The best commentary on the Small Catechism is Luther’s Large Catechism.
Next come many fine explanations of the Catechism that the Lutheran church has produced over the centuries.
And next to those come the catechism sermons of Pastor Rolf D. Preus.
Nine of Pastor Preus’ sons compiled a collection of his sermons that take you straight through the whole Small Catechism. An Amazon reader says:
I recently had the opportunity to hear Rev. Preus and eight of his sons, who are also pastors, speak at a symposium. What an amazing experience! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on “Christ for Us” and was not disappointed. This collection of catechism sermons will be included in my home devotions for the next months … but I skipped ahead and read a few as soon as I got the book. Rev. Rolf has a gift for clarifying difficult topics in words that a layperson can understand. Get this book and share it with your pastor, your friends and especially your family.
Here is a photograph of the event she is talking about, with Pastor Peter C. Bender, Pastor Preus, and the nine sons, David, Paul, John, Mark, Stephen, Christian, Andrew, James, and Samuel.
The collection is published by Concordia Catechetical Academy. The publisher describes it this way:
✦ This collection of sermons will help Christians to understand the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, Confession and the Office of the Keys, and the Sacrament of the Altar. Sermons on the Table of Duties speak to different stations of life where Christians live out their faith.
✦ This book is intended for both laity and pastors, for use as a devotional resource.
✦ It can also be used for instruction in the catechism.
✦ Each sermon proclaims what God’s law demands according to that portion of the catechism, as well as what the Lord has done to save us who cannot keep the law. These sermons are excellent examples in how to preach both the requirements of God’s law and the comforting promise of forgiveness in Christ Jesus.
As Rev. Bender says in the Foreword:
Christ for Us: Catechism Sermons of Rolf D. Preus is a comprehensive set of sermons on Luther’s Small Catechism, and the only one that I am aware of in the English language today. Rolf demonstrates in every sermon that the Small Catechism is a unified whole, and that at the center of Christian doctrine is Christ for Us.
In book form, you may purchase a copy for $15.00 (think how cheap that is for what you are getting) from Concordia Theological Seminary — Fort Wayne here.
Here is some very good news. Now you can get it as a Kindle book for $9.95. Kings’ treasures at beggars’ prices!