“To this estate of fatherhood and motherhood God has given the special distinction above all estates … for all authority flows and is propagated from the authority of parents.”
― Large Catechism
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.
The Fourth Commandment
In this Joy:Fully Catechized series, we’re going to walk step by step through Luther’s Small Catechism providing you with resources to give you a fuller understanding of each of the 6 chief parts.
HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER.
What does this mean? All Lutherans know this question well, and if you’ve been confirmed, you likely know the answer, too.
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.
But as you might also recall from catechesis, God’s Word is much richer and deeper, not only telling us what we should and should not do, but also outlining for us His many gifts and the ways in which He protects those gifts for us with His holy law.
Consider the following resources as you study God’s Word, reflecting especially on this third of His Ten Commandments:
TEXTUAL RESOURCES
The Small Catechism | Martin Luther
The 10 Commandments
The Large Catechism | Martin Luther
The Fourth Commandment
AUDIO RESOURCES
Sing the Faith: The Small Catechism Set to Music
Concordia Publishing House
The Fourth Commandment
VIDEO RESOURCES
Higher Things Video Catechism | Pastor Mark Buetow
Higher Things: The Largely Catechized Life
Pastor Harrison Goodman
- God gave you your parents
- God works through sinful parents
- Serve God by serving your neighbor
- God works through government
- Your 3 Dads
- My first name is pastor
- With great power comes great responsibility
- Call the wambulance
Grappling with the Text | Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller
Teaching Christian Basics | Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller
Small Catechism Tuesday | Pastor Jacob Ehrhard
The Fourth Commandment
The Catechized Life | Pastor Matt Richard
Gifts of Authority