You Shall not Steal

Posted on January 4, 2014 by David Nuottila

DSC_0164 (2)The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden.” Genesis 2:15-16

Nearly everyone knows and understands that taking another person’s property without permission is wrong. We simply shouldn’t take something that doesn’t belong to us, or use something that belongs to another without first asking. But the sad truth is that as sinners in need of redemption, we steal from one another every day, most times without even realizing it. Studying the seventh commandment gives us much to think about as we consider what it means to live as God’s children in a broken world.

God said, “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15). As with all of the Ten Commandments, this commandment is not only a prohibition against stealing another person’s property; it is an invitation for its hearers to resist the temptation to steal. Through this commandment, God calls people to protect that which belongs to their neighbor, help him guard and protect his property and his reputation.

In reading the creation narrative, we understand that God dignified humankind by giving us vocation. In Genesis 2:15-16 we read that God put the man in the garden to till it and to keep it. The reward for his labor was that he may eat of the fruits of the trees in the garden and share these gifts with the woman given as his companion. Through our labors, God blesses us with all that we need; food, home, and purpose.

God calls all people to vocations according to our gifts and talents. Just as we live together in community; we enjoy sharing that which God has blessed us with through our work. In these regards, stealing is not only depriving our neighbor the fruit of his/her labor, it is also an act by which we fail to accept the rightful presentation of such gifts. Stealing deprives our neighbors and us of God’s intentions for creation. Some of these examples seem victimless, but there is always a victim when it comes to theft and stealing. Not only do we cheat and deprive one another, we also deprive ourselves of honor and reputation, and we sin against God.

Stealing is denying God and humankind the fullness and richness of God’s creative intention. The seventh commandment calls us to protect that which belongs to our neighbor, working and caring for that which God has provided. As we do these things, we honor God and share his many blessing with those who have also been placed in the garden.

Generous and loving God, you are the giver of all good gifts. Help us to share these blessings with others that all might know the richness of your kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Fidelity in Marriage

Posted on January 3, 2014 by David Nuottila

weddingRingsBible_smaller[Jesus said], “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh’? Matthew 19:4-5

God is the source of many wonderful blessings, not the least of which is the blessing of marriage. In marriage, men and women express their love and desire for one another and share the intimate relationship of sexuality. Sexuality and desire shared in marriage is meant to enhance, build and support those living within the framework established by God. This expression of love is a wonderful gift from God and therefore we should strive to follow the commandment concerning marriage and sexual relationships; “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).

The sixth commandment is a frame work on which to build a loving relationship with a spouse, to enjoy all of the beauty of intimacy and love. As a man and woman stand before the Christian community and exchange marriage vows, they promise one another a lifetime of love and desire for each other. In celebration of the couple’s love, the community promises to love, honor and support the newly wed couple as they begin a new life as one flesh. Yet, in the world there is much sexual trouble. There is great temptation to satisfy urges brought on by sin and brokenness. The world seems bent on reordering human sexuality to suit its own purpose.

All too often people are wounded and broken because of misplaced sexual desire. Many marriages end in divorce due to men and women being unfaithful to their spouse. All too often people forget that human sexuality is a blessing and a gift from God and not of human origin. Still, God comes to repentant sinners and through Christ heals the woundedness of adultery. Even in the brokenness of divorce, there is mercy and grace. As we contemplate the commandment concerning adultery, we would do well to recall a statement from theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

“Marriage is more than your love for each other. It has a higher dignity and power, for it is God’s holy ordinance, through which he wills to perpetuate the human race till the end of time. In your love you see only your two selves in the world, but in marriage you are a link in the chain of the generations, which God causes to come and to pass away to his glory, and calls into his kingdom. In your love you see only the heaven of your own happiness, but in marriage you are placed at a post of responsibility towards the world and mankind. Your love is your own private possession, but marriage is more than something personal—it is a status and office… Love comes from you, but marriage from above, from God. As high as God is above man, so high are the sanctity, the rights and the promise of love. It is not your love that sustains the marriage, but from now on, the marriage that sustains your love.”  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison

Father God, we thank you for the blessing of marriage. Help us to support those living in such relationships, that they may remain faithful in love and fidelity toward one another. Amen.

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You Shall not Kill

Posted on January 2, 2014 by David Nuottila

 

???????????????????????????????The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Romans 13:9

Did you happen to see the news last night? Someone got killed. Oh…pick any location, the news is the same; someone got killed. Recently people were killed in the Middle East and in Russia through terrorist attacks. In Afghanistan it’s because of armed conflict. In Sudan the reason is the outset of civil war. People are being killed in large numbers. Here at home, people are killed on the streets, in schools, and even in their homes.
Believe it or not, we have all killed someone at some point in our lives. Killing doesn’t always end up with someone dying…at least not in the physical sense. Killing takes on many forms other than causing a person to cease his/her existence among the living.

What does it mean to kill? Sounds like a simple question with an obvious answer, but questions concerning biblical teaching are seldom completely satisfied with obvious answers. According to Luther’s Small Catechism, the fifth commandment means that we are to fear, love and trust in God so that we do not cause harm to anyone in any way, but rather we are to help and support our neighbor with all physical needs. If we do anything to cause harm to our neighbor, we are in effect killing a part of that person.

Bombs, bullets, and other weapons are not the only means by which humans kill humans. We kill each other in mind, body and spirit. Attacking a person’s character or reputation is a form of killing self-esteem. Making fun of a person’s physical characteristics or appearances kills confidence. These are just a couple of ways that we cause harm to others; through our careless remarks and actions, we make them less that what they were. In so many ways we do harm to our neighbors without even realizing it.

In light of the fifth commandment, we as members of God’s church need to be ever mindful of our neighbor’s needs. We should pray to God that we find ways to support one another, living the call of Jesus each day.

“Come you that are blessed by the Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me (Matt. 25:34-36).

Loving God, give us the mind and the will to care for and protect the lives of our neighbors, building them up in faith and love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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A New Year Prayer

Posted on January 1, 2014 by David Nuottila

carols barn 2Our most gracious heavenly Father,
You spoke your Creation into being when you said “Let there be light.” And now, through your Son Jesus Christ, you bring your creation to another new year of light and life. Even as we are a fallen humanity, children who stray from your goodness, we confess our shortcomings and ask your forgiveness and grace.

At the onset of this new year, give us the will to minister to those whom you have placed within our midst. Strengthen us in love that we may feed the hungry, provide shelter for the homeless, care for the sick and reach out to the lost and forgotten sharing the good news of Christ and the power of your love.

Bless your people with the presence of your Holy Spirit. In our uncertainties, give us assurance of your grace. In our doubts and fears, help us turn to you for guidance. In our disputes, bring us to peaceful resolution. In our pain and sickness, bring us healing and wholeness. In our selfishness, give us generous hearts. In all of our temptations, give us the strength to seek your kingdom first.

Everlasting Father, you are the author of all life. We give you thanks for the powerful witness of your saints and for all who have gone before us. Lead us by their faithful example, that we too might live according to your will. And finally, even as we begin a new year in our earthly pilgrimage, we patiently await the day when you come again, reuniting all your people, making all things new.

Bless us all according to your loving kindness, and bring us into the glory of your kingdom. This we pray in the powerful name above all names, Jesus Christ our savior and Lord.  Amen.

 

Photo: My sister’s Barn, Courtesy of my sister Carol

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When It’s Difficult to Honor Father and Mother

Posted on December 31, 2013 by David Nuottila

4169“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

For some, the commandment to honor father and mother is most difficult. Children who come from stable homes and families usually do not have much trouble honoring their parents. They don’t always see eye to eye, but in most cases children from stable loving families seem to enjoy wholesome relationships with their parents. Yet, all too often we read in the papers or see on the news, stories of children’s lives that have been rocked by parents who have given in to some of the worst temptations. Just how does one honor a parent that has physically, verbally, or sexually abused them?

Children all too often suffer great pains and humiliation, and emotional turmoil at the hands of their parents. This subject is hard for us to speak of because as a society, we understand this behavior is deplorable and contrary to God’s intention. Most often in situations of abuse, only God’s grace is sufficient for healing and restoration. So where does this leave children who have been hurt in so many ways, with respect to honoring their father and mother? This is the paradox of the commandments.

It is most important to read and understand the fourth commandment within the larger framework of the first and greatest commandment. To love and trust in God above all things. According to this commandment, honor, loyalty, and love for God is paramount to any and all human loyalty; we must honor God more than people. We must accept that all humans are sinners and therefore are in need of God’s grace. We must acknowledge to God in prayer, all of those things that are hard speak of, all of the people who have done unto us great harm.

The fourth commandment does not call children to submit to abusive parents. This commandment calls children, and parents, to honor and love God, and live within the framework of relationships that were given unto us in baptism. To honor your father and mother does not simply mean to hold them dear, loving them no matter what the circumstance. Honoring your father and mother also means acknowledging that because of sin and the power of the evil one, our relationships are sometimes broken beyond our ability to forgive. Sometimes honoring our father and mother means commending all of the hurt, betrayal and pain to God our Father, by whose grace alone, we are saved through Jesus Christ.

As you go about your daily walk of faith, remember to pray for those who suffer all type of abuse and neglect. Pray, not only for the victims, but also pray for those who commit such deplorable acts, that all may find healing and reconciliation in Christ. Give thanks to God for those who provide safe space for victims of abuse, and for those who provide perpetrators with counseling, so that all may one day find peace.

 

Photo:  Receiving first Holy Communion

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