The Bible speaks of God’s love in a language we understand.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12 New International Version

This is the room of Knight George. That’s the pseudonym that Luther use at the Wartburg when the Elector of Saxony protected him from May of 1521 to March of 1522. He dressed as a knight. He was taught the ways of knight.  He even grew a beard as seen in the Lucas Cranach painting on the wall.

Lutherstube, The Wartburg, Eisenach, Germany

However, what happened in this room over an eleven weeks period of that stay changed the lives of thousands of people, not because he pretended to be a knight but because he put his skills to work.

At a table much like this one Luther translated the Greek New Testament into German, opening the way for anyone to know the word of God.

Imagine what Luther’s translation meant for the people of Germany. For the first time people realized that God spoke their language. God would not be seen as far removed from the merchants and peasants, but near them. The Bible would not be locked up in the cathedrals of Europe, but make its way into homes.

Today, not only is the Bible translated into many languages, but there are many versions of it in the same language, especially in the English language. The problem with this familiarity with the Bible is that we take it for granted. Our Bibles are table decorations, bookends, or dusty old gifts given to us by our parents.

However, the word of God is still “alive and active.”  It reveals God’s love for us in the gift of Jesus. It speaks of God’s longing for us which draws us into his presence. May we hear afresh the message of this love in our common language.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner