The Miner's Son
Eisleben
Where the story begins and ends
Martin Luther was born in Eisleben on November 10, 1483, to Hans Luther, a leaseholder in the local copper mines, and his wife Margarethe. He was baptized the very next day, on the feast of St. Martin of Tours, which is how he came by his name. The family moved to nearby Mansfeld while Martin was still an infant, and he was sent to school at a young age, where he was drilled in Latin, like other schoolboys of his time.
For most of his life, Eisleben stayed at the edge of his story. In early 1546, an aging Luther traveled back to his hometown to help settle a bitter inheritance dispute between the Counts of Mansfeld. He preached there, negotiated there, and on February 18, 1546, he died there, sixty-two years after he was born in the same town. A scrap of paper found afterward holds what may be among the last words he wrote: “We are beggars. This is true.”
Play this stop
Same story, three ways to learn it.
At the kitchen table
A 10-minute guide for parents, grandparents, and mentors
You don't need the answers. Just ask, and listen.
“God who knows us by name, thank you for this table and everyone at it. Amen.”
Martin Luther was baptized the day after he was born, and named for that day's saint, Martin. Do you know the story of your name?
Listen for
Any story counts. Names connect us to people and to God's promise at baptism.His father, a miner, wanted him to become a lawyer. What do people expect of you, and what do you hope for?
If they shrug
Share one hope you have for them that has nothing to do with grades or jobs.What does this mean for us this week?
Why this question
It builds on Luther's catechism question, “What does this mean?” It turns a story into something you live.
Share: Tell the story of their baptism, or how you chose their name.