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A Labor Day Meditation on Vocation

A Labor Day Meditation on Vocation

Last updated on: September 4, 2023 at 6:00 am by Gene Veith

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A Labor Day Meditation on Vocation 2023-09-02T13:32:02-04:00 Gene Veith

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This is Labor Day, that secular holiday that we are Christianizing by making it be all about vocation. Meditate on these words from Martin Luther about loving our neighbor in our everyday labors in the world.

From Secular Authority, The Extent to Which It Should Be Obeyed, whose 500th anniversary we have been celebrating:

Love of neighbor seeks not its own, considers not how great or how small, but how profitable and how needful for neighbor or community the works are. (249)

A true Christian lives and labors on earth not for himself, but for bis neighbor, therefore the whole spirit of his life impels him to do even that which he need not do, but which is profitable and necessary for his neighbor. . . .

He serves the State as he performs all other works of love, which he himself does not need. He visits the sick, not that he may be made well; feeds no one because he himself needs food: so he also serves the State not because he needs it, but because others need it, that they may be protected and that the wicked may not become worse. (239-240)

Here is how this principle of love of neighbor in vocation applies to rulers. We might apply it, by extension, to politicians, office holders, executives, and anyone with power and authority over others:

If they are born princes or chosen to office, they think only that it is their right to be served and to rule with power. He who would be a Christian prince certainly must lay aside the intention to rule and to use force. For cursed and condemned is every kind of life lived and sought for selfish profit and good; cursed are all works not done in love. But they are done in love when they are directed with all one’s heart, not toward selfish pleasure, profit, honor, ease and salvation, but toward the profit, honor and salvation of others. (263)

He must consider his subjects and rightly dispose his heart toward them in this matter. He does this if he applies his whole mind to making himself useful and serviceable to them, and does not think, “Land and people are mine; I will do as I please”; but thus, “I belong to land and people; I must do what is profitable and good for them. My concern must be, not how I may rule and be haughty, but how they may be protected and defended by a good peace.”

And he should picture Christ to himself, and say, “Behold, Christ the chief Ruler came and served me, sought not to have power, profit and honor from me, but only considered my need, and did all He could that I might have power, profit and honor from Him and through Him. I will do the saec, not seek mine own advantage in my subjects, but their advantage, and thus serve them by my office, protect them, give them audience and sup- port, that they, and not I, may have the benefit and profit by it.” Thus a prince should in his heart empty himself of his power and authority, and interest himself in the need of his subjects, dealing with it as though it were his own need. Thus Christ did unto us; and these are the proper works of Christian love. (264-265)

Illustration: From PublicDomainPictures.net

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