Reading: Exodus 20:13; John 10:11-16, Easter 4B – May 14, 2000
By The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino CA
At least one presidential candidate would like to put the Ten Commandments back in our schools. He did not come up with this idea by himself. There is a grass roots movement in the United States which feels that if we post the ten commandments at the schoolhouse doors, then our country will get back on track with its values and all will be well in our society.
Of course, most people already know the Ten Commandments. We know that we shouldn't kill, lie, steal, or sleep with someone else's wife. But knowing the right thing and doing the right thing are two different issues. Since all Scripture needs to be interpreted, simply posting the Ten Commandments would do little to enhance our understanding of them. For instance, if we were to imprison all those who do not keep the Sabbath "Holy" as interpreted by Orthodox Jews, then I would imagine that no one would be sitting in this sanctuary today to hear my sermon. Simply posting the Ten Commandments does little to enhance the bonds of love between human beings. However, putting on the mind of Christ, would.
Today, I would like to begin a sermon series on the Ten Commandments beginning with the sixth commandment, "Thou Shalt Not Kill." The purpose of this series is twofold. First, I would like for us to examine the meaning of the commandments in the context in which they were written several thousand years ago. And second, we need to reflect on the wisdom of these commandments from a Christian perspective.
We need to keep in mind the sort of people who first received the Ten Commandments. They were not a Sunday School class on an afternoon outing. The Hebrew people of 3500 years ago were a wild and uncontrollable tribe of former slaves. Many were probably thugs and cutthroats. Moses, their leader, had once murdered an Egyptian. Without the commandments to guide them, they would probably have destroyed their whole civilization by fighting among themselves. The commandments required a certain orientation towards God and a posture of goodwill toward each other. In other words, the commandments are summarized by the Great Commandment: love God and love your neighbor.
If we were to look through the Hebrew Scriptures, we would realize that there was a lot of killing going around in spite of the commandment not to kill. After having been given the commandment, "Thou Shalt Not Kill," the people of Israel began to interpret its meaning for their community as well as determine its limitations. For instance, it was permitted to kill men, women, and children from surrounding nations. It was permitted to kill those who had broken the commandments or engaged in some types of unethical behavior such as blasphemy, sorcery, worshipping other gods, and profaning the Sabbath. It was permitted to kill a child who struck or cursed his parents or a woman who committed adultery. It was permitted to kill animals as a food source or as objects for sacrifice. However, it was not permitted to engage in indiscriminate killing within the community. Gang wars would never have been tolerated. As time went on and the consciousness of the people evolved, killing became a less acceptable method of punishment for wrongdoing.
While most of us would not be in favor of capital punishment for children who are insubordinate to their parents (as required by Scripture) or for those who do work on the Sabbath, we are struggling to discern just how this sixth commandment relates to the issues of war, abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, suicide, and animal rights. Our potential for killing one another and rationalizing it is greater than ever. Not all Christians agree on the interpretation of this commandment not to kill. For instance, fundamentalists think it is wrong to kill a fetus in the womb but support capital punishment. Mennonites are pacifists when it comes to people. They denounce killing anyone, even in self-defense, yet they approve of killing animals for a food source. Some Christians shudder at the thought of killing animals and are devout vegetarians. The Episcopal Church is not of one mind on this subject. Within our Communion, we have pacifists and military chaplains. We have hunters and vegetarians. Some are pro-choice while others are not. Some support euthanasia while others support capital punishment. However, all Christians would agree that life is sacred and that we need deal with our fear, envy, greed, lust, and anger from which killing thoughts arise.
Jesus said: "You have heard that it was said, "You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgement. But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother, shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council and whoever says, 'You fool!” shall be liable to the hell of fire. (Mt. 5) Jesus taught an interpretation of the commandments that was more challenging than ever before. It was an evolution in consciousness. Jesus was saying that the conditions of our hearts are as important as the things we actually do, because our hearts and feelings inform our actions. And if we are to permanently change our behavior, then our hearts must be converted. Until we are converted, until we die to ourselves, die to our destructive passions, then things are really not going to change. Sure, we can have laws, prisons, and oppressive regimes to keep order. But the movement of humanity toward wholeness, towards God, involves the journey of the heart.
Today is Mother's Day. It is the day on which we honor all the mothers who have devoted a part of themselves for the care and nurture of children. Mothers play an integral part in the well being of society. If children are not nurtured and cared for, then more often than not, they turn out violent. On this Mother's Day, millions of moms are marching all over the country to denounce violence and say "no" to the life-threatening danger of guns. They believe that life is the first inalienable right promised by our Constitution and that our children's lives far outweigh the right for just anyone, especially juveniles, to carry weapons. For them, the sixth commandment "not to kill", begins with stronger gun legislation.
God holds life to be sacred and has given us a commandment to also hold life sacred. God gave the people of Israel this commandment so that the people would establish an environment in which everyone was safe and protected. This commandment meant that every person had a right to a quality life that gave meaning. Perhaps as we make ethical decisions regarding the taking of life, we might ask the following questions: 1) If I decide to kill, am I killing in the name of Jesus or am I killing from a place of fear, envy, greed, anger, lust? 2) Do I view all life as being sacred and if so, what is my responsibility toward other creatures? 3) Does reacting to violence by committing violence, stop violence?
Moving from a place of fear to a place of love can be a lifelong journey. It is fear that motivates us to kill. Jesus, our shepherd, showed us how to move from a place of fear to a place of love. It is up to us, the sheep, to follow him.