The Unauthorized Homily

By Bill Dunn

A commentary on the Scripture readings from the Sunday Lectionary

(Scripture readings for Sunday, March 15th: Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Corinthians 1:22-25; John 2:13-25)

IGNORE COMMANDMENTS AT YOUR OWN RISK

There once was a young man who did not believe in the Law of Gravity. “It doesn’t apply to me,” he often said. “If you believe it’s true and it makes you happy, fine. But don’t impose your intolerant values on me!”

One day this young man was in his second-floor apartment, when he heard his friends talking outside on the sidewalk. Instead of going down the stairs and out the front door, he decided to open the window and jump out. He figured he would just float down to the ground to be with his friends, since the Law of Gravity did not apply to him.

The moment the young man stepped past the window sill, he plummeted straight down and slammed into the ground, breaking his leg and wrist, and dislocating his shoulder. As the ambulance drove him to the hospital, in great anguish he cried out, “It’s not fair! Why do bad things always happen to me?!”

There once was another young man who did not believe in the Law of God. “The Ten Commandments don’t apply to me,” he often said. “If you believe it’s true, and it makes you happy, fine. But don’t impose your intolerant values on me!”

One day at his job, a co-worker showed this young man how to alter the records and take money from the cash registers. “This company makes so much money, they’ll never notice,” the co-worker said. “And besides, they don’t pay us nearly enough. We deserve it.”

A few months later, after a busy day at work, the young man was walking to his car trying to decide how to spend the wad of cash in his pocket. Suddenly, a large man approached him, flashed a badge and grabbed his elbow. “You’re under arrest for embezzlement, son. You have the right to remain silent…”

As a police cruiser drove him to the station, in great anguish he cried out, “It’s not fair! Why do bad things always happen to me?!”

We all know the Law of Gravity is true. And we all know it applies to everyone and everything, no matter what anyone’s personal opinion about it might be. Not believing in the Law of Gravity does not make it go away. Although we cannot see gravity, we know it’s true because of the overwhelming evidence. Whenever anything is placed in the air without any support (such as a person stepping out of a second floor window), it plummets to the ground each and every time.

When we understand the Law of Gravity and use that knowledge to keep from being hurt, we are not having intolerant values imposed on us. We are simply being smart. We are accepting the reality of the physical laws which govern our existence.

Many people know the Law of God is true, although many others think it’s nothing more than ancient, man-made superstition. (Ted Turner, for example, who wants to create a modern version of the Ten Commandments, which are big on personal freedom and noticeably lacking on personal responsibility.)

But just like the Law of Gravity, not believing in the Law of God does not make it go away. Although we cannot see the moral law, anyone willing to look knows it is true because of the overwhelming evidence. Whenever a person lives his or her life without any moral code—such as skimming from the cash register at work, skimming billions from investors (Hello Bernie Madoff!), or committing adultery—he or she eventually plummets into a heap of heartache, pain, prison, disease, and/or death.

When we understand the Law of God and use that knowledge to keep from being hurt, we are not having intolerant values imposed on us. We are simply being smart. We are accepting the reality of the moral laws which govern our existence.

In this week’s first reading from the book of Exodus, God delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses. The first few commandments tell us to worship and honor our Creator, and the rest tell us to love and respect our fellow human beings. Many centuries later, Jesus summarized the Ten down to a simple two: Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Unlike what many people think, the Ten Commandments were not designed to control us or to take away our fun. On the contrary, the Ten Commandments were designed to liberate us, and to allow us to enjoy life according to God’s wonderful plan.

Ignoring God’s Law and embracing sin—lying, cheating, stealing, committing adultery, being Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee while receiving millions from banks, etc.—may produce some short-term pleasures, but the long-term anguish and suffering will be overwhelming.

And ignoring God’s Law is the same as ignoring God. If we choose to ignore Him in this life, He will respect our decision and make sure we remain separated from Him in the next life. Being separated from God forever, and therefore filled with loneliness and despair, is the very definition of Hell.

Believe me, falling from a second floor window is nothing compared to falling into the painful pit of Hell for all eternity.

©2009