The chapter on the 10 Commandments in the book of Exodus isn’t usually the most thrilling Bible passage to share with others.
But when Frontiers worker Craig told a group of Muslim men about how he’d been studying these commands, they were eager to learn more. They had never heard about the 10 Commandments.
Craig had been meeting with and sharing Bible stories with this group for some time.
But now they listened to Craig’s words more closely than they ever had. Coming from an Islamic background that is driven by rules, his Muslim friends were eager to hear what rules Christians must follow.
His friends had never heard about the 10 Commandments.
“So which is the greatest commandment?” one of the men asked. The guys leaned in to hear Craig’s answer.
“It’s interesting you ask, because a lawyer once asked Jesus the same question,” Craig replied. He shared Jesus’ response with them:
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” — Matthew 22:37–40
“Yes, but that seems kind of abstract,” one of the guys said. “What does it actually mean to love your neighbor? Who is your neighbor really?”
“Actually, there was another lawyer who asked that too,” Craig responded. He told them the parable of the Good Samaritan that Jesus had shared in Luke 10:25–37.
“What does it actually mean to love your neighbor? Who is your neighbor really?”
As they discussed Jesus’ teachings and talked about what it means to love others, the men were more engaged with God’s Word than they had been any other time Craig had shared Scripture with them.
Craig says he hadn’t expected the 10 Commandments to resonate with his friends. “But it’s really encouraging how God used the idea of a rule system—something they’re very familiar with—to create a natural transition into talking about Jesus Christ.”
- Praise God for setting up these fruitful discussions about truth between Craig and his friends.
- Pray that this group of Muslim men will embrace the hope of the Gospel and put their faith in Christ.
- Ask God to help Frontiers workers share stories of Jesus in ways that will stir Muslim hearts to hunger for the Word.
This account comes from a long-term worker. Names and places have been changed for security.