Good Ol' Martin Luther

SUN 2/4 MEDITATION

Lutherans don't worship Martin Luther. We don't even place him on the first tier of apostles & church fathers. However, we do celebrate God's blessings in enabling Luther to comprehend the nature of justification:  that we are saved by faith, not works. His writing is still worth reading today but not because it's on the same level as Holy Scripture. His writing is valuable for insights into the Truth of God's Word, which Luther treasured way beyond his appreciation for his own writings.

I have been working my way through Martin Luther:  Psalm by Psalm, Concordia Publishing House (2017) as part of my daily prayer time. The editors have drawn from Luther's sermons & writings to lend insight & understanding of the Psalms. 

My intention is to share some highlights that I've noted as I read this daily devotion. I hope you find them as valuable as I have.

Psalm 1:1, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked." Psalm 1:1 . Luther:  "It is a great thing when a man is not overcome by riches, pleasures, & honors; but it is an even greater victory when a man overcomes the reasoning & the glittering righteousness of the ungodly by which pure faith is attached most of all."

Psalm 1:2, "But his delight is in the law of the Lord."  Luther:  "Therefore Christ does not want His rule to rest on force & violence, because then it would not stand firm, but He wants to be served willingly & with the heart & affections."

Psalm 1:2, "On His Law he meditates day & night."  Luther:  "For what we want & love, on that we reflect inwardly & diligently. But what we hate or despise we pass over lightly & do not desire deeply, diligently or for long."  

1. What do you think Luther would describe today as "The reasoning & the glittering righteousness of the ungodly?" How do we avoid this ungodliness?
2. Is there a reason why we rarely if ever read about mobs of Christians brutalizing unbelievers into forced conversions?
3. How do we reconcile this with acts of violence perpetrated by Christians?
4. If we say that "what we want & love, on that we reflect inwardly & diligently," how do we act this out in our faith lives?