The first reading from the prophet Ezekiel has several important lessons. The first is that God’s name has been profaned among the nations but that he intends to prove his holiness through his people. Jesus taught us to pray, “Our father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” Hallowed means to be holy. Of course, we believe that God and his name are already holy, so what are we praying for? That God’s name will be recognized as holy among the nations. And how can this ever be? Through us. If the world ever hallows God’s name, it will be because of us – who we are, what we do. When I pray “hallowed be thy name,” I am actually making a promise to live so that others might confess that God is holy.

Second, God says through Ezekiel, “I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts.” God wants us to have natural hearts, hearts of flesh, hearts that can experience pain, suffering, and love. A heart of stone can protect us from hurt but the consequences of it are deadly. Paul Simon wrote a song with the following lines:

I've built walls
A fortress deep and mighty
That none may penetrate
I have no need of friendship; friendship causes pain
It's laughter and it's loving I disdain
Don't talk of love
Well I've heard the words before
It's sleeping in my memory
I won't disturb the slumber
Of feelings that have died
If I never loved I never would have cried
I am a rock
I am an island
And a rock feels no pain
And an island never cries

Friendship causes pain and, if you never love, you may never cry. But is that any way to live? God doesn’t think so and he is determined to do something about it. The death of Jesus’ friend Lazarus caused him to cry. His friend Judas betrayed him. If he hadn’t come among us, he would have never experienced death. But a heart of stone is not possible for God. And he calls us to follow him.

A third thing God says through Ezekiel is worth pondering. He says, “I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees.” I sometimes get the impression that some folks think that a concern for keeping the commandments is somehow not living by the spirit. Is that right? I do know that a person can get all wrapped up in scrupulosity which can bleed the joy right out of you. But I don’t see that as similar to a person who, because they are filled with the Holy Spirit, wants to keep God’s word and his teachings. In fact, when a person is filled with the Spirit of God, doesn’t that spirit help the person to keep the commandments and not see them as some kind of burden? Jesus said that his “burden is light.” I believe that keeping the commandments is a light burden for the person filled with the presence of God.

Let us live so that God’s name is hallowed. Let us live with hearts of flesh and not hearts of stone. Let us live in the Spirit of God who helps us to observe God’s decrees. May the blessings of this great God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with us all. Amen.