Martin Luther: The World Through Jesus Eyes (Feat. Bryan Wolfmueller)

[00:00:00] Revived Thoughts is a production of Revive Studios.

[00:00:08] This is Troy Angel and you are listening to Revived Thoughts.

[00:00:21] But the Lord knew what the apostles did not know. It was not mere touching with her hands,

[00:00:27] the woman had touched him with her heart.

[00:00:31] Every episode we bring you a different voice from history in a sermon that they delivered.

[00:00:37] It's Reformation Week, which means we're doing a Martin Luther sermon like we do every Thursday before Halloween.

[00:00:44] And this year, I think they're lining up.

[00:00:48] Yeah, no, this year, if you're listening to this episode as it comes out live,

[00:00:52] which many, many of you who listen are going to be listening to this years out.

[00:00:55] So this doesn't matter to you as much.

[00:00:57] But if you're listening to this episode the day it comes out, you're listening to it on, Reformation Day.

[00:01:02] So what a perfect timing for you to be able to listen to a Martin Luther sermon,

[00:01:04] listen to a little history about Martin Luther and all on the day that we're supposed to remember it.

[00:01:10] Well, you know, Joel, you just called it Halloween.

[00:01:12] But I put up a Twitter, sorry, an X, whatever we call it now post the other day saying,

[00:01:16] what do you think about Halloween? And it is a very, is a very controversial subject.

[00:01:21] People, people have some very strong feelings about it to everything from like, it's totally fine.

[00:01:26] Let the kids play dress up and eat candy. Don't be weird about it.

[00:01:30] All the way to, if you eat a Halloween cookie, you have become under the influence of Satan

[00:01:34] and are in danger of hellfire. That last one's not like even a slight exaggeration.

[00:01:38] So it's a spectrum there on how people feel about it.

[00:01:41] But we are not celebrating Halloween here.

[00:01:43] We celebrate Martin Luther's Reformation, Reformation Day,

[00:01:46] by every year by putting out a Martin Luther sermon.

[00:01:48] You know, you're going through the greatest sermons of history.

[00:01:50] You're telling the story of the church through these preachers.

[00:01:52] You got to hit Martin Luther and what better day to do it than either on October 31st

[00:01:57] or the week leading up to October 31st.

[00:01:59] And so every year we have done it.

[00:02:01] Yeah, I guess, I guess for kind of people might not be aware the day that Martin Luther

[00:02:06] nailed his 95 thesis to the church door, which is the event that we point at that kind

[00:02:10] of sparked off the great reformation happened to be on October 31st.

[00:02:15] So while it is Halloween here, it's also Reformation Day in other circles.

[00:02:21] And so that's, they just happened to coexist.

[00:02:24] So that's what we're talking about.

[00:02:25] People don't know this, but part of the reason Martin Luther was able to nail the 95

[00:02:28] thesis and not get in trouble is because he was already in a Halloween costume.

[00:02:31] And so people didn't know which one it was.

[00:02:34] I believe he was dressed up as X-Men Wolverine.

[00:02:37] And is that correct, Joel?

[00:02:39] I didn't know.

[00:02:41] I thought you were serious for a second there.

[00:02:43] I was like, what is he?

[00:02:45] Is this some history?

[00:02:46] I don't know.

[00:02:46] Is he dressed up as like a knight or something?

[00:02:48] Yeah, they thought he was asking for candy, but when he was knocking, but there was a hammer

[00:02:52] on the door.

[00:02:53] No.

[00:02:54] Actually though, we did last year, and I think we will do this this year.

[00:02:57] We did a kind of Reformation Day celebration with our kids because we don't live, even if

[00:03:03] we wanted to be involved in the Halloween discussion or debate, we don't live in a country that has

[00:03:06] a Halloween.

[00:03:07] So that's not a debate issue that we have to worry about here.

[00:03:10] Um, so we did a Reformation Day celebration with our children where we did some very goofy

[00:03:16] things like pin the beard on the reformer, which is super cheesy sounding.

[00:03:20] A diet of worms game where the kids had to like eat, eat gummy worms crawling on the floor.

[00:03:25] Just really ridiculous, stupid stuff.

[00:03:27] And then we just kind of talked about like why this day was important in history.

[00:03:30] And you know what?

[00:03:31] The kids absolutely love the games.

[00:03:33] Absolutely love the goofiness of it.

[00:03:34] And 10 out of 10, we're going to do it again this year too.

[00:03:37] So for us, that was a lot of fun.

[00:03:39] So if you're ever wondering like, hey, you know, trunk or treat, but a fun alternative,

[00:03:43] I suppose, is you can do these kind of goofy things too and talk about this.

[00:03:47] And then he put on, every child will tell you their favorite memory growing up is then

[00:03:51] listening to a Martin Luther sermon from Revive Thoughts as they go to sleep.

[00:03:54] We're starting a new era, a new tradition.

[00:03:58] Every child's classic October 31st tradition, listening to me and Joel explain something about

[00:04:04] Martin Luther.

[00:04:05] And so I can't, I can't imagine October 31st without it.

[00:04:09] And I'm sure your family won't be able to either.

[00:04:11] Did you, did you do Halloween growing up, Troy?

[00:04:14] Oh yeah.

[00:04:14] My family was, I mean, yeah, we, we definitely did all the Halloween stuff and I had, um,

[00:04:20] some great costumes that I recall.

[00:04:23] Uh, well, not really.

[00:04:25] No, I don't, I don't actually remember hardly any of them.

[00:04:27] I do know that one time I did like a weightlifter one, which was like, I put like balloons under

[00:04:31] my shirt as like my muscles.

[00:04:33] And that one's pretty cute as a picture of me of that.

[00:04:36] And then I'm sure I did like some star Wars or something like that, but I don't really

[00:04:40] remember them.

[00:04:41] And I think there was one where I was dressed as Woody from Toy Story 2.

[00:04:44] So there, there's another one.

[00:04:45] What was the toy art?

[00:04:47] What was the toy story scene?

[00:04:49] That's not what I was.

[00:04:50] My brain, uh, gravitated to Woody.

[00:04:52] Uh, what was the church scene like in your growing up?

[00:04:56] Did the church acknowledge Halloween or was it, uh, my church growing up?

[00:04:59] My church was, uh, uh, firmly in the fall festival camp until there.

[00:05:03] Yeah.

[00:05:04] That's how we, uh, that's how we, we spun.

[00:05:05] It wasn't Halloween.

[00:05:06] Uh, it was a fall festival.

[00:05:08] Yeah.

[00:05:09] I don't remember it very well as a kid going go like in elementary and that I don't really

[00:05:14] have a lot of strong memories of much of that one way or the other.

[00:05:17] I do know that like, as I got into high school, it was more of like a, we went to a Southern

[00:05:22] Baptist church.

[00:05:23] It was pretty large and it definitely was like a controversial issue where the church didn't

[00:05:29] really know which way to go.

[00:05:30] Like they didn't, I don't remember them ever, ever throwing any kind of Halloween anything.

[00:05:34] Uh, maybe they did a trunk or true.

[00:05:35] I think they just kind of avoided the whole thing and they just like, yeah, we don't,

[00:05:38] we just don't know.

[00:05:39] We're just not going to do it.

[00:05:40] And I, as I get older, the more I go, I understand that I can get why you would go in that direction.

[00:05:46] And I do, I do fully, I understand why you would.

[00:05:49] I also see churches do a trunk or treat.

[00:05:51] Um, I helped plan a trunk or treat when I was at a church that I was working at.

[00:05:55] So I, I get both directions and I, I just feel like it's tough on the one hand you go,

[00:06:01] Hey, this is an opportunity to have a bunch of people from your neighborhood, come by your church

[00:06:05] and spend time and blah, blah, blah.

[00:06:06] I totally get that.

[00:06:07] On the other hand, you go, I don't know.

[00:06:09] This holiday has got dark origins.

[00:06:10] We don't really want to get involved with it.

[00:06:12] It makes people uncomfortable.

[00:06:13] Maybe we have some Wiccan members that are telling us this is a bad thing to touch.

[00:06:16] Okay.

[00:06:16] I also get it from that perspective too.

[00:06:18] That's why you're going to turn on revive thoughts on October 31st and listen to this

[00:06:23] with your kids instead, because that's, there's no complaints here.

[00:06:27] Uh, we're doing something different with this episode.

[00:06:29] Uh, Joel, I wanted to just kind of throw a, throw a different, but we have talked about

[00:06:34] Martin Luther on this episode every, you know, every year for years now.

[00:06:40] And it's not that we've, we've run out of things to talk about.

[00:06:42] Well, no, we haven't done that, but what we have covered his life very thoroughly in many

[00:06:46] details.

[00:06:47] And this year, instead of like going for some obscure detail of his life that you didn't

[00:06:51] know, and we've talked about his, his, his death.

[00:06:54] We've talked about his approving of the King's marriage.

[00:06:57] We've talked about, um, his friends covering him in funeral sermons.

[00:07:00] We've, we've really covered them in many different ways.

[00:07:02] Uh, the peasants were all this different stuff.

[00:07:05] This year I kind of wanted to do something a little different.

[00:07:08] I sent you an article, Joel, uh, uh, by Smithsonian basically talking about like 10, not 10, but

[00:07:14] just some diff surprising facts about the legacy of Martin Luther.

[00:07:19] But I, I, you have not looked at this article.

[00:07:22] You have not like done the research or read it.

[00:07:24] I see the link, but I, I'm not clicking on it.

[00:07:27] Okay.

[00:07:28] So then what I'm going to do is I'm going to just basically read some of like a, like

[00:07:32] a blurb here about him from this list.

[00:07:35] And you're either going to tell me, Hey, here's the details.

[00:07:38] I know about that.

[00:07:39] I do know about that.

[00:07:40] Or you're going to go, I don't know about that.

[00:07:41] And I will say as somebody who has run a podcast that has thoroughly covered Martin Luther's

[00:07:46] life, I actually found at least one or two interesting things that I had not known about

[00:07:50] his life before.

[00:07:52] And so it is an interesting list and let's see, not just, I'm just kind of, Joel is the

[00:07:56] surrogate stand in here for you as an audience, but I think there might be some things on here

[00:08:00] you also might not know about as the listener.

[00:08:03] So let's kind of, if you're ready, Joel, let us go ahead and begin.

[00:08:07] Let me hear it.

[00:08:07] I'm ready to embarrass myself.

[00:08:09] Okay.

[00:08:10] First, Martin Luther is named after a Saint Martin and they have some similarities in

[00:08:19] their life.

[00:08:19] Did you know that?

[00:08:21] Like a, like a saint that lived around his time?

[00:08:26] No.

[00:08:27] When did Saint Martin live?

[00:08:29] Saint Martin lived in the fourth century.

[00:08:32] Oh, wow.

[00:08:33] Wow.

[00:08:34] No, I did not know this, but it also does not surprise me.

[00:08:37] That makes sense.

[00:08:39] In that day, like everybody was named after a saint of some kind.

[00:08:43] So that part wasn't, you know, that's not such a surprise.

[00:08:45] I didn't know that.

[00:08:46] But apparently here's the part that I, when I read this, I was like, okay, Smithsonian,

[00:08:50] I don't normally learn a lot from you, but this one, you got me here.

[00:08:53] Uh, apparently this guy, Saint Martin lived in the fourth century, was a soldier in the

[00:08:58] Roman army, became a Christian and declared that it contradicted his Christian beliefs

[00:09:03] to kill other people.

[00:09:05] He was then arrested for having these beliefs.

[00:09:08] Um, he was expecting, he was supposed to go out and fight a battle, but he was basically

[00:09:11] saying, I, as a Christian now, I refuse to fight this battle.

[00:09:14] So they arrested him.

[00:09:15] They were going to kill him and, you know, make us make a statement out of him.

[00:09:19] But the battle that he was supposed to go fight in didn't end up happening.

[00:09:22] And so Saint Martin was released and chose to become a monk.

[00:09:28] What was really interesting about this though, is okay.

[00:09:32] You have Martin Luther famous for standing up to an empire, a giant organization, the

[00:09:37] Holy Roman Catholic Church at the time and saying, here's where we're wrong.

[00:09:41] And I don't care what happens to me.

[00:09:42] And he almost gets killed doing it.

[00:09:44] Right?

[00:09:44] 11 centuries before you have Saint Martin, a Roman soldier saying, I'm going to stand

[00:09:49] by Memelis.

[00:09:50] I don't care what the empire does to me.

[00:09:51] He almost gets killed for it.

[00:09:53] And they both did it in the exact same city.

[00:09:57] So where Martin Luther almost dies, the city of worms is the same location that the other

[00:10:02] guy, Saint Martin had taken his stand and said, I won't fight that battle there.

[00:10:07] And almost got killed as well.

[00:10:09] And I was like, that is pretty weird that those two people have those kind of same stories

[00:10:14] and it happens in the same place.

[00:10:16] Yeah.

[00:10:16] Yeah.

[00:10:17] How prophetic, you know, it's like, it's like in the Bible and they name you a name and then

[00:10:21] it ends up being very applicable and appropriate for what you actually do in life.

[00:10:25] So kind of like that.

[00:10:26] Yeah, that was definitely it.

[00:10:27] So that one was a new one for me of all the, I've all the research I've done on Martin Luther.

[00:10:31] I'd never heard of Saint Martin, the guy who did like a similar ish style thing 11 centuries

[00:10:36] before in the same city.

[00:10:37] So that was kind of cool.

[00:10:39] All right, Joel, this one, you definitely know.

[00:10:41] So how does a severe thunderstorm affect Martin Luther's life?

[00:10:46] That's his, that's his turning point.

[00:10:47] That's his conversion.

[00:10:48] Much like, much like many speakers we have on Revive that you get caught in a lightning

[00:10:51] storm.

[00:10:52] Pretty, pretty life changing.

[00:10:54] To be fair, if I was on like a horseback or on a carriage or something out in the wilderness

[00:11:00] and lightning was striking around me and there was no like shelter around that, that would

[00:11:06] be, that would be quite a surreal experience.

[00:11:09] Yeah, I totally agree.

[00:11:10] And because of that Luther kind of basically was on his way to becoming a lawyer, something

[00:11:14] else a lot of Revive Thought speakers have in common.

[00:11:17] And he basically said, I'll go and serve the church if you save me from this lightning

[00:11:22] storm.

[00:11:23] Now, he always kind of wanted to go to the church.

[00:11:25] So some people question like, is the lightning storm an excuse or not?

[00:11:28] But we have other people who have been affected by lightning storms, specifically.

[00:11:33] So I do think it's something and I live in a country that has a lot of lightning and doesn't

[00:11:37] always have like the best protection.

[00:11:39] And I could see how you could be pretty terrified of one of those rolling through if it was a

[00:11:45] really dangerous one.

[00:11:45] Like imagine being alive in an era where like, I mean, we still don't have a great understanding

[00:11:50] of lightning, but, but there's like a scientific, like under, you know, a basic understanding.

[00:11:55] Imagine being a lot like what, how would you even like reconcile that a bolt of heat and

[00:12:03] you know, that, that catches force on fires and, and kills anyone in its proximity.

[00:12:09] That's kind of something terrifying.

[00:12:11] Well, and think about it too, like all of the houses back then are built in by wood.

[00:12:15] So if it strikes your house, that's going to also be a pretty major problem.

[00:12:20] Like lightning, you know, when lightning comes through now, I love it.

[00:12:22] I sit in my bed, I listen to the storm go by.

[00:12:24] It's such a nice thing because I'm in a pretty safe house, but back then your house definitely

[00:12:28] wasn't safe.

[00:12:30] And so it's, it is definitely a different feeling for them in a lightning storm than it

[00:12:34] would have been for us.

[00:12:36] But that's a pretty famous one.

[00:12:37] If you know anything about Luther's story, you know that one.

[00:12:39] Did you know Joel that he disguised himself as a knight to avoid being killed by the Catholic

[00:12:45] church?

[00:12:46] I was, I was tangentially aware of the disguise shenanigans that he did.

[00:12:53] I don't, I don't know the details of the story, but yes, for, for the most part.

[00:12:58] So when he goes to the city of worms, it's basically asked about the 95 theses that he posts.

[00:13:03] You know, he challenges the Catholic church.

[00:13:05] The Catholic church goes to, he refuses to recant.

[00:13:09] So their plan was to assassinate him on the way home, but his friend was able to save

[00:13:14] him on the way there by kidnapping him before the kidnappers got to him.

[00:13:18] Take him to his own personal palace where he hides them.

[00:13:23] And while he's there, and this part was the kind of part I guess I never really thought

[00:13:25] about.

[00:13:26] Like I always just kind of imagine him living in like a corner of this guy's castle and

[00:13:30] just hiding there.

[00:13:32] But like people had to bring him his food and water.

[00:13:34] People would have come and gotten, people would have known he was there and he couldn't

[00:13:38] just, you know, be disguised as Martin Luther that would have gotten out.

[00:13:41] So his name was Junker Jorg and he was a knight who happened to be living inside the castle at

[00:13:47] the time while he was translating the new Testament from Greek into German.

[00:13:52] So people could read it.

[00:13:53] And I was like, I guess I didn't realize he was pretending to be a knight in that part of

[00:13:57] it.

[00:13:57] This is one definitely Junker Junker Jorg.

[00:14:01] I'm guessing Junker Jorg has a much more German sounding name and would sound a lot cooler

[00:14:06] when said by them.

[00:14:08] But it, to me, it looks like Junker Jorg.

[00:14:09] So, uh, another one you probably know, uh, Joel, I'll just ask it to you this way.

[00:14:15] What is scandalous about Martin Luther's marriage?

[00:14:18] It is a nun, right?

[00:14:21] Yeah.

[00:14:21] He was a monk.

[00:14:23] She was a nun.

[00:14:24] Neither of those groups of people were supposed to marry anybody, let alone marrying each

[00:14:29] other.

[00:14:30] And famously not married for love.

[00:14:32] It was more just like, let's make a statement to the Catholic church.

[00:14:35] And these nuns who were leaving the Catholic church needed like men that could provide for

[00:14:39] them.

[00:14:40] And so Luther kind of drew the straw of marrying Katharina von Bora.

[00:14:44] They did not get along well in their early days.

[00:14:47] In fact, they got along terribly for a while, but eventually they truly came to love each

[00:14:52] other, respect each other.

[00:14:53] And by the end of his life, Luther had nothing but great things to say about his wife and

[00:14:56] was quite, quite, quite smitten with her.

[00:14:59] But in those early days, it was, it was a contentious marriage, but they would end up

[00:15:02] having six children together.

[00:15:05] Um, and she would end up doing a lot involved with his ministry as well.

[00:15:10] Uh, so apparently I, this one's, I didn't know when he died, he made her the sole inheritor

[00:15:17] of all that he had, uh, which judges then ruled it illegal to do that again, to give your

[00:15:23] wife everything after you die, which I feel like it's a pretty normal thing today.

[00:15:27] But back then was just kind of, of course you give it to your sons or your uncle.

[00:15:31] I don't know who you give it to, but not to your wife.

[00:15:33] Huh?

[00:15:34] All right.

[00:15:35] Well, uh, as we talk about things that he did that were kind of out there, how, how much

[00:15:41] do you know about Luther and his enjoyment of alcohol?

[00:15:44] Tell me about it.

[00:15:45] Refresh my memory.

[00:15:47] Big fan of alcohol.

[00:15:48] Our Luther, he he's famous for this.

[00:15:50] I think, I think sometimes people can almost overindulge and they're like, well, Luther said

[00:15:54] it was okay.

[00:15:54] Luther's not God guys.

[00:15:56] He's not, and everything he said is good.

[00:15:57] I can show you some quotes by Luther that are quite, uh, quite scandalous.

[00:16:02] In fact, I sent one, I, because I was preparing for this episode, I ran into a quote he has

[00:16:06] about, um, it was about something else.

[00:16:08] You can find it before this, before I'm done here, but it is, is quite an absurd quote

[00:16:11] here.

[00:16:12] But on alcohol, he said, sometimes we must drink more, sport, recreate ourselves, and

[00:16:17] even a little, just a drink a little bit more just to spite the devil.

[00:16:20] I don't think that's quite how spiting the devil works.

[00:16:23] As you can see, he has quite an enjoyment of alcohol.

[00:16:26] And he says, we are conquered if we try to conscientiously never to sin.

[00:16:30] I don't know that that's necessarily true either, but hey, I, I, okay.

[00:16:34] I once in a letter home to his wife, he said, oh, I wish I wasn't here.

[00:16:37] I keep thinking what good wine and beer and what a beautiful wife I have waiting for me

[00:16:40] at home.

[00:16:41] Which again is very sweet.

[00:16:43] Um, but I can't help but notice that the, the wine and beer came before his beautiful

[00:16:47] wife.

[00:16:47] I don't know if I, if I said it in that order to my wife, I think she would be like, oh,

[00:16:52] so you're just thinking about the drink, not about me.

[00:16:54] Right.

[00:16:54] I'm just the afterthought.

[00:16:55] So, you know, you gotta, you gotta put those things in order there.

[00:16:58] Uh, Luther.

[00:16:59] But anyway, just, just some of the things that the old, the old guy here is doing.

[00:17:04] Um, okay.

[00:17:05] I found the quote, the quote by Luther.

[00:17:08] This is something, look, man, Luther, a lot of great things.

[00:17:12] Some of the things he did really sketchy.

[00:17:14] Uh, can I give you this quote?

[00:17:16] It's definitely like, this sounds like the kind of quote you'd find like a, somebody trolling

[00:17:19] on the internet with.

[00:17:20] Are you ready for this one, Joel?

[00:17:21] Okay.

[00:17:22] Lay it on me.

[00:17:23] Women ought to stay at home.

[00:17:25] The way they were created shows this for they have broad hips and a wide fundament to

[00:17:30] sit upon.

[00:17:33] I know what's funny is I sent that to kind of a group of, you know, Christian friends

[00:17:37] of mine, kind of a half expecting them to be like, can you believe this absurd, you know,

[00:17:40] quote that Luther.

[00:17:41] It can't get expecting to go, oh, Luther, what a, you know, that guy.

[00:17:44] And all of the girls in the group were actually like, does this mean I can sit at home all

[00:17:48] day?

[00:17:48] I agree with Luther on this.

[00:17:49] I was like, wait a second, wait, that was not, the reaction was not exactly what I was

[00:17:53] expecting.

[00:17:53] They were all, they were all about it.

[00:17:55] They were like, maybe Luther's onto something when it comes to this one.

[00:17:57] So it's all in the fundament.

[00:17:59] You got, if you have a wide fundament, well, I, this might be way out of line is you people

[00:18:04] are going to be like, we were playing this for our kids on reformation day.

[00:18:07] And you're talking about the fundaments.

[00:18:08] Come on now.

[00:18:09] Uh, uh, Luther did write music.

[00:18:13] As you know, Joel, what do you know what song it was?

[00:18:16] He was famous for adding to our hymn book.

[00:18:17] Well, I don't believe it was the only one.

[00:18:19] I don't actually.

[00:18:21] You wrote a hymn?

[00:18:22] Wait, wait, wait.

[00:18:23] Yeah, you wrote a hymn.

[00:18:24] A mighty fortress is our God.

[00:18:26] I was going to say like, uh, oh gosh, now I'm blinking on the one I was thinking of.

[00:18:30] The doxology.

[00:18:33] Oh my goodness.

[00:18:34] That was so painful.

[00:18:35] That's what I was thinking of.

[00:18:37] Who wrote the doxology?

[00:18:39] You know, doxology.

[00:18:42] Doxology.

[00:18:43] Yeah.

[00:18:46] I do like that song.

[00:18:47] Thomas Ken in 1637.

[00:18:51] So it wasn't even around at this point.

[00:18:53] Actually, no, that's, it was written in 1674.

[00:18:56] That's when he was born in 1637.

[00:18:58] So yeah, like a, like a over a hundred years after.

[00:19:01] Definitely not doxology.

[00:19:03] No, a mighty fortress is our God, which is a great song.

[00:19:06] Uh, as long as you sing it the right way, you gotta sing it with some kind of pep and

[00:19:10] some enthusiasm.

[00:19:11] I've heard people try to sing it too slow and it really, it is a drag of a song when

[00:19:15] you're seeing it like, that's a song that's, it's complimented with a, with a good organ,

[00:19:19] you know, like Oregon gets a bad rap.

[00:19:21] I'm a firm believer that, uh, mark my words listeners, another 10 years, organs are going

[00:19:26] to be in, you know, church had its contemporary wave, you know, in the early two thousands

[00:19:31] is on and out.

[00:19:32] We're going back to high church.

[00:19:34] We're going, I'm, I'm, I'm not even joking right now.

[00:19:36] Organs are coming with that.

[00:19:38] I totally think organs and organs and like, uh, what is that called?

[00:19:42] Sacred harp or like the old fashioned folksy Christian song singing bluegrass style.

[00:19:46] Both of those, if they made a comeback and we, we moved on from the light show, I'd be

[00:19:51] all about it.

[00:19:52] That would be okay with me.

[00:19:53] You get, you're in a church that has a good, a good rumble organ.

[00:19:56] Like you can feel it in your chest.

[00:19:58] That's that.

[00:19:59] Yeah.

[00:19:59] I can get down with some, with some bassy organ.

[00:20:02] All right.

[00:20:02] A couple more things for you to see.

[00:20:04] Uh, uh, Joel was Martin Luther a prolific writer?

[00:20:07] Yes or no?

[00:20:08] Um, he wrote the new Testament.

[00:20:10] We just write the new Testament.

[00:20:12] Well, he translated the new Testament.

[00:20:15] So he has, he has a writing.

[00:20:18] No, he wrote a ton.

[00:20:19] He wrote hundreds of pamphlets and books.

[00:20:22] And in fact, we had, uh, Brian Wolf Mueller on years ago to talk about Martin Luther is

[00:20:26] very famous, uh, Lutheran who broadcasts about these things.

[00:20:29] And he also is the guy who reads our Martin Luther sermon every year.

[00:20:32] And he said that if you were to just sit down and read the writings of Martin Luther, I think

[00:20:37] it's like eight or 10 hours a day, just reading them.

[00:20:39] It, it's thought that it would take you 10 years to read them all through, which is insane

[00:20:44] if that is true.

[00:20:45] Uh, but I believe it.

[00:20:46] The dude wrote absolutely massive amounts of, of just constant things.

[00:20:51] And because of the, the, the printing press at the time, this stuff was able to get

[00:20:55] out everywhere so that I millions of his tracks and things were getting around Europe at lightning

[00:21:00] speed in a way that never, uh, would have been seen before.

[00:21:04] So at this, according to the Smithsonian here in the first decade of the Reformation,

[00:21:08] 6 million pamphlets of Luther's were distributed by these different printing presses, which

[00:21:13] today may not seem like a gigantic number, but you have to remember back then, uh, there

[00:21:18] weren't that many people in Europe.

[00:21:20] I mean, compared to the way they are now, I, in this, in the 16 and 17 hundreds, France

[00:21:24] had about 20 million people.

[00:21:25] So I, unless if we just say, even they have two thirds of that, I, it is the amount of people

[00:21:29] who are reading these things is just through the roof.

[00:21:33] It truly was going viral in an internet sense before that was possible.

[00:21:39] And, and he, if it hadn't been for that, I don't think we would know Martin Luther is

[00:21:44] anything more than kind of a John Huss like figure who maybe he made a little splash in

[00:21:48] history, but we don't remember him.

[00:21:49] But because his writings and words and sermons were able to spread so very, very fast by

[00:21:55] these people who were just sitting on the printing presses ready to go, uh, it made a huge difference.

[00:21:59] And I do kind of wonder what is the modern equivalent of that today?

[00:22:02] I think oftentimes it's like the, the Christian meme pages or something where like an idea

[00:22:07] gets sent out and then these people take it and run with it, which ties really in.

[00:22:11] Well, I, there's no real way to ask you this question, Joel, but apparently Luther worked

[00:22:16] with an artist to basically make the Christian version of Christian memes.

[00:22:20] Like before they were memes, he would specifically have these woodcut paintings that were like these,

[00:22:28] you would make them and they could be pressed and sent out to people and stuff like that.

[00:22:32] And he had this guy, you would commission him to basically make, I don't even know, like

[00:22:36] the trolling art of the Catholic church at the time.

[00:22:40] One of which was, um, it showed like, uh, the, the, the devil was, I don't even know how to say

[00:22:48] this was basically in on the toilet and out coming out of the toilet were like a bunch of popes.

[00:22:55] And so like, it's very grotesque.

[00:22:57] I don't, I don't recommend it.

[00:22:59] Um, but like that's kind of hard.

[00:23:01] We're not going to sell that t-shirt?

[00:23:03] You wouldn't, no, I, I don't think we will, but that like you, okay.

[00:23:08] So again, you're taking this very serious guy, right?

[00:23:11] So all this very serious theology on the one hand.

[00:23:13] And then on the other hand, he's creating these very troll, like art things to distribute as like,

[00:23:17] huh, isn't this hilarious?

[00:23:19] It just really tells you like, this guy was not an easy to understand human being.

[00:23:25] And yet like, you got to admit, if you could go back in time and sit across the table from him,

[00:23:29] I bet you'd have a lot of fun until, you know, one of the controversial things came up.

[00:23:33] And then he started saying a bunch of crazy, uh, quotes of his that you'll go famous

[00:23:37] somewhere for saying.

[00:23:44] Wünschst du dir jemanden, der dich versteht wie kein anderer?

[00:23:47] Jemand, der deine Wünsche wahr werden lässt und mit dir das schönste Abenteuer deines

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[00:24:43] Okay, so there was basically a big deal made out of how Martin Luther died.

[00:24:49] What was the big deal made out of how he was gonna die?

[00:24:52] I don't know.

[00:24:52] I don't remember.

[00:24:53] Tell me.

[00:24:54] All right, so in case you don't remember, audience, go back and listen to a couple of

[00:24:59] our episodes of Martin Luther.

[00:25:00] I don't know if it was last year or the year before, but we definitely did cover this aspect

[00:25:03] of his life.

[00:25:04] His death mattered because the Catholic Church was gonna send a bunch of rumors out about

[00:25:09] him, basically.

[00:25:10] If you recanted on your deathbed, they would tell everyone, oh, Martin Luther recanted,

[00:25:16] he didn't mean it, and the Protestant Reformation is wrong, blah, blah, blah.

[00:25:19] That'd be a big thing.

[00:25:20] Or if he died in a way that was like a sudden, terrible death of some kind, they would say,

[00:25:27] see, God got him in the end.

[00:25:29] His death was a terrible, you know, he tripped over a horse wheel.

[00:25:34] And so how he died had to be closely watched by these people because they had to make sure

[00:25:39] there were witnesses there to say, no, he didn't recant.

[00:25:42] No, he didn't die on some horrible trip.

[00:25:44] He just died of old age like everyone else.

[00:25:46] And so Luther's death was actually like a really big deal to ensure that the Protestant

[00:25:51] Reformation didn't get a bad name at the end of Luther's life.

[00:25:54] How did he die?

[00:25:55] What were his final moments like?

[00:25:58] He just kind of died of old age.

[00:25:59] And I don't, you'd have to go back to a year or two ago when we did the episode where I

[00:26:03] totally mapped out his death from beginning to end.

[00:26:06] But he was peaceful from what I can tell.

[00:26:08] It was just normal old age stuff.

[00:26:10] If I recall correctly, he had to go to a town and like do a sermon.

[00:26:12] And then kind of on the way there, on the way back or something, he realized it was kind

[00:26:16] of the end for him.

[00:26:17] And he just, it was very, it was a very normal, a very quiet affair.

[00:26:21] In fact, what was remarkable about it was there was nothing really remarkable about it.

[00:26:25] And he kind of, I do believe he said some final positive words about what they were doing and

[00:26:29] how God had used him.

[00:26:30] And then it was over and he just moved on.

[00:26:32] So nothing super fancy about it at all, which a bummer for the Catholics, but great for the

[00:26:39] rest of us that they didn't get what they wanted on that one.

[00:26:42] So that is just some Smithsonian facts.

[00:26:44] Hopefully if you were listening, you go, I learned something new about Martin Luther.

[00:26:47] If you don't know a lot about Martin Luther, as I said, we've done several episodes on him.

[00:26:52] So you can go learn a lot about his life.

[00:26:54] Most of the things we've covered, we've covered before.

[00:26:57] If you heard some things about Martin Luther and go, I don't know how I feel about some

[00:27:00] of those things.

[00:27:01] I understand you.

[00:27:01] We have an episode called Flawed Man in Church History.

[00:27:04] You can go listen to that one just to feel better.

[00:27:06] But I do think you'll enjoy this sermon by him.

[00:27:09] It is spoken by Brian Wolf Mueller and it is called, we call it Two Miracles.

[00:27:14] And it just tells kind of two miraculous moments that Jesus encounters and Luther's impression

[00:27:19] of those two miracles.

[00:27:20] You can listen to that sermon now.

[00:27:36] While Jesus spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler and worshipped

[00:27:41] him, saying, My daughter is even now dead, but come and lay thy hand upon her and she

[00:27:47] shall live.

[00:27:48] And Jesus arose and followed him, and so did his disciples.

[00:27:52] And behold, a woman which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years came behind him

[00:27:57] and touched the hem of his garment.

[00:27:59] For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

[00:28:04] But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort.

[00:28:10] Thy faith hath made thee whole.

[00:28:12] And the woman was made whole from that hour.

[00:28:15] And when Jesus came unto the ruler's house, he saw the minstrels and the people making a

[00:28:19] noise.

[00:28:20] He said unto them, Give place, for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth.

[00:28:24] And they laughed him to scorn.

[00:28:26] But when the people were put forth, he went in and took her by the hand, and the maid arose,

[00:28:33] and the fame thereof went abroad in all the land.

[00:28:38] So far the text, Luther's Sermon.

[00:28:41] In today's gospel you hear of two miracles, both of which are great and excellent.

[00:28:46] The first is of the woman whose faith in the Lord Jesus is so firm that she hoped to be

[00:28:51] healed at once if she could but touch the hem of his garment secretly without his knowledge.

[00:28:56] The other is of a certain ruler who also believes that the Lord is able to restore his daughter

[00:29:00] to life though she was already dead.

[00:29:02] In both miracles, faith is highly praised that it may serve as an example for us because faith

[00:29:09] in Christ accomplishes such great things in order that thereby we may be encouraged gladly

[00:29:14] to approach him in whom no one has ever trusted in vain.

[00:29:18] In the first place, we have here the example of the poor woman who was afflicted with a dangerous

[00:29:23] and severe disease.

[00:29:25] St. Mark mentions especially that she had suffered many things of many physicians and had spent

[00:29:31] all she had and was nothing bettered but rather grew worse.

[00:29:35] The miracle is that after so long a time of effort she is speedily healed by the Lord though

[00:29:40] she does nothing more than what she had heard of some others who had but touched his garment.

[00:29:44] She is convinced that she also will be healed, presses through the crowd to the Lord, does

[00:29:50] not even ask him but thinks in great humility of obtaining her object secretly.

[00:29:55] She therefore touches his garment.

[00:29:58] All at once her condition was changed for the better as she had believed.

[00:30:01] The issue of blood ceased from which she had suffered much and for the healing of which

[00:30:05] she had tried many things and spent all she had.

[00:30:08] But all in vain and to her own great injury.

[00:30:10] As St. Mark says, she was nothing bettered but rather grew worse.

[00:30:14] Here we must notice particularly that the Lord does not want us so to steal help from

[00:30:19] him that no one shall know anything of it.

[00:30:21] Therefore he asked, who touched my clothes?

[00:30:25] To the apostle this question seems to be a foolish one because the people were crowding

[00:30:29] very closely around him.

[00:30:30] But the Lord knew what the apostles did not know.

[00:30:33] It was not mere touching with her hands.

[00:30:36] The woman had touched him with her heart and firm reliance on his grace and omnipotence.

[00:30:41] Therefore a special virtue had gone out from him which he felt.

[00:30:47] Such touching the Lord, for our example, does not want to remain secret.

[00:30:51] With his question he presses upon the woman and she has to come out and to be seen and

[00:30:55] acknowledged before everyone publicly all that had occurred in her case in order that

[00:31:00] he may have occasion to praise such faith of hers.

[00:31:03] This is the most agreeable and the highest service in which he is well pleased.

[00:31:07] Therefore he also praises the woman and addresses her cordially saying, daughter, be of good

[00:31:13] comfort.

[00:31:14] Thy faith hath made thee whole.

[00:31:17] Now the disciples themselves must confess that the question of the Lord was not vain.

[00:31:21] It was not a common but a peculiar touching which concerns the Lord and us all.

[00:31:28] Yet it seems singular language which the Lord here uses.

[00:31:31] He confesses that virtue is gone out of him.

[00:31:34] As now the woman stands before him and acknowledges the benefit bestowed by him, he gives no indication

[00:31:40] that a virtue has gone out from him, but ascribes all to the faith of the woman, although not

[00:31:46] she herself, but the Lord has helped her.

[00:31:49] But the Lord observes this manner in order to inform us thereby how well pleased he is if

[00:31:56] you expect from him everything good and ask him for help.

[00:31:59] It is though he would say, see to it and learn to believe confidently no matter in what need

[00:32:05] you are that I will indeed more readily help you than you are prepared to ask.

[00:32:10] I am much more ready to deliver you from death than you are to desire life.

[00:32:15] This he proves by the fact it is easy to obtain from him the healing power so much desired.

[00:32:22] This example should teach us to believe and to expect everything good from Christ in every time of need and anxiety.

[00:32:28] But the fact is, we hear it preached, we are told of it at home, and perceive the miracles

[00:32:33] which he continues to perform every day, and yet we are very slow to believe.

[00:32:38] Whoever sees his cellar and granary filled may believe, and yet doubts whether he will have enough

[00:32:42] to eat or to drink for a year.

[00:32:44] Those who enjoy good health believe that God can help them, but when we are exposed to poverty

[00:32:49] and disease, then our faith is at an end.

[00:32:51] Then we do nothing but complain and cry and imagine help to be found nowhere,

[00:32:55] though we are informed every day that God will be gracious unto us and help us through Christ.

[00:33:01] How does such conduct of ours correspond to that of the woman,

[00:33:04] who perhaps has heard of Christ and his miracles, but once or twice,

[00:33:08] and yet approaches him with a faith so strong, that if he had been away above all the heavens,

[00:33:13] she would have torn them asunder and brought him down and compelled him to help her?

[00:33:18] For as we have said, he cannot refuse help if he is asked earnestly and in true faith.

[00:33:25] Therefore we are indeed unhappy people, because we are so well provided with the word of God

[00:33:30] and yet are so very slow to believe.

[00:33:32] This is the fault of the devil and of our shameful old Adam.

[00:33:36] For if we have had an earnest desire for righteousness and salvation and all that we need,

[00:33:41] we would believe in the Lord Jesus and hope for everything through him.

[00:33:44] For faith, as you have heard, can never be put to shame.

[00:33:48] Therefore the Lord extols faith very highly, saying,

[00:33:51] Thy faith hath made thee whole.

[00:33:54] The same faith in Christ will also help us, raise us from death unto life,

[00:33:59] conquer the devil, dispel our sins, and give us eternal life,

[00:34:03] all of which, though it is done by Christ, is nevertheless ascribed to faith.

[00:34:08] For it can never be obtained without faith.

[00:34:10] Even Christ, the holy sacraments, and the word of God, or the preaching of the gospel,

[00:34:15] cannot help or benefit us without faith.

[00:34:18] Faith must do it, else it will never be done.

[00:34:21] So much concerning the first miracle.

[00:34:24] The other miracle that is wrought on the little girl who, as St. Luke tells us,

[00:34:29] had lived as long as the woman had been afflicted with disease.

[00:34:32] Nobody expected anything else but that the maiden would surely have to die.

[00:34:35] Therefore all preparations usually made in such cases had been completed.

[00:34:39] The minstrels were at hand to perform their part at the funeral service.

[00:34:43] The Jews had no church bells, as we have.

[00:34:45] Instead of tolling the bells at funerals, as we do,

[00:34:47] they had their minstrels to sing funeral hymns.

[00:34:50] A great many people had met for the burial,

[00:34:52] and there was a great throng of those coming and going,

[00:34:55] as is usual at the death of a prominent person.

[00:34:58] When all had despaired of the maiden,

[00:35:00] and no ground for human hope was left,

[00:35:03] seeing that the child was dead,

[00:35:04] the father is taken by the singular thought,

[00:35:06] that if he only had Christ,

[00:35:08] his deceased daughter might be made alive again.

[00:35:11] For this his words indicate,

[00:35:13] he worshipped him, saying,

[00:35:14] My daughter is even now dead,

[00:35:16] but come and lay thy hand upon her,

[00:35:18] and she shall live.

[00:35:19] And although St. Mark and Luke tell us

[00:35:21] that the ruler had come to Jesus

[00:35:23] when his daughter was at the point of death,

[00:35:25] yet they inform us that she was dead

[00:35:27] by the time Christ entered the house.

[00:35:30] They also are careful to inform us

[00:35:32] that the father continued to believe,

[00:35:34] notwithstanding,

[00:35:35] and to trust in the Lord

[00:35:36] that he would help and restore her to life.

[00:35:39] Who in all his life has seen or heard

[00:35:41] more singular people than these?

[00:35:43] The woman who had the despair of all human help

[00:35:46] is determined to be well

[00:35:47] if only she could get near the Lord

[00:35:49] and touch the least hem of his garment.

[00:35:52] And she is not disappointed in her expectation,

[00:35:54] as she had believed,

[00:35:56] so is her experience.

[00:35:58] And the father,

[00:35:59] whose daughter was dead,

[00:36:00] begins to think

[00:36:01] if the Lord would only lay his hands

[00:36:03] upon his deceased daughter,

[00:36:04] she would live again.

[00:36:06] Yes, you may rejoice,

[00:36:07] the laying on of hands

[00:36:08] might accomplish something

[00:36:09] if we had to deal with a common sleep

[00:36:11] and not with bitter death itself.

[00:36:14] In this case,

[00:36:15] no hand,

[00:36:15] no shaking,

[00:36:16] no push,

[00:36:17] no calling,

[00:36:18] nor anything else

[00:36:18] will be of any use.

[00:36:19] It will all be in vain.

[00:36:21] So reason will,

[00:36:22] and must argue,

[00:36:23] it cannot do otherwise.

[00:36:24] But the ruler,

[00:36:25] thought differently,

[00:36:26] else he would have stayed at home

[00:36:27] and not run after Christ.

[00:36:29] Here we see once again

[00:36:30] how well the Lord is pleased with such faith,

[00:36:32] which is altogether foolishness to reason.

[00:36:35] For although he had an important work to do

[00:36:37] and was led into a spirited discussion

[00:36:40] with the disciples of John,

[00:36:41] when he perceived this faith and confidence,

[00:36:43] he arises at once

[00:36:45] to follow the ruler

[00:36:46] and to do as the man believed.

[00:36:48] Therefore,

[00:36:49] when he entered the house

[00:36:49] and saw all the preparations for the burial,

[00:36:51] he is afraid that the father,

[00:36:53] beholding the lamentation

[00:36:55] and the example

[00:36:55] and the unbelief of others,

[00:36:57] might be discouraged

[00:36:57] and hence at once

[00:36:59] speaks words of comfort to him

[00:37:00] and orders the people

[00:37:01] who had need for burial

[00:37:03] to leave the house.

[00:37:04] It is though he would say,

[00:37:06] What are you doing here?

[00:37:08] Do you expect to have a funeral?

[00:37:09] Oh, no.

[00:37:10] Go to some other place

[00:37:11] where someone has died.

[00:37:12] No one here is dead.

[00:37:13] The maid only sleepeth.

[00:37:15] Others answer,

[00:37:17] No, she does not sleep,

[00:37:18] but is dead.

[00:37:18] We are here

[00:37:19] for the purpose of burying her.

[00:37:21] You must not take us

[00:37:22] to be so ignorant

[00:37:23] as not to know

[00:37:24] the difference

[00:37:24] between sleep and death.

[00:37:26] Hence the evangelist says,

[00:37:27] They laughed him to scorn

[00:37:29] as though he were a fool

[00:37:30] who does not know

[00:37:31] what sleep or death is.

[00:37:32] But the Lord insists on his opinion

[00:37:35] and is determined to show

[00:37:37] that he was right.

[00:37:38] No one agreed with him

[00:37:39] except the father of the maiden.

[00:37:41] This sufficed for him,

[00:37:43] for his sake,

[00:37:44] that is,

[00:37:44] for the sake of his faith,

[00:37:45] he gave the proof

[00:37:46] that he was right

[00:37:47] whilst the father

[00:37:48] had not believed,

[00:37:49] the maiden would not have slept

[00:37:51] but would have remained dead.

[00:37:52] Such a great thing is faith

[00:37:54] that trusts in the Lord Jesus

[00:37:56] for every blessing.

[00:37:58] Therefore,

[00:37:59] the Lord steps forward,

[00:38:01] touches the maid,

[00:38:02] and shakes her a little

[00:38:03] with his hand,

[00:38:04] just as we deal

[00:38:05] with a sleeping child

[00:38:06] when we endeavor

[00:38:07] to awaken it.

[00:38:08] Thus the father believed,

[00:38:09] and the Lord wished

[00:38:10] to do as the father believed,

[00:38:12] and soon the maid arose

[00:38:14] as if she had enjoyed

[00:38:15] a good and sound sleep.

[00:38:17] These words

[00:38:18] which the Lord here speaks,

[00:38:19] The maid is not dead

[00:38:20] but sleepeth,

[00:38:21] we should diligently study.

[00:38:23] They are words

[00:38:24] of comfort,

[00:38:25] for which,

[00:38:25] if they could be purchased,

[00:38:27] we should cheerfully

[00:38:28] give all that we possess

[00:38:29] in order that we might

[00:38:30] retain,

[00:38:30] understand,

[00:38:31] and believe them

[00:38:32] as they were intended.

[00:38:33] Whoever could look

[00:38:34] upon a dead person

[00:38:35] as though he were

[00:38:36] lying upon a bed asleep,

[00:38:38] and so change his vision

[00:38:40] as to consider death

[00:38:41] to be asleep,

[00:38:42] would have reason

[00:38:43] to be proud

[00:38:44] of a peculiar science

[00:38:45] not understood

[00:38:46] by anyone else.

[00:38:48] But we see

[00:38:49] and experience

[00:38:50] in ourselves

[00:38:51] and others

[00:38:52] that the more reason

[00:38:53] holds sway

[00:38:54] over a person

[00:38:55] the less he believes

[00:38:56] and the more

[00:38:56] he is inclined

[00:38:57] to laugh

[00:38:58] as we see here

[00:38:59] the people mocking

[00:39:00] the Lord

[00:39:01] and asking,

[00:39:01] Should this man

[00:39:02] be able to raise

[00:39:03] the dead unto life?

[00:39:04] He must be out

[00:39:05] of his mind

[00:39:05] because he considers

[00:39:06] a dead person

[00:39:07] to be asleep

[00:39:08] and capable

[00:39:08] of being awakened

[00:39:09] by the touch of a hand.

[00:39:11] The wisdom of God

[00:39:12] is so high

[00:39:14] that human reason

[00:39:15] considers it

[00:39:16] to be altogether foolishness.

[00:39:18] Suppose a child

[00:39:19] of yours had died

[00:39:20] and I would tell you

[00:39:21] it is not dead.

[00:39:22] Do you not see

[00:39:23] that it is merely asleep

[00:39:24] and that it can be

[00:39:25] awakened by a finger?

[00:39:27] Would you not regard me

[00:39:28] as mocking you

[00:39:30] in your grief

[00:39:31] and ask me

[00:39:32] not to trouble you?

[00:39:33] The very same thing

[00:39:34] the people here

[00:39:35] tell the Lord Jesus.

[00:39:36] Therefore learn

[00:39:37] from this gospel lesson

[00:39:38] that in the sight

[00:39:39] of Christ death

[00:39:40] is nothing more

[00:39:41] than a sleep

[00:39:41] as we here behold him

[00:39:43] awakening the dead

[00:39:44] made by the touch

[00:39:45] of his hand

[00:39:46] as from a mere sleep.

[00:39:48] Sickness also

[00:39:49] is no sickness

[00:39:50] before him.

[00:39:51] It is seen

[00:39:51] in the other example

[00:39:52] of the woman

[00:39:53] who was very sick

[00:39:53] but whose sickness

[00:39:54] had to cease

[00:39:55] and depart

[00:39:56] as soon as she came

[00:39:57] to Christ

[00:39:57] and touched his garment.

[00:39:59] Thus the Lord

[00:40:00] deals also

[00:40:01] in other infirmities

[00:40:02] and distresses.

[00:40:03] The blind

[00:40:04] who apply to him

[00:40:05] for help

[00:40:06] receive their sight.

[00:40:07] The sinners

[00:40:08] are justified.

[00:40:09] And the lost

[00:40:10] are saved.

[00:40:11] He indeed

[00:40:12] deals with us

[00:40:13] wonderfully.

[00:40:14] His words

[00:40:15] in our eyes

[00:40:16] seem not only vain

[00:40:17] but even contrary

[00:40:18] to the facts.

[00:40:20] Before the eyes

[00:40:20] of all others

[00:40:21] the maid was dead

[00:40:22] but before my eyes

[00:40:23] Christ says

[00:40:24] she lives

[00:40:25] and is asleep.

[00:40:27] David is in his own eyes

[00:40:28] and in the eyes

[00:40:29] of all men

[00:40:30] a poor shepherd

[00:40:30] but before me

[00:40:32] he is a king.

[00:40:33] And all of you

[00:40:34] who believe in me

[00:40:35] are poor sinners

[00:40:36] in your own eyes

[00:40:36] but before me

[00:40:38] you are great saints

[00:40:39] and like the angels

[00:40:40] of God

[00:40:41] for only a word

[00:40:42] is necessary

[00:40:43] and sin

[00:40:43] disease

[00:40:44] and death

[00:40:44] must pass away

[00:40:46] and make room

[00:40:46] for righteousness

[00:40:47] life and health.

[00:40:48] As I speak

[00:40:49] so all things

[00:40:51] must be.

[00:40:53] The Lord here

[00:40:53] makes use

[00:40:54] of a marvelous word

[00:40:55] when he says

[00:40:56] of the maiden

[00:40:56] she is not dead

[00:40:57] but sleepeth

[00:40:58] which words

[00:40:59] are a great falsehood

[00:41:00] in the eyes

[00:41:01] of the world.

[00:41:01] If he had merely said

[00:41:03] she sleepeth

[00:41:04] the people

[00:41:05] could have taken it

[00:41:06] to the sleep

[00:41:06] of St. Michael

[00:41:07] which lasts

[00:41:08] till the day

[00:41:09] of judgment

[00:41:09] but he says

[00:41:10] in plain words

[00:41:11] she is not dead

[00:41:13] but sleepeth.

[00:41:14] In your estimation

[00:41:15] and in your eyes

[00:41:16] she is dead

[00:41:17] but before me

[00:41:18] she liveth

[00:41:19] and in order

[00:41:20] that you may behold

[00:41:22] the truth

[00:41:22] of my words

[00:41:23] I awaken her

[00:41:24] by the touch

[00:41:25] of a finger

[00:41:25] as you are accustomed

[00:41:27] to awaken

[00:41:27] your children

[00:41:28] from sleep.

[00:41:29] In short

[00:41:30] we are taught here

[00:41:31] not to look

[00:41:32] at our need

[00:41:32] according to human

[00:41:33] reason

[00:41:34] with carnal eyes

[00:41:35] but with the eyes

[00:41:36] of faith.

[00:41:37] These are eyes

[00:41:38] which

[00:41:38] when they behold

[00:41:39] sin, death

[00:41:40] and hell

[00:41:40] can nevertheless

[00:41:41] say with assurance

[00:41:42] I see no death

[00:41:44] feel no sin

[00:41:45] and am not condemned

[00:41:46] but behold

[00:41:48] in Christ

[00:41:48] nothing but holiness

[00:41:49] life and salvation.

[00:41:51] Thus

[00:41:51] when I am poor

[00:41:52] I feel no poverty

[00:41:53] I feel as though

[00:41:54] I had plenty

[00:41:55] of everything

[00:41:55] for I have Christ

[00:41:56] who can give me

[00:41:57] at all times

[00:41:57] all I need

[00:41:58] though I possess nothing.

[00:42:00] Whoever has eyes

[00:42:01] of this kind

[00:42:02] might glory

[00:42:03] in having

[00:42:03] Christian eyes

[00:42:04] he would view

[00:42:05] things otherwise

[00:42:06] than the world

[00:42:07] does in times

[00:42:07] of famine

[00:42:08] or in pestilence.

[00:42:09] In times of famine

[00:42:10] everyone will look

[00:42:11] at his supply

[00:42:12] in cellar

[00:42:12] and granary

[00:42:13] and feel

[00:42:14] according to

[00:42:14] the amount

[00:42:15] of that supply

[00:42:16] if it be large

[00:42:17] he will feel

[00:42:17] happy

[00:42:18] if small

[00:42:18] he will feel

[00:42:19] discouraged

[00:42:19] and despondent.

[00:42:20] So also

[00:42:21] in times

[00:42:22] of pestilence

[00:42:22] whoever can flee

[00:42:24] will do so

[00:42:24] and seek safety

[00:42:25] at some other place

[00:42:26] but a Christian

[00:42:27] who has a strong

[00:42:28] faith in Christ

[00:42:29] would argue thus

[00:42:31] though I were

[00:42:32] attacked if possible

[00:42:33] by a thousand

[00:42:33] pestilences

[00:42:34] I will not fear

[00:42:35] death because

[00:42:36] I have Christ

[00:42:37] if it is his will

[00:42:38] no pestilence

[00:42:39] shall harm me

[00:42:39] any more than

[00:42:40] a flea

[00:42:40] which may bite

[00:42:41] and sting me

[00:42:42] a little

[00:42:42] but cannot

[00:42:42] take my life

[00:42:43] and certainly

[00:42:44] if one could

[00:42:45] have such faith

[00:42:46] he would feel

[00:42:47] secure

[00:42:48] fear nothing

[00:42:49] and be of good

[00:42:50] cheer

[00:42:51] but because we

[00:42:52] do not believe

[00:42:53] and have no

[00:42:54] spiritual eyes

[00:42:54] but look upon

[00:42:55] everything with

[00:42:56] carnal eyes

[00:42:57] we are afraid

[00:42:58] and despondent

[00:42:59] and are given

[00:43:00] to foolish thoughts

[00:43:01] as though we could

[00:43:02] flee many miles

[00:43:03] from the wrath

[00:43:03] of God

[00:43:05] now

[00:43:05] the Lord Jesus

[00:43:06] testifies that

[00:43:07] also those

[00:43:08] live unto God

[00:43:09] who according

[00:43:10] to our view

[00:43:11] have died

[00:43:12] been buried

[00:43:12] and decayed

[00:43:13] long ago

[00:43:14] therefore the Lord

[00:43:15] says Matthew 22

[00:43:16] I am the God

[00:43:18] of Abraham

[00:43:18] and the God

[00:43:19] of Isaac

[00:43:19] and the God

[00:43:20] of Jacob

[00:43:20] God is not

[00:43:21] the God

[00:43:22] of the dead

[00:43:23] but of the living

[00:43:24] therefore Abraham

[00:43:25] Isaac and Jacob

[00:43:26] must live

[00:43:27] and not be dead

[00:43:28] though they had

[00:43:29] lain in the earth

[00:43:30] thousands of years

[00:43:31] and are long since

[00:43:32] turned into ashes

[00:43:33] so that neither hair

[00:43:34] nor skin is left

[00:43:35] but Christ proves

[00:43:37] plainly that they

[00:43:38] are living

[00:43:38] because unto God

[00:43:40] all must live

[00:43:41] whilst to us

[00:43:42] all is dead

[00:43:43] for the world

[00:43:44] and human reason

[00:43:45] cannot see anything

[00:43:46] but death

[00:43:47] but the eyes

[00:43:48] of Christians

[00:43:48] should see what

[00:43:49] they do not see

[00:43:50] but only hear

[00:43:51] in the word

[00:43:52] as the Father

[00:43:53] and Christ

[00:43:53] hear look

[00:43:54] upon the deceased

[00:43:55] maiden

[00:43:56] what is here

[00:43:57] said of death

[00:43:57] may also be said

[00:43:59] in reference

[00:43:59] to sin

[00:43:59] I am required

[00:44:01] to know

[00:44:01] and to confess

[00:44:02] that I am a sinner

[00:44:02] and yet to believe

[00:44:04] and hope

[00:44:05] in pure holiness

[00:44:05] and righteousness

[00:44:07] for these are the words

[00:44:08] of Christ

[00:44:08] in baptism

[00:44:09] he that believeth

[00:44:10] and is baptized

[00:44:11] shall be saved

[00:44:12] and in the sacrament

[00:44:13] of the altar

[00:44:14] eat

[00:44:14] this is my body

[00:44:15] given for you

[00:44:15] drink

[00:44:16] this is my blood

[00:44:17] which is shed for you

[00:44:18] for the forgiveness

[00:44:19] of sins

[00:44:20] words like these

[00:44:21] I am required

[00:44:21] to believe

[00:44:22] to be true

[00:44:22] and though in myself

[00:44:24] I see

[00:44:25] and feel

[00:44:25] only the contrary

[00:44:26] I am not to regard

[00:44:28] this

[00:44:28] but only to look

[00:44:29] upon the word

[00:44:30] and hear what it says

[00:44:32] thus when you see

[00:44:33] a Christian die

[00:44:34] you behold

[00:44:35] a dead person

[00:44:35] but close

[00:44:37] such carnal eyes

[00:44:38] and open

[00:44:39] the spiritual eyes

[00:44:40] which behold

[00:44:41] the word

[00:44:41] and you will find

[00:44:42] that such a person

[00:44:43] is not dead

[00:44:44] but living

[00:44:45] before God

[00:44:46] for here is

[00:44:47] the word of Christ

[00:44:48] he that believeth

[00:44:49] in me

[00:44:50] shall never see death

[00:44:53] thus we should learn

[00:44:54] from our gospel lesson

[00:44:55] that all misfortune

[00:44:57] no matter how great

[00:44:58] it is in your eyes

[00:44:59] is less than nothing

[00:45:00] before the Lord

[00:45:01] for if death

[00:45:02] is to be nothing

[00:45:03] for a Christian

[00:45:04] then blindness

[00:45:05] deafness

[00:45:05] leprosy

[00:45:06] pestilence

[00:45:07] and other diseases

[00:45:07] must be still less

[00:45:08] therefore

[00:45:09] be not alarmed

[00:45:11] when you discover

[00:45:11] in yourself

[00:45:12] sin

[00:45:12] sickness

[00:45:12] poverty

[00:45:13] or other ills

[00:45:14] close your carnal eyes

[00:45:15] and open your spiritual eyes

[00:45:17] and say

[00:45:17] I am a Christian

[00:45:18] and have a Lord

[00:45:19] who can remove

[00:45:20] all evil

[00:45:20] by a word

[00:45:21] why should I

[00:45:22] trouble myself

[00:45:23] so much

[00:45:23] for as easily

[00:45:24] as he could

[00:45:25] deliver the maiden

[00:45:25] from the bodily death

[00:45:27] unto which she had fallen

[00:45:28] he can also help us

[00:45:29] if we would but

[00:45:30] believe and trust

[00:45:31] in him for help

[00:45:32] we should remember also

[00:45:34] that this maiden

[00:45:35] experiences help

[00:45:36] not through her own faith

[00:45:37] for she is

[00:45:38] the dead do not believe

[00:45:39] as though

[00:45:40] as they do not see

[00:45:41] nor hear

[00:45:42] but through the faith

[00:45:43] of his father

[00:45:44] which faith of another

[00:45:46] is so strong

[00:45:47] that it becomes

[00:45:48] the means

[00:45:49] of her restoration

[00:45:50] to life

[00:45:50] for as Christ

[00:45:52] says

[00:45:52] all things are possible

[00:45:54] to him that believeth

[00:45:55] such a powerful

[00:45:56] gift is faith

[00:45:57] no matter how

[00:45:58] great a thing is

[00:45:59] if you can but

[00:46:00] believe it

[00:46:01] and trust in Christ

[00:46:02] for it

[00:46:02] it shall be

[00:46:03] and neither death

[00:46:04] nor the devil

[00:46:05] shall be able

[00:46:05] to prevent it

[00:46:06] this we learn

[00:46:07] from both miracles

[00:46:08] in our text

[00:46:09] they are pointed out

[00:46:10] to us

[00:46:10] and the excellencies

[00:46:12] of faith

[00:46:12] are extolled

[00:46:13] by our Lord

[00:46:14] in order to incite

[00:46:15] us to look

[00:46:16] upon the creatures

[00:46:17] in a far different

[00:46:18] light as they are

[00:46:19] in the sight of God

[00:46:20] from what they are

[00:46:21] in our sight

[00:46:22] though to ourselves

[00:46:23] therefore

[00:46:24] we appear to be

[00:46:25] dead

[00:46:26] covered with sin

[00:46:28] prostrated by

[00:46:28] pestilence

[00:46:29] and other diseases

[00:46:30] yet we should believe

[00:46:31] that God looks

[00:46:32] upon these things

[00:46:33] in a different light

[00:46:34] and joyfully

[00:46:35] exclaim

[00:46:35] though I am

[00:46:36] surrounded by

[00:46:37] poverty

[00:46:37] pestilence

[00:46:38] and death

[00:46:38] yet as a Christian

[00:46:39] I know nothing

[00:46:40] of poverty

[00:46:41] pestilence

[00:46:41] and death

[00:46:42] for before my Lord

[00:46:43] Jesus

[00:46:44] it is all riches

[00:46:45] health

[00:46:46] holiness

[00:46:47] and life

[00:46:48] and though I do not

[00:46:49] see it now

[00:46:50] only a word of his

[00:46:51] is needed

[00:46:52] and I shall see it

[00:46:52] with bodily eyes

[00:46:53] that it is true

[00:46:54] and it will surely

[00:46:55] come to pass

[00:46:57] may God

[00:46:57] for the sake

[00:46:58] of his Son

[00:46:58] our Redeemer

[00:46:59] through his Holy Spirit

[00:47:00] grant us

[00:47:01] such spiritual eyes

[00:47:02] that we may look

[00:47:04] upon all misfortunes

[00:47:05] differently

[00:47:05] from what the world

[00:47:06] does

[00:47:07] always be comforted

[00:47:09] and finally

[00:47:10] be saved

[00:47:12] Amen

[00:47:21] Thank you for listening

[00:47:25] to today's episode

[00:47:26] of Revived Thoughts

[00:47:28] Today's sermon

[00:47:29] was narrated

[00:47:29] by Brian Wolfmuller

[00:47:31] Big thanks to Brian

[00:47:32] for doing all the

[00:47:33] Luther stuff

[00:47:35] and again

[00:47:36] if you want to hear

[00:47:36] more from him

[00:47:37] we actually have

[00:47:37] an in-depth interview

[00:47:38] that we've done

[00:47:38] with him

[00:47:39] in a previous episode

[00:47:40] so if you just

[00:47:41] search Brian Wolfmuller

[00:47:42] he should populate

[00:47:43] He does all of our

[00:47:44] Martin Luther sermons

[00:47:45] he has a whole

[00:47:46] actually podcast

[00:47:47] that he spent a year

[00:47:48] reading Martin Luther

[00:47:48] sermons

[00:47:49] that he kind of

[00:47:50] lends out to us

[00:47:51] we have a good

[00:47:52] relationship with him

[00:47:53] and he did an interview

[00:47:54] with us

[00:47:55] just kind of going

[00:47:55] through some

[00:47:56] Martin Luther life

[00:47:57] facts as well

[00:47:58] so lots of information

[00:47:59] on this guy

[00:48:00] who's very important

[00:48:01] to church history

[00:48:03] world history

[00:48:03] and our lives today

[00:48:04] many many many

[00:48:06] churches would look

[00:48:06] very different

[00:48:07] if Martin Luther

[00:48:08] had never lived

[00:48:09] if you listened

[00:48:10] to this episode

[00:48:10] and you enjoyed it

[00:48:11] and we hope that you did

[00:48:13] speaking of speakers

[00:48:14] Brian Wolfmuller

[00:48:15] has been a big help

[00:48:16] to us throughout the years

[00:48:17] but we are actually

[00:48:18] in need of new people

[00:48:19] to come on board

[00:48:21] and speak some sermons

[00:48:22] for us

[00:48:23] so if you've been listening

[00:48:23] or you are listening

[00:48:24] right now

[00:48:25] and go

[00:48:25] I wonder if I could add

[00:48:26] my voice to Revive Thoughts

[00:48:28] well if you have access

[00:48:29] to a microphone

[00:48:31] and you can read

[00:48:33] with some passion

[00:48:34] and gusto

[00:48:35] we'd love to hear from you

[00:48:36] please send us an email

[00:48:37] at revivethoughts

[00:48:37] at gmail.com

[00:48:38] and let's see

[00:48:40] if we can get you hooked up

[00:48:41] with some kind of sermon

[00:48:42] and see where we can go

[00:48:43] from there

[00:48:44] we're always

[00:48:44] all of these sermons

[00:48:45] at Revive Thoughts

[00:48:46] if you wonder

[00:48:46] where they come from

[00:48:47] they come from

[00:48:48] volunteers

[00:48:48] who decided to read them

[00:48:49] for us

[00:48:50] and we are so grateful

[00:48:51] for each of them

[00:48:52] that have done that

[00:48:52] and couldn't do the show

[00:48:54] without it

[00:48:54] the Lord has used it

[00:48:55] in amazing ways

[00:48:56] five and a half years

[00:48:57] we've been going

[00:48:57] with just the help

[00:48:58] of volunteers

[00:48:59] reading each of these sermons

[00:49:00] and maybe you

[00:49:01] are one of those volunteers

[00:49:02] who needs to jump in

[00:49:03] and add your voice

[00:49:04] to Revive Thoughts

[00:49:05] this is Troy and Joel

[00:49:06] and this is Revive Thoughts