From the Pulpit: SB51 stirs debate on Ten Commandments in schools
Jesus told a group of his followers, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Is our life too easy? Many times I’ve caught myself looking around our modern world, asking, ‘Is it really this easy?’ When one studies those that first pioneered to settle this patch of earth, you realize how difficult it was.
History tells of the innumerable advantages we have today. He was not speaking of your project list, or activities calendar. Jesus speaks of our immeasurable moral debt, the weight of our sin.
At debate in our legislature is Senate Bill 51, which would mandate posting and curricular inclusion of the Mosaic law (Exodus 20). What lies at the center of the debate surrounding this bill? Could it be that opinions are so high amongst all sorts of folks is because the Ten Commandments are more than proponents of the bill are suggesting?
Serious academics agree with the foundational role of the Ten Commandments in the Western world. They are without question the historically significant. They are much more than simply hieroglyphs in stone. These are not just words; they are principles woven into the very fabric of life. They are not just lifestyle option; they are basic realities upon which all of creation is structured.
Their existence indicates something that brings great consternation upon our modern ethos. They serve as a reminder of the burden Jesus spoke of. The yoke of sin. You see, Jesus is speaking of a spiritual burden, only He can share with us. The burden and weight of our sin.
Our state’s audacious motto, ‘Under God the People Rule,’ puts the authority of Jesus in stark contrast with progressive secular humanism that has infected our education system. This ideology shatters the burden of our sin by ascribing transcendence to the creation while rejecting our creator. God’s Law was never intended to be a list of recommendations, or suggestions or set of options for us to ‘identify with’ – they are commands.
As a society, we have an opportunity to decide how history will be written. As a citizen, I’d encourage you to let your representatives know your perspective. As a Christian, please pray for them.
Steve Kolbeck
District: 02 Capitol: 605-773-3821
Steve.Kolbeck@sdlegislature.gov
John Sjaarda
District: 02 Home: 605-321-4073
John.Sjaarda@sdlegislature.gov
David Kull
District: 02 Home: 605-261-9185
