Luther for the Busy Man

Martin Luther
  • 4.7 (17)
  • Christianity
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Luther for the Busy Man is a new project brought to you by the Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary, in cooperation with Ambassador Publications, the publishing arm of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations. Listen to daily meditations by Martin Luther himself, following the church calendar and read to you by Dave Ryerson.

  1. 18h ago

    Week of Trinity IX - Thursday

    THE WEEK OF TRINITY IX - THURSDAYLESSON: PSALM 15 Faith working through love. Galatians 5:6 Scripture also speaks of our walk of life externally, of how we are to walk with our fellowmen as human beings made up of flesh and blood. That I am accounted truly righteous before God is something that you do not know, and I myself cannot simply take it for granted. I must make my faith sure and certain for myself and other people as well. I must do good to my neighbor so that my faith proves itself. External works are signs of inward faith. These works do not actually make me godly and pious, but they demonstrate that I am godly and pious and attest that I have the right faith. This is how I must understand the injunction of the Gospel, “Make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon,” that is, do good to make your faith sure and certain. So, we must distinguish between the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. Luke describes the fruit of faith as giving to the poor and making friends for ourselves in this way. He means to say to us: “I do not want to speak to you now about faith as such, but about how you should prove your faith. Do good to your neighbor, and if you can really give to him out of the goodness of your heart, you can be quite sure about your faith.” Scripture at times speaks about the fruits of faith, at other times about faith as such. It speaks to us about the fruits faith when we are told in Matthew that on judgement day the Lord will say to those who have been rejected on His left hand, “I was hungry, and you gave me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink” (Matthew 25:42). He will point out to those on His left hand that they did not really believe in Him and will demonstrate their unbelief from their lack of fruits of faith. SL 11:1451 (11-12) PRAYER: Lord God, faith that does not prove itself in works of love is a dead faith and of no value at all, as You plainly demonstrate in many clear passages of Your holy Word. Grant us Your grace and strength at all times to prove that our faith is a faith that works by love, in and through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:291-301.

    Week of Trinity IX - Thursday

  2. 1d ago

    Week of Trinity IX - Wednesday

    THE WEEK OF TRINITY IX - WEDNESDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 12:33-37 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45 When Christ declares that we should make friends for ourselves by means of the unrighteous mammon, it is quite clear that He means that we should do good works, on the basis of which these friends will receive us into the eternal habitations (Luke 16:9). This may sound rather strange to those who have been accustomed to the proclamation of salvation by faith alone. But there is nothing in this Gospel which conflicts with this proclamation. With a Christian, faith and love are everything. We are accounted righteous before God by faith alone; we prove or demonstrate this faith by works of love. I cannot perform any acts of piety unless God’s grace has previously taken possession of my heart. If I am to make friends for myself by means of the mammon of unrighteousness, I must first be accounted righteous before God. Two facts hold good here; a bad tree cannot produce good fruit, and, contrariwise, a good tree cannot product bad fruit. The conclusion, then, is not so difficult. If I am to do good by my use of mammon, I must be truly righteous in my heart beforehand, for God looks at the heart; He regards my works according to the disposition of my heart. I point out these distinctions lest you attempt to force works into the heart. Before I can do good works, I must be accounted righteous in God’s sight by faith in Christ. You do not build here from the outside inwards, nor do you start building from the roof. You commence with the foundation, and in things Christian this is faith. SL 11:1450 (9-10) PRAYER: Heavenly Father, it is faith and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness that forms the beginning of everything in us and our works that is really good in your sight and in the true interests of our neighbor. Preserve us in the faith which always rests and trusts in you alone, for Christ our Savior’s sake. Amen. Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:291-301.

    Week of Trinity IX - Wednesday

  3. 2d ago

    Week of Trinity IX - Tuesday

    THE WEEK OF TRINITY IX - TUESDAYLESSON: MATTHEW 10:16-23 “The sons of this world are wiser in their own generation than the sons of light.” Luke 16:8 To understand the story in this week’s Gospel (Luke 16:1-9) correctly, consider St. Paul’s statement, “Adam…was a type of the one who was to come” (Romans 5:14). Adam was a type of Christ. How can the apostle compare Adam with Christ when Adam brought sin and death upon us, and Christ has brought us righteousness and life? St. Paul compares Adam with Christ in respect to origin and race, not in regard to fruit and work. Adam is the origin and head of all sinners, whereas Christ is the origin and head of all saints. We have inherited nothing else from Adam but sin, condemnation, and our eternal curse; from Christ, however, we have obtained righteousness and salvation. You cannot make these two extremes agree, for sin is punishable and righteousness is praiseworthy. But in respect to origin, there is a comparison: even as sin and death have penetrated to all men through Adam, so, through Christ, righteousness and life have become available for all men. So, in the Gospel, Christ compares the unrighteous man with the righteous man. As the unrighteous man acts shrewdly with his unrighteousness and villainy, so we should act wisely in matters of justice and piety. This is the point of the comparison, as Jesus Himself explains when He says, “The sons of this world are wiser in their own generation than the sons of light.” The “sons of light” should learn prudence from the “sons of darkness,” or the world. Even as they are clever in all their doings, so also should “the sons of light” be cleaver in their doings. That is also why Christ adds the words, “in their own generation.” SL 11:1448 (6-7) PRAYER: Lord God, heavenly Father, it is Your will that we should be just as wise and prudent in regard to what is good, as unbelieving men are in regard to what is evil. Establish us in everything that is good, that we always prove ourselves Your wise and prudent followers, through Jesus Christ, in whom You have given us all treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Amen. Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:291-301.

    Week of Trinity IX - Tuesday

  4. 3d ago

    Week of Trinity IX - Monday

    THE WEEK OF TRINITY IX - MONDAY LESSON: 1 TIMOTHY 6:17-19 “The master commended the dishonest steward for his prudence; for the sons of this world are wiser in their own generation than the sons of light.” Luke 16:8 We shall understand the story by which Jesus makes his point in this week’s Gospel (Luke 16:1-9) in its simple meaning, without introducing a large number of subtleties into it, as Jerome has done. It is not always necessary to search out such a pointed meaning; the milk of the story is enough for us. We do not necessarily have to explain here in what way this steward had wasted his master’s goods, and how it comes to pass that even after this he still succeeds in using up his master’s property for himself treacherously, fraudulently, and falsely. Christ concludes that the steward acted prudently or astutely. He does not praise him for being good. He actually finds fault with him for having wasted his master’s goods and also for ensuring the continuance of his comfortable existence by treacherously playing fast and loose with his master’s goods. What the master in the story commends is that this man did not forget his self-interest in a critical situation; he commends the steward’s craftiness. It is like saying of a harlot who has the whole world at her feet, “She is a clever harlot.” From all this, Christ draws the conclusion: just as this steward displays outstanding craftiness in matters concerning his earthly welfare, we also should be deeply concerned about our eternal welfare and eternal life. SL 11:1448 (5) PRAYER: Lord God, heavenly Father, the treasures and riches of heaven and its glories far outweigh the most desirable riches and treasures that our earthly life affords. Grant us a zeal and concern for our spiritual welfare that is at least the equal of the craftiness and shrewdness whereby men sell their souls for earthly happiness. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen. Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:291-301.

    Week of Trinity IX - Monday

  5. 4d ago

    Week of Trinity IX - Sunday

    THE WEEK OF TRINITY IX - SUNDAYLESSON: LUKE 16:1-9 He who trusts in his riches will wither, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. Proverbs 11:28 In this Gospel, “mammon” means surplus sustenance, including money, with which one can help others without injury to oneself. It is called “unrighteous mammon” by our Lord because of its daily use for unrighteous purposes and because it incites men to all kinds of unrighteousness. “Mammon” is also God’s creation, like wine and corn, and God’s creatures are good. But men can misuse God’s good creatures and can fall into much sin in acquiring them. St. Paul tells the Ephesians that they should make the most of the time “because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). The “time” or “the days” are not evil in themselves, but much evil occurs during these days or this time. Similarly, he speaks in Romans of “the day of wrath” (Romans 2:5), although the “day” in itself is quite good. But because God’s “wrath” will be manifested on this day, it derives its name from this fact. So also, because “mammon” is used for all kinds of unrighteous ends, Christ here call it “unrighteous mammon.” It is surplus sustenance which we should use to relieve the needs of our neighbor and to help him. If we do not use it for this purpose, it becomes “unrighteous mammon” for us; we possess it unjustly, and it is stolen in God’s sight. Before God we are in duty bound to give, to lend, and even to let men take what we have. According to the common proverb, the biggest moneybags are the greatest thieves. They have the biggest surplus and give away the least. SL 11:1447 (2-4) PRAYER: Heavenly Father, may the good gifts of Your creation never become a snare to us nor incite us to all sorts of acts of unrighteousness, either in sins of omission or sins of commission. Grant us grace to use these gifts for our own welfare and the sustenance of our neighbor, for Jesus’ sake. Amen. Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:291-301.

    Week of Trinity IX - Sunday

  6. 5d ago

    Week of Trinity VIII - Saturday

    THE WEEK OF TRINITY VIII - SATURDAYLESSON: LUKE 6:46-49 No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11 We must remain free judges with authority to judge, accept, or reject even what popes or councils decide. If we accept anything, we should accept it because it agrees with our conscience as instructed by Holy Scripture, not just because pope or council orders it. St. Paul says in Romans that if a man has prophecy, it should be in agreement with the faith (Romans 12:6). All prophecy slanted towards works and not leading genuinely to Christ or to your own consolation is not in agreement with faith, no matter how pleasant it may be, like the revelations of the hobgoblins, masses, pilgrimages, fasts, and the search after the merits of the saints. In these matters, many of the fathers have erred, including Gregory (the Great), Augustine, and many others. Not the least of their errors was to take away our authority to judge doctrine for ourselves. The false idea that we owe obedience to the pope and councils without question is a heart-breaking affliction which began at a definite point in history. So, you must also once again begin to say, “God has said this; God has not said this,” or “The councils have decided this,” you are building on sand. There is no other judge on earth in spiritual matters and on Christian doctrine than a human being who has the true faith in his heart, whether it be a man or a woman, young or old, servant or maid, learned or unlearned. God is no respecter of persons. All who live according to His commandments are alike dear to Him, and so they all have authority to judge doctrine. SL 11:1398 (14-15) PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You have bestowed great and wonderful privileges upon us as Your children by faith in Christ Jesus. May it please You to preserve and keep us in these privileges, strong in faith and hope, for Christ our Savior’s sake. Amen. Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:234-245.

    Week of Trinity VIII - Saturday

  7. 6d ago

    Week of Trinity VIII - Friday

    THE WEEK OF TRINITY VIII - FRIDAYLESSON: 1 JOHN 4:1-6 “He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” John 8:47 Do not let yourself be persuaded to believe in all simplicity what the pope says or what the councils have decided. If you recognize God in the truth of His Word, you have the rule, the measure, and the yardstick whereby you may form a judgement on all the doctrine of the fathers, namely, when you know that Christ is our salvation, that He rules us, and that we are sinners. So, if someone suggests that you must become a monk, or that you must do this or that to make sure of your salvation because faith alone is not enough for salvation, you can say in all certainty, “You are lying; your doctrine is false because he who believes in Christ is saved.” From where have we learnt this? From the faith in our hearts which believes this and this alone. No one can take adequate precautions against error unless he is led by the Spirit of God Himself. St. Paul says to the Corinthians: “The spiritual man judges all things but is himself to be judged by no one” (1 Corinthians 2:15). False doctrine can be properly judged only by the believer who is led by the Holy Spirit. SL 11:1397 (12) PRAYER: Your Spirit, O God, is the Spirit of truth and understanding. Lead us by Your Spirit into the truth and keep us therein. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen. Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:234-245.

    Week of Trinity VIII - Friday

  8. Jul 30

    Week of Trinity VIII - Thursday

    THE WEEK OF TRINITY VIII - THURSDAYLESSON: PSALM 119:105-112 Even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8-9 In regard to God’s Word, you must reach the point when you say, “That is how matters stand; no one will ever move me from my stand on God’s Word.” When you hear the Word say, “You shall not kill,” or “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them,” then you must know that this is Christ’s doctrine over against the decisions of all the councils, even though all men say otherwise. This is also the case with the doctrine that we cannot help ourselves in the matter of our salvation but must look to Christ as our Savior who, by His suffering and death, has obtained the forgiveness of sins for us. This doctrine you must know and confess in your heart as the truth. If this is not your conviction, you do not have the Christian faith. You may have the Word hanging on your ears or on the tip of your tongue like froth on the water, as Hosea says that Samaria has “her king cut off as foam upon the water” (Hosea 10:7, A.V.). You must believe God’s Word, not just as though it is made up of words preached by Peter, but as a Word which God has commanded you to believe. I say all this so that we should return once again to the Gospel and note from what fountain the foundation of our faith flows and to remind you that you have the authority to pronounce judgement on all that is set before you. I do not build my faith on any man and should not do so. I must answer for myself when I am confronted by death. SL 11:1397 (11) PRAYER: The truth of Your Word, O God, is a sure and certain guide for us in all matters of faith and life. Bestow Your Holy Spirit upon us in such a measure that we understand, believe and confess Your Word, for Christ the Savior’s sake. Amen. Editor’s note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today’s sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 4:234-245.

    Week of Trinity VIII - Thursday
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Luther for the Busy Man is a new project brought to you by the Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary, in cooperation with Ambassador Publications, the publishing arm of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations. Listen to daily meditations by Martin Luther himself, following the church calendar and read to you by Dave Ryerson.

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  • Creator
    Martin Luther
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    385
  • Rating
    Clean
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    © 2020 - Luther For the Busy Man
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