Luther's Law Gospel game for children

About this sermon

Lord, Teach Us to Pray with QR footnotes book: https://wolfmueller.co/ltutp/ Here's the Luther Quotation (LW 53.66-67): Likewise in the Ten Commandments, one must ask: What is meant by the First, the Second, the Third, and the other commandments? One may take these questions from our Betbüchlein4 where the three parts are briefly explained, or make others, until the heart may grasp the whole sum of Christian truth under two headings or, as it were, in two pouches, namely, faith and love. Faith’s pouch may have two pockets. Into one pocket we put the part [of faith] that believes that through the sin of Adam we are all corrupt, sinners, and under condemnation, Romans 5 [:12], Psalm 51 [:5]. Into the other we put the part [of faith that trusts] that through Jesus Christ we all are redeemed from this corruption, sin, and condemnation, Romans 5 [:15–21], John 3 [:16–18]. Love’s pouch may also have two pockets. Into the one put this piece, that we should serve and do good to everyone, even as Christ has done for us, Romans 13. Into the other put this piece, that we should gladly endure and suffer all kinds of evil. When a child begins to understand this it should be encouraged to bring home verses of Scripture from the sermon and to repeat them at mealtime for the parents, even as they formerly used to recite their Latin. And then these verses should be put into the pouches and pockets, just as pennies, groschen, and gulden5 are put into a purse. For instance, let faith’s pouch be for the gulden, and into the first pocket let this verse go: Romans 5 [:12], “… sin came into the world through one man and death through sin….” Also this one: Psalm 51 [:5], “Behold I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” These are two Rhenish gulden for the [first] pocket. Into the other pocket go the Hungarian gulden, for example this text, Romans 5 [4:25], “Jesus … was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” Again John 3 [1:29], “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” These would be two good Hungarian gulden for the [second] pocket. Let love’s pouch be the pouch for silver. Into the first pocket shall go the texts concerning well doing, such as Galatians 4 [5:13], “Through love be servants of one another”; Matthew 25 [:40], “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” These would be two silver groschen for the [first] pocket. Into the other pocket shall go this verse: Matthew 5 [:11], “Blessed are you when men … persecute you … on my account”; Hebrews 12 [:6], “For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” These are two Schreckenberger6 for the [second] pocket. And let no one think himself too wise for such child’s play. Christ, to train men, had to become man himself. If we wish to train children, we must become children with them. Would to God such child’s play were widely practiced. In a short time we would have a wealth of Christian people whose souls would be so enriched in Scripture and in the knowledge of God that of their own accord they would add more pockets, just as the Loci Communes,7 and comprehend all Scripture in them. Otherwise, people can go to church daily and come away the same as they went. For they think they need only listen at the time, without any thought of learning or remembering anything. Many a man listens to sermons for three or four years and does not retain enough to give a single answer concerning his faith–as I experience daily. Enough has been written in books, yes; but it has not been driven home to the hearts. NOTES: 4 Luther’s Booklet of Prayers of 1522 contained the Brief Explanation of the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, which he had first published in 1520. See WA 10II, 376–501. 5 Pfennig, grosehen, and gulden were coins of Luther’s time, made of copper, silver, and gold respectively, and in their relative value they roughly correspond to the penny, dime, and (gold) dollar today. Hungarian gulden, however, were worth more than Rhenish gulden. 6 The Schreckenberger was a kind of silver groschen. 7 Loci Communes were the basic principles and truths of any field of knowledge. The term was first applied to theology by Melanchthon, who used it as the title of his doctrinal handbook published in 1521. Luther thought highly of this book. ------------ To sign up for Pastor Wolfmueller's free weekly email of theological awesomeness called "Wednesday What-Not", visit http://www.wolfmueller.co/Wednesday. (Every month we give away a free book to a subscriber!) Support Deaf Ministry in Austin and central Texas: http://www.wolfmueller.co/deaf "YouTube Theologian" merch: https://www.teepublic.com/mug/31641061-youtube-theologian Don't forget to subscribe. The bookstore (where almost everything is free): http://www.wolfmueller.co/books/ All the theological stuff ends up on the blog: http://www.wolfmueller.co

Topics

• Parenting