The Ten Commandments The First Commandment

I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods.

We are tempted to zero in right away on the word, fear. But first, linger over the announcement, I am the Lord your God. This is not bad news (except to our old rebellious self), but is very good news. We have a God. We are relieved from the heavy burden of managing the universe! And, in the light of Jesus Christ, this introduction to the Ten Commandments shows us that to be gifted with a relationship with this God is to know how deeply we are loved, and that all our sins are forgiven. It is a blessing, no, it is our very life to know that we have such a God.

Now, what about that little word, fear? For so many people it looms large on the spiritual horizon. Some will reject outright. "I never fear God. There is no reason to because of Jesus Christ." But wait. Shouldn't there be some reason for fear if we imagine ourselves standing at the foot of the Cross? Such wondrous love. Such horror. Such a death. Are we loved that much? We are--and we need to be! That love both liberates from the slavery to sin and calls us into the deep responsibility of a life of following Christ: we are to fear, love and trust God above anything else. But none of us ever have or ever will fulfill this commandment. As much as our faithful self desires it we fail everyday to totally fear, love, and trust God above anything else. Our relationship with God is established by the work of the Spirit, not by the intentions of our rebellious hearts. God announces the relationship--we do not create it!