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 Third Commandment Part 3: Click here and read 94 - end of the Third Commandment section.
The basics:
- God will punish those who despise His Word and refuse to hear it and learn it, especially refusing it during the time and place appointed for that purpose (the Divine Service).
- Sinning against this commandment includes refusing to attend the service and attending the service only out of custom and not caring to learn or pay attention.
- You must not only be concerned with hearing, but also retaining and memorizing the Word.
- Even if you know everything perfectly, the devil is still waiting to steal the Word from you. Thinking you know too much to listen intently to a sermon is just as great of a sin as not attending.
- "...whenever it [the Word] is seriously contemplated, heard, and used, that it is bound never to be without fruit, but always awakens new understanding, pleasure, and devoutness, and produces a pure heart and pure thoughts. For these words are not inoperative or dead, but creative, living words."
My thoughts today:
It is pretty easy for me to sit on my high horse and look at all those non-church goers...
I am so much better than them. Look at them sinning against the Third Commandment.
Look at those people working on a Sunday. I don't do that. Sunday is the Lord's day.
That drunk can't even wake up to go to church. Shame on him.
Ha. Luther smashes me and my sinfulness yet again.
When I fail to pay attention.
When I fail to care.
When I think I know more than the pastor.
When I choose to close my ears.
When I care more about who is missing in the pews around me than I do about the words from the pulpit.
When I spend my time thinking about how much I dislike the hymn we just sang.
When I hear the Law preached and think, "Yeah, THAT guy needs to here this."
When I hear the Gospel preached and think, "I already know that, Pastor. Preach something new."
When I do all those things (and believe me, I have done all those things), I am just as guilty as the drunk in the tavern on Sunday morning.
My sin is no less.
Thanks be to God, my Savior is much more.
He continues to give His good gifts to me, this poor miserable sinner and holy saint that I am.
