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Opening Prayer
God of grace, you have given us minds to know you, hearts to love you, and voices to sing your praise. Fill us with your Spirit, guide us by your Word, and help us as we seek to follow you and your commandments. Amen.
Exodus 20:1-16: “Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
The Seventh Commandment
You shall not steal.
What does this mean?
According to Martin Luther in the Small Catechism, this Commandment means that “we are to fear and love God, so that we neither take our neighbors’ money or property nor acquire them by using shoddy merchandise or crooked deals, but instead help them to improve and protect their property and income.”
What does this mean for me?
While most of us would never walk out of store with an iPhone without paying for it, many people will download a song or movie from a sharing site without paying, cut and paste a quotation without citing it or fail to correct the clerk who gives them too much change. The Seventh Commandment doesn’t draw a distinction between little thefts and big thefts, but simply encourages us to respect our neighbors property and to help them keep what they have.
The Eighth Commandment
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
What does this mean?
According to Martin Luther in the Small Catechism, this Commandment means that “we are to fear and love God, so that we do not tell lies about our neighbors, betray or slander them, or destroy their reputations. Instead we are to come to their defense, speak well of them, and interpret everything they do in the best possible light.”
What does this mean for me?
The Eighth Commandment invites us to see our neighbors words and actions in the best possible light. Imagine how much happier relationships would be if we looked for the good in the actions of others, gave people the benefit of the doubt and focused on the best traits of our neighbors.
Reflection Questions (Answer Question 2 in the comments below)
1. What are some of the ways that people steal in their everyday lives? How do people often justify these actions?
2. Luther says “we are to come to their defense, speak well of them, and interpret everything they do in the best possible light.” What could that mean for us in our daily lives?
Closing Prayer
Gracious and holy God, give us diligence to seek you, wisdom to perceive you, and patience to wait for you. Grant us, O God, a mind to meditate on you; eyes to behold you; ears to listen for your word; a heart to love you; and a life to proclaim you; through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
“Luther’s Small Catechism with Evangelical Lutheran Worship Texts.” Copyright © 2000, 2006 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Prayers are adapted from “ELW -Additional Prayers” Copyright © 2015 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #25165.