The ‘K’ is not silent

I find that verse to be very reassuring. it is within reach because God made it within reach. He didn’t set us up to fail.
of course, whenever we do fail, it’s so unpleasant to have to accept blame for that. and that’s difficult.

By Jackson on Oct 3, 2005

Luther does say pretty much what you guessed. Here’s an excerpt from his lectures on Deuteronomy:

There are two kinds of fulfillers of the commandment. The first kind he speaks of say: “Let us hear and do.” These are presumptuous in their own strength; they say and boast that they do it as soon as they hear it. They do not plead their strength, but their hearing. “et us only hear,” they say, “and we shall soon perform the deed.” These Moses rejects. Of the others he says: “The Word is in your mouth and heart”; that is, it requires the heart, not the hand. But there is nothing in the heart unless it is written there by the Spirit of God. For the heart contains what I wish, what I love, what I favor, what pleases me. Therefore for the Law to be in the heart is for it to be loved, which is impossible for our powers. Similarly, Ps. 37:31 says: “The Law of his God is in his heart”; and Ps. 1:2: “His delight is in the Law of the Lord.” If, however, the Law is loved in the heart, it is truly fulfilled. The Law demands an inner nature which loves it and has pleasure in it; thus it is satisfied and fulfilled if it is loved. So Moses is now clear: “The Word is in your mouth and in your heart, that you do it,” as though he were to say: “you do not do it unless it is in your mouth and heart.”

It’s in volume 9 of the American edition of Luther’s works if you have access and want to read more.

Luther’s thinking here is possibly even dependent on St. Paul — see Romans 10:6-11.

By Mel on Oct 4, 2005