Ten Commandments: Fast Facts

This week we are studying the Ten Commandments. Here are the quick facts I think you need to know...

First, the Ten Commandments are divided into TWO GROUPS. The first four commandments describe our relationship to God. And, the last six commandments describe our earthly relationships to each other. We can further describe the first four commandments as our 'vertical' or 'upward' relationship meaning God. And, the last six commandments are our 'horizontal' or earthly relationships with each other.

Second, because of these two groupings, Jesus delineated the two commandments as follows when questioned by a religious leader in Matthew 22:35-40 (also Mark 12:28-34):

35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested Jesus with this question:36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Notice verse 40. "All the Law and Prophets" hinge on these two commandments. Many people misunderstand. They think this idea was NEW with Jesus. It was not! Jesus was merely quoting the Old Testament back to this supposedly knowledgeable, religious leader. The two passages Jesus was quoting are from Deuteronomy 6:5...

5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

And, Leviticus 19:18...

18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Notice the similarity of these Old Testament passages with the teaching of Jesus in the passages from Matthew and Mark.

FINAL NOTE

It may help to remember the cross as a symbol of this division within the  Ten Commandments. We are told in John 1 that Jesus is the Logos, the very Word of God. So, as we imagine Jesus on the cross we can see God's Word emanating in a vertical relationship to earthly man. In like manner, we see the hands of Jesus extending horizontally. This should remind us that WE ARE NOW THE HANDS OF JESUS!

This might be a story you find interesting. I have heard various versions of it told throughout the years...

Anecdote: In Germany, there was a beautiful statute of the Lord Jesus Christ with His hands extended. During World War II a bomb fell close to the statue decapitating it and blowing its arms off.  After the war was over the village began to sift through the rubble of their war torn village looking for the arms and the head.  The people soon found the head and arms as well as some other small pieces, but they could not find the hands. With great discouragement someone argued, “You can’t have a statute of Jesus without hands!”

A young lady standing nearby and hearing the discussions had a sudden inspiration to put a plaque in the place of the hands.  If you were to read that plaque today, you would read these words:

I have no hands but your hands to do my work today.  I have no feet but your feet to lead people on their way.  I have no tongue but your tongue to tell people how I died. I have no help but your help to lead them to my side. We as believers in Christ are His hands, feet and tongue to a lost and hurting world. It is time that we ask ourselves what we are doing to show people the love of Jesus.

See You Tomorrow!!!!!