Lenten Midweek 2 - 2025

4th and 5th Commandment

My brothers and sisters in Christ, tonight we examine the 4th and 5th commandments and move from the love that we are to show to God who had not only created us, has given us his name that we might call upon it in times of trouble, and given to us abundantly that we might find rest, but we find in the commandments that follow how we are to show love and compassion to our fellow man, and how we are to be guided according to God’s Will.

The fourth commandment, that you shall honor your father and mother is the first commandment with a promise, that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. For God has given us parents that we might learn that no one exists on his own, but is tied together with others that we might be joined together in love for each other.

For when God created Adam and Eve, he first formed Adam out of the dust of the earth, and then from Adam’s side he formed Eve, and since then mankind has been borne of that union of a father and mother. This is how we have existed throughout the ages. For no matter how strange or unpleasant our parents might be, they are the ones who kept us safe while we were unable to tend to or care for ourselves. For as children we would have all perished without them.

This is a precious gift that God gives us in parents for God gives us life and provides for us, but he does so through means. God has connected us with each other that we might be united with other people in this world. This bond has served as the foundation of society and life for generations and it comes from God.

This is why the Scriptures have many places where it commands children to treat their parents with honor and respect, for if a child wishes to do what is pleasing and good in the eyes of the Lord than it is found here, children obey your parents. Listen to them and do what they ask of you. Why on earth would you want to do that gladly and cheerfully? Just sit down and make a list, and ask what have my parents done for me not just today, but over the years?

In Sunday School, children learn about Israel and see how ungrateful Israel is for the food, the clothing, the water, and everything that God provides, and think we would never be like Israel, but then what has God done for us in our parents? If we consider all the good parents do, grumbling will cease.

Sin corrupted it on both sides. Parents don’t always do as they should, and some fall terribly from this important task. God commands children to honor their father and mother, they ought to strive to be worthy of that honor. To demonstrate for their children how they are to live for children mimic their parents, and as much as we are certain that we won’t be like them, we find ourselves in adulthood falling back to the same behaviors we learned and observed growing up. But we should listen to the words of holy scripture, that tell us that children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

For unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain, and so parents must be diligent that our children are trained in what is good and true.

This commandment expands out to include all those in authority even our Governments. I know this can be a mess to consider, but just as God gave to us our parents, God has also given us our governing authorities. For regardless of how we feel about them, they are God’s servants for our good, and so that is why if we have a good ruler, we rejoice and give thanks to God, for are receiving a blessing we do not deserve, but if we have a bad ruler, then we repent, for that is what our sins have merited. At the end of our day, as long as they are not commanding us to sin to go against God’s Word and commands then we honor them.

For we know that no matter what governments we have in this life, that Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world, and it is far more important that we belong to Christ than any nation here on earth. We should treat them with the same respect that children are to treat their parents, for while we are here on earth awaiting the return of Christ, we are under their roof until that time that we are taken to Jesus’ kingdom. While we may question and wonder like any child what’s going on, we don’t have to trust them, for they are but mortal, rather we trust in God who is overall.

God does give to Government a function that is important, and it is the office of the sword. For the government is to protect its citizens and at times must make use of force when people refuse to respect each other’s property, or refuse to treat the lives of its citizens with respect. This is why the government can call up soldiers, and raise a police force that is authorized to use force, and even end life when the need arises. Herein lies the difference between killing and murder.

Murder is taking the sword from the government and ending life without the authority to do so. We have the right to defend ourselves if someone seeks our life, but not the right to get rid of those we dislike or find inconvenient. For what is the positive in this command? What are we called to do? To help our neighbor in their flesh.

This commandment has us lift our heads up away from own self interests and look at our neighbors. Be they here at home, at church, at work, or in our communities. God did not place you in the midst of people so that you might live only for yourself and your own interests. Who needs your help and your aid? Quite often we misunderstand what God has given us and think that something we can do simply is of little value.

This commandment also teaches us that we are to show love for them, not hatred, for hatred is the heart of murder, it cares nothing for our neighbor, but to care for them in body and soul is to show genuine love for someone else who is in need.

This is why Christ points out that we are to help out those who are poor and needy. For we are to help and support them in every physical need. This is why all of us are here today, there are people who have provided and watched over us. This is how God works to provide, God works through us to provide for each other. The first place this happens is within the family, parents do this for children, and older brothers and sisters help out with their siblings as they can. It extends out to their neighbors, and then to their spouses, and then to their children. God has not left us alone in this world, but uses all that He created towards this end and so we should not seek to just be hermits, but rather be busy with good works, which include helping our neighbor.

Now what about when people sin against each other? Well that’s why there is a government to set some boundaries in place, and what about when the government sins? Well they like all of us have to deal with their Creator, they may be able to escape consequences of their sinfulness, but God is their judge and if they turned their hearts against those in need, they shall pay for it.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, in these two commandments, we find that God has provided for us in this world and connected us intimately with it. The first place is through our family where we are loved and learn to love others. While individuals may sin against us as we have sinned against others, let us not then throw the commandments out because sinners sinned against them. Rather let us remember Christ who came to establish a kingdom far greater than this world, and did not seek our death, and let that love motivate our hearts to care for others. In Jesus name. Amen.