Luther on the Mutual Consolation of the Brethren

The mutual consolation of the brethren is both good and necessary as argued by Luther below. Take note, brothers: solitude should be shunned, companionship should be sought.

It was no minor matter that in the midst of strange nations Abram is compelled by necessity to separate from a very faithful companion and very dear nephew. A faithful friend is a great boon and a precious treasure in any situation of life, not only because of common dangers in which he can be both an aid and a comfort but also because of spiritual trials.

Even if one’s heart is well grounded by the Holy Spirit, it remains a great advantage to have a brother with whom one can converse about religion and from whom one can hear words of comfort.

When Abraham is deprived of his nephew, with whom he has lived in exile among the heathen for so long, and loses one who has shared so many trials and dangers, who would not consider this a heavy cross and a great evil? I for my part consider the loss of all my possessions less important than that of a faithful friend.

When Christ was wrestling with temptation in the garden (Matt. 26:37 ff.), we see Him seeking comfort among His three disciples. When Paul, in Acts 28:15, saw the brethren coming to meet him, he took courage from the sight and experienced comfort. Loneliness distresses a person who is solitary and deprived of his intimate friends. He can exert himself and struggle against it, but he does not overcome it without great difficulty.

Everything is less burdensome if you have a brother with you; for then the promise applies (Matt. 18:20): “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” Therefore solitude should be shunned and the companionship of familiar people sought, especially in spiritual perils.

Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 2: Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 6-14, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 2 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999), 335.