Epiphany 5 [Series A] - preached February 9, 2014 at St. Paul Dewberry, IN and Resurrection Centerville, IN

 

 

Sermon Text:      Matthew 5:13-20

Title:          Yeah – Jesus Just Said That!

I.        Jesus didn’t come to abolish the Law

II.       Jesus came to fulfill the Law

THROUGH HIS BLOOD AND THE MEANS OF GRACE – WE ARE MADE ACCOUNTED FOR ND THE LAW KEPT.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The sermon text for this Sunday, is taken from…

19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I.

We truly live in a PC world don’t we – and by PC I mean politically correct? And although I get the idea that we don’t want to offend when we can help it sometimes we just have to say we are short or fat. In other words we have to stop trying to beat around the bush about the TRUTH and just say it! I’m fat! I’m short!

In today’s world it is wrong – especially for Christians – to speak the truth. We can’t be called Pro-Life we need to be called anti-abortionists. We can’t denounce abortion or homosexuality because if we do so we are being bigots and we are being exclusionary. We cannot say ordaining homosexual pastors is sinful or we risk being called intolerant.  We can’t say that a woman should not be a pastor or we are labeled sexists.

 

People don’t like labels – unless of course it serves a particular group’s agenda and then it’s perfectly fine. Christians are labeled anti-abortionists, bigots, exclusionary, intolerant and sexists. Hmm.

 

We are told in no uncertain terms that Jesus never said that.  Or Jesus did away with the Law – and often times these ‘height challenged theologians’ [think about it] are people who have never cracked a Bible but are simply parroting what they’ve heard others say!

Why do you say that pastor? Because right here in the Sermon on the Mount we hear Jesus say…

19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Did Jesus just say that the Law still matters? Yeah – Jesus just said that!!!

 

He just said that His Law – the Ten Commandments and all that goes with them – still matters. The first table [1-3] – the one dealing with Him specifically – still matters. The second table [4-10] – the one dealing with our neighbor – still matters.

We are still to love the LORD with all that we have heart, soul and mind. And we are still to love our neighbor well beyond ourselves.

 

These are not to be relaxed says Jesus. They are to be taught just as they always have been and woe to the man who teaches otherwise.

In fact Jesus goes so far to say that He isn’t here to abolish the Law and the Prophets!

Yeah – Jesus just said that!

But before we get to high and mighty in looking down our noses at those who attack Christians and their GOD given faith – we do have to take a long look in the mirror at ourselves and realize we do the same thing.

 

We do the same thing when we crab at a pastor for pointing out our sin. We do the same thing when we prove time and again that we love ourselves more than we love GOD and neighbor. We label Christians as being too conservative, too Biblical, too narrow minded.

Yeah we do the same things to each other that the world does to us as a whole.

But Jesus doesn’t stop with saying that He came not to abolish the Law – He continues by saying He came to fulfill Law.

 

Why? Can’t I do that for myself? Can’t I just follow the rules? I mean come on I love GOD more than my things. I only say, “oh my GOD” and not GOD dammit. I come to church most of the time. I honor authority by going the speed limit most of the time. I’ve never killed anyone physically – and I only hate a few people. I’ve never slept with a woman outside of my marriage – and I only look at porn sometimes. I’ve never taken a thing in my life – and only once in awhile do I copy a CD or DVD or download music I haven’t paid for. I only say bad things about people who deserve it. And I only sometimes get mad at my sister and her lifestyle I wish I had. 

 

Isn’t all that good enough? I mean come on – there are worse people out there – I’m pretty good most of the time.

 

II.

 

No – not even close. Which is why Jesus says that He came to fulfill the Law – because we cannot do it for ourselves. Jesus has to do it for us. And yeah – Jesus just said in our text today that it is something the LORD demands that we do and continue to do. So how does that work?

 

Through His perfect life lived on this earth and His undeserved death on the Cross – we are saved! By His blood we are granted the righteousness He earned through a perfect, Law abiding, not once fudging it a little, life that He lived – for you and for me.

 

We receive this righteousness of Christ through His Word and through Baptism and through the LORD’S Supper. Here in these means of grace – our heavenly Father is reaching into our lives to make us holy and does so through His Son Jesus. I no longer have the burden of living a perfect life in order to be saved – I have Jesus!  And through Jesus I am forgiven and made perfect.

 

So yeah - Jesus did just say abortion is sinful and homosexuality is sinful, and women pastors are sinful and lying, cheating, stealing, defiance, sex outside of marriage are ALL SINFUL!!!

But Jesus also says that He is resurrection and life. Yes – GOD holds us accountable - and through Jesus and His life, death and resurrection we have an account sheet that reads ‘Law paid in full.’

 

And now the LORD calls us to be salt and light in the world – to flavor our life with the Salt of His love and then – to flavor the lives of those around us. He calls on us to shine His reflected Light out into a dark world giving the Light that will always overcome the darkness.  And through the power of the Holy Spirit Who not only gives us our faith, but also sustains it – we can be the salt and light of Christ for the world. Amen.

 

The Peace of the LORD – which surpasses all understanding – will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus the Light of the world.  Amen.

 

+ Soli Deo Gloria +