Rebel Hurd of Church on the Street talked about how God's strong hand and mighty arm reaches out to deliver the the unhoused people in Sioux Falls. The scripture was how God saved the Israelites by parting the Red Sea. (we only read Exodus 14:5-7, 10-14, and 21-29 in worship).
BTW - Our synod page has a great article on answering the why of Church on the Street - be sure to check it out.
This Sunday we join God's chosen people at the foot of Mt. Sinai. God's class on living as free people of God is in session. The former slaves need to learn a totally new way of life, and God have them covered with a covenant, the promise of relationship between God and the people, and with commandments.
We call them "commandments", and consider the ten of them (however you number them) rules for life. Our Jewish siblings call them the "Words." Much life in the beginning when God spoke, there was life, these ten Words from God bring life. I rather like that - not rules that we aren't supposed to break, but words that bring life.
Another interesting difference between us and our Jewish siblings is the numbering of these ten words of life. My then-7th-grade daughter was surprised to find that her Christian friend numbered the 10 Commandments differently than she had learned in confirmation class. "Which is the right way?" She was astounded to learn the Bible doesn't number them at all. Seriously - I had to get out a Bible and show her!
I used to wonder if perhaps there were actually 9 Commandments and in our human effort to make things neat and tidy we split one of the 9 into two so there would be 10 (you know how we love things in tens!). The Lutherans combine "no other gods" and "graven images" into one commandment but split the "coveting" into two commandments - which my confirmation students says makes no sense since both essentially mean "be happy with what you have." The other numbering system combines the coveting, but splits "no other gods" and "no graven images," which would seem to be a subset of "no other gods." And rather problematic in a world of ubiquitous selfies! Then again, maybe they have a point....
Anyway, my system of 9 Commandments was elegant. No messy divisions to arbitrarily come to a total of 10. Besides, it made sense. Three is the number of God, right?
3 x 3=9. All good.
Until...
I learned that the rabbis teach there are 10 "Words". They don't split anything ("no coveting" counts as one Word, "no other gods" and "no graven images" combine to one Word). So how do they come up with 10?
They include verse two:
Exodus 20:1 Then God spoke all these words:
2 I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
These 10 Words of Life start with grace: "who brought you out of Egypt, our of the house of slavery,"
I came to you and rescued you because I love you."
"I know that you don't know how to life as free people. You've been slaves for 400 years. I know you don't know how to live as my people. The forces that enslaved you have blinded you to what is true, and pure, and right. So here you go, this is what the life I created you to have looks like....."
Relationship. Grace.
Love. Life.
That's what these 10 Words are all about.
I like how Jesus sums it all up later (Luke 10:27):
“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
That's it. The first 3 (or 4, depending on how you count them) commandments are what it looks like to love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. The rest of the commandments are what it looks like to love your neighbor as yourself.
These 10 Words are a picture of what life in the Beloved Community of God looks like.
The community that God birthed through the waters of the Red Sea,
and the community that God birthed through the waters of baptism.
It's pure grace and loving relationship - parent to child, and between members of the family.
Words of Life.
Words of Love.
Relationship and Grace.
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