The greatest commandments summarize the Ten Commandments. Read Mark 12:30-31. We can’t always remember every one of the Ten Commandments, but we can pretty much remember that most of them start with “Thou Shall Not.” This King James Version is the one ingrained in my head from a young child. I learned what not to do. Don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, and don’t covet. When it came to the first four commandments, my Sunday School teachers seemed to summarize them with one rule: “Put God first.” So, my Christian ethics revolved around putting God first and not doing bad things. If I did bad things, then I might go to hell, and no one wants to go to hell. So I tried my best to put God first and not do bad things. I also learned what Jesus said about the greatest commandment. We are to love God. Then he said to love our neighbor as ourselves. It wasn’t until much later that I began to connect Jesus’ words to the Ten Commandments. That connection came when I studied the Book of Exodus as a whole and connected the Ten Commandments to the people who had been slaves in Egypt and were now forming a new society under God’s provision and protection. The Ten Commandments were guidelines for the Hebrew people to keep the covenant with God, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” These were God’s relationship expectations. Following the Ten Commandments would strengthen the bond between God and the people and help the people live in a prosperous and peaceful community. Following the Ten Commandments is how we love God and how we love one another. That is why I say the Ten Commandments are 'love God, love God, love God, love God, love people, love people, love people, love people, love people and love people'. We love God by putting God first, and we love people by treating people and their property with respect and kindness. Today I focus more on what God wants me to do and how to be like Jesus. I’ve learned that if I focus on doing what is right, I’m less inclined to do what is wrong. Refraining from doing what is wrong does not always mean you will be like Jesus. So let’s be like Jesus.

Lord God, thank you for the commandments that keep us from damaging our relationships with you and people. Empower us by your Holy Spirit to put our focus on following your Son, Jesus Christ, so that we might have your love guiding our words, actions, and relationships. Amen.