October 13, 2024
Atonement Lutheran Church
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 23 B
Sermon on
Matthew 22:34–40
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Jewish people had over 600 laws that governed their life and society. In addition, there were also numerous oral traditions from groups like the Sadducees and Pharisees. This gave the Jews a complex and robust framework of laws that guided the people in their everyday lives, from daily living, social justice, religious beliefs and practice.
Much like our laws, which can be traced back to a legal document that found our cities, states and our county. The Jewish laws have their roots in the Ten Commandments. Let us quickly review the ten commandments: You shell have no other Gods, do not use the name of God in vain, remember the Sabbath Day and keep it Holy, honor your father and mother, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness against your neighbor, and do covet your neighbor relationships or his positions.
Now a Pharisees, who was as a lawyer, asked Jesus a question “which is the great commandment in the Law?” This question could have put Jesus is a peculiar position. Either Jesus would promote one law and give the impression that other laws are lesser – which would have some people think they can ignore the other law if they keep the one law – or refuse to answer and show the people that He is a fraud and not the Messiah.
Jesus answer is brilliant. Jesus summed up the entirety of the law into it two sections. First “You shall love the Lord your 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 neighbor as yourself.” And in the parallel passage in Mark, we know that the lawyer agreed with Jesus’ answer.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this is where we have a problem with the law. Namely, to love God and to love our neighbors. To properly understand the issue, we first need to understand what Jesus meant he used the word love. In English we have one word for love and that word can be ambiguous because that one word contains all the virous meaning of love. From love of friendships to love of God – and all the various meanings and understanding in between.
Koine Greek, the language the New Testament was written in, has four different words for love, each with its own meaning and usage. Philia means a love between close friend also known as “Brotherly Love” – this is where the city name of Philadelphia comes from and why it is called the “City of Brotherly love”. Eros is the love between a husband and wife – romantic or sexual love – and where we get the word erotic from. Storge is the love between family members, and the love between a parent and their children. And Agape is the unconditional, sacrificial love between God and his people. And this is the word Jesus used when he said, “love the Lord your God” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” And this is the kind of love that we have problem within the Law, for we are unable, incapable of loving God and our neighbor unconditionally.
We are unable to keep the Law because we cannot love God and our neighbors. We cannot love God and our neighbor because we are sinful people. Jeremiah the prophet put it like this, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”. Combine this with Galatians 5:17 “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” Our very nature is corrupted. We fight against God and are deceitful to our neighbors.
When I was in elementary school, my teacher would take her class to the school playground for recess. My teacher had several rules for us to follow if we wanted to play on the playground. Rules like no pulling hair, no fighting, no throwing dirt, etc. Now I remember one troublesome kid, and I am not saying it was me, that could not help himself from breaking the rules to impress his friend. Every time the kid broke a rule, he was placed in time out and given a warning “keep breaking the rule and you will be sent inside and not allowed to play on the playground.” Now this kid is a good kid who knows what the right thing to do is. But he struggled over following the rules or pulling the hair of the girl he really likes. Ultimately, though, this breaking of the rule will see him sent inside and sperate from his friends and the girl he likes.
And this is our problem. Our sinful nature is preventing us to love God and our neighbor. Like the kid, we cannot help ourselves from breaking Gods Law. Because of our sinful nature, we struggle between following Gods Law or following our sinful desires. And the result of our sins is the separation between God and His people, us. For God cannot abide with sinful people. And this separation from God leads us to commit more sin and keeping God separated from us. Ultimately the result of our sinful desires is our death and eternal separation from God.
This does not have to be the case. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, not only to show us how to agape love – the unconditional, sacrificial love of God – but also to live this love out for us on the cross.
On the cross, the Almighty God Jesus Christ, took upon Himself the sins of the world – your sins and mine – and paid the blood price for the forgiveness of our sins. And three days later, Christ also rose from the grave and ascended to Heaven and sits at the right hand (the hand of power and might) of God the Father. For all who come and believe, Christ proclaim our sins are forgiven and restore our relationship with God. He has become our advocate, interceding on our behalf, so that when God look upon us, He does not see the corrupted, imperfect beings we are, but Christ His only Son and our Lord. This forgiveness is given to us through God’s gift of Faith. We are saved by this Faith alone, and along with Faith the Holy Spirit gives us the gift of Agape love, which gives us new desires in our life.
What if the kid on the playground had a friend that took the blame for him. The kid would see the agape love that his friend has for him. And in response to his agape love, the kid begins to change his behavior to be more like his friend? The kid is still a kid and is prone to make mistakes and break the rules, but he can always look at the agape love that his friend has for him and be encouraged to be better.
We are still sinful people; our sinful nature is still against God. But we can always look to the cross, the agape love of God in Christ Jesus. For all those who believe in Jesus is the only Son of God and that He died on the cross and rose for the forgiveness of our sins. Are we able to call upon His name and ask forgiveness of our sins. And to receive eternal life with Him in Heaven.
Now we are able to love. Through Christ Jesus and with the help of the Holy Spirit can we show that love of Christ to other, spreading the Kingdome of God to all around us. And to do the good works that Christ and prepared for us.
Go in peace and serve the Lord. Amen
