Some of Martin Luther’s (1483-1546) most powerful sermons were preached in the pulpit of St. Mary’s Church in the center of Wittenberg, Germany. When Cheryl and I visited this beautiful church during the summer of 2019, I found myself deeply stirred. Here was the very place where Luther boldly proclaimed the Word of God week by week to the gathered congregation! His sermons were quickly transcribed and later printed as pamphlets so that they could be distributed far and wide. These sermons had a profound impact throughout all of Europe–from Basel to Bern, from London to Lyon, and from Paris to Prague! God used the preaching of Martin Luther to bring reformation and revival to a people who were starved for the Word of God. As Isaiah prophesied, “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Luther’s preaching is one more example of how this prophecy has been fulfilled throughout the centuries.
As I recalled some of Luther’s sermons, I was struck by the simplicity of his language and by the power of his rhetoric. He was unafraid to speak plainly with words and images that proclaimed his message. He was also humble, and often used himself as an example of what to do in the Christian life, and what not to do. Here is a fine example of his preaching from a sermon on Matthew 7:1-5.
“Therefore a Christian should follow a different practice. When he sees the mote in his brother’s eye, he should go look at himself in the mirror before passing judgment. He will then find beams in his eye big enough to make hog troughs. Consequently he will have to say: What is this anyway? My neighbor has done this once in a quarter, a half, a whole year; but I have become so old and have never yet kept the commandments of our Lord God, yea, I transgress them every hour and moment. How can I be such a desperate rascal? My sins are nothing but large oaks, thirty feet tall; and I allow the paltry motes, the specks of dust in my brother’s eye, to irritate me more than my large beams! But this should not be. I must first see how to get rid of my own sins. This will keep me so busy that I shall forget about the motes.”
Martin Luther. What Luther Says. Ewald M. Plass, ed. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1959 (Page 524).
I hope you can agree with me that Luther’s colorful use of words and images powerfully drives home the point of Jesus’ exhortation in Matthew 7, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (vs. 1). How could anyone miss it?
Steven Lawson describes Luther’s preaching in the following manner,
“Though Martin Luther’s preaching was thoroughly biblical and deeply theological, his pulpit presentation was anything but stiff or sterile. To the contrary, his manner of delivery was energetic, engaging, and highly impactful on his listeners. The success of his preaching was due not only to the truth of what he said, but also to the passionate tone and trajectory of how he said it. The power of his sermons did not consist merely of doctrine, but also of his lively delivery. In other words, the strength of Luther’s proclamation was not simply his mind reaching the minds of his listeners, but his heart reaching their hearts. In order to preach in such a way, Luther had to possess a heart enflamed with a holy passion for God’s glory. As the fire of the Spirit consumed his soul, his heart was ablaze, and he was warmly invigorated for the gospel. Thus, he was filled with a burning desire to do more than teach. He wanted the substance of the truth he taught to bring about life change in his listeners. Therefore, he designed his pulpit proclamation to motivate and move his hearers to live the truth of God’s Word. To this end, his sermons included all the elements of true preaching that go beyond mere explanations of the text. These included exhortation, admonition, affirmation, and consolation.”
Steven Lawson, The Heroic Boldness of Martin Luther, 83-84
I thank God for the preaching of Martin Luther, and I fervently pray that God will continue to raise-up preachers like him who will faithfully proclaim his Word.
— Dr. Marcus J. Serven