Commemoration of Johannes
von Staupitz, Luther’s Father Confessor
Thursday, November 8, 2012
The Lord be with you.
As far as I can tell, the
Commemoration of Johannes von Staupitz, Luther’s Father Confessor, is a brand
new commemoration, introduced with the Lutheran
Service Book. Concerning him, Luther once said, “If it had not been for Dr.
Staupitz, I should have sunk in hell.”
Johann von Staupitz was the
vicar of the Augustinian order at the University of Wittenberg when Luther responded to an invitation by Frederick the Wise by coming there to teach. At the time
Luther was struggling with the need to confess completely everything he had
ever done wrong. He wore Johann von Staupitz out, trying to remember every sin
that his mind would try to cover up. On at least one occasion, he confessed for
six hours straight.
Johann tried to explain
God's grace to Luther. Surrender to the love of God, he counseled. Luther
should lose himself in God, he said. He was making religion too difficult. All
he needed to do was love God.
But Luther was tormented by
fears and doubts. “I was myself more than once driven to the very abyss of
despair so that I wished I had never been created. Love God? I hated him!”
“I don't understand it!”
replied the longsuffering Johann when Luther reported this latest line of
reasoning to him. He reminded Luther that Christ died to remit our sins. Focus
on Christ, he counseled, and not on yourself. However, Luther was so afraid of
Christ, the judge, that he could not turn to him for relief.
In a daring move, Johann
resigned as Bible teacher and appointed Luther in his place. Now Luther had to
study the Bible for himself and counsel others from it. Luther had not dealt
much with the Bible; the theology courses he attended emphasized writings other
than the scriptures. Lecturing on Romans and Galatians, Luther arrived at his
world-changing insights on faith.
In the end, Luther broke
with the Roman confessional system which had been of no help to him. He
renounced penances and indulgences. The teachings of the Bible became his
guides in place of church fathers, confessors, or popes, which he found often
contradicted each other.
Johann never left the Roman
Church. However, he remained friendly toward Luther. He was present when
Cajetan ordered Luther to recant. Shortly afterward, he released Luther from
his Augustinian vows. Still, he wrote words of encouragement to Luther. “The
world hates the truth. By such hate Christ was crucified, and what there is in
store for you today if not the cross I do not know.”
At one point, Johann
relayed Luther's position to Rome for the reformer. Pressure was put on Johann to
shut Luther up. Johann resigned rather than attempt it. Rome ordered him to recant. He hesitated. He had never
taught the things he was told to abjure (renounce). In the end, he accepted the
pope as his judge.
In his last letter to
Luther, Johann told him he still loved him dearly. But he implored him to
remember the weak. “Do not denounce points of indifference which can be held in
sincerity,” he advised, adding, “We owe much to you, Martin.”
Johann died at Salzburg, December 28, 1524. He had written books on predestination, faith and
love. Pope Paul IV placed these on the Index of Prohibited Books in 1559.
I understand why Staupitz’s
commemoration day is not his death date, for that is the Feast of the Holy
Innocents, Martyrs. However, I have no idea why November 8 was chosen.
Prayer for the Day: Almighty, everlasting God, for our many sins we
justly deserve eternal condemnation. In Your mercy, You sent Your dear Son, our
Lord Jesus Christ, who won for us forgiveness of sins and everlasting
salvation. Grant us a true confession so that dead to sin we may hear the sweet
words of Absolution from our confessor as Luther hear them from his pastor,
Johannes von Staupitz, and be released from all our sin; through Jesus Christ,
our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever. Amen.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
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