10 commandments - a path to happiness - 3rd sunday lent B 2015

Again I would like to focus my attention on our first reading, the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments from the book of Exodus.

Allow me to turn your attention to the first words in our first reading today.  It says - “I, the LORD am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.” Some scholars call this the introduction to the commandments.  But others even call this the first command, not just an introduction but the first commandment.  The point of this discussion is this:  these first words are very important.  Why?  Because it makes a difference as to how you look at the commandments of God.  In ancient past when a king conquers a nation and its people, defeating them in war, he would make an agreement with the conquered people by recalling first and foremost his victory over them – the victory speech. " I did this, I did that, I defeated you . . ." Then he will set out the terms that the people would obey and follow, he will demand specific obligations for them to follow so as to remain at peace with him. "So do this and do that and do this… otherwise."  The terms are set.  This is how it was in those days when a conquering king makes a treaty or a covenant with a conquered people.

The introduction to the 10 commandments follow the same pattern.  God makes a victory speech - “I, the LORD am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery”  this is the introduction that announces what God has just did for the people.  However there is something different here - if you notice the introduction does not speak of a conquered people, it does not speak of a people vanquished in war.  Instead it speaks of a people delivered from slavery, a people delivered from the iron rule of Egypt, a people finally freed from servitude.  The introduction is a victory speech indeed but the context is a deliverance and not a conquest.

This seemingly minor difference changes how we view the commandments.  If we were a conquered people the commandments would be a burden which we will carry.  If we were a conquered people these commandments would be borne grudgingly, these commandments would be an obligation that would enslave us.  Keep holy the Lord’s day.  Bisan magsimba kita hay daw kabug-at, daw ginapilit kita.

But since we are not conquered but delivered, since we are not vanquished but freed, the commandment is not a burden but a joy, it does not enslave but preserves freedom.  Conquering kings impose obligations that enslave people.  However our victorious God give us the commandments so that we will remain free.  That is why the psalmist thanks God for the commandments and calls it the joy of his heart.

Let us try to look at the commandments as a freed people, as a preserver of our freedom, and as a source of joy.

You shall not have other gods besides me.  The command is to be absolutely loyal to God.  Having other gods is idolatry, having multiple loyalties.  Money, fame, power, reputation can become idols competing with God.  And when money, fame, power, reputation get the better of us and earn our loyalty, it is common knowledge how these can make our lives miserable.  We just have to peer into the newspaper and how money the desire for power and fame destroy our lives and the lives of the people we love.  So this commandment is not a burden but it will preserve your freedom.  You want to be happy, be loyal only to God.

You shall not covet your neighbors wife or husband, you shall not commit adultery.  I think many of you here will agree with me that violating these commands have brought so many unhappiness to so many families, to so many children, to so many parientes even and even unhappiness to the often remorseful and regretful husband or wives themselves.  We speak of them in hush tones, don’t we, and it bleeds our hearts listening.  You want to be happy, be loyal to your one and only true love.  He or she may not be getting sexier but going fatter, but faithful love can always make a person look lovelier, and your life happier. 

Keep holy the Sabbath day.  Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God.  Go ahead work and work and work and work. And what is the greatest killer – it’s not small pox, it’s not ebola, it’s not even heart disease.  It is stress.  You want to be happy.  Rest a while.  Attend PPTA meetings.  Eat lunch under the trees.  Laugh, be with friends and family, grab a bottle of beer and tell yourself, life is short.

Honor your father and your mother.  This is the only commandment with a promise attached to it - that you may have a long life in the land.  Why is this so?  Because Jews believe that the ability of the nation to remain in the land given to them by God stand on the state of the family, on the kind of relationship that the family has with each other.   Destroy the family and little by little society crumbles.  We know this very well, don’t we?  We know that even our small community here in the seminary is affected, very much affected by the kind of upbringing each one of our kids have in his own family – their upbringing affects not just the child but all of us here (especially Fr. Nonong) – their upbringing will affect society.  So take care of each other in the family.  Be a good parent, be a good child.  And please attend the parents’ formation.  You want to be happy in your old age?  Or should I say do you want to reach old age?  Honor you father and your mother so that you may live long in the land.

These commandments are not loads to be carried or burdens that weigh us down or restrictions to our freedom and what we want to do.  No.  In truth they will preserve our freedom, they will give directions to our life and they will make us happy.