Unknown He becomes a monk He becomes a monk Not long after this, Luther decided to give up the study of law and to begin the study of theology, which literally means “the study of God.” Two things happened that led him to this decision. One of these was the sudden death of a friend whom he loved very much. When he heard of it, he asked himself, “What would become of me if I were to die suddenly?” About the same time, during the summer of 1505, while returning to Erfurt after visiting his parents, he was overtaken by a violent storm. Suddenly, a lightning bolt fell almost at his feet. Overcome with fear, he dropped to his knees and prayed to Saint Anne to save him. When he arose unhurt, he believed that the saint had saved him. He felt he had to do something to show his gratitude, so he said, “I must become holy.” He made a vow that he would change his life and become a priest. These two events transformed his life. His friends were surprised. His father was not pleased: he had worked so hard for Martin’s education! He had hoped that Martin would make himself known in the world and perhaps become rich as well as famous as a doctor of law. Now all these hopes were dashed when Martin entered the monastery. Monks were not respected very much in that time. People knew that many of the monks led lives of luxury—wealth they had taken from the people. Martin’s father believed that his son had broken the fifth commandment: “Honour thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12a). Convinced it was the right thing to do, Luther left the university and entered the monastery of the Observant Augustinian Friars in Erfurt on July 17, 1505. Monks were supposed to live very strict lives, and they professed to be very religious. The Bible Luther had read at college had made him think seriously about God and his soul, but like the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, he needed someone to explain the Scriptures to him.