Teaching the “Gospel of the Story” over the “Moral of the story”

The doctrinal contents of the entire Holy Scriptures, both of the Old and the New Testament, are made up of two doctrines differing fundamentally from each other, viz., the Law and the Gospel.

                                          – Thesis I, C.F.W. Walther’s Law and Gospel

As children, we were often taught how we are to act and be through short stories like Chicken Little and The Ugly Duckling.  Parents and Teachers helped us to recognize the “Moral of the story” so that we could become better people.  These stories served as examples for us to live by, or as examples of what not to do.  These morals of the story helped to shape the person that our children strive to be.  The “Moral of the story” is a good teaching aid.
Because we are taught the “Moral of the story” in school, Christians often want to apply the same understanding to the Bible.  And in one sense this works, because the Bible does tell us how we are to be and what we are not to do, but this does not grasp the whole scope and message of the Word of God.

In the Lutheran Church we understand that there is a doctrine that helps us teach the Word of God to His people, namely the proper distinction of the Law and the Gospel. When we teach the “Moral of the story” we are teaching how the Law applies to us in our daily lives.  Morality is good, but we are only condemned by the Law because we can never fully live out the Moral of the story.  Nor does being a “good person” make us a better Christian.  Instead we need the power of the Gospel, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of all of our sins to make us forgiven children of God.  For this reason,  when learning about our faith, perhaps we should focus upon the “Gospel of the Story” instead of the “Moral of the story.”  It is the Gospel that makes us uniquely Christian, and we should proclaim it for all to hear.  You don’t need to be Christian to a moralistic person, but you do need Christ to be a Christian.