Chapel #8 - Heidelberg Q12-15

 Heidelberg Catechism #5:

Questions 12,13,14,15

Jordan Frans Adrian

10 September, 2025

The Brothers Karamazov is a classic book by Fyodor Dostoevsky written in the late 19th century (1880). It was a bad situation in Russia at the time: externally there were problems, political and social and at home too. Everything seems to be hopeless for the three Karamazovs. Ivan Karamazov looks at the situation as hopeless but Alyosha Karamazov looks at God within the suffering.

The Heidelberg catechism is divided into three main parts - questions three to eleven is about the misery of man, twelve to question eighty five the deliverance of man, eighty six to a hundred twenty nine gratitude in response to deliverance. So, within suffering, what should we focus in? 

The twelfth question of the catechism asks how shall we escape God's judgement and return to his favor. The answer is that he must be satisfied (as he is just), either by works from ourself or other, to pay in full. God is a just God, and while he is loving he is just also, and must punish sin. The thirteenth question asks whether we can compensate sin with our own actions. The answer is certainly not. Every day, our debt increases, and we cannot free ourselves from sin on our own. Next, is there another being (for example, an animal sacrifice) who can free us? No, we cannot also be compensated by other things like animals because we are higher than them. So, how? The fifteenth question finally asks whether there is anyone at all who can redeem us.

And the answer is there is, Jesus, who is truly human and God. So, in our hardship, will we look at difficulties or God?

Reflection: This chapel today was very good for me because it taught me to look at God amidst hardship. I learned that no one can possibly compensate our sin except for another human who is perfect: who is, Jesus Christ. 

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