In the Week of Father’s Day, a Reflection

   

In The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church are both Martin Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms with six other confessional documents.  In the catechisms, we confess the Ten Commandments which is not in fashion these days.  Lutheran pastors in Ordination, vow the following by answering in the affirmative this question:

“Do you promise that you will perform the duties of your office in accordance with these Confessions, and that all your preaching and teaching and your administration of the Sacraments will be in conformity with Holy Scripture and with these Confessions?”

In the Large Catechism, the Ten Commandments, we confess the Fourth Commandment, and as Dr. Luther taught on it:

To this estate of fatherhood and motherhood God has given the special distinction above all estates that are beneath it that He not simply commands us to love our parents, but to honor them. For with respect to brothers, sisters, and our neighbors in general He commands nothing higher than that we love them, so that He separates and distinguishes father and mother above all other persons upon earth, and places them at His side. For it is a far higher thing to honor than to love one, inasmuch as it comprehends not only love, but also modesty, humility, and deference as to a majesty there hidden.

Please note, as Luther did, the commandment says “honor” and this is “a far higher thing”, for honor includes, “…not only love, but also modesty, humility, and deference as to a majesty there hidden.” Luther taught that parents are God’s representatives. In my readings from Judaism, we seem to be in accord in this interpretation.  This commandment is the segue from the 1^st Table of the Law, about God’s relationship with us, to our very first neighbors, Father and Mother.  Indeed, parenthood and family are divine as the Lord has blessed parenthood with His Word of Law, and in the fullness of time His only-begotten Son would be born in a family to save all families in the Gospel.

We have lost the sense of honor.  Here in Lexington, with the Virginia Military Institute, and before when we lived in Norfolk, with the United States Navy, honor is still a crucial concept and way of life. People have no shame as they talk about being proud in perversions of body and soul.  As it is written in Romans 13, “Pay to all what is owed to them… respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” (Please reread this chapter in the face of the legal lawlessness of our day!)  Honor is then extended in this holy commandment to other fathers:

Thus we have two kinds of fathers presented in this commandment: fathers by blood, fathers of a household or those to whom belongs the care of the family, and fathers of the nation, those to whom belongs the care of the country. Besides these there are yet spiritual fathers…For those only are called spiritual fathers who govern and guide us by the Word of God.

The defamation of this commandment, especially in regards to fathers, has become acute in our day in derision heaped on “patriarchy”.  Yes, the commandment and the correct exposition of it is about patriarchy.  Patriarchy literally means the rule of fathers.  Now patriarchy, especially the racist interpretation of “white patriarchy”, is considered by the nihilists as a root of all evil (along with sexism, xenophobia, transphobia and homophobia). Yet, in this false interpretation there really is no “evil”, only oppressive structures, because good and evil are about a preexistent moral code which is denied because such indicates God our Father and they have to deny Him so they can get there way.  And in the popular culture, father knows best has been replaced by father knows least.  President Barack Obama knew the need of fathers in the black family:   

“…we can talk all we want here in Washington about issues like education and health care and crime; we can build good schools; we can put money into creating good jobs; we can do everything we can to keep our streets safe — but government can’t keep our kids from looking for trouble on those streets. Government can’t force a kid to pick up a book or make sure that the homework gets done. Government can’t be there day in, day out, to provide discipline and guidance and the love that it takes to raise a child. That’s our job as fathers, as mothers, as guardians for our children.”

For instance: It takes a father to bring his family to church.  Studies were done years ago that showed if Dad went to church, the children had a greater chance of going to church as an adult. It takes mothers AND fathers. And the absence of fathers is huge in black families, but no family is exempted

The prelude to this attack on patriarchy and fatherhood was inclusive language.  Change the language, down to the pronouns, so we don’t even refer to God as “He”, or Our Father, and we will then free people.  In my opinion, it has not worked and now we are burdened by chaos and pandemonium (literally, all the demons). So what do the nihilists want to replace patriarchy with?  Matriarchy, rule of mothers?  I personally have never heard nor read that idea.  I think the replacement is anarchy, literally “without rule”.  Yet we need order and in the anarchy, the nihilists will become the tyrannical new global order and to fuel this, let the drugs flow, let criminals be released, marijuana smoked, divorce with abandon, break up families, and let the corruption seep in so the nihilists can rule by fiat.

What do we do to the keep the Fourth Commandment?  Yes, vote for those who know the godly order upon earth which is the rule of the God who is love who hates sin but loves the sinner.  Even more, at the risk of redundancy:  honor your father and your mother! Honor those in authority but with discernment to point out that as they are legal, they may not be moral. The keeping of this commandment goes on on far from the citadels of ideological corruptions in schools, government and corporation every day. And it is broken everyday and we need the Lord’s forgiveness every day. The Lord Who perfectly kept the Law and honored His Father and Mother, and died for all families that they are forgiven to be saved by faith in Jesus Christ. And praise the Lord, the Gospel is heard and believed without the consent of those who hate the Word.  The Word of the Lord endures forever no thanks to foes who fear it.