Signs of God's Grace: Commandments And Hope

Dr. James Mayfield
Tarrytown United Methodist Church

November 16, 2003

Text: Jeremiah 31:31-34

I have often wondered if the people who get so upset when displaying the Ten Commandments in some state building is ruled out of order, can even recite the ten, much less explain what they mean. I suspect most of them are like most of us and focus primarily on the last six that have to do with having an orderly society: honoring one's parents, not committing murder, not committing adultery not stealing, not making false statements about people, and not coveting, that is to say lusting after, anything belonging to others, including their spouses.

No one I know, objects to or even disagrees with these six commands -- not even the atheists I know. It is the first four that cause the problem. These first commandment declares we are worship only the God who freed the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt; the second commands us not create other gods to worship (and we are warned if we do there will be hell to pay for several generations); third, we are commanded not to play games with God, trying to use God and his name for our purposes (in other words, not to make vain use of God and God's name), and fourth, we are to set aside one day a week when we rest and focus on who God is, what God has done for us, and what God expects (in other words, keep the Sabbath holy).

These commandments clearly call for loyalty and obedience to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. When the government displays these commandments, the state is knowingly or unknowingly endorsing obedience to and worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is why persons not rooted in the Hebrew religious heritage object. But my concern today is not about whether or not the Ten Commandments are displayed in government buildings. My concern is that all too often, we who call ourselves Christians do not allow these commandments to shape our daily living. And although I am increasingly concerned and even upset that children in our congregation all too often are pressured to be with their soccer team Sunday morning rather than with their community of faith, my concern goes beyond this kind of violation of the 4th commandment.

My concern is the problems we have allowing the commandments to shape our values, attitudes and actions. For most of us, the last six commandments are less a problem than the first four. Most of us do a fair job of honoring our parents. It is not difficult for most of us gathered here to refrain from murder and stealing. And while we may sometimes to tempted to commit adultery or to tell lies about someone or to covet what our neighbors have, most of us resist these temptations. As I see it, our basic problems have to do with our worshipping other gods, our creating false gods, our trying to manipulate or use God, and our drifting away from God because we have failed to keep the Sabbath holy. How easy it is for us to end up worshipping false gods. For example, without realizing it, we make gods of our children by worshipping them as though they are what give us worth and value as persons. Or, we allow our careers and career demands to be the god that controls our living; or, our primary commitment in life becomes the pursuit of whatever we think will make us comfortable and have fun.

Notice, none of these things we treat as false gods and worship is evil in and of itself. Far from it; they are good. Caring about our children is good. It is when we substitute living for our children for being faithful to God that we become engaged in idol worship. And regarding our careers or jobs, all honorable work is a great gift from God; Our work is one way of expressing ourselves, one way of honoring God, but our work, our career, is not to be the god we place above all else. Comfort and pleasure are great gifts of grace, until they become the organizing principal in our living and what we live for.

The causes or concerns we substitute for the one true God more often than not, are not bad or evil in themselves. Our problem is we take something that is truly good and then without realizing we have done it, we drift away from God revealed in Christ and give ourselves to this false god of our own making.

It is certainly easy for me to do. For example, in times such as this, when I am concerned about our giving, it is easy for me to drift into living as if my worth or value as a person is somehow related to my getting you to give enough money so that we can do all the outreach ministries I think we should. I forget I cannot make you respond to God's grace. Only the Holy Spirit at work in our lives can make any of us truly generous. But it is easy for me to live as if I can make that happen, and that my being a person of worth is somehow related to my making us a financially successful organization. When I am guilty of this, I have taken something that is basically good (our financial support of ministries), and begun to center my living on it as if it were God. So, is there hope for me? Is there hope for any of us who drift away from God and into the worship of false gods without even realizing it?

The passage we read this morning proclaims profound hope. Let's look at it.

The people of Judah were defeated and discouraged. They realized they had made a mess of things. But in this passage, Jeremiah does not rub salt in their wounds saying: "See, I told you this is what would happen if drift you away from God and build your lives around substitutes."

Instead, Jeremiah talked about a promise. "The days are coming," he said, "when the law, the basic principals of life, will not merely be rules one memorizes, but will be so written in the hearts of people that these commands will shape the way they live." Jeremiah knew only God could bring this kind of change. Only God can write the laws on our hearts, and Jeremiah was confident, this is just what God was and is going to do.

When I read passages such as this one, I picture the large stained glass window that was behind the chancel of First Methodist Church in Mathis. Jesus is carrying a lantern that is lit and knocking on a door that has no outside door knob and can only be opened from within. It is a depiction of this verse from Revelations: Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me." God's life changing, life giving grace is at our front door. We are that close to receiving what we need to be the persons God intends us to be. In the passage we read today, Jeremiah tells us that only God can write the law on our hearts. God can enable us to experience the fulfillment for which we were created. The grace of God at work in our lives can enable us to set aside our false gods and to center our living around the true God. By the grace of God, we can grow in our love of God and in our love of neighbor. But God does not force entry into our hearts; God has given us hearts that can only be opened from the inside.

"The days are surely coming," says the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah and the people of Tarrytown United Methodist Church. He stands at the door and knocks.

God, motivate us to open the door; write your law upon our hearts so that without thinking we do what you want done and say what you want said. This is our prayer; this is our hope for life. Amen.

Pastoral prayer:

God, for all the ways you are at work through the lives of members of this congregation, we are grateful. Enable each of us to be more sensitive to your presence . Help us discern more clearly what you would have us do. Empower us so that we have the will and the courage to do what you want done. Protect us from all that tempts us to drift away from you. Rescue us from all that distorts our living. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we live each day, as you intend. Thank you for all the blessings we have received. We are grateful for all the ways you have been at work among us and in us strengthening our faith, healing our hurts, giving us hope, enabling us to love. In gratitude we pray, remembering the one who taught us to pray: "Our Father ...."