In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit +
Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men. With those words our Lord set up what Peter would be doing. And that phrase catching men is interesting. We must be caught, rescued, pulled in – because apart from Christ Jesus we are trapped, trapped in sin and fear. And there's a method, a pattern to how we are caught by Christ Jesus. It is “Law and Gospel” - the Law shows us our sin, and the Gospel shows us Jesus our Savior who says, “Do not be afraid.” Now, there is a problem with all this right off the bat. As sinful people, we don't understand the point of God's Law. When God speaks His law, it’s primary function isn’t to give us guidelines for life. The law’s main purpose isn’t to tell us how to all get along and play nicely. The law kills, the law shows us our sin, the law shows us that we have not been the people we were created to be. But the temptation for us Christians is to forget this, and instead to look at God’s commands simply as a checklist of things to get done or as a yardstick to compare ourselves to our neighbor with.
Jesus today shows us how to apply the law rightly. This is part of the sermon on the mount, and Jesus is teaching those who thought that they were good people, people who slowly but surely began to trust in their own righteousness rather than the mercy and love of God. So Jesus quickly and bluntly destroys all pride and arrogance. Jesus looks at one commandment, the 5th Commandment, and shows them and us how we break it all the time in thought, in word, in deed. Let us hear again His Word.
You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. I’m guessing that not many of you here today live in the fear that someday the cops will break down your door and arrest you for the murders you committed in your past. Does that mean you get off scot free as regards the 5th Commandment? Does that mean you get to stick your thumb in the pie of morality and say “What a good boy am I?” Jesus says no. When you are reading the bible and you hear Jesus say, “But I say to you” you need to pay attention, because then Jesus is going to point out something important. The 5th commandment isn’t just about putting a dagger in someone’s heart or bashing their brains in, it’s about your thoughts and attitude. Everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. Your thoughts matter. When God says that we are not to murder folks, that isn’t just about playing nicely, it speaks to our thoughts. So often we rage and roar at our brother, our neighbor. How is our anger showing love and compassion for our neighbor as we ought? Does your anger help you love them, or are you withholding love and service because of that anger? Doesn't that withholding harm them?
But Jesus warns not only against sins in thoughts here, but also our words. Whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council. Words have power, words have definite power to harm, to injure, to kill. We know this, we’ve been insulted before, we’ve all crept out of a room in shame, someone’s harmful words echoing in our ears. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. We all know that’s a lie – maybe that’s why we repeat it so often, so that we can pretend that we don’t feel the pain, so that we can pretend that we don’t cause pain with our words. But we do. Jesus simply points that out here.
And finally, Jesus also says and whoever says “you fool” will be liable to the hell of fire. Now this is an interesting example. The word here is an ancient Hebrew swear word, a base insult, and when this was said in anger, it generally would be accompanied by a crude and obscene gesture. So what Jesus is talking about here is letting anger be shown in action. He’s talking about the equivalent of flipping someone the bird or shaking your fist in anger – those moments where our anger is so strong that it even boils over into our gestures and actions. Where it affects our deeds. And we might try to whitewash our actions – so I got a little hot, at least I didn’t beat the guy up. Well, that’s good. Jesus says gritting your teeth and clenching your fist at him is worthy of hell, I hate to think what striking a person in anger is worthy of, to say nothing of actually seriously injuring him.
And so, with these few verses, you have Jesus pointing out very simply how we break the 5th commandment all the time in thought, word, and deed. This is why we say “I have sinned in thought, word, and deed” in our confession – it’s to remind us that our lives are filled with sin, filled with ways in which we don’t think, speak, or do as we ought. And this is just one commandment. Actually, in the next few verses after our Gospel Jesus deals with the 6th Commandment. We could sit here and look at any of the 10 we heard in the Old Testament and look at them this way. But this is sufficient for today. The Law of God, when used properly, will always show us our sin, will show us that we are worthy of punishment.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. No, Jesus doesn’t do away with the law, in spite of what some Christians want to say. The fact that there’s a Jesus doesn’t mean now we do whatever we want. The fact that Jesus loves the woman at the well doesn’t mean adultery is okay, the fact that Jesus loves Peter doesn’t mean that blasphemy is okay. Jesus doesn’t do away with the law. There still is right and wrong, and we in the Church must be bold and blunt in saying what is right and what is wrong. We are to be on the guard against sin at all times – Jesus reminds us of this – the law is not abolished.
But my friends, it is fulfilled. Christ Jesus has fulfilled the law in thought, word, and deed. He is the One who does precisely what He is supposed to. Christ Jesus, True God and True Man lived and lives perfectly and without sin. God has seen to it that Man does fulfill the law in the Person of Christ Jesus. Philippians 2. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. There it is. The simple fact that we can talk about Jesus, the fact that the Son decides to become Man shows us that His every thought is focused on fulfilling the Will of God. But Jesus’ fulfillment is not just one of thought, but also word. Jesus is the one who truly loves His neighbor in His Words. He is the One who speaks to Lazarus, Lazarus, come forth. He is the One who says to love your enemies. He is the One who cries out upon the Cross “Father, forgive them.” With His every Word Christ Jesus, the True Word of God fulfills the Law, says what is right and God pleasing. And Jesus is the One who does what is right – He feeds the hungry, He heals the ill – and of course the great example. He goes to the Cross not for His own benefit, not for His own good, but for your benefit. There upon the Cross Christ Jesus fulfills the law for you. He takes your sin upon Himself and He fulfills the Law – there upon the Cross He suffers the punishment of the law. The Law is fulfilled when Christ becomes guilty in your place and dies.
And as that happens, Christ becomes your righteousness. Christ Jesus gives to you His own holiness and righteousness and says, “See, this is yours now, it belongs to you.” Now, when God sees you He no longer sees a law breaker – That's what God sees upon the Cross – the One who knew no sin become sin for us. And so God calls you to Faith, puts into your minds and thoughts Christ Jesus and Him alone, teaches you to cling to the Cross and Christ’s righteousness alone. And How does God do this, how does God build up this faith in you? By Word and Deed, or, as we normally say, by Word and Sacrament. This is why we have the Gospel preached, dear friends – to create and sustain faith. That your hearts and minds would be on Christ Jesus our Lord. By His Word God grasps a hold of your sinful minds and turns them towards Him, brings you to look at the Cross. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, coming through the Word, keeping you in the One true faith. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in His gift of Baptism. Did you hear how Paul talks about Baptism what it does? It buries you to sin, it unites you to Christ, it sets you free, it gives you new life in Christ. Baptism is God at work, God doing stuff for you. God attaches His Word to a few drops of water and works faith and forgiveness in you. To sustain and renew that faith, Christ calls you to His Table to feed you with His Body and Blood – see what Christ does for you – see how tireless He is in bringing you the forgiveness that He won upon the Cross. He gives you His own Body which was broken upon the tree for you, His own Blood shed when the spear tore His side. Here, at this altar, God connects you to Calvary; you are partakers in Christ’s death so that you will be partakers also of His resurrection. This is what God does to give you forgiveness, to keep you in the One true faith. His righteousness for you far surpasses any human righteousness indeed!
And so know what happens in this life. You are going to be attacked by sin, by temptations, by anger and disdain. And your own sinful flesh will be tempted to downplay God's Law and to justify yourself and your own sinful actions. Jesus will have none of that. His Holy Spirit will use the law rightly upon you, to show you to depth of your sin and bring you to repentance. But then the Spirit will show you Jesus, that His love for you is deeper than your sin, and that His righteous life, suffering, and death has covered and removed all your sin, and that in Christ your righteousness abounds because it is Christ's righteousness. You are caught up in Christ's righteousness now and for all eternity. Your sins are strong, but Christ is even stronger for you. Amen. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +
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