The Ten Commandments--just the mention of the commandments in today's political climate can bring controversy. The commandments have been a part of the history of God's people for a very long time. They are a part of all of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Islam, and Christianity). These laws, attested by the scripture as being written in the handwriting of God himself, are supremely important to a vast majority of the world's population. These are not only ethically and religiously significant, but they are also a big part of the history of law itself.
Images, monuments, or displays of the Ten Commandments abound throughout the country, despite that fact that some particular displays have been ruled as illegal. Although it is not as prominent as some suggest, there are multiple architectural and sculptural references to the Mosaic law even in the Supreme Court building itself in Washington, D.C.
Law is a loaded word in the church. Christians continue to find ourselves in a difficult relationship with the Old Testament law. For example, some of my GLBTQ friends find Christians to be profoundly hypocritical when we hold up Old Testament law (such as verses speaking against homosexual practice) and eschew laws concerning not eating pork (Leviticus 11:7) or wearing garments made with a mixture of different materials (Leviticus 19:19). We are accused of "picking and choosing" scripture as convenient to make our argument. As a student of the scripture, I pray I am not guilty of such narrow-mindedness. I want to take the long view and see the whole of the Bible. As a Christian, I want to be a person who is known by my love for people. I do, however, want to live my life by Biblical ideals. That takes a little more work than proof-texting my opinions with isolated Bible verses.
As Christians, we read the entirety of the Old Testament through the lenses of what we know about Jesus Christ. When a scribe tried to trick Jesus into answering a question that would show a flaw in his logic about the Old Testament law, Jesus's answer was brilliant. The scribe asked for which commandment was the "first of all." Jesus gave him two answers:
Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31 NRSV)Jesus confirmed what we Christians have come to know and understand about God. All of God's law is offered in love. If God told the ancient Israelites not to eat shrimp, then God must have known it would harm them in some way. And yes, the New Testament offers some steep corrections and new appropriations of the Old Testament law. Some things once seen as unclean are no longer seen as such under the new covenant. The jury is still out among many theologians as to the scope of this understanding of the scripture as it relates to some of the more controversial issues. One thing I hear nobody disagreeing about, however, is that the commandments of God are summarized into action by loving God and loving neighbor.
Throughout the sermon series I have now just finished on the commandments, I have offered a benediction each week that would send us out to be people of grace as we seek to live our lives by God's law. This past Sunday, however, as I concluded this series, I sent my congregation forth with the challenge to be known by our love. Legalistic-minded Christians have never been a lot of good to anyone. Legalism only binds us in artificial chains that, despite our success in keeping the laws, continue to rob us of our joy in doing so. Grace and love should be the hallmarks of an obedient church.
So, I hope that loving God and loving neighbor made it beyond the benediction on Sunday morning. Imagine what the church of Jesus Christ in the United States and around the world might be like if the world could only look at us and say, "wow, those church people are so full of LOVE!"
