Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Sermon On Soberness and Moderation

There's a lot of myths about Martin Luther floating around out there, one of them being that he was a drunk. While it is true that he loved to share a drink with his friends and talk theology, he certainly was against drunkenness. Neither was he afraid to use colorful language to prove it:

"It is possible to tolerate a little elevation, when a man takes a drink or two too much after working hard and when he is feeling low. This must be called a frolic. But to sit day and night, pouring it in and pouring it out again, is piggish... all food is a matter of freedom, even a modest drink for one's pleasure. If you do not wish to conduct yourself this way, if you are going to go beyond this and be a born pig and guzzle beer and wine, then, if this cannot be stopped by the rulers, you must know that you cannot be saved. For God will not admit such piggish drinkers into the kingdom of heaven [cf. Gal. 5:19-21]... If you are tired and downhearted, take a drink; but this does not mean being a pig and doing nothing but gorging and swilling... You should be moderate and sober; this means that we should not be drunken, though we may be exhilarated." Martin Luther, May 18th 1539.

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