The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) is Rev. Geoff McKee’s scripture for the third Sunday in Lent 2018 (04 March). Drawing on a powerful story told by H.A. Ironside, he explains why the Ten Commandments help us understand the difference between law and grace. Why, despite the lack of a “No spitting” sign, there is no spitting on the floor of the beautiful house.
Click here to download a PDF version of the sermon.
Exodus 20:1-17 (New International Version)
The Ten Commandments
20 And God spoke all these words:2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.”
How difficult it is to do the right thing!
One of the most famous criminal trials in history was that of Benjamin Francois Courvoisier – in London, in 1840.
He’s a character who is now immortalised in Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.
Courvoisier was a Swiss valet accused of murdering his elderly employer, Lord William Russell.
What made this trial notorious was the argument for the defence.
The police had bungled the investigation.
The evidence against Courvoisier was entirely circumstantial or had been planted. One of the officers had perjured himself, and the maid’s testimony brought suspicion on herself.
The defence barrister, Charles Phillips, was convinced of the innocence of Courvoisier and cross-examined witnesses aggressively.
At the beginning of the second day of the trial, however, Courvoisier confessed privately to his lawyer that he had committed the murder.
When asked if he were going to plead guilty, he replied to Charles Phillips, “No, sir, I expect you to defend me to the utmost.”
Phillips was faced with a dilemma.
Should he declare to the court that the man was guilty, or should he defend Courvoisier as best he could?
Should he break the confidentiality of the client-lawyer relationship or should he help a guilty man to possibly go free?
Which is more important – truth or professional duty? [Read more…]