How do we overcome the sin, the devil, the world and
its hatred of us. Sunday’s Hymn of the Day has the answer: Lord, Keep
Us Steadfast in Thy Word (LSB #655). This great hymn by Martin Luther
is a prayer that God would guard and keep us from all those who wish to do us
spiritual or physical harm. The Lord does this through the proclamation and
preaching of His Word, and by the Sacraments—the Word of God combined with
earthly elements, which preserve us in the one true faith until He takes us
from this vale of tears to Himself in heaven.
Luther’s Reformation hymn, “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in
Your Word” (LSB 655) is one of his best known compositions. When it was published in 1542, it appeared
with the subtitle, “A Children’s Hymn, to be Sung Against the Two Archenemies
of Christ and His Holy Church, the Pope and Turk.”[1] What was going on for Luther to write such a
hymn?
Luther and the Reformers’ theological conflict with
the various popes is well-known. The
political conflict between the Holy Roman Empire, to which the Reformers and
their princes belonged, and the Turkish Ottoman Empire was also a significant
factor during the time of the Reformation.
In Luther’s day the Turks controlled not only much of
the Middle East and North Africa, they also held land in southeastern Europe
(modern day Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Balkans). In the early 1500’s there were a series of
battles in Austria and Hungary between the Turks and the Holy Roman
Empire. The siege of Vienna in the
autumn of 1529 led to the decision of Emperor Charles V to call the Diet of
Augsburg to unite the Holy Roman Empire against threat of Turkish invasion.
In 1541 there were two additional battles between the
Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Turks, which led Luther to pen this
hymn. The army of the Holy Roman Empire
was defeated at Budapest in August, and the imperial fleet was largely
destroyed near Algiers in October.
Luther felt like he was surrounded by enemies—both the
forces of the pope and the Turk. He
wrote an appeal for the people to pray against the Turks (Vermahnung zum Gebet
wider den Türken, LW 43:213-42), and he wrote “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your
Word” to encourage them in the face of their enemies. The second line of the hymn originally read,
“Restrain the murderous Pope and Turk” (Und steur des Papst und Türken
Mord). The translation was later revised
to “Curb those who by deceit or sword,” to include all the enemies of the
church.
Here is the translation of the text, as it appears in
the Lutheran Service Book:
Lord, keep us steadfast in your Word,
Curb those who by deceit or sword
Would wrest the kingdom from your Son
And bring to naught all he has done.
This hymn is written in a threefold, Trinitarian
format. This first verse is an appeal to
God the Father to preserve us by His Word, rather than by the force of
arms. God never promises us victory in
battle over our enemies. Pearl Harbor
and the 9/11 attacks are reminders that there will be times when our enemies
may triumph over us as a nation. Luther
does not lead his people to pray for the imperial armies or for victory in
battle, but for God to sustain His people by His Word, come what may.
Lord Jesus Christ, your pow’r make known,
For you are Lord of lords alone;
Defend your holy Church that we
May sing your praise triumphantly.
The second verse Luther emphasizes the ultimate
authority of Jesus Christ with the title “Lord of lords” (Rev 17:14;
19:16). He is Lord over all emperors,
kings, presidents, or rulers of any kind.
The original German of the third line actually refers to the church not
as “holy” but as “poor” (arme). We are
in constant need of the help that only Jesus can give, and His rescue of His
people always leads to praise and thanksgiving.
O Comforter of priceless worth,
Send peace and unity on earth;
Support us in our final strife
And lead us out of death to life.
The final verse calls on the Holy Spirit to send unity
to the people of God, so that we work together and are not divided in the face
of opposition. Our greatest struggle is
not against any earthly power, but against death itself (1 Cor 15:36). No matter what happens in this world, we trust
in the Holy Spirit to raise us from the dead and give to us eternal life. As Luther wrote in his explanation ofthe third
article of the Apostles’ Creed, “On the Last Day [the Holy Spirit] will raise
me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.”
(SC III:3) [2]
Collect for Saturday of the week of Pentecost 9: O
God, you are our advocate and friend, give us sensitive souls today in the
presence of your Word and may its precepts and saving power find a lasting
place in our lives. [3]
[1] Lift High the Cross, copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
[3] Collect for Saturday of the week of Pentecost 9, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. II © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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