Move Over, Moses

It’s been proposed that we have The Ten Commandments posted in every classroom in Texas. Google Texas Senate Bill 10. Would that be the worst thing in the world? No. Who is going to argue that following the commandments is a bad idea. Isn’t that what keeps you from murdering your annoying coworker? Or coveting your friend’s new sneakers?

Can anyone list the the Big Ten by memory? Congratulations, if you did. In case you failed, here is the list.

They are perfect little bullet points. Easy to read, easy follow. No need for further discussion, right?

Of course not. The ancients did what people still do today - they found loopholes. They played the “But what if?” game. They did what humans do … fudge the system. It became the job of the Bible nerds of the time (Pharisees and scribes) to interpret the laws for the people and make sure you’re “good to go” with YHWH.

I believe the intention of the Ten Commandments was to convey a deeper wisdom and cultivate of way of life that set the Israelites apart. Instead it became a game of legalistic antics.

The waters became so muddy Jesus had to step in and say, “Guys look, you have heard it said this way, but I’m telling you this new thing.” And news flash, it wasn’t really new. It was the underlying wisdom there all along. They were supposed to be a people set apart. And instead they kept blending in with the world and falling into a death trap (spiritually speaking).

Then comes Jesus with one of his greatest hits, the Sermon on the Mount, trying to clear everything up.

Except everything Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount sounds absolutely ridiculous to worldly ears!

Those who are mourning are the blessed ones? Please!

Turn the other cheek when someone backhands me?? Oh, heck no.

Love my enemies?? Nope.

Don’t worry? Yeah, right.

Don’t judge??? I’m sorry but do you know who he voted for??

Be perfect????????????? Are you kidding me?

Why? What will it get me? What prize do I win?

You win . . . your soul

And in real time. Now and not later in heaven.

There is nothing easy about living like Jesus and being a real Christian. Reading the Sermon on the Mount feels like Jesus came and flipped the tables of my life. And I love it. The call to live this kind of life will disrupt your modus operundi. The sermon on the mount is a challenge that no one can meet on their own. It takes a supernatural strength to abide by these teachings and it requires an ego death to come to this life.

But before you throw your hands up, remember this - it also takes a supernatural desire to even want to try. And if you’re reading this, I think you have that desire. You have the ears to hear, the eyes to see, and the heart to embrace the wisdom Jesus offers. You do.

So before we commit to having the Ten Commandments plastered to the wall in the schools, I think we should read the Sermon on the Mount every day for a month and see where we land. We may consider the plank in our own eye more often. We may consider how we treat others more readily. We may offer grace and mercy more freely.

And it’s freaking hard.

But our souls are worth it.

And I think it will change the world more than a list on the wall can.