Thursday May 8, 2014
Exodus 20:1-21
Today’s selected reading is the familiar “Ten Commandments”. Many of you may have memorized these Bible verses somewhere along the way – interestingly, I never did. The Book of Common Prayer, in the Order for the Administration of the Lord’s Supper (the Eucharist), makes provision for the Ten Commandments to be recited by the priest at the beginning of each service – but I don’t remember attending very many services, if any, where this was a regular feature.
These commandments, or rules of life, we are told, were given by God to Moses amidst thunder and lightning, and loud blasts from a trumpet, enough to frighten the people of Israel into a terrorized submission. Perhaps our most poignant image of this event would be a wild-eyed, and well-coifed Charlton Heston holding the two tablets of stone with the commandments etched into them.
The commandments can be divided into two categories, the first four outlining our duties to God, and the final six the duties we owe to humanity. To us they may seem to make ultimate common sense. If we wish to live in a right relationship with the God who has created all things, then the first four commandments delineate how this may best be done. With the remaining six, the same is true for living in a healthy relationship with family, friends, neighbours, and, indeed, all the citizens of our world.
When Jesus was asked what is the greatest, or most important, commandment, he responded with a twofold answer: love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love your neighbour as yourself. This summary moves to the heart of how we can best live – in a loving and caring relationship with God, and with all people. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
- Rev'd Paul Kett
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