Read the Large Catechism with me.
Ten-minute studies on short readings from the Large Catechism.
Let's do this.
Click on the link below and read the short assigned reading. Then, if you have time, check out what I have to say about it. If not, no problem. Just soak up the goodness of the LC.
The Sixth Commandment Part 1: Click here and read 199 - 210.
The basics:
- Thou shalt not commit adultery.
- Because of the one flesh union of husband and wife, there is no greater harm to a man than to bring disgrace upon him in respect to his wife.
- Jews were commanded to marry, and therefore, adultery was the most common form of unchastity among them. Because of the disarray of marriage in our world, adultery in this command refers to any form of unchastity - in heart, lips, body, thought, and deed.
- We are responsible for also protecting our neighbor's chastity and his or her honor within this command. If we do nothing to protect our neighbor against this, we are as responsible as the one committing the deed.
- God sanctions and guards the estate of marriage in this command. He instituted marriage for man and woman that they should legitimately live together, be fruitful, have children, and nourish and train them to the honor of God.
- "Therefore I have always taught that this estate should not be despised nor held in disrepute, as is done by the blind world and our false ecclesiastics, but that it be regarded according to God's Word, by which it is adorned and sanctified, so that it is not only placed on an equality with other estates, but that it precedes and surpasses them all." Paragraph 209.
My thoughts today:
The truth is I am weak. Standing up for and defending marriage, whether that be in contrast to the government's attempt at redefining it or in disagreement with my neighbor shacking up with her boyfriend or in desperation to save a couple from divorce, is hard.
I don't want to seem mean.
I like people to like me.
I assume people already know I think this, so why bother?
Admitting marriage is between one man and one woman...
Speaking the truth in love to those who live as those who are married and yet are not...
Defending the reasons for a couple to honor their marriage vows...
These are ways we honor the Sixth Commandment, and these are ways I fail nearly every single day.
It is easy for me to believe I am honoring the Sixth Commandment just because I don't divorce my husband, cheat on him, or look at pornography.
It is harder to admit I fail it because I don't protect my neighbor from sinning against it.
To quote Luther again, because I don't believe I can read this statement enough -
"Therefore I have always taught that this estate should not be despised nor held in disrepute, as is done by the blind world and our false ecclesiastics [false ministers], but that it be regarded according to God's Word, by which it is adorned and sanctified, so that it is not only placed on an equality with other estates, but that it precedes and surpasses them all." Paragraph 209
