The reflection below was written by The Rev. Dr. Mark Birkholz pastor of Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, Oak Lawn, Ill.
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.” 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.
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.[1]
Lord God heavenly Father, since we cannot stand before You relying on anything we have done, help us trust in Your abiding grace and live according to Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[2]
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