95 Days with the 95 Theses (Days 61-67)

The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation is being celebrated this year, 2017.  Why? Because historians acknowledge and date the beginning of the Reformation to October 31, 1517, the day Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.


61. For it is clear that the pope's power only suffices for the remission of [ecclesiastical] penalties and for [legal] actions.

62. The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of 
God.

63. But this treasure is deservedly the most hated, because it makes "the first last."

64. In contrast, the treasure of indulgences is deservedly the most acceptable, because it makes "the last first."

65. Therefore, the treasures of the gospel are nets with which they formerly fished for men of wealth.

66. The treasures of of indulgences are nets with which they now fish for men of wealth.

67. Indulgences, which the declaimers should about as the greatest "graces", are indeed understood as such -- insofar as they promise profits.

A Prayer of Martin Luther

Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it.

   I am weak in the faith; strengthen me.

   I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent, that my love may go out to my neighbor.

I do not have a strong and firm faith; at times I doubt and am unable to trust you altogether.

   O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in you.

   In you I have sealed the treasure of all I have.

   I am poor; you are rich and came to be merciful to the poor.

   I am a sinner; you are upright.

With me, there is an abundance of sin; in you is the fullness of righteousness. Therefore I will remain with you, of whom I can receive, but to whom I may not give.  Amen

95 Days with the 95 Theses (Days 54-60)

The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation is being celebrated this year, 2017.  Why? Because historians acknowledge and date the beginning of the Reformation to October 31, 1517, the day Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

(Since I will be in Europe for a Reformation 500 trip with others from Bethel, I will be sharing Theses 24- 40 here in one space. For the previous theses, see this same blog. As previously mentioned, I am using Martin Luther's 95 Theses with Introduction, Commentary, and Study Guide by Timothy Wengert.)

54.  An injustice is done to the Word of God when, in the very same sermon, equal or more time is spent on indulgences than on the Word.

55.  It is necessarily the pope's intent that if indulgences, which are a completely insignificant thing, are celebrated with one bell, one procession, and one ceremony, then the gospel, which is the greatest thing of all, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, and a hundred ceremonies.

56.  The treasures of the church, from which the pope distributes indulgences, are not sufficiently discussed or known among Christ's people.

57.  That [these treasures] are not transient worldly riches is certainly clear, because many of the indulgence declaimers do not so much freely distribute such riches as only collect them.

58.  Nor are they the merits of Christ and the saints, because, even without the pope, these merits always work grace for the inner person and cross, death, and hell for the outer person.

59.  St. Laurence said that the poor of the church were the treasures of the church, but he spoke according to the usage of the word "treasure" in his own time.

60.  Not without cause, we say that the keys of the church (given by the merits of Christ) are the treasure.

A Prayer of Martin Luther

Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it.

   I am weak in the faith; strengthen me.

   I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent, that my love may go out to my neighbor.

I do not have a strong and firm faith; at times I doubt and am unable to trust you altogether.

   O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in you.

   In you I have sealed the treasure of all I have.

   I am poor; you are rich and came to be merciful to the poor.

   I am a sinner; you are upright.

With me, there is an abundance of sin; in you is the fullness of righteousness. Therefore I will remain with you, of whom I can receive, but to whom I may not give.  Amen

95 Days with the 95 Theses (Days 47-53)

The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation is being celebrated this year, 2017.  Why? Because historians acknowledge and date the beginning of the Reformation to October 31, 1517, the day Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

(Since I will be in Europe for a Reformation 500 trip with others from Bethel, I will be sharing Theses 24- 40 here in one space. For the previous theses, see this same blog. As previously mentioned, I am using Martin Luther's 95 Theses with Introduction, Commentary, and Study Guide by Timothy Wengert.)

47. Christians are to be taught that buying indulgences is a matter of free choice, not commanded.

48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, while granting indulgences, needs and thus desires their devout prayer for him more than their money.

49. Christians are to be taught that papal indulgences are useful only if they do not put their trust in them but extremely harmful if they lose their fear of God because of them.

50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the demands made by the indulgence preachers, he would rather that the Basilica of St. Peter were burned to ashes than that it be constructed using the skin, flesh, and bones of his sheep.

51. Christians are to be taught that the pope ought to give and would want to give of his own wealth -- even selling the Basilica of St. Peter if necessary -- to those from whom certain declaimers of indulgences are wheedling money.

52. It is vain to trust in salvation by means of indulgence letter, even if the [indulgence] agent -- or even the pope himself -- were to offer his own soul as security for them.

53. People who forbid the preaching of the Word of God in some churches altogether in order that indulgences may be preached in others are enemies of Christ and the pope.

These theses show that Luther was centrally frustrated by the danger that indulgences (i.e buying salvation) would supplant faith in Christ in the naive person of faith.  He put the responsibility for this on the "indulgence preachers" assuming the best possible action on the part of the pope (like he later states in his explanation of the 8th commandment).  Luther assumes that the pope is generally unaware of what is happening with indulgences.  It is only when he realizes that the pope himself is complicit, that Luther begins a verbal diatribe against the pope.

Lord Jesus, lead us into stronger and braver faith. Amen.

95 Days with the 95 Theses (Days 41-46)

The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation is being celebrated this year, 2017.  Why? Because historians acknowledge and date the beginning of the Reformation to October 31, 1517, the day Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

(Since I will be in Europe for a Reformation 500 trip with others from Bethel, I will be sharing Theses 24- 40 here in one space. For the previous theses, see this same blog. As previously mentioned, I am using Martin Luther's 95 Theses with Introduction, Commentary, and Study Guide by Timothy Wengert.)

41. Apostolic indulgences are to be preached with caution, so that the people do not mistakenly think that they are to be preferred to other good works of love.

42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend the acquiring of indulgences to be compared in any way with the works of mercy.

43. Christians are to be taught that the one who gives to the poor person or lends to the needy does a better deed than if a person acquires an indulgence ... 

44. ... because love grows through works of love and a person is made better; but through indulgences one is not made better but only freer from penalty (for sin).

45. Christians are to be taught that anyone who sees a destitute person and, while passing such a one by, gives money for indulgences does not buy [gracious] indulgences of the pope but God's wrath.

46. Christians are to be taught that, unless they have more than they need, they must set aside enough for their household and by no means squander it on indulgences.

In the above theses, Luther continues his argument that indulgences are not in any way to be preferred over acts of mercy, love, and grace to both neighbor and within one's household. In particular, I find that the theses that begin with the words, "Christians are to be taught ..." to be a succinct accounting of his worldview in relationship to indulgences. One can see that Luther puts emphasis actions of the believer toward their neighbor. This, for Luther, was paramount for our discipleship and growth in faith.  For in loving our neighbor, we grow closer to Christ and become more like Christ.

Jesus, help us to love our neighbor as you love us all. Amen.