As you may have realized, Thursdays have become days of series for us. So as we have ended the series on the Beatitudes, we commence a new one today on the ten commandments.
We are in effect moving in a reverse order because the Beatitudes can be considered as part of Jesus’ version or interpretation of the ten commandments. In other words, if anyone genuinely lives by the Beatitudes, they will be fulfilling the requirement of the ten commandments.
Let’s quickly remember that Jesus gave a summary of the ten commandments as follows:
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
Here, the thin line that separates spirituality from religion can be perceived. It is not difficult to understand the cause of the frequent clashes between Jesus and the teachers of the law. The former stresses on upholding the spirit of the law in love, whereas the latter is preoccupied with an outward observance of rules as a sign of piety.
The key point here is that spirituality goes beyond the mere observance of rules. It is a love relationship between us and God which manifests in our attitude towards Him and everyone else around us.
Our focus then in exploring the ten commandments in the following weeks is to appreciate the spirit of the law to enrich our spiritual lives. We aspire to go beyond the letter to grab the spirit.
“…for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6)
Let’s get into the first commandment next week!
Remain inspired!
https://joelkwesibaidoo.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-ten-commandments.html
