Trinity 4 9 July 2017 Jesus Teaches Us How to Be Merciful, as God Is Merciful Luke 6:36-42 by Rev. Michael G. Lilienthal Hymn: How Fair the Church of Christ Shall Stand, ELH #418 Let us pray: Grant us a forgiving heart, merciful Judge, even as you have forgiven us. Amen. Dear Christian friends, It is indisputable that God is merciful, who proclaimed of himself, The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children s children, to the third and fourth generation (Ex. 34:6-7, ESV). At first read, there seems to be a disparity here. How is it that God both forgiv[es] iniquity and transgression and sin, and will by no means clear the guilty? There is an art to the distinction between the two. In fact, Luther says that he is willing to place him who is well versed in the art of dividing the Law from the Gospel at the head of all and call him a doctor of Holy Writ. 1 And Dr. C. F. W. Walther goes on to say: Comparing Holy Scripture with other writings, we observe that no book is apparently so full of contradictions as the Bible, and that, not only in minor points, but in the principal matter, in the doctrine how we may come to God and be saved. In one place the Bible offers forgiveness to all sinners; 1 C. F. W. Walther, The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel: 39 Evening Lectures, translated by W. H. T. Dau (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986), 5.
2 Jesus Teaches Us How to Be Merciful, as God Is Merciful in another place forgiveness of sins is withheld from all sinners. In one passage a free offer of life everlasting is made to all men; in another, men are directed to do something themselves towards being saved. This riddle is solved when we reflect that there are in the Scriptures two entirely different doctrines, the doctrine of the Law and the doctrine of the Gospel. 2 Does this sound like pretty heady stuff? Things that college boys should learn, not anything that helps us in this little town in central Wisconsin? Although it may seem that way, in truth it is a very practical knowledge, a knowledge that teaches you how to be. Jesus teaches this lesson in the Gospel text from St. Luke, chapter 6, beginning at verse 36: Luke 6:36-42 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. In fact, the measure with which you measure will be measured back to you. 39 He also told them a parable: A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Won t they both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 Why do you look at the speck in your brother s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? 42 Or how can you tell your brother, Brother, let me remove the speck in your eye, when you do not see the beam in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck in your brother s eye. It is my job as Pastor to teach you what Jesus taught, and here he teaches us how to be merciful, as God is merciful, including in the first place how a Christian lives as a Christ in the world, and in the second place how a Christian is enlightened by Jesus catechesis, or teaching. 2 Ibid., 6.
Luke 6:36-42 3 I. How a Christian Lives as a Christ in the World Because of our faith, we are clothed in Christ. St. Paul declares this in his letter to the Galatians: For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27, ESV); and to the Romans: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4, ESV). Jesus described this moments earlier in the sermon which Luke records: Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. (Luke 6:20-23, ESV) This is a description of those who have been remade in the image of Christ, those who are Christians, or Christs in the world. For why is the one who has the kingdom of God poor? It is because he reflects Christ, not treasuring the things of this world, but giving it all up for the pearl of great price. Why is the one who shall be satisfied hungry now? It is because he reflects Christ, sacrificing his own food in fasting to give to his neighbor, as the Old Testament declared: Instead, isn t this the kind of fast that I would choose: Isn t it that you share your bread with the hungry, that you bring the homeless and afflicted into a house? Yes, when you see a naked person, you are to
4 Jesus Teaches Us How to Be Merciful, as God Is Merciful cover him, and do not hide yourself from your own flesh [and blood] [sic] (Is. 58:6-7). Because we have been so remade as Christ, therefore Jesus teaches us how the Christian should respond to the status of being a Christ in the world. 3 In our text, he offers four specific ways this is done: 1. Do not judge. 2. Do not condemn. 3. Forgive. 4. Give. Jesus wants us to understand each of these four things correctly, meaning that we understand how we perform them in reflection of how God has done each of them. First, Do not judge, and you will not be judged. I think we tend to dislike that verse nowadays, because the world outside throws it in our faces so much: Judge not! Judge not! We know instinctively that they re taking it out of context, but get ready for a part in the sermon you won t like in a sense they re right. It is truly a temptation for us to fall into judgment of others. The way so much of the country supports gay marriage Oh, what sinners they are! The way the young girl at the diner had a baby out of wedlock She s living in sin! St. Paul wrote to the Romans, Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then each of us will give an account of himself to God (Rom. 14:10-12, ESV), and to the Philippians: work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to 3 Just, Luke 1:1-9:50, 295.
Luke 6:36-42 5 will and to work for his good pleasure (Phil. 2:12-13, ESV). It s like what your parents told you, Don t worry about what your brother is doing; Michael should worry about Michael. The danger of judging one another is that one must necessarily therefore belittle his own sinfulness. If you think, She s so sinful, what a horrible person, the unspoken end to that sentence is, I m not that bad. And suddenly you are a hypocrite, for you base your salvation on your own works even if you consciously would deny it and blind yourself to the plank in your own eye. Heed the example of Jonah: When God saw what [the Ninevites] did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said, O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live. And the LORD said, Do you do well to be angry? (Jonah 3:10-4:4, ESV) From Jonah s perspective, those wicked Ninevites were past redemption. They were wicked beyond belief not like Jonah himself. Sure, when God gave him his mission, Jonah had tried to sneak away from God, to refuse, to disobey God, but Jonah was overall a good person! Jonah had been faithful to God his entire life (mostly). These Ninevites, though, were the outspoken enemies of God s people, a powerful nation that oppressed Israel and even killed many of God s chosen ones. If Jonah had to preach against Nineveh, at least it would be a message of judgment, and they would be
6 Jesus Teaches Us How to Be Merciful, as God Is Merciful destroyed. But for God to relent! That was offensive the Hebrew says it was exceedingly evil to Jonah. That s because Jonah misunderstood grace, especially how it applied to himself. He counted himself worthy and these Ninevites unworthy. So, when you see a woman who has had an abortion, a gay couple, or anyone else distasteful to you, are you more willing to speak or think of the judgment on their sins, or the forgiveness of them? Second, Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned, because, again, God has declared himself to be a God of grace, as to Ezekiel: For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the LORD GOD; so turn, and live (Ezek. 18:32, ESV). Once again, we know that God will judge the world, and in so doing will condemn the guilty, but that is not our place. Really, there is very little difference between this and the previous command: Do not judge, and do not condemn, because this is not our place. Only God is the judge, and only God has the right to condemn because, in Jesus words, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her (John 8:7, ESV), and in Paul s, Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things (Rom. 2:1, ESV). Yes, sin is sin and should be called a sin, but be cautious how you point it out in fact, it s probably best that, until you have learned that art of distinguishing between Law and Gospel, you avoid speaking Law, lest you accidentally slip into judging and condemning, which God reserves for himself.
Luke 6:36-42 7 Instead, follow this positive commandment, third: Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Here is one of those fine distinctions, one of the reasons Law and Gospel is so difficult and yet so sublime: When we point out sin, it is always with a view to forgiveness. After all, forgiveness is only given to sinners (otherwise, what could we be forgiving?). This was Jonah s mistake. If he was going to speak the Law, he wanted it to end with condemnation, destruction. The right way to speak the Law is to stimulate repentance. But this is that difficult thing to do that is best reserved until you have a better grasp on the proper distinction between Law and Gospel. Instead, the safer option is to follow this command of Jesus: Forgive. That is, speak the Gospel alone. And how this is done is understood by reflecting on God. Jesus says, Forgive, and you will be forgiven, and he teaches us to pray, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us (cf. Matt. 6:12). But who really forgives first? St. John wrote in a letter: By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers (1 John 3:16, ESV). Our forgiveness is to be patterned after God s and we have a very clear picture of his forgiveness: And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:33-34, ESV) While they were in the act of murdering him, Jesus forgave them. And the Church has patterned herself after this forgiveness of God: And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. (Acts 7:59-60)
8 Jesus Teaches Us How to Be Merciful, as God Is Merciful Take this forgiveness home. Jesus told his people, If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld (John 20:23, ESV). I told you at the beginning of this service, as you were told at your Baptism: Your sins are forgiven. God has had mercy on you, given you the full forgiveness of all your sins, even while you were in the act of murdering his Son. Take comfort in this! And understand therefore your responsibility: We have become like Christ, like our Father, because he had mercy on us, forgave us, so that we may reflect his mercy because we are Christians, a name which means that we are clothed with Christ and attributed with his righteousness, and that we are presenting Christ to the world so that God may be glorified. Think of that: when you forgive, it s not for you; it s for the salvation of the one you forgive and for the glory of God. You can do that, even while you are being stoned with literal or metaphorical stones, because you already have received forgiveness from God. What more do you need? And therefore, last: Give, and it will be given to you. We can give everything physical possessions, bodily or emotional comfort, pride because we have been given everything by God already, including the capacity to give. In a sense, St. Paul wraps up all these thoughts in his letter to the Romans: He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? so what cause do we have to worry about things being taken away from us, or about attacks against us? and why shouldn t we be willing to give just as much? Who shall bring any charge against God s elect? It is God who justifies? therefore our justification is certain, so no one may condemn us; Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is
Luke 6:36-42 9 the one who died, that is, was condemned on behalf of all more than that, who was raised who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us (Rom. 8:32-34, ESV), so that it is proven, there is a living witness to the fact, that the condemnation has already been paid, and the one in whom we trust maintains our status as saved. There s certainty there, comfort. And there is a responsibility, because if we are certain of this free salvation, this forgiveness, this gift of everything, we ought to give everything in repetition of the gift we have been given, because we are to learn how to behave based on the pattern of the One who remade us in his image. That is, we will be enlightened by Jesus catechesis. II. How a Christian Is Enlightened by Jesus Catechesis Catechesis is a heady word, isn t it? That s a five-dollar word! Open your ears and learn what it means. You might know the word Catechism, talking about the book that 7 th and 8 th graders (usually) study in class before their Confirmation; maybe you know that the book teaches the Ten Commandments, the Apostle s Creed, the Lord s Prayer, Baptism, the Office of the Keys, and the Lord s Supper. Do you remember all that? If not, maybe it s time to go back to your catechesis, or instruction, teaching, school program, intensive study; and if you do, you should continue that catechesis, because it never ends, not in this life. If you don t know something, that is described as blindness, and Jesus speaks, like a Sunday School teacher speaking to children: A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Won t they both fall into a pit? The meaning of this question comes immediately: A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will
10 Jesus Teaches Us How to Be Merciful, as God Is Merciful be like his teacher. Jesus is warning this child-disciples, If you don t know, don t make yourself into a teacher. Being blind in itself is a serious handicap, but not a sin (cf. John 9, especially v 41). But to presume to teach others when the ostensible teacher does not know the way is arrogant hypocrisy. 4 This is what I was saying about the proper distinction between Law and Gospel: if you don t know how they should be divided, don t be quick to declare the Law, because it is too easy to slip into judging or condemning. Jesus expands on this by the end: Why do you look at the speck in your brother s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? Or how can you tell your brother, Brother, let me remove the speck in your eye, when you do not see the beam in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck in your brother s eye. In other words, Do not judge. Do not condemn. Forgive. Give. In fact, I am not an expert in Law and Gospel, whom Luther would call a doctor of Holy Writ. I am your Pastor, and as such I have been through a good deal more catechesis than you in these things, to better equip me for this work. But I m not done learning, and I will not in this life be equal to my teacher, Jesus, therefore the safer option for me, too, is to proclaim the Gospel to forgive and give, in order to prevent myself from falling into judging and condemning. Yes, there are times when a sin must be addressed. But that is a separate matter. Before you can remove the speck in your brother s eye, the beam in your own eye must be removed. How? Catechesis. 4 Ibid., 298.
Luke 6:36-42 11 The true teacher-disciple relationship is not one in which the teacher opens the skull of the disciple and pours information into his brain, but rather is one in which the teacher trains the disciple to become a person like the teacher himself: everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. Jesus wishes to train us to be like him, like his Father, to be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Catechesis has that goal. Therefore, Christian catechesis necessarily includes the element of forgiveness itself. A Christian teacher forgives the student, as an example and a training for the student to learn to do the same. Through catechesis and forgiveness, the beam is removed from your eyes, in order to train you to remove the speck in your brother s eye. And notice the goal, once again: that the speck may be removed. That is forgiveness, not judgment, not condemnation. This hypocrisy is common to all men, that we think, I m not that bad. I don t have such a heinous speck in my eye. But look at that speck in my brother s eye! Your catechesis should teach you to see your own sin more clearly than you see your brother s, so that you can see yourself forgiven. That being your continual focus, then you can learn to more surgically apply Law and Gospel. This is what it means to be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. And much more could be said about it, and should be, continually, because your graduation day isn t until the day of your death or Judgment Day, whichever comes first. The ultimate goal of this instruction, this school program, is that you continue to see Christ before you, the one who did not judge you, but let himself be judged; the one who did not condemn you, but let himself be condemned; the one who forgave you all your sins; the
12 Jesus Teaches Us How to Be Merciful, as God Is Merciful one who gave you everything what Paul describes as the glory that is going to be revealed to us our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body (Rom. 8:18, 23). By seeing and receiving God s mercy in Christ, and trusting in it, that is how we learn to be merciful. Amen. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV ) copyright 2017 The Wartburg Project. All rights reserved. www.wartburgproject.org Some quotations from the Old Testament are samples and may not reflect the final wording. Comments and suggestions may be submitted at: wartburgproject.org/contact/ Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.