The great reformer Martin Luther initiated a new way of Christianity. His sermons laid the foundation of the Protestant Reformation. The analysis of A Good Friday Sermon on How to Contemplate Christ’s Holy Sufferings demonstrates the ideas of Martin Luther about the importance of personal comprehension and reflection over the visual form accepted by the Catholic Church.
Martin Luther begins his sermon with reflections about the sufferings of Christ. Luther says that it is better to think about it on Good Friday than to pray the whole year, to read the books, to behave like a good Christian but do not realize the true sense of the sufferings of Christ. Seeking selfish interests, people will not find understanding and bliss. An idea of the excessiveness of the pictures and decorations in Christianity is the foundation stone of Luther’s Reformation. According to the preacher, people lost the meaning of the suffering of Christ as well as they lost the value of personal appreciation. Decorations replaced the true meaning of religion and faith.
Attending the mass, people may think that they can get the blessing just because they come to church. However, Luther supposes that it is impossible without real comprehension. The mass is not an institution that can give the blessing. Moreover, the priest can’t be the mediator between God and man. The true meaning of the mass is the order to make us worthy, to make us reflect and repent. This idea is criticized by the Catholic Church which pays more attention to the visual form. For Luther, a soul can’t get salvation by the work of church or priests.
Martin Luther emphasizes the senselessness of the sobbing during the mass. People should weep for themselves and their children, not the suffering of Christ. It is one of the most important postulates of Christianity. Thinking about the suffering of Christ, people should repent and feel deeply about all that happened on Golgotha. If people don’t feel this, the sufferings don’t come for one’s good yet. According to the postulates of Christianity, reflections about the meaning of Good Friday are a very important part of the humility of mind and soul. Like Christ put the body to the suffering, people should feel torment in their minds.
Martin Luther warns people against false satisfaction by making rash and random acts. Especially, Luther disputes about popular among the Catholics practice of indulgence. The preacher expresses his disappointment about the false satisfaction and pilgrimages.
Luther’s thoughts about the suffering of Christ are the most important part of Christianity. From this point of view, Luther’s sermon completely reflects the ideas of the church. However, his arguments about the perishable nature of the ceremonies, icons, and even priests contradict the traditions of the Catholic Church.
The sermons of Luther tell us more about him than about the people who hear. His messages are full of uprightness and enthusiasm. However, many postulates of Luther run counter to the Catholic Church, therefore, many people don’t accept it. Nevertheless, Protestantism has a long history of success. Luther’s ideas influenced many doctrines of the Christian traditions. The sermons of Luther and particularly How to Contemplate Christ’s Holy Sufferings emphasize the importance of personal comprehension and reflection over the visual form.