- Psalmody: Psalm 28:8-9; 1a; Psalm 90:13, 1; Psalm 47:1; Psalm 17:5, 6b–7a; Psalm 27:6b
- Lection: Exodus 20:1–17; Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 5:20-26
In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Holy Ten Commandments show us the Christian standard of love. It is the Christian standard because the Commandments were given by the Lord and were fulfilled by Him, the Christ, in our flesh. It is the standard of love, because in the two tables of the Law, the two groupings, the first three and the remaining seven, God speaks and tells us what love of Him and what love of neighbor are and what they look like. He spoke all these words on Sinai as He gave the Law to Moses, and in the Sermon on the Mount He again spoke and gave His disciples deeper understanding of His love that abides in all who belong to Him. By the words that proceed from His mouth, and by the words of the prophets and apostles, we see that Christians are baptized into a standard of love that far exceeds the motives of man, penetrates down to the heart, and expresses itself in every aspect of redeemed lives.
The Lord Jesus again addresses the problem of the scribes and the Pharisees, teaching that the righteousness that they hold is problematic at best and one that must be exceeded if we, too, seek to live by works. Return to the words of our Collect to see how these liturgical prayers regularly set aright our focus in worship and in the week ahead and draw us to ponder the problem of the pharisaical flesh: O God of hosts, to whom belong all good things, graft in our hearts the love of Thy name, and grant that by the increase within us of true religion Thou mayest nourish what is good, and by the zeal of devotion preserve what Thou hast nourished. In true religion, God is the Great Initiator; graft into our hearts, we pray,for from Him, to Him, and through Him are all good things, including, as St. James says, Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world: more language that defines the religion that God desires by the love of Him, being unspotted from the world, and the love of neighbor, visiting orphans and widows, coming in response to the love that He has graciously shown to us poor sinners and grafts into us. But such was not the religion of the scribes and the Pharisees. Such is not the religion of hearts born in sin.
Indeed, both groups had a religion, a righteousness, but what was it? Was it based on that fundamental two-fold perfect love spoken from above and then in their midst? Or was it based on imperfect self-righteous works that proved to be void of that love? Throughout the Gospels, the holy evangelists show us clearly that it is the latter, meaning that the standard that the scribes and Pharisees possessed was one focused inwardly, on self-first, unfortunately, a religion that is in every corrupt human heart, for in sin did my mother conceive me. True love, Christian love, is the Christ-like reversal that desires to flow outwardly to God and to others, just as Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Yet, does the world not push us inwardly in our day, claiming that happiness and fulfillment is to be found in satisfying our desires and selfish pleasures, teaching us that it is best that we learn to love ourselves? Every human is born without need of that learning, for under the curse of the fall, every man, woman, and child, comes with more than enough self-love baked right in; so much so that it’s typically an excessive hindrance to learning to love like Jesus. Therefore, this is not an area in our lives that needs much teaching, increase, or help for even we likely love ourselves way too much. And yes, there are those who are abused and have their self-value, as determined by their Savior Who died for them, crushed by the evil of others. For them we are to have sympathy, compassion, and love as our dear Lord has for us all.
But self-love lies at the root of Pharisaism, for they did all the right works and checked off all the right boxes so that the checked boxes could satisfy and ease the conscience. Right and good motivation for works is not for the exaltation and pride of self, but for Christians to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. The love of God at work through us is a beautiful thing, both for the loved and the lover. Works-based religion rather seeks to merely fulfill a set of minimum requirements, to do just enough, but the least possible, so that we can be satisfied with the works that we’re willing to do and not be troubled by the others that we’re not. So, in that regard, the scribes and Pharisees excelled. They mastered the outward signs of going to worship, praying, fasting, giving. They truly achieved the peak of their religion. They had heard that it was said, “You shall not murder,” and they made sure that they didn’t murder. Their religion was fulfilled, their righteousness achieved by their own doing, but without honest or sincere thought given to the outflowing idea of loving God and neighbor, a standard that exceeds even their righteousness, because These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, or with their not murdering, But their heart is far from Me.
The law of love exceeds this because the Christian standard doesn’t remain on mere outward appearances and checked boxes. It neither seeks nor is satisfied with minimal, self-righteous deeds that see to it that some requirement is being met for it and its conscience’s sake, but it is a love that penetrates deep down to the heart of stone turning it into a living heart of flesh For he who believes in Christ, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water, not to check off minimal requirements for self, but to maximize blessing and benefit of and service to others to the glory and love of God.
You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. The religion of love doesn’t stop at external measurements fulfilled, by murders avoided, but examines the intents and condition of the heart, because an anger that defiles can dwell so comfortably in it secret places. The heart is the place down to which Christ’s mighty word, and His own redeeming love, infiltrate and make anew, to bring light to every dark crack and crevice. The Christian heart examines itself, then does not despair when it discovers a lack of love, but repents, trusts its Redeemer and example, and feeds off the inspiration of Christ and the infinite love it so abundantly receives from Him. This love, the new heart desires to live in, to live out, so that others can see that it is of God our Savior. Holy Baptism, being washed in the water combined with God’s Word and with power from on High that makes us to be called His children, resurrects us in Christ to the newness of life, so that outward acts become initiated, governed, measured, and enjoyed by the heart that is full of Christ’s love and the Holy Spirit. This is true religion.
This love is one that cannot be contained, not even in all the world. Heaven itself did not hold back the Love that first loved us, so that being raised from the death of self-righteousness, we also may walk in newness of life. This newness, this standard is the very one of and from Christ our Lord. Only infinite love possessed and given by infinite God could cover the nearly infinite multitude of our sins. It is a love that does not refuse to give, for to it much has been given. It is a love that does not withhold forgiveness, as daily has all its trespasses forgiven. It is a love that is intolerant in the right way, for it does not tolerate the log in its own eye or anger in its own heart, for true religion flows from that deep down; from hearts and lives that have been baptized into Christ and swell to flow forth as rivers of living water, living in love of God and love of neighbor. Let us therefore go with the flow and love, not begrudgingly, but exceedingly in this way, rejoicing in how we see it come to bless and strengthen others, and glorify the Lord in the same.
In ✠ Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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