Good Evening, Lord!
Words of Comfort
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you. (Isa. 26:3 ESV)
Prayer of Confession
Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful
and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we
have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole
heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your
present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have
mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your
will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.[1]
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.
In Luke 20 Jesus was confronted by the leaders in the
temple about paying taxes to the Roman government. The conversation went like
this:
19 The scribes and the chief
priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that
he had told this parable [that is, the Parable of the Wicked Tenant in the
Vineyard] against them, but they feared the people. 20 So
they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that
they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the
authority and jurisdiction of the governor. 21 So
they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly,
and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. 22 Is
it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” 23 But
he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 24 “Show
me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it
have?” They said, “Caesar's.” 25 He said to
them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God
the things that are God's.” 26 And they were not
able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but
marveling at his answer they became silent.[2]
“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God
the things that are God’s.” It is interesting that Jesus asks, “Whose image is
on the coin?” It bears the image of the earthly authority, authority that will
come to an end, but is nevertheless over us and should be respected. You,
however, bear the image of God – by creation (we are made in God’s image), by
redemption (we are being formed into the image of Christ), and by
sanctification (as the Spirit shapes us to reflect God’s holiness). So, while
we, “Pay
to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom
revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”
We also strive to, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves
another has fulfilled the law.”
There is a dynamic at work in this commandment of power and
love. Earthly authorities love power and all too often operate from a position
of power. God, however, is all-powerful, but loves people and operates out of
his love to bless, defend, and redeem 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
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Cor. 13:14 ESV)
[1] Lutheran Service Book, p.
213-4
[2] English
Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good
News Publishers.
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