Sunday, February 12, 2023

The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm 119:1-8
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Matthew 5:21-37

For I command you today to love Yahweh your God, to walk in his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances, that you may live and multiply, and that Yahweh your God may bless you in the land where you go in to possess it.

We are studying Paul in our adult Sunday school class. Our focus right now are the words and ideas that are central to Paul’s understanding of the Gospel like justification, reconciliation/peace, and forgiveness. These words are each separate aspects of what happens in the salvation won for us by Jesus Christ on His cross. We are justified, which means we are made righteous by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus. He died in our place, taking from us the wrath we deserve for our sinful natures and giving us His righteousness so that we can stand before our Father at the throne of judgment. We are forgiven our sins because Jesus is the scapegoat upon which all our failings, past, present and future are laid and sent away.

Thanks to Jesus we are reconciled to our God, which leads to peace in our lives. That peace is not a state of security in a community, although there is a little of that peace promised, too, as we who are justified and reconciled to God by His forgiveness also become reconciled to one another as we forgive those who have hurt us. The concept of peace in the scriptures is a wholeness. It is the harmony and calmness of body, mind and spirit trusting in the power and grace of God. Peace is knowing that God is in control and that He knows what He’s doing.

Reconciliation is the goal of the Gospel and of the church. Martin Luther never wanted the brokenness that came out of the Reformation. He wanted to strengthen the Church by standing firmly on Christ. If reconciliation is our goal, then forgiveness is the path and peace is the outcome. We have been called to stand firmly in God’s Word, to take the Gospel to our neighbors, and to be God’s hands and voice in the work of healing our brokenness. We can’t do it alone. We are not enough. We need Jesus.

Those who worship in a liturgical setting are familiar with a moment that we call “Passing the peace.” For many Christians, this is a time to catch up, to hug our best friends, and to acknowledge those who may be new to our community. It is seen as a time to wish each other well. It often takes more time than it should as the worship leader has difficulty getting everyone settled back into their seats. I am as guilty as the next person, chasing my friends to give them a hug and tell them how pleased I am to see them. This isn’t a bad thing, but it is not the purpose of this moment in the liturgy. It is meant to be a moment of reconciliation. We should take that time to forgive and be forgiven so that the broken relationships in the congregation are healed before we all visit the Table to receive the Eucharist.

In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus tells us “If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Passing the peace is about reconciliation. It is about restoring our relationships with one another before we stand before God.

We all know that the church is struggling these days. It didn’t begin with Martin Luther, but we are far from the reconciliation that he always wanted. Peter and Paul had their disagreements. Paul wrote to the Corinthians because they were having trouble getting along. Churches are fighting within, splitting over how to deal with the issues of the day. I’ve even seen congregations divided over silly things like the color of the carpet, but our brokenness is so much deeper. Christians are saved by the grace of Christ, but we are still sinners, and we still desire much that the world has to offer. This means standing against Christ and one another. And all too often, we place the blame on the other and do not accept our own fault.

I had a friend who got a divorce. He hated his ex-wife. She could not do anything right. She was to blame for everything that went wrong. He thought she was evil, and he could never find even a small positive thing to say. He was angry. Unfortunately, he was also blind. He refused to see the role he played in their break-up. He refused to believe that he was even a little bit at fault. I knew him well enough to know that his attitude and actions played a bigger role in their brokenness than he would ever admit. Whenever I gently suggested that he look at his own sinfulness, he rejected my words. He even lashed out at me, refusing to accept his sinfulness.

I don’t know what happened in their marriage, but I do know that broken relationships are never wholly one-sided. The best we can do for our own life is to consider our own fault and work toward reconciliation. They would never be friends again, but they had children and had to find a way to work together. He was unwilling to give even and inch, which made it all the more difficult for their children. Sometimes, for the sake of others and ourselves, we have to take the initiative to make things right in brokenness, even if we are not the one who is at fault.

Jesus is calling us to accept our role in our brokenness. How often do we wait until the other initiates the reconciliation because we believe they hold the greater guilt in the matter? We think we are innocent. Listen to the arguments on the day time court shows and you’ll see just that. One litigant refuses to pay because the other did something wrong. The other litigant will tell you that they did that thing because the other didn’t pay. It is a vicious circle when we play the blame game. How do we forgive someone who hasn’t repented? How do they forgive us when we don’t do so?

When Luther began his career, he was committed to the ways of the church as he understood it, which suggested that human beings were capable of earning salvation. He struggled with this because he knew that the more he tried, the less he deserved God’s grace. He lived through “the dark night of the soul” during this time and came close to despair.

He took his job as a professor very seriously and as he delved more deeply into the scriptures as he prepared for his classes. He even went so far as to learn Greek and Hebrew so that he could translate the texts from the original. His understanding of salvation changed dramatically as he taught through the book of Romans. The true Gospel was revealed to him; he realized that we can’t earn our salvation. He realized that human beings will always tend toward selfishness, self-righteousness, and self-centeredness. He grasped onto Romans 3:28, “We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law,” and in that verse found the key that set him free from the despair that nearly sent him to hell forever. Christ and Christ alone make Christians “perfectly whole in hope.” We will never be enough. We need Jesus.

We are not right in this world, even with Jesus, that’s why we need Him daily. We fail. We sin. We make mistakes that break relationships. It may be true that the “other” has done something worse, but we need to accept that the brokenness is because we are all sinners. Sometimes it is best for us to forgive where there is no repentance. After all, we are forgiven not by our actions but by God’s grace. As forgiven sinners, we are meant to work toward reconciliation through forgiveness. The blessing will never be found in holding a grudge and we may discover that taking the initiative will make miracles happen.

Holding on to anger can hurt us more than the sin that was committed against us. That’s what I saw in the life of my friend who refused to forgive his ex-wife and that’s what Jesus is saying in the confusing verse in today’s Gospel lesson. My friend was hurting his children, himself, and his ex by holding on to his anger. Jesus said, “But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment. Whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.” This statement is a process before court. Each statement takes us further into punishment. Since anger is the same as murder, anger deserves a harsh punishment. We are first accused, and this sin deserves a sentence of death. What is the judgment? How will he die? He is found guilty and is already sentenced. Finally, he is handed over to the executioner and is sent to hell.

“Raca” and “thou fool” are both insults, but thou fool is the greater one. “Raca” suggests anger against neighbor, but “thou fool” suggests that the speaker sees the neighbor (or enemy) as already deserving of hellfire. The word may translate as “apostate” and thus suggests that the person deserves death and eternal punishment. The man who tells his brother that he is doomed to hell is in danger of hell himself. John Stott wrote about this text: “Anger and insult are ugly symptoms of a desire to get rid of somebody who stands in our way. ‘I wish you are dead’ is an evil wish and a breach of the sixth commandment.”

Our Father wants us to be reconciled, to live in peace with one another, and so Jesus encourages us to think about what we are saying. A death wish will never lead to life.

The joke regularly made after I’ve mentioned this true reason for passing the peace is that everyone is going to watch me. “We’ll know something is up if we see you cross to the other side of the sanctuary!” We don’t really want to make such a public demonstration of our brokenness, and so we pass the peace to those who are nearby and continue to ignore the conflicts that are causing us to lose sight of our God. See, brokenness in our everyday life and world is magnified in our relationship with God. We can’t hate a neighbor and love God; this is why God wants us to lay down our offering and reconcile.

We have a choice. We can hold the grudges that keep us apart from others, or we can pass the peace and find common ground in the reality of our need for God’s grace.

The Old Testament lesson takes place at the end of the Exodus story. The Israelites were wandering in circles throughout the wilderness for forty years because they broke their relationship with God. A whole generation passed, and the new generation finally reached the Promised Land. They were standing on the far side of the river preparing to see the promise made to their forefathers fulfilled. Moses gave them one final message before they crossed. They made the choice once when offered the opportunity to be saved from Egypt. The choice was easy then: stay in slavery or go to the Promised Land? They overwhelmingly chose to go forward into God’s promises. Yet, that first generation did not stay faithful. They turned from God along the way, more quickly than you might expect! That’s why they wandered for forty years. They made their choice to not trust God and they suffered the consequences.

But now a new generation stood on the banks of the Jordan River, ready to cross over. The next part of their journey would take even more trust. Joshua would have to lead the people in a parade around Jericho instead of into a battle. They would have to destroy everything according to God’s command. They would have to fight with ridiculously small armies. They would have to follow directions that made no sense at all. Moses called God’s people to commit to a life of obedience to God, no matter how ridiculous it seemed. They agreed to choose God. They agreed to trust Him.

Sometimes they obeyed, and they succeeded. But sometimes they made another choice. They went another way. They did their own thing, and in doing so chose destruction. We aren’t any different. We go our own way too often; we choose to follow our flesh rather than God’s grace. Our lives may appear good because we haven’t murdered anyone, slept with our neighbor’s spouse, or gone to court over defamatory statements about our neighbors. But who among us can say we haven’t been self-righteously angry or overcome with lust? Who among us can say we have never called someone a fool?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us the difference between living under God’s Law and living in His grace. In today’s Gospel text specifically, Jesus teaches that someone who murders is liable to judgment, but then goes even further by saying that even anger is liable to judgment. One act is liable to the judgment of men, but the other is liable to a greater judgment: that of God. He does the same with adultery. A man is commanded against adultery, but Jesus says it is even worse to look upon a woman with lust. Men can provide justice for someone who has been wronged by the physical act, but only God sees the deepest lusts of our hearts.

God knows that our hearts can be false, and that they can lead us down a dark and dangerous path. It might seem harmless to be angry or lust in our hearts, but it doesn’t take very long before the sins of our hearts are manifest in the flesh. It creeps up on us; we are tempted until we see no harm in action. We even justify that action because we are following our heart. How many times have we seen the family and friends of a murderer interviewed who have said, “He was such a kind and caring man”? They are so often surprised by what they didn’t see: the anger simmering in his heart that exploded into physical violence. How many people are surprised when a spouse is discovered having an affair?

Jesus seems to be setting unrealistic expectations. He commands not only that we obey the Law, but that we live in grace. He desires more than a life of obedience; He calls us to reconciliation. He knows our hearts and our temptations. It is so easy for us to respond to our anger by voicing our hostility. After all, we learn from a very early age that words can’t hurt us. And yet, Jesus tells the disciples that they are in danger of the hell of fire for calling someone a fool. The problem is not the words; the problem is the broken relationship. Murder is final, but even harsh words can destroy a relationship for a lifetime. We are called to live better; we are called to a life of peace. We can only do that when we are reconciled with others despite the foolish things we all do when we fall to the temptations of our flesh.

The most important relationship that is affected by our sin is our relationship with God. Sin separates us from our Father in heaven, but thankfully God has breached the gap by sending His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the cross. Now God sees our sin through Jesus-colored glasses, forgiving us every time we fail. It is only in forgiveness that we can be reconciled to God, because without Him it is impossible for us to live according to His Word. The same is true of our relationships with people. We can only be reconciled through forgiveness. We need to forgive one another and ourselves of the sins that destroy our relationships.

Martin Luther wrote in his commentary on Galatians, “Works indeed are good, and God strictly requires them of us, but they do not make us holy.” We humbly approach these texts with the reality of our sinfulness. We will fail. We will break the commandments. We will destroy relationships, with God and with our neighbors. But we come to these texts with a promise: even when we fail, Christ has forgiven. He has reconciled us to God so that we can reconcile with our neighbors. We can’t do it on our own. We will never be enough. We need Jesus.

This is an urgent calling! We tend to wait until the right time. We wait until we feel better. We wait for our wounds to heal. We wait until we are not so angry. Unfortunately, things do not get better while we wait. There is never a right time. We don’t feel better. Our wounds fester and our anger simmers in our heart. Healing comes with forgiveness. Peace comes with reconciliation.

I can’t imagine what it was like to be in Corinth when Paul wrote his letter. Well, perhaps I can, because we continue to do the same things. There were factions in the church of Corinth, each following a specific teacher. One followed Paul and another followed Apollos. The people were missing that Christ was the center of both their ministries, and they were condemning one another in the process. We do the same by lifting up our own doctrines and denominations while claiming others are following false gods and false gospels. There may be good reason to rebuke a Christian if they are following a heresy, but we will never experience the peace of God if we condemn them to hell.

Paul had a problem. He wanted to teach the Corinthians a deeper understanding of God. He wanted to them to live a fuller, richer faith. However, they were not yet ready for spiritual understanding. They were still caught up in the world. He continued to teach them the basics of Christianity, even though they should have moved on to deeper things; instead of having the heart of Christ, they were living according to their flesh. And their flesh was sinful. Paul writes, “For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men?”

Paul tells us that we have different purposes in Kingdom of God. We have different gifts and different opportunities. The trouble that was happening in Corinth is that the people were following individuals. One group believed the Gospel from Apollos’ point of view. Another followed Paul’s witness. Yet, each was a part of God’s work in the world. They weren’t looking at God, but to man.

That is our greatest problem. We look to ourselves, to our opinions, to our points of view for guidance, when God has something completely different in mind. We think we are enough and we lose sight of the reality that we need Jesus. We get so caught up in what we want that we miss what God has for us. The Israelites followed God out of Egypt, but it didn’t take them very long to realize that the path was going to be hard, and they stopped looking to God. They wanted to turn around and go back to Egypt. How often do we start following God but when the going gets rough we decide to turn around. We think, “This way is better.” Or, “God could not have made this decision” so we go our own way. Or we think we can’t continue and then we end up going in the wrong direction, suffering the consequences of not trusting in God.

Worst of all, we hold on to our hurts and our angers because we can’t believe that God would want us to reconcile with that other person.

The psalmist writes, “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to Yahweh’s law.” We aren’t perfect, and we will never be perfect in this life. We might get beyond the milk to the solid food to which Paul refers, but we will continue to be selfish, self-righteous, and self-centered. Though we are forgiven, we are still sinners in need of the Savior. We still do things that will satisfy our flesh and follow human understanding. But God gives us the grace and the Spirit to try to live as He has called us to live, to follow His commandments, and be obedient to His Word. We do this not of our own volition, but we do it because we have been forgiven. God makes us righteous. He makes us perfect. He leads the way. He loves us with a gracious and forgiving love and calls us to do the same with our neighbors. The deeper we love God, the more we will love our neighbors. When we truly love our neighbors, we will never abandon them to the hell of fire but will invite them into the heart of grace.

We don’t much like dealing with the scriptures for this Sunday. As I was doing my research for these texts a few years, I read discussion board with postings from pastors that did not know what they were going to preach. “No wonder there aren’t a lot of postings here. This is such a difficult text to preach on. This is not the good-news Jesus we're used to.” “I’m not sure where I am going with all this either.” “It seems to me this is a very scary passage to preach.” Moses offers us difficult choices and Jesus tells us that even our thoughts are destructive. How do we, who prefer to emphasize God’s grace, find grace in the Law we are reading today?

In Deuteronomy 30:20 Moses says, “…for he is your life.” There’s the grace and the foundation on which everything we read today is built. The writers have used a lot of words describing the Law, but if we think about them, we’ll see that each one is built on the reality of God’s love for His people. He is our life. Now, what do we do with that? The choice is simple: life or death, prosperity or destruction. Certainly, we have no trouble making that choice! And yet, we don’t always know which way is the way to life or the way to death. It isn’t so clear cut as we are wandering through our own wildernesses.

The whole message of Christ, the message of forgiveness and mercy, is beyond our vision. The idea of God the Father giving His Son for our sake is just crazy. Why would an all-powerful God do that? Why would He have to? Though there are still things about the spiritual realm that we do not fully understand, we have a wisdom that is greater than anything in the world because we have a connection to the source of all wisdom. The Spirit of God dwells in our hearts and reveals to us that which God would have us know. We no longer live in the flesh, but in spirit. We are no longer uncertain but have confidence in the promises of God. We may not be enough, but Jesus is, and He has made peace possible through forgiveness, reconciling us by His grace to our Father and to one another. So choose life by walking in His ways so that you will truly have His peace.