Thursday of Trinity IV - Devotion in semi-Exile

Lection for Thursday after Trinity IV
Judges 4:1-24     Acts 14:1-18

Yesterday I started something, I posted Luther’s Introductory Preface to his Large Catechism. Well, I thought I’d continue that…and will do so until the whole thing has been posted in this space.  I know, you are thinking, “that’s a little lazy.” You are absolutely correct.

But… I am getting you to read Luther’s Large Catechism and that is something.

          Preface

1 This sermon has been undertaken for the instruction of children and uneducated people. Hence from ancient times it has been called in Greek, a “catechism” — that is, instruction for children. 2 Its contents represent the minimum of knowledge required of a Christian. Whoever does not possess it should not be reckoned among Christians nor admitted to a sacrament, just as a craftsman who does not know the rules and practices of his craft is rejected and considered incompetent. 3 For this reason young people should be thoroughly instructed in the various parts of the Catechism or children’s sermons and diligently drilled in their practice.

4 Therefore, it is the duty of every head of a household to examine his children and servants at least once a week and ascertain what they have learned of it, and if they do not know it, to keep them faithfully at it. 5 I well remember the time when there were old people who were so ignorant that they knew nothing of these things — indeed, even now we find them daily — yet they come to Baptism and the Sacrament of the Altar and exercise all the rights of Christians, although those who come to the sacrament ought to know more and have a fuller understanding of all Christian doctrine than children and beginners at school. 6 As for the common people, however, we should be satisfied if they learned the three parts which have been heritage of Christendom from ancient times, though they were rarely taught and treated correctly, so that all who wish to be Christians in fact as well as in name, both young and old, may be well-trained in them and familiar with them.

I. The Ten Commandments of God

1 1. You shall have no other gods before me.

2 2. You shall not take the name of God in vain.

3 3. You shall keep the Sabbath day holy.

4 4. You shall honor father and mother.

5 5. You shall not kill.

6 6. You shall not commit adultery.

7 7. You shall not steal.

8 8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

9 9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.

10 10. You shall not covet his wife, man-servant, maid-servant, cattle, or anything that is his.

          II. The Chief Articles of Our Faith

11 I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth:

12 And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried: he descended into hell, the third day he rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God, the Father almighty, whence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

13 I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

          III. The Prayer, or Our Father, Which Christ Taught

14 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 debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

15 These are the most necessary parts of Christian instruction. We should learn to repeat them word for word. 16 Our children should be taught the habit of reciting them daily when they rise in the morning, when they go to their meals, and they go to bed at night; until they repeat them they should not be given anything to eat or drink. 17 Every father has the same duty to his household; he should dismiss man-servants and maid-servants if they do not know these things and are unwilling to learn them. 18 Under no circumstances should a person be tolerated if he is so rude and unruly that he refuses to learn these three parts in which everything contained in Scripture is comprehended in short, plain, and simple terms, 19 for the dear fathers or apostles, whoever they were, have thus summed up the doctrine, life, wisdom, and learning which constitute the Christian’s conversation, conduct and concern.

          20 When these three parts are understood, we ought also to know what to say about the sacraments which Christ himself instituted. Baptism and the holy Body and Blood of Christ, according to the texts of Matthew and Mark at the end of their Gospels where they describe how Christ said farewell to his disciples and sent them forth.

          Baptism

21“Go and teach all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

22 It is enough for an ordinary person to know this much about Baptism from the Scriptures. The other sacrament may be dealt with similarly, in short, simple words according to the text of St. Paul.

          The Sacrament [of the Altar]

“Our Lord Jesus Christ on the night when he was betrayed took bread, gave thanks, and broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat, this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’

“In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me’” (1 Cor. 11:23-25).

24 Thus we have, in all, five parts covering the whole of Christian doctrine, which we should constantly teach and require young people to recite word for word. Do not assume that they will learn and retain this teaching from sermons alone. 25 When these parts have been well learned, you may assign them also some Psalms and some hymns, based on these subjects, to supplement and confirm their knowledge. Thus our youth will be led into the Scriptures so they make progress daily.

26 However, it is not enough for them simply to learn and repeat these parts verbatim. The young people should also attend preaching, especially at the time designated for the Catechism, so that they may hear it explained and may learn the meaning of every part. Then they will also be able to repeat what they have heard and give a good, correct answer when they are questioned, and thus the preaching will not be without benefit and fruit. 27 The reason we take such care to preach on the Catechism frequently is to impress it upon our youth, not in a lofty and learned manner but briefly and very simply, so that it may penetrate deeply into their minds and remain fixed in their memories. 28 Now we shall take up the above-mentioned parts one by one and in the plainest possible manner say about them as much as is necessary.