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In this episode, Brett and Jason do an overview of the Ten Commandments from Luther’s small and large catechisms. They discuss the three functions and purposes of the Law, and examine how each of the commandments simultaneously prohibit certain behavior while promoting the opposite behavior.
If someone sins against us we are not to worry about that? Really? So we are never to call the police in case of a crime? Or abuse? What does this tell people who are suffering under systematic abuse in their homes or in their churches?
You are absolutely right, and that comment was overstated because of the context. If I’m remembering correctly, we were talking about our desire under the Law to only point out where others have harmed us, rather than letting the Law do its work of convicting our own sin.
Either way, that does not excuse us from obviously looking past and failing to address this. We do not seek to minimize pain or suffering, especially in the case where someone has been abused in a family or church setting. Beyond this, we also have a responsibility in our vocations to love our neighbor by protecting them from crime, and to love our neighbor the criminal by not letting them get away with crime. But both of these would be secondary to addressing the pain and suffering that comes from domestic violence and other types of abuse.
It is easy, at times, to get tunnel vision on these topics, especially when you are simply talking about theological application of a specific point. Please accept my (and our) apologies for being so crass in neglecting an important facet of the discussion. I’m going to talk with Brett and Brian about hopefully addressing this on air, as I believe it is an important subject that we need to clarify. Thank you for holding us accountable.
Thank you! Unfortunately I know too many people who have been burned by the church in this way. My heart aches for them. I was bullied in school a lot and felt quite helpless to get anyone to stand up for me. It is a terrible feeling, especially if you work up the Kerge to tell someone and they either tell you that you are too unforgiving, or they don’t believe you, or they basically try to church discipline you instead of the perpetrator.
Thankfully I never had anyone in the church do this kind of thing, but I can imagine how crippling or even killing that would be to one’s faith.
Er… “kerge” should be “courage” – I don’t know why my phone spelled it that way.!