CrossPoint Community News 04/29/2022

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

       You likely have heard of Martin Luther. But did you know that his wife, 17 years his younger, helped to encourage, comfort, and support the work of Luther? I have heard it said, “Behind every great man is a great woman.” It may be more properly said that beside every great man or along with any great man is a great woman. This was certainly the case with Katherine Von Bora.
       “Kitty,” as she was referred to by Luther, was an exemplary woman. She was a capable manager of the home. This was necessary because the Luther’s had 6 children, and were often caring for or boarding Martin’s 11 nieces and nephews, her own niece and nephew, and the stream of guests who came to the converted monastery to converse with Martin Luther.
       Katherine was thrifty and worked to provide for the family. Note, she didn’t work outside of the home (because that wasn’t an option for women over 400 years ago in Europe). So she worked to make her home productive. She kept cows, began a piggery simply because her husband liked pork, converted a neglected field into a productive garden, planted an orchard, and stocked the pond with fish.
       When she wasn’t home caring for and managing the family and showing hospitality, she was engaged in acts of charity. She acted as a friend listening to others’ problems; she acted as a nurse providing care and medicines for the sick; she acted as a counselor advising others in their sorrows; she acted as an advisor for still others in their business affairs.
       Martin Luther knew how precious his wife was. He addressed her as such, noting her skill, her learning, and her self-sacrifice when he referred to her in his correspondence. She was a faithful, patient, and loving woman whose presence, care, and provision enabled Martin Luther to be the man he was known to be. It was she who ran things in the home so that their home was a model of Christian parenting, though Luther did lead his family in devotions.
       I share her story not to set her up as an impossible example. I don’t also want to make you think that a woman’s place is only in the home. But I do want you to realize that exemplary Christians serve the Lord in what God has given them, improving the lives of those around them. Katherine Von Bora was no exception to this rule.
       (Note: This brief biographical sketch is based on Warren Wiersbe’s “50 People Every Christian Should Know.”)

May God have mercy, and please continue to pray for Ukraine. Many of the refugees from Ukraine are women and children. Here is a suggested prayer if you are at a loss for words in how to pray: 24-7 Prayer – A Prayer for the Crisis in Ukraine (ENG).pdf Thank you for kneeling on behalf of the people of Ukraine and Russia, and taking a stand (or a knee in prayer) against tyrannical despotism.