Mel Brooks and the 15 Commandments

(a Steve Orr Scripture reflection)

One of my favorite film moments comes from Mel Brooks’ History of the World, Part One. In the scene, Moses comes down from the mountain cradling three stone tablets. As he steps forward to tell the Israelites of the commandments God has sent for them to follow, he says: “The Lord Jehovah has given unto you these 15—“ At this point, a tablet falls and shatters. Moses quickly holds up the remaining two tablets and continues: “Ten! Ten Commandments for all to obey!”

While the scene is funny, it also gets at something that has been on our minds ever since Moses came down the mountain: Was that it, just the 10? Do you sometimes wish there were more Commandments? Do you believe we would benefit from just a bit more guidance from God? Maybe an 11th Commandment? 

There have been many attempts over the millennia to add that extra layer of direction. 

This is a big part of what Peter smacked up against in this week’s selection from the Book of Acts. After baptizing some non-Jews, effectively including them as followers of Jesus, Peter is “called on the carpet” for breaking several well-known Jewish “laws” in the process. He finds himself in trouble with “circumcised believers,” that is, people who closely follow Jewish codes of conduct and also believe Jesus is the son of God. Peter’s answer? He didn’t choose those non-Jews; God did. 

What those “circumcised believers” had forgotten is this: God makes the rules, and God can amend them or make new ones at any time. In fact, Jesus did this kind of thing quite regularly: “You have heard (fill in the blank), but I say….” 

So. Is there an 11th? Maybe. I think there’s one. But it’s not a commandment for everyone. We find it in this week’s selection from the Gospel of John: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." 

Well, there’s your 11th Commandment. 

It’s only given to followers of Jesus. And, differently from loving our neighbors and loving our enemies (each with its own challenges), this one is just about how believers are to treat each other. Jesus already knew that the “tent” of believers was going to get not only a lot bigger, but also a lot stranger than any of His earliest followers could imagine. He knew they (and we) were going to need that extra commandment.

We tend to love our neighbors and our enemies—at a certain distance. That’s not how it’s supposed to be, but it is the way most of us approach the matter. It’s pretty difficult, though, for us to hold other believers at a distance. We’re all scrunched up in here, together. 

We need that commandment. 

Here’s why: If we believers can learn to really love each other, we can start to learn how to love our neighbors. And if we can get to where we really love our neighbors, up close and personal, we can start the process of learning how to love our enemies. And if we can actively love our enemies—well, there’s no end to that kind of love. 

No more commandments needed. 

_________________________

Watch that film clip here