Ignorance of The Law is no excuse

"Honestly officer, I didn't know the speed limit was 30 MPH"

"Honestly St. Peter, I didn't know all those things I did and said were sinful"

Ladies and Gents, lets get right down to brass tacks, and make straight a path in the wilderness, as it were.

There are thousands upon thousands of collective reference works on The Christian Moral Life. If you are involved in deeper study of these principles, all power to you.

The goal of this Blog however, is to take more of a 50 foot view, and to impart practical wisdom, that is accessible to all. Wherever you are on your Faith journey, I hope this helps.

It may come as a surprise to some that in nearly every courthouse in our great country, the 10 Commandments are posted somewhere visible to all. (Much to the chagrin of the ACLU).

And if you dig a little deeper, just take a look at the facade of the Supreme Court building, and there, in all his glory, is a bas relief of Moses himself holding the tablets of the 10 Commandments.

Why? Because these Commandments, far from being an impediment to our lives, are the basis and foundation of all Moral Law.

These are the building blocks on which Order comes from Chaos. They are they keystone to our understanding of fundamental Truth, later to be fulfilled in the person of Jesus.

Scripture tells us that not only were these Commandments carved in stone, but also written on our very hearts. Kind of like a spiritual/moral compass. In this way, if we get off course, we regain our way by prayer and meditating on what The Law teaches us.

We should all know by now that murder, stealing, lying, cheating, being adulterous, disrespectful, disobedient, profane, and worshiping false gods is wrong. But this alone is not enough, for even the pagan knows as much. There are two very special directives that bind all the others together. Consider what Jesus has to say in Matthew 22: 36-40:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Bold added for emphasis)

Think on this statement for a while, and ask the Lord to show you what it means for your journey. I'll be back later. In the mean time, have a Blessed week.

Marty

Next up: Consequences