God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon is
entitled Living Law and Gospel, and my focus is on our Gospel (Matthew
5:13-20). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when
they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet
are standing within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may
your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus
loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
My iPhone contains
my contacts, email accounts, podcasts, apps, pictures of the four cutest
grandchildren, and my playlist of cardio songs. When I used to run, the song
that inspired me to sprint the last half-mile of my five-mile run is John
Mellencamp’s “Authority Song,” which he dubbed "our new version of 'I
Fought The Law.'"
“I Fought The
Law,” composed in 1959, is about a guy jailed after a robbery spree. The phrase
"I fought the law" remained in our American lexicon ever since. Even
landscapers change the lyrics to "I fought the lawn."
Americans love
figures that fight the law, even if they do not always win. Characters like
Cool Hand Luke and Don Corleone, and movies like Star Wars and Hunger Games are
fan favorites. But as much as we admire their heroics, as Christians, we need
the law. We reject the view that Christians are free of all moral law, and
recognize the triple use of the Law: curb, mirror and rule.
Playlists and pop
culture aside, today we focus on (1) Jesus, the Law and the Prophets; (2) how
the first disciples saw the Law and Prophets through Christ; and (3) finally,
what the texts teach us about Christian living in the world today.
When Matthew
recorded Jesus’ words, he contrasted how the scribes and Pharisees interpreted
God’s Law with its true authoritative meaning, which Jesus himself proclaimed. In
verses 21-48, Jesus clarified how God intended people to live the Commandments.
He spoke forcefully about murder and anger, marriage vows and public oaths,
retaliation and love of enemies. He did not abolish any of the commandments,
but contrasted his teaching of God’s Law with other teachers within Judaism –
the scribes and the Pharisees – who relaxed the least of these commandments and
taught others to do likewise, especially when it benefitted them. Later Jesus
would condemn his hypocritical opponents because “they preach, but do not
practice.”
Clearly, Jesus did
not abolish the Commandments. So, what did He mean when He said, “Do
not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come
to abolish them but to fulfill them. 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.” What did Jesus mean when he said that
He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets?
To fulfill means
to bring to realization, as a prophecy or promise. The general thrust of
Matthew was to establish, on behalf of 1st century Jews, that Jesus
of Nazareth was the promised Messiah of the Scriptures. Matthew listed dozens
of Old Testament references. Nine times, he used the expression, “it is
written,” to express the authority and truth of what was written. Twelve times,
he cited Old Testament prophecy together with the term fulfill.
Why was it
imperative for Matthew to demonstrate that Jesus fulfilled Scripture? To answer
that, picture yourself as an observant Jew 2,000 years ago. For you, Mosaic Law
ruled life. Mosaic Law was the “canon within the canon” or the rule of rules,
Mosaic Law determined everything else in Scripture. The prophets were the
protectors and authorized interpreters of Mosaic Law.
Matthew upended
that view with two points. First, as an observant Jew, you were to live according
to how the prophets interpreted Law. Second, while the prophets looked back to
the Law to interpret it for their day, their primary role was to point forward
to the Messiah. Once the Messiah came, their central position in the life of
the people of God was taken over by the Fulfiller of the prophets. Jesus Christ
fulfilled their prophetic promises and He fulfilled the Law.
Keep that in mind
as we explore how the disciples saw the Law and Prophets through Christ.
Instead of asking, what is the relation of this Jesus to our Mosaic Law, which
stands at the center of our faith, 1st century Christians, like
Matthew, started asking, what is the relation of Mosaic Law to Jesus Christ,
who stands at the center of our faith?
Let’s face it;
although the first disciples were Jews, they saw Jesus – not the Law or the
Prophets – as their focus and prism. They were not without Law, but accepted
the teaching of the Law from the Messiah who fulfilled the Law and Prophets. 1st century
Jewish and Gentile Christians accepted Matthew’s conclusion that Christ
commanded Apostles: Teach people “to observe all that I have commanded you.” Having
seen the Risen Lord, the Apostles said, “It is not our option to teach anything
contrary to Christ’s teaching.”
In the 1st century,
doing and teaching even the least of God’s commands were the priority and goal
for all disciples. That meant Christians were not obliged to follow all 613
laws of the Torah or accept the interpretation of scribes or rabbis, but having
now received the gift of salvation and entry into the Kingdom of God through
baptism, Matthew expected more than the minimum.
Matthew expected
Christians to grapple with the same issues the people of God faced 700 years
before them (and perhaps the same ones we face today). Imagine early Christians
discussing their daily devotions with members of their small group. They share
their thoughts of fasting as written in Isaiah 58. Through the lens of the
Risen Christ, they ponder its meaning and why, when the economy went south, the
empowered who delighted in seeking God in their comfortable homes,
oppressed workers as beasts of burden, and shared neither food nor shelter with
the hungry or the homeless (even though they had stocked up on milk and bread).
Empowered by the
Risen Christ, Matthew’s Christians fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty,
offered hospitality to the homeless, cared for the sick, and visited the
imprisoned. They performed acts of mercy because, like the prophets, they
looked forward – not to when the Messiah would come, but when the Lord would
return. Matthew’s Christians were great in the kingdom of heaven because they
taught what Christ taught, and did what He commanded. They fasted to feed the
hungry, slept on the floor to shelter the homeless. Matthew’s Christians
joyfully embraced the Gospel and the sacrifices it demanded. Doing and teaching
the least of God’s commands was – and is – the priority and goal for all
disciples.
When the
priorities of my life are doing and teaching the least of God’s commands, I am
salt and light to the world. Unfortunately, fewer people choose to be salt and
light. Today, nearly13 million Americans – or 30% of the population – claim “none”
as their religion. For a great deal of Americans, religion is not a factor in
their lives. When President Obama described America as a nation of
“Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers,” he was right.
Non-believers are bright, moral, self-reliant freethinkers, whom I will
probably not move by my personal witness of the Gospel, but that should not
prevent me from witnessing.
Over the next
week, as we have time reflect because it’s cold outside, and there will be
nothing on TV except Superbowl coverage, we each have time to ask ourselves
some questions about Christian living in the world today.
Does my faith
enhance other people’s lives as salt enhances food? In other words, when did I
last share with an unchurched or non-Christian person my story of what the
Living Christ did for me? Or, is my faith story as appetizing as soiled salt?
Does my life offer
the light of the Gospel to people in darkness? When did I last talk to someone
experiencing a crisis how God’s grace moved me through the darkest moments of
my life?
Do I spend enough
time with God so that He will reveal new insights about my life? Or am I too
busy? Finally, over the last month, did anyone see my good works and give glory
to our Father in Heaven?
The opportunities
before us are boundless. I may never prompt change in the heart of an
unbeliever, but I can start close to home. If I desire to be salt for the
world, I can start with the people in my family and add what is missing in
their lives. I can ask my children or grandchildren which of their friends is
experiencing darkness now and bring them the Light of Christ.
Schedule 15
minutes this week to read the Sermon on the Mount. Be as attentive as Christ’s
first disciples. God will speak to your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to accompany
you when you leave home so someone will see how you love Christ and glorify our
Heavenly Father.
Finally, since
Valentine’s Day will soon be here, heed the words of Jimmy Durante. Make
someone happy. Make just one someone happy. And you will be happy too. When
you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen[*]
[*]
This is an edited version of the original sermon in my book, Simple Sermons for
Serious Christians, available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Sermons-Serious-Christians-Cwynar/dp/1530970962
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