Many Christians make the mistake of thinking that the Old Testament is all about law and the New Testament is all about love. Old Testament “laws” are better called “teachings.” They are a gift from God to the ancient, wandering Israelites, and continue to reflect God’s love for God’s people today, serving as path markers for lives of goodness.
Jesus would have learned this positive understanding of the commandments from Mary and Joseph, growing up and nurtured in an observant Jewish household and surrounded by a Jewish community. What Jesus alone did, of course, was to perfectly fulfill those commandments, guided by the overarching love of his Father. This perfect fulfillment of the commandments culminated in the gift of his very life for us, his friends.
As we wonder about the meaning of the commandments for today, perhaps we are humbled to discover how far they reach, how easily they are ignored, how loveless toward God and neighbor we so often are. It’s then that we become better aware that the commandments also point us not just to the next rock or marker, but to the One whose love is perfect, eternal and true.
This message is excerpted from the Bible study “The Ten Commandments: Reviving the soul” by Christa Von Zychlin in the March/April 2023 Gather magazine.
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