Good Evening, Lord!
Words of Comfort
Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matt.
28:20 ESV)
Prayer of Confession
O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I
sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out
my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Search me, O
God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any
grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Ps. 139:1-3, 23-24
ESV)
Catechism Reflections – The Fourth Commandment
Honor your father and your mother.
What does this mean? We should fear and love
God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but
honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.
This commandment does not only deal with our relationship
with our parents. It also deals with other authorities that serve as God’s
representatives for the support and protection of our life on earth.[1]
As it says in Hebrews 13, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are
keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.” Or
in Romans 13, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For
there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been
instituted by God.”
In general we recognize authorities in three categories
in our lives: the Home, Society, and the Church. In the Home, we would
certainly recognize parents, but also step-parents, guardians, grandparents and
the like. In Society we would recognize government officials, police,
firefighters, teachers, and other leaders. In the church we see pastors,
directors of Christian education, deaconesses, elders, and board members as
leaders we are to honor.
I believe that this commandment is particularly
challenging in the culture in which I live which values radical individualism
and autonomy. We tend to stress rights over responsibilities. So we might be
inclined to question: Why should I honor these authorities?
Remember that all the Commandments tie back to the First
Commandment – “You shall have no other gods.” In this case we are recognizing
that the authorities in our lives are intended to be gifts to us to do good for
us on God’s behalf. As it says in Romans 13 these authorities are established
to do us good. (We will spend some time on Thursday talking about when the
authorities are not doing us good and fall outside of God’s will.) But for now,
there is this: God put authorities in our lives to be a blessing to us – to be
his blessing to us – for our benefit. They are God’s gift to us.
Questions for Meditation
What does this reading teach you?
What does this reading lead you to be thankful for?
What behavior, thought, or attitude does this reading
challenge? What sin does it lead you to confess?
How might you pray for God to have a richer impact on your
life through this reading?
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Verse of Benediction
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
(Rom. 15:13 ESV)
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