A Deeper Look at the Ten Commandments

I have a favorite anecdote about Mark Twain…

 

A nineteenth century industrial baron once said to Mark Twain, “Before I die I mean to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I will climb to the top of Mt. Sinai and read the ten commandments aloud.” Mark Twain responded, “Why don’t you stay home and keep them?”

 

And then, there’s the story of a student who had a complaint about a particular teacher. She had just finished a midterm exam and said, “Her tests are impossible! I have to study so much harder for her tests just to keep up my grades.”

 

The student’s advisor asked, “But do you learn more from all that studying for her tests, or from the teachers who are not so difficult?” “Well, yes, I do seem to understand her course better,” the student replied.

 

So the advisor asked her if she knew how to sharpen a knife. “Yes,” she said, “my dad taught me how to sharpen a knife when we were on a family camping trip.” The advisor asked, “Did you use a stone or a towel?” “What?” she questioned. “You can’t sharpen a knife on a towel!”

 

“Exactly!” the advisor answered. “You can’t sharpen a knife on a towel. A knife can only be sharpened on a hard surface so that it will be sharp enough to fulfill its purpose and cut what needs cutting. Students, and children, too, cannot be sharpened on soft surfaces. They are sharpened on the hard surfaces of teachers and parents, so that they will be sharp enough to ‘cut it’ in life and fulfill their life purpose.”

 

And so we have the presentation of the famous Ten Commandments in our first reading today. I have heard it said that, in our time, these commandments have been watered down so much that they should be called the Ten Suggestions. So, let’s take a look…

 

First of all, let’s put commandments into a larger context. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment of the law was, he didn’t point to any of the ten, but rather, taught that the greatest has to do with love: love of God above all else, and love of neighbor as oneself.

 

And then, we should note the context within which the commandments were presented. At the time of Moses, God was entering into a special relationship with the people—a relationship called a “covenant.” And it is all about relationship, about making it work through love of God and neighbor.

 

So, if you want to safeguard and protect your relationship with God , you have the first three commandments: (1) no other gods; (2) respect God’s name; and (3) keep one day a week, the Lord’s Day, focused on God and striving to be holy.

 

The other seven commandments are meant to make life in society possible, creating the proper conditions for our relationships to blossom (love of neighbor as oneself): honor parents and elders (4); do not kill (5); do not commit adultery (6); do not steal (7); do not bear false witness or lie (8); don’t desire your neighbor’s spouse (9); don’t desire things that are not yours (10).

 

And then, there’s one more section of the Bible to consider, the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel. There Jesus takes up the ancient commandments and sharpens them by getting to their inner workings, their spirit.

 

For example…

  • You have heard the commandment imposed on your forefathers, “You shall not commit murder; every murderer shall be liable to judgment.” What I say to you is: everyone who grows angry with his brother [or sister] shall be liable to judgment…
  • You have heard the commandment, “You shall not commit adultery.” What I say to you is: anyone who looks lustfully [at another person] has already committed adultery with ones thoughts.
  • You have heard the commandment, “You shall love your countryman but hate your enemy.” My command to you is: love your enemies, pray for your persecutors…

(cf. Matthew 5:21-48)

 

So you see, Jesus is sharpening the commandments, and he’s not using a towel to do the sharpening. He wants us to aim higher, not to settle for the minimum, but to grow in love, loving those we find it difficult to love, loving those we don’t want to love, loving those we have refused to love.

 

But more than this, during the Lenten season, we are asked to look inward at the attitudes and dispositions behind our actions, things like anger, lust, impatience, lack of compassion, pride, or the inability to forgive. That’s how we can sharpen our focus, going to the heart of the commandments, and getting to the roots of who we really are—and what we can still be. We don’t have to do it all at once, but pick one that truly matters. Pray about it. If there’s one attitude that sabotages your relationships, either with God or with others, would you be willing to work at it?

You might also like

Father's Homilies

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter April 26, 2026

By Charlene Currie • May 7, 2026
Building Bridges, Not Walls. Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter April 26, 2026

Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter April 19, 2026

By Charlene Currie • April 25, 2026
Born to Look … Learning to See Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter April 19, 2026 The scoutmaster used to take his troops on hikes along wilderness nature trails. After each hike he would challenge the scouts to describe what they had observed on their excursion. The boys invariably hadn’t seen a fraction of what the scoutmaster had seen. He would wave his arms in great circles and shout, “Creation is all around you, but you are blocking it out. Stop wearing your raincoat in the shower. You were born to look, but you have to learn to see.” You were born to look, but you have to learn to see. One of the questions that always arises about today’s gospel passage is: Why didn’t the two disciples recognize Jesus? Let’s spend some time reflecting on the possibilities. One obvious answer is that they were disheartened. Their lives are at their lowest point. They are sad and confused. The one they had pinned their hopes on had been humiliated and crucified in a horrible way. How could such a disaster be anything but a total defeat? How could a Messiah, or Savior, allow himself to be beaten and put to death? In addition, the two disciples are probably terrorized, full of fear. The leaders of the people, both religious and political, had made their point. Anyone who rocks the boat and challenges authority will be dealt with swiftly and brutally. If the two were recognized as followers of Jesus, his fate could also be theirs. Let me share another story with you, a story which shows how expectations can color what we see and experience. ---------------------------------- A young man from a wealthy family was about to graduate from high school. It was the custom in his affluent neighborhood for the parents to give the graduate a car as a graduation present. Bill and his father spent months looking at cars, and the week before graduation they found the perfect one. Bill was certain that the car would be his on graduation night. Imagine Bill’s disappointment when, on the eve of the big day, his father handed him a gift-wrapped Bible! Bill was so angry, he hurled the Bible across the room and stormed out of the house, vowing never to return again. Bill and his father never saw each other again. Yet it was the news of his father’s death that brought Bill back home again. One night, as he sat going through his father’s possessions that he was to inherit, Bill came across the Bible that his father had given him. He brushed away the dust and opened it to find a cashier’s check, dated the day of his graduation—for the exact amount of the car they had chosen together. ------------------------------- As the scoutmaster said, “You are born to look, but you have to learn to see.” What does today’s gospel passage want us to learn to see? One obvious answer is that the privileged place to encounter Jesus is in the celebration of the Eucharist, or Mass. In the gospel Jesus does two things: he interprets the Scriptures and how they apply to him; and he “breaks bread” with the two disciples. We thus have the two halves of the Mass: the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist. The Bible is telling us where to look, and it is teaching us to learn to see. Like the cashier’s check in the Bible, Jesus’ presence is not always obvious or straightforward. So, where and how should we look? The first place is the Bible. We need to take time to read God’s word slowly, savor it, and allow it to speak to us. If you are having difficulty, a commentary will help. Turning to those who know the Bible better that we do, and asking for clarifications and advice, will also help. The second place of encounter with Jesus is the Eucharist. The mystery of Emmaus is that the disciples recognize Jesus in the “breaking of bread,” which was one of the phrases used for the celebration of the Eucharist. Try to enter the Mystery more and more by giving yourself totally, without distractions, to each part of the Mass. Savor what it means to gather with open minds and hearts; to listen to the message of Scripture, the inspired word of God; to take the message of the homily home with you and reflect on it; to ask for forgiveness and to pray for peace; to intercede for our needs and the needs of the whole world; to receive our Lord mindfully, and not just hurry through the motions. Finally, in the Emmaus story, Jesus approaches his people who are depressed, disappointed and broken-hearted. At first, they do not recognize him. But as they listen more and more, their hearts start to burn within them. So, another way to experience the presence of Jesus Christ is to do as he did, to find value in what he taught and how he acted. He clearly said that he could be found in the poor and vulnerable: I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was ill, or in prison, or lonely, and you visited me. Today’s gospel gives us a blueprint for encountering Jesus and feeling his presence. But we have to give ourselves to it wholeheartedly. We were born to look, but we have to learn how to see. The Bible has a treasure in it, and it’s not a cashier’s check. The Eucharist has a presence in it, and it’s something more than bread. The people around us are children of God. They have a spark of the divine within them. We were born to look, but we have to learn how to see.

Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter April 12, 2026

By Charlene Currie • April 25, 2026
Will You Still Need Me? Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter April 12, 2026 One hot summer afternoon a woman was working strenuously, weeding her flower beds and pruning the plants. The flowers were especially magnificent. A passerby asked, “I really like those flowers—do you?” As she wiped perspiration from her face with a dirty hand, the woman’s weary response was, “Only when they bloom.” The passerby thought how many folks have a similar attitude toward church, family, work, or life in general—“I only like it when it is in full bloom and beautiful.” The passerby thought of those necessary times of hard work—mulching, weeding, cultivating, pruning and transplanting—as well as seasonal dormancy, which are all necessary to bring about the blooms which precede the bearing of seeds and fruit. --------------------------------- I mentioned during one of my homilies during Holy Week that I was always bothered that the risen Jesus, with his risen body, still had the wounds. I compared it to buying a shiny, brand-new car, and insisting that there be dents on the fenders and leaks in the engine. As I thought about it more and more, however, I came to understand that the wounds were there for a purpose. In the case of Thomas, the wounds were the evidence he needed. But, beyond that, the wounds serve as a reminder that Jesus’ love for us is total, down to the last drop of blood. The wounds help preserve the memory of how painful true love can be. It’s easy to love that which is perfect and beautiful, is it not? But Jesus chose to show us a love of that which is less than perfect, and clearly not beautiful. Perhaps the clearest example of that is that he was there for the lepers of his day, those who had a contagious disease that rotted their flesh and forced them to live in isolation. But it was true of others, as well. Jesus went out of his way to embrace public sinners, foreigners, enemies, even those who were involved in putting him to death. From the cross he prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” The risen body of Jesus, still bearing the wounds, means that our Lord is present in a special way to those who are wounded: those with cancer or another life-threatening disease, those who have lost a loved one, those who have been bullied, those carrying the wounds of a failed relationship, those who feel they cannot be forgiven, those who know they are less than perfect. Jesus is there for those living with the daily threat of war, terrorism, violence, domestic abuse, betrayal. In short, the less than perfect resurrected body of Jesus means that now, as then, he is present in a special way to those who are less than perfect. ------------------------------------------------ I was reminded of an early hit by the Beatles. Do you remember a song entitled When I’m Sixty-Four, released in June 1967? Here are some of the lyrics: When I get older, losing my hair Many years from now, Will you still be sending me a valentine, birthday greetings, bottle of wine? If I'd been out till quarter to three, Would you lock the door? Will you still need me, will you still feed me, When I'm sixty-four? Ooh … I could be handy mending a fuse When your lights have gone. You can knit a sweater by the fireside, Sunday mornings, go for a ride. Doing the garden, digging the weeds, Who could ask for more? Will you still need me, will you still feed me, When I'm sixty-four? -------------------------------------------------- In a similar way, Jesus’ wounds remind us that he’s not a fair-weather friend, only there for the good times. He’s there, always, and especially when we’re wounded. So, if you’re struggling, if you’re dealing with something painful, don’t run away. Don’t make the mistake of thinking the Lord doesn’t understand, or care. Instead, go to the wounds. Allow yourself to feel what true love is like when you need it the most.