Sixth Commandment -For the Young

Now, I speak of this in order that the young may be so guided that they conceive a liking for the married estate, and know that it is a blessed estate and pleasing to God. For in this way we might in the course of time bring it about that married life be restored to honor, and that there might be less of the filthy, dissolute, disorderly doings which now run riot the world over in open prostitution and other shameful vices arising from disregard of married life. Therefore it is the duty of parents and the government to see to it that our youth be brought up to discipline and respectability, and when they have come to years of maturity, to provide for them [to have them married] in the fear of God and honorably; He would not fail to add His blessing and grace, so that men would have joy and happiness from the same.

Let me now say in conclusion that this commandment demands not only that every one live chastely in thought, word, and deed in his condition, that is, especially in the estate of matrimony, but also that every one love and esteem the spouse given him by God. For where conjugal chastity is to be maintained, man and wife must by all means live together in love and harmony, that one may cherish the other from the heart and with entire fidelity. For that is one of the principal points which enkindle love and desire of chastity, so that, where this is found, chastity will follow as a matter of course without any command. Therefore also St. Paul so diligently exhorts husband and wife to love and honor one another. Here you have again a precious, yea, many and great good works, of which you can joyfully boast, against all ecclesiastical estates, chosen without God's Word and commandment. (The Sixth Commandment, #217f., Large Catechism, Book of Concord)

Luther's concept of Biblical law is as old as the Torah. Most people hear that the word Torah means Law. The first things we think of when we hear Law is:
1) You must not, or
2) You must.

The Hebrew word Torah really means teaching. Luther taught natural law, meaning - God commands what is good. The Calvinists never recovered from John Calvin's training in secular law. Karl Barth, the main theologian of Fuller Seminary, was an apostate Calvinist. His ethics volume begins, "The gift is a demand." Only a Calvinist could write that. Maybe his mistress Charlotte Kirschbaum wrote the sentence. She co-authored the Dogmatics, inspiring many at Fuller to follow the example of this lovely couple.

This passage from the Book of Concord teaches that marriage and children are good, intended for virtually everyone. Luther said in a sermon 500 years ago that people delay marriage simply to justify fornication. Now we have suspended marriage and avoidance of children. How can blessings follow from the avoidance of God's good teaching?

Being married young and poor is a great idea. When people wait until they can afford everything (their version), they become selfish, self-centered, and brittle. The poor years are often those times when a family can spend the most time together. When prosperity arrives, everyone is busier. Many babies now arrive (if they do at all) in a large house with two new cars and many more luxuries. Both parents work for the luxuries, so mom is back at the office in two weeks. The baby thinks, "What happened?"

We were stranded at home in Sturgis, Michigan, when the Great Blizzard of 1978 hit. No one went anywhere for one week. Church, school, work was called off for one week. The state highway was buried for one week. We all looked 10 years younger when we got back together, surrounded by mountains of bulldozed snow. We had a Sabbath for a week. Everyone looked back on it with fondness.

Our poor years were leveraged by graduate school. I earned half-tiime pay, if that, traveled three times a week to Notre Dame, and got by on student loans. We also had a very sick daughter, Bethany, who had many trips to the hospital. We had a lot of time together, in the parsonage and the car. Sometimes Martin and I would hang around Notre Dame together. The religious orders loved having a pre-K in the marble-clad library.

We thought young marriage and early children (in that order) were great blessings. We had the overwhelming blessing of being young grandparents, another distinct advantage, beating my siblings by 10 years. You can guess why. One relative could not get married until she promised to have no children for 10 years. I thought, "Well, she is already marrying one baby. Why have a second so soon?" Sure enough, he cried at the wedding.

I am fortunate to have taught thousands of adult university students. I mention every chance I get, "Babies are a great blessing." Sometimes I quote Luther, "They are the blessed fruit of marriage."