Martin Luther is widely known as the church reformer par excellence. In just over three years, the world will celebrate the five hundredth anniversary of the posting of the Ninety-Five Theses, marking the beginning of the Reformation. There is no doubt that such an occasion will stir up a renewed interest in the Reformer’s life, thought, and influence on the history of Western civilization. While Luther’s theological treatises’Bondage of the Will, Babylonian Captivity, and Freedom of a Christian‘continue to be printed and enjoy a place on the required reading list of many seminaries, we often forget that Luther was also a pastor. In John Pless’s latest book, Martin Luther: Preacher of the Cross, we get a rare glimpse into how Luther applied his evangelical theology to the care of souls.
Enlisting his experience as a pastor and professor of pastoral theology at Concordia Theological Seminary, Pless taps into Luther’s letters, dedicatory epistles, and lesser known works to show how the Reformer brought gospel comfort and consolation to people under his care. Readers hoping to find quick-fix techniques to move people toward a relationship with God will surely be disappointed. Instead, you’ll find that Luther’s pastoral care is always focused on God’s movement to sinners in Christ. Pless observes: “For Luther, pastoral care is always preaching or proclamation in the broadest sense of the term, for it has to do with the delivery of the divine promise in the scriptural Word, the preached Word, and the sacramental Word” (24).
The full scope of the pastoral vocation is on display as the book is arranged topically through the window of pastoral care, which includes sections on visitation, catechesis, anxiety, doubt, vocation, marriage, care for the poor and needy, as well as for the sick, dying, and grieving. In each instance, we are given a view of Luther seldom seen in the biographies that paint him with much broader strokes. Here we find Luther, in his own words, demonstrating pastoral sensitivity, sacrificial love, and compassion for sinners in need of Christ’s saving work.
Through Luther’s letters you find that he was certainly no “respecter of persons.” For example, we find him offering spiritual comfort to the melancholic Prince Joachim of Anhalt, as well as taking the time to teach his Wittenberg barber, Peter Benkensdorf, how to pray. He played the advocate for a lowly fisherman who found himself in trouble with the civil authorities, and offered instruction to a woman anxious over the doctrine of predestination.
Pless also reminds us that the biblical doctrines that Luther recovered, such as the two kingdoms or the priesthood of all believers, were not simply ivory-tower theological debates; they found application and expression in a variety of vocations spanning from pastor to painter to politician. I particularly found Luther’s spiritual care for soldiers useful for my own pastoral context (70-73).
Pastors will be especially drawn to the chapter on pastoral care for marriages, and perhaps will find some consolation and humor in Luther’s complaint over spending all of his time working with troubled marriages (77)! Like all pastors, Luther occasionally found himself caught between a rock and a hard place, stumped by the sins and perplexing situations of his parishioners. Here Luther’s distinction and use of the law and gospel are particularly helpful. Luther certainly desired that marriage be held in honor as a gift of the Creator. Thus he could preach in a wedding sermon in 1531, “For there is no jewelry more precious than God’s Word; through it you come to regard your spouse as a gift of God and as long as you do that, you have no regrets” (80).
My only critique is that one of the most beneficial aspects of this book was relegated to the appendix: “Baptism as Means of Consolation in Luther’s Pastoral Theology.” While this had previously been delivered as a lecture and subsequently published in a journal, it is deserving of being refashioned into part of the book proper. Because Luther’s sacramental theology is so often misunderstood, this section demonstrates the profound importance Luther placed on baptism as God’s external word and, therefore, its continued relevance for pastoral care in the life of the believer from cradle to grave. As Luther writes in the Large Catechism, “Christians always have enough to do to firmly believe what baptism promises and brings’victory over death and the devil, the forgiveness of sin, God’s grace, the entire Christ, and the Holy Spirit with his gifts” (123). If you typically forego book appendices, I highly recommend taking the time to read through this one.
The past few decades have witnessed an increased interest in pastoral theology. The fruit of such labor has, unfortunately, led to the adoption of therapeutic models: pastor as therapist, counselor, and psychological healer (9). Hebrews exhorts us, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7). My hope is that through this little book, pastors and laity will rediscover the lost art of pastoral care. Despite the span of nearly five hundred years, some things have not changed. Sinners still find themselves in need of a Savior, and Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb.13:8). Thus Luther could offer these comforting words to his own mother when she grew seriously ill:
You know the real basis and foundation of your salvation, on which you must rest your confidence in this and all troubles, namely Jesus Christ, the cornerstone, who will never waver or fail us, nor allow us to sink and perish, for he is the Savior and he is called the Savior of all poor souls, of all who face tribulation and death, of all who rely on him and call on his name. (120)
