Understanding the True Meaning of Using the Lord’s Name in Vain

Thou shalt not use the lord’s name in vain. People think that means don’t swear or curse. And it sort of means that there’s a peripheral meaning that is associated with that casual use of the sacred, let’s say. But that isn’t what it means. It means don’t claim divine virtue when you’re working for your own purposes. And the same thing happens in the gospel accounts, eh? Because the Pharisees, who are Christ’s primary enemy, are the people he accuses of utilizing the sacred. They’re praying in public. They’re trying to occupy the best seats in the marketplace. It’s an expression of an unbelievably deep and ignorant narcissism. It’s these performative gestures that make you morally virtuous.