The Large Catechism – part 79
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: John 7:17
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.
Because using the holy name for falsehood or wickedness is forbidden here, it is a natural inference, on the other hand, that we are commanded to employ it for truth and for all good, as when one swears truly when there is need and demand. This is also the case when there is right teaching, and when the Name is invoked in trouble, or praised and thanked in prosperity, etc. We comprehend all of this summarily in the directive: “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me (Psalm 50:15 RSV). All of this uses his name in the service of truth, employing it in a devout manner. Thus, God’s name is hallowed, as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer.
Pulling It Together: Jesus uses the Name in a doubly devout manner. Not only does he teach what his Father sent him to teach, he gives God the credit too. Jesus’ teaching depended on the reputation of the one who sent him. We are enabled to believe right teaching, Christ's word, when the Spirit gives us the faith to do so. Because true faith is based in the divine word alone, the Father’s will is done. It is accomplished when we believe based upon his name, his reputation. This faith, itself given by God, “holies” the Name. The highest and best use of the Name is to believe him.
Prayer: Give me such faith, O Lord, that I may believe in you. Amen.
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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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