Here is a riddle for you. There are ten of them, and confirmation students stare at them throughout the entire confirmation class, memorizing every bit of them. The answer? Their toes; they stare at their toes the entire time. You actually thought that they would stare at and memorize the Ten Commandments? You do not remember your confirmation class very well, do you?
We should not poke fun at confirmation students too long though because most adults have a similar relationship with the Ten Commandments. They are something up on the board that we know we should take seriously, but we would rather look at other things instead. For many adults, the Ten Commandments are something that they will go to council meetings and demand that children memorize, but will not take the time to memorize themselves.
By the way, without looking, what is the seventh commandment?
“You shall not steal.”
If it really were that important, would we not know right away without having to look it up? But, for many people, they are something for children to learn. We adults have moved well beyond them.
Strange relationships with the Ten Commandments have not begun in our present age though. Ever since God spoke them to the Israelites from Mount Sinai, people have ignored, distorted, and, misused these ten statements from God. Heck, these words are the only words directly spoken to Israel by God in the Old Testament, and as soon as God was done speaking, Israel’s first request was that God no longer speak directly to them. “We don’t want to hear from God directly any more. You can speak for God from now on Moses.” I guess staring at the toes rather than staring at God’s wishes started with them.
On the other hand, some people have taken these things way too seriously. I think of a friend of mine in High School who was beautiful with long straight blond hair, who I would have actually considered dating until she became “born again.” And, I mean “born again” not in the good sense of Christ saving us in baptism, but in the bad sense of born again to hate and criticize everyone around. This beautiful, sweet, blond girl, overnight became our school’s commandment police.
“You said ‘God.’ That’s against the second commandment.”
“Quit talking about her. That’s the eighth commandment.”
“Don’t you think you are thinking about yourself a little much? That’s the first commandment.”
It was not that she was exactly wrong in what she was saying, but on the other hand her entire existence was just plain wrong. Her drastic change in character was like Jesus standing up from a meal with sinners, prostitutes, and tax collectors taking an axe, and saying, “OK, I was wrong about the forgiving thing,” and chopping the people’s heads off.
She, of course, was going to heaven because she knew the Ten Commandments, she could recite them, and she thought that she could therefore follow them. She thought getting to heaven had something to do with accomplishing each of these commandments. Somehow, she had missed the basic concept of salvation through Christ, not works of the Law that even her very own church taught.
Now that I am done making fun of her, and thereby done breaking the eighth commandment, I am going to admit that getting confused by the purpose of the Ten Commandments is something we all do. Some of us ignore them. Some of us use them as a weapon. Some of us think we will get to heaven by them. But, God had a different intention for them. God gave them as a gift, so that your neighbor might have life and have it fully.
Perhaps, the scriptures themselves confuse us; take this story from Mark:
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Right away most of us are thrown off track by the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus’ answer, of course, is to follow the commandments. But, let us not misunderstand what is being asked here. The man is not asking how to get to heaven. The man is asking how to live a life with “the eternal.” The man is asking how to live a life walking beside God: a righteous life. This is not about heaven. I could have dated my beautiful friend if she had only understood this.
So, if following the Ten Commandments is not about getting to heaven, what is it about? Maybe it is about living the good life? “Teacher, I have kept all these commandments since my youth. I’ve not stolen, not committed adultery, I’ve honored my father and mother, I’ve done all of these. I have the good life, yes?”
“You lack one thing,” Jesus essentially says, “follow the first commandment – You shall have no other god – sell what you own and give the money to the poor.”
In the end, the commandments are not even about living the good life. The commandments are about living is such a way that your neighbor can have a good life. The commandments are a gift to your neighbor.
“Love your neighbor as yourself,” Jesus teaches.
If Lutherans had bumper stickers about the commandments, they would not read “The Ten Commandments: Living the Good Life.” They would read, “The Ten Commandments: Living your life in such a way so that your neighbor might have a good life.” This example alone is why Lutherans do not own bumper sticker companies. That is much too long.
We are given the Ten Commandments so that our neighbor can prosper and have a good life. It is not us who prosper when we choose not to steal, it is our neighbor.
It is not us who prosper when we choose not to sleep with another person’s spouse, it is our neighbor.
It is not us who prospers when we choose to come to church on the Sabbath and hear the good news, it is our neighbors who benefits from the love given to us in worship.
The Ten Commandments are not about you. They were never meant to be about you. The Ten Commandment are about loving your neighbor. Perhaps, it is time that we reclaim these commandments, these gifts from God, not as gifts only for children, but gifts for us all to take seriously.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
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