“You shall not murder.” “Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him” (Gen. 4:8). These words record the first murder, and sadly not the last. But have we, even as Christians, become desensitized to violence and even to murder? We need to start there. I once heard about a little boy who was […]
“You shall have no other gods.” The first thing we come to in the Small Catechism is the Ten Commandments. They will be followed by the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. The first thing to notice about the Ten Commandments is that there are, no surprise, ten of them. God gave us each ten fingers […]
“Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matt. 22:21). The Small Catechism covers most everything. In its Table of Duties, for example, it explains the duty of government and the duty of citizens. It does this by using select passages of Holy Scripture: Romans 13:1-7, […]
“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Phil. 4:11). Paul doesn’t just say this, he says it from prison in Rome. Thus he proves that he has learned the lesson God has taught him: in whatever situation, to be content. What does it mean to be content? In other words, the […]
“His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever He tells you'” (John 2:5). These are the final words of Mary in the Holy Gospel. After this we do not hear from her again. How significant! Her last words are imperative: “Do whatever He tells you.” We are left with no choice. Lutherans have deep reasons […]
“Lamb of God, pure and holy” (John 1:29 and hymn). The Sacrament of Holy Communion goes by such other names as the Lord’s Supper, the Lord’s Table, the Breaking of Bread, and the Eucharist. But when the President rightly called the shooting in Las Vegas “an act of pure evil,” I added another name for […]