The Lost Dutchman's Goldmine

Lost Dutchman's Goldmine, located in the Superstitions, near Apache Junction, Arizona is so rich in gold that some dreamers have spent decades looking for it. The Dutchman, a nickname often used for Germans, was Dr. Jacob Waltz. He had a map and directions to a goldmine with the richest ore he had ever seen. In one published story, a sample of the ore proved that it was indeed the purest gold ever found. This legend, based on fact and enlarged by many fanciful tales and deadly searches, reminds me of another Dutchman's goldmine, almost entirely lost, almost a myth today. Luther, the son of a prosperous mine owner, once compared the Scriptures to a mine filled with veins of precious metal. This Word of God can be explored and enlarged throughout a lifetime, always yielding more treasure, but never exhausting itself. Nor could any student of the Word ever claim to have learned all the Bible reveals. Yet, this revelation of God is lost to many Lutherans today, especially to the leadership of the LCMS, WELS, ELS, and ELCA.