Sunday's Message (The 10 Commandments Through the Eyes of Jesus: he Ultimate Summary)

Jesus reframes the ten commandments from a list of external rules into matters of the heart. He taught that true righteousness is not merely about avoiding bad actions, but about harboring pure thoughts and actively demonstrating love for God and humanity. During the months of July, August and September, we’ll consider the Ten Commandments Through the Eyes of Jesus, focusing on the following topics: 

• July 5 - The Ultimate Summary
• July 12 - No Other Gods
• July 19- No Idols
• July 26 - Do Not Take God's Name in Vain
• August 9 - Keep the Sabbath Holy
• August 16 - Honor Your Father and Mother
• August 23 - Do Not Murder 
• August 30 - Do Not Commit Adultery
• September 6 - Do Not Steal
• September 13 - Do Not Bear False Witness
• September 20 - Do Not Covet

On Sunday, we discussed the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Old Testament Law. Below is the text and a recording of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.

Well, as y’all know, yesterday was a big deal in the history of our country. I mean, not only was it the Fourth of July, and personally I hope the combination of rain and heat didn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm, we have now passed our 250th anniversary as an independent nation. And even though, last week I really didn’t think I’d be saying it again, that would make it our semiquincentennial (Man, I still like saying the word.) Of course, that occasion was the reason we spent six weeks talking about the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. And this morning, we’re starting a new series entitled The 10 Commandments Through the Eyes of Jesus. You see, during the next eleven weeks, we’re going to discuss those ten commandments that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai, focusing on how Jesus sort of reframed and reshaped them, changing them from external rules to matters of the heart.

And even though we could probably do this series at any time, I think it’s particularly appropriate right now, as we’re coming off our semiquincentennial, because the role the Ten Commandments should play in our society has become a big deal. For example, four states – Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Alabama – have passed laws requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. Of course, as with so many other things in our country, this has triggered intense legal battles, with political Conservatives saying the commandments represent a foundational piece of American legal and cultural history while civil rights organizations and diverse religious groups argue that these mandates violate the First Amendment by forcing religion onto public school students. Now that kind of thing is happening all over the country.  And I’ll tell you, for that reason taking a look at these ten commandments, which Moses delivered to the people of Israel in the wilderness, well, that would seem to be both appropriate and timely. 

And that’s what we’re going to start doing this morning, but instead of dwelling in just the Old Testament, we’re going to put a distinctively Christian spin on these rules from God. You see, we’re going to use the New Testament to sort of interpret and apply the Big Ten. Now that’s the plan. 

But before getting into the commandments themselves, today we’re going to consider how Jesus related to the Old Testament Law in general, something that should provide us a foundation for the rest of the series. And you know, I think it’s interesting, when you look at what he actually said during his ministry, I believe Jesus did three pretty important things with respect to the Law.

For example, first, I believe Jesus fulfilled the Law, and based on what he said, I think he thought so, too. In other words, instead of abolishing it or rewriting it, Jesus himself did what the Law required him to do. And I think that’s what he was getting at when he said this to his disciples during the Sermon on the Mount:

Don’t suppose I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning. Heaven and earth may disappear. But I promise you not even a period or comma will ever disappear from the Law. Everything written in it must happen. [Matthew 5:17-18, CEV]

Now that’s what Jesus said; he came to fulfill the Law. And just think about how he did it. I mean, Jesus fulfilled the law by reflecting its purpose. In fact, in a very real sense, he was the reason why the law was given in the first place. He was its purpose. Its motive. Its fulfillment. But more than that, he also fulfilled the Law through his perfect obedience. You see, he lived a sinless life, which meant that he obeyed every single one of the 613 commandments found in the Mosaic Law.  He did what the Law told him to do. But again, that’s not all, because he also fulfilled the Word of God by being the kind of person and doing the kind of things scripture said he, as the Christ, would be and do. I mean, just think about how the Old Testament law and prophets pointed toward a coming Messiah and then compare those predictions to the life of Jesus, and I’m talking about his birth and ministry, his death and resurrection. No wonder he said, “Don’t suppose I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning.” [Matthew 5:17, CEV] You see, that’s exactly how he fulfilled the Law.

And I’ll tell you why I think that’s important for us to remember. You see, because Jesus reflected the purpose of the Law, we have a reason to trust. I mean, we can trust that no matter how difficult things get or disappointed we might feel, we can have faith that God is greater than the difficulties and the disappointments and that his will is going to be done without our permission or help. And because Jesus was able to obey, we’ve also have an example to follow. Now, let me be clear, I’m not saying that we have the ability to be perfect. That’s way beyond our pay scale. But Jesus can show us how to come a little closer to the mark. And you know, maybe that’s why “...Jesus said to his disciples: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me.” [Matthew 16:24, CEV] And since he fulfilled the expectations of folks who lived thousands of years before he was born, well, maybe that gives us a good reason to have a greater appreciation of the Old Testament. I mean, sometimes Christians sound like the past has no relevance for the present and the future. I think the prophets remind us that’s just not true. You see, when we consider his life and teachings, first, I believe Jesus fulfilled the Law. But that’s not all he did.

You see, second, I think he also radicalized it. In other words, he actually made the Law more intense and more inclusive and more challenging. Put another way, instead of lowering the legal bar, Jesus raised it to a level that was a heck of a lot higher than what was being done by the most meticulous religious leaders of his day. And I’ll tell you, I think we can see this radicalization, again in what he taught his disciples during his Sermon on the Mount. For example, just listen to this:

You have heard people say, “Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.” But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for this? Even tax collectors love their friends. If you greet only your friends, what’s so great about this? Don’t even unbelievers do that? But you must always act like your Father in heaven. [Matthew 5:43-48, CEV]

Now that what he said, and this is just one example. He also said the same kind of thing about how anger is like murder and lust is like adultery and generosity trumps even the kind of retaliation that was legal. 

In my opinion, Jesus radicalized the Old Testament Law. And I think this is how he did it. He shifted its focus from outward, literal obedience to internal heart transformation. You see, for Jesus, following the letter of the Law just didn’t cut it. Why? Because for him the attitude we have was just as important as the action we take. And our intentions and motivation are just as important as technical obedience. And when you get right down to it, for Jesus, people, with all their feelings and fears and needs were always more important than whether or not we’re mouthing the right words or following the right rituals. My gosh, Jesus even said, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me” [Matthew 25:40b, CEV] and of course, “Whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it for me.” [Matthew 25:45b, CEV] Now that’s radical.

And again, this is something else I think we need to remember, and I’ll tell you why. Personally, I believe we all play the “well technically” game. I mean, we start doing as kids, right? And then we use it at school and work and home. And naturally, we include it in our relationship with God. “Lord, technically, I haven’t taken your name in vain. And technically, I’ve always honored both the Sabbath and my parents. And technically, I haven’t broken all those other commandments. I mean, not technically.” Now isn’t that the kind of thing we say or at least think? I know I do. But according to what Jesus said, that’s just not good enough, because to be obedient, man, I’ve got to go beyond the outside and beneath the surface. I’ve got to look on the inside, and I’m talking about my attitude and my motivations. And when I fall short, I’ve got to stop making excuses or trying to find loopholes, but simply and humbly confess my failures to God. And as I try my best to follow Jesus, I’ve got to focus on genuine human need and not just spiritual sounding words and promises. In other words, I’ve got to recognize that God is smarter than me; therefore, I’m just not able to pull the wool over his eyes no matter how many times I give him my life or heart or some other organ I hope he won’t collect any time soon. Man, I’ve got to give that stuff up, because, second, Jesus radicalized the Law.

And third, I think Jesus also summarized the Law. And I’ll tell you, that’s going to be directly related to our study of the Ten Commandments. And I believe we can see his summary in two statements Jesus made. You see, in response to a question asked by an expert in the Jewish Law:

Jesus answered:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments. [Matthew 22:35–40, CEV]

And then, near the end of the Sermon on the Mount, he said,

Treat others as you want them to treat you. This is what the Law and the Prophets are all about. [Matthew 7:12, CEV]

Now, there it is, exactly how Jesus saw the Law. 

You see, for him, it all came down to three core instructions: that we love God completely and that we love our neighbor as ourselves and that we treat others as we want to be treated. That’s it, the whole ball of wax. Which means, if we use the Law to do anything outside of love, you know, to hurt or to exclude others, something we sure don’t want others to do to us, the problem isn’t with the law. The problem is with us, you know, with how we’re interpreting and applying it. You see, when he used the word “love,” he wasn’t talking about how we feel. Instead, he was talking about what we’re willing to do. 

And like I said just a minute ago, that’s why I think this summary is really important as we begin to talk about the Ten Commandments. You see, as we start thinking about those four commandments that deal with loving God and the six that address loving others, I think that pretty clearly reveals God’s intention as well as our responsibility. I mean, whether we like it or not, we shouldn’t serve other gods or align ourselves with idols. And we shouldn’t take the name of God in vain, and we should keep God’s day holy. And of course, along with honoring our parents, we should avoid things like murder and adultery, theft and lying and coveting. And since, we all know that Jesus radicalized the law and that loving others involves more than just avoiding the bad stuff, we’ll be talking about how each of those negative commands might point to positive action. You see, the Two Great Commandments and the Golden Rule will serve as our guide, because, third, Jesus summarized the entire Law.

And that’s exactly what we’ll be doing between now and middle September. Of course, I have no doubt that, when we get to the end of this series, the role these ancient words should play in our society, well, I think it’ll still be a hot button political issue, with people on both sides arguing their case. And even though I can believe people of good will can disagree, I hope we’re all on the same page about the importance of the Ten Commandments and Jesus’s relationship to the law in general, you know, how he fulfilled it and radicalized it and summarized it. And as we move forward, let’s keep that in mind, especially next week, when we look at commandment number one: 

I am the Lord your God, the one who brought you out of Egypt where you were slaves.

Do not worship any god except me. [Exodus 20:2-3, CEV]