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 Lord's Prayer, Third Petition: Click here and read 59-70.
The basics:
- Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
- We have first prayed for the greatest need, for the Gospel, but now we pray for His will to be done because we shall have to suffer many blows on account of those in opposition to the fulfillment of the first two petitions.
- Luther describes the great lengths the devil goes to in order to defy God's kingdom and will, and describes how the devil uses our own flesh as an ally against us.
- As Christians, the devil and all his angels and the world are our enemies who will bring every possible misfortune and grief upon us.
- Where the Word of God is preached, accepted, or believed, and produces fruit, the holy cross cannot be wanting.
- There is a great need to pray "Thy will be done," so that we may bear with patience and overcome whatever is to be endured on that account, that our poor flesh not fall away from weakness.
- In these three petitions we pray that what must be done anyway without us, may also be done in us. For our own sakes we must pray that even against the fury of the devil and all his kingdom His will be done and we remain firm against all violence and persecution, and submit to such will of God.
- "This consolation and confidence we have, that the will and purpose of the devil and of all our enemies shall and must fail and come to naught, however proud, secure, and powerful they know themselves to be."
My thoughts today:
"If we would be Christians, therefore, we must surely expect and reckon upon having the devil with all his angels and the world as our enemies who will bring every possible misfortune and grief upon us. For where the Word of God is preached, accepted, or believed, and produces fruit, there the holy cross cannot be wanting. And let no one think that he shall have peace; but he must risk whatever he has upon earth- possessions, honor, house and estate, wife and children, body and life. Now, this hurts our flesh and the old Adam; for the test is to be steadfast and to suffer with patience in whatever way we are assailed, and to let go whatever is taken from us." Paragraph 65-66.
I couldn't help but think about my husband while reading this section. And not really just my husband, but so many faithful pastors I know and love. Excuse my language for a brief moment, but Satan is a jacka$$.
He is especially a jacka$$ to faithful pastors.
Alas, I have already written about this before [read here if interested].
I just can't really say it enough.
Pastors need your prayers. They need you to pray these words for them and with them.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Couldn't you just hear the pain in Luther's writing as he described the devil's power? This is a man who knew about the attacks of the devil against the faithful.
But let us reassure our faithful pastors [and ourselves] of Luther's concluding remarks -
"This consolation and confidence we have, that the will and purpose of the devil and of all our enemies shall and must fail and come to naught, however proud, secure, and powerful they know themselves to be."
