Luther on Marriage: Isaac and Rebecca
Edited by Rev. Jack Cascione

 

The following is Luther's commentary on marriage as he considers Abraham telling Eliezer to find Isaac a wife from among his relatives in Genesis 24:1-4 ( Luther's Works Vol. 4, pages 226-228.) Luther has much more to say about marriage in the rest of the chapter but this an outstanding introduction on the subject delivered to his seminary students.

Therefore it is not without purpose that I am so often stressing and warning in what way so important and so sacred a matter should be approached in order that the authority of parents and the reverence of children toward them may be preserved. A son or a daughter should seek advice from those who are both capable of giving advice and, because of the divine institution and blessing of God, are able to counsel. The parents, on the other hand, should not be unyielding and rude. They should not urge their children to contract marriage with those whom they do not love; nor should they rashly restrain them from loving decent people unless they have chosen persons who are not suited to them. Parents should keep in mind the natural affection and inclination which God has implanted and should put nothing in the way of honorable love.

Thus when Samson's parents became aware that he loved a Philistine woman and he asked that she be given to him as his wife, they permitted him to marry her, even though she was a heathen (Judges 14:1-4).

But I warn again that for entering into marriage it is above all necessary to call upon God that He may choose and bestow the wife or husband. If this is done, God's blessing and all good fortune in marriage follow. God gives the husband the grace to have patience and to take the weakness of his wife in good part, and that she, in turn, may be able to adjust herself to her husband's ways. On the other hand, where fear of God and prayer are not added, irritations very easily occur. From these originate hatred, quarrels, enmity, and perpetual dissension. I have often seen completely unhappy marriages of this kind, and they commonly happen to those who follow the pope and the canons.

But where people enter into marriage in a lawful and saintly manner in accordance with the ordinance and institution of God and are sure about the will of God and of their parents, the greatest disagreements and dangers are often overcome without any trouble and difficulty with the help of God and with a good conscience, which is certain that if anything unfortunate occurs, it does not happen by chance but in accord with the good will of God, at whose bidding they have entered into this kind of life. The papists see none of these things; they do not take into consideration the material, the efficient, or the final cause of marriage but consider it to be the kind of copulation that takes place in fornication.

In the Law of Moses clandestine betrothals were so sternly forbidden and condemned that parents were permitted to declare them null and void even though intercourse had taken place (Ex. 22:16-17). Although we neither can nor must follow that law-for the forensic matters and the decisions of the Mosaic Law are not binding for us-nevertheless it is a Law which was written and proclaimed by God and our opinion is given powerful support by its example and testimony. Furthermore, we have on our side the civil law, which the canonists and all subjects of this empire are equally bound to obey.

When Moses states in the text that the Lord blessed Abraham in all things, he has in mind all the riches of marriage. They are called blessings. Whatever the head of the household possesses, all this Holy Scripture is in the habit of calling a blessing. If people knew and believed this, there would not be so much plundering and unlawful gain in the world. But the majority live without praying and therefore also without a blessing. And in this unconcern they enter into marriage; they seek and heap up wealth without the blessing about which they do not think even once during their life. How few peasants and burghers there are who have God's blessing and own their possessions without doing wrong to others! Everything is full of usury, greed, and covetousness.

But if you want to enter into a marriage with God's blessing seek the Lord's counsel first of all, and pray: "Lord God, give me a wife and daily bread." God regards those prayers with favor and answers them. "I have made you man and woman," He says. "Why would I not support you? But refrain from the wrong of plunder and theft."

Therefore where a man and a woman are joined by God and in accordance with God's definite will, there is a marriage; and spouses who know this very easily bear and overcome whatever adversities befall them. Thus it is the first and greatest blessing if you know that you have entered into marriage in accordance with God's will and that you have taken a wife because you were compelled by necessity, in order to avoid sin.

Whatever God then bestows, to all those good things you should give their true name and say: "This son or daughter the Lord has given to me; this field, meadow, cow, and goat God has given to me, and it is a divine blessing."

That is truly a very beautiful and very happy marriage in which there is inscribed both on the table and on the bed: "he favor, will, and good pleasure of God." These are true and boundless riches, but such blessings you will not find in the canons. Thus the patriarch Jacob says below (Gen. 33:5): "These are the children whom God has given me," surely because of extraordinary favor and blessing. These people are aware of and know the Creator and His creature; they realize whence they originated and whence they receive everything.


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May 9, 2002