Luke 6:1-5 

          Lies and Damn Lies

         1 On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?" 3 And Jesus answered, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?" 5 And he said to them, "The Son of man is lord of the Sabbath."

          When we look at what we think is lawful, what is a crime, what is correct behavior and what is a sin, we often look to holy scripture. One of the main foundations for us is the Ten commandments and then the two great commandments. Our law is heavily influenced by these tenets.

          The two great commandments would seem to make it a wee bit harder to follow the ten commandments. Those two put a new lens on the ten. Though shalt not kill for example. While many will take that literally or worm around it  (in the case of war where it might be 'justifiable'), the lens of loving your neighbor as yourself, puts new meaning to 'thou shall not kill'. While you still canot go around killing people, you shouldn't kill their spirit either. No bad mouthing , no gossiping,  no demeaning,  and no false witnessing,  no lies about about other people, all could be considered killing another persons spirit in the lens of "love your neighbor as yourself".

         I hold the view that the two great commandments make it much more difficult to follow the ten commandments. Things are no longer black and white. There are grays and off whites when you have to use the lens of the two great commandments. You have to use your brain, your intellect and your conscience. 

          A literal adherence to the law of Moses is wrong if you follow what Jesus has said. We are being held to an even higher standard. We all are because even the Ten commandments were not to be taken that literally. Of course it is easier to do so and feel self righteous and be oblivious to all that is going on around you but Jesus knew we were created to be more than automatons adhering to a code with no thought or love.

        My one last thought is to look around you. Besides the obvious self examination in this regard, I'd suggest something additional. During this contentious political season, there are people out there proclaiming to be "Christians" who speak in vile terms and spew lies about people with whom they disagree; people that do not adhere to their narrow and literal interpretation of scripture and law. While God is the final judge of all behavior, examine the behavior of these "Christians" and you may decide that they are not very Christian at all and with that see that there messages are to held very suspect.

       Listen and hear.