“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
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 neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Mt 22:36-40

As the angel of death struck down the first born across Egypt, the Israelites were told to sacrifice a lamb, and to put its blood on the door posts and the lintel outside their homes, so that the angel would pass over their homes. The passover marked the final act of God, against the general populace of Egypt, which led to the release of the Israelites from their captivity in Egypt. As God’s chosen people, the Israelites were given the Ten Commandments, that they might be God’s treasured people. Set apart from the world around them to do the will of the Creator of heaven and earth.

As Christians, the Ten Commandments are no less relevant, for they reveal the will of God. Though we are saved by grace, through faith in our great Passover Lamb – Jesus Christ, we are saved to do his will. As Peter writes

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Pet 2:9-12

If we are saved from sin, the law no longer condemns us, but it shows us how we should serve our Lord and Saviour. For he not only saves us from the punishment for sin, but from the power of sin, that we are no longer bound to sin, but wanting to serve him and glorify him.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jn 8:12

My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.
My eyes fail, looking for your promise; I say, “When will you comfort me?”
Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget your decrees.
How long must your servant wait? When will you punish my persecutors?
The arrogant dig pitfalls for me, contrary to your law.
All your commands are trustworthy; help me, for men persecute me without cause.
They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts.
Preserve my life according to your love, and I will obey the statutes of your mouth.Psalm 119:81-88

Not so long ago, if you entered any Anglican church you could find the Ten Commandments prominently displayed on a wall of the church.

They stand as a revelation of the nature of God. A God who not only is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, but also a God who is holy and good. They reveal to us a God who has a holy standard, which sets him apart from his creation. They reveal to us that God is good, for these commandments are not there as arbitrary rules, but as a set of rules by which we might be happy.

They stand as a reminder of how we should live. For we are made in the image of God, and to be truly happy we need to be holy. They give us a glimpse of what we should be, how God intended us to be.

They stand as a reason why we need a saviour. For we fail to keep them, for we are unable to keep them. We would have no hope if only the commandments were sent by God, but loves us and he sent his Son, who kept the commandments perfectly, that he might present himself as a sacrifice, to bear the wrath of God against sin, this his righteousness might become our righteousness. he died that we might be restored to what we were meant to be.

If we have put our faith in the Son for the forgiveness of sin, these commandments stand as our responsibilities, showing us how to live according to the restored nature within. We may not keep them
as we should, but our desire should be to keep them out of love for our Saviour.

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. Jn 6:35

As human beings it can be so easy to boast about ourselves, our achievements, our gifts and talents. We can value our own wisdom, our own learning, great orators. Paul writes to the church in Corinth to address the problems they were having. If we’re honest, many of the problems which beset the Corinthian Christians still beset us today. For God did not choose many (note the ‘m’) who were wise, or of noble birth, according to the world’s reckoning, but instead chose the foolish, those of lowly birth, to do his will, that he might work in them. This was done so that, as Christians, we cannot boast in ourselves, but that we can only boast in Christ. So that we cannot glory in ourselves, but give all glory to God.

We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. 2 Kings 7:9

As Christians, we so easily forget the greatness of the good news we have, and neglect to tell others. Much like the lepers who discovered the Arameans had fled their siege of Samaria, and could tell the city they were now safe, we have discovered the salvation from sin, its power and consequences. The siege of Samaria had caused great suffering to its people, even leading some to cannibalism. Sin causes great misery and suffering to men and women throughout time.

If we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, we would not be doing right if we kept this news to ourselves. For we are merely like beggars who have found bread, telling other beggars where we have found that bread. Would be rather eat bread and tell no one else where to obtain it?

Or course, there’s no point in telling others the good news, if we haven’t believed it ourselves. That’s almost as silly as taking bread, telling others about it, but never eating it ourselves! The sacrifice of God for man, so that man might live is such an amazing demonstration of God’s love and grace. Any effort of our own cannot achieve the forgiveness of sin, for it took that amazing sacrifice to achieve forgiveness!

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation. 2 Cor 6:2

As Paul replied to the letter the church in Corinth had sent him, he addressed the issue of gifts and talents.

Paul starts by pointing out we each have different gifts and talents. Even though we are all baptised in one Spirit, the Spirit gives each of us different gifts. He also points out that gifts and talents are for the edification of the people of God, the common good, and not for the individual’s benefit alone.

Each gift is from God, and is to be used for his glory. Each gift is different, and has been placed by God in an individual, in a church for a purpose. Just as a body need different parts to carry out different tasks effectively, so different gifts are required to carry out different tasks. This not to say the individuals are to work apart from the church, for the body as as one unit, and so must the church.

While individuals have different gifts,  each gift is given by God for a purpose in that church. All individuals are equally important, for just as a body cannot function effectively without a big toe, so a church needs all the gifts of its members to function effectively.

Towards the end of his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul gives instruction to parents and children, using the relationship between Christ and the church as an example. For a strong family, the husband must love his wife. Just as Christ loved the Church so much that he gave up his life for it, so a husband must be willing to put his wife before himself. Within a loving marriage, a wife must respect her husband. It is within this framework that children are to be brought up.

Husbands are instructed not to exasperate their children. They are to encourage the children to do well, to develop their gifts and talents, but they are not to push them excessively. It is important that parents recognise what gifts their children have, that it may be developed, as well as not expending too much effort on pursuing excellence in which the child is not gifted.

Parents are responsible for the training of their children, to ensure they grow physically, through good diet and exercise. Through being good examples in the way they live.

Parents are ultimately responsible before God for the education of their children, whether it is through the school system, or by direct instruction. Both secular and spiritual education are the responsibility of the parents, and should not be left solely to schools, whether state or church.

Children should be instructed in the word of God and to respect their parents.

A song of ascents. Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.
May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from ZionPsalm 134

Just like the People of God in the Old testament, as we approach God we are to encourage one another. Not only our fellow worshippers, but those in full-time ministry. We may not think they need encouragement, but they are human just as we are.
As we worship God, we must remember that we are to put him first. The worship of God is not to be concerned with our feelings, or what we get out of it. It can be so easy to form a consumerist view of worship, going where we can get the best deal, instead of worshipping God.

Our praise should be constant, not just on a Sunday, but in our every day lives. For our God should have an influence in everything we do, from our work to our rest.

We are to worship him in holiness.

We are to know whom we worship – the Maker of heaven and earth, the holy one. It is amazing to think we are coming before the creator of the universe, it is even more amazing that we have direct access, through his Son, even though we are rebellious sinners by nature. For through his Son, we are made holy, we are made acceptable in the sight of God.

Finally, we receive blessing from God through the people of God. We are to worship him together, that we might receive his blessing. Whilst there is a place for private worship, it mustn’t be to the exclusion of corporate worship.

Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.
May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.
I know, O LORD, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.
May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts.
May those who fear you turn to me, those who understand your statutes.
May my heart be blameless towards your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.Psalm 119:73-80

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mk 10:45

Jesus’ mission on earth was primarily a vicarious mission. He had come not to be served as he deserved, but to serve others and to die for them who did not deserve what he paid. For this would not be a trivial payment, but would be his death on a Roman cross. The creator of the universe would die so that the created might live. The created who had sinned against their creator.

No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. Jn 10:18

More amazingly, it was not the nails on the cross which held him, for Jesus had the power to save himself. He voluntary remained on the cross, for he loved the Father, and in so doing, loved his people so much that he would give up his life.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Ro 8:37

In most conventional human thinking, such an event would be seen as a defeat. The disciples must’ve felt defeated when they saw their Lord crucified. Yet, when Jesus cried it is finished, he wasn’t talking about himself. He had defeated death, he had paid the price of sin through his death. He took on the sins of his people, and imputed his righteousness to them. He was victorious, and would rise again on the third day.

As his disciples today we are to follow his example, not to gain salvation for he has accomplished that on the cross, but out of gratitude and a desire to do the will of the Father. Our spirits are renewed and are slowly being conformed to the image of our saviour. We are to put God first and ourselves last. For in glorifying God we will be achieving what we were designed to do, and we will be restored to the joyful state which was intended for us.

When we put our faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, we are justified before God, and his Spirit works in us to sanctify us. That is not all though, for not only do we receive these benefits, but we are also adopted into the family of God. We are no longer objects of wrath, but we become his dearly loved children.

As Jesus points out to his disciples, and as Paul says in his letter to the Romans, we can call God our Father. Now for some of us, our image of a father may not be a great one, be it that of an absent father, or an overly austere father, or an abusive father, yet God is the perfect father. For just as we are all made in the image of God, yet corrupted by sin, so fathers (and mothers) are an image of God’s fatherhood, but corrupted by sin. So while human fathers and mothers are not perfect, God is the perfect father.

We gain access to the God of the universe through the Son, that we may bring our prayers and petitions to him, not as a remote king, but as our father. The Son and the Spirit intercede and work within us, that we may approach our father at any time.

As children of God,  he knows our needs and he abundantly gives us everything we need. For we are his sons and daughters. Not only that, but he makes us heirs with Christ, that we will inherit the glory which is Christ’s.

Even though he knows our needs, we are to pray to him, for he delights to hear his children. When we pray, we should always anticipate an answer, even if the answer is not what we want. For when we ask according to his will he will grant us our prayer, but if we ask contrary to his will, he will deny us our prayer, but we will still receive an answer. For there will be something better for us in his will.

If we are not yet Christians, God calls us to trust in his Son like a child. To repent and believe in his Son, that we might also become his children, and he will receive with open arms. For though the prodigal son spent his money lavishly but foolishly, God’s grace is wisely lavished upon those who come in the name of his Son.