Reflections

January 20, 2024 

Today's Reading: Introit for Epiphany 3: Psalm 66:1-5, 20, antiphon: Psalm 66:4, 92:1

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 47:1-14, 21-23; Romans 9:19-33

Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man…Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me! (Psalm 66:5, 20)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Come and see what God has done! That is the invitation from the psalmist. Come to the place where God is and receive His gifts. At the end of this psalm, the writer proclaims, “Blessed be God because He has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me!” This is his response after receiving God’s gifts. This introit text, this psalm, gives a concise breakdown of what the Divine Service is and of what our relationship to God is. It is the pattern of a Christian’s life: receiving what God gives and thanking Him for those gifts. Two verses can encapsulate all we do Sunday to Sunday (and all the days in between). How can this be?

Let’s get into it. Come and see, this is our invitation to worship. It is not Go and do this! an authoritative and harsh command, but Come, I am already here and want you to be here too.”Come and see what? All that God has done, His awesome deeds toward all mankind. What has God done toward the children of man? He sent His only begotten Son to live, die, and rise, that we might be granted eternal life. Rather than be separated from God forever because of our sinful nature, God sent Christ Jesus to suffer and die in our place and bestow the merits of His death and resurrection upon us. He does so through the Means of Grace, through the Word and Sacrament, which we hear and receive every Divine Service. None of this is earned by us. That is impossible. It is all a gift, and all given freely to scared, helpless sinners, by a good and gracious Lord. God has not rejected our prayer for mercy nor has He removed His love from us. It is because of His love that these gifts exist. It is because He is steadfast in His promises that week after week, year after year, century after century, the sins are forgiven, the Word is preached and the Sacraments are administered. And in response to all of this, we bless the Lord. And even this blessing is not of our own doing! It is the Holy Spirit at work within us. He who grants and sustains our faith enables us to then return thanks for these gifts, praising Him from whom all blessings flow.  So, dear Christian, come and see what God has done for you. Receive these gifts and return to them constantly, that your faith may be sustained. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O mighty Rock, O Source of life, let Your dear Word, in doubt and strife, in us be strongly burning that we be faithful unto death and live in love and holy faith, from You true wisdom learning. Your grace and peace on us shower; by Your power Christ confessing, let us see our Savior’s blessing. (LSB 913:3)

-Deaconess Emma Heinz is the Registrar for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

The Lutheran Reader’s Bible helps you develop a habit of devotion and Bible reading so you can slowly but intentionally understand and grow in God’s Word. Through introductions to the sixty-six books of the Bible, guided reading plans, and more, this Bible builds your confidence to study Scripture on your own.

January 19, 2024 

Today's Reading: 10 Commandments, 5th Commandment

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 44:1-16, 23-29; Romans 9:1-18

You shall not murder.

What does this mean?

We should fear and love God so that we may not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body but help and befriend him in every bodily need.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. At first, this commandment seems rather simple: don’t kill people. For many centuries following God writing the Commandments and giving them to Moses to give them to God’s people, you shall not murder, simply forbade taking another person’s life. This simple law is good, for the benefit of our neighbor, but it can give the illusion that we have kept this commandment if we are never labeled a murderer. Our Lord, in His teachings from the Sermon on the Mount, takes this simple command and expands it. It is not enough to simply avoid being an ax-murderer. Christ tells His hearers, “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” So now the command is, "Don't kill anyone, but also, do not be angry with those around you, do not insult them, and do not think unkind things about them. Dr. Luther takes his explanation of the fifth commandment from Christ’s direct teachings. Do not wish or enact harm against your neighbor. Now, when we look at this commandment, we are not as innocent as we would first assume. Sure, I haven’t killed anyone but I have insulted those around me and I’ve definitely thought mean things towards family. 

Christ’s teachings on this commandment (and Luther’s explanation centuries later), teach two things. The first is that we are to avoid harming our neighbors, no matter how small the offense may be. The second aspect of this teaching is the helping aspect, especially pointed out in Luther’s explanation. We are to help and befriend our neighbors, seeking their best interests and striving to provide support and help when needed. We see this modeled in Jesus. We know that Christ perfectly kept the law, but He kept the law perfectly for us. Sinners cannot keep any of the commandments. Rather than leave us to the judgment of hellfire we deserve, Jesus Christ befriends and helps us in every need.  His suffering for us means we are now strengthened by the Holy Spirit to serve and help our neighbor. We are shaped by Jesus to not seek the worst for our fellow sinners, but look on them in love - the same love shown to us first by our God. This love extends to us while we are still sinners, calls us from death into life, and grants us strength to persevere in a death-filled world.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O my Savior, help afford by Your Spirit and Your Word! When my wayward heart would stray, keep me in the narrow way; grace in time of need supply while I live and when I die. (LSB 611:5)

-Deaconess Emma Heinz is the Registrar for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

The Lutheran Reader’s Bible helps you develop a habit of devotion and Bible reading so you can slowly but intentionally understand and grow in God’s Word. Through introductions to the sixty-six books of the Bible, guided reading plans, and more, this Bible builds your confidence to study Scripture on your own.

January 18, 2024 

Today's Reading: Mark 8:27-9:1

Daily Lectionary:Ezekiel 40:1-4; 43:1-12; Romans 8:18-39

And [Jesus] asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. (Mark 8:29–30)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Peter gets the answer right. Jesus asks the big question and Peter aces the quiz. Who is Jesus? The Christ. Today we remember St. Peter and his bold confession of faith. But on a day like today, it can be just as easy to remember Peter’s many less-than-correct answers to big questions. Just after Peter’s great confession, Jesus calls him Satan because Peter refuses to accept Jesus must die. On the night Jesus is betrayed, Peter denies His Lord three times, insisting he does not know Jesus, even when asked repeatedly. But in this moment, He says the right thing at the right time. How did this lowly fisherman get this answer right when he so often missed the mark?

In Matthew’s account of this same event, we are given the answer. Jesus says, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” This great confession is given to Peter. It is not his own, invented in his mind to impress his Teacher of the other apostles. God the Father revealed this confession to Peter, gave it to him freely, and enabled this sinner to boldly confess, “You are the Christ.”

This is why we remember St. Peter the Apostle and his confession. This great confession of faith doesn’t belong just to Peter but to you. Jesus is the Christ, Who takes away the sin of the world. He does so out of love and not because we have earned it. Because we continually fail that Christ came for us sinners. Join in the confession of St. Peter because it belongs to you too. Who do we say Jesus is? The Christ, the Son of God, born in human flesh to save the world from sin, death, and the devil. This Christ died a sinner’s death and rose from the dead that we may also have eternal life. This Christ calls you His own in the waters of Baptism. This Christ offers Himself freely in His Body and Blood at the Lord’s Table. This Christ, this Jesus, is yours, given freely. We thank God for St. Peter and his confession because this is our confession too. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Here stands the font before our eyes, telling how God has received us. The altar recalls Christ’s sacrifice and what His Supper here gives us. Here sounds the Scriptures that proclaim Christ yesterday, today, the same, and evermore, our Redeemer. (LSB 645:4)

-Deaconess Emma Heinz is the Registrar for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

The Lutheran Reader’s Bible helps you develop a habit of devotion and Bible reading so you can slowly but intentionally understand and grow in God’s Word. Through introductions to the sixty-six books of the Bible, guided reading plans, and more, this Bible builds your confidence to study Scripture on your own.

January 17, 2024 

Today's Reading: Romans 7:21-8:17

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 39:1-10, 17-29; Romans 7:21-8:17

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:24–25)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Your life, dear Christian, is lived in tension. Tension is uncomfortable. It means we are pulled in two opposing directions. It puts so much strain on us that we seek to resolve the tension. While this feels good for a moment, we quickly understand that pulling too strongly one way or another can break the strand, or in this case, us. 

St. Paul describes the tension between our relationship to the law of God and the law of sin. Christians, having been made to walk in Christ, seek to do what pleases God. Sinners, however, seek after sinful desires. And we find ourselves caught in the middle of these opposing ideals, unable to relieve this tension. We cannot keep the Law of God perfectly because of the inherited sin within us, so we stray towards the way of sin, death, and the devil. However, having been baptized into Christ, we strive to do what God wills, even though we know we will ultimately fail. Our life is lived in the middle, wanting to serve God with all our body, mind, and soul, while also still living in “this body of death,” as St. Paul writes, unable and often unwilling to serve perfectly. 

There is a Latin phrase that encapsulates this tension: simul justus et peccator. This phrase translates to “simultaneously saint and sinner.” We are, as Christians, both saints and sinners. We belong fully to God through our Baptism but original sin still resides in us, meaning we cannot live according to the Law of God, as much as we’d like to. We cannot relieve this tension, it is impossible. “Thanks be to God through Christ our Lord!” God, while we were still sinners, sent His Son to die for us. God, while we were dead in our trespasses and sins, reached into our watery grave and pulled us out into new life in Baptism. God, while we still sin much, send His Holy Spirit to strengthen us as we go about our lives, seeking to do the will of God. Go forth, dear Christian, knowing that the tension is tight and tough, but that it cannot break you. Thanks be to God!  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O grant that nighting in my soul may dwell, but Thy pure love alone; Oh, may Thy love possess me whole, my joy, my treasure, and my crown! All coldness from my heart remove; my ev’ry act, word, thought be love. (LSB 683:2)

-Deaconess Emma Heinz is the Registrar for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

The Lutheran Reader’s Bible helps you develop a habit of devotion and Bible reading so you can slowly but intentionally understand and grow in God’s Word. Through introductions to the sixty-six books of the Bible, guided reading plans, and more, this Bible builds your confidence to study Scripture on your own.

January 16, 2024 

Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Daily Lectionary:Ezekiel 38:1-23; Romans 7:1-20

Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside of the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What you do with your body matters. At a base level, this makes sense. If I eat well, sleep enough, bathe, brush my teeth, and so on, my body should continue to work well enough. Take care of your body and your body will take care of you. But St. Paul is getting at something a little deeper here. He has been warning the Corinthians (and all of us) about the dangers of misusing our bodies sexually. His comment about sinning against our own bodies means that while murder and theft directly hurt people outside of ourselves, sexual immorality defiles our body. The intimate gift of sexuality is corrupted, as is the body and mind of those who commit sexual immorality. But why does that matter? What I do with my body surely doesn’t affect others that much, does it? 

St. Paul argues rightly that our actions towards and with our own bodies have drastic effects. He gives a few layers of proof here. Paul begins with this: your body, dear Christian, is a temple of the Holy Spirit. In Baptism, the Holy Spirit enters in and grants you faith then and sustains your faith going forward. Second, you have been made part of the Body of Christ, the Church. If one part of the body is hurt, sick, or broken, how well will the rest of the body fare? Not well. As part of the body of Christ, the church, we take care of ourselves in order to better care for others. Finally, Paul hints at the Incarnation. Bodies are so important that the Son of Man took on human flesh to enact the world’s salvation. Jesus redeemed living in a human body. Jesus then suffered and died. The blood He shed, the death He died, was the price paid to buy us out from under the power of sin, death, and the devil. After His death, Jesus rose from the dead, in the same body He had before His death, with the nail marks and spear wound still in His flesh. Christ’s resurrection is the precursor to our own resurrection. And like our Lord, we will be resurrected with the same bodies we have now. The gift of the body that God gives upon our conception will remain with us in eternity. So glorify God in your body, knowing that sins are forgiven in Christ and we are no longer bound to sin but to Christ Jesus! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

But all of that was washed away- immersed and drowned forever. The water of your Baptism day restored whatever old Adam and his sin destroyed and all our sinful selves employed according to our nature. (LSB 596:3)

-Deaconess Emma Heinz is the Registrar for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

The Lutheran Reader’s Bible helps you develop a habit of devotion and Bible reading so you can slowly but intentionally understand and grow in God’s Word. Through introductions to the sixty-six books of the Bible, guided reading plans, and more, this Bible builds your confidence to study Scripture on your own.

January 15, 2024 

Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-20

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 37:15-28; Romans 6:1-23

And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him.” (1 Samuel 3:17–18)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Eli was a priest of the Lord with worthless sons which was a problem because his sons were supposed to become priests of God. Previously, God has already spoken judgment unto Eli’s sons, declaring they will die.  And yet, when a new message from God comes, Eli still seeks it out. This new message is likely more judgment from God upon Eli’s house and yet he demands that Samuel tell him. Eli, in faithfulness, declares, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.” He does not shy away from the death sentence for his sons and his family. It is still the Word of God. Eli does not joyfully receive this news from Samuel, but he faithfully receives the word and responds in trust, “Thy will be done, O Lord.”

It is a more natural response to say, “Thy will be done,” when things are going well for us. It seems, in that moment, that God’s will aligns with our will. Everything is okay.  It is a different experience to say “Thy will be done,” when things are going poorly for us. God’s will is not aligning with our will, our plan, our view of how things should go. It does not feel good to see loved ones suffer and die and still pray, “Thy will be done.” Eli gives us an image to ponder. His children will die at the hands of God and yet, this man does not flee God’s word. Eli knows his sons would make sorry examples of priests for God; he knows they deserve this punishment, but what father would punctuate the death of his son with, “Let God do what seems good to him”? 

Eli is faithful. He submits to the Lord in all things, even in the death of his sons. This is not out of Eli’s own ability but out of faith. This faith is given to him by God. This faith is given to you by God. Faith in the promises of God preserves us and enables us to trust that our Lord’s will is done out of love. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

From me this is not hidden, yet I am not afraid; I leave my cares, as bidden, to whom my vows are paid. Though life from me be taken and everything I own, I trust in You unshaken and cleave to You alone. (LSB 724:7)

-Deaconess Emma Heinz is the Registrar for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

The Lutheran Reader’s Bible helps you develop a habit of devotion and Bible reading so you can slowly but intentionally understand and grow in God’s Word. Through introductions to the sixty-six books of the Bible, guided reading plans, and more, this Bible builds your confidence to study Scripture on your own.

January 14, 2024 

Today's Reading: John 1:43-51

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 36:33-37:14; Romans 5:1-21

Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:50–51)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Nathaniel is easily amused by this “magic man Jesus” from backwater Nazareth. Jesus pulls a cool party trick by revealing where Nathaniel was when Philip told him the news of the Messiah and Nathaniel believes Jesus is the Son of God because of this. His belief is based on a moment of amazement, a neat trick, but hardly anything substantial. Nathaniel falls into the same trap we do. Magic Man Jesus is cool and exciting and captivating. He heals people, raises the dead, turns water into delicious wine. He satisfies the immediate desires of those around Him. He puts on a great show. This is the kind of Messiah our sinful nature wants. A God who works wonders for our will and benefit. A God that dazzles and amazes, showing how powerful He is in ways sinful creatures understand and adore. This kind of God is here for our amusement and pleasure. This is not the God we have, nor is it the God of Nathaniel. Jesus calls out Nathaniel’s shallow belief and tells him he will witness something far greater than showy displays of power. 

Christ is pointing towards His greatest miracle: His death and resurrection. This is not a simple party trick, or a neat gimmick to gain followers. This would be the great work of the Messiah. Christ’s work on the cross gives us the gifts that cannot decay and do not lose their ability to satisfy. They are not flashes in the pan. They are the eternal rewards of this great work of God. Christ’s body and blood, offered up on the cross as the perfect sacrifice, now sustain us at the Lord’s Table. The water that flowed from our Savior’s riven side washes us clean and makes us new in Holy Baptism. Jesus offers Nathaniel a front seat to this great miracle and He offers that same invitation to us. What we witness as we receive God’s gifts may not seem as grand as walking on water but they are the greater thing. In these means of grace we find forgiveness of sins, freely given and life eternal with our Lord. So come, dear Christian, and see what God has done for you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, on God, now and forever. 

-Deaconess Emma Heinz is the Registrar for Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

The Lutheran Reader’s Bible helps you develop a habit of devotion and Bible reading so you can slowly but intentionally understand and grow in God’s Word. Through introductions to the sixty-six books of the Bible, guided reading plans, and more, this Bible builds your confidence to study Scripture on your own.

January 13, 2024 

Today's Reading: Introit for Epiphany 2

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 36:13-28; Romans 4:1-25

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Words matter. Our universe was created with words. Words are the building blocks of our communication with one another, they’re how we build relationships. Words are the way through which we come to know our Lord through preaching and teaching. Words matter. 

In this sinful world we are prone to using words for evil. We lie, we gossip, we hurt one another, we manipulate, we curse, and so much more against our neighbor. With our words, we can also blaspheme and misuse the name of our God. Even when we do not speak words, we can carry them in our hearts, holding grudges, animosity, and prejudices against our neighbor. We carry anger towards God for not answering our prayers, for not preventing the bad things in our lives, for feeling that He was not there in the time we needed Him most. On our own, our words are sinful and wretched. Our words falter and fail to share love and mercy.

But the Word that does not fail, that does not falter, is our LORD Jesus. In this Psalm we pray to God with the Psalmist that our rock and redeemer would change our hearts and change our words to be righteous and acceptable in the eyes of God. We pray that our hearts would be graciously changed, purified, and forgiven of the sin that dwells within us. This psalm is a prayer to our righteous Lord for mercy.

Pastors will often pray this part of the Psalm before they preach. Of course, for those who are delivering the Word of God from the pulpit, it is of great importance for them to handle their words with care. They are speaking the truth, and it is to be received by the people as the Word of God! God promises to be in the Word when it is preached, but pastors pray these words for strength and confidence as they bring this gift to their congregations. But this prayer is not just for pastors. We pray it too, that we may live lives sanctified in Him. Without God, all of the words of our mouth and heart would bring nothing but ruin. But through God’s own Word, we may be purified and forgiven, and our the meditations of our hearts made acceptable in His sight.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

To Jesus we for refuge flee, Who from the curse has set us free, and humbly worship at His throne, Saved by His grace through faith alone. (LSB 579:6)

-Vicar Benjamin Heinz is vicar at Trinity Lutheran Church, Springfield, MO.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

The Lutheran Reader’s Bible helps you develop a habit of devotion and Bible reading so you can slowly but intentionally understand and grow in God’s Word. Through introductions to the sixty-six books of the Bible, guided reading plans, and more, this Bible builds your confidence to study Scripture on your own.

January 12, 2024 

Today's Reading: 

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 34:1-24; Romans 3:19-31

For thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.” (Ezekiel 34:11-12)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Contrary to popular belief, sheep aren’t stupid. Sheep are actually rather intelligent creatures. They have individual personalities, needs, and learn things very quickly. While sheep are often used in scripture as a metaphor for human beings under God’s care, we are not compared to sheep because they’re dumb animals who are too stupid to do anything on their own. On the contrary, we’re compared to sheep because we are a lot like them. Sheep wander for specific purposes! As prey animals, they’re fearful creatures, and as a result, they’re always searching for ways to avoid danger. If something seems dangerous, it’s better for them in their own minds to run away before they wait long enough to find out what the danger is. Sheep will follow one another, even wandering away from their shepherd, because they find strength in numbers. 

We do not stray from God because we’re too stupid to follow Him, we stray because we want to, because we think we know what’s best. We get ourselves in danger trying to be our own shepherds and finding our own way. While we might convince ourselves that we have “good intentions,” if we lead ourselves, we will only end up marching to one place: directly into the clutches of the evil one. Sheep who stray from their shepherd may think they are thoughtfully avoiding danger, but without their protector, they find themselves in an entirely more dangerous position, defenseless against the uncertainties of the wilderness. But it does not please the Lord to give us over to our own sinful desires or to our own selfish intuitions, to leave us to this untimely fate. The Lord seeks us out, one by one, and brings us back into His fold. He is willing to go to the ends of the earth, even into the jaws of death itself, in order to carry us home into His care. Thanks be to God that our Good Shepherd seeks out His scattered sheep, and that we may be numbered among His flock.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

We are Yours; in love befriend us, Be the guardian of our way; Keep Your flock, from sin defend us, Seek us when we go astray. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Hear us children when we pray. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, hear us children when we pray. (LSB 711:2) 

-Vicar Benjamin Heinz is vicar at Trinity Lutheran Church, Springfield, MO.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

The Lutheran Reader’s Bible helps you develop a habit of devotion and Bible reading so you can slowly but intentionally understand and grow in God’s Word. Through introductions to the sixty-six books of the Bible, guided reading plans, and more, this Bible builds your confidence to study Scripture on your own.

January 11, 2024 

Today's Reading: 10 Commandments, 4th Commandment

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 33:1-20; Romans 3:1-18

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.  (Luther’s Small Catechism: The Fourth Commandment)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Most of the commandments are fairly easy for us to wrap our brains around. We should love God, honor His name, and gladly hear God’s word. Don’t kill people, don’t be sexually immoral, don’t steal, don’t lie, and don’t covet. We don’t follow them of course, but we generally agree with their sentiments for the most part. 

The Fourth Commandment can be a little different. It’s not always easy to honor our parents. Even for those with great relationships with their own parents, following their rules and cherishing them can be difficult. In most cases, we spend most of our early lives with our parents. We know them better than we know anyone else in our lives, and with all the things we love and cherish about them, we know about their sins as well. We know our parents aren’t perfect, and sometimes, we might believe their decisions or rules are unfair, illogical, or just plain annoying. 

But your parents, and other authorities in our lives, are the people that God has chosen to guard, protect, lead, and teach us in our lives. Our parents are in authority over us because God gave them that vocation. It is their role to love and care for you, just as it is yours to love and obey them. Both parents and children fail one another in their vocations. Because of the Fall, we all are unable to uphold our vocations perfectly. Just as much as this commandment is about loving, cherishing, honoring, serving, and obeying your parents, it is also about forgiving them. Just as parents are supposed to show love to their children as God showed His love to His children, we are to show that same love to our parents. Christ died for your parents, and Christ died for you. One blessing of the family that we may sometimes forget is that we are given a close, tight knit community in which we can bring the promises of Christ to one another. Children and parents alike may bring the love of Christ to one another in love, through communicating God’s forgiveness to one another, reminding each other of our baptismal identities, and continually driving one another back to Christ. When you fail as a son or daughter, repent in love and honor; and when your parents fail, show them Christ’s love in return.

“You are to honor and obey your father, mother, ev’ry day, serve them each way that comes to hand; You’ll then live long in the land.” Have mercy, Lord! (LSB 581:5)

-Vicar Benjamin Heinz is vicar at Trinity Lutheran Church, Springfield, MO.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

The Lutheran Reader’s Bible helps you develop a habit of devotion and Bible reading so you can slowly but intentionally understand and grow in God’s Word. Through introductions to the sixty-six books of the Bible, guided reading plans, and more, this Bible builds your confidence to study Scripture on your own.