March 4, 2024 

Today's Reading: Exodus 20:1-17

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 29:1-30, 31-34, Mark 9:14-32

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery (Exodus 20:2)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Today’s reading is the Ten Commandments. Honestly, this section of Scripture can be a bit of a hard slog, where God is viewed as the great cosmic killjoy, setting out the rules we are to follow to keep Him happy. And as we try to follow these rules sometimes it can seem deeply unfair, as the harder we try the worse it can get, as we try to white-knuckle our way to holiness. And when we inevitably fail and mess up, we seemingly receive little consolation in God’s declaration that He’s a jealous God who will punish the children for the iniquity of their parents (Exodus 20:5). 

None of this seems fair at all. Then the temptation can be to maybe ignore some of the rules, perhaps God didn’t really mean what he said? Or maybe major in the rules you know you can keep, downplaying the ones you can’t, and hoping no one will notice, least of all God. In all this wrestling with the Ten Commandments and our sinful nature though it’s easy to forget where God starts when He begins to speak. He does not say you are all a mess, and here’s a plan to clean up your life. Nor does He say you are all having too much fun and I’m jealous so I’m going to ruin it for you. He does the opposite, He tells us about His character and His love for His people. He is a God who rescues from bondage, from certain death, He is a God interested in the delivery of His people. Here, He reminds His people, very freshly delivered out of slavery in Egypt by God through the hands of Moses, that He is their rescuer, their protector, their guardian, who wants to keep them safe and free. 

It can be easy to look at the Law as a new form of bondage, and it certainly does serve to keep our sinful natures corralled, but we are not free when our sinful natures are liberated, we are free in our new life in Christ. In our Baptism we are rescued from the bondage of sin, as our old selves are drowned, and raised to live in new life. That new life sees the danger in letting our sinful selves run free, and rejoices in the freedom in Christ to live the life He has called us to. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

To Jesus we for refuge flee, Who from the curse has set us free, And humbly worship at His throne, Save by His grace through faith alone. (LSB 579:6) 

-Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary Services. 

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Unforgivable? Unforgiveness is a prison—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In a world full of turmoil, many use forgiveness as a coping mechanism without understanding what true forgiveness is. Learn what forgiveness from Christ looks like, and how He forgives His people.