Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance. It is laying hold of His willingness.
Martin LutherRead
Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has; it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but more frequently than not struggles against the divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that reason can obstruct faith and spirituality, often challenging beliefs that arise from divine origin.
In this quote, Martin Luther emphasizes the conflict between human reason and faith. He argues that while reason might seek to understand the world through logic and proof, it often undermines spiritual beliefs and truths that are rooted in faith. This struggle can lead to a dismissive attitude toward divine revelations and teachings, suggesting that faith requires acceptance beyond the limits of rational thought.
Themes
FaithReasonSpiritualityDivineBelief
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about the existence of God, one might use this quote to express the limits of reason in understanding faith.
More from Martin Luther
All quotes →Now if I believe in God's Son and remember that He became man, all creatures will appear a hundred times more beautiful to me than before. Then I will properly appreciate the sun, the moon, the stars, trees, apples, as I reflect that he is Lord over all things. ...God writes the Gospel, not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.
Martin LutherRead
It is the part of a Christian to take care of his own body for the very purpose that, by its soundness and wellbeing, he may be enabled to labour, and to acquire and preserve property, for the aid of those who are in want, that thus the stronger member may serve the weaker member, and we may be children of God, and busy for one another, bearing one another's burdens, and so fulfiling the law of Christ.
Martin LutherRead
We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands.
Martin LutherRead
In a mouse we admire God's creation and craft work. The same may be said about flies.
Martin LutherRead
A man would have to be an idiot to write a book of laws for an apple tree telling it to bear apples and not thorns, seeing that the apple-tree will do it naturally and far better than any laws or teaching can prescribe.
Martin LutherRead
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