The Commandments

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Deuteronomy 10:1-5 (6/2-6/15) Twentieth Reading in Kellia through Deuteronomy

The Commandments: Deuteronomy 10:1-5 SAAS, especially vs. 4: “Then He wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets according to the first writing which the Lord spoke to you in the mountain, from the midst of the fire; and the Lord gave them to me.” In this passage, Moses recalls the Lord’s giving of the Ten Commandments on the Mountain, reminding us that we are blessed to be God’s People in possession of “ ...ordinances and righteous judgments as are in all this law...” (Dt. 4:8). He urges you and me to “...take heed to yourself and diligently guard your soul, lest you forget all the thing your eyes saw, and lest they depart from your heart...” (Dt. 4:9). God puts His Commandments before us physically in writing, in a permanent form as a blessing. God does “speak” to us in commandments; but in Christ He speaks by “...the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:3).

Notice then, the Commandments of God are not an alien, external authority to enslave us, but are, as Saint Peter of Damaskos says, “...natural knowledge given us by God, whether this comes through the Scriptures by human agency, or by means of the angel that is given in divine Baptism to guard the soul of every believer, to act as his conscience and to remind him of the divine commandments of Christ,” which “...if the Baptized person keeps...the grace of the Holy Spirit is preserved in him.” In Saint Maximos the Confessor’s words, the whole purpose of the commandments is to free the nous or the deep center of the heart from incontinence [akrasia, indulgence] and hate, “...and to bring it to the love of [God] Himself, and of its neighbor.”

Loving God is not simply “...the first and great commandment” (Dt. 6:5; Mt. 22:36,37). Foremost, it is the life-giving response of the believing heart that transforms the Commandments from burden into grace. Hence, as Saint Makarios of Egypt says, the “...highest elements of our constitution - the intellect [the nous], the conscience, the loving power of the soul - must initially be offered to God as a holy sacrifice.” For, as the Lord Jesus says, “If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him” (Jn. 14:23). Loving God is the first and great opportunity.

When we love God above all else, His Commandments become weapons to aid us in our unseen warfare, the incessant battles being fought in and for the soul of every Christian. God’s statutes are lifelines from the Lord. Our merciful God foresees the demons’ intentions against us and the weakness of our flesh. So He gives us, His embattled children, commandments to expose the demons that we may gain control over our passions. Saint Philotheos of Sinai assures us that the commandments are powerful weapons: “If with the Lord’s help through careful watchfulness you guard your [nous] from error and observe the attacks of the demons and their snares woven in fantasy, you will see from experience that this is the case.”
Realize that there is a direct link between the Commandments and your passions. Each of the Commandments is matched by a cluster of passions against which the corresponding commandment offers defense and victory. The first four Commandments clearly are arrayed against self-esteem, vainglory, and pride that we may take up our cross and be buried with Christ. The commandment against murder restrains anger (Mt. 5:21-24), against adultery chills lust (Mt. 5:27-29), against stealing or covetousness checks avarice (Mt. 7:24-34) and against false-witness defeats lying and the other evil impulses of the tongue (Mt. 5:37). Like Moses (Dt. 1:5), may we, in fear of God, take the Sacred Commandments and put them in the holy ark of our heart!

Blessed art Thou, O Lord; teach me Thy statutes. Blessed art Thou, O Master; make me to understand Thy statutes. Blessed art Thou, O Holy One; enlighten me with Thy statutes.

013198
DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS

 

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Acts 21:26-32 (Epistle)

26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.
27 Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,
28 crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place."
29 (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
30 And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.
31 Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
32 He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.


John 16:2-13 (Gospel)

2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.
4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.
5 But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'
6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

 

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YouTube - Evlogitaria of the Resurrection - Tone 5 - Byzantine Chant