I try to live by the Ten Commandments…and
the other one Jesus invoked while He was here on earth. These were the Ten Commandments given to Moses for the Israelites to follow.
[1] You
must not have any other god but me.
[2] You
must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the
heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship
them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your
affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their
children; the entire family is affected--even children in the third and fourth
generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand
generations on those who love me and obey my commands. [3] You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
[4] Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
[5] Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
[6] You must not murder.
[7] You must not commit adultery.
[8] You must not steal.
[9] You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
[10] You must not covet your neighbor's house. You must not covet your neighbor's wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor. Exodus 20:3-17
One
of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He
realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, "Of all the
commandments, which is the most important?" Jesus replied, "The most
important commandment is this: 'Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the
one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all
your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The second is equally
important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is
greater than these. Mark 12:28-31
Love God…love your neighbor. It all boils
down to that. Over the years I’ve caught the idea that the first four
Commandments deal with our relationship to God and the last six Commandments
focus on our relationship to other people--our neighbors. These are just broad statements…but
in Jesus' teachings in His Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapters five
through seven, Jesus gives practical application to some of the commandments.
For example He addresses murder and anger. You
have heard that our ancestors were told, 'You must not murder. If you commit
murder, you are subject to judgment.' But I say, if you are even angry with
someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in
danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in
danger of the fires of hell. Matthew 5:21-22. He also addresses adultery. You have heard the commandment that says,
'You must not commit adultery.' But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman
with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew
5:27-28. Jesus was good about helping people understand the “Law” at least
those who were willing to listen—to those who wanted to understand and follow Him.
He didn’t come to do away with the Law…the Ten Commandment. In His Sermon on
the Mount He explained the importance of learning, keeping and teaching the
Commandments.
Do not think that I came to abolish the Law
or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to
you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall
pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the
least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called
least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be
called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your
righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter
the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-20 NASB
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Gate at the Mount of the Beatitudes in Israel
Traditional location of the Sermon on the Mount
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The scribes and Pharisees were all about
making themselves look good—to appear righteous. But that was it…it was just
for appearance not deep within their hearts. How is your heart? Mine is seeking a deeper relationship with
God—but not in a legalistic way.
Yet we know that a person is made right with
God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in
Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in
Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right
with God by obeying the law. Galatians 2:16.
Prayer
~ Dear Lord, my God, You are the one and only LORD. I love You with all my
heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength. As You taught, I do love my neighbor as myself—though I will
admit that I struggle with that—I need Your help, not so much in determining who my neighbor is, but in what I should do to express Your love
to them? First, I must develop a relationship with others—so that I can care
about them…and live in such a way that shows Your love to them. Help me to be
bold enough to even just speak to them…and help me to find creative ways to
serve others. Thank You for Your wisdom, love and guidance in my life…and
in the lives of those around me…my neighbors.
© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT)
unless otherwise noted.
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