St. Matthew 5:38-48 Dearly beloved,
Today focuses on yet another installment of Jesus’ famed “Sermon on the Mount.” The sermon is preached to Christ’s disciples. They were on a mountain away from the hustle and bustle of the world. It was customary for Jesus to go up mountains to teach and pray. It must have been a good, quiet environment in which to think on the things of God. As Jesus taught, He came to a very important and difficult subject--loving enemies. Christians are quick to agree with Jesus when it is convenient. But when it comes time to truly love our enemies, we find it next to impossible to carry out. Rather than just reiterate the words contained in the gospel for today, I want to discuss why Jesus says what He says. The Sermon on the Mount is a sermon that is meant to prepare these disciples to carry on the apostolic ministry when Jesus is resurrected and ascends to heaven. Jesus is laying forth the ways of the church. He is trying to teach them how the man who is placed into the apostolic ministry will live out his existence. These men who listen to the sermon will go forth bringing Christ to the people through Word and Sacrament, and the church must live in a way that the fragrance of Christ will emanate from those within the church. If you are to be a disciple of Jesus, then love must be evident within you. You are to love your enemies, bless those who curse you, and give to those who hate you. Why? Because the church has no existence apart from Christ, and it is Christ’s way to love and bless those who hate Him. His very ministry was defined by these precepts. Jesus came to love and serve, not to be served. Can you do this? Jesus came in the midst of those who hated Him in order to give blessing. Jesus never entered a crowd hoping to be accepted. Jesus came to speak words of forgiveness and truth. Jesus came to heal; bless; love; shine the light of truth in the midst of a dark world. Jesus came to bring something into a group of people. He offers His love to all. There is a reason that Jesus tells the church to love her enemies. A crowd of people is always a mixture. Some people in any group are happy, healthy, prosperous,humble people seeking truth. In the same crowd are people who are never happy. In the same crowd are people who are hurting, suffering and the like. Every group is a diverse one. Jesus is the gospel, and the gospel comes into the midst of crowds like this and the offer of forgiveness is for all. In such a situation one thing is certain. Every person in the crowd will never be the same again once the gospel enters. How so? When Jesus enters the crowd with His words of forgiveness and truth, it will either be received with thanksgiving or it will be rejected. Those people, regardless of how they receive the gospel will never be exactly the same again. Either they will grow in Christ and faith will sprout and spread, or those who reject Christ will move further away from Him. The Christian is never in a static position. Athanasius once remarked that the soul of a person is always in movement. Either the soul is in movement toward God or it is in movement toward its own lusts. But, in each case, no person is the same once Jesus enters the scene. So, Jesus speaks these words to future apostles, who will have the ministry of the Word and the Sacraments. They will do as Jesus had done. Just as Jesus entered crowds with His precious words of life and forgiveness, we will see Peter, James, John and, later, St. Paul going to crowds with Jesus on their lips offering the same gift of comfort and forgiveness. The reason for loving our enemies just as we love our friends and neighbors is due to the salvific quality of the preaching of the gospel. God uses the gospel to change hearts and spring forth faith. The Holy Spirit is given through preaching. Martin Luther had a very good and somewhat unique take on how the church should deal with the world in this regard--and with the enemies of the gospel. When the Reformation really shot forth as out of a canon, many of Luther’s contemporaries who shared some of his ideas believed that unbelievers and false teachers should be killed for their unbelief. Many of those who later when on to develop Protestantism were of the belief that if people didn’t repent of their wicked ways and thoughts, then she should be hanged, burned at the stake, etc. Many of the Protestant movements such as in England and Scotland, even started wars in the name of the truth. Much killing ensued. Luther looked at the words in this gospel and took them to heart. Luther did not agree with his contemporaries. He believed that the enemies of the gospel should be allowed to live because, he said, their only hope in being saved was to hear the gospel over and over. Luther trusted that if it was God’s will, then the Holy Spirit would convert the hearts of his enemies. Luther also saw the importance of this in the church. By no means should the sin of our enemies be allowed to run rampant. Sinful behavior must be dealt with, and our love is shown to our enemies when we seek repentance for their sin. Luther understood the work of the pastor to be just like the work of Jesus and the apostles. Luther once remarked that if a faithful minister of the gospel faithfully preached the gospel in a church for years and the people rejected the gospel and the pastor, then it had to be the devil doing his evil bidding. If the gospel preached by the pastor bore much good fruit, then it was seen a blessing of God that caused people of faith to hear the pastor’s preaching and cling faithfully to Christ. At the end of it all, it is God who blesses and God who punishes. Psalm 60 ends fittingly: Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies”(Psalm 60:11-12). The enemies of the gospel are dealt with through the preaching of Christ. Either they will turn and be saved, or God Himself will tread down the enemies in due time. The Christian hears these words of Christ in this gospel and is forced to realize failure. We do not often have the patience and love needed to tolerate those who hate us. Our sins convict us, and if we do not repent, they will condemn us. But our Lord is faithful and selfless. Jesus came to love us when we were unlovable. The men who persecuted Him with whips and nails were unlovable creatures, as well, and yet He cries from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”(St. Luke 23:34). This is the Lord’s response to you, as well. The Lord will not count your sins against you. You are forgiven. Jesus loves you, and came serving when you were helpless. Now you are alive. You live in His grace and mercy. You are holy. Christ’s service to you does not end. It is ongoing. Jesus comes to you just as He came to those crowds in the gospel, and He enters your midst with a blessing and the gift of the Holy Spirit. You are like a beautiful garden full of life. Your souls bloom by the rays of the gospel. A new road is paved and you walk on it. You are fed with Jesus on this way, and Jesus continues to change you as He comes to you. You grow, you mature in the faith, you are led and blessed as you journey with your Lord who continues to work His love in you brought from the cross. Amen. -- Rev. Chad Kendall Trinity Lutheran Church Lowell, Indiana www.trinitylowell.org
