Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions

Scripture Text: Revelation 21:22–27

Online jigsaw

• Index of posts

  Click for audio of today's lesson. 

From the Word: 22 And I saw no temple within, for the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun, nor the moon, to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 And the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day—for there will be no night there. 26 And they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But nothing unclean will enter into it, nor one who acts with shame or deceit, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21:22–27)

From the ConfessionsThe Large Catechism, The Ten Commandments

The Fourth Commandment

Honor your father and your mother, (that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.)

You have everything good here: protection and defense in the Lord, a joyful conscience, and still more, a gracious God who will reward you a hundredfold. If you are devout and obedient, you are a true nobleman. But if you are not, you will have nothing but the wrath and displeasure of God. There will be no peace in your heart, and sooner or later, you will suffer all kinds of trouble and hardship.

Pulling It Together: One must walk in God’s light; you cannot invent your own. He is the way, so we must walk in his truth. There are certainly many of those who would spin God’s truth into their own brand of truth. But we are not interested in what amounts to a lie, for that leads to darkness, or is itself darkness. So, we must focus on what God says, and be careful to do that. We must not twist his words and say that for this reason or another, we do not need to honor our parents, or for that matter, anyone set above us. We cannot expect God to bless us with peace in the heart and a good conscience, let alone the other good things that come from his hand, if we skew or altogether ignore the commands that establish his blessings.  

Prayer: Give me the courage and strength, Lord, to walk in your light. Amen.

Receive these Sola Devotions in weekday emails. Click here to fill out a quick and secure subscription form. 

Subscribe to Connections Magazine. Connections features articles that connect Lutherans to the Word. Martin Luther’s Small Catechism provides the inspiration for confessional, biblical content, delivered in a stylish, readable design. 


Share this post


Click Here For Content Archives