Daily Lectionary: Job 6:14-30; John 3:22-4:6
God threatens to punish all who break these commandments. Therefore, we should fear His wrath and not do anything against them. But He promises grace and every blessing to all who keep these commandments. Therefore, we shouldalso love and trust in Him and gladly do what He commands. (The Close of the Commandments)
In the Name of Jesus. Amen. Why is breaking the commandments sin? Is it just because God made some rules and we don't follow them, so we get in trouble? That's part of it, since we ought to do what the Lord commands without question. But it really isn’t just about acknowledging that God is the boss and we’re not.
No, what really happens when we break a commandment is that we are telling God we don't want a gift that He has for us. If you run down the commandments as a list of gifts, we'll begin to see why they're a blessing: God, His Name, His Word, our parents, our lives, our spouses, possessions, reputation and contentment are gifts from our heavenly Father. We break the commandments because we despise those gifts. For example, we back talk and argue with Mom and Dad. We do that because we don't like the parents we're given and so we break the fourth commandment.
What we really want is no God and no other people to care about. If we did, we wouldn't break the commandments. That's why Jesus dies—not because we're rule breakers, but because none of us obeys the Father and receives His gifts with thanksgiving. Jesus lives perfectly, always trusting the Father and being content and dies horribly, suffering for our despising God. On the Cross, Jesus gets what we really wanted: no God and no neighbor! And He takes that fall for us!
And thereby, Jesus rescues us from the Law's curse and punishment. Now, by repentance and faith through water, word, and body and blood the Holy Spirit delivers Christ. Now it is Christ who lives in us and the Law becomes then something to rejoice in and receive with thanksgiving—a list of blessings and gifts for which to thank God and live in love toward others. In the Name of Jesus.
You have this Law to see therein That you have not been free from sin But also that you clearly see How pure toward God life should be. Have mercy, Lord! (LSB 581:11)