Jesus' Love Wins

Text: Matthew 22:34-46

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

We live in a very confusing time in the twenty-first century. It is especially true for our youth and young adults. You see, for the last ten years, we have been told by our culture that we need to love more and more (which we Christians can agree with). Indeed, we could all love one another a little bit more. Our culture, though, goes on to tell us that if we increase love, our world would be a safer place, because love conquers hate.  Love supposedly wins over everything.

At the same time, we are being told to love more; we are also being told to judge less. We are told that we should not judge anyone’s choices and that we should not label anyone. In other words, we are told that we should not judge others but promote, celebrate, and encourage them to do whatever they want, without forming an opinion about them or their actions.

Now, the Apostle Paul is pretty clear in 1 Corinthians that we Christians really shouldn’t have anything to do with judging those outside the church.[1] That is to say; since unbelievers are not members of a Christian congregation, the jurisdiction of the church does not extend to them. Besides, pagans are going to do what they do, because they are pagan. On the other hand, Christians are encouraged to judge themselves and each other, in light of God’s Law.  As of late, though, Christians in North America are being ridiculed for teaching and upholding the Law of God to themselves within their own churches. We need not go far to hear this. We have all heard the criticism of our church in the community, from people who are neither members nor attendees.  They say, “Oh, Zion, they are the strict church,” as if that is a negative characteristic that should be stopped.

So, the mantra that we have heard the last ten years is that we are to love more and judge less, which essentially is translated to mean that we must have more tolerance and less Law to make our world a safer place and to create a so-called utopia.

While we could spend time together looking at how naïve this kind of thinking is, the point that we must address this morning is that love and the Law are not opposites and are not at war. We are not faced with an either-or proposition with love and the Law. Permit me a few minutes to explain. It is not true that if we judge less with the Law that there will automatically be more love. And it is not true that if we love less that it will result in more judging. The reason why? Love and the Law are not opposites that are sitting on some titter-totter.

We hear about the Law and love in our Gospel reading from Matthew. A lawyer of the Pharisees asks Jesus which is the greatest commandment in the Law. And instead of responding by listing one of the 613 laws held by the Pharisees of that time, Jesus says that the greatest law is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” And Jesus continues, saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Now, did you hear that? The greatest commandment is to love God and to love your neighbor.

Many people will talk about love, as you know; however, they will fail to identify what they mean by the word love. However, Jesus is clear in our Gospel reading that love is the fulfillment of the Law before God and to our neighbor. Therefore, real love will never disagree with God’s Law and God Law will never obstruct love. What this means is that there is no conflict between love and the Law. True love is expressed when we keep the Commandments of God towards our neighbor. And God’s Law is fulfilled when our neighbor is properly loved.

So, if you want to love your neighbor, then obey the fourth commandment by respecting police and other people in authority. If you want to love your neighbor, then obey the fifth commandment by not hating or murdering your neighbor. If you want to love your neighbor, obey the sixth commandment by not sleeping with your neighbor’s spouse. If you want to love your neighbor, obey the seventh commandment by not cheating him out of money. If you want to love your neighbor, obey the eighth commandment by not gossiping and assassinating a person’s character.

Dear friends, love seeks to honor God and your neighbor in the 10 Commandments. More specifically, love seeks proper Christian teaching with accurate doctrine. Love seeks to remember the Sabbath Day by going to church to hear God’s Word. Love seeks to respect those in authority like parents and governing officials. Love seeks to preserve life, especially those that are weak and insignificant – those unable to protect themselves in the womb or at the end of life. Love seeks to protect marriage from pornography, divorce, and adultery. Love seeks to defend our neighbor’s possessions, and it seeks to defend our neighbor’s reputation. Love seeks to rest in contentment, not loath our neighbor’s new car or house.

To the point, our culture is wrong when it attempts to reduce the judgments of the Law, and we are wrong when we try to uphold the Law without love.  They cannot be separated! To follow the Law is to love and to love is to do the Law. They are not opposed. Therefore, a type of love that does not go the way of upholding the truth of God’s Law is not real love but a fake love based upon nothing more than an empty idea. On the other hand, the Law without love is false too.

You see, the Law is spiritual, as the Apostle Paul says.[2] It is not performed with outward works only, but it demands the feelings, spirit, and heart as well. Yes, to love with real love means that we are to love God and our neighbor with all of our heart, all of our motivation, all of our powers, inwardly and outward. Everything that we have is to be poured into this love, all our thoughts, words, and deeds. Our whole life – from beginning to end – is to love God and our neighbor. 

So, considering all that we have heard thus far, do you love your husband or wife or children or parents or neighbors as you love yourself? Do you have a love for all the people God brings into your life on a daily basis? Are you upholding the Ten Commandments toward God and your neighbor? Or does your head sway side to side dodging the commands of the Law, while you repeat our culture’s pious slogans of love?

Two things should be obvious to us at this point. First, our culture’s call to love more is not only vague but a very shallow and incorrect view of love. Secondly, when Jesus calls us to love God and our neighbor, with all of our hearts and all of our souls and all of our minds, we realize that we do not do this.    

Indeed, our culture will never be that totally safe place, and hate will never be conquered entirely in this life, and love does not always win because we cannot and do not love perfectly in our thoughts, words, and deeds. This utopia is never possible for us because everyone loves himself or loves the one from whom he can benefit.  Our love is stained with sin so that we turn inward to ourselves.   

The words of our Gospel reading, though, to love God and our neighbor with all of heart, soul, and mind are not just hopeless words.  They are not mere good ideas that Jesus suddenly came up with. But rather, love for God and love for neighbor are the description of the life Jesus – the life that He lived. Jesus loved God His Father with an undivided heart. That means He loved His neighbors as much as He loved Himself.  That love of neighbor is His love for you and me. 

Our Lord Jesus looked at our loveless lives, at the way we sometimes treat our loved ones and the way we almost always treat the strangers we run across. He saw the murderous, embittered, gossiping, and angry hearts that are the reason we fail to love our neighbors. So He came to live among us. And as He came to live among us, He lived His whole life perfectly – fulfilling the Law to perfection in thought, word, and deed (and with love). Yes, Jesus reached out with a love that was most often never returned. However, this did not get in the way of His love.[3]

And nowhere does Jesus’ endless love for God and neighbor shine more brightly than on the Cross. There He took the most loveless hatred that we could muster, and instead of hating us for it, He loved us right through it all. As He hung on the cross, His love for us was poured out until it killed Him.[4]

And this very love of the cross comes to loveless people like you and me. In our baptisms, the love and forgiveness of Mt. Calvary was poured out upon us. Yes, in our baptisms, He chose to love you and me.

And this love was not just poured out at Mt. Calvary or our baptisms, but it is poured out upon you when you hear His Word and receive the forgiveness of sins in the Supper. His love never ceases to be poured out upon us. 

Dear Baptized Saints, Jesus fulfilled the Law for those who cannot keep the Law. He loves those who cannot properly love. And He considers it all worthwhile.  

His love is at the center of your whole Christian faith, not your love.

His love is the end of your sin, your death, and the devil.

His love is the end of your fear and is your security.

His love fulfills the Law – perfectly for you.  

His love wins – for you.

His love is the reason why you can look forward to that perfect utopia called eternal life.

His love is that which fills you, that you might readily show this love to your neighbors in thought, word, and deed.

It begins and depends not on our love, but Jesus' love.    

In the name of Jesus, who keeps the Law perfectly for us and who creates in us love by His Spirit: Amen.

---

[1] See 1 Corinthians 5:12.

[2] See Romans 7:14.
[3] Taken from Rev. Joshua Reimche's sermon on Matthew 22:34-46 on October 4, 2015 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church of Bottineau, ND.
[4] Ibid.

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Carpet Color, Turkey Sandwiches, And Church Unity

Text: Ephesians 4:1-6

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

There is a concept called “The Friendship Factor.”  The friendship factor says that some 70-80% of people who join a church, join primarily for the reason and motive of friendships.  In other words, the power of friendship tends to be a primary reason for people to join and stay in a congregation.

Now, there is no doubt about it that friendships unite people together into a church.  However, is this what truly unites the church?  Is the true unity of the church based on friendships and family?  Or is there something more – something more profound that unites the church than simple blood relationships and common interests?  Is there something more that makes us truly belong – truly unified? 

In today’s Epistle’s reading from Ephesians, the Apostle Paul speaks to the church of Ephesus and shares that the true unity within the church is produced by the Holy Spirit. In other words, we all have been called to one hope, to one Lord, to one faith, to one baptism, and to one God and Father, who is over all and through all and in all.  That is to say; this unity is not created by us or our actions, but instead, we have been called into this unity by the Holy Spirit.  The many parts are made one.  The many are grafted into a oneness.  To state it simply: we have been called to one baptism, not many baptisms held together by friendliness.  We have been called to the same confession of the faith, not a bunch of different spiritual opinions held together by tolerance.  We have been called to one hope, not many different individualized goals held together by wishful thinking. 

You see, the downfall of having unity solely based on friendships, common experiences, and similar opinions, is that this does not go far enough. This obviously has some severe problems, as well.  Permit me the opportunity to explain: if people are gathered together in unity by friendships, then their unity is only as good as the relationships are.  Indeed, if our unity is based on our friendships and common personal experiences and our own spiritual opinions, what happens when our friendships, experiences, and opinions reach a point of contention and disagreement?  Unfortunately, when unity is based on friendships, experiences, and opinions alone, the church’s unity is fragile at best.  For example, if there are conflicts over non-essential things in the church, such as what color the new carpet should be or whether we should serve ham sandwiches rather than turkey sandwiches at the next potluck, then the church’s unity is very susceptible to being destroyed by carpet and turkey sandwiches. 

There is also another problem with unity being based solely on relationships and personalities, and that is the fact that friendships come and go.  For example, if our friends seize to be entertaining, enjoyable, and encouraging, we may choose to cut ties with them and find new friends. And if we can’t find new friends in the church, well… we break unity with the church and seek out more entertaining and more enjoyable friends elsewhere. Sadly, our relationships are not as strong as we would hope, for and they are often quite temporary and superficial.  And if a church’s unity is based upon these fragile relationships and personalities, will… the church’s unity has been built upon shifting sands.    

And let’s not forget how this impacts the evangelism of the church.  If unity in the church is based on friendships and relationships, newer individuals may find it difficult to connect to the already existing relationships in the church.  For example, what if a new person coming to our church does not have family connections, what if they do not work at Bobcat, or do not farm? How will they connect?  What if they do not have common interests with you and me?  How will they belong?  What if a person has a difficult time making friends or is an introvert?  How will they find unity here?  Does a lack of family ties, a lack of common interests, or a person being an introvert prevent them and us from having true unity?

My friends, the church’s unity neither exists nor is based on friendships and personal interests alone.  Instead, real unity in the church is given and produced by the Holy Spirit.  Indeed, there is a better way to understand unity! 

You see, what binds us together as a church body here and now is the unity of the Spirit.  In other words, even though all of us have different backgrounds, different vocations, different last names, different ages, and different ethnicities, we are all called to one hope, one Lord, one faith, and one Baptism.  That is to say, the doctrine of the Christian faith and Christ Jesus are not fragmented and divided up equally amongst all of us.  We do not have multiple saviors, and we certainly do not have many conflicting doctrines of the Christian faith!  We do not have different individualistic baptisms, and we do not have individualistic confessions. By no means! 

As Christians, each of our personal and unique stories are grafted into a grand and divine story; God’s story of redemption in Jesus for all of humanity.  God’s story does not become a part of our story, rather we are gathered together to become a part of the story of Christianity that extends across this world, and that has extended throughout the ages.  We have been crucified into Christ; we die in our baptisms and emerge alive together in Jesus.  Therefore, in our baptisms, we are united to the story of Christianity that extends to people on every single continent of every single ethnic background.  As members of the church, we join together in Christ, as common sinners with a common Savior, and with a common Christian confession. 

To put it another way, our unity in the church does not come through a bloodline but comes through a faith line; faith in the promised shed blood for us.  Our unity is in one Lord, one confession, and one baptism. 

Now, we must pause to take note that we are not saying that friendships and family are unimportant.  We are not saying that individuality should be erased.  No, instead, we are hearing that we are not alone.  We are hearing that we are united together in a family of faith which is more significant, deeper, and eternal.  Yes, we have been united in our baptisms with our forefathers that went before us, forefathers such as Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Rahab, and the Apostles.  Unity in Christ provides a much more significant foundation for the church and connects us to what is called the universal church – the church that extends around the world and extends from generation to generation. 

Dear Baptized Saints, the Holy Spirit is the one that produces this unity for you.  It is not forced upon you, but rather, you are called into it.  Yes, the Holy Spirit has called you by the Gospel, enlightened you with His gifts, and sanctified you in the one true faith – uniting you to every single blood-bought Christian in this sanctuary. This kind of unity is so much more profound and eternal than mere friendships.  This unity of the Spirit is a greater foundation for the church and grants the church the ability to weather the storms of personal struggles and inter-personal conflicts. 

What this means is that since we Christians are all members together of one body; and since we have been baptized into the same baptism for the same forgiveness of sins; and since we have the same treasure of the Word and Sacraments; we then should regard each other as neither better nor worse but as brothers and sisters.  We are co-heirs of the kingdom of God, together – forever. 

The Holy Spirit is the only one that can cause the unity of the church. We do not produce unity nor can we destroy true unity by our actions.  And that is why we have been called by the Apostle Paul to treasure the gift of this unity.  That is the reason why we are called to abide in the unity that the Holy Spirit has already created with us!  Indeed, your Christian faith possesses a uniting power.  It binds our human hearts together.  It binds our confessions together.  It is a union that endures beyond death and even beyond the end of the earth, because it is a unity that is created in us by the Spirit, through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

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His Voice Is Stronger Than Death

Text:  Luke 7:11-19

In the name of Jesus: Amen.

Do not weep! Yes, do not weep!

These were the words that Jesus said to the widow of Nain, for she was crying out loud and for quite some time.

But how could she stop crying?

As a widow, death had already devoured her husband, and now, death had just gobbled up her only son. She had no close family left for her. So here she was with a group people bringing her dead son out with grief and tears – it was a funeral procession. And with each step, she cried. With each step outside, I imagine the realization of her loss become more and more real.

So, how could she stop crying? How does one turn off the tears when death has been so ruthless and so harsh with a person? 

You see my friends; death is the great enemy that we will all face. It is the one thing that we all have in common – we will all face death for there is no escaping death. And when we face death, we will not have the strength to fight it off. We will not survive. We know this to be true for we have seen it with our loved ones who have been swallowed up by death, resulting in us being all alone and frightened and often in tears. And yet in the midst of all of this misery, Jesus still dares to say, “Do not weep.”

But how can Jesus say, “Do not weep?”

Was Jesus attempting to be an insensitive jerk to this woman by telling her not to cry? Did He not understand her pain – her agony? Was he indifferent to her grief? 

Jesus knew that she had seen the death of her husband and He was aware that she had lost her son. And contrary to what it might seem, His heart was touched with pity and compassion. In fact, there was a turning in Jesus’ gut – you know that kind of feeling that grips your insides and causes you to want to make things right.

And so, with this pity and compassion, Jesus goes up to the coffin of the dead son. He grabs the coffin, stops the massive funeral procession, and does the unthinkable. He speaks, saying, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” And like all of those other cases of the dead encountering Jesus in the New Testament, this young man sits up and begins to speak.

Jesus stops the procession of grief. He ends the journey to the grave. He stops death in its tracks and speaks through its grasp. Jesus’ words penetrate the dead ears of the young man – no the words of Jesus actually cause those dead ears to hear, and life then came forth in the man. Jesus speaks; death releases its bite; the young man is brought back from the dead.

Now we can understand why Jesus told the woman not to weep. She did not need to cry when Jesus was near. Yes, why cry and why worry when Jesus is the one who defeats death. Jesus is the raiser of the dead. His voice is stronger than death. When Jesus speaks, death is forced to give up its victims.  

I have told Serenity that on my tombstone, I want the verse from John 11:43 printed that says, “When Jesus had said this, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!’” Now, my name is not Lazarus; however, like Lazarus, when I am put six feet under, the next thing my dead ears will hear is the words of Jesus saying, ‘Matthew come out!” And in the twinkling of an eye, those words will scatter death, and I will be brought back from the dead unto life. 

You see my friends; the Lord Himself promises to descend from heaven with the cry of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the Lord will command those who have died to come out of the grave. And like that son at the city of Nain, everyone who is dead in Christ will sit up alive. Death will release its grip. The graves will burst forth, and those in Christ will rise!

What this means is this: Nain was not just an isolated event. Nain is a clear picture of what happens when Jesus encounters death. Instead of that funeral in Nain ending in tears of sadness at a burial, it ended up with tears of joy and with worship at a resurrection. Instead of the grave having the last word over life, Jesus had the final say over death. Jesus spoke and raised the son back to life and gave the son back to his mother. Yes, He gave the dead son back to his mother.

Now, some of you here today have walked the road of the widow of Nain. You have lost a spouse and a child. Almost all of you have walked behind a coffin bearing someone you have loved. And if you haven’t yet, you will. And as you know from your experiences with death, death shows no mercy, and it shows no pity. Death laughs as it takes its victims, while we weep.

The Lord Jesus, though, knows our sorrows. He understands the tactics and threats of death upon us. And so, Jesus arranges both His path and ours; He arranges them so that they meet. And in the midst of troubles, He sees us and understands our sorrows. And like the widow of Nain, we too hear His comforting words, “Do not weep.”

These are not words of rebuke. These are not words of harshness, but they are words of assurance. Do not weep, for death is not the finality of life for you and for your loved ones who are baptized into Christ.

Dear Baptized Saints, take these simple words to heart, “Do not weep,” for it does not matter how long death held someone in the grave. “Do not weep,” for it does not matter the age that a person dies. “Do not weep,” for it does not matter how a person dies. Whether it is the dead son at Nain, or whether it is dead Lazarus, or whether it is your loved one who passed away or whether it is you, when the voice of Jesus calls forth to the baptized, death must release its grip.  

Dear Baptized Saints, you need have no fear of death. Your grave is conquered; the victory is yours through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ will call out to you someday, and you will hear His voice, and you will sit up with life. And there is more. This calling of Jesus to ‘get up’ and to ‘come out of our graves’ is not only a call into Jesus’ presence, but it is a calling into the presence of all the saints. That is right; we will all be made alive with each other – together in everlasting life. Yes, we will see each other after everything is made anew. And what about those who have already died and are tucked into their graves? We will see them too. But we will not see them as we remembered them. We will not see them with sorrow, pain, fear, and sin. Oh no, we will see them face to face with no sorrow, no pain, no fear, and no sin.

Baptized Saints, Jesus gave the dead son back to the widow of Nain. And just as Jesus delivered the separated son back to his mother, Jesus will do the same for you and me. Jesus will restore the dead to the living and the living to the dead. Indeed, we will be reunited with all of our loved ones who have passed away. Death will no longer be able to separate us. Just think, at the great resurrection of the dead, the dead in Christ will be called out of their graves unto Christ. And all of us together in the presence of the Lamb of God will dance with new bodies while rejoicing that Jesus has defeated sin, death, and the devil. We will shout and laugh and jump for Jesus called us out of death, wiped away all of our tears, and gave us life – together and forever!

The story of Nain is a clear picture of our hope in the presence of death. This hope is not based on human speculation, but rather, it is based on what Jesus has done and will do.

Do not cry.

Get up.

Jesus makes all things new.    

In the name of Jesus: Amen. 

Photo from: www.fullofeyes.com

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