Today in worship we hear once again from our Lord’s teachings on the Sermon on the Mount. This far into Matthew chapter 5 we are past introductory comments and definitions of what it means to be a follower of Jesus and who we are to the world as his disciples. Now we are into the heart of the sermon, and its teaching over the life of discipleship. Just in time for Valentines day, Jesus is speaking about the heart. He confronts us with the sin that is in our hearts, and the folly of trying to live up to God’s Commandments with only keeping up exterior appearances.
When Jesus says you have heard that it was said to those of old- he is not speaking specifically about the scripture, but rather the interpretations of scripture made by scribes and pharisees who have prided themselves on being experts on keeping God’s law. “You have heard that it was said, but I say to you” Jesus is teaching that it may be popular to talk about keeping the commandments in terms of what you need to do to get by- but he is here to tell us now that there is a proper way to understand the commandments that has to do with not only outward actions, but what is in your heart.
If you don’t murder anyone or say anything in public against anyone- then nobody will see the hate in your heart you have toward one of your brothers. If you don’t commit adultery and stay away from inappropriate physical contact from someone who isn’t your spouse- then nobody will accuse you of committing adultery. If you make the right oath about obeying God as your top priority, it is going to seem like you are loyal to the Lord, even if in your heart you have other loyalties that you are secretly keeping.
But all of this is just external appearances. Jesus is teaching us that there is more to it than just our appearances. Certainly, it is a good start to not commit the actual act of murder or adultery- even if you felt such temptations at one point or another. But keeping away from such serious offenses is only the start- not the whole of keeping a commandment.
A common thread in American Evangelical type churches is the belief that the gospel is intended for the lost, but not something Christians need to hear over and over again. There simply is not the emphasis that we hold in which the gospel comes to us on a regular basis as a gift from the Lord to give forgiveness and comfort to the believer day in and day out.
Instead, they believe that once you have heard the gospel and repented, then your role as a Christian is to live the part of a faithful Christian. You read the Bible and go to worship as a discipline and an accountability to continue succeeding in the life of righteousness, forsaking the quest of fulfilling your sinful desires.
By this way of thinking it is all or nothing- either you are a true Christian or you are a backslider who has fallen away and needs to be saved again.
You can find numerous life stories people have shared about how this quest of following the external model of appearances of righteousness can be destructive. Churches that see the role of Christians to stop sinning once they have received the gospel create the conditions for such attention on external righteousness. Do all the right things in life, look the part, and your life will go well. And when things do not go well a person might feel that it is because they have not followed the Lord well enough.
Unfortunately, this approach to faithful living leaves little room for receiving the forgiveness of Jesus in Word and Sacrament and in the gospel. Instead, the goal is to keep on striving to make your obedience to the Lord better in word and deed. The more you strive the more you expect the Lord will bless your life, and when something doesn’t work out, when a career fails or a marriage fails because of your faults, then you wonder what you have done wrong and whether you really have what it takes to follow Jesus as well as you should.
The life of seeking external appearances can lead to the crisis of faith, when you start to question how well your life appears. Which means instead of trusting in Jesus you have trusted in how well you have lived your life with the Lord’s help.
Knowing what is in man and knowing our foolish strivings to earn our salvation, Jesus breaks our attempt to live outwardly righteous. He shows us that in our heart we still sin and break all of the commandments.
And yet he still loves us and forgives us, and gives us new hearts so that we can learn to live in righteousness at the heart level. He did this by putting his heart into our salvation, by paying for each and every one of the sins that come from our evil hearts by his own blood. His blood has paid for every promise we broke, every act of adultery, and every harsh word of hatred. He gives us the gift of declaring our corrupt hearts as pure and righteous before the Father.
This gift of faith we receive is not to show off to God or one another, but instead is given to us so that we would have true life in Him and that we would respond out of grateful thanksgiving for the salvation He gives to us. A salvation he assures us of every day when we remember our baptism, remember that we are new creations in Christ.
The appointed verse for this morning comes from Ephesians chapter 5: “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” This is the true meaning of living in love. This is what we should be celebrating on valentines day, walking in love as a grateful response of God’s unconditional love to us that Jesus offered himself as a fragrant offering.
When we fix our eyes on this love, we are able to live in righteousness as the Lord designed for us. We walk in love in response to what Jesus has done for us.
Without righteousness in our hearts we are not keeping any of the commandments- regardless of any outward appearances we might project. We are responsible for these failures- even as we are not able to keep them, we are still responsible. That is why Jesus says that we should first lose an eye or a hand than have our whole body thrown into Hell.
But of course, you cannot keep from sinning by getting rid of part of your body. Because it is really the heart where sin comes from- not the eye or the hand.
We need Jesus to give us new hearts, and indeed Christ gives us pure hearts. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts. “Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me.”
The sinful nature continues to sin, yet the new heart is able to love your neighbor, honor your spouse and treat others with honesty and integrity. And no matter what kind of spiritual rut you find yourself in, Jesus offers you a new start, forgiveness, grace and favor through his blood shed for you.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, love yourself and love others with the new heart the Lord delights to give to you. Delight in the goodness of the Lord to you this day. Amen.