The Tenth Commandment: True Righteousness Comes From the Heart
The last of the Ten Commandments-against coveting-is aimed directly
at the heart and mind of every human being. In prohibiting coveting, it defines
not so much what we must do but how we should think. It asks us to look deep
within ourselves to see what we are on the inside.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your
neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox,
nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's" (Exodus 20:17).
As with each of the previous nine commandments, it is directed toward our
relationships. It specifically deals with the thoughts that threaten those
relationships and can potentially hurt ourselves and our neighbors.
Our motives define and govern the way we respond to everyone we come in
contact with. Our transgressions of God's law of love begin in the heart,
as Jesus confirmed. "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed
evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness,
deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness," Christ
said. "All these evil things come from within and defile a man" (Mark 7:21-23).
Therefore, it is fitting that the formal listing of these 10 foundational
commands, which define the love of God, should end by focusing on our hearts
as the wellspring of our relationship problems. From within come the desires
that tempt us and lead us astray.
What is covetousness?
Covet means to crave or desire, especially in excessive or improper ways.
The Tenth Commandment does not tell us that all of our desires are immoral.
It tells us that some desires are wrong.
