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Showing posts with label The 10 Commandments Through the Eyes of Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The 10 Commandments Through the Eyes of Jesus. Show all posts
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:
On Sunday, we discussed the fourth commandment: Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me. You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day—not you, your children, your slaves, your animals, or the foreigners who live in your towns. In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That’s why I made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me. [Exodus 20:8-11, CEV] Below is a video of the service, a presentation of the sermon, and the bulletin & program for the service. 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.
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're considering the Ten Commandments Through the Eyes of Jesus, focusing on the following topics:
On Sunday, we discussed the fourth commandment: Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me. You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day—not you, your children, your slaves, your animals, or the foreigners who live in your towns. In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That’s why I made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me. [Exodus 20:8-11, CEV] 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, here we are. After taking a break last week for our annual church picnic, this morning we’re back to our sermon series entitled The Ten Commandments Through the Eyes of Jesus. And for y’all who’ve been following along over the first four Sundays, you know we’ve already looked at Jesus’s relationship with the Old Testament Law, you know, how he fulfilled it and radicalized it and summarized it. And then we started putting a Jesus spin on the commandments themselves, and talked about how we should avoid distractions and focus our attention on our loving Father. And then we considered how our best defense against those false gods that tempt us is to recognize our vulnerability and to prioritize our values and to actualize, you know, to make our faith active. And then two weeks ago, we looked at how we can use God’s name in the best possible way by being honest and by being focused and by being open. Now that’s what we’ve already covered.
And this morning, we’re going to move on to the Fourth Commandment:
Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me. You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day—not you, your children, your slaves, your animals, or the foreigners who live in your towns. In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That's why I made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me. [Exodus 20:8-11, CEV]
In other words, we’re going to talk about how we can simply keep the Sabbath holy.
And I’ll tell you, as I was thinking about it, man, it brought back all kinds of memories of growing up in Virginia during the sixties. You see, back when I was a kid, we had the Blue Laws, something that I think a lot of y’all can remember having around here. Of course, when you get right down to it, these Blue Laws were really intended to keep the Sabbath holy by closing certain businesses and restricting certain sales on Sunday. For example, in Virginia, we weren’t allowed to buy electronics or clothing or toys. Man, we couldn’t even buy fresh produce or general groceries. Of course, there were exceptions. I mean, you could buy necessities like newspapers and prescription drugs and gasoline and, of course, prepared food. You can’t close The Sizzler on Sunday. Where would church people go? And since we’re talking about Virginia, we were also allowed to buy both fresh hams and cigarettes, at that time a quarter a pack. Now, this was a legal attempt to protect the Sabbath. And culturally, well, the only sports available on Sunday were played in the back yard or watched on television. Man, there were absolutely no Sunday youth leagues, and the only acceptable social outlet was either visiting relatives or attending carry-in dinners. You see, back in the sixties, keeping the Sabbath holy really meant not doing certain things that would make it like any other day. And I’ll tell you, looking at what it says in Exodus, that’s not a bad take.
But remember, we’re not just looking at the commandments through the eyes of Moses nor the Commonwealths of Virginia or Pennsylvania. Instead, we’re looking at them through the eyes of Jesus. And that applies to the Fourth Commandment just like it does to the rest. And so, this morning, we’re going to look at what Jesus had to say and based on what he taught, we’re going to talk about three ways that we can keep the Sabbath holy.
But I’ll tell you, before we can do that, I think it’s important to spend just a couple of minutes thinking about what this Sabbath business is all about. And of course, like it is with so many other issues, this is another one that can really trigger certain Christians. As a matter of fact, over the last forty years, some of the most intense discussions I’ve had are over whether the Sabbath is Saturday or Sunday, with absolutely no wiggle room between the two sides. But you know, I’ve got this gut feeling that all the arguing must be causing the Apostle Paul to spin in his grave, especially given what he wrote about special, holy days. I mean, to the Colossians, he said:
Don’t let anyone tell you what you must eat or drink. Don’t let them say you must celebrate the New Moon festival, the Sabbath, or any other festival. These things are only a shadow of what was to come. But Christ is real! [Colossians 2:16–17, CEV]
And then, to the Romans, he wrote:
Some of the Lord’s followers think one day is more important than another. Others think all days are the same. But each of you should make up your own mind. Any followers who count one day more important than another day do it to honor their Lord. [Romans 14:5–6a, CEV]
You see, for Paul, the specific Sabbath day wasn’t all that important. In other words, which day you consider set apart wasn’t really a big deal. As a matter of fact, the “how” was far more important than the “when.” Now that’s according to the Apostle Paul. And like I said, based on what Jesus taught, there are three ways we can keep this day, whichever one it is, holy.
For example, first, I think we can keep the Sabbath holy by experiencing it. You see, we can set this day apart by simply viewing it as this wonderful gift that we can enjoy. And personally, I think that was the point of this little story right near the beginning of Mark’s Gospel.
One Sabbath Jesus and his disciples were walking through some wheat fields. His disciples were picking grains of wheat as they went along. Some Pharisees asked Jesus, “Why are your disciples picking grain on the Sabbath? They are not supposed to do that!”
Jesus answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his followers were hungry and in need? It was during the time of Abiathar the high priest. David went into the house of God and ate the sacred loaves of bread that only priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his followers.”
Jesus finished by saying, “People were not made for the good of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for the good of people. So the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath.” [Mark 2:23-28, CEV]
Now that was what Jesus said: People were not made for the good of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for the good of people. [Mark 2:27, CEV]
You see, for him, this day wasn’t set aside to put a burden on us, you know, to make our lives harder and unhappy. Instead, it’s more like this gift that God gave us to enjoy. I mean, we’ve got six days to do all that stuff we call work, and we do it because we have to. That’s just the way it is. But on the Sabbath, God’s given us one day to put the “have tos” on the back burner for twenty-four hours. Of course, I recognize that we all relax in different ways. I mean, some of us relax by slowing down and vegetating in front of a Hallmark movie. And some of us relax by tubing and playing pickleball. And I’ll tell you, some of us relax by cutting the grass (or is that mowing the lawn) and dinking around on the computer. Relaxing isn’t one size fits all. So long as we’re viewing the day as a gift to enjoy, we’ll experience it in the right way. And according to what Jesus taught, I think that’s the first way we can keep the Sabbath holy.
And second, I believe we can also celebrate it. I mean, we can set this day aside by making the conscious decision to claim the Sabbath as an opportunity to move closer to God and to one another. In other words, we can decide to use this special day to express our praise and to grow in our understanding. And I’ll tell you, based on what Jesus said about the importance of obeying the Law of Moses on the Sabbath, I think he’d agree.
Jesus answered:
I worked one miracle, and it amazed you. Moses commanded you to circumcise your sons. But it wasn’t really Moses who gave you this command. It was your ancestors, and even on the Sabbath you circumcise your sons in order to obey the Law of Moses. Why are you angry with me for making someone completely well on the Sabbath? Don’t judge by appearances. Judge by what is right. [John 7:21-24, CEV]
You see, since the Jews believed circumcision brought them closer to the Lord, it was appropriate for the Sabbath.
Of course, for us, we have other opportunities to connect with God, and I’m talking about connecting with the Father and with the Son and with the Holy Spirit. You see, on the Sabbath, we can do it through worship. I mean, we can unite as the Body of Christ through the songs we sing and through the prayers we pray and through the Word read and proclaimed we hear. And as we sing and pray and listen, an amazing thing happens: not only are we expressing what we feel and believe, we’re actually drawing closer to God and to one another. You see, on the Sabbath, we have the opportunity to worship, but that’s not all. We also have the opportunity to grow, to grow in our awareness of God and this community we have right here and right now. I mean, we can grow in our appreciation of the Father’s absolute freedom and perfect love. And we can grow in our understanding of how that freedom and love entered our time and space in the person of Jesus Christ, the very incarnation of God. And we can grow in our sensitivity to God’s Holy Spirit, you know, the divine presence that’s constantly flowing around us and through us. I’m telling you, whether we’re gathered around a table exploring God’s word and our own faith or sitting in a quiet place with a Bible open on our lap, on this day, we can grow in our awareness of the one who loved us before he laid the foundation of the universe and will love us long after time has lost its meaning and through that growth, brothers and sisters, we become stronger. You see, God has given us the opportunity to connect, something that we can celebrate on this day. And according to what Jesus taught, that's the second way we can keep the Sabbath holy.
And third, I think we can make the Sabbath holy by using it. In other words, we make it special by recognizing that this day gives us a time to live as the Body of Christ and to become the men and women God created us to be and to look past ourselves so that we might appreciate the needs of others. And I’ll tell you, I think that was exactly what the Evangelist Matthew was getting at when he wrote this:
Jesus left and went into one of their synagogues, where there was a man whose hand was paralyzed. Some Pharisees wanted to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong, so they asked him, “Is it right to heal someone on the Sabbath?”
Jesus answered, “If one of your sheep fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you lift it out? People are worth much more than sheep, and so it is right to do good on the Sabbath.” Then Jesus told the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man did, and it became as healthy as the other one. [Matthew 12:9-13, CEV]
“...and so it is right to do good on the Sabbath,” [Matthew 12:12b, CEV] Now that’s what Jesus said.
And even though I’m tempted to say “Dah,” I’m not going to do it, because if we’re not careful, using this time, this day to do good, well, often I don’t think it’s our highest priority, not on the Sabbath. And to be completely honest, I don’t think it’s all our fault. I mean, we can become so focused on using the Sabbath to enjoy this wonderful gift by focusing on ourselves that we never even think about all the ways we can help and serve others. And I’ve got to tell you, we can also become so focused on celebrating this incredible opportunity that folks who are facing genuine fears and frustrations and who are enduring real problems and pain and who are right this minute feeling absolutely abandoned and alone, that their voices are drowned out by our songs and our prayers and our words and are viewed as distractions to our group studies and personal devotions. You see, I think this kind of thing can happen. And although seeing the Sabbath as a gift to enjoy and an opportunity to connect are really important, so is accepting that on this special day, we have the time to do good. My gosh, just think about it. Today, we have the time to make a difference in the lives of others. And today, we have the time to share some good news in the middle of a world that seems overwhelmed with the bad. And today, we have the time to remind folks that they are not alone and that they’re loved by the creator of the universe and that they might find an open and accepting family right here in this community. You see, God has given us the perfect time to do good, something that we can use on this special day. And based on what Jesus taught, I think that's the third way we can keep the Sabbath holy.
Now, in Virginia, the Blue Laws officially ended on September 23, 1988, when the Supreme Court of Virginia struck them down as unconstitutional. You see, in a case brought by Kmart and Circuit City, the court ruled that all the restrictions and all the exemptions made the Sunday closing laws unfair and discriminatory. But you know, although for the most part they’re gone, Virginia car dealers are still legally required to remain closed on either Saturday or Sunday. The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority still regulates the specific hours and locations where hard spirits can be sold on Sundays. And even though Virginia historically banned all Sunday hunting, this was only repealed in 2022. In other words, for the Commonwealth, the Sabbath was no longer going to be kept holy, at least not in a legal sense. And for many Virginians that’s a good thing, while others are not so sure.
But for us, we can be sure of one thing: for Jesus Christ, the Sabbath wasn’t about closed stores and inconsistent exemptions. And it wasn’t about fresh ham or youth football. Instead this day was something to be experienced, a gift that we can experience. And it was something to be celebrated, an opportunity to connect. And it was something to be used, a time to do good. And in my opinion, when we do those three things, that’s how we can obey the Fourth Commandment and keep the Sabbath holy.
And next week, we’re moving on to Commandment number five:
Respect your father and your mother, and you will live a long time in the land I am giving you. [Exodus 20:12, CEV]
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:
Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me. You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day—not you, your children, your slaves, your animals, or the foreigners who live in your towns. In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That's why I made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me. [Exodus 20:8-11, CEV]
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:
On Sunday, we discussed the third commandment: Do not misuse my name. I am the Lord your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name. [Exodus 20:7, CEV] We also baptized Nicolette Jo Fillmore, the daughter of Mitch and Danara Fillmore. Below is a video of the service, a presentation of the sermon, and the bulletin & program for the service. 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.
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're considering the Ten Commandments Through the Eyes of Jesus, focusing on the following topics:
Well, this morning, we’ve reached the fourth message in the series we started right after Independence Day entitled The 10 Commandments Through the Eyes of Jesus. And since we’re looking at these divine rules from a Christian perspective, we started by talking about how Jesus fulfilled and radicalized and summarized the law. And then we focused on commandment number one, you know, that we should have no other gods and considered how we can do that by avoiding distractions and focusing our attention and loving our Father. And last week, we moved on to commandment number two, the one about not having idols. And as y’all might remember, and after considering the kind of graven images that sort of trip us up now-a-days, we looked at how we might avoid idolatry by recognizing our vulnerability and prioritizing our values and actualizing our faith. Now that’s what we’ve already covered. And this morning we’re moving on to the Third Commandment:
Do not misuse my name. I am the Lord your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name. [Exodus 20:7, CEV]
And I’ll tell you, given that, I think the song we listened to just a minute ago is really appropriate, because this particular commandment played a pretty big role in my childhood. Below was the song we played.
I mean, when I was a kid, this business about having one God and avoiding idols and keeping the Sabbath, well, that stuff was above and beyond me. And for a ten-year-old, murder and adultery weren’t really applicable and stealing and lying and wanting stuff that wasn’t mine, they were obviously wrong. And I’ll tell you, so long as my dad had a belt and knew how to use it, honoring your father and your mother was a no-brainer. But taking the Lord’s name in vain, well, as I developing the kind of vocabulary that would enable me to fit in with the other guys on the playground, let’s just say, although I never remember mom saying anything about not making idols or remembering the Sabbath, I do recall her impressing on me the importance of not taking the Lord’s name in vain. And frankly, so did my dad. And as I mentioned, while she used her words, dad had other ways to get his point across. Let’s just say for me, the third commandment was all about what I shouldn’t say.
And I’ll tell you, in its Old Testament context, that was probably spot on. I mean, misusing the Lord’s name involved not making false oaths and not trying to control God and not claiming that God endorsed certain values and behaviors he did not. And so, as it stood in Exodus, the Third Commandment was basically about what we shouldn’t say, which frankly, shouldn’t be a big surprise. I mean, give me a break, eight of the ten involve “you shall not,” right?
But remember, we’re not looking at the Ten Commandments through the eyes of Moses, rather we’re looking at them through the eyes of Jesus. And as we’ve already talked about, through his teachings, he radicalizes God’s commands by moving them from the outside to the inside and by broadening their focus to include both the “shall” and the “shall not.”
And I’ll tell you, that’s how we’re going to approach the Third Commandment this morning. In other words, instead of just thinking about how we can avoid using anything in vain, we’re going to look at what Jesus said to his disciples and consider three positive ways we can make good and proper use of God’s name.
For example, based on what Jesus taught, we can make good use of God’s name by being honest. Now, in my opinion, that’s the first thing we can do. And when I say honest, I’m talking both in what we say and do. And I think that’s what Jesus was getting at when he said this during his Sermon on the Mount:
You know our ancestors were told, “Don’t use the Lord’s name to make a promise unless you are going to keep it.” But I tell you not to swear by anything when you make a promise! Heaven is God’s throne, so don’t swear by heaven. The earth is God’s footstool, so don’t swear by the earth. Jerusalem is the city of the great king, so don’t swear by it. Don’t swear by your own head. You cannot make one hair white or black. When you make a promise, say only “Yes” or “No.” Anything else comes from the devil. [Matthew 5:33-37, CEV]
Now that’s what Jesus said, and just think about how radical it actually was. I mean, while, in the Old Testament, it was just plain wrong to use the Lord’s name to make a promise that you didn’t intend to keep, for Jesus, just avoiding the bad, well, that just wasn’t good enough, not for his followers, not for us. As a matter of fact, as it relates to promises, we shouldn’t be swearing at all. Just saying “yes” or “no” was right and appropriate. And if we say “yes,” we should do it. And if we say “no,” we shouldn’t. In other words, although talking about “our mother’s grave” or a “stack of Bibles” may impress the heck out of others, they don’t mean a hill of beans in the sight of God. “Yes” or “no” is enough. You see, for him, it’s not about the words we use, but the honesty we show.
And so, to avoid misusing God’s name, man, we’ve got to be honest. For example, our words should reflect honesty. Man, they should be direct and frank and plain. Of course, that’s exactly what Jesus said. And I’ll tell you, if we tell the truth on a regular basis, just to be believed, we might never again need to say “I swear to God” or “Cross my heart and hope to die.” But honesty is more than just words, it also involves our character, doesn’t it? I mean, let’s get real, I think we all know people whom we trust just about as far as we can throw them, those whose entire lives are based on pulling the wool over somebody’s eyes and who lie whenever their lips are moving. You see, by choosing to be honest, our character can be so dependable that a simple, unadorned statement is fully trusted by others who aren’t worried about exaggerations and white lies and of course, fine-print designed to hide the truth. You see, our character can reflect honesty. And so can our relationships. Now, I don’t know about y’all, but personally, I’m closest to people who don’t feel the need to tell me how great I am or how blessed they are to know me. And frankly, I’d much rather hear uncomfortable truth from an honest person than compliments from a liar. And I’ll tell you, if that’s what I want to feel myself, that’s exactly what I can convey to others. You see, based on what Jesus said, if we’re really interested in making good use of God’s name, first, we can do it by being honest.
And second, we can also choose to be focused. In other words, as followers of Jesus Christ, instead of dropping his name like we’re trying to get a reservation at a fancy restaurant, we can take the time and make the effort to stay focused on what matters most to God. And I’ll tell you, I don’t think there’s a better example of what I’m talking about than this passage from Matthew. Now as Jesus was teaching his disciples, he said this:
Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven will get in. On the day of judgment many will call me their Lord. They will say, “We preached in your name, and in your name we forced out demons and worked many miracles.” But I will tell them, “I will have nothing to do with you! Get out of my sight, you evil people!” [Matthew 7:21-23, CEV]
Now, that’s what Jesus said, and I don’t know about y’all, but as I read this I feel like slapping my head and saying, “I should have had a V8.” I mean, duh. Good night nurse, we just said that given enough time, we can all spot a person who’s words and character and relationships lack honesty, regardless of the words they use or names they drop. My gosh, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me,” right? Well, think about it: if even the most trusting and the most naive and the most gullible people around can eventually recognize that a Nigerian prince didn’t leave them ten million dollars, do we really believe that we’re can turn God’s head by using his name or impress him with our words or our promises? In the musical, My Fair Lady, Eliza Dolittle eventually says to her verbose boyfriend Freddy, “… Words, words, words; I'm so sick of words.” Instead, she tells him that, if he loves her, he needs to show her. Well, I believe Jesus said the same thing to his disciples then and now: Don’t say “Lord, Lord” and then tell God about your faith and dedication. Instead, show him, by doing what he’s called us to do.
But to do that, to get beyond the names dropped and promises made, man, I think we’re going to need to be focused. For example, we really need to be focused in our understanding, you know, so we can know exactly what God wants us to do and how God wants us to live. And along with that, we also need to be focused in making our assumptions, and not just assume that if we think it’s right, God must agree. And my goodness, we really need to be focused in our expectations, and I’m talking about what we think we’ve earned and believe that we’ll receive. In other words, instead of just slapping God’s name on our understanding and assumptions and expectations, maybe we should open our Bibles and do some reading. And maybe we should open our hearts and do some praying. And maybe we should do what may be the most challenging thing of all and open our minds so that we can take in what we hear even if it may be different from what we’ve understood and assumed and expected. You see, to truly honor the name of God, we need to be ready to do what he’s called us to do. And to get there, man, I think it takes focus. And that’s the second thing we can do.
And third, in my opinion, we can make good use of God’s name by being open, and I’m talking about open in how we approach God. And I’ll tell you, for me, that’s where the rubber hits the road. I mean, we can be honest and we can be focused ’til the cows come home, but if we’re not open to the one who’s name we use, we’re going nowhere. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s why, in his lesson on prayer, Jesus said,
You should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, help us to honor your name. Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven. Give us our food for today. Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others. Keep us from being tempted and protect us from evil. [Matthew 6:9-13, CEV]
You see, the very first petition in the Lord’s Prayer involves asking God to help us honor or to make holy his name. And I’ll tell you why I think this starting place is so important. You see, when we ask for God’s help so we can honor his name, well, I think this request acknowledges that, when you get right down to it, we’re limited and we know it, and so is our willingness to be honest and our ability to understand. That’s what we are. But God, God is holy. God is perfect in his freedom and his love. And because of that, God is able and willing to help his limited children do something we’re just not able to do on our own. I mean, he can help us honor his name by giving us the insight and the strength to do exactly what he called and created us to do. And what’s that? Just listen to what Jesus said to his disciples right at the end of Matthew’s gospel: Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world. [Matthew 28:19-20, CEV] Now that’s the command and the promise. That’s what we’re called to do, and God can help us do it.
And I’ll tell you, I think this same source of strength and support is also available to us. For example, we can seek God’s help to manage our speech so that what we say shows genuine respect for God. I mean, instead of using God’s name to express anger or to make promises or to rubber stamp decisions, we can use it in a way that reflects both humility and awe. And we can seek his help to align our behavior, enabling us to practice what we preach and to follow his example by acting with justice, compassion, and honesty and to live as befits the family name we claim, and I’m talking about the name “Christian.” And we can seek his help to deepen our reverence for him. I mean, just imagine the difference we might make if we used his name to offer him praise and to submit to his will and to pray for restoration. You see, I believe we can truly honor the name of God when we decide to open ourselves to his spirit and to his love. And for me, that’s the third thing we can do.
And to do all that, well it’s not exactly child’s play, because, obeying the Third Commandment is so much more than not misusing God’s name. Of course, that’s not to suggest that mom was wrong when she told me there were certain words I probably shouldn’t use. Still, as adults, not only is this command bigger than what we shouldn’t say, it also speaks to what we can be and do. You see, according to Jesus Christ, keeping this commandment involves us being honest nd being focused and being open. And in this way, not only can we avoid taking it in vain, I think we’ll be making good use of God’s name.
Of course, that’s not the only thing we can use properly. In a couple of weeks, and I’m talking about, on the Sunday after the picnic, we’ll be looking at the Fourth Commandment:
Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me. You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day—not you, your children, your slaves, your animals, or the foreigners who live in your towns. In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That's why I made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me. [Exodus 20:8-11, CEV]
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