Catechism
To the Young, Old, Table of Duties:
We have one more round of the Table of Duties in the catechism. We’ve covered Preachers and Hearers, Rulers and Citizens, Husbands and Wives, Parents and Children, Bosses and Workers. So what’s left in the temporal kingdom? Not much except some general stuff for the young, the old, and everyone.
H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 28
First, to the youth. “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5:5). Yeah, I know. It’s hard to be humble when you think you know everything. Do you know what the word “sophomore” means in Greek? It means “wise fool.” Having survived freshman year, a sophomore thinks he knows everything. A senior might beg to differ. Respect your elders—not just your
parents but everyone who is older than you. They may not be as quick on the computer as you are, or know all the current songs and movies, but they have a lot of experience at this business of life, and they’d love to pass some of their wisdom along to you. Youth are like apprentices, learning on the job from those who are more experienced. A little humility goes a long way toward learning something. If you think you know it all, you’ll never learn a thing, and you will be a sophomore forever.
