000 Allen FMT (i-xxii) - The Presbyterian Leader

96 Proper 22 [27]/Year A
nationalism, religious obscurantism, and the ultimate value of the “bottom
line.”
“You shall not make for yourself an idol” (v. 4): Images of “other gods”
are forbidden for the same reason as having other gods—worship of the
finite winds up being destructive of life and well-being (witness Nazi worship
of the “Volk”). Images of YHWH are forbidden because ‘ehyeh ‘asher
‘ehyeh cannot be imaged. No images, ideas, concepts, models, or metaphors
are adequate to the God who is always ahead of us. But note that YHWH
is not only the One who acts on others; YHWH is also the One who interacts
with them, is acted upon by them, “hears” their prayers. Images cannot
do this. Banning images protects God’s communion with us as much
as it does God’s transcendence.
“You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God”
(v. 7; see commentary on Proper 17/Year A for discussion of the name of
God). We petition this in the Lord’s Prayer: “hallowed be your name.” To
hallow is to honor as holy. The ways in which we make wrongful use of
God’s name are hardly limited to cussing when we hit our thumb with a
hammer. The way in which presidents wrap themselves in God’s name
when in political trouble or trying to build up support for a war come to
mind. Empty talk, cheap grace, easy religion, self-interest parading as
piety: the church should speak against all wrongful use of the name of God.
“Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy” (v. 8). We Gentile Christians
have lost the idea of the Sabbath. On Shabbat all work is banned,
that of yourself, your family, your employees, your livestock, even that of
strangers (think of migrant workers) in the vicinity. Here Shabbat is
grounded in the creation—“for in six days the LORD made heaven and
earth . . . , but rested the seventh day” (v. 11). Strangers and animals are
to keep it. It is a gift, a day of systematic loafing, a limit on our constant
striving and attaining. If we were to cease driving cars one day a week, we
could give the environment a rest.
“Honor your father and your mother” (v. 12). This mitzvah is directed
to adult children and has to do with their older parents; it expresses the
concern of the Torah for the vulnerable. In their old age we are to see to
it that our parents’ needs are cared for. Israel’s social policy was to guard
and protect the aged. Can we say that of our social policy?
“You shall not murder” (v. 13). Whether the translation should be
“murder” or “kill” is much debated. Leviticus 17:11 and Genesis 9:6 stress
that all life is God’s and that we may not engage in the “shedding of blood”
(Jer. 22:17; Ezek. 22:6, 27). “Kill” seems to be the better translation. 31 A
negative instruction opens up into its affirmative side, as “you shall have