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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadMartin Luther Collection: Luther, Martin - Table Talks: 31. Of A Christian Life
TOPIC: Luther, Martin - Table Talks (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 31. Of A Christian Life
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OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE
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DCXCVII.
A Christian's worshipping is not the external, hypocritical mask that our
spiritual friars wear, when they chastise their bodies, torment and make
themselves faint, with ostentatious fasting, watching, singing, wearing hair
shirts, scourging themselves, etc. Such worshipping God desires not.
DCXCVIII.
`Tis a great blindness of people's hearts that they cannot accept of
the treasure of grace presented unto them. Such people are we, that though
we are baptized, have Christ, with all his precious gifts, faith, the
sacraments, his Word, all which we confess to be holy, yet we can neither
say nor think that we ourselves are holy; we deem it too much to say, we are
holy; whereas the name Christian is far more glorious and greater than the
name holy.
DCXCIX.
We can call consecrated robes, dead men's bones, and such trumpery,
holy, but not a Christian; the reason is, we gaze upon the outward mask, we
look after the seeming saint, who leads an austere life. Hence that vain
opinion in popedom, that they call the dead, saints; an error strengthened
by Zwinglius. Human wisdom gapes at holy workers, thinking whoso does good
works, is just and righteous before God.
DCC.
There's no better death than St Stephen's, who said: "Lord, receive my
spirit." We should lay aside the register of our sins and deserts, and die
in reliance only upon God's mere grace and mercy.
DCCI.
We ought to retain the feast of John the Baptist, with whom the New
Testament began, for it is written: "All the prophets and the law prophesied
until John," etc. We should observe it, too, for the sake of the fair song,
which in popedom we read, but understood not, of Zachariah, which, indeed,
is a most excellent song, as is shown in St Luke's preface, where he says:
"And Zachariah was full of the Holy Ghost," etc.
DCCII.
A householder instructs his servants and family in this manner: Deal
uprightly and honestly, be diligent in that which I command you, and ye may
then eat, drink, and clothe yourselves as ye please. Even so, our Lord God
regards not what we eat, drink, or how we clothe ourselves; all such
matters, being ceremonies or middle things, he leaves freely to us, on the
understanding, however, that we ground nothing thereon as being necessary to
salvation.
DCCIII.
`Twas a strange thing the world should be offended at him who raised
the dead, made the blind to see, and the deaf to hear, etc. They who would
deem such a man a devil, what kind of a God would they have? But here it is.
Christ would give to the world the kingdom of heaven, but they will have the
kingdom of the earth, and here they part; for the highest wisdom and
sanctity of the hypocrites sees nothing but temporal honor, carnal will,
mundane life, good days, money and wealth, all of which must vanish and
cease.
DCCIV.
The whole world takes offence at the plainness of the second table of
God's ten commandments, because human sense and reason partly understand
what is done contrary thereto. When God and his Word is condemned, the world
is silent and regards it not; but when a monastery is taken, or flesh eaten
on a Friday, or a friar marries, O, then the world cries out: Here are
abominable offences.
DCCV.
The obedience towards God is the obedience of faith and good works;
that is, he who believes in God, and does what God has commanded, is
obedient unto him; but the obedience toward the devil is superstiton and
evil works; that is, who trusts not in God, but is unbelieving, and does
evil, is obedient unto the devil.
DCCVI.
In the Old Testament are two sorts of sacrifices; the first was called
the early morning sacrifice; thereby is shown that we first should offer
unto Christ, not oxen or cattle, but ourselves, acknowledging God's gifts,
corporal and spiritual, temporal and eternal, and giving him thanks for
them. Secondly, the evening sacrifice; whereby is signified that a Christian
should offer a broken, humble and a contrite heart, consider his
necessities, and dangers, both corporal and spiritual, and call upon God for
help.
DCCVII.
God will, say some, that we should serve him freely and willingly,
whereas he that serves God out of fear of punishment, of hell, or out of a
hope and love of recompense, serves and honors God not uprightly or truly.
This argument is of the stoics, who reject the affections of human nature.
It is true we ought willingly to serve, love, and fear God, as the chief
good. But God can well endure that we love him for his promise's sake, and
pray unto him for corporal and spiritual benefits; he therefore has
commanded us to pray. So God can also endure that we fear him for the
punishment's sake, as the prophets remember. Indeed, it is somewhat, that a
human creature can acknowledge God's everlasting punishments and rewards.
And if one looks thereupon, as not being the chief end and cause, then it
hurts him not, especially if he has regard to God himself, as the final
cause, who gives everything for nothing, out of mere grace, without our
deserts.
DCCVIII.
The word, to worship, means to stoop and bow down the body with
external gestures; to serve in the work. But to worship God in spirit is the
service and honor of the heart; it comprehends faith and fear in God. The
worshipping of God is two-fold, outward and inward - that is, to acknowledge
God's benefits, and to be thankful unto him.
DCCIX.
A certain prince of Germany, well known to me, went to Compostella in
Spain, where they pretend St James, brother of the Evangelist St John, lies
buried. This prince made his confession to a Franciscan, an honest man, who
asked him if he were a German? The prince answered, yes. Then the friar
said: "O, loving child, why seekest thou so far away that which thou hast
much better in Germany? I have seen and read the writings of an Augustine
friar, touching indulgences and the pardons of sin, wherein he powerfully
proves that the true remission of sins consists in the merits and sufferings
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. O loving son, remain thereby, and
permit not thyself to be otherwise persuaded. I purpose shortly, God
willing, to leave this unchristian life, to repair into German, and to join
the Augustine friar.
DCCX.
Since the Gospel has been preached, which is not above twenty years,
such great wonders have been done as were not in many hundred years before.
No man ever thought such alterations should happen; that so many monasteries
would be made empty, that the private mass should be abolished in Germany,
despite heretics, sectaries, and tyrants. Rome has twice been ravaged, and
many great princes, who persecuted the Gospel, have been thrown down to the
ground and destroyed.