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Martin Luther November 10, 1483 - February 18, 1546 Martin Luther was born in Germany on November 10, 1483 to Hans and Margaret Luther. Martin was the oldest of seven children. After preparatory and secondary school, he entered the University at Erfurt, Germany and received his bachelor’s degree at age 19 and the Master of Arts degree at 21 Hans Luther then sent his son to law school with the hope that he might become a successful and prosperous lawyer. However on July 2, 1505, as Luther was returning to the university after a short vacation at home, he was caught in a severe and violent thunderstorm. Lightening struck the ground near him and he was thrown to the ground. He cried out in fear, “St. Ann, save me, and I will become a monk.” Thus Luther’s career in law ended before it even began, much to the disappointment of his father. Two weeks later he entered the monastery in Erfurt and after one year took his vows as a monk. He went on to study for the priesthood and was ordained in spring 1507. He became a professor of Bible at Wittenberg University where he continued his education and earned a Doctor of Theology degree at age 29. Even before Luther began his university studies, he had struggled with the question, “How can I be sure I will be saved?” All his studies and even becoming a priest had not helped him to answer this! Luther believed that he had to be as righteous as God Himself in order to be delivered from his sins. He tried very hard to please God, hoping that if he did enough good things, God might forgive him. He would spend hours trying to think of every sin he had committed in order to confess them. But, no matter how hard he tried, he found that he could never be good enough to please God. In 1514 while preparing lectures on the Book of Psalms, Luther came to realize that righteousness was not what a person did for God, but rather it is what God gives a person because he or she believes in Jesus Christ! Luther said that when he realized this “it was as if the gates of paradise had swung open before me.” No longer would he have to wonder if he was saved. He could know for certain he was saved because Jesus had died on the cross for him, had given him the forgiveness of all his sins and he had the promise of eternal life. This teaching soon was accepted by his fellow professors at Wittenberg. The Reformation was born. In those days the Roman church had travelling preachers who would go around selling what were called “indulgences.” These indulgences which were signed by the Pope (the head priest of the whole Roman Catholic church) were supposed to forgive people their sins. It was believed also that they could be bought for people who had already died. This would reduce their time of punishment for their sins in a place the Roman church called purgatory. Money from the sale of these indulgences would be divided between the local bishop and the Church of Rome. One such preacher named John Tetzel was selling these indulgences near the city of Wittenberg. Luther objected strongly to the practice of selling indulgences because the Bible teaches that only faith in Christ will forgive sins. He wrote out his objections as 95 thesis (statements) and nailed them to the door of the Wittenberg church on October 31, 1517, the day before All Saints Day. (also known as All Hallow”s Eve or Hallowe’en) This common practice was an invitation for the supporters of indulgences to publicly debate with Luther about this issue. Luther did not intend for his 95 Thesis to cause divisions or trouble in the church. He simply wanted the church to follow what the Bible says. However his 95 Thesis were almost immediately copied, published, and distributed far and wide. As a result, the sale of indulgences dropped off dramatically in Germany. The debate that Luther wanted never took place. Instead the Church of Rome and the Pope reacted by charging Luther with heresy (false teaching). The church tried everything they could think of to silence Luther but had no success. Luther said he would only change his mind if it could be shown from the Bible that he was wrong. In 1521, the pope excommunicated Luther from the church. Luther was then summoned to appear before the Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms. (The Diet was a council of princes.) Luther was asked to take back everything he had written and submit to the authority of the church. If he did not recant, he would come under the Emperor's judgement and would become an outlaw to be hunted down and killed. The Emperor gave him 24 hours to decide. After spending a night in prayer, Luther would not compromise unless he could be shown from the Holy Scriptures that he was wrong. He concluded his speech before the Emperor with these words: “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason . . . I cannot and will not make any retraction, since it is neither safe nor honourable to act against conscience. Here I stand; I can do no other; so help me God! Amen.” Thus Martin Luther became an outlaw subject to execution by the civil authorities and his teachings were banned. But Lutheranism had already spread through much of Germany and even beyond. God’s Word and His promises of the Gospel had taken the hearts of the people. On the way back to Wittenberg, Luther was abducted (by his prince and friend, Elector Frederick the Wise) and taken to the Wartburg castle where he was hidden for about a year to protect him from his enemies. During this time Luther translated the New Testament into German so that the people could read about God’s love and mercy in Jesus Christ for themselves. Now Luther saw that there was no hope that the Roman church would reform itself to what the Bible taught. The only solution was to break away and return to what the early church and the Bible clearly taught. Upon his return to Wittenberg, he reformed the worship services by using the German language instead of Latin. He reintroduced hymn singing to the congregation, allowed the lay people to receive both the body and the blood of Christ in Holy Communion, and greatly increased the participation of the congregation in the worship. Monks, priests, and nuns were released from their vows of celibacy and were allowed to marry. Luther himself married a young nun named Katharina von Bora and was blessed with three sons and three daughters. Luther was a great writer and even today one can read 55 volumes of Luther’s Works which have been translated into English. One of his greatest legacies to the church that bears his name is Luther’s Small Catechism. It is still used today for teaching people the basics of the Christian faith, as any Lutheran young person taking confirmation instruction will tell you. The Lutheran Reformation, as it came to be known, held to four basic guiding principles for the Church to follow: Scripture alone, Christ alone, grace alone, and faith alone. The first of these “solas” (latin for only) means the Holy Bible is the only standard and guide for what we believe. The second sola tells us that Jesus Christ, true God and true man who died on the cross and rose from death on the third day, is the only way for salvation. The third reminds us that our salvation is God’s perfectly free gift without any work or merit on our part. Finally, “faith alone” means that God’s promises come to us simply by believing in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Martin Luther passed away on February 18, 1546. He never wanted the church that arose out of his work to be named after him. Rather he felt it should be called the “Christian Church” for he only wanted to glorify and praise God for the salvation that He gives through faith in Jesus Christ. Soli Deo Gloria To God alone be glory.
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Lutherans and the Crucifix On May 22nd, this year, over 300 people—pastors, deacons, and laypeople—from all over British Columbia and Alberta gathered for the opening Divine Service of the ABC District Convention of Lutheran Church—Canada. While the assembled congregation sang the Processional Hymn, the officiant, the preacher, the lectors, the assistant pastors, and acolytes were led to the front of the auditorium by a pastor carrying a cross. The hand-crafted wooden cross leading the procession was in fact a crucifix incorporating a stylized body of Christ. This was good, right, and salutary as our church, along with St. Paul, centers our entire theology, preaching and worship on “Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2) The crucifix has been used by the Church as a symbol of the incarnation of Christ—God becoming human in Jesus—since the sixth century. It serves as a reminder that God the Son did not hesitate to become human flesh and blood in order to offer Himself as the atoning sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the whole world. The crucifix remains a regular fixture in Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran Churches around the world still today. It is true that most reformed churches reject the use of crucifixes and other symbols of historic Christianity on the basis of the Ten Commandments prohibition of graven images. (Exodus 20:4-5) A careful reading of the commandment however, shows that the commandment is about the worshipping of carved images. In fact, God Himself commanded images to be fashioned for the “mercy seat,” two churubim (angels) facing one another with arms extended as the covering for the Ark of the Covenant. (Exodus 25:17-22) Furthermore, God also commanded the making of a brass serpent on a pole when the Israelites were afflicted by poisonous snakes during the wilderness journey. Certainly both the Tabernacle and the Temple built by Solomon and their furnishings featured carvings and other images and artistic adornments. (Exodus 25:31-34; 1 Kings 7:13-44) In Lutheran Churches the crucifix is not an idol that is worshipped but rather a symbol of our Lord Jesus Christ, who He is and what he has done. The body (called the corpus) on the cross recalls St. Paul’s words, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8) We worship an almighty and everlasting God who became human for our salvation by His own sacrifice! The crucifix has always been a part of our Lutheran heritage. Martin Luther himself recognized the importance of Christian art and particularly the crucifix. In 1521, while Luther was in hiding at the Wartburg Castle, there was a radical element among the reformers in Wittenberg who caused a great disturbance in the city and the destruction of statues, stained glass windows, and other artistic symbols because they considered them idolatrous. In response Luther wrote, "And I say at the outset that according to the law of Moses, no other images are forbidden than an image of God which one worships. A crucifix, on the other hand, or any other holy image is not forbidden. Heigh now! you breakers of images, I defy you to prove the opposite!" (Luther’s Works, American Edition Vol. 40, 85-86). Luther recognized that statue, paintings, and other artwork were beneficial for the devotional life of the laity, particularly the peasantry who were largely illiterate. Concerning the crucifix in particular he writes, “… when I hear of Christ, an image of man hanging on a cross takes form in my heart.… If it is not a sin but good to have the image of Christ in my heart, why should it be a sin to have it in my eyes? (Luther’s Works, American Edition Vol. 40, 99-100) While many contemporary Lutheran Churches tend to use the bare cross, our pioneers were more inclined to have a crucifix on their altar or mounted behind the altar. Often these incorporated a reredos, a backdrop for the altar with brightly painted scenes from scripture. In fact Lutheran tradition has featured ornate churches with not only the crucifix but also statues, paintings, stain glass windows and other artistic works. There are several reasons for the decline of the use of the crucifix in modern Lutheran churches. Probably foremost among them can be found in the architectural movement toward simpler, minimalist designs. When a new church is built in a contemporary style, the chancel usually abandons older, more elaborate forms. Another reason, especially among those of a pietistic background, is that the crucifix is too “Catholic” and “not Lutheran.” As has been shown above, this is simply not the case. Furthermore, as Lutherans we do not define our worship practices according to what other denominations do or do not do, but rather upon what the Holy Scriptures allow or prohibit. A third reason may be that it is considered too gory or even frightening for modern sensibilities. Earlier this year, an Anglican church in West Sussex in England removed a ten foot crucifix from the outside of their church because it was "a horrifying depiction of pain and suffering" which was also "putting people off" and was scaring children. They replaced it with a plain stainless steel cross. Regardless of how one might feel about the depiction of someone dying on a cross, the fact of the matter is that Christ indeed “was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried“ as we attest in the Nicene Creed. Finally, some people feel that the empty cross more accurately reflects their faith, as they worship not a dead man, but a resurrected, living God. (In point of fact, the empty tomb is a much better symbol for the resurrection than the bare cross since Jesus body was removed from the cross and was buried before His resurrection.) Certainly we do worship the resurrected God-man, Jesus Christ. However His resurrection is predicated first upon His becoming human and His subsequent sacrificial death on the cross. Certainly the crucifix is an appropriate symbol to reminds us of this. In fact, the use of the crucifix in worship at Lord of Life reflects both Christ’s incarnation and atoning death and His resurrection. During Lent and at other appropriate times of the Church Year the crucifix will be displayed on the chancel cross. During the Easter season and certain other times, it is removed and placed on the mezzanine wall, leaving the chancel cross bare. In addition the smaller crucifix above the sanctuary doors features the triumphant Christ with His arms outstretched in blessing. Soli Deo Gloria (To God alone be glory)
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What about Halloween? When you think of Hallowe'en, do pictures of witches and black cats, ghosts and goblins, bats and spiders, scary stories and horror movies, jack-o-lanterns and children begging "trick or treat" at your door come to mind? Almost certainly they do! But what really lies behind the "celebration" of Hallowe'en? Many people today do not realize that the background of Hallowe'en is thoroughly Christian. Even the name, Hallowe'en, reflects the Christian nature of October 31. Hallowe'en is short for "All Hallows Eve(ning)," which marks the beginning of the Church Holy Day known as "All Saint's Day." Hallow simply means “holy.” (Note: in the Lord's Prayer, we say to God, "Hallowed [i.e. holy] be Thy name.") All Hallows then means "All Holy Ones" or All Saints Day. All Saint's Day, in one form or another, has been celebrated for a very long time in the Christian Church. Historical records show that in the fourth century, a "Feast for All Martyrs" was observed in May as a memorial for faithful believers who had forfeited their lives rather than forsake their faith in Jesus Christ. Historians tell us that there were ten successive persecutions of the early Church, and that literally millions of men, women, and children were tortured and killed for believing that Jesus is Lord and for refusing to worship Caesar. By the eighth century, the festival had broadened to include all saints and not just those who had been martyred. Its celebration moved to November 1, probably because on this day a chapel in Rome was dedicated by Pope Gregory III (731-741 AD) in honour of "All Saints." Wearing Hallowe'en costumes may be traced to church pageants of the Middle Ages. Participants in these plays would dress up in costumes as martyred saints, people from the Bible, or even as evil characters and demons and then reenact the Bible stories or martyrdoms. Even begging for treats on Hallowe'en grew out of ancient Christian tradition. Perhaps as early as the ninth century, Christians in some parts of Europe would go door to door asking for a treat called a "soul cake," a piece of bread or a small cake decorated with dried currants. "(The custom came to be known as "souling.") In return, the recipient would promise to pray for loved ones' souls. But October 31, All Hallows Eve, has significance besides the celebration of the life and faith of Christian saints. It was on this day in the year 1517 that Dr. Martin Luther, a monk and Professor of Theology at Wittenburg University in Germany, challenged the hierarchy of the church regarding its teachings on how one receives forgiveness of sins and enters heaven. Dr. Luther, through his study of the Holy Scriptures, rediscovered the biblical truth that a person can enter heaven only by believing in God's Son, Jesus Christ, and in His death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. How fitting that Luther chose the Eve of All Saints, the day when Christians remember those forgiven believers in Christ who are already in heaven! Thus began the Protestant Reformation.
This year, in the midst of all the trick or treating, the pumpkins, the strange costumes, and all the other Hallowe'en hoopla, remember the true significance of the day. Think of faithful Christians of the past who were willing to die for the sake of Jesus. Think of the forgiveness of sins obtained for all people by the death and resurrection of Christ. Ponder the glorious promise of eternal life in heaven for all who believe in Him.
If you would like to learn more about these things, join us for worship next Sunday and bring your children to our Sunday School so they, too, can hear the Good News of Jesus’ love and forgiveness. We would love to meet you!
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