Dear friends, I wonder what Reformation Day really means to us Lutheran Christians today.  For adults it's surely a time to sing great hymns with much gusto, and for children it means the fun of Halloween is close by.  But the real impact of the protestant Reformation seems so long past, especially since today's Church of Rome is far more closely attuned with Scripture than in Luther's day.  But think for a moment what it meant to be Martin Luther, a simple parish priest, a peasant scholar who stood up for his principles and refused against all odds to retract what he believed in his heart to be true.

          479 years ago Luther stood before the Imperial Diet at Worms and told the highest powers in the world he would not bend to their wishes.  That church and state Conference was presided over by Emperor Charles V, the most powerful ruler in the western world, as well as the Papal Legate, whose authority was second highest in the church, second only to Pope Leo X.  Yes, there are people who can put the fear of God in us today:  a policeman writing us a traffic citation, an IRS agent asking us to justify deductions, and someone closely related to the IRS, a masked man with a gun.  But these are weak and paltry compared to those whom Luther stood against.

          Suppose it were you or I standing there defending our beliefs, and suppose it was President Clinton and Synod President Al Barry demanding we retract what we'd written.  Would we be as courageous?  How would we measure up?

          We are so more free now than in Luther's day.  We can't be imprisoned for speaking against government or burned at the stake for religious heresy.  We can come and go with ease, getting and spending without fear.  But in such an atmosphere of freedom, would we still be willing to stand firm - and stand alone - if the powers of the world demanded we renounce our beliefs?  Christians are still being told to do this, you know, in China and in many Islamic nations.  Are we willing to join them?

          Luther's three great Christian principles were Sola Gratia, Sola Fide and Sola Scriptura - by grace alone, by faith alone and by scripture alone.  He believed every man, woman and child should be free to believe as he wished, without the threats or coercion from others.  He believed the words of John, that "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."  So Luther chose freedom in Christ rather than subjection to man.  He chose the mercy of God rather than the justice of man.  He was worried far less about the threats of man, for he knew he was justified in the sight of the supreme Ruler and King of the Universe.

          These are the things we can celebrate this Reformation, appreciation for our history, courage to stand for our beliefs, thanksgiving for those who gave us back the precious message of the Gospel.  And I'd also like to think a great blessing we have is our freedom of conscience.  Today we may face ridicule or even lawsuits if we openly speak against what public opinion has judged incorrect.  But no one can rule our consciences.  Guilt may be slapped on us by others, but in Christ, our guilt is washed away.  You and I are free because Christ has set us free.  We are not ruled by contrived laws, but by God's grace.

          "The true treasure of the Church is the most holy Gospel of the glory and grace of God," so wrote Luther in his 95 Theses.  The Gospel is the news that in Christ we are forgiven, in Christ we are set free!  No matter what we have done, God forgives us when we trust in the merits of His Son.  No matter what threats mankind may level at us, in Christ we have nothing to fear.  May this Reformation Day give us joy in knowing our sins are forgiven, and may it give us courage to stand firm in the faith.  May we have renewed strength to stand up for the truth of God, for "If the Son sets us free, we will be free indeed."  Amen!

"The true treasure of the Church is the most holy Gospel of the glory and grace of God." - Thesis #62

          Allow me to introduce myself.  I am Martin Luther, Doctor of Theology, Pastor and Priest, husband and father, unworthy servant of God.  God richly blessed me in His service and even caused a church to be named after me, but I must not get ahead of myself.

          I was born 517 years ago in Eisleben, Germany, on November 10, 1483, nine years before Columbus discovered America.  The next day my Father took me to the village church and there I was baptized Martin, after St. Martin of Tours on whose day I was born.

          My father, Hans Luther, was a hard working copper miner who wanted his children to do better than he.  He wanted me to become a lawyer so I could advance in life.  My mother Margaret was a loving but stern woman.  For taking a simple nut, I was whipped until I bled.  Once I even ran away from home, but soon returned because ours was a loving home filled with singing and laughter.  When I was four years old I was enrolled in the Mansfield Latin School where I learned quickly, speaking Latin at school and German at home.  I was a bright student and enjoyed my studies.

          I believed in God, but saw Him as a stern judge who punished evil sinners.  Every time I did something wrong in school, I had to make a mark on my chalk slate.  And at the end of the week my slate was wiped clean, but only after I'd received a hard spanking.  Thus I believed God would do to me as well.  At age 14 my father sent me to the Cathedral School at Magdeburg where I saw my first Bible, chained to the library table so it would not be stolen.

          Later I attended St. George's school in Eisenach, graduating in 1501.  My father made it possible for me to attend the University of Erfurt, and in only one year I achieved the Bachelor of Arts Degree at age 19.  Yes, I was a very good student and achieved my Master of Arts three years later.

          Though father wanted me to become a lawyer, God had other plans.  I was walking on a road during a terrible rainstorm one day when lightening struck next to me, killing a fellow traveller.  I fell to the ground in terror and cried out, "St. Anne, mother of Mary, save me and I shall become a monk!"  Well, I guess she did, and I did, and so I entered the Augustinian Monastery at Erfurt, renouncing all worldly pleasures and possessions.

          Life was hard there, but I felt there I could find peace with God the terrible judge who condemned me for my sins.  But no matter how hard I tried to please Him, or how many times I confessed my sins, I knew I was not worthy.  I worked hard, prayed constantly, even beat myself with whips to purge myself of evil thoughts, but nothing worked.  Mankind was evil - how could anyone get to heaven?

          After two years of study I became a priest and celebrated my first mass.  My father was present and said he hoped I had not made a mistake.  I hoped the same.  My dear friend there was Dr. Staupitz, head of the Augustinian Order.  He sent me to study the Bible and to teach at the new University of Wittenberg, built by Elector Frederick the Wise, ruler of Saxony.

          Staupitz also ordered me to Rome for a conference.  Rome, mother city of the faith!  Rome was a mysterious and wonderful place, but also very troubling.  I saw magnificent churches, but also great superstition.  There were questionable relics - the rope Judas had supposedly used, one of the 30 pieces of silver, twigs from the burning bush, a leg bone of St. Peter.  But the stories I heard of the priests and bishops, how shamelessly they lived!  How could such sinful priests be pleasing to God?  I was glad to return home!

          I continued teaching and preaching, and studied to be a Doctor in Theology.  It was very hard, but I finished in 1512.  And now as Dr. Martin Luther, I moved to the University of Wittenberg to be professor of the Bible and pastor of the church there.

          I preached and studied the Bible fervently, seeking peace with God.  One day while reading in Romans words of St. Paul I saw His words: "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, the Jew first and also the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith, as it is written, 'the righteous shall live by faith'."

          God had punished Jesus in my place!  I who could never be good enough, no longer need be perfect, for Christ was perfect for me.  All I need to do was have faith!  It was as if the doors of heaven were opened!  Praise be to God that my chains to the Law were broken!

          All would have been good had it not been for something called "Indulgences."  These were papers sold to the people granting them forgiveness of sins and release from purgatory.  But the Bible said only God can forgive sins, and His grace cannot be purchased.  No paper can forgive one's sins!

          John Tetzel, that fat, rich Benedictine, deluded the people saying, "When your coins fall into the chest, the soul flies up to its heavenly rest."  My people wasted precious coins buying these, and actually believed him.  Finally I'd had enough.  I wrote 95 statements, challenging church leaders to debate whether or not forgiveness can be purchased.  I nailed these to the church door in Wittenberg, and also wrote letters to the Archbishop of Mainz telling him what I had done.  Printers sold thousands of the Theses.  Little did I know what I had started!

          Sales of Indulgences fell and Tetzel became furious.  He appealed to Rome and the Pope issued orders for my arrest as a heretic.  Even the Emperor was worried about the actions of this little priest in Germany.  But God was doing His work!  I was not arrested, even when the Pope excommunicated me.  Frederick the Wise became my protector.  I continued to teach and preach until I was ordered to appear before the Emperor.

          I had debated my many writings at Leipzig with Dr. John Eck and proved them true from scripture.  But finally, in 1521, a Diet, or church conference, was called in the city of Worms and there I was ordered to recant, to take back all my writings.

          "All of them?" I asked.  "But they contain the truth of Holy Scripture.  How can I recant the truth of God?"  They gave me 24 hours to consider this, and when I appeared again, said, "Unless I am showed my errors by Scripture, I cannot and will not recant!  Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise.  God help me.  Amen."

          They were not convinced!  I was now declared an outlaw and could be killed by anyone on sight.  On my way home, I was kidnapped by horsemen and taken to the castle at Wartburg.  There I stayed for nearly a year, translating the New Testament into German, the language of my people.

          During my absence Satan riled the people.  Carlstadt, a fellow priest, told them they did not need the church or even the Bible, and that God would just tell them what He wanted them to know.  Riots broke out and people destroyed churches.  Finally, I'd had enough.  In 1522 "Knight George", as I was called, returned to restore peace and order.  The peasants had destroyed so much, that I wrote against them saying, among other things, "Bad and unjust government does not justify revolt!"  I urged peasants and nobility to sit down and end the conflict, and finally they did.

          The years following were filled with much activity.  The people, even the priests, were so ignorant of even the smallest amount of Scripture that I wrote the Small and Large Catechisms, telling of the basic teachings of the Christian faith, of Prayer, the Sacraments, the Commandments, the Creed and of Confession and Forgiveness.  I also wrote many other books and sermons about the Word of God.  The printing press, invented just decades before, was a great blessing from God!

          During that time I saw large numbers of priests and nuns leave the oppression of the monasteries and convents.  I helped many of them to find wives and husbands.  Once I aided twelve nuns in escaping their convent by wrapping them in fish bags and hauling them away in an ox cart.  How they smelled when they came out of their wrappings!

          I, however, did not wish marriage.  I could be killed at any time, so why burden a wife?  One of the twelve nuns, Katherine von Bora, was very head-strong and particular.  She rejected the husband I found her, and finally said, "I will marriage anyone else, even you Dr. Luther, but not that man!"  Me, marry Katie?  Ridiculous, impossible!  But, again, God had other plans, and on June 13, 1525, we were married, me at age 42 and Katie, at 26.  God had given me a precious helper indeed!  Though we only had respect for her in the beginning, I grew to love and cherish her.

          My house was a mess.  I had not changed the sheets in over a year!  But my Katie was a jewel.  Elector Frederick had given me the monastery at Wittenberg and Katie began keeping it masterfully, supervising the servants who raised chickens and vegetables and milked the cows.  We always had 20 or 30 people with us and she fed and housed them all, but they all had duties under her supervision.

          Katie was more precious to me than the kingdom of France and the jewels of Venice.  She bore me six wonderful children.  They were such a great joy, though God took two of them too soon, Elizabeth as a baby, and my sweet Magdalena 14 years later.  Though saddened by our loss, our home was filled with music and laughter and always hard work.

          The unrest in the church continued.  By now thousands in Germany had left the church of Rome for churches pastored by men we had trained.  I translated the Old Testament and kept writing on the truths of God, and people kept reading.  I wrote hymns for worship for I loved music.  Next to the Gospel, music is God's most precious gift!  And I wrote many sermons, long ones.  My associates also wrote, especially Philip Melanchthon, who had a gifted pen.

          Finally in 1530, Emperor Charles ordered us to appear before a Diet at Augsburg to explain what we believed.  He hoped to to bring unity in his empire.  For that event, Phillip wrote the Augsburg Confession, and it was signed by dozens of nobility and mayors.  But the Pope's emissaries rejected it entirely, though it was filled with God's Word and accepted catholic doctrine. Whether they wanted it or not, Christ's Church was being reformed, and the rift started in 1517 was now irreparable.

          I continued writing and preaching and God continued uniting the growing the churches of those protesting the abuses of Rome, "Protestants" as many called us.  Others called us "Lutherans" though I was not pleased with that name.  It was God's church, and I never intended to leave it or the priesthood.  It was only they who wanted me out of the way.

          They would soon have their wish.  I was no longer in good health and in 1537 became severely ill.  I was sure God would take me then, but again He had other plans.  I survived a heart attack and He gave me nine more years to serve Him during which we refined the teachings of Holy Scripture and united the growing congregations into a strong church of God.

          But finally, on February 18, 1546, after suffering three heart attacks and praying my last prayer, I was taken home to God at age 62.  My body is now buried at the Castle Church in Wittenberg, but my soul rests with all the saints in God's presence, awaiting the resurrection.

          The Christian Church today numbers over one and a quarter billion followers of Christ, all over the world, on every continent, in every nation.  And 80 million of those believers are called Lutherans.  But it matters not what we are called, only whom we trust as Lord and Savior, for the Church is Christ's church.

          Hold fast to the Gospel, my friends.  Let no one bind your consciences with useless demands, and beware of false teachings.  Do not be lured by the fleeting pleasures and possessions of this world, and never take your eyes off the cross of our Lord.  God grant that you will be with all the saints in paradise, because you have trusted in your Lord Jesus.  Amen and amen!

Copyright © 2000 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.