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34. A Sermon on the Estate of Marriage (1519)
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387 34 A Sermon on the Estate of Marriage (1519) This piece,published six years before Luther’s own marriage, exemplifies Luther’s pastoral realism about applied Christian ethics—and how believers can faithfully participate in God’s created orders of family, civil society, and the church. In contrast to the ascetic traditions of medieval theology, the Reformer affirms that the vocation of marriage, though not a sacrament,is a holy calling from God (as the call to priesthood ). He recognizes the complexities of following God’s call in married life and “sanctifies” the orders of creation as contexts in which they may faithfully serve their neighbors. Luther’s Preface A sermon on the estate of marriage has already been published in my name, but I would much rather it had not. I know perfectly well that I have preached on the subject, but it has never been put into writing yet, as I am about to do at this moment. For this reason I determined to revise this same sermon, and improve it as much as possible. I ask every good soul to disregard the first sermon published and discard it. Further,if anybody wants to start writing my sermons for me, let him restrain himself, and let me have a say in the publication of my words as well.There is a vast difference between using the spoken word to make something clear and having to use the written word. A Sermon on the Estate of Marriage Revised and Corrected by Dr. Martin Luther, Augustinian at Wittenberg 1. God created Adam and brought all the animals before him.Adam did not find a proper companion among them suitable for marriage,so God then said, “It is not good that Adam should be alone. I will create a helpmeet for him to be with him always.” And he sent a deep sleep upon Adam, and took a rib from him, and closed his side up again.And out of this very rib taken from Adam, God created a woman and brought her to him.Then Adam said, “This is bone of my bone,and flesh of my flesh.She shall be called a woman,because she was taken from her man.This is why a man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife.And the two shall be one flesh” [Gen. 2:18–24]. All of this is from God’s word. These words teach us where man and woman come from, how they were given to one another, for what purpose a wife was created, and what kind of love there should be in the estate of marriage. 2. If God himself does not give the wife or the husband, anything can happen. For the truth indicated here is that Adam found no marriageable partner for himself, but as soon as God had created Eve and brought her to him, he felt a real married love toward her, and recognized that she was his wife. Those who want to enter into the estate of marriage should learn from this that they should earnestly pray to God for a spouse. For the sage says that parents provide goods and houses for their children, but a wife is given by God alone [Prov. 19:14], everyone according to his need, just as Eve was given to Adam by God alone.And true though it is that because of excessive lust of the flesh lighthearted youth pays scant attention to these matters , marriage is nevertheless a weighty matter in 388 Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings the sight of God. For it was not by accident that Almighty God instituted the estate of matrimony only for man and above all animals, and gave such forethought and consideration to marriage.To the other animals God says quite simply, “Be fruitful and multiply” [Gen. 1:22]. It is not written that he brings the female to the male.Therefore,there is no such thing as marriage among animals. But in the case of Adam, God creates for him a unique, special kind of wife out of his own flesh. He brings her to him,he gives her to him,andAdam agrees to accept her.Therefore, that is what marriage is. 3. A woman is created to be a companionable helper to the man in everything,particularly to bear children.And that still holds well, except that since the fall marriage has been adulterated with wicked lust. And now [i...