Exodus 20:1-17 / Matthew 13:18-23
Can we think of anyone who has done us a great favour? It may be that this person saved our life from some near tragedy. Or helped us when everyone else have turned their back on us. Or stood by us when we were alone and in need.
Whatever the situation or circumstance might be, we can only be grateful and thankful to that person. What else more can we ever do for that person?
Certainly, it would never cross our minds that since this person has done us such a great favour, we would ride on that and see what other favours we can get from that person. We can't be that ungrateful or go so low as that.
In the 1st reading, the Lord God declared to His people: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
God was reiterating that it was not by their abilities that they broke away from slavery and are a free people now.
He was their Deliverer and it was He who rescued them from slavery and gave them freedom. But it was not a freedom to do as they wish. He gave them the 10 commandments to guide them because with freedom comes responsibility and accountability.
The 10 commandments were God's way of telling His people how to live their lives so that they can truly be a people who will cherish their freedom and live by the ways of the Lord.
Not to live by the 10 commandments would be to allow rocks and thorns to clutter their hearts and eventually lose their freedom again and be slaves of the devil.
We too have been freed by Jesus from the slavery to sin. We can only give thanks and live by His ways. We certainly don't want to be slaves of the devil and lose the joy of our freedom and peace of heart.