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 Seventh Commandment Part 1: Click here and read 222 - 231.
The basics:
- Thou shalt not steal.
- To steal is to get possession of another's property wrongfully.
- It is easy to understand that theft of money and possessions is covered under this command, but Luther goes on to describe one's idleness or malice toward a master as stealing.
- While we can easily punish those who are caught stealing, the others, who steal through lack of work for their employer, are able to walk free.
- Laborers, mechanics, and others are breaking this command when they overcharge customers or are lazy in their work.
- "To sum up, this is the commonest craft and the largest guild on earth, and if we regard the world throughout all conditions of life, it is nothing else than a vast, wide stall, full of great thieves." Paragraph 228.
- Luther goes on to describe the stealing done by the noblemen, highly praised citizens, and the Pope. He says God will punish them as they deserve.
My thoughts today:
Oh, Luther, you do make me smile with your bluntness. Sometimes I really wonder what kind of man Luther really was. His words are full of such Truth and yet so brash sounding. I guess that is what Truth is, though. And when Christians talk about the need for speaking the Truth in love, sometimes I think we just have it all mixed up. We act like speaking in love means being weak or accepting or tolerant.
Sometimes love is brash. I looked up the definition of brash and it had something to do with being energetic and highly spirited in an irreverent way. But Luther's words here are totally brash and totally reverent.
Reverent to God, and just totally irreverent to culture.
We are talking about the commands of a jealous and vengeful God. Speaking Truth about them is love. Admitting when we, too, have stolen from others through our idleness is love. Repenting to our God for the times we have underworked, overcharged, and underpaid is love.
Pointing our neighbor to the cross where we find Jesus forgiving the thief to His side - that is love.
And sometimes, actually most of the time, those words are pretty brash to our flesh and to our culture.
