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Lutherstadt-Wittenberg, Germany
I was standing nearly three meters away from Martin Luther when I took this picture. Okay so he's been buried here since 1546 but his bones are still in this grave. In abbreviated Latin it reads, "Here is the body of the Doctor of Sacred Theology, Martin Luther, who died in the year of Christ 1546, on February 14, in his hometown Eisleben, after having lived 63 years, 2 months, and 10 days." At least that is what I'm told it reads since I don't know Latin.
If you do a Google search on Luther's grave you will see images that are much prettier than this one. Like the rest of the Castle Church it was encircled with scaffolding. I didn't know that his grave rested at the foot of the pulpit because you couldn't see the pulpit until you stooped underneath the scaffolding and looked up.
I compare my experience to that of Peter and John at Jesus' tomb. "The two were running side by side, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and came to the tomb first. He bent over and looked inside the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there but didn't go inside." John 20:4-5 God's Word to the Nations
There is no tomb in Jerusalem where you can stand three meters from the body of Jesus. We could visit tombs that might have been the one that his body rested after his death, but he is alive. Stooping over to look into the grave of Jesus John only saw the linen clothes. Later he would see the risen Christ and we will too.
The day is coming when Luther's body will rise from the dead. The day is coming when all the dead in Christ will rise to new life. On that day we will not only stoop but kneel with faces prostrate to the ground before our risen God.
On second thought, we're not standing three meters from Jesus. He's standing next to us. "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20b English Standard Version
Join the conversation at Praying With the Eyes on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/groups/173881749421231/
If you do a Google search on Luther's grave you will see images that are much prettier than this one. Like the rest of the Castle Church it was encircled with scaffolding. I didn't know that his grave rested at the foot of the pulpit because you couldn't see the pulpit until you stooped underneath the scaffolding and looked up.
I compare my experience to that of Peter and John at Jesus' tomb. "The two were running side by side, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and came to the tomb first. He bent over and looked inside the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there but didn't go inside." John 20:4-5 God's Word to the Nations
There is no tomb in Jerusalem where you can stand three meters from the body of Jesus. We could visit tombs that might have been the one that his body rested after his death, but he is alive. Stooping over to look into the grave of Jesus John only saw the linen clothes. Later he would see the risen Christ and we will too.
The day is coming when Luther's body will rise from the dead. The day is coming when all the dead in Christ will rise to new life. On that day we will not only stoop but kneel with faces prostrate to the ground before our risen God.
On second thought, we're not standing three meters from Jesus. He's standing next to us. "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20b English Standard Version
Join the conversation at Praying With the Eyes on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/groups/173881749421231/
(Click on picture to enlarge.)
Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2013 Douglas P. Brauner. ARR.
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