Did Martin Luther Use Barroom Music with Sacred Music? Part 2

Did Martin Luther Use Barroom Music with Sacred Music? Part 2

            One of Martin Luther’s often quoted beliefs is, ”Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.”  I find it hard to believe that a musician who considers sacred music to be this important would even contemplate the use of ribald forms of music.  Since he considered music is to be next to the Holy Writ, it stands to reason that he would not juxtapose sacred texts with music that formerly brought reproach on Christian living.  As a matter of fact Martin Luther believed, “Music is a gift and grace of God not an invention of men.”  Certainly he did not have any trouble placing music under the Lordship of Christ.

             In my short lifetime I have found that Christian musicians who believe philosophically that they own music because they created it, do not consider that it is God’s because He created it—they own it so they have independent control over it and its connection to musical worship.  When musicians, like Luther, consider that music belongs to God and that it is a “gift and grace of God” they tend to be much more careful how they connect it to the worship of a high and holy triune God.  I am afraid that many Christian musicians have lost the concept of being musical servants rather than music owners.  They seem to have forgotten that, Proverbs 1:7 teaches us that, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”