LAWS

 

What laws do you know? There are many laws that we keep. For example, when your parents drove here today, they stayed in their lane, did not speed, stopped at stops signs and red lights, and parked next to another car in the lot.

There are also laws that are kept for us. The law of gravity is one. If I hold a rock in my hand and drop it, the rock will fall to the ground. We also know that the earth revolves around the sun, and not the other way around.

When I was studying to be a pastor, I studied church law. When our daughter became a lawyer, she focused on corporate contract law, and not family law, criminal law or any other law. When you all grow up to be lawyers, you’ll know the difference.

I say all of this because our Psalm (119:153-160) begins with “Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law.” God gave us laws. We know the Ten Commandments. Martin Luther said that we should recite these laws every day so that we do not forget them. King David, who wrote the Psalms, loved God’s law. We also read, “Consider how I love your precepts!” That’s another word for laws.

David also reminds us that “every one of God’s righteous rules endures forever.” That means that we do not get to choose which of God’s laws we want to keep or change.

Now, when Jesus was asked which law is the most important, he basically said, “Let me make this simple for you: Love God and love your neighbor like you love yourself.”

With that, let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their parents the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.