Homily, The Ten Commandments
In the Bible "the Ten Commandments don't begin with 'Here are ten commandments, learn them by rote,' or 'Here are ten commandments, obey them.'
Instead, they begin one of the times they are repeated in the Book of Exodus with a sweeping announcement of freedom: 'I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery' (Exodus 20:2).
We will probably always think of the declarations that follow as the Ten Commandments. But we could, and probably should, think of them as invitations to God's liberation.
Because the Lord is your God, you are free to not need any other gods. You are free from the tyranny of lifeless idols. You are free to rest on the Sabbath. You are free to enjoy your parents as long as they live. You are set free from murder, stealing, and covetousness as ways to establish yourself in the land."
I am indebted to a minister friend from south of the border for that insight.
I’ll admit I’ve sometimes had trouble with the ten commandments. First of all—why these ten out of all the more than 600 laws in the Old Testament.
Also the ten commandments—while still applying to our lives—seem much in need of updating—at least on the surface.
And that negative tone. Thou shalt not…. It seems to put too much emphasis on what we shouldn’t do, then on what we should do to serve our God.
But there are positive ways of looking at the ten commandments. Here is another list of the ten—put in a more positive way, which I think helps us move forward.
1) Love the Lord God whom more than any "thing" in the universe.
2) Honor God's image in others by avoiding the name of God to lie, curse, or justify an unjust bias.
3) Give yourself adequate time for rest, community, and spirituality.
4) Respect your elders.
5) Respect human life.
6) Honor your commitments and your God given sexuality.
7) Be honest.
8) Respect the property of others.
9) Rejoice in the good fortune of others.
10. Speak the truth in love.
Let’s put the ten commandments or the Decalogue in their Biblical context.
Exodus is the story of the people of Israel from a small nomadic band who settled among foreigners who despised them to being a people God would dwell with and lead on a journey to a new land.
It is the story of a people who are first enslaved, but miraculously are freed to follow God. The journey from slavery to freedom is also a journey from following the commands of human taskmasters- the Egyptians, to following God.
We can look at the receiving of the ten commandments as a pivotal moment in the journey of the people of Israel.
One of the key understandings we gain from this passage and its place in the journey of the Hebrew people is that God’s act of grace—in the Exodus—or deliverance from the Egyptians, precedes the law.
The law reminds us of God’s grace freely given, and our grateful response.
By dwelling on the “thou shalt not” aspect of the ten commandments we miss the truth--- that the laws are for our benefit, as a way to a better life.
Or we can fall into the trap of legalism. That is—-we obey the law only because we fear judgment, and hope to escape punishment by God. Or we obey the law to gain God’s favour.
Both those approaches are wrong.
The law is a law of liberation, as my friend Joe says, freeing us to a life living in harmony with God and our fellow human beings.
That’s why the writer of today’s psalm says: “the precepts of the Lord are right and give joy to the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure and gives light to the eyes.”
The commandments have had an enormous impact on Judaism and Christianity. They remain an important part of our Biblical and liturgical record.
It is helpful to think of the commandments broken down into four groups.
The first three demand worship of God alone, and prohibit idolatry and taking the Lord’s name in vain.
The next two support a weekly Sabbath, or pause day, and ask for honour for parents.
The next three commandments focus on the individual and the family, calling for the sanctity of human life, marriage and sexuality.
The final two commandments are a reminder of the necessity for truthfulness in public society, and the need to avoid being corrupted by desire for the possessions of others.
When we think of the ten commandments in this way, it offers us a whole new way of thinking of how they could apply to us—particularly during this Lenten time of self-examination.
There are lots of questions we could ask ourselves arising from these ancient laws:
• How do I show my appreciation for God’s care from me as creator, redeemer and sustainer?
• Do I honour my commitments to God, to myself to others?
• Do I honour God in my speech?
• Do I care for my parents, and for elders, deepening relationships, and attending to their wisdom?
• Do I harbour anger and hostility which separates me from others, and from God?
• Do I give in to materialism—desire for things over a desire for better relationships with others and with God?
• Do I tell the truth about who I am to myself and others?
On a surface level the ten commandments may seem simple. But when we ask questions like these, you can see they challenge all of us to think about our lives, our relationships, and how we can do better.
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