Lenten Reflection - March 31st

Written by: Pastor Ron Lee

Reading: Exodus 20:1-17 1 And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal. 16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

We are in the process of adding a new member to our family, not a grandchild this time, but a wonderful Shetland Sheep dog, named Chance. He is a miniature Lassie, two and a half years old, and has a sweet disposition and a twinkle in his eye. And the first thing we will do? Show Chance, we love him, to help ease his fears about his new surroundings and relationships, of course. We have two other dogs that are part of our extended family, so the process of creating a new pack will need to take some time, and make a real effort, as Chance becomes part of our "pack". If you have ever gone through the process of adding a new member to your family, human or otherwise, you probably know the drill. Love isn't just pats and snuggling. It is, also, setting out the boundaries for acceptable behavior that keeps the new one, and the rest of the family safe and free from harm. There is a fence, a leash, and you scan the environment for anything that would be dangerous or might cause harm. People and pets that do not have boundaries provided by loving parents, are usually out of control and miserable to be around. Great love, and healthy community, always develops in an environment of safety and trust. So it is with God and us. It isn't a matter of God telling us to "obey the commandments to prove that you are a good person." That would be to see the commandments from our perspective. Instead, they are God's great way of saying to us: "Now that I have made you part of my family, and surrounded you with my love, here are the 'house rules" to keep you safe. Break them, and I will still love you. But if you do, you will be a danger to yourself and to the rest of the family." So God commands things like these: Love and honor me, your father and mother, don't kill, steal, lie about the other members of the family, or steal their bones! We will have our house rules for Chance, because we already love him and want him and the other members of our family to do well. Now that you are part of God's community of love, how are you doing with his house rules, the ten commandments? Can you see beyond the fence God erects around us, to the heart of love that enfolds us?

Lord, thank you for your love, and that you would give me such a clear vision of what you command and desire that my life might be rich and full. Amen.