April 13, 2016

20 “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Deuteronomy 5:20

“What does this mean?
We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.” (Martin Luther’s explanation to the Eighth Commandment – Small Catechism)

“Therefore this commandment is given first of all that every one shall help his neighbor to secure his rights, and not allow them to be hindered or twisted, but shall promote and strictly maintain them, no matter whether he be judge or witness, and let it pertain to whatsoever it will. And especially is a goal set up here for our jurists that they be careful to deal truly and uprightly with every case…irrespective of a person’s money, possession, honor, or power.

Next, it extends very much further, if we are to apply it to spiritual jurisdiction or administration; here it is a common occurrence that every one bears false witness against his neighbor. For wherever there are godly preachers and Christians, they must bear the sentence before the world that they are called heretics, apostates, yea, seditious and desperately wicked miscreants. Besides, the Word of God must suffer in the most shameful and malicious manner, being persecuted, blasphemed, contradicted, perverted, and falsely cited and interpreted.” (Martin Luther’s explanation to the Eighth Commandment – Large Catechism)

I think there are two opinions within this one commandment. Many will say that one of the Ten Commandments is that we should not lie. And that is true, as Luther begins his explanation with the words: “We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies…” Of course, we should not tell lies. But, if we were to couch this commandment into the positive and say “We should fear and love G-d so that we tell the truth, always…” – well I don’t know that it would have the same impact. It is expected that we should not tell lies – and it is expected that we should tell the truth, always. But as we all know, to tell the truth always is almost, almost impossible. Life requires that there be a degree to truth telling. But stretching the truth and outright lying are completely different.

But the commandment explanation by Luther goes further, that we are not to tell lies… “about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.” Now, this has reached the level of near “impossibility” – like telling the truth, “always”. I think we can hold our tongue about our neighbor who is just a despicable person – but to carry it to its conclusion (for Luther) and to speak well and defend the person who is a despicable person, well that is something we all find difficult. But, according to Luther, if we only refrain from slandering or attacking our neighbor who may be someone who seeks to make us hate him or her, and do not speak well of them, then we fall short of the intent of the commandment. And once again, that is why they are commandments – because they are hard. And that is why we have Grace, because we all fall short of the Glory of G-d.

Pastor Dave