● June 2025 "The Mountain Top Messenger" Newsletter
(please click on above link to open current newsletter)
My goodness, June already. It doesn’t feel like it this past week, but we are close. I am sure the
weather will improve and I'm guessing, before long we will probably be complaining about the heat.
We are getting closer to sending our youth off to the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans and
fund-raising efforts are continuing, a big thank you to those who have helped and those who will be
helping in the future. I can't think of much more at the moment, so I am going to dive right into our
commandment of the month. This month it is the first of the neighbor commandments, start of the
second tablet of the law.
Honor your father and your mother. Sounds pretty simple doesn't it? Short and sweet. Before we get
too far into it, I would like to share with you what Luther says in his introduction to the fourth commandment
in the large catechism.
"Thus far we have learned the first three commandments, which relate to God. First, that with our
whole heart we trust in Him, and fear and love Him throughout all our life. Secondly, that we do not
misuse His holy name in the support of falsehood or any bad work, but employ it to the praise of
God and the profit and salvation of our neighbor and ourselves. Thirdly, that on holidays and when
at rest we diligently treat and urge God's Word, so that all our actions and our entire life be ordered
according to it. Now follow the other seven, which relate to our neighbor, among which the first and
greatest is:
"Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother."
He continues with this: "For it is a much higher thing to honor than to
love. Honor includes not only love, but also deference, humility, and
modesty directed (so to speak) toward a majesty concealed withing
them." He also states that "next to God, we give them the highest
place." The first thing that comes to mind when I read this is, Wow! That
is quite a command. As I look back on my childhood and into my early
adulthood, I probably was not a shining example as a keeper of this commandment. No wonder Dr.
Luther stress that this should be taught from a young age so that young people revere their parents
as God's representatives. He then adds that "however lowly, poor, feeble, and eccentric they may
be, they are still their mother and father, given by God."
Now I think that we would all agree that this is indeed a challenging commandment. One of the interesting
things about this commandment is that it is the only commandment that carries a promise:
"that it may go well with you and you may live long in the land." Luther looks at this as both a temporal
(here and now) and spiritual blessings, with emphasis on both family and civil stability that are
vital to both individuals and societies.
As Lutherans we expand upon the scope of the commandment significantly, placing within it a theological
and social vision for the proper ordering of our human relationships and authority. As we
teach that the definition of father and mother is expanded to any of those having authority over us or
those place over us by our parents. For example teachers, granted that position to educate and help
you grow. We then take it even further to include the civil authorities who create laws and regulations,
and then govern and enforce those laws for a peaceful and ordered society.
As Lutherans we expand upon the scope of the commandment significantly, placing within it a theological
and social vision for the proper ordering of our human relationships and authority. As we
teach that the definition of father and mother is expanded to any of those having authority over us or
those place over us by our parents. For example teachers, granted that position to educate and help
you grow. We then take it even further to include the civil authorities who create laws and regulations,
and then govern and enforce those laws for a peaceful and ordered society.
The Fourth Commandment is frequently invoked in discussions on elder care, healthcare ethics, and
end-of-life decision-making. Luther's injunction to support and care for one's parents takes on renewed
relevance as families and societies grapple with the challenges of dementia, palliative care,
and the dignity of the elderly. Lutheran ethics stress the imperative of compassionate presence and
structural support for older adults.
While Luther was very focused on the child's duty, in more modern times the emphasis has moved
toward more mutual responsibility within relationships of authority. Today, the right to honor presupposes
a corresponding responsibility to act justly. In the contemporary world, in situations involving
abuse, neglect, or coercion, obedience is neither required nor ethically appropriate. This reflects an
increased sensitivity to psychological health, trauma, and the theological imperative for justice.
The challenges with some of the more contemporary issues that impact our world come into play in
this commandment as well. As the world looks to change Biblical definitions and God's design, the
question arises in the understanding of father and mother. Is it the same in a world of Father and Father,
Mother and Mother, or even They and They? We have to be careful, God created the order of
man and woman, husband and wife, mother and father. Each parent plays a vital part in the raising
of a child. So many today never experience that with single parent families, divided families,
LGBTQ+ families. Many outside of our church body feel the commandment lacks the inclusivity and
diversity required in today's world. I have neither the time nor the space to argue that point here.
Please know that I am open to discuss this and any issue that may be raised in your mind by any of
my writings or messages. My door is always open.
So I close with this, the fourth commandment, serves as both a theological and ethical foundation for
human relationships grounded in respect, responsibility, and divinely ordained order.
And now; The Lord Bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious
to you, the Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
Pastor Rick
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