Larry Devich
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Wednesday in the 13th Week of Pentecost
Daily Lectionary
Judges 13:15-24
Acts 6:1-15
John 4:1-26
Psalter
Morning 35 Evening 36, 37
From Higher Things:
“Honor your Father and your Mother. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.”
(The Small Catechism, Fourth Commandment)
Have you ever noticed how the Catechism’s explanations always begin with words from the First Commandment: that we should “fear and love God?” Those two words, “so that,” connect it all together. We should “fear and love God” so that we do not despise or anger our parents or other authorities.
God showed His love for us by sending His only Son to the cross on our behalf. We respond with love and thanksgiving. But the Lord is not content with pious sentimentalism, cheesy e-mails about God’s love, or how much His love warms our hearts. As surely as the love of God resulted in the sacrifice of His own Son, for our sake, we are united to His love by becoming a living sacrifice for the sake of our neighbor. As such, we are given to honor and cherish the authorities whom the Lord has placed over us.
The Lord did not give you parents and other authorities for the sake of oppressing you. On the contrary, the Lord has given you parents and other authorities so that they might serve you and that you might honor them.
Each one of us is given to serve and love one another according to our own calling, or vocation, in life. Parents are given to provide for and care for their children. This is a Christ-like self sacrifice – a living sacrifice according to one’s vocation out of love for others. Children, then, are given to honor, cherish, and respect those authorities that the Lord has graciously given them to provide for their needs in this body and life. We sacrifice our own desire to “take charge,” and honor and respect how the Lord has, through the callings of parents and authorities, chosen to care for us.
All of us, if we’re children or parents, authorities or those under authority, have been given vocations as those whose very death and life has been baptized into the death and life of Christ. Having been united to His sacrificial death through suffering and the cross, we, too, become living sacrifices for the sake of one another. In this way, we fear and honor our Lord.
“You are to honor and obey your parents, masters, ev’ry day, Serve them each way that comes to hand; You’ll then live long in the land. Have mercy, Lord!” (LW #331, v. 5) ¶ 9/06/2006 04:56:00 AM 0 Comments
Judges 13:15-24
Acts 6:1-15
John 4:1-26
Psalter
Morning 35 Evening 36, 37
From Higher Things:
“Honor your Father and your Mother. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.”
(The Small Catechism, Fourth Commandment)
Have you ever noticed how the Catechism’s explanations always begin with words from the First Commandment: that we should “fear and love God?” Those two words, “so that,” connect it all together. We should “fear and love God” so that we do not despise or anger our parents or other authorities.
God showed His love for us by sending His only Son to the cross on our behalf. We respond with love and thanksgiving. But the Lord is not content with pious sentimentalism, cheesy e-mails about God’s love, or how much His love warms our hearts. As surely as the love of God resulted in the sacrifice of His own Son, for our sake, we are united to His love by becoming a living sacrifice for the sake of our neighbor. As such, we are given to honor and cherish the authorities whom the Lord has placed over us.
The Lord did not give you parents and other authorities for the sake of oppressing you. On the contrary, the Lord has given you parents and other authorities so that they might serve you and that you might honor them.
Each one of us is given to serve and love one another according to our own calling, or vocation, in life. Parents are given to provide for and care for their children. This is a Christ-like self sacrifice – a living sacrifice according to one’s vocation out of love for others. Children, then, are given to honor, cherish, and respect those authorities that the Lord has graciously given them to provide for their needs in this body and life. We sacrifice our own desire to “take charge,” and honor and respect how the Lord has, through the callings of parents and authorities, chosen to care for us.
All of us, if we’re children or parents, authorities or those under authority, have been given vocations as those whose very death and life has been baptized into the death and life of Christ. Having been united to His sacrificial death through suffering and the cross, we, too, become living sacrifices for the sake of one another. In this way, we fear and honor our Lord.
“You are to honor and obey your parents, masters, ev’ry day, Serve them each way that comes to hand; You’ll then live long in the land. Have mercy, Lord!” (LW #331, v. 5) ¶ 9/06/2006 04:56:00 AM 0 Comments
