October 31: FROM FAITH TO FAITH (part 1)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17

The last six words of today’s passage are quoted by Paul from Habakkuk 2:4. They are the exact words that came into the mind of Martin Luther as he was in Rome climbing Pilate’s Staircase on his knees.* The whole verse in Habakkuk reads: Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. This was a pivotal moment for Luther.

Baby Martin was born in 1483 in Eisleben, Germany. His parents were peasants, and through frugality fueled by high hopes for educating their children, saved enough to send Martin to University at Erfurt at age 18. His childhood years had been overshadowed by the gloomy, superstitious ideas that prevailed. Because of his parents’ poverty, he frequantly had to beg for food, which he often did with a song. His parents consistently sought to instruct their children in the ways of Christian virtues, and the keen mind of young Martin possessed a healthy thirst for knowledge. He had often overheard his father praying that he would always remember the Lord and grow up to advance His truth in the world. Privation, strict discipline, and hardship – all under the loving hand of Infinite Wisdom were preparing Luther for the great mission of his life.

One day at University, while in the library he discovered a Latin Bible. He did not know such a book existed! He had heard bits of the Gospels and Epistles read aloud at public worship, but now he gazed in amazement at the whole of God’s word. A mingling of awe and wonder attended the turning of the sacred pages. He was entranced as he read the words of life and truth for himself, and he would pause from time to time to whisper an exclamation: “Oh…that God would give me such a book for myself!” He recognized his sinful condition in a deeply personal way. Now Martin had been sent to Erfurt by his parents to become a lawyer. But God had laid out for him another path: one that would make him a builder of the everlasting spiritual house spoken of by Peter (see closing verse).

Convicted of sin, Martin had a driving desire to find peace with God. His quest to learn about salvation was accompanied by his keen mind so ready to receive all that God had for him; he made a decision to join a monastery—and without his father’s consent, whose discernment and sterling good sense had led him to strongly distrust the monastic system. A two-year period of estrangement followed between father and son before they were reconciled.

Today is the 508th anniversary of Martin Luther’s famous nailing of his 95 theses to the front door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany. To be continued…

You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5

*The Roman church claims that this staircase is where Jesus stood trial before Pilate in Jerusalem, and that it was “miraculously brought to Rome in the 4th century by St. Helena”, mother of Emperor Constantine. One who climbs these stairs on their knees is promised a plenary indulgence, remitting temporal punishment for sin.