Ten Friends Drive Us To The Promise
Sermon
Sermons On The First Readings
Series I, Cycle A
"One day last spring, something memorable happened at Carleton University (in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, not to be confused with Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota). Thirty--one students in the same class turned in identical research papers. It was determined that the students had all accessed the same Internet website. If only one student had done it, the ruse might not have caught the professor's attention. But here's what else opened the instructor's eyes: the research paper's topic was 'ethics.' The unethical ethics 'research' caper suggests an opportunity. If young people are lacking in moral fiber, where will they get it? From those who have responsibility for shaping their development, that's where."1
When the Pope visited Denver for a youth gathering recently, thousands came. Two young adults sharing a tent in the campsite area said to a reporter that this was the highlight of their spiritual life. When the reporter, intrigued by their comment and by their living situation, asked if they thought the Pope would approve of their cohabiting together without the benefit of marriage, they replied, "Oh, probably not, but that's his opinion." One wonders then, does the Pope function and sail on a sea of opinion or is there a higher set of moral guidelines and rules?
Clearly, we are sailing on a sea of relativism. A 34--year--old Generation Xer said to her pastor father when discussing a moral issue, "Well, Dad, what's right for you is right for you, but what's right for me is right for me."2
Someone said that the best way to show that a stick is crooked is not to spend time arguing about the crookedness, but just to put a straight stick alongside it.
When one goes to a basketball game or any sports event, one expects to see a competition that is guided by rules and regulations. What a fiasco the basketball game would be if only the guard and center decide to dribble while the forwards do not, and if fouls are ignored and a basket is not a score unless the cheerleaders or the crowd approves. It would be a donkey basketball game without donkeys and rate as a free--for--all if the referees wore striped shirts as part of a fashion show. It could hardly be termed a bona fide game.
On the third moon after the Israelites had gone out of the land of Egypt, and having journeyed from Rephidim in the Wilderness of Sin, we find them camped in front of the mountain called Sinai. There, Moses goes up to the presence of the Lord and receives the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. An amazing theophany appears communicating the presence of the Lord while Moses is gone. The people are afraid when they see and hear the great thunder and lightning, the thick cloud and the smoke, and the sound of the trumpet. This theophany reminds them that the place is holy and they are to remain at a safe distance.
The First of the Ten in the Corpus of Commands begins by reminding the Israelites that Yahweh is the one who brought them out of Egypt. Yahweh is a holy, jealous God who saves and commands. Yahweh displaces all other loyalties and drives away all rivals. When God speaks, the command is not a suggestion, but a call for a lifetime of ceding all authority over to Yahweh. "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods" (Exodus 20:2).
Origin, the second--century North African theologian said, "What each one honors before all else, what before all things he admires and loves, this for him is God." There is only room for one God just as there is only room for one bride at a wedding.
A young pastor in his first rural parish in South Dakota once had two brides show up for the one groom. Both brides--to--be, in wedding gowns, insisted on being the chosen one in marriage that very night. The young pastor, perplexed, confused, and disgusted, finally announced that there would be no wedding at all. One cannot accommodate more than one bride just as God will not tolerate any other rival.
Then God says to Moses, "You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name" (Exodus 20:7). God's name is emptied of its power not only by cursing and swearing, but also by the banal use of God's name. How we use God's name reflects how we regard the awesome presence and person of God. A license plate with Jesus' name in Hebrew "Yeshua," a bumper sticker, "Honk, if you love Jesus," or singing a song about "Talking to the Man Upstairs" are examples of a banal use of a holy name. It is the casualness with which the name of God is bantered about that makes for vain and empty use.
Jesus taught his disciples and all would--be followers to pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Hallowed be thy name." Luther taught that the name of God be used primarily in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.
The Third Commandment, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," is rooted in several Old Testament stories, as for example, the creation narrative where God rests on the seventh day and the manna story in Exodus where no manna is collected on the Sabbath but two omers of manna are collected on the day before.
The purpose of the Sabbath is not to encourage "blue laws" in specific communities, but to affirm the periodic, disciplined, regular disengagement from the systems of productivity whereby the world uses and abuses people to the point of exhaustion. We smile at human nature's manipulation and lame excuses for forgetting the Sabbath instead of remembering it.
Two men, fishing on Sunday morning, were feeling guilty. Said one, "I suppose we should have stayed home and gone to church."
The other replied, "Heck, I couldn't have gone to church anyway. My wife's in bed with the flu."
Professor Jim Nestigen points out in The Hidden Promise that there is a promise, a word of grace behind the law. The Sabbath is not to be milked dry with legalism, but is to be seen and experienced as a day full of grace where the word may be heard. "So rest and church attendance are important, but what makes the sabbath day and Third Commandment is the Word ... This God, the dear Lord Jesus Christ says, 'Come to me, all of you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest' " (Matthew 11:28).3
The first table of the Decalogue calls for love to God and the second table of the law calls for love to people.
The Fourth Commandment is "Honor your father and your mother" (Exodus 20:12). God begins where life begins for us - in our homes. God sets children and parents apart for the highest offices in creation. Parents are crowned the highest office in creation because through them God creates life. Parents and their helpers, others in authority, are the only ones God commands us to honor.
Honoring is a two--way street as we see Paul describing it: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right ... fathers, mothers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:1, 3). This Fourth Commandment and all the other commands do not make new people out of us. Their purpose is to protect us from the Old Adam and drive us to the promise of the gospel. It is not the Decalogue, the law, but the gospel that makes new people through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
The Fifth Commandment, "You shall not murder," the Sixth, "You shall not commit adultery," and the Seventh, "You shall not steal," are the pillars upon which society rests. These words speak to the sacredness of human life, the sanctity of marriage, and the privilege to possess property.
The meaning of the Fifth Commandment is simple and inclusive: We are not to hurt our neighbor in any physical way. Anything that damages another person's well--being, intentional or accidental, is a violation. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus intensifies and tightens the prohibition which demonstrates the depth of the safety God promises. "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment" (Matthew 5:21--22a).
"In Christ, God gives more than commands. He soaks up our resentments, refusing to deal with us on the basis of an eye for an eye. Instead of returning curse for curse, God blesses ... Jesus steps in the way. 'Look at what hatred did to me,' he says, pointing to his hands and side. 'You're not a child of resentment, but one of mine, living in the hope of the resurrection.' "4
In the Sixth Commandment God places the sexual relationship under special protection. Its purpose is twofold: procreation and the expression of deep, loving intimacy.
In the Seventh Commandment the prohibition is not to steal or acquire another's property by unjust means. The promise behind the law is that God will continue to provide for us, giving us what we need. The joy of property is giving it up or away to another's advantage.
The Eighth Commandment, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor," protects our neighbor's good name and reputation. Lying, slander, backbiting, racial and sexual slurs, all have the dreadful potential to maim and hurt. The promise of the Eighth Commandment is Jesus' intention that the truth be spoken always in love.
Commandments Nine and Ten, "You shall not covet," deal with inward feelings, thoughts, and disposition. They protect against the wandering eye and greedy heart. Coveting leads to other egregious sins.
On the mountain and for the Israelites, Moses becomes the great mediator between a Holy, Awesome, Commandment--giving Yahweh and the ragtag people of Israel. At the foot of Mount Sinai, the Israelites experience a religious dread. So far the people have heard only terrible sounds, no words - they are feeling bad consciences and afraid of condemnation and punishment. The people, trembling, say to Moses, " 'You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us or we will die.' Moses says, 'Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin' " (Exodus 20:19--20).
Reinhold Niebuhr comments, "True religion is based on two premises: the sense of reverence for a majesty and the sense of moral obligation to others."
Someone has said that there was a reason why the Ten were written on stone instead of parchment. They were written in stone so that people could only keep them or break them - they cannot bend them.
A pompous gentleman once announced to a group which included Mark Twain: "Before I die I will go to the Holy Land, climb Mount Sinai, and read the Ten Commandments aloud at the top."
"I have a better idea," said Twain, "you could stay home and keep them."
The Ten Commandments for us moderns in this country have taken a curious place within the battle between the separation of church and state. Presently, town councils, school boards, and public officials are battling over the placement or non--placement of the Ten Commandments in public settings. One side says that our civilization is going to the dogs and one way to rescue it is to bring back the Ten Commandments. Another side in the debate argues that no one religion or religious teachings ought to be dictated in a pluralistic country.
The main purpose of the commandments and their application today is the real crux of the matter. Nestigen teaches that there are two basic kinds of words in scripture: law and gospel. Both are valid and essential for the Christian. "The basic structure of law words is 'if ... then': If you want the reward, then you have to fulfill the condition; if you want to avoid punishment, then you have to meet the expectation. Either way, you are on the spot - the law's requirement is directed at you. But there is another kind of word in scripture as well, a promising one. In such words, declarations are made, gifts are given, promises bestowed ... thus none of the most important differences between the law and the gospel is who is responsible to fulfill them."5
With the law, you and I are responsible. With the gospel, God is responsible. Behind every commandment then, we look for the promise hidden, knowing that God makes believers out of us since the law shows us our sin and our need for a Savior and the gospel provides the amazing rescue.
____________
1. Michael L. Sherer editorial, "Here's a Gift Worth Giving," Metro Lutheran, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2002.
2. Arley K. Fadness, Holy Moses (Custer, South Dakota: Onesimus Press, 2004).
3. James Arne Nestigen, The Hidden Promise - A Study Of The Ten Commandments (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1994), p. 26.
4. Ibid., p. 34.
5. Ibid., p. 34.
When the Pope visited Denver for a youth gathering recently, thousands came. Two young adults sharing a tent in the campsite area said to a reporter that this was the highlight of their spiritual life. When the reporter, intrigued by their comment and by their living situation, asked if they thought the Pope would approve of their cohabiting together without the benefit of marriage, they replied, "Oh, probably not, but that's his opinion." One wonders then, does the Pope function and sail on a sea of opinion or is there a higher set of moral guidelines and rules?
Clearly, we are sailing on a sea of relativism. A 34--year--old Generation Xer said to her pastor father when discussing a moral issue, "Well, Dad, what's right for you is right for you, but what's right for me is right for me."2
Someone said that the best way to show that a stick is crooked is not to spend time arguing about the crookedness, but just to put a straight stick alongside it.
When one goes to a basketball game or any sports event, one expects to see a competition that is guided by rules and regulations. What a fiasco the basketball game would be if only the guard and center decide to dribble while the forwards do not, and if fouls are ignored and a basket is not a score unless the cheerleaders or the crowd approves. It would be a donkey basketball game without donkeys and rate as a free--for--all if the referees wore striped shirts as part of a fashion show. It could hardly be termed a bona fide game.
On the third moon after the Israelites had gone out of the land of Egypt, and having journeyed from Rephidim in the Wilderness of Sin, we find them camped in front of the mountain called Sinai. There, Moses goes up to the presence of the Lord and receives the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. An amazing theophany appears communicating the presence of the Lord while Moses is gone. The people are afraid when they see and hear the great thunder and lightning, the thick cloud and the smoke, and the sound of the trumpet. This theophany reminds them that the place is holy and they are to remain at a safe distance.
The First of the Ten in the Corpus of Commands begins by reminding the Israelites that Yahweh is the one who brought them out of Egypt. Yahweh is a holy, jealous God who saves and commands. Yahweh displaces all other loyalties and drives away all rivals. When God speaks, the command is not a suggestion, but a call for a lifetime of ceding all authority over to Yahweh. "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods" (Exodus 20:2).
Origin, the second--century North African theologian said, "What each one honors before all else, what before all things he admires and loves, this for him is God." There is only room for one God just as there is only room for one bride at a wedding.
A young pastor in his first rural parish in South Dakota once had two brides show up for the one groom. Both brides--to--be, in wedding gowns, insisted on being the chosen one in marriage that very night. The young pastor, perplexed, confused, and disgusted, finally announced that there would be no wedding at all. One cannot accommodate more than one bride just as God will not tolerate any other rival.
Then God says to Moses, "You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name" (Exodus 20:7). God's name is emptied of its power not only by cursing and swearing, but also by the banal use of God's name. How we use God's name reflects how we regard the awesome presence and person of God. A license plate with Jesus' name in Hebrew "Yeshua," a bumper sticker, "Honk, if you love Jesus," or singing a song about "Talking to the Man Upstairs" are examples of a banal use of a holy name. It is the casualness with which the name of God is bantered about that makes for vain and empty use.
Jesus taught his disciples and all would--be followers to pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Hallowed be thy name." Luther taught that the name of God be used primarily in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.
The Third Commandment, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," is rooted in several Old Testament stories, as for example, the creation narrative where God rests on the seventh day and the manna story in Exodus where no manna is collected on the Sabbath but two omers of manna are collected on the day before.
The purpose of the Sabbath is not to encourage "blue laws" in specific communities, but to affirm the periodic, disciplined, regular disengagement from the systems of productivity whereby the world uses and abuses people to the point of exhaustion. We smile at human nature's manipulation and lame excuses for forgetting the Sabbath instead of remembering it.
Two men, fishing on Sunday morning, were feeling guilty. Said one, "I suppose we should have stayed home and gone to church."
The other replied, "Heck, I couldn't have gone to church anyway. My wife's in bed with the flu."
Professor Jim Nestigen points out in The Hidden Promise that there is a promise, a word of grace behind the law. The Sabbath is not to be milked dry with legalism, but is to be seen and experienced as a day full of grace where the word may be heard. "So rest and church attendance are important, but what makes the sabbath day and Third Commandment is the Word ... This God, the dear Lord Jesus Christ says, 'Come to me, all of you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest' " (Matthew 11:28).3
The first table of the Decalogue calls for love to God and the second table of the law calls for love to people.
The Fourth Commandment is "Honor your father and your mother" (Exodus 20:12). God begins where life begins for us - in our homes. God sets children and parents apart for the highest offices in creation. Parents are crowned the highest office in creation because through them God creates life. Parents and their helpers, others in authority, are the only ones God commands us to honor.
Honoring is a two--way street as we see Paul describing it: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right ... fathers, mothers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:1, 3). This Fourth Commandment and all the other commands do not make new people out of us. Their purpose is to protect us from the Old Adam and drive us to the promise of the gospel. It is not the Decalogue, the law, but the gospel that makes new people through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
The Fifth Commandment, "You shall not murder," the Sixth, "You shall not commit adultery," and the Seventh, "You shall not steal," are the pillars upon which society rests. These words speak to the sacredness of human life, the sanctity of marriage, and the privilege to possess property.
The meaning of the Fifth Commandment is simple and inclusive: We are not to hurt our neighbor in any physical way. Anything that damages another person's well--being, intentional or accidental, is a violation. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus intensifies and tightens the prohibition which demonstrates the depth of the safety God promises. "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment" (Matthew 5:21--22a).
"In Christ, God gives more than commands. He soaks up our resentments, refusing to deal with us on the basis of an eye for an eye. Instead of returning curse for curse, God blesses ... Jesus steps in the way. 'Look at what hatred did to me,' he says, pointing to his hands and side. 'You're not a child of resentment, but one of mine, living in the hope of the resurrection.' "4
In the Sixth Commandment God places the sexual relationship under special protection. Its purpose is twofold: procreation and the expression of deep, loving intimacy.
In the Seventh Commandment the prohibition is not to steal or acquire another's property by unjust means. The promise behind the law is that God will continue to provide for us, giving us what we need. The joy of property is giving it up or away to another's advantage.
The Eighth Commandment, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor," protects our neighbor's good name and reputation. Lying, slander, backbiting, racial and sexual slurs, all have the dreadful potential to maim and hurt. The promise of the Eighth Commandment is Jesus' intention that the truth be spoken always in love.
Commandments Nine and Ten, "You shall not covet," deal with inward feelings, thoughts, and disposition. They protect against the wandering eye and greedy heart. Coveting leads to other egregious sins.
On the mountain and for the Israelites, Moses becomes the great mediator between a Holy, Awesome, Commandment--giving Yahweh and the ragtag people of Israel. At the foot of Mount Sinai, the Israelites experience a religious dread. So far the people have heard only terrible sounds, no words - they are feeling bad consciences and afraid of condemnation and punishment. The people, trembling, say to Moses, " 'You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us or we will die.' Moses says, 'Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin' " (Exodus 20:19--20).
Reinhold Niebuhr comments, "True religion is based on two premises: the sense of reverence for a majesty and the sense of moral obligation to others."
Someone has said that there was a reason why the Ten were written on stone instead of parchment. They were written in stone so that people could only keep them or break them - they cannot bend them.
A pompous gentleman once announced to a group which included Mark Twain: "Before I die I will go to the Holy Land, climb Mount Sinai, and read the Ten Commandments aloud at the top."
"I have a better idea," said Twain, "you could stay home and keep them."
The Ten Commandments for us moderns in this country have taken a curious place within the battle between the separation of church and state. Presently, town councils, school boards, and public officials are battling over the placement or non--placement of the Ten Commandments in public settings. One side says that our civilization is going to the dogs and one way to rescue it is to bring back the Ten Commandments. Another side in the debate argues that no one religion or religious teachings ought to be dictated in a pluralistic country.
The main purpose of the commandments and their application today is the real crux of the matter. Nestigen teaches that there are two basic kinds of words in scripture: law and gospel. Both are valid and essential for the Christian. "The basic structure of law words is 'if ... then': If you want the reward, then you have to fulfill the condition; if you want to avoid punishment, then you have to meet the expectation. Either way, you are on the spot - the law's requirement is directed at you. But there is another kind of word in scripture as well, a promising one. In such words, declarations are made, gifts are given, promises bestowed ... thus none of the most important differences between the law and the gospel is who is responsible to fulfill them."5
With the law, you and I are responsible. With the gospel, God is responsible. Behind every commandment then, we look for the promise hidden, knowing that God makes believers out of us since the law shows us our sin and our need for a Savior and the gospel provides the amazing rescue.
____________
1. Michael L. Sherer editorial, "Here's a Gift Worth Giving," Metro Lutheran, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2002.
2. Arley K. Fadness, Holy Moses (Custer, South Dakota: Onesimus Press, 2004).
3. James Arne Nestigen, The Hidden Promise - A Study Of The Ten Commandments (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1994), p. 26.
4. Ibid., p. 34.
5. Ibid., p. 34.
