Make-Up: January 23: Ten Commandments Pt. 2

Make-Up:

We ask you to read the material below. The material will include "deep thought", our key words (definition), scripture (link - please read) and some general thoughts and video(s). We ask you to read all material and then comment in the comments section. Share one key thought or concept that came to you and how it will make a difference.

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Bible Text:

John 2:1–12; Matthew 5:17–48; 2 Samuel 11:1–27

Lesson Focus:

God wants us to honor, respect, protect, and nurture all living things.

Big Question:

Honor, respect, protect, and nurture. . . how am I supposed to do all that?

Key Words:

RESPECT, NURTURE, INTERRELATEDNESS, HUMAN SEXUALITY

Definitions of Key Words


RESPECT: to show consideration and thoughtfulness to somebody or something.

NURTURE: to care for and/or provide for the needs of somebody or something.

INTERRELATEDNESS: every person is connected to the whole of the universe.

HUMAN SEXUALITY: the physical and emotional elements of how God created us as loving beings.


Doubt Movie Clip (Gossip)

Here is a clip from Doubt and it has a powerful message on "gossip". Gossip may be one of the aspects of life that can/does destroy middle school students. It ties in great with respect and interrelatedness.



Going Very Deep

In the first three Commandments, the focus is on our relationship with God. Beginning with the Fourth Commandment, we learn how keeping the First Commandment also pertains to how we regard the neighbors God gives. Since they live "next" to us for much of our lives, we may consider (as God does) our parents to be our "neighbors."

We often take for granted all the things our parents do for us. They have to manage a household. They try to make sure we have all the basics for daily life, such as food and clothing and shelter. God has given them the task of providing safety and security. They're called to make sure you are welcomed into each day with love and to bring you back to what's good and proper when you do wrong.

It's not easy being a mom or a dad. A huge revelation comes when you hold a child in your arms and know you have complete responsibility for the well-being of that little one. God knows what a big job it is too, so God expects children to honor those who have been given the job.

Honoring your parents is easier said than done. It means obeying them. It means respecting them. It means contributing to the well-being of the household they're in charge of. It means taking care of them when they are too old to care for themselves.

It's important to note the calling to be a father or mother is not a license to do anything you want to your children. When parents neglect or endanger their children, they need to be called to account for their sinful actions, and the children need to be protected. In these situations, parents' actions don't show care for their children. God provides for trusted authorities and other adults whose job it is to care for children in those situations.

Most people know their parents. But for some, their birth parents needed to hand their calling from God over to someone else: adoptive parents, grandparents, stepparents, or foster parents. They assumed the role of parents and have all the same responsibilities, and the commandment to honor applies to them because the job has been transferred to them.

In his explanation of this commandment, Luther speaks of "others in authority." God passes on some parental authority and responsibility to other people around you. They look out for your safety and protection when you are not directly under your parents' care. These are people such as teachers and principals, police officers and judges, camp counselors and coaches. While parents can do a lot for their children, they can't do everything. So these people add to what parents can do and, thus, as extensions of our parents, they also should be given the honor and respect the Fourth Commandment demands.

Matthew 5:17–48

God gives the Fifth Commandment in order to protect life. Even though we have life through our parents and they care for us, we don't spend all our time tucked away in the safety of home. We have to go out and about. We have to deal with people outside our families. The Fifth Commandment seeks to assure us of safety and security out in the world.

Sometimes we want to get even with our enemies by hurting them or taking their lives. In times of anger or resentment, violence or other kinds of retribution are too easy. But the damage is sometimes impossible to undo. So God speaks this commandment to protect others from you and you from your enemies.

There are some good reasons God wants to stop the trouble before it gets out of hand: so that we can approach our problems with others with a cool head and a warm heart, so that we can see our neighbors' actions in the best light, and so that we can begin to see our neighbors as a gift and be of service to them in return.

It's pretty obvious from the words of the Fifth Commandment what kind of behavior God seeks to prevent. The commandment demands that we refrain from hurting anyone physically. No injuring. No hitting. And certainly no killing. But there are ways to hurt, maim, and kill other than injuring another person physically. When our anger, fear, or jealousy works on us and we can't injure someone physically, we sometimes look for new weapons. Instead of fists, we'll try manipulation; instead of guns, we'll shoot nasty words. So this commandment also restrains us when we want to hurt others by shaking their sense of security, pushing them into doubt about their own gifts, or bringing them into despair over whether our God of life truly cares for them.

God created us to be God's working hands in the world. We were created to care for our neighbors, to help and support them. When we don't live out that care, we break the Fifth Commandment.

2 Samuel 11:1–27

The media is filled with highly sexualized images that promote a kind of "get what you can" attitude that's only distinguished from greed by the need it seeks to fill. By the time kids get to middle school, they've been barraged by advertising telling them that when they've fulfilled themselves in that way, or at least compiled an adequate list of experiences, they'll have it made.

But in the Sixth Commandment, God offers another view of sexuality. This Commandment claims that God, who creates life and demands honor for those who bring it into existence, doesn't see your sexuality as just another toy. God regards sex as so crucial yet so dangerous that it requires the protection of a commandment.

There's no doubt that sex carries some risk, emotional as well as physical. When intimate with another person, you let down your guard, opening up countless ways to get hurt (and not just by catching an STD).

Because God thinks sex can be a good and joyful gift for us and wants to keep people from getting hurt by it, God wants sex to happen in the safest possible place. God builds a safe zone for sex.

When someone promises you publicly, "I'm going to stick with you until death parts us," and follows through on the promise, you don't have to suffer the worries sex can create. You are free to give yourself to your spouse completely, knowing that at least that part of your future is certain. To those for whom marriage is a calling in life, this is a great comfort.

This safety zone also involves loving and honoring your spouse by keeping your promise. If you give yourself completely to your spouse, you can't hold part of you in reserve. And you can't take a piece of yourself to give to another person. If you're not true to your own promise, you damage the safety zone and damage your relationship. And when that happens, it undermines the stability that your marriage contributes to God's creation.

The Sixth Commandment isn't just about the sexual act, though. It also focuses on your attitude about sex. If God takes it seriously enough to give a specific commandment, you should take it seriously too. So the Catechism says we are to "lead pure and decent lives in word and deed." That means treating matters of sex with great honor. We ought to watch the language we use to talk about sex and make sure we speak of it respectfully.

God isn't just a giver of demands, of course. That's something to keep in mind when dealing with sex. All human beings make mistakes in this area, but in Christ God grants forgiveness to sinners.