Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

Pentecost + 16 - Year A

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

G*D is at a distance. The people are explicitly warned not to come up the mountain to G*D. G*D’s “son”, Moses, goes to the people with commands.

How’d he do? Folks listen? Implement? Or ignore (a polite throwing out)? Could they hear future religious leaders coming after them?

How long does control by fear last? One generation? Two? Eventually there is a springtime of the soul and controlling “sin” by fear and awe doesn’t have a good track-record. Inquisitions eventually ebb.

Now with context out of the way. These are specifics in the long tradition of loving G*D and Neighbor. There might well be other specifics (and there are many more in the following chapters). What specifics might we use today? In recent days might we want to make some amendments:

“Honor your fathers and mothers, fathers and fathers, mothers and mothers”
“No murder: individual, legal, military”
“No adultery: physical, emotional, mental”
“No stealing: personal or corporate”
“No lies: by word, silence, or tweet”
“No coveting: enough”.