Unit Overview

This unit examines how the Commandments of God guide us to live the Christian life. This forms the basis for introducing and exploring Jesus’ new commandment with reference back to the Ten Commandments. The unit leads to a deeper understanding of how the Commandments guide us in living in right relationship with God and others.

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Enduring Understanding

The Commandments of God guide us to live the Christian life.

Objectives

A student will

value and appreciate their personal responsibility for moral decision-making; recognise that moral decision-making can be both complex and demanding; accept the need to work with compassion for justice in the world; believe in their own potential to effect change
develop an understanding of Catholic moral teaching, its relationship to moral issues and place in personal decision-making, including its call to work for justice in the world
research into and reflect on Catholic moral teaching; develop the ability to make responsible moral decisions; apply the principles of justice and compassion in their lives

Outcomes

A student

recognises that Christians are called to use the Commandments to live good lives. (RECVE4)
explains how the Commandments guide Christian life. (RECKE4)
applies the Commandments in responding to contemporary issues. (RECSE4)

Essential Questions

How do the Ten Commandments teach us to live Christian lives?
How can we use the teachings of Jesus to live Christian lives?
How can we use the example of Jesus and the work of Catholic organisations to live the New Commandment?

Learning Focus, Statements of Learning & Course Content

Students develop their understanding of the Ten Commandments by

- exploring God’s relationship with the people of the Old Testament.
- Read KWL Big Book Moses from Exodus Chapters 12-15 and investigate the character of Moses, the Israelite people and the geography of the time.
- Define ‘covenant.’
- Explore Genesis 28:13-15 Jacob’s Dream at Bethel and the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
- Explore Exodus Chapters 14-15 The Exodus (storytelling).
- Recall how God saved his chosen people through the prophet Moses.
- identifying the way of life that these commandments promote.
- Define ‘commandment.’
- Explore Deuteronomy 5:1-21 The Ten Commandments (storytelling).
- Identify how the Ten Commandments enabled the Israelites to live in relationship with God and one another.
- Examine the meaning of the Ten Commandments and summarise the main idea of each.
- Explain how the Ten Commandments teach us how to love God and others.

Students deepen their understanding of Jesus’ new Commandment by

- exploring Jesus’ law of love.
- Explore Scripture passages where Jesus showed others, through his words and actions, how to live according to the Ten Commandments. Include Matthew 19:16-22 The Rich Young Man.
- Meditate on Matthew 19:16-22 The Rich Young Man using Lectio Divina.
- Explore John 13:34-35 The New Commandment and examine the words of Jesus as the law of love (CCC # 1972).
- Explore KWL Book 4 Chapter 15 The Word of God p119 and discuss the significance of Jesus’ New Commandment.
- Read and pray KWL Book 4 Chapter 15 Our Prayer – Love p120.

As Christians we are called to live the law of love by

- identifying the relationship between the Ten Commandments and Jesus’ New Commandment.
- Explore KWL Book 4 Chapter 15 Love One Another p118-119 and reflect on the relationship between the Ten Commandments and Jesus’ New Commandment.
- Review the commandments and identify how they relate to loving God and loving others.
- Describe how we can follow the example of Jesus, in living the law of love, through our words and actions.
- Using Scripture and prayer from the unit, create a class celebration reflecting on how we are called to live the law of love.
- applying the teachings of Jesus in response to a range of contemporary issues.
- Recognise how others within the community model the example of Jesus through their words and actions. For example, family members or people who reach out to others in need.
- Research Caritas Australia as a Catholic organisation that responds to a range of contemporary issues.
- Research other Catholic organisations that respond to a range of contemporary issues. For example, Aboriginal Catholic Ministry, CatholicCare, Ephpheta Centre, St Vincent de Paul Society and Jesuit Refugee Centre.

Compulsory Scripture

Unit Content 1
KWL Big Book Moses from Exodus Chapters 12-15
Genesis 28:13-15 Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

Unit Content 2
Matthew 19:16-22 The Rich Young Man
John 13:34-35 The New Commandment

Storytelling

Unit Content 1
Exodus 14-15 The Exodus
Deuteronomy 5:1-21 The Ten Commandments

Church Documents

Catechism of the Catholic Church

70-72 – Beyond the witness to himself that God gives in created things, he manifested himself to our first parents, spoke to them and, after the fall, promised them salvation (cf. Gen 3:15) and offered them his covenant. God made an everlasting covenant with Noah and with all living beings (cf. Gen 9:16). It will remain in force as long as the world lasts. God chose Abraham and made a covenant with him and his descendants. By the covenant God formed his people and revealed his law to them through Moses. Through the prophets, he prepared them to accept the salvation destined for all humanity.

1972 – The New Law is called a ‘law of love’ because it makes us act out of the love infused by the Holy Spirit, rather than from fear; a law of grace, because it confers the strength of grace to act, by means of faith and the sacraments; a law of freedom, because it sets us free from the ritual and juridical observances of the Old Law, inclines us to act spontaneously by the prompting of charity and, finally, lets us pass from the condition of a servant who “does not know what his master is doing” to that of a friend of Christ – “For all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” – or even to the status of son and heir.

2083 – Jesus summed up man’s duties towards God in this saying: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This immediately echoes the solemn call: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord.”

God has loved us first. The love of the One God is recalled in the first of the “ten words.” The commandments then make explicit the response of love that man is called to give to his God.

2196 – In response to the question about the first of the commandments, Jesus says: “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The apostle St Paul reminds us of this: “He who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Australian Curriculum
Cross Curriculum Priorities		The General Capabilities
	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures		Critical and creative thinking
	Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia		Ethical understanding
	Sustainability		Information and communication technology capability
Other important learning identified by the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA):			Intercultural understanding
	Civics and citizenship		Literacy
	Difference and diversity		Numeracy
	Work and enterprise		Personal and social capability

E4 – The Commandments