Luther on the 10 Commandments

I've recently become quite fond of catechisms as carefully, and often delightfully, wrought statements of faith. I've recently been reading Luther's Little Catechism and two things have struck me about how he has treated the 10 commandments.

Firstly, he illustrates the way the first commandment runs through the heart of the rest in a beautiful way. For Luther "this Commandment is the very first, highest and best, from which all the others proceed, in which they exist, and by which they are directed and measured, so also its work, that is, the faith or confidence in God's favor at all times, is the very first, highest and best, from which all others must proceed, exist, remain, be directed and measured" (A treatise on Good Works). He starts all of his answers about the meaning of the commandments with "We must fear and love God..." echoing his language from his explanation of the first that "we must fear, love, and trust God more than anything else."

Secondly, I was struck by his explanation of the meaning of the third commandment.

C. The Third Commandment

You must keep the Sabbath holy.(Exodus 20:8)

Q. What does this mean?

A. We must fear and love God, so that we will not look down on preaching or God’s Word, but consider it holy, listen to it willingly, and learn it.

Something to think about there. The word is of massive importance to Luther, although he agrees we should rest once a week "the force and power of this commandment lies not in the resting but in the sanctifying so that to this day belongs a special holy exercise. For other works and occupations are not properly called holy exercises, unless the man himself be first holy. But here a work is to be done by which man is himself made holy, which is done (as we have heard ) alone through God's Word" (Luther's Large Catechism)