to his Son, if he had known of anything nobler than suffering. I also say that if suffering were not noble above all things, the Father in heaven would have allowed his Son Christ some time upon earth without suffering. Now we do not find that Christ was ever for one hour upon earth without suffering; therefore suffering must be above all things. I also believe that before our Lady, the Mother of God, would willingly forgo the reward she earned through the suffering she had in the least hour when she saw her child in torment, she would rather remain upon earth and forgo the divine countenance until the Last Day, so that her reward would then be restored to her. So great is the reward that she earned in that brief hour.

Ich spriche ouch daz, daz alliu diu diemuot und allez daz guot, daz ie wart geschrieben von unser vrouwen, ir niht brâhte sô vil lônes noch liebe an gote, sô daz minste lîden, daz si von gote ie gewan. Ich spriche ouch daz: stüende unser frouwe gotes muoter unde lîden bî einander an der strâze unde stüende unser frouwe mit allem lône, den si ie verdienete, mit kiuschekeit, mit diemuot unde mit allen iren tugenden, âne aleine lîden: sô wêre lîden alsô schœne für unser vrouwen, als diu sunne für eines kerzes bodem; want si stüende denne ûzer got. Ich spriche ouch daz: wêre ein mensche, der grœzer sünde hête getân denne ie kein mensche gelet, ein lîden mac ez ane gân, in dem ez sich mac alsô tugentlîche enthalten, daz ez lidic werden mac aller sîner sünden unde vor gote als grôz ist, als kein heilig ie wart. Ich spriche ouch mê, daz âne got nie mensche sô sêlic wart noch sô sêldenrîch, daz ez wirdic wêre der minsten edli, diu von dem minsten lîden komen was. Ich spriche ouch mit der wârheit, und wêre ein mensche, daz alsô vil diemuot unde tugende hête, als alle die liute, die ie wurden, sît daz got den êrsten menschen geschuof, mit den tugenden möhte ez niht verdienen lôn, der dem lône gelîch möhte sîn, der verdienet mac werden mit einem kleinen lîden.

Ich spriche ouch, daz rehtez lîden ist ein muoter aller tugent; wan rehtez lîden drucket des menschen herze nider alsô, daz ez sich niht mac ûf gerihten gegen der hôhvart unde muoz diemüetic sîn. Lîden bringet ouch kiuschekeit; wan in dem rehten lîden sô muoz unkiuschekeit verbrinnen. Wer alsô loufet dur alle tugent, sô ist lîden ein ursache aller tugent. Ich spriche, daz nie kein dinc wart, daz den menschen gote sô gelîch möhte machen sô lîden. Wand wer aller minst untugenden hât, der ist gote aller gelîchest. Nû ist niht, daz alle untugende alsô sêre lête in dem menschen denne lîden. Dâ von sô machet ez den menschen, daz ez ist gote gelîch.

I also say that all the humility and all the good that was ever written of our Lady brought her neither so much reward nor so much love with God as the least suffering she ever received from God. I also say this: if our Lady, the Mother of God, and suffering stood beside one another on the road, and our Lady stood there with all the reward she ever earned, with chastity, humility, and all her virtues, except suffering alone, then suffering would be as beautiful in comparison with our Lady as the sun in comparison with the bottom of a candle; for she would then stand outside God. I also say that if there were a man who had committed greater sins than any man ever committed, a suffering may come upon him in which he can conduct himself so virtuously that he may become free of all his sins and become as great before God as any saint ever was. I say still more, that apart from God no man was ever so blessed or so rich in blessedness that he was worthy of the least nobility that came from the least suffering. I also say in truth that if there were a man who had as much humility and virtue as all the people who ever existed since God created the first man, with these virtues he could not merit a reward equal to the reward that may be merited through a small suffering.

I also say that true suffering is a mother of all virtues; for true suffering presses a man’s heart down so that it cannot raise itself up toward pride and must be humble. Suffering also brings chastity; for in true suffering unchastity must burn away. If one thus runs through all the virtues, suffering is a cause of every virtue. I say that there never was anything that could make man so like God as suffering. For whoever has the fewest vices is most like God. Now there is nothing that removes all vices from man so thoroughly as suffering. Therefore suffering makes man like God.

Zem jungesten mâle sô spriche ich daz, daz alle meister könden niht geschrieben allez daz guot unt die êre, die an lîdenne ligent; wan lîden bereitet den menschen lûterlich, daz got in sînem herzen wonen muoz; wan got wil bî keinem menschen sîn wan daz âne sünde ist. Nû tilget lîden alle sünde: dâ von muoz got ze aller zît bî dem menschen sîn, daz in lîden ist; wan er sprach selber dur des wissagen munt ‘wer ist betrüebet, bî dem wil ich selber sîn.’

Nû möhtest dû sprechen zuo mir: sît daz wâr ist, daz lîden alsô edel ist und alsô vil guotes wirket an dem menschen, war umbe werdent die juden und unkristen liute niht behalden? wan ich sihe unde hœre dike wol, daz sie dike vil lîden anegât, wand sie müezent alle zît sîn under den kristen liuten, als sie gevangen sîn, unt daz ist inen ein grôz lîden. Dar zuo antwürte ich dir alsô unde spriche daz, daz der touf ist ein pfundment aller der heilikeit unde sêlden, sô an den menschen gevallen mac. Dâ daz pfundment niht enist, dâ sint alliu guotiu werc und alle tugende âne den êwigen lôn. Wan nû die juden des toufes niht enhânt, dâ von ist allez ir lîden âne genâde des êwigen lônes unde sint verfluocht hie ûf ertrîch und ouch in ener welle.

Lastly, I say that all the masters could not write down all the good and the honor that lie in suffering; for suffering prepares man so purely that God must dwell in his heart. For God will be with no man unless he is without sin. Now suffering wipes away all sin; therefore God must at all times be with the man who is in suffering. For he himself spoke through the mouth of the prophet: “Whoever is afflicted, with him I myself will be.”

Now you might say to me: since it is true that suffering is so noble and works so much good in man, why then are the Jews and non-Christian people not saved? For I often see and hear that much suffering comes upon them, because they must always live among Christian people as though they were captives, and this is a great suffering for them. To this I answer you thus and say that baptism is a foundation of all the holiness and blessedness that may befall man. Where this foundation is lacking, all good works and all virtues are without eternal reward. Since the Jews do not have baptism, all their suffering is therefore without the grace of eternal reward, and they are cursed here upon earth and also in the world beyond.

Dû möhtist aber sprechen: wâ von ist denne daz, daz niht alle kristen liute behalden werdent, wan alle die gotes sint und keinez ist ûf ertrîche, ez habe iemer etwaz, dâ von ez lîden müeze? Dar zuo spriche ich alsô: daz ist des schult, wan ez sint zweierleie liute, die lîden anegât. Sô sint etlîche liute, sô sie lîden anegât, sô nement sie se niht von gote ûf unde widerstrebent sô sie meiste mügent unde sprechent in irem herzen: waz hân ich gote getân, daz er mir sô grôzez ungelücke gît? und enweint; aber mit gedenken hânt sie niht schulde an der sache; sô hânt sie aber mit andern sachen got dike erzürnet, unde hât got inen diz lîden gesendet, daz sie süllent ir sünde dâ mite tilgen: unde wenne siz niht rehte ûf nement, als sie billich söltin, dâ von sô wirt ez inen niht nütze und ist daz lîden den selben liuten âne anevanc des êwigen lônes, sô sie iemer hân müezent; wan sie versmâhent gotes gâbe unde stôzent sî unwirdencliche von in. Dâ von vertrîbet sie ouch got von im, sô sie vil gerne zuo im wêren.

Ez sint aber etlîche liute, sô sie lîden anegât, daz nement sie von gote unde sendent ez ouch wider ze gote. Sie nement ez von gote unde sprechent in irem herzen: got, diz lîden wil ich von nieman hân denne von dir, wan ich ez in mînen sünden billich verdienet hân. Die selben liute sendent ouch ir lîden wider ze gote; die sprechent in irem herzen: herre got, ich wil willencliche senden in allez daz lîden, sô dû hâst geliten von der stunde dô dû geboren würde unz ûf dîn ende; wan dû ein lûter mensche wêre âne alle sünde unde dû doch in grôzem lîden wêre, sô ist billicher, daz ich lîde, wan ich ein mensche bin, daz mit sünden begrîfen ist. Wer alsô sîn lîden ûf nimt, der verdienet daz êwige rîche. Dar zuo helf uns got allen. Âmen.

But you might say: why then is it that not all Christian people are saved, since they all belong to God and there is no one upon earth who does not always have something because of which he must suffer? To this I say: the reason is that there are two kinds of people upon whom suffering comes. There are some people who, when suffering comes upon them, do not receive it from God, but resist it as much as they can and say in their hearts: what have I done to God that he gives me such great misfortune? And they lament. Yet in their own thinking they are not guilty in the matter; but in other matters they have often angered God, and God has sent them this suffering so that they might wipe away their sins through it. And because they do not receive it rightly, as they ought, it does not profit them, and the suffering that they must always have is for such people without any beginning of eternal reward; for they despise God’s gift and thrust it unworthily away from themselves. Therefore God also drives them away from himself when they would very gladly be with him.

But there are some people who, when suffering comes upon them, receive it from God and also send it back to God. They receive it from God and say in their hearts: God, I wish to have this suffering from no one but you, for I have rightly deserved it in my sins. These same people also send their suffering back to God; they say in their hearts: Lord God, I willingly wish to send my suffering into all the suffering that you suffered from the hour when you were born until your end; for if you were a mere man without any sin and yet were in great suffering, it is more fitting that I should suffer, since I am a man encompassed by sins. Whoever receives his suffering in this way merits the eternal kingdom. May God help us all to this. Amen.