I found this in one of my old note books. It is a quote from a professor who quoted Luther but I never wrote down who it was.
It is characteristic of Luther that he never deals with man on his own. He is not interested in a philosophical anthropology, which first treats man as man and after that covers the theological meaning. “What advantage is there in knowing how beautiful a creature man is if you are unaware of his purpose, namely, that he was created to worship God and to live with Him eternally?” The human being can only be defined through his relationship to God and the destination which is intended by him. The most important goal, which Scripture reveals, is to live with God in eternity and to preach God here on earth, to thank him and patiently obey his word. Philosophers know nothing about this and the world with its highest wisdom is most ignorant when it does not take advantage of Holy Scripture or of theology.”
Isn’t it interesting that in our present dilemma we are forced to focus our thoughts and intentions first on ourselves – how do we stay healthy? and then on our neighbors – how do we keep grandma healthy? These are merciful intentions and wise as far as it goes, but the coercive tactics of guilt resulting in harming someone else I considered passé when expounded by the irreligious. Those old fashioned morals you know. We also see that the guilt is contrived by others. Governor Cuomo bloviated for days about protecting the elderly and building a fortress out of nursing homes until he suddenly changed his mind and sent coronavirus patients to a nursing home. This is another of those strange things that we need to question at some point, in the meantime Please do not lecture me on care for others when elective surgeries are canceled but abortions are allowed.
At some point most Dr’s I talk to come to the conclusion of Luther, that human beings can only be defined through their relationship to God and the destination which is intended by him. Doctors can treat and advise and medicate, but to be unaware of the fact that human beings were created to worship God leaves a void in medieval practice that fits the rest of the voids in life.
