Trinity 6 July 16, 2023
Matthew 5:(17-19) 20-26
Just Relax!
v.20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Beloved in Christ, at first glance it may seem as though our Gospel text for
this day was tailor made to respond to the societal context in which we find
ourselves--with morals becoming more and more relaxed. In a world that seems to
have gone crazy in chasing after lawlessness, here we have a clear word from Jesus
about the Holy Law of God that was first given to Moses in our O.T. reading. As
society calls on the Christian church to "relax" and to not get so bent out of shape
about little things like sexual identity, marriage, abortion, euthanasia, etc., Christ
says, "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." In a world that is
constantly trying to do away with God's divine law--and to have Christians
disregard it too, Jesus says, "Amen. I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not an iota [smallest Hebrew letter, a yod], not a dot [not even the tiniest stroke of a
part of a letter of God's Word], will pass from the Law until all is accomplished."
Now this text can give us all sorts of cause for righteous indignation. The
government has lost its marbles and is messing with things it doesn't understand.
But really dear friends, are we to be surprised that pagans are behaving and
2
believing like pagans? I think not. And Jesus' words in our text are not addressed
to unbelievers or to world governmental authorities, but to pious Jews who had
come to hear Him preach from the Mount.
We would do better to apply Christ's words to the church--that we dare not
reject or even relax His laws--let them go and just go with the flow of societal
pressures around us, urging us to accept so many things that are contrary to God's
Word. "You wanna engage in sex outside of marriage--boy or girl--doesn't
matter--have at it and have fun! Don't listen to that dry, grey-haired preacher
man--what does he know about real life anyway? You can't listen to a book that
was written by male chauvinist pigs so long ago! Get with the times. This is the
21st century. We're so much more enlightened than they were back then."
Sadly, as you know, far too many churches have fallen in with the siren
sound of worldly desires and pleasures--dismissing God and His Word--especially
His Law as completely irrelevant to our modern times and ideas. Even those who
bear the name "Lutheran" like the ELCA have fallen in line with this kind of
destructive thinking (Sparkle Creed?!), along with Anglicans [Episcopalians], and
even now some Evangelical churches. More and more are relaxing their grip on
Scripture and abandoning the Word of God--not just His Law, but also His Gospel
that declares faith in Christ alone as the way to salvation.
3
And before we get too high and mighty dear friends, thinking that this would
never happen to us in the LCMS or LCC (because we're such stalwart and smart
[perhaps stubborn would be more accurate] Lutherans who actually claim to
believe what the Scriptures say), let's pause a moment and think. Remember that
the Scribes and the Pharisees were close adherents to the Law of God. They were
picture perfect at paying their tithes to the church, worshiping every Lord's Day,
doing no harm to others, helping neighbours in need--they were super people and
super citizens too! And yet Jesus clearly says, "unless your righteousness exceeds
that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
So where does this leave us? We can't abandon God's Holy Law--we can't
relax even an inch--let go even one letter--of God's Word without risking losing all
of it. Nor can we trust in our own righteousness to please God. For as Jesus
proclaims in our text, and indeed the rest of Chapter 5 of Matthew's Gospel, the
Law of God is too good and too pure for us to ever keep it. Try as we might--and
we should--we will never keep it as God demands.
The Pharisees thought they were doing it! They thought they were
managing to keep all of God's 10 commandments, but it was nothing more than a
slight, superficial keeping of the Law. Jesus takes it deeper--far deeper--down to
our conscience and thoughts and our very being. "You think you never murdered
someone? Huh, well have you ever been angry, called someone a nasty name, did
4
something to hurt someone else? Then, sorry, you're guilty. You're doomed.
You're dead."
That's the Law speaking. The Law of God that rightly and justly condemns
you and me and everyone else for our sinfulness and arrogance and pride. Sure,
people may come across on the surface as being pretty good. We may cut our
grass, be kind to our neighbours, even love our enemies--but that won't get you
into heaven. Even the best, most noblest human beings who dedicate their lives to
God and neighbour for good--are still full of sin and death, be they grandma and
grandpa Schmidt or Mother Theresa. "What? Impossible! You mean I could work
my whole life and never come close to keeping God's Law perfectly and earning
heaven?" Exactly! That's the point. Your righteousness must exceed that of the
Scribes and Pharisees. Where did their righteousness come from? Their own
works. So where must your righteousness come from to enter the kingdom of
heaven? From Someone Else--Outside of you--the Lord Jesus.
Beloved. You don't need to be tense or worried about how the world turns in
this life--what happens or doesn't happen. You don't even need to worry about how
you're going to get into heaven. Because none of it--not the teeniest, tiniest little
bit--depends upon you. You can relax. For Christ has set you free.
The righteousness of Jesus far exceeds all that you or I or the Scribes or
Pharisees could ever hope to achieve. For His righteousness is that of God
5
Almighty Himself. He keeps the Law perfectly--every last Word--even the
smallest stroke of the smallest letter--for He is the Word of God made flesh. He
has not abolished the Law, but fulfilled it. He has, however, forever abolished the
death and damnation that you deserve on account of your sin. For Christ Jesus has
taken it into His own innocent flesh and suffered and died for it on the cross.
Jesus' love for you is not slight or superficial--but heartfelt. A heart that felt
all of your guilt, anger, shame, doubt, unbelief, and so much more. A heart that
moved Him to endure the wrath of God for your sake. A heart, that when pierced
by the cruel Roman spear, poured out blood and water--to cover your sin and make
your righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees and Mother Theresas
of the world.
Beloved, by relaxing and trusting in the Word and work of Jesus Christ on
the cross--you have been fully and freely forgiven. Freed now to live according to
God's Law and keep it--not to earn heaven, but because it's already yours. Free to
proclaim the truth of God's love--His Law and His Gospel--to a world mired in sin
and death. Will this be easy? No. Will you suffer hardship for proclaiming the
clear Word of God--His moral teaching as well as His salvation through faith in
Christ? Most likely.
But remember, through your Baptism into Christ you have died to sin and
been raised to new life through faith in Him. By clinging to the cross of Jesus,
6
your righteousness DOES exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees--for it is not
your own--but Christ's. Nothing you or I do could ever add or take away from His
perfect work of our salvation. And by His righteousness you have been given
forgiveness for all of your sins--your own immorality as well as your failure to
speak God's Word boldly as you know you should. By Christ's death and
resurrection you have been saved and given new life and courage by the Holy
Spirit.
Jesus Christ has come and paid the whole debt of your sin--every last
penny--through His suffering, death, and resurrection. He has reconciled you to
God by His shed blood--and to each other. When you doubt your
righteousness--when the devil accuses you of your sin--when God's Law does its
work and clearly reflects just how inadequate and unworthy and sinful you truly
are--putting your sinful flesh to death--then come to your pastor--come to
church--confess your sins--unburden your heart--and receive freely from the hand
of Jesus the forgiveness you so desperately need. In the words of Holy
Absolution--in the strengthening of the Lord's Supper by the eating and drinking of
Jesus' body and blood--and in remembering your Baptism into Christ. With these
great gifts of God--you truly can relax--and rest in Jesus' love, mercy, forgiveness,
and peace. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Matthew 5:(17-19) 20-26
Just Relax!
v.20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Beloved in Christ, at first glance it may seem as though our Gospel text for
this day was tailor made to respond to the societal context in which we find
ourselves--with morals becoming more and more relaxed. In a world that seems to
have gone crazy in chasing after lawlessness, here we have a clear word from Jesus
about the Holy Law of God that was first given to Moses in our O.T. reading. As
society calls on the Christian church to "relax" and to not get so bent out of shape
about little things like sexual identity, marriage, abortion, euthanasia, etc., Christ
says, "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." In a world that is
constantly trying to do away with God's divine law--and to have Christians
disregard it too, Jesus says, "Amen. I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not an iota [smallest Hebrew letter, a yod], not a dot [not even the tiniest stroke of a
part of a letter of God's Word], will pass from the Law until all is accomplished."
Now this text can give us all sorts of cause for righteous indignation. The
government has lost its marbles and is messing with things it doesn't understand.
But really dear friends, are we to be surprised that pagans are behaving and
2
believing like pagans? I think not. And Jesus' words in our text are not addressed
to unbelievers or to world governmental authorities, but to pious Jews who had
come to hear Him preach from the Mount.
We would do better to apply Christ's words to the church--that we dare not
reject or even relax His laws--let them go and just go with the flow of societal
pressures around us, urging us to accept so many things that are contrary to God's
Word. "You wanna engage in sex outside of marriage--boy or girl--doesn't
matter--have at it and have fun! Don't listen to that dry, grey-haired preacher
man--what does he know about real life anyway? You can't listen to a book that
was written by male chauvinist pigs so long ago! Get with the times. This is the
21st century. We're so much more enlightened than they were back then."
Sadly, as you know, far too many churches have fallen in with the siren
sound of worldly desires and pleasures--dismissing God and His Word--especially
His Law as completely irrelevant to our modern times and ideas. Even those who
bear the name "Lutheran" like the ELCA have fallen in line with this kind of
destructive thinking (Sparkle Creed?!), along with Anglicans [Episcopalians], and
even now some Evangelical churches. More and more are relaxing their grip on
Scripture and abandoning the Word of God--not just His Law, but also His Gospel
that declares faith in Christ alone as the way to salvation.
3
And before we get too high and mighty dear friends, thinking that this would
never happen to us in the LCMS or LCC (because we're such stalwart and smart
[perhaps stubborn would be more accurate] Lutherans who actually claim to
believe what the Scriptures say), let's pause a moment and think. Remember that
the Scribes and the Pharisees were close adherents to the Law of God. They were
picture perfect at paying their tithes to the church, worshiping every Lord's Day,
doing no harm to others, helping neighbours in need--they were super people and
super citizens too! And yet Jesus clearly says, "unless your righteousness exceeds
that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
So where does this leave us? We can't abandon God's Holy Law--we can't
relax even an inch--let go even one letter--of God's Word without risking losing all
of it. Nor can we trust in our own righteousness to please God. For as Jesus
proclaims in our text, and indeed the rest of Chapter 5 of Matthew's Gospel, the
Law of God is too good and too pure for us to ever keep it. Try as we might--and
we should--we will never keep it as God demands.
The Pharisees thought they were doing it! They thought they were
managing to keep all of God's 10 commandments, but it was nothing more than a
slight, superficial keeping of the Law. Jesus takes it deeper--far deeper--down to
our conscience and thoughts and our very being. "You think you never murdered
someone? Huh, well have you ever been angry, called someone a nasty name, did
4
something to hurt someone else? Then, sorry, you're guilty. You're doomed.
You're dead."
That's the Law speaking. The Law of God that rightly and justly condemns
you and me and everyone else for our sinfulness and arrogance and pride. Sure,
people may come across on the surface as being pretty good. We may cut our
grass, be kind to our neighbours, even love our enemies--but that won't get you
into heaven. Even the best, most noblest human beings who dedicate their lives to
God and neighbour for good--are still full of sin and death, be they grandma and
grandpa Schmidt or Mother Theresa. "What? Impossible! You mean I could work
my whole life and never come close to keeping God's Law perfectly and earning
heaven?" Exactly! That's the point. Your righteousness must exceed that of the
Scribes and Pharisees. Where did their righteousness come from? Their own
works. So where must your righteousness come from to enter the kingdom of
heaven? From Someone Else--Outside of you--the Lord Jesus.
Beloved. You don't need to be tense or worried about how the world turns in
this life--what happens or doesn't happen. You don't even need to worry about how
you're going to get into heaven. Because none of it--not the teeniest, tiniest little
bit--depends upon you. You can relax. For Christ has set you free.
The righteousness of Jesus far exceeds all that you or I or the Scribes or
Pharisees could ever hope to achieve. For His righteousness is that of God
5
Almighty Himself. He keeps the Law perfectly--every last Word--even the
smallest stroke of the smallest letter--for He is the Word of God made flesh. He
has not abolished the Law, but fulfilled it. He has, however, forever abolished the
death and damnation that you deserve on account of your sin. For Christ Jesus has
taken it into His own innocent flesh and suffered and died for it on the cross.
Jesus' love for you is not slight or superficial--but heartfelt. A heart that felt
all of your guilt, anger, shame, doubt, unbelief, and so much more. A heart that
moved Him to endure the wrath of God for your sake. A heart, that when pierced
by the cruel Roman spear, poured out blood and water--to cover your sin and make
your righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees and Mother Theresas
of the world.
Beloved, by relaxing and trusting in the Word and work of Jesus Christ on
the cross--you have been fully and freely forgiven. Freed now to live according to
God's Law and keep it--not to earn heaven, but because it's already yours. Free to
proclaim the truth of God's love--His Law and His Gospel--to a world mired in sin
and death. Will this be easy? No. Will you suffer hardship for proclaiming the
clear Word of God--His moral teaching as well as His salvation through faith in
Christ? Most likely.
But remember, through your Baptism into Christ you have died to sin and
been raised to new life through faith in Him. By clinging to the cross of Jesus,
6
your righteousness DOES exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees--for it is not
your own--but Christ's. Nothing you or I do could ever add or take away from His
perfect work of our salvation. And by His righteousness you have been given
forgiveness for all of your sins--your own immorality as well as your failure to
speak God's Word boldly as you know you should. By Christ's death and
resurrection you have been saved and given new life and courage by the Holy
Spirit.
Jesus Christ has come and paid the whole debt of your sin--every last
penny--through His suffering, death, and resurrection. He has reconciled you to
God by His shed blood--and to each other. When you doubt your
righteousness--when the devil accuses you of your sin--when God's Law does its
work and clearly reflects just how inadequate and unworthy and sinful you truly
are--putting your sinful flesh to death--then come to your pastor--come to
church--confess your sins--unburden your heart--and receive freely from the hand
of Jesus the forgiveness you so desperately need. In the words of Holy
Absolution--in the strengthening of the Lord's Supper by the eating and drinking of
Jesus' body and blood--and in remembering your Baptism into Christ. With these
great gifts of God--you truly can relax--and rest in Jesus' love, mercy, forgiveness,
and peace. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.