Beckett: “You Shall Have No Other Gods”

*Featured image: Holy Trinity, detail of Iconostasis in Greek Catholic Co-cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Zagreb, Croatia. | Shutterstock*

What does this mean? “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.”

Luther argued that everyone has a god. A god is that to which you turn for comfort and refuge in all distress, be it a creature, saint, or devil (see LC I, 1-21). When you’re in distress, what do you turn to for comfort? Is it porn? Video games? Sex? Drugs? Alcohol? Television? Do you isolate yourself from others and fall into the snare of your own mind?

Rather than fool ourselves that we can find comfort in vain things such as these, Jesus encourages us to find comfort in the gift of Himself in this Commandment by inviting us to find rest in Him, God made flesh. “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30, NKJV).

What does this look like practically in your life? That’s what the 3rd Commandment is for. We keep the Sabbath not for the Sabbath’s sake, but rather for our own sake, for it is the day that Christ, the Lord of the Sabbath, has promised to give the gift of Himself (1st Commandment) through His means of grace, the Word and Sacraments. Indeed, He is available every day. He comes to you in prayer (2nd Commandment). And He comes to you in your pastor whenever you need to hear the Gospel as well as for private Confession & Absolution.