Jesus Accomplished the Impossible for You

Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

February 16, 2014

Matthew 5:21-37

with Luke 18:10-12

Jesus Accomplished the Impossible for You

In the name of Jesus.

I.

Easy Law

The Pharisee in Jesus' parable had it right: Keeping God's Law is pretty easy! Here's the story Jesus told.

Two men went up to the temple complex to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee took his stand and was praying like this: ‘God, I thank You that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ (Luke 18:10-12)

He did some things for God. In his case, he didn't eat a couple of times a week; he was very generous with his money. He didn't cheat people out of their money. He didn't sleep around. He went to church, so he's a pretty good guy. He's a guy who was leading a blameless life, so blameless that an investigator vetting him for public office would come away pleased. No skeletons in his closet. He could be a pastor—a man who lead a very decent public life.

And God should be happy with that, he thought. The Pharisee had done God a favor by living a good life; God was in his debt.

II.

Spotting the Speck

It's easy to spot someone who's puffed up with themselves. Clearly, this Pharisee was in love with himself and thought that God should feel the same way. But if you'd pointed this out to the Pharisee, I think he'd be upset. “No,” he'd say, “I don't think I'm puffed up! How dare you judge me!”

Well, Jesus did. Jesus made it clear that the Pharisee went home without any righteousness to his name. On the other hand, Jesus sent the greedy tax collector home justified and righteousness. So what's the point of His story?

It's the same point of today's appointed Gospel. Jesus, as He promised, came to fulfill the Law, so that it would destroy any false human hope of possible salvation through the Law. He came to make the Law impossible for you.

Never killed anyone? So what? You've dreamed about it. You lose your temper. You hate and hold grudges. You talk angry about others.

Never cheated on your spouse? Jesus said

that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)

There's no wiggle room here. There's nowhere to hide. I'd never sleep with Bathsheba, says the Pharisee inside us. But truthfully we've sinned as we've had the opportunity. You aren't royalty, so you can't screw up royally. You don't have the power to point at someone and have them, but you have the power of the keyboard.

III.

Hold Your Fire

The Law says to us imperfect failures: “Be perfect, think perfect, talk perfect.” We had a decent fire going, mostly smoke, until the Law came around and dumped a bucket of ice water on it. We'd try to negotiate with the Law, we'd try to re-start the fire and coax some embers to re-light. But then Jesus came around like Smokey the Bear and stamped out our pathetic little sparks into dust and ashes.

But He doesn't leave us out in the wilderness to fend for ourselves. He says, “Come with Me to My fire. It's warm and cheerful. When the ranger comes by and asks whose fire it is, you can him that it's yours.” And it won't be a lie, because He's given it to you to be yours. It's a gift because you've done nothing to deserve it.

The Law isn't easy; it's impossible! Jesus told us that the Law is about one word: Love. Love perfectly, fully, without holding back, and you'll save yourself. But we never do, so He always does.

Jesus came to fulfill the Law, to keep it, to accomplish it, not for Himself, but for you. The wisest and most mature Christians go to church like the wretched, yet righteous, tax collector in Jesus' story. He went to church and said

God, have mercy on me—a sinner!’ (Luke 18:13)

In the name of the Father

and of the † Son

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.