Gods Generals Various men & women throughout the ages
liberating monks and nuns from being held against their wills in monasteries and convents, and began social reforms that included care of the poor, orphans, students at the university, and providing dowries for poor brides. One of the nuns he helped to liberate, Katherine von Bora, had been placed in the convent against her will by a new stepmother when she was only nine or ten. She was now twenty-six years old and Luther was having a difficult time finding a suitable husband for her. Katherine suggested Luther himself, and despite their age difference—Luther was forty-one—and the two became close friends. On June 13, 1525, they were married. She was an excellent administrator and financial manager. The two complimented each other well, she cared for his ailments and kept his affairs in order. Together they had six children. Luther continued his pastoral duties—preaching, teaching, writing, and mentoring students. He wrote a German Mass that was centred on Scripture and two catechisms for both children and adults to study. He wrote hymns and brought music and singing into his services. And most importantly, in 1534, he expanded his translation of the Bible to include the Old Testament. He assembled a team of the best scholars and visited different regions to hear how they spoke so he could make the translation relevant to all. Every German sought to possess Luther’s Bible and it remains a popular translation in Germany today. It not only brought the light of Scripture into the homes and hearts of the laity, but also laid the groundwork for the formation of the modern German language. His Last Days On January 23, 1546, Luther set out on a journey to settle a dispute between various dukes and their subjects. Although he was weak from illness and had to stop and rest along the way, when he arrived he still managed to preach four times, administer Communion twice, and ordain two ministers. He commented, “If I can but succeed in restoring harmony amongst my dear princes and their subjects, I will cheerfully return home and lay me down to the grave.” By February his illness had grown worse, and on the night of February 17, Luther prayed continuously that the Lord would take him home. In the early hours of February 18, he closed his eyes and entered peacefully into eternal rest. Works Consulted 1. “Martin Luther, The Early Years,” Christian History Magazine 11, no. 2, issue 34 (Carol Stream, III.: Christianity Today, Inc.): 16 2. Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand—A Life of Martin Luther (Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1978), 25 3. Liardon, God’s Generals II, 125. 4. “The Early Years,” 15 5. Ibid. 6. Bainton, 50.
87