The Small Catechism – part 99
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Philippians 2:3–4
Series: Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Click to listen to today's devotion.
From the Confessions: The Small Catechism, The Ninth Commandment
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God so that we do not plot to take our neighbors’ possessions, inheritance, or home, or obtain them through deceptive means, but assist and serve our neighbors in keeping what is theirs.
Pulling It Together: If we trust God, we are able to be interested in more than ourselves. God will take care of us, so we are freed up to take care of others. In the most basic sense, if parents only cared for themselves, who would look after the children? Parents pay attention to the needs of their children because they have set aside their own wishes. If a mother or father only looks to selfish desires, the child is abandoned. This basic understanding may be applied to one’s neighbor, the people at church, at work. What are their interests and needs? Do you know?
Prayer: Open my eyes, Lord, and my heart. 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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