Tuesday, August 17, 2021

The Ten Commandments

John Stromgren

The Eighth Commandment

Some things that we possess are not things at all. In Martin Luther’s explanation of this commandment in his Small Catechism, the intangible things need special attention:

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

What does this mean for us? We are to fear and love God so that we do not betray, slander, or lie about our neighbor, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain his actions in the kindest way.

On the surface, this commandment is about lying, or saying something that gets our neighbor into trouble. We should absolutely not do that. But saying nothing can be harmful as well. So can saying something that might be true, but is not our business, or would not be kind. Someone once defined gossip for me as telling someone else’s story. You can tell your own story, but when you start telling someone else’s, a little alarm should go off: Is this kind? Is this helpful? Is this even any of my business? What you say about someone, or don’t say, can impact their reputation – an intangible possession all too easily ruined by a slip of the tongue, or by holding your tongue when someone needs defending. Of all Luther’s explanations of the commandments, this one has always been the most touching to me: Defend your neighbor, speak well of him, and explain his actions in the kindest way. Isn’t that what we hope others would do for us?