Did you hear about the tragic car accident in Imperial county. Ford Explorer with 25 people inside crashed into a big rig hauling gravel. At least 13 people died. We know that the car had snuck through the border fence and was attempting to smuggle immigrants. Some may say that the cause of this accident is simple: not obeying the law. But I say to you that the cause of this accident is that we have all failed to follow God’s laws. The result of not obeying God’s laws is suffering and death. Today we study the 10 commandments and consider how following God’s laws can improve the world and help solve the problem of an immigration crisis.
- Commandment number one is that there is only one God. Do not worship any idols. An idol can be anything we worship that is not God. A very great idol can be the nation. Worshiping a nation is nationalism. Having faith that America is something that can save us from evil is idolatry. This idolatry can lead toward a prejudice against people from other countries. Jesus rejected nationalism when he overturned the tables of the money changers in the temple. He was expelling the image of Cesar and his false claim to be the son of God. Only God saves. Remember that it was God who set the people free from slavery. God saves us still today.
- Commandment number two is not to take the name of our God in vain. To be vain or to have vanity is to be selfish and use the name of God to satisfy our human desires. God’s name is so powerful that it calls us to lay down our lives to serve God. Someone asked me why I learned Spanish. Spanish is the language of heaven, and of the kingdom of God. You know why? Because the boss is called, “Jesús.” And his name is sacred. All of God’s names in all languages are sacred and worthy of our attention, and learning.
- Commandment number three is to keep the Sabbath day holy. God made all of creation in six days and rested on the seventh. What if God can do all his work in six days, why not you? Ha ha. But in reality God did not finish all his work in six days. There was a lot of work. But if God who is almighty needs to rest, why not you? Are you stronger than God? I do not believe it.
Also included in this commandment are the following instructions according to the holy and sacred Word of God: “You shall not do any work on the seventh day, you, your son, your daughter, your servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the foreigner who is with you.” The foreigner means the immigrant. When God gave the law to Moses on top of the mountain, he put in this reality that you will be strangers with you. They have to rest too.
When I lived in Mexico, a friend of mine invited me to have lunch at a Chinese restaurant. I was surprised that there was a Chinese restaurant in Mexico. And when I went to the restaurant, who was working in the restaurant? People from China, speaking Chinese, with delicious Chinese food.
No matter which country you are in, you will always find foreigners, because it is a fact of life. We are not in boxes, people move on the face of the earth not in a random way, but precisely by the hand of God. God’s law says that everyone has to rest and praise God. That is why we have begun a ministry in Spanish at Grace Lutheran. We are obeying commandment three.
- Number four: Honor your mom and dad. Why? Because children are watching us and the way we treat the elderly is going to be the way we are going to be treated.
Church is a good place to practice caring for parents and elders. When you can’t be with your parents or grandchildren, then church helps to form loving relationships accross generations.
- Do not kill anyone. Jesus Christ did not use violence. He used the whip only to move the animals from the temple. Jesus offers his own being to be the sacrifice to God taking the place of the animals. Jesus is going to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Many Central American refugees are trying to avoid violence. There are Lutheran missions in Honduras and Central America. Supporting the work of missions decreases violence. Teaching and practicing peace decreases refugee crises.
- Do not commit adultery. Human trafficking of young people: both girls and goys is caused in large part by the breaking of this commandment. God can provide loving intimate relationships for all people. Having intimacy among friends and family, and church makes a safer world for all people.
- Do not steal. Laborers who often do the most difficult work need to be compensated fairly for their work, and not be taken advantage of. Severe inequality drives people from poverty willing to take large risks to look for economic opportunity.
- Do not lie. Jesus said he could restore the temple in three days. People thought this was a lie. But he talked about himself and the power of resurrection. When people don’t want to accept responsibility they will make up lies and scapegoat other vulnerable people. But the truth cannot be killed. God will resurrect those who have faith, and when we are truthful we find there is a place for all of God’s people.
- Do not envy your neighbor’s possessions. What will happen to the economy and capitalism if there is no envy? s it possible that the economy could be an idol? Every day in the news there is a report on the condition of the economy. It is suggested that our well-being depends on the economy. But no! Our well-being depends on God. And the economy depends on our well-being.
- Do not envy the relationships of others. The disciples thought that Jesus was jealous of the temple. But no. He was jealous of us. God is jealous of us. God punishes us for three generations when we do not obey God’s law. But God blesses up to thousands of generations when we obey the law. God is so jealous for us that Jesus died for us to save us from our sin, even when we fail to follow God’s laws.
We cannot change God’s laws. They exist forever. But yes, we can change the laws of the land. We need laws that make it possible for every human being to have the opportunity to live well. The heavens declare the justice of God. The arc of the universe is very long, but it bends towards justice. Amen.
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