Luther and Work

From Luther's "Commentary on Galatians in the declaration section (p. 21):

When I have Christian righteousness reigning in my heart, I descend from heaven as the rain makes fruitful the earth; that is to say, I do good works, how and wheresoever the occasion arises. If I am a minister of the Word, I preach, I comfort the brokenhearted, I administer the sacraments. If I am a householder, I govern my house and family well, and in the fear of God. If Iam a servant, I do
my master's business faithfully.

To conclude, whoever is assuredly persuaded that Christ alone is his righteousness, does not only cheerfully and gladly work well in his vocation, but also submits himself through love the the rulers and to their laws, yea, though they be severe, and, if necessity should require, to all manner of burdens, and to all dangers of the present life, because he knows that this is the will of God, and this obedience please Him.

Thomas a Kempis

Spurgeon in his book "The Treasury of David," commenting on Psalm 1 and meditation quotes Thomas a' Kempis:

I have no rest, but in a nook, with The Book.

Noah and Preaching through Work

II Peter 2:5 reads:

"and if he did not spare the ancient world, but did protect Noah, a herald of
righteousness, along with seven others, when God brought a flood on an ungodly world, "

Look at Genesis 6 and 7. Noah was building an Arc. There is nothing about
him going around being a herald or preaching repentance. Most commentaries point
out it was Noah's obedience to God's command was the preaching. Genesis 6:30
reads "And Noah did all that God commanded him – he did indeed." Noah worked on building a gigantic ark for 120 years. It wasn't close to the water. His evil neighbors witnessed this
folly. Noah worked as a carpenter. He wasn't "in" the ministry. He wasn't a doctor. He wasn't a professional preacher. He simply built an ark. God tells us in Ephesians 6

"6:5 Slaves,9 obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ, 6:6 not like those who do their work only when someone is
watching11 – as people-pleasers – but as slaves of Christ doing the
will of God from the heart.12 6:7 Obey with enthusiasm, as though serving the Lord
and not people, 6:8 because you know that each person, whether slave or free, if he does something good, this will be rewarded by the Lord. that the master we serve at work is Christ."

When we are at work we are obeying God or should be obeying God. If we work as God wants us to work, working to please Christ by working hard, lovingly and honestly, we too will be heralds to a fallen world without uttering word.

Noah and Work

One of the earliest references to work is found in Genesis:

5:28 When Lamech had lived one hundred and eighty-two years, he had a son. 5:29
He named him Noah, saying, "This one will bring us comfort from our labor and
from the painful toil of our hands because of the ground that the Lord has
cursed."

Notice that the ground was cursed and not work. God didn't curse work and that work is not a result of the fall. Man was not looking for a way out of work. He was looking to be freed from the painful toil of his hands because the ground was cursed. Because God gave man work, work has instrinsic and extrinsic value . The problem with work after the fall is the toil and labor. Work because of the fall, is toil. It can be monotous and painful. Because we are mortal we get bored and frustrated. We know life is short and we try to imbue life with meaning. We try to give a reason for pain and discomfort. Work alone is not the answer. As it says in Ecclesiastes, the enjoyment of work is a gift of God. However, work without the context of God gives life is meaningless chasing after wind.