3 March 2024 3rd Sunday of Lent
Then God spoke all these words:
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.
From Exodus 20: 1-17, NRSV
On this third Sunday in Lent, our first reading lays out the Ten Commandments as revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai. For many people, the Ten Commandments may seem like a negative or prohibitive list of rules. However, unlike other biblical rules or commandments, no penalties or punishments are specified for breaking the Ten Commandments. It would seem that God wanted the people of Israel to have a better reason for following these rules than just the fear of punishment. Before any mention of “you shall” or you “shall not”, God reminds the people of the good news of their redemption. What follows is from the same God who loved his people enough to redeem them and rescue them from slavery. The commandments set out the basics for living as God’s people. The order in which the commandments are given is the reverse of what often happens in society – firstly there is to be love and honour of God, then care and respect of others and finally respect for the possessions of others.
- What difference do you think God wanted the Ten Commandments to make to the people of Israel?
- How do the Ten Commandments apply to your life?
Read the rest of this section from Exodus taking notice of anything that particularly speaks to you at this time.
