By Pastor Gary M. Brown
Luther on the Duty of Citizens
Galatians 6:2 - "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
In the Small Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther there exists a category called the Table of Duties. In the Table of Duties Luther lists the duties of Christians to their various relationships. It begins with Pastors, then Parishioners, and continues even to parents and children. But the one I would like to address is the duty of citizens. In this category Luther includes submitting to the authorities, paying taxes, and showing honor to the governing leaders. Luther urges prayers for those in authority for the good of those whom they govern. What is not included is the subject of this article. Luther does not include participation in the Democratic process of voting. It is not an oversight on Luther's part, rather this was not a form of Government with which Luther would have been acquainted.
However, were he to have written the Table of Duties today, I believe he would have included the responsibility of Christians to vote, and to vote as Bible believing Christians. I am certain about this because of his Two Kingdom Doctrine. He postulates that we are citizens of both the kingdoms (governments) of this world secondarily, but that we are citizens of the Kingdom of God above all things. Therefore we are to obey Governing authority except where it requires us to deny, or go against God's Word and Command. It is wrong to steal. Therefore it is wrong to vote for someone whose platform is to steal from others. It is the Job of the believer to honor God in every relationship including in your relationship as a citizen voter. So honor God and vote! You have three days! God bless you, and God bless America!
Vicar's Corner
This weekend I let the highschoolers vote on what the next subject would be for Sunday bible study. To my surprise they chose to take a look at the large catechism. Didn't know the catechism had a sequel? The large catechism expands on what is written in the catechism, and was given to the church so that the parents could teach the faith to their household and for pastors to instruct their flock.
It occurred to me that I never had to read the large catechism growing up. I wonder how many of us have never cracked it open or have only done so once or twice in our lives. For that matter, when was the last time that we picked up the catechism? When we read the preface to both the large and the catechism, Luther exhorts us to recite the catechism daily, and yet I find that to be such a rare practice even amongst theologians. Luther says himself that he recites the catechism daily, and learns it as a small child would, because one cannot learn too much of it.
I know that life is busy, and this sounds like a large task to add to your daily schedule, but prayerfully meditating on God's word and what he has taught is something that Christians do. (Psalm 1:2) So this month I would encourage you to dust off one of your catechisms and, as Luther says, prayerfully meditate on it and learn as a child would. If you don't have one, pick up the little booklet in the Narthex that says "A Simple Explanation of Christianity", this contains the catechism. I read through all of it this morning and it only took about 20 minutes.
I would love to hear from any of you who undertake this task with me this month. Having an intentional prayer life is an immense blessing, and one that I pray all of you would have.
God's peace, and I pray that God be with all of you this month as we get into the holiday season.
Vicar Tanner Gossman