Luther translation
In a recent answer, you quote Martin Luther lamenting "the fact that Christ acts so weakly in His ministry towards His own...". Did Luther actually write this, or is it perhaps a bad translation? It doesn't sound like the author of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." Thank you for your response.
It is an accurate translation. Perhaps the words that follow the previous quotation can provide greater meaning. In commenting on the fact that people can fall away from the faith, Luther continued: “At times thoughts such as these are bound to occur to a person: If you please, is this teaching really right? In view of this strange showing, is God doing well?
“This causes great offense. But we must absolutely close our eyes and say: Let fall who will not stand and stand who stands; let him who will persecute the Gospel persecute it, it is nonetheless the truth. This is not a surprise, for Christ Himself had the same experience. What can I do if the pope and the enthusiasts fall away from the Gospel and inflict great pain on us? My lot will be no better than that of my Lord. Since they fell away from Him, why should they stand by us?” (What Luther Says, Volume I, 38)
It is in the context of Jesus experiencing a falling away of his followers that Luther wrote of the Lord acting “weakly.” Luther’s point was that people have the ability to fall away from the Christian faith, and even the all-powerful Lord experienced that firsthand in his ministry.
Thank you for your careful reading of the question and answer.