Recently I stumbled across a charming little passage from Luther that I don’t recall ever reading before. It’s in his account of catechetical instruction in his German Mass of 1526 (LW 53). Once children—or any persons desiring to be Christians—have learned the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, they can start on Bible verses, which Luther selects and distinguishes according to pouches and pockets. Before you start, it will help to knw that Hungarian gulden were worth more than Rhenish gulden, that pennies, groschen, and gulden were made of copper, silver, and gold respectively, and that Schreckenberger were a variety of silver groschen.

Luther writes:

“…the heart may grasp the whole sum of Christian truth under two headings or, as it were, in two pouches, namely, faith and love. Faith’s pouch may have two pockets. Into one pocket we put the part of faith that believes that through the sin of Adam we are all corrupt, sinners, and under condemnation, Romans 5:12, Psalm 51:5. Into the other we put the part of faith that trusts that through Jesus Christ we are all redeemed from this corruption, sin, and condemnation, Romans 5:15-21, John 3:16-18. Love’s pouch may also have two pockets. Into the one put this piece, that we should serve and do good to everyone, even as Christ has done for us, Romans 13. Into the other put this piece, that we should gladly endure and suffer all kinds of evil.

“When a child begins to understand this it should be encouraged to bring home verses of Scripture from the sermon and to repeat them at mealtime for the parents, even as they formerly used to recite their Latin. And then these verses should be put into the pouches and pockets, just as pennies, groschen, and gulden are put into a purse. For instance, let faith’s pouch be for the gulden, and into the first pocket let this verse go: Romans 5:12, ‘sin came into the world through one man and death through sin.’ Also this one: Psalm 51:5, ‘Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.’ These are two Rhenish gulden for the first pocket. Into the other pocket go the Hungarian gulden, for example this text, Romans 4:25, ‘Jesus was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification.’ Again John 1:29, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ These would be two good Hungarian gulden for the second pocket.

“Let love’s pouch be the pouch for silver. Into the first pocket shall go the texts concerning well doing, such as Galatians 5:13, “Through love be servants of one another’; Matthew 25:40, ‘As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ These would be two silver groschen for the first pocket. Into the other pocket shall go this verse: Matthew 5:11, ‘Blessed are you when men persecute you on my account’; Hebrews 12:6, ‘For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.’ These are two Schreckenberger for the second pocket.

“And let no one think himself too wise for such child’s play. Christ, to train men, had to become man himself. If we wish to train children, we must become children with them.”

I think there's a confirmation class in there!