For this student, the most
enjoyable and stimulating reading of this week was Luther's "Sermon on Keeping
Children in School." Luther addressed this topic in the year 1530 after he had
published a document (specifically, "An Open Letter to the Christian Nobility"
of 1520) in discussion of the respective merit of various Christian vocations. In
his earlier document, he concluded that positions in the church did not credit
a worker with superiority above others who served in different vocations
outside the church. He insisted that all Christians served in the "spiritual
estate" (p. 211) and their positions were equally meritorious, differing only
in "office" (p. 211). Since Christians are all part of one baptism, Luther
asserted, they are all engaged in spiritual work: that of glorifying God with
their gifts and abilities, serving Christ and their neighbors in their
individual positions. In response, many parents of this time decided that if
positions in the church did not earn their children any higher spiritual
authority, children could just as well spend their time pursuing trades and
learning skills that would sooner earn money for the family rather than staying
in school to pursue work in the church. Luther responded to this steady decrease
in sending children to school by arguing that workers in the church were still
needed and valuable.
Luther emphasized that the devil's
art was exactly the vice to which parents had succumbed: that of discouraging
people from work in the church, resulting in lack of intelligence and ignorance of
God's truths. Without the tools of a cultivated mind and an educated faith in
God, children would grow "naked, bare, defenseless" and vulnerable to the devil's
schemes (p. 221). Luther called this increasing mindset of raising children to
primarily earn money "a horrible and un-Christian business," causing "great and
murderous harm...in so serving the devil" (p. 222). Working to earn money only
for the purpose of satisfying earthly needs and desires contradicted the truth
that God would provide and that higher importance belonged not to physical but to
spiritual well-being. Parents, Luther maintained, were responsible for
recognizing the danger in their current practices as well as the merits of
sending children to school for church work.
Luther declared that those who
served in "the office of preaching and the service of the word and sacraments...which
imparts the Spirit and salvation"--such as pastors, teachers, schoolmasters, and
so on--had important work to do because Jesus had sacrificed Himself for the
forgiveness of all people's sins. God established the office of ministry so
that this forgiveness could be imparted through the word and sacraments; for
these reasons, Luther argued, high honor must be given to these vocations. They
served instrumental roles in not only providing comfort and encouragement in
this life but also ensuring hope of eternal life with Christ through
ministering of the Gospel by means of teaching, preaching, and offering Word
and Sacrament. Luther accused parents of "shamefully [despising]" these offices
that were "divinely instituted to [God's] honor...and for our salvation" even to
the extent that such offices were fading, dying, "[going] to ruin" and being "destroyed"
(p. 223-24). Overall, Luther argued that children should be raised to be good
workers in the church for the "care of souls" that God "regards...as precious" so
that Christians could be nourished with God's word and assisted in defense of
sin, death, and the devil (p. 225).
The significance of this topic
can be clearly applied to Christianity today. In terms of education in
comparison to earlier work outside school, Christian education at all levels deserves
value for its role in equipping students with appropriate awareness of God's
truths and foundational faith in Christ. Without receiving teaching of a
Christian worldview, children will indeed be weakened when faced with
temptations of the devil and the world. In addition, although not everyone must
be trained to work in the church, vocations in the church certainly ought to be
regarded with high value for their meritorious work in teaching the faith and
guiding God's people. Because God has instituted such work, the practices of
administrating His word and Sacraments for eternal purposes should be
considered with seriousness and respect.
Golly, I need to stop being such a
rambling writer or my professor (not to mention most readers) will get tired of
wading through this blog. I must have decided the most enjoyable use of two
hours would be writing a homework assignment...not that I ever make that decision. What's the point here? Well,
the points are simple. I made them at the end of my lengthy interpretation of
this section of the week's reading. My point was that I liked this reading's study
of education and how it was viewed during Luther's time. First, the concept
that stood out to me was that education is necessary and valuable in itself for
constructively developing the minds of children so that they are able to think,
form beliefs, and resist ideas that are nothing but nonsense (including that of
the devil and the world) as they grow older. Second, a clear idea that
resonated with me was that if Christians do not attach value to or pursue work
in the church, God's purposes will not ultimately be thwarted but services of
administering His word and Sacraments can be drastically diminished. God's
people in this world would be caused a grave disfavor if such gifts of God were
not continuously imparted through various positions of ministry in the church throughout
time. Receiving Holy Communion and teachings of God's word are vital; for the
strengthening of their faith Christians cannot do without these services. Members
of the body of Christ can praise God for ordaining these positions to be used
until we have need of them no more: when we meet Him face to face, existing
with Him in glory forever and ever.
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