Catechism Reflection
Fourth Commandment
Honor your father and your mother.
What does this mean?
We are to fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and others in authority, but respect, obey, love, and serve them.
The fourth commandment, which begins the second table of the law, is aimed at setting the proper foundation under our feet for the sake of our communities. While the first three commandments speak to our relationship with God, the fourth begins to turn our attention to the neighbor.
This commandment seeks to bring order to home life. Children honoring their parents is the proper order. Of course, this doesn't always happen - whether it is through willful disobedience by children or dishonorable behavior by parents. Whatever the reason, when this fundamental relationship breaks down, all kinds of chaos and hardship follow.
Disorder in the home spills out into disorder in the community because we simply do not function properly when the relationships between parents and children get fouled up. Where there is honor in family relationships that, too, spills out into the community. When children are taught how to be respectful of others that doesn't stop the minute they walk out the door of the family home. It shapes how they interact with teachers, coaches, sports officials, police officers, the parents of their friends.
Honor your father and your mother isn't only about family loyalty. As with the other commandments of the second table, it has an eye on the community. When our primary relationships are marked by honor, when the parents we honor also show honor to others in authority, the chaos that is constantly threatening is held at bay. Where this falls apart, everything else soon follows.
And we don't have to look hard to find that chaos. It is all around us. In every newspaper, on every screen. It is precisely this chaos, this disorder, this mess from which we need to be rescued.
Thanks be to God that he has made rescuing us from our messes his business.
This Week at St. Johns
Sunday 9am Worship
945am Sunday School
Tuesday 10am Bible Study via Zoom
Wednesday 7pm Thanksgiving Service (online only)
Sunday 9am Worship (online only)
Sunday School - take home lessons
If you are in need of pastoral assistance during this time, please contact the church office or Pastor Julie.
We will keep you informed of any changes as information becomes available. If you have not provided the church with your email address or cell phone number, this would be a great time to do that!
