It is a fun and fascinating time that we live in. Beginning in 2017, and every year since, we have celebrated and considered the 500th anniversary of some event that took place in the history of the Reformation. Of course, 2017 marked the 500th anniversary of the posting of the 95 Theses. In 2021, we learned about the Diet of Worms and Luther’s famous “Here I Stand” statement. This year, 2025, marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s marriage to Katharina von Bora.

Their marriage, of course, sparked gossip across the continent, even creating a scandal among many. As you may know, Roman Catholic priests are forbidden from marrying. Part of the Lutheran Reformation was to hold marriage up as the honorable estate that God had instituted it to be; to forbid the clergy from marrying was to forbid one of God’s good gifts. Article XXIII of the Augsburg Confession deals with this very thing. “Complaints about unchaste priests are common... Since our priests wanted to avoid these open scandals, they married wives and taught that it was lawful for them to enter into marriage.”

Most of the Lutheran pastors found wives and married, thanks to Luther, who would play matchmaker, arranging for his pastor friends to meet young ladies living in Wittenberg. However, as he was focused on marrying off the other Lutheran pastors, he neglected to consider marriage for himself. Until he met Katharina, having recently arrived in Wittenberg by hiding in herring barrels to escape the Marienthron (Mary’s Throne) Convent at Nimbschen. At the encouragement of friends, Martin Luther took Katharina von Bora as his wife on June 13, 1525. The ceremony took place at The Black Cloister, Luther’s old monastery, which was empty at the time. Johannes Bugenhagen, Luther’s pastor, officiated. None of Katharina’s family attended; the wedding was filled with, mostly, local friends. Another notable absence was Philip Melanchthon, Luther’s close friend and colleague at the University of Wittenberg. He said, “The marriage of Luther seems to me unsuitable and regrettable,” fearing that it would cause scandal and give ammunition to their opponents. They reconciled two weeks later.

The couple lived quite happily, having great love and affection for each other. But lest we think this match was all cupids and chocolates, keep in mind the three reasons that Luther gave for entering into marriage: 1) To please his father. 2) To spite the pope. 3) As a testament, as his martyrdom approached (so he thought), that marriage was good for everyone. Their marriage was blessed with six children: Hans (b. 1526), Elisabeth (b. 1527), Magdalena (b. 1529), Martin (b. 1531), Paul (b. 1533), and Margareta (b. 1534). When Katharina was pregnant with Hans, there was some speculation, perhaps a superstition, that the child of a runaway monk and a runaway nun would be a two-headed monster. He was a healthy child. However, as was common during the Middle Ages, two of the Luther children died in childhood. We learn of Elisabeth’s death in only one of Luther’s letters. She only lived to 8 months old. Magdalena, who died at 13, clearly caused deep lament.

By 1543, the Luthers lived a comfortable life, mostly due to Katharina’s engagements in managing the land, brewing and selling beer, farming, and boarding students. Though Martin did draw a salary from the university, contrary to Katharina’s pleadings, he never took compensation for anything he wrote or his lectures. He also gave money away freely and often. As far as money was concerned, Katharina was the income department and Martin the expense department. The Luther marriage was a happy one, filled with mutual respect, love, and affection. They lived together until Martin’s death on February 18, 1546. During those 21 years of marriage, Luther’s love seemed to grow for his bride. On his long journeys, he would write her often with letters beaming with warmth for his “rib,” as he would affectionately call her. As we remember the 500th anniversary of the wedding of Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora, let us give thanks to God for the gift of marriage and the blessed estate that He intends it to be.