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Leviticus 19:18 & St Matthew 22:36-40
'Love and the Keeping of the Law
Matins
23rd Sunday After Pentecost, 2005
Hope Lutheran Church
Pastor Wolfmueller
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Dear people of God,
When we turn to the Lord's Word for comfort, for edification, and for instruction, it is important that we, above all else, rightly distinguish between the Law and the Gospel. The law tells us what to do, how we are to live and act and think. Because we are sinners, the Law always accuses us and shows us our great sinfulness and shows us God's anger at our sin. The Gospel, on the other hand, tells us what God has done for us in the His Son Jesus, how He lived and died in our place to give us the forgiveness of all of our sins, and life, and salvation. The Gospel tells how Jesus has placated God's wrath, how Jesus as made peace between God and man.
The Scriptures contain both the Law and the Gospel, threats and promises, command and gift. If we confuse them or mix them up, the Scripture will seem to be a confused and dark book, but if Law and Gospel are rightly distinguished, the Scriptures will be open and bright.
The question for us today concerns love: is it Law or Gospel? Love is a very kind and friendly word, indeed love is a very pleasant thing, and because of this there has arisen a great confusion about love. Many churches claim to preach the Gospel, and it sounds a lot like this: “We need to love like Jesus loved, care like Jesus cared, have compassion and mercy on people who need help. Obey the Gospel, love your neighbor as yourself.” This sounds very nice, but is it the Gospel?
In the Gospel text before us today from St Matthew 22, a Pharisee tested Jesus with the question, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” What is the greatest commandment? Love.
In fact, St Paul teaches that if you wanted a one word summary of the Law, it would be this: love. “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not covet,' and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” [Romans 13:8-10]
Love is the keeping of the law. The command to love God and love our neighbor is the essence of the holy law of God. And if the law always accuses sinners, then we know what this command is going to do to us: accuse us, show us our sins.
Have you loved God with all of your heart and soul and mind? Ask yourself these questions:
Have I loved other things or people more than I love God?
Have I committed idolatry by seeking comfort, good, and delight from my own efforts rather than from God?
Do I look to God my heavenly Father for all love, good and joy? Is everything measured for me by what pleases me?
Do I love the things God gives more that I love Him? And do I cling to what God takes away, even though He gives me Himself?
Am I willing to give up all to follow Him?
Do I seek to hear the voice of my Beloved God by daily reading and meditating on His Word? Speaking to Him in hymns and prayer?
What about your neighbor? Have you loved your neighbor as yourself? Ask yourself these questions:
Have I injured my neighbor by ridicule, by neglecting to feed or clothe him, withholding compassion and comfort from him?
Have I avoided giving help to my neighbor, avoiding involvement with him in his difficulty?
Have I gossiped, spoken without love, delighting to tell others about the faults or mistakes of another, excusing myself especially by saying that I spoke only the truth?
Have I been stingy with my money and material possessions, using my money for my own pleasure instead of for the good of my neighbor?
Have I prayed for my neighbors, and especially for those who do not yet know Christ, that they would come into the Lord's kingdom and rejoice in the forgiveness of their sins?
[Many of theses diagnostic questions are taken from Pastor Bender's Lutheran Catechesis.]
These things, dear people, are just the beginning of love. For love gives, it gives all, it gives and gives even unto death. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for a friend.” [St John 15:13] And so the command to love, to love God and our neighbor, falls upon us like a hammer, crushing us. We have nothing to say to God but, “I have not loved you with my whole heart, I have not lived my neighbor as myself.” The command to love, in the end, is not so friendly.
But, dear friends in Christ, do not despair. I have good new for you this morning. Your lovelessness is not met with God's judgment, but with with His love for you. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son.” Your lovelessness is answered with His love. Your sin is answered with His Son, His suffering, His death, His prayer, “Father, forgive them.” Jesus loves you, and Jesus loves for you. He perfectly loves the Father with all of His heart and soul and mind. He perfectly loves His neighbor. And the love of Jesus is yours, His perfection is yours, His perfect keeping of the law is yours by faith, as a free gift.
This is love, that while we were still His enemies, Christ died for us, taking God's wrath in our place, reconciling us to the Father, forgiving us all sins, and making peace with God. All of this, not because you first loved Him, but because He first loved and loves you.
This love, the love of God for us, is the sweetest Gospel and good news, which comforts and quickens us and gives us peace.
And now, having heard of God's love for us, we begin to love God and our neighbor. Knowing of the Lord's forgiveness, be begin to forgive and bear with our neighbor. Knowing of God mercy for us, we begin more and more to have mercy on one another. Knowing of God's compassion for us, we begin, with the help of the Spirit of God, to have compassion on one another, and to love our neighbor as ourself.
And even in our small beginning at loving, for God and our neighbor, we daily fall short and fail to love fail to love as we should. This, too, is forgiven, covered by the love our the Lord Jesus for you. Therefore love, love as you have been loved by the Father. And may the suffering, bleeding, dying love of Jesus for you be your comfort and peace, today and forevermore. Amen.
And may the peace that passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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