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 3: Click here and read 245 - the end of the Seventh Commandment section.
The basics:
- Those who steal will have their possessions stolen. Since everyone steals from another, God punishes one thief by means of the other.
- As believers we must trust that we will have enough and show pity and love to those who steal.
- Those who ignore the poor and needy will not prosper. God is the one who takes care of the poor sorrowful hearts, and He will not leave them unavenged.
- We are to instruct and reprove with God's Word, but there is a need for the government to establish and maintain order in manner of trade and business.
- We should not view this command too narrowly, but recognize that it extends to all dealings with our neighbor. It is forbidden to do any injury or harm to your neighbor and his possessions. It is even commanded we advance and improve his possessions. If he is need, we are to aide, counsel, and lend - to friend and foe.
- We are richly blessed by the good we do for our neighbor. Your Lord will not leave you to be in want, but bestow upon you a hundred times more than you could scrimp and save with unfaithfulness and wrong.
My thoughts today:
My husband and I have been very blessed during our marriage. We often talk about how when we figure all the money coming in versus all the money going out, we don't have enough. But somehow every month we have more money than we should.
Where does it come from?
Our families did a good job of teaching us how to save money, which plays a role in our ever-present supply of money to live a comfortable life.
We don't spend a ton of money on things we don't need, and we try to save on the things we do need. So, that too, plays a role in the bank account which never goes negative.
We have a different and more realistic definition of what a comfortable life is than the average young married couple. And, yes, that plays a part in our ability to save, as well.
We try to maintain a biblical perspective of what it means to be content with what we have been given. That too, plays a huge part.
But you know what? God blesses those who honor His commands.
I spend a lot of time in these posts discussing what a poor miserable sinner I am, so please do not confuse this one post about how God blesses my obedience with a statement of my holiness.
I am holy, because He makes me holy. And so, in this gift, I am able to do good works through Him. I am able to refrain from stealing. I am able to give to my neighbor in need. I am able to give generously to my church. I am able to pay off my debts. I am able to live within my means.
He makes me able to do those things, and then He blesses me because I did them.
He's a double-kind-of-giver that way. So much so that I am able, in the words of Luther, to gain a hundred times more than I could by my own unfaithfulness and wrong.
