Quotes of Note: Martin Luther—Master Pastor, Part 7
Note: You’re reading Part 7 of a blog mini-series sharing Quotes of Note derived from my Ph.D. dissertation: Spiritual Care in Historical Perspective: Martin Luther as a Case Study in Christian Sustaining, Healing, Reconciling, and Guiding. Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6. 
In historic guiding, the pastoral counselor helps people to live out their faith in love in the power of grace: it’s supernatural to mature. In Luther’s guiding, he helped people to ask and find answers to questions about loving God and others in the daily outworking of life’s obligations.
Luther taught that when Scripture was dogmatic, then the counselor could be dogmatic. The spiritual director can say, “Thus saith the Lord,” if it is clearly written in the Word (LW, Vol. 48, pp. 256-263). Since the Scriptures purposely do not address every detail of life, wisdom is necessary. He wanted people seeking answers to wisdom questions such as these.
• What are my home, work, community, and church relationships like?
• In these relationships, am I doing those things which are indicative of faith in Christ?
• In these relationships am I doing those things which are indicative of love for others?
• In these relationships am I doing anything which is contrary to my conscience?
Principle # 1 in Discerning God’s Will: Am I Doing What Is Indicative of Faith in Christ?
“There is only one article of faith and one rule of theology, and this is true faith or trust in Christ” (LW, Vol. 54, p. 157).
“Concerning the verse in Galatians (5:6), ‘faith working through love,’ we also say that faith doesn’t exist without works. However, Paul’s view is this: Faith is active in love, that is, that faith justifies which expresses itself in acts. Faith comes first and then love follows” (LW, Vol. 54, p. 74).
“All that remains is for us now to pray that our eyes, that is the eyes of our faith, may be opened that we may see. Then there will be nothing for us to fear” (LW, Vol. 42, p. 163).
“The devil is a master at finding the spot it hurts most. He can fashion the oddest syllogisms. For example, ‘You have sinned; God is wrathful toward sinners; therefore despair.’ Here it is necessary that we proceed from the Law to the Gospel and lay hold of the article of the forgiveness of sins” (LSC, p. 100).
Principle # 2 in Discerning God’s Will: Am I Doing What Is Indicative of Love for Others
“One must not flee into a corner. So the second table teaches that one must do good to one’s neighbor. We ought not to isolate ourselves but enter into companionship with our neighbor. Likewise it (this notion) is in conflict with marriage, economic life, and political existence and is contrary to the life of Christ, who didn’t choose solitude. Christ’s life was very turbulent, for people were always moving about him. He was never alone, except when he prayed. Away with those who say, ‘Be glad to be alone and your heart will be pure’” (LW, Vol. 54, pp. 140-141).
“God created man for society and not for solitude. This may be supported by the argument that he created two sexes, male and female. Likewise God founded the Christian Church, the communion of saints, and instituted the Sacraments, preaching and consolations in the Church” (LSC, p. 95).
“A woman suckling an infant or a maid sweeping a threshing floor with a broom is just as pleasing to God as an idle nun” (LW, Vol. 6, p. 348).
“God wants no lazy idlers. Men should work diligently and faithfully, each according to his calling and profession, and then God will give blessings and success” (LW, Vol. 14, p. 115).
Principle # 3 in Discerning God’s Will: Never Do Anything Contrary to the Conscience
“Everything that is not of faith is sin, because it goes counter to faith and conscience; for we must beware with all possible zeal that we may not violate our conscience” (Commentary on Romans, p. 206).
“What the Apostle teaches is that in the new Law (the Gospel covenant) everything is free and nothing necessary (for salvation) for those who believe in Christ, except ‘charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned’ (I Tim. 1:5) (Commentary on Romans, p. 195).
“We fail to take into consideration that we should do all things not under the pressure of coercion, or driven by the goad of anxious fear, but moved by a cheerful and fully free will, if they are to please God. In all we do, we must consider not what we have done or what there is to be done; not what we failed to do or what we should fail to do; also not what good we have done or what good we have omitted, or what evil we have done or omitted. But we should rather consider of what nature and how strong our good will has been, and the readiness and cheerfulness of our heart with which we have done all or intend to do all” (Commentary on Romans, p. 197).
The Rest of the Story
In Part 8, we’ll shift focus from Luther’s actual pastoral care to shaping factors in Luther’s life that influenced how he sustain, healed, reconciled, and guided others.
Join the Conversation
Which of today’s Quotes of Note impact your life and ministry the most?
Note: These quotes are derived from Spiritual Care in Historical Perspective: Martin Luther as a Case Study in Christian Sustaining, Healing, Reconciling, and Guiding. The entire 212-page dissertation is available in PDF form at the RPM Store.
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