The Large Catechism – part 74
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Job 1:20–22
Series: Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
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From the Confessions: The Large Catechism, The Ten Commandments
The Second Commandment
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
We all have naturally within us this handsome virtue, that whenever we have done wrong, we like to cover it over and gild our disgrace so that no one may know or notice. No one is so arrogant that he boasts to all the world of the wickedness he has perpetrated. Everyone wishes to act in secret, without anyone being aware of what they do. But when anyone is accused, the name of God is dragged into the affair to make wickedness look like godliness, and shame like honor.
Pulling It Together: Wickedness exists because people want things their way. They want what belongs to another, or they want but will not work. They want their own will to be done, not, “Thy will be done.” The will of the Lord may be difficult, but it is always good. It may not be what we want, but what he wants for us is always best. There are greater things at work in our lives, that require one greater than us to direct them. This is chiefly why so many would usurp the authority of God: they do not trust him. So, they manipulate things to go their own way but then, when things go awry, they blame it on God, or on their neighbor, or on anyone but themselves.
Job did not manipulate matters, nor did he blame God when things did not go as he would have liked. He blessed the Lord in spite of tragedy. Disaster and heartbreak caused him to trust God all the more. His response to the difficulties of life was worship.
Prayer: Compose my spirit, Lord, that I may find joy and peace in you alone. Amen.
Click here for resources to learn the Ten Commandments.
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Author
Rev. Dr. Mark E. Ryman has served as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC, since 2021. Previously, Pastor Ryman served congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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