We Don't Need the 10 Commandments

"Do or do not; there is no try". I love that line from Star Wars. Yoda urging Luke in his training to take an all-or-nothing approach. It's very black or white. Yoda is driving home a point to Luke that the only way to true one-ness with the Force is by actually doing what is necessary, putting aside your fear or apathy, and sticking to the training.

The 10 Commandments: now talk about black or white. You either believe and follow them, or you don't. There is no half way with those bad boys. God, in His ultimate omnipotence, created a set of guidelines and rules for the Jews, a way to distinguish them and set them apart from the unruly and ungodly culture of their time. The Jews were pretty good at following those rules. They wrote them on their walls, wore them on their arms, recited them constantly, just in case they forgot. But, they became so focused on the "dos" and "do nots" they they forgot something: the point! The point of the rules was never the rules themselves. The commandments pointed to a higher purpose: God. By obeying the commandments, the Jews were showing their love for God, and they were showing others that there was a better way than the path they were headed down.

Enter Jesus. This guy changed everything the Jews knew and loved about the Commandments. He basically took them, crumpled them up and said, "I'm making some changes." Matthew 22:36-40 shows us some Jewish leaders who were trying to trick Jesus. There were 10 Commandments, all very important, but if they could somehow get Jesus to prioritize them, they would show that He valued certain rules over others. "What was that, Jesus? 'Do not murder' is the most important commandment? Well, I guess you don't care about 'worshiping idols'. This guy is a hypocrite!" So they ask him, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" (can't you almost hear the mocking in their voices when they call Him 'Teacher'?). "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

What?? That's it? That's all we have to do? Of course, the Jews were furious. How can this Jesus basically ignore all these rules we've committed our lives to, and replace them with "love"? But think about it: if you truly love God with all of your heart, and if you truly love others as much as you love yourself, won't you, by nature of love, be obeying all of the Commandments anyway? A loving person doesn't steal from his neighbors or get jealous of their things, and a person who loves God doesn't lie or give his attention to material possessions.

Love covers all. It's that simple. And haven't we, as Christians, made our own set of Commandments that we tend to worship or cling to more than love itself? We're no better than the Jews, that loved the Commandments more than the Reason behind them. The next time you get caught up on the "church rules", or wrestle with how to handle a situation, just ask yourself one question: "Do my actions show love to God or love to others?"