Epiphany 7 [Series A] - preached February 23, 2014 at St. Paul Dewberry, IN, Resurrection Centerville, IN and St. Paul Indianapolis (February 27, 2014)

 

 

Sermon Text:      Matthew 5:38-48

Title:           Be Perfect!

I.        Our search for perfection is fruitless.

II.       In Christ we are made perfect and are able to be perfect.

THROUGH THE CROSS OF CHRIST AND HIS PERFECTION APPLIED TO US WE FIND PERFECTION IN OURSELVES.

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 the Gospel lesson just read. I would read again a portion of these verses…

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I.

Perfection – it’s what everyone is after. This past week saw perfection shattered when the Syracuse men’s basketball team lost for the first time this season taking their record to 25-1. This one loss seems like no big deal – after all they’ve still won 25 games this season. But to look at them that night you would’ve thought they lost the championship.

Here’s another story of perfection. My Dad was an avid sports fan. He won an essay contest put on by the Indianapolis Star and was made a batboy of the Indianapolis Indians and was a clubhouse boy when the Indians won the AAA version of the World Series back in ‘61.

In my Dad’s years with the Indians he met a lot of big league ball players who were either on their way up to the Bigs, in the minors for an injury or on their way down at the twilight of their career. One year he met Don Larsen who was only in the minors to rehabilitate an injury. Do you know who he is? Don Larsen was a pitcher, and in 1956 when he was pitching for the Yankees pitched the one and only perfect game ever pitched in World Series play. My Dad had a ball signed by Don Larsen – and there’s a story there that you can ask me about sometime.

Sometimes there is perfection – or what we would call perfection – in this world. A perfect baseball game, a perfect 300 in bowling, even a perfect night out with the one you love – however, all of these are insignificant and in truth imperfect. Sure they were perfect for a moment – but not forever. There will be bad games pitched and bowled, and nights out that will end in argument.

So perfection is an illusion – unattainable – impossible? Right? I mean if it were doable wouldn’t we do it? Wouldn’t we?

Wouldn’t we have perfect children who never did anything wrong – always got A’s and always scored the winning run, winning basket, or winning touchdown?

Wouldn’t we have perfect marriages with only smiles and kisses and hugs and great dinners and everything taken care of without being asked over and over again?

Wouldn’t our jobs be perfect? Wouldn’t we always be getting praised for a job well done along with raises and bonuses?

Wouldn’t we always speak well of everyone – complimenting them on their nice house and great car and wonderful kids and fabulous vacation and perfect garden?

If perfection were possible wouldn’t we do all of those things and much, much more?

I don’t know about you – but thinking of all of that perfection and the work that would go with it is really making me tired!

II.

But doesn’t Jesus say in our text…

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Isn’t Jesus asking the impossible? Yes and no.

Can we be perfect – on our own? I think we’ve shown here that we cannot.

Perhaps the question we need to ask is can we be perfect – in Christ? And the answer to that question is a resounding – YES!!!

Yes – in Christ we can and are perfect. How? Through His blood shed on the Cross we are perfected. Through His perfect life lived in our place He has done the impossible – not sinned. You and I cannot do that – it is impossible for us. But for GOD nothing is impossible and so we have Jesus Christ and His perfection.

And because we have been baptized into Christ we have what Jesus has – namely His perfection in the Law. You see we need to keep the Law – perfectly – and Jesus has done that for us. And in our baptisms when the pastor said “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” there in that moment we had the perfection of Christ’s life applied to us. It is in this application of simple water and the Word of GOD that we are made perfect.

How does this exactly happen? I don’t know – no one knows – and like Rhett Butler said in gone with the wind, “Frankly my dear I don’t give a…” Well you get the picture. It doesn’t matter how it’s done – I have the faith that it is done just as GOD says so in His Word.

Throughout our lives that baptism keeps working on us – constantly washing away the dirt and grime and filth that is our sin – day in and day out. And we not only receive this washing, but also the gift of His Holy Spirit.

That Holy Spirit dwells in us and gives us faith and the ability to act out a life lived in faith. When we are feeling low and down and alone we hear the Word of GOD here in the pulpit, and we receive the very Body and Blood of Jesus in Holy Communion to strengthen us and encourage us. And through these the power of the Holy Spirit strives within us to help us lead Christ filled lives.

Can we be perfect? Can we do what Jesus asks of us in the Gospel today – to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect? Yes – in Christ we are presented to the Father as perfect – pure – unblemished lambs. May the Holy Spirit grant you the peace of knowing that although your life here is not perfect – your soul before the LORD is – and that alone is enough to restore your relationship with the Father and have Heaven Itself. 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 +