We Christians seem to have a knack for turning the simple into the complex, especially in matters of faith. And then we rack our brains trying to come up with answers that we can comfortably embrace instead of learning to live with a little mystery in our lives. But isn't this making the simple into the complex just the opposite of what we find in the flow of Scripture? Allow me to attempt to frame this issue in terms of Commandments.
The tradition that 613 Commandments is the number of laws in the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament), began in the third century AD when Rabbi Simlai mentioned it in a sermon. These Commandments are referred to collectively as "the Law of Moses," or simply as "the Law". According to one line of thought, the negative Commandments number 365 which coincides with the number days in the solar year, and the positive Commandments number 248, a number ascribed to the number of bones and main organs in the human body. Be all of that as it may, who can remember 613 Commandments?
But many folks can remember a summary of the law commonly known as The Ten Commandments. The best known list of the Decalogue - the "Top Ten" - is found in Exodus chapter 20, verses 1 - 17. Of the ten, seven begin with the words "You shall not."
- "You shall not make for yourselves an idol..."
- "You shall not make wrongful use of the Name..."
- "You shall not murder."
- "You shall not commit adultery."
- "You shall not steal."
- "You shall not bear false witness..."
- "You shall not covet..."
The other three begin on a more positive note...
- "You shall have no other gods..."
- "Remember the Sabbath day..."
- "Honor your Father and your Mother..."
Later the "Big 10" were condensed into 3 by the prophet Micah who wrote in Chapter 6 and verse 8: "He has told you, O mortal, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice (1), and to love kindness (2), and to walk humbly with your God (3)?" It's always easier to remember three of anything than it is to remember ten of anything. But to live out these three in all of our day to day interactions, that's a horse of another color.
Moving now into the New Testament, Jesus, who has a way of "cutting to the chase," simplifies things even more. From Matthew 22, beginning with verse 36: "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
"Jesus 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 greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it; You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'"
From 613 commandments to two (actually one with two parts)...Scripture made simple in the Great Commandment. But simple to remember does not always mean easy to do.
Loving God and loving others...even the unlovely...Easy? No.
Possible? Yes, but only by the Grace of God. Which by the way is available in abundant supply.
Charles
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