On the Tenth Day of Christmas

..my true love gave to me....

 TEN Lords a-leaping
     nine ladies dancing
          eight maids a-milking
               seven swans a-swimming
                    six geese a-laying..
                        FIVE golden rings
                             four calling birds
                                  three French hens
                                       two turtledoves
                                            and a partridge in a pear tree

And now, the ten lords a-leaping remind us of the ten commandments that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai (in the Book of Exodus).   

Ten specific laws to govern behavior:

1.  I am the Lord your God, you shall not have other gods before me
2.  You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.
3.  Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.

4.  Honor your mother and your father.
5.  You shall not kill.
6.  You shall not commit adultery.
7.  You shall not steal.
8.  You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9.  You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
10.  you shall not covet your neighbor's wife.

Ten laws..... simple and complicated.  They are the basis of our Christian behavior... but clearly... following these to the letter is not quite enough to produce the fruits enumerated in Day 9.    
  
If you follow Jesus, you  know that he came to clarify the law of Moses as written in the Old Testament.  

In the sermon on the Mount (Matthew Chapter 5 - where Jesus listed the Beatitudes.. see Day 8), he also spent a good deal of time talking about the Commandments.  He explains them in the light of love, how they relate to a life of following God.

And he explains again, in Matthew Chapter 22.  Some of the church elders were trying to trick and discredit him by asking him the greatest commandment. (If the TEN were critical, how could Jesus choose ONE?)

But Jesus was clear.. and addressed all ten.  They can be summarized into TWO

Matt 22: 37-40
    "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and first commandment."   [SUMMARIZES #1-3]
      "The second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."  [SUMMARIZES #4-10] 

Dear God,
     Here I am... still asking for help!  You are the one with all the answers..... and I have all the questions.  Which to follow?  Clearly the ten commandments are important... and clearly Jesus came to make sure we understand how to follow you.  Why is daily life not clear to me?  Why am I filled with questions?    How do I know which rule to follow?

      Gifts, laws, fruits, books, virtues..... how do I know what to apply to which decision?

     My trouble with the commandments is simple.  Most of it doesn't really apply.... I never really had to worry about killing people... envy is harder but more internal.  Lying - well I always get caught so I don't do it... (bad reason, I know - but an HONEST one.)   So I struggle with them - you have to INTERPRET them to make them work for you.
      Thank you for the gift of Jesus to make it clear... love God and love my neighbor... (AND MYSELF, but that is another prayer!).

       If it isn't of LOVE, it isn't of YOU.  Help me show your love in my little everyday life.  Amen.