Every day on the calendar has an assortment of “National Day of…” events ascribed to it. Today, February 19th, is National Chocolate Mint Day, National (Eye)Lash Day, and National Prevent Plagiarism Day.
Tomorrow, February 20th, rather than refer you to any “National Day of…” events, I shall inform you that baseball’s Spring Training schedule in Arizona gets underway with two of the hottest Cactus League tickets squaring off against each other: The Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers. I’m actually nearby, but I do not wish to squeeze myself in with 20,000 people for a few hours of sunshine and beverages. I can do that on my own, and with fewer people in my vicinity – and it would be far more enjoyable.
The day that’s most on my mind as I write is actually yesterday, February 18th. It was National Drink Wine Day, though it seems this one pops up more than once per year? It was also National Battery Day, National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, and National Thumb Appreciation Day. Surely the current White House occupant will revel in that last one, perhaps even “Truth Social” it.
Yesterday is on my mind because February 18th is the anniversary of Martin Luther’s death. Luther wrote and spoke often on the subject of death and how to die a “good” death.
“To know how to die is reserved for the Christians. It should be their art to put death out of sight, to learn to despise it in Christ, and to picture nothing to themselves except life alone. Not one of the wise, learned, and holy is ever able to do this. In a word, the world will never know and experience it…(To know how to die) remains the art peculiar to Christians.”
“We do not die, be our situation ever so dangerous and desperate, until our hour has come. Why, then, do we fear death? You cannot live longer or die sooner than God has decreed…Astrologers attribute the hour of death to the stars, others to luck. But Holy Scripture attributes it to God, who has fixed our span of life and the moment of our death…It is a great comfort to the Christians to know that death does not lie in the power of tyrants nor in the hand of any creature. They, therefore, do not worry greatly about death but die like children, whenever it pleases the Lord.”
“(Concerning death) I comfort myself with the thought that Christ would have his strength made perfect in weakness.” (All excerpts from What Luther Says, ed. Ewald M. Plass)
Indeed, thanks to Jesus, it is not death to die. We may, in fact, die a “good death” on our way to life eternal. Jesus said to Martha and to you and me: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies. And whoever lives and believes in me will never perish. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25,26)
By God’s pure grace, our response is Martha’s response: “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” (John 11:27)
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for a “good death.”
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand
Tomorrow, February 20th, rather than refer you to any “National Day of…” events, I shall inform you that baseball’s Spring Training schedule in Arizona gets underway with two of the hottest Cactus League tickets squaring off against each other: The Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers. I’m actually nearby, but I do not wish to squeeze myself in with 20,000 people for a few hours of sunshine and beverages. I can do that on my own, and with fewer people in my vicinity – and it would be far more enjoyable.
The day that’s most on my mind as I write is actually yesterday, February 18th. It was National Drink Wine Day, though it seems this one pops up more than once per year? It was also National Battery Day, National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, and National Thumb Appreciation Day. Surely the current White House occupant will revel in that last one, perhaps even “Truth Social” it.
Yesterday is on my mind because February 18th is the anniversary of Martin Luther’s death. Luther wrote and spoke often on the subject of death and how to die a “good” death.
“To know how to die is reserved for the Christians. It should be their art to put death out of sight, to learn to despise it in Christ, and to picture nothing to themselves except life alone. Not one of the wise, learned, and holy is ever able to do this. In a word, the world will never know and experience it…(To know how to die) remains the art peculiar to Christians.”
“We do not die, be our situation ever so dangerous and desperate, until our hour has come. Why, then, do we fear death? You cannot live longer or die sooner than God has decreed…Astrologers attribute the hour of death to the stars, others to luck. But Holy Scripture attributes it to God, who has fixed our span of life and the moment of our death…It is a great comfort to the Christians to know that death does not lie in the power of tyrants nor in the hand of any creature. They, therefore, do not worry greatly about death but die like children, whenever it pleases the Lord.”
“(Concerning death) I comfort myself with the thought that Christ would have his strength made perfect in weakness.” (All excerpts from What Luther Says, ed. Ewald M. Plass)
Indeed, thanks to Jesus, it is not death to die. We may, in fact, die a “good death” on our way to life eternal. Jesus said to Martha and to you and me: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies. And whoever lives and believes in me will never perish. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25,26)
By God’s pure grace, our response is Martha’s response: “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” (John 11:27)
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for a “good death.”
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand
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