Fear Quote by Martin Luther
““At these words I was utterly stupefied and terror-stricken. I thought to myself, “With what tongue shall I address such majesty, seeing that all men ought to tremble in the presence of even an earthly prince? Who am I, that I should lift up mine eyes or raise my hands to the divine Majesty? The angels surround him. At his nod the earth trembles. And shall I, a miserable little pygmy, say ‘I want this, I ask for that’? For I am dust and ashes and full of sin and I am speaking to the living, eternal and the true God.””
About This Quote
Source Sermon: 1520, Luther's Commentary on Psalm 8
Luther expresses awe and fear before God's majesty, feeling unworthy yet compelled to pray
In simple terms: He feels unworthy before God but still must pray
Key Takeaway
Embrace humility, still pray
Themes
faith
humility
spirituality
Mood
reverent
introspective
Type
spiritual
theological
When to use this quote
- personal prayer
- confessional worship
- spiritual crisis
- public preaching
Key Concepts
theology
existential awe
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you reconcile unworthiness with prayer?
- Can awe coexist with confidence?
A Different Perspective
Human frailty limits divine communion
