Return to the Homepage Home
 Worship Schedules, Education, Fellowship, Outreach Worship & Service
 Sermon Archive Sermons
 A copy of the Sunday Prayers of Intercession Prayers
 Pastor Lynne's monthly newsletter Pastor's Page
 Articles and tidbits from the monthly newsletter Newsletter
 This month's events as well as the monthly calendar Current Events
 Read the Sunday School News Letter! Sunday School News
 Events for grades 7 to 12 Youth
 Other websites of interest Links
  
 Login to Administer this site Admin Login

St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church
2903 McPhillips Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CANADA R2P 0H3
http://www.stlukeszion.ca

Phone: (204) 339-0412
Fax: (204) 339-0412
E-mail: stlukeszionchurch@gmail.com
site design by clayton rumley

 


Sunday, June 1st, 0217

click here for past entries

Saint and Sinner

            One of the things that you may have heard about Martin Luther is how he said that we are all simul justus et peccator (simultaneously saint and sinner).  He knew this from first-hand experience, and was always aware of his own sinfulness, even while giving thanks for the grace of God that forgives us and accepts us and makes us saints.

            One of the things that you will discover, if you have ever read some of the things that Luther wrote, is that he was quite prejudiced in some respects.  He often wrote against the Turks, the Jews, the papists, the sectarians, and the Anabaptists, among others.  Because of this, the Lutheran church has apologized, on various occasions, for some of the things that Luther wrote, stating that these things do not reflect our Christian faith or our attitudes today.

            There are a number of reasons for some of Luther’s attitudes, which is not to excuse him, but simply to understand his context.  First off, the society in which Luther grew up was decidedly anti-Semitic.  Jewish people in the Holy Roman Empire had to wear yellow stars on their outer clothing to identify them as Jewish.  It was common for Christians to blame the Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus, and the town church in Wittenberg has an anti-Jewish frieze near the roof of the building.

            At the same time, Muslims had to wear a blue symbol on their outer clothing to identify them as Muslim.  When Luther writes about the Turks, he tends to mean Muslims.  However, interestingly enough, Luther and Melanchthon wrote a preface to the Koran, which is the only reason it was allowed to be published in Wittenberg.

            As for the papists, the sectarians and the Anabaptists, these were actually groups of Christians that Luther disagreed with.  Seeing as many of Luther’s opponents wrote nasty things about him, Luther responded in kind.  In some ways, he was often on the defensive, as the papacy continued to reject what he had to say and had declared him to be a heretic.

            My suspicion is that if Luther were to look at some of the things that he wrote with sober second thought, he might be just as dismayed as others have been.  His attitudes were shaped by the time in which he lived, but he also never repudiated the prejudices that were all around him.  Many of the worst things that he had to say were written during the last six years of his life – a time when he was in constant pain and was haunted by some of the mistakes that he had made.  This is also not an excuse, but was part of the context.

            At the same time, though, there is no doubt that much good came out of Luther’s life.  People were truly set free by his message from the Scriptures about God’s grace and forgiveness through faith in Christ.  People were also able to read the Bible because of his translation of it into the German language.  And many of the abuses that Luther identified in the church of his time have now been corrected.

            Luther and Melanchthon also started schools where children could learn to read the Bible and could learn the gospel message through music.  At the same time, community chests were set up in each town where money would be collected and then used to feed the poor and to fund education.  Prior to that, the church hierarchy had been taking most of the money raised.

            I have mentioned before how Luther had never wanted anybody to call themselves Lutheran.  “Don’t call yourselves by my poor, miserable name.  Call yourselves after Christ!” – in other words, Christian.  But you all know how well people listen J  Luther always wanted to point to Christ, and he always wanted to be “in Christ.”  He didn’t always succeed, but then neither do the rest of us.  Thankfully, we all have a God of mercy and grace.

 

                        In Christ,

                        Pastor Lynne Hutchison


Previous Pastor's Page
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
July 2021
June 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
December 2001
June 0217