Reformation
Past and Present
Readings
and Reflections for the
508th
Anniversary of the Posting
by Martin
Luther of his 95 Theses
on October
31, A+D 1517
Drawn from
the 2025 Reformation Festival
of the
Black Hills Circuit of the
South
Dakota District of the LCMS
(Hymns referenced are from the Lutheran Service Book.
Consider singing or reading them to enhance your reflection.)
Audio of these Reflections is available HERE.
In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Prayer
Almighty
and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth,
protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies. As you once worked through the 16th
Century Reformers to uncover and boldly proclaim the pure Gospel of free
forgiveness won for us by Your Son, continue to raise up faithful pastors and
people, for we also live in a time and a world desperately in need of Your
Gospel Grant to Your Holy Church a clear
confession and witness and let her live in Your saving peace; through Jesus
Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever, Amen.
Reading: Amos
8:11-13 (NKJV)
“Behold, the days are coming,” says
the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall not find it.
13 “In that day the fair virgins and
strong young men
Shall faint from thirst.
L: This is the Word of the Lord C: Thanks be to God!
Reflection: Europe and the Church in the 1400s
A famine of the Word. It’s hard
to say if the people of Western Europe deserved the famine of the Word they
suffered through in the 1400’s, but surely, they were starving for the Truth of
Christ. In the 8th Century
before Christ, through the Old Testament prophet Amos, the Lord declared He
would inflict a famine of the Word on His people Israel, because of their
idolatry. In the 14th Century after Christ, the Word of God was
simply unintelligible to most people in Western Europe. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit showed that He
wants the Word to be translated for all to hear and understand. But in medieval Europe, the Bible was only
read in Latin. Most did not understand
Latin, because the common folk spoke Spanish, or French, or German, or one of
hundreds of other languages spoken throughout Europe. Latin was the language of high royal courts,
of the papacy, and the universities. The
Sunday Mass was largely meaningless to most people.
Many different currents of theology were running through western
Christianity. Certainly the Gospel, the
Good News of God’s grace and free forgiveness revealed in Jesus Christ, was one
of these currents. But alongside this
glorious Truth were proclaimed many false faiths, man-made religiosity focused
on prayer to the saints, or on climbing the ladder to heaven. Priests were forbidden to marry, contrary to God’s
ordering of creation. The necessity of
good works to fully earn salvation, and the reality of purgatory, both complete
contradictions of God’s Word, were common teachings, as well as important
money-making schemes for the Church.
Godly vocations like husband, wife, farmer and laborer were disparaged
as spiritually useless. Meanwhile,
supposedly churchly orders were exalted, like monk and nun, souls shuttered
away from normal community life. They
were dedicated to prayer in their monasteries, yes, but their prayers were
largely offered as sacrifices to earn God’s favor, heaping scorn on the
once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus. And yet
these things were praised as holy and Godly.
God’s orders of Creation and the Way of Salvation were turned upside
down. Truly the people suffered from a
lack of God’s Truth, a famine of the Word.
Reading: Matthew
11:11-19 (NKJV)
[Jesus said] “Assuredly, I say to you, among
those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but
he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And
from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers
violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied
until John. 14 And if you are willing to
receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He
who has ears to hear, let him hear! 16 “But
to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the
marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and
saying:
‘We played the flute for you, And you did not dance;
We mourned to you, And you did not lament.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He
has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and
drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend
of tax collectors and sinners!’
But wisdom is justified by her children.”
L: This is the Word of the Lord C: Thanks be to God!
Hymn 578:1-3 Thy Strong Word
Reflection: 1440 - 1455 - The Printing Press and
the Gutenberg Bible
We don’t know when he was born, nor how he was educated. But God works through common, earthly means,
including people, and the German inventor and entrepreneur Johannes Gutenberg
is in the first rank of examples.
The people of Western Europe suffered from a famine of the Word of God,
but Johannes Gutenberg changed that, and seemingly everything else. The spread and the success of the various
reformations that would spread through Europe in the 1500s, along with the
economic and industrial revolutions that created the modern world depended on
Gutenberg inventing, around 1440, the moveable type printing press. Through this new technology, written texts,
most importantly the Holy Scriptures, could now be cheaply and widely
disseminated. This information
technology revolution is largely responsible for the world we live in. Perhaps the internet or, we shall see, the
advent of artificial intelligence, are comparable revolutions. But our gatherings, singing from hymnals and
reading our Bibles, is ongoing proof of Gutenberg’s contribution.
As Christians, and as the Church, we need to realize that the insights
God gave to Martin Luther and his fellow reformers would not have changed the
world in the way they did, if not for the printing press, brought to us by
Johannes Gutenberg. God grant us wisdom
to take advantage of the blessings of our access to the Bible and good faithful
books.
Reading: John
8:31-36 (NKJV)
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide
in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and
have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will
be made free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to
you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a
slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides
forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free,
you shall be free indeed.
L: This is the Word of the Lord C: Thanks be to God!
Hymn 584 Faith
and Life and Truth Bestowing
Reflection: 1505 – 1516: Luther Enters the
Word.
Hans Luther was a rising peasant.
A free man, and industrious, he was part of a movement that would
eventually create a middle class in Europe.
A miner, Hans began to build a prosperous life for himself and his
family. So, when his oldest and very
bright son Martin abandoned a career in law, and the expensive studies which
Hans had paid for, you can imagine the father’s frustration.
And we can hardly say that Luther’s motivations for entering the
monastery were beyond reproach. It’s
hard for us in the 21st century to imagine a culture so thoroughly
permeated by the Church’s teaching, but unfortunately the teaching Martin
understood was not the pure Gospel.
According to the Reformer’s own account, fear of dying in a thunderstorm
drove Martin Luther to cry out a desperate prayer, not to God through Christ,
but to St. Anne: “Save me Saint Anne, and I’ll become a monk.”
Whatever his motivation, in 1505, 21-year-old Martin abandoned his law
studies and entered an Augustinian monastery, much to his father’s
consternation. He entered the monastery
in Erfurt as a novice in July of 1505, took his vows as a monk in 1506, and was
ordained a priest in 1507.
Luther would later savage the monasteries in his writings, and with good
reason. But, along with all the
works-righteous theology and hypocrisy there was, in the monastery Luther
prayed the Psalms daily, until they were permanently in his memory. And, because of his intelligence, and perhaps
also because his earnestness in seeking to justify himself made him a difficult
person to live with, Martin was ordered to study theology. Soon, he was made a lecturer in the Old
Testament at the new university in Wittenberg.
Luther was now immersed in God’s Word.
The Renaissance rediscovery of ancient languages and learning meant that
Martin began to be able to study the Scripture not just in Latin, but also in
the original Greek and Hebrew. And in
every language, Martin began to realize that many teachings of the Church of
Rome did not fit with the plain sense of the Bible. And so, the seeds of the Reformation were
sown.
Reading: Mark
1:14 – 21 (NKJV)
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching
the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and
saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at
hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
16 And as
He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a
net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 Then
Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of
men.” 18 They immediately left their nets and
followed Him.
19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20 And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. 21 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. 22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
L: This is the Word of the Lord C: Thanks be to God!
Reading: Revelation
14:6-7 (NKJV)
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of
heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the
earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— 7 saying
with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His
judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and
springs of water.”
L: This is the Word of the Lord C: Thanks be to God!
Hymn: 586 Preach You the
Word
Reflection: 1517: The Spark Is Lit
Along with his professorial duties at the University, Martin Luther was
the pastor of two congregations, St. Mary’s (the Town Church), and All Saints
(the Castle Church) in Wittenberg. Then
Johann Tetzel came with authority of the Pope to sell indulgences to pay for
rebuilding St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Indulgences were pieces of paper with a papal seal, declaring the full
forgiveness of sins, for oneself, or for a loved one in purgatory. Tetzel made them available for a monetary
donation: “When the coin in the money-box rings, a soul from purgatory
springs!” Many Wittenbergers bought
one. Seeing his people putting their
trust in a piece of paper instead of in Christ disturbed Pastor Luther. Martin protested in the style of the day; he
posted his 95 Theses, a series of arguments against the sale of indulgences, on
the Castle Church door on October 31st, 1517. This was the way a theologian asked for
formal debate about a controversial Church teaching or practice.
Thesis 1 is brilliant: “When our Lord and Master Christ Jesus said
‘Repent,’ He meant that the whole life of the Christian should be one of
repentance.” However, in total, the
95 Theses are not a clear proclamation of the pure Gospel. Luther seems to have been in transition,
still using the argumentation style and language of the medieval scholastic
universities, but drawing on a growing Biblical-Gospel understanding.
However less than fully Gospel-focused they were, the 95 Theses were a
sensation. Quickly translated into
German and other languages, they were printed and disseminated throughout
Europe, thanks to the printing press.
They struck a resounding and hopeful chord with a land suffering from a
famine of God’s Word. The fire was lit. Great changes were coming.
Reading: 1
Timothy 6:11-16 (NKJV)
But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight
the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also
called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many
witnesses.
13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, 15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
L: This is the Word of the Lord C: Thanks be to God!
Hymn 655 Lord,
Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word
Reflection: 1518-1546: Making the Good
Confession
At the root, to confess means to say the same thing; a true confession
is one that repeats the truth. In
Christian terms, to confess the faith means to say the same thing that God has
said, to repeat His Truth, which He has revealed and recorded for the Church in
Holy Scripture. Following his posting of
the 95 Theses, Luther, and soon thousands of other Christians with him,
committed their lives to making the good confession, to speaking the truth
about God and His Gospel, no matter what the consequences.
God provided Martin Luther with
protection, giving him space and time to dig deeply into God’s Word and
proclaim to the world the pure Gospel that he found. Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, ruled
the German territory which included Wittenberg.
When Martin Luther’s teaching drew opposition from the Roman authorities
and the Holy Roman Empire, Frederick refused to give in to pressure to turn
Luther over to them.
Under this umbrella of political protection, Luther was ordered to stand
before Emperor Charles the 5th and delegates from the Pope, meeting
in the German city of Worms in 1521.
Ordered to repent and recant his writings, Luther famously
declared: “Unless I am convinced by
the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either
in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often
erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted,
and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant
anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. Here I
stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help
me. Amen.”
Luther was excommunicated and branded an outlaw. Nevertheless, by God’s grace and the
protection of various Christian rulers, Luther, along with many colleagues,
spent the next 25 years digging deeper and deeper into God’s Word, and
producing the writings, liturgies and structures needed for a truly
Evangelical, or Gospel-centered Church to thrive. These works, by Luther and others, include
the German translation of the Bible, the Augsburg Confession and its Apology,
(or explanation), the Large and Small Catechisms, the Smalcald Articles, the
Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope, a Latin and a German Divine
Service, Biblical commentaries, systematic theologies, and much more.
By Grace Alone, (purely God’s work, done out of His
merciful heart), and is received
By Faith Alone, (not earned by any works done by
sinners, but received as a free gift when the Word of Christ makes a sinner
believe the Good News), based on the teaching of
Scripture Alone, the true Word of God and the source
for all teaching in the Church.
A good confession indeed.
Reading: Deuteronomy
6:1 – 9 (NKJV)
“Now this is the commandment, and these are the
statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach
you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing
over to possess, 2 that you may fear
the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments
which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your
life, and that your days may be prolonged. 3 Therefore
hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be
well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as
the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with
milk and honey.’
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God,
the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the
Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
strength.
6 “And these words which I command
you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach
them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your
house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You
shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between
your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts
of your house and on your gates.
L: This is the Word of the Lord C: Thanks be to God!
Psalm 46 antiphon v. 7
L: The Lord of
hosts is with us;
C: The God of
Jacob is our refuge.
L: God is our refuge and
strength,
C: A very present help in
trouble.
L: Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed,
C: And though the mountains be
carried into the midst of the sea;
L: Though its waters roar and be troubled,
C: Though the mountains shake
with its swelling.
C: The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
L: God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
C: God shall help her, just at
the break of dawn.
L: The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
C: He uttered His voice, the earth
melted.
L: The Lord of
hosts is with us;
C: The God of
Jacob is our refuge.
L: Come, behold the works of
the Lord,
C: Who has made desolations in the
earth.
L: He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear
in two;
C: He burns the chariot in the
fire.
L: Be still, and know that
I am God;
I will be exalted among the
nations,
C: I will be exalted in the earth!
L: The Lord of
hosts is with us;
C: The God of
Jacob is our refuge.
Glory be to the Father, and to the
Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever, Amen.
L: The Lord of
hosts is with us;
C: The God of
Jacob is our refuge.
Reflection: 1547 to 1580 to 2025
Would the Lutheran Reformation survive?
Luther died in 1546. Bereft of
their bold and brilliant leader, the Lutheran lands also soon suffered military
defeats at the hands of the Emperor’s armies.
The ensuing decades would bring numerous setbacks and dark days for
those committed to the reforms of the Church started by Martin Luther. Pressured from without by the papacy and by
militaries of rulers opposed to the Reformation, and facing division within as
some colleagues of Luther waffled in their commitment to the truth, the future
of the project started by Luther often seemed doubtful.
But the power of the Reformation was never military strength, although
the protection of the Electors of Saxony and other civil rulers was a wonderful
blessing. Nor was the Reformation
dependent on the faithfulness and integrity of men, although many men and women
remained steadfast in the faith. The
power of the Reformation is the Word of God, and especially the pure Gospel,
which relieves burdened consciences, and sets sinners free from the fear of
sin, death and the Devil. This peace
that passes all understanding made freed sinners bold to confess the truth,
love their neighbors, and resist persecution, often unto death.
The difficult struggle to remain faithful to the Word of God and the
pure Gospel has continued for the last 425 years, and by all indications will
continue until Christ returns. It is not
easy, but in this struggle, God’s Word rings in our ears, even as His
Sacraments cleanse and feed our bodies and souls. And so, strengthened by the Holy Spirit, with
intrepid hearts, we seek to remain steadfast in the same good confession. By God’s grace, we will.
Hymn 659 Lord of Our Life
Closing Prayer
O Lord, we give You thanks for all
Your servants who have departed this life in faith. We especially bless You
today for the great reformers of Your Church who through their writings
continue to call us back to the Gospel and to the righteousness we have in
Christ alone. Keep us in fellowship with them, and with all Your Christians of
every time and place. Bring us at last
to join them in our heavenly home, where together we will rejoice to see our
Redeemer face to face; we ask this through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our
Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Benediction
Hymn 657 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
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