Trinity 18 – Canadian Thanksgiving October 11, 2020
Matthew 22:34-46
v.36-40 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Dear friends in Christ, we have a fascination with gold. Indeed, it is one of the most sought after of all precious metals—we wear it as jewellery—we even put it on books—anything that we value highly. It is for this reason that a medal fashioned from gold is awarded to those who do the very best in a competition—like at the Olympic games. We refer to those things that are the very best as being “golden” or give them the “gold” stamp of approval to show our appreciation of their great worth.
Such is the case in our text for today where Jesus quotes Old Testament Scripture to summarize the whole of the 10 Commandments—the Law—to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbour as yourself. In fact, this perfect summary of God’s Law is so precise and without fault as to be called “golden” because it stands at the very heart of the golden rule of “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Doing unto others in such a fashion is nothing more than loving them as you love yourself. And this love for others must always first be rooted in love for God. Without love for God there is no true love for others—only love for the self.
This command truly outshines all others. It is one rule that all people are to follow and uphold as they live their lives. Indeed, if everyone actually lived their lives by truly loving God and therefore by extension, each other, perfectly as our Lord commands, the world would not just be a better place—it would be perfect—and we would be too.
Of course, therein lies the problem. For you and I are not perfect. Far from it. Rather than shining brightly with the purity that God demands in His good Law—we tarnish and ruin it with our disobedience—our rebellion and sin. We cannot keep the whole of the 10 commandments perfectly because of our sin corrupted natures—let alone even one. We ardently fail to love God and neighbour even remotely close to how God so fully loves us. Though it sounds so basic—so simple—love—yet we are incapable of doing it perfectly. Sure, we may have glimpses of it now and then, but the all-pervasive, all-encompassing, never failing love that God would have us live before Him and our neighbour? Not possible.
Among our many sins, none is more grievous than our failure to love God above all else (the first commandment, you may recall, specifically outlines this). If we could keep this one commandment—all others would follow suit, but we fail continually at this. And this simple fact illustrates for us very well that “love” is NOT the Gospel. You heard me correctly—love is not the Gospel.
I know that we are often told and frequently come to believe that love is the answer to all of life’s problems—that love will always win the day. But dear friends, consider our text for this morning—love is not Gospel—but Law. Especially when it is referring to our love for others—God or neighbour. And even God’s love for us—though indeed a part of the Gospel—the motivation behind the Gospel—is not the Gospel in and of itself. What is the Gospel—the Evangel—the Good News we are to proclaim? Nothing other than God dead on a cross in the person of Jesus Christ His Son—for your sins and mine—and risen victorious on the Third Day to grant us life everlasting.
Now that is truly Good News. For we do not love as we ought. In our fallen state, we often hate God and neighbour—focussing only on our own selfish desires and lusts. Indeed, we can and do turn all things into idols of convenience—trusting in them—fearing them—loving them—rather than God. And the only solution to our vast problem of sin is one of rescue—one of salvation—not by our own hand—not by the hand of our neighbour—but only by the nail-pierced hands of Jesus of Nazareth. He who went to the cross in your place—who suffered and died for your sin—not because He had to—but because out of love—He chose to—so that you might one day live eternally with Him in His Kingdom.
So thanks be to God that He does not respond to our selfishness—our disobedience—our idolatry—by reciprocating. Indeed, He does not treat us as our sins deserve, but rather pours out upon us the full measure of His grace and mercy. He alone loves fully—completely—perfectly. He alone has loved you as you NEED to be loved. Indeed, He loves you better than you love yourself for He gives you not what you want—but what you need. For He has given you His greatest gift—His only-begotten Son. And Jesus saved you—not with precious metals such as silver and gold, but with His holy, bitter, innocent suffering and death—wherein He shed His precious and holy blood on the cross—so that you and I might be forgiven for all our sins.
For the pure righteousness of the Son of God—He who obeyed and fulfilled not just the First Commandment—but all of God’s perfect and holy Law—even the Law of Love—has been given to you, by grace, through faith, in the same Lord Jesus Christ. Though your sin tarnished and corrupted your soul beyond all recognition—leaving you dead and gone—yet Christ has sought you out like you are the most precious of all buried treasures—and with His redeeming power He has breathed into you new life—removing your heart of blackness and death—and giving you a heart of gold—a heart set on Him and His work for your salvation.
Jesus’ blood that was poured out on you in your Baptism has taken away the tarnish and taint of your sin—and replaced it with the resplendent brilliant and pure holiness and righteousness of the sinless one of God Himself. Jesus covers your multitude of sin with His own purity. He has washed everything else away in the cleansing crimson tide of His blood. And that is golden. That is what we as Christians must always remember and keep foremost in our minds—the cross of Christ and His work that has saved us—nothing more—nothing less. And all of it a free gift—Now that’s Good News—THAT’S the Gospel!
Dear friends, you have won! You have won the gold prize—that of eternal life and salvation—not by anything that you have done—but by believing in the One who has done it all for you—the One who loved you without end—fulfilling the whole Law of God perfectly in your place—and dying for the times you have failed in your keeping of the Law—Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Matthew 22:34-46
v.36-40 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Dear friends in Christ, we have a fascination with gold. Indeed, it is one of the most sought after of all precious metals—we wear it as jewellery—we even put it on books—anything that we value highly. It is for this reason that a medal fashioned from gold is awarded to those who do the very best in a competition—like at the Olympic games. We refer to those things that are the very best as being “golden” or give them the “gold” stamp of approval to show our appreciation of their great worth.
Such is the case in our text for today where Jesus quotes Old Testament Scripture to summarize the whole of the 10 Commandments—the Law—to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbour as yourself. In fact, this perfect summary of God’s Law is so precise and without fault as to be called “golden” because it stands at the very heart of the golden rule of “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Doing unto others in such a fashion is nothing more than loving them as you love yourself. And this love for others must always first be rooted in love for God. Without love for God there is no true love for others—only love for the self.
This command truly outshines all others. It is one rule that all people are to follow and uphold as they live their lives. Indeed, if everyone actually lived their lives by truly loving God and therefore by extension, each other, perfectly as our Lord commands, the world would not just be a better place—it would be perfect—and we would be too.
Of course, therein lies the problem. For you and I are not perfect. Far from it. Rather than shining brightly with the purity that God demands in His good Law—we tarnish and ruin it with our disobedience—our rebellion and sin. We cannot keep the whole of the 10 commandments perfectly because of our sin corrupted natures—let alone even one. We ardently fail to love God and neighbour even remotely close to how God so fully loves us. Though it sounds so basic—so simple—love—yet we are incapable of doing it perfectly. Sure, we may have glimpses of it now and then, but the all-pervasive, all-encompassing, never failing love that God would have us live before Him and our neighbour? Not possible.
Among our many sins, none is more grievous than our failure to love God above all else (the first commandment, you may recall, specifically outlines this). If we could keep this one commandment—all others would follow suit, but we fail continually at this. And this simple fact illustrates for us very well that “love” is NOT the Gospel. You heard me correctly—love is not the Gospel.
I know that we are often told and frequently come to believe that love is the answer to all of life’s problems—that love will always win the day. But dear friends, consider our text for this morning—love is not Gospel—but Law. Especially when it is referring to our love for others—God or neighbour. And even God’s love for us—though indeed a part of the Gospel—the motivation behind the Gospel—is not the Gospel in and of itself. What is the Gospel—the Evangel—the Good News we are to proclaim? Nothing other than God dead on a cross in the person of Jesus Christ His Son—for your sins and mine—and risen victorious on the Third Day to grant us life everlasting.
Now that is truly Good News. For we do not love as we ought. In our fallen state, we often hate God and neighbour—focussing only on our own selfish desires and lusts. Indeed, we can and do turn all things into idols of convenience—trusting in them—fearing them—loving them—rather than God. And the only solution to our vast problem of sin is one of rescue—one of salvation—not by our own hand—not by the hand of our neighbour—but only by the nail-pierced hands of Jesus of Nazareth. He who went to the cross in your place—who suffered and died for your sin—not because He had to—but because out of love—He chose to—so that you might one day live eternally with Him in His Kingdom.
So thanks be to God that He does not respond to our selfishness—our disobedience—our idolatry—by reciprocating. Indeed, He does not treat us as our sins deserve, but rather pours out upon us the full measure of His grace and mercy. He alone loves fully—completely—perfectly. He alone has loved you as you NEED to be loved. Indeed, He loves you better than you love yourself for He gives you not what you want—but what you need. For He has given you His greatest gift—His only-begotten Son. And Jesus saved you—not with precious metals such as silver and gold, but with His holy, bitter, innocent suffering and death—wherein He shed His precious and holy blood on the cross—so that you and I might be forgiven for all our sins.
For the pure righteousness of the Son of God—He who obeyed and fulfilled not just the First Commandment—but all of God’s perfect and holy Law—even the Law of Love—has been given to you, by grace, through faith, in the same Lord Jesus Christ. Though your sin tarnished and corrupted your soul beyond all recognition—leaving you dead and gone—yet Christ has sought you out like you are the most precious of all buried treasures—and with His redeeming power He has breathed into you new life—removing your heart of blackness and death—and giving you a heart of gold—a heart set on Him and His work for your salvation.
Jesus’ blood that was poured out on you in your Baptism has taken away the tarnish and taint of your sin—and replaced it with the resplendent brilliant and pure holiness and righteousness of the sinless one of God Himself. Jesus covers your multitude of sin with His own purity. He has washed everything else away in the cleansing crimson tide of His blood. And that is golden. That is what we as Christians must always remember and keep foremost in our minds—the cross of Christ and His work that has saved us—nothing more—nothing less. And all of it a free gift—Now that’s Good News—THAT’S the Gospel!
Dear friends, you have won! You have won the gold prize—that of eternal life and salvation—not by anything that you have done—but by believing in the One who has done it all for you—the One who loved you without end—fulfilling the whole Law of God perfectly in your place—and dying for the times you have failed in your keeping of the Law—Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.