Episode Transcript
PRAYER OF CONSECRATION
Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Jesus, I belong to you.
I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice.
Jesus, we belong to you.
Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
Exodus 20:13–17
“You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
CONSIDER THIS
Why aren’t these five laws enough?
I remember early in my law school days, one of my professors made a sage comment. He said, “We can assess the morality of a nation by the number of laws it has recorded in its books.”
Why can’t those be enough? They are sufficiently broad. What is it about people that we assume if the law is not written down the activity must not be illegal? What is it about people that we always look for the loophole to get around the law? Every loophole requires another law to close it.
Jesus takes another approach to the law on at least two levels. First, he articulates the great positive law of the comprehensive love of God, neighbor, and self. Where there is love, there is no need for law. In fact, the breaking of the law is the failure of love. Law is not about us but others. Second, he moves us to understand the law at the level of the heart rather than at the level of behavior.
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.” (Matt. 5:21–22)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matt. 5:27–28)
The law is not about behavior, but about the heart. Far before the law is broken, the heart is broken. It raises the final point about the law.
Some years ago I had the privilege of meeting and getting to know the preacher to the papal household (under John Paul II and beyond), Father Raniero Cantalamessa. He surprisingly accepted our invitation to come to Wilmore, Kentucky, to minister among us when I served as dean of the chapel at Asbury Seminary. He said many things on many subjects. He is one of my favorite teachers in the kingdom of God—especially on the Holy Spirit. In a lecture on Pentecost, he spoke this striking word, “The Law was given so the Spirit may be desired. The Spirit was given so the Law might be obeyed.” Isn't that exactly what Ezekiel is saying here with this extraordinary word of prophecy?
“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.” (Ezek. 11:19–20)
It brings us to the heart of the matter—which is that the Law is a matter of heart and spirit. To break the Law is to divide (or to break) one's heart. We all know the difference between the letter of the Law and the spirit of the Law. We must have the Spirit of God in order to obey the spirit of the Law and we must obey the spirit of the Law in order to live wholeheartedly.
I must have a new heart and a right spirit—all of which comes from the Holy Spirit. It brings us to the prescience of David's brokenhearted prayer, uttered in the contrite aftermath of breaking practically all ten of the Ten Commandments.
"Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Ps. 51:10)
THE PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE
Lord Jesus, you are my Deliverer.
I receive your deliverance from a hard heart of stone. I receive your deliverance into a soft heart of flesh; a heart that leaps to listen and trust and obey.
Father, thank you that by your Spirit you give us an undivided heart; you remove from us our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh. We have your Spirit, Lord, yet we must have more of your Spirit; or rather your Spirit must have more of us. Work on me and in me and through me at the level of my heart. As the psalmist prays, "I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart" (Ps. 119:32 ESV).
It will be for your glory, for others' gain, and for my good.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be. World without end, amen! Amen!
