Epiphany 7
20 February 2022
St. Luke 6. 27-38
The central theme of Christianity is that we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus–apart from works. And this is especially close to the heart of Lutherans because this central truth of the holy Christian faith is the truth that had been obscured and was brought to light once again by Luther. This heart and core of the holy Christian faith is so beautiful, perfect and good because it teaches us that our salvation is completely God’s work from start to finish. And this is a tremendous comfort because only then can we be sure that we are saved. Think about it, if God did 99.9% and we only had to do .1%, could we ever be sure we did it, did enough? There would be that horrible monster of uncertainty always hanging over our heads. How could we have any joy in the Lord? Wouldn’t we, instead, still have to fear His wrath and judgment? But because our salvation is purely God’s work–100%–we can be certain of the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. We can be certain in Christ Jesus of God’s love and favor always, no matter what/ how it may seem.
Precisely this beautiful, perfect and clear doctrine of Scripture, of the holy Christian faith is Satan’s target. He wants to rip it away from us, out of our hearts. And one way he does that is by muddying the waters between faith and works. He either wants to get us to think that “faith in Christ plus our works equals salvation” or, that since it is all grace, then works don’t matter at all, which means we can live and do whatever we want since God will forgive us all of them anyway.
Both false views we see rearing their ugly demonic heads already in the times of the Apostles. How often does St. Paul repeat the theme like he does to the Ephesians [2.8,9]: for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast? And against the other thought that since works don’t enter into the equation, we can sin as much as we want–doesn’t St. Paul also strongly condemn that one when, for example, he writes to the Romans [6.1]:What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!
The simple fact of the matter is that the life of a Christian is to be filled with all kinds of good works–those things that God has commanded us to do in the holy Ten Commandments. We don’t put our trust in them for our salvation–our trust is in Jesus and His saving work, in the mercy of God. But our trust/ faith in Jesus and His work and the mercy of God is never all by itself. Our faith is always followed with all kinds of good works. Our Christian lives are adorned with all sorts of good works. These works flow from faith; they are not the cause of faith. When we see our lives adorned with the fruit of faith, good works, there we have a glorious comfort because there we see the evidence of the Holy Spirit in us–the Holy Spirit who creates this faith in Jesus in us and who leads and empowers us into that life of good works.
This life that we live as Christians, a life that flows from our faith, is a life that is completely different than what is common, even among those non-Christians that people usually regard as especially virtuous. This tremendous difference that is to distinguish the life of a Christian is what Jesus talks about in today’s Gospel, part of His “Sermon on the Plain”. As we go through our text, look at how radical our lives of faith are; look at how absolutely different the life of a Christian–one saved by God’s grace apart from works of the law–is! And what causes that difference? –And this is the Epiphany theme! The difference is that through faith we are united with Jesus. He is in us. Remember–in the season of Epiphany we are remembering that Jesus shows/ reveals Himself, who He really is–the true God. Well, in today’s Gospel Jesus teaches us that He, who is united and dwells in His dear Christians shows Himself–His divine majesty– in the lives of His Christians. As Christians, through faith and baptism, we don’t just follow or imitate Jesus, we are united with Him. We reflect His light to the world. That’s why our lives as Christians are dramatically different and filled with every sort of good work.
Our lives are marked by a great love–a love far different and greater than that of the world around us. Jesus says in our text: I say to you who are listening. The ones listening to Him are the ones who love Him and who, then, gladly listen to the voice of their God and Savior. This is listening to the Lord who is in us, who is united with us through holy Baptism; this is listening to the Lord who is in us and leading us into a life of good works; this is listening to the Lord who reflects His light to the world through us. This listening is faith and the fruit of faith.
And what is the first word out of Jesus’ mouth to us, His Christians? Love! Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Notice that Jesus doesn’t just say “tolerate” or “vaguely accept” but “love!” and “do good”–and to whom? –Our enemies, to the ones who hate us; not the people who are nice and our friends. That’s what Jesus did; that’s what He did all during His earthly ministry. In fact, the whole reason He came to earth was to save us who were His enemies, to save the ungodly human race. St. Paul writes about this [Rm. 5.6. 8]: For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly…. God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That’s the divine love; and that’s the love of Jesus that we reflect in our lives since we are united with Him in baptism. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you.
When our hearts have been warmed by Christ’s forgiving love and as He is in us by faith, that shows in our attitude and in what we do. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. Our love for our enemy shows itself in concrete ways. We have experienced God’s greatest love–we who by our sinful nature as we came into the world and were enemies of God–we have been the objects of God’s love, He desiring our salvation. As we reflect on that, that humbles us; as we reflect on God’s grace to us sinners, how can we, then, not show that same mercy to others and strive for their good? United with Christ, we then bless our enemies and pray for them that they, too, would convert and turn away from their sin. That’s the greatest love. By blessing and praying for them, by our deeds of love, they will see Christ in us. His light will shine on them through us. If we avenge serious wrongs they do against us, if we turn away and hate them, will they see Christ in us? Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you.
Jesus then continues: If someone strikes you on one cheek, offer the other too. If someone takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt. Look at the picture Jesus is painting here. What’s it a picture of? It’s one of patient endurance; it’s one of willingly and patiently enduring all sorts of wrongs. The light of Jesus, who dwells in His dear Christians, shines forth when we are like Him and do not seek revenge. Look at all Jesus suffered and endured–especially during His Passion. St. Peter writes [1 2.23]: when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. When we prefer to suffer twice rather than pay back evil with evil; when we prefer to lose both things rather than to claim our right, that is love in action. That is faith leading us to love, a faith that recognizes our own sin and yet God’s enduring and patient love toward us. Jesus continues: Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes away your things, do not demand them back. If someone has a need, we give them what we can and what love dictates–even to our enemy. Even if they take our things without asking, our trust, our reliance is on God as our protector. If we need to be avenged, He will do it. Just as our Lord desired our salvation, so we, motivated by love, endure wrongs that somehow our enemy may be won over. The thoroughly unselfish attitude of Christ who is in us shines through us in our deeds of love.
Jesus then gives the minimum of Christian virtue: Treat others just as you would want them to treat you. But notice: we become the standard. I would want someone to treat me nice so I will treat others well. Really, this is a good guide/ start but there is nothing extraordinary in this. Listen to how Jesus follows up: And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even the sinners do the same thing. If you lend to those from whom you expect to be repaid, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to be paid back in full. If the light of Jesus is to shine on the world through us, if Jesus is to be seen in us, there’s more. Morality, good works are not based on reciprocity. There’s that theme Jesus keeps repeating: Even the sinners do the same thing. Instead faith and love fill our hearts and move us to show undeserved love and mercy. Our good works do not/ cannot spring from selfish motives, or even from just the desire “to do the right thing”. That’s not Christianity; it’s not about merely “becoming a good person”–any pagan or sinners can do that, instead, through faith and baptism we are called into something better and higher; we are called into God’s own life as we are united to Him in Holy Baptism. And that’s why Jesus then continues: Instead, love your enemies, do good and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the unthankful and the evil. For us the standard is God’s mercy! Jesus says, in summary: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. That’s why we act and love the way we do–we have experienced God’s mercy and we then show and live out lives of mercy to others.
What does Jesus say as we love [our] enemies, do good and lend, expecting nothing in return? He calls us sons of the Most High. When we have experienced His mercy and in faith have received all of His graces and blessings in Christ, how can our lives be the same? They can’t. The foundation of our lives as Christians is God’s mercy. And we rejoice in that mercy. And that mercy changes us. That’s why good works will always follow faith and be closely connected to faith. There cannot be faith without good works. We recognize how much we have been in need of and the recipients of God’s mercy and that “softens” us to others. We see them, not so much any more as enemies but those who, like us, need God’s mercy. If we truly recognize our own sin and weakness, there is no way we can be hard and callous even toward those who do not like us and even hurt us–why? Because we see ourselves in them. And because we are Christians and by virtue of our baptism we are united with Christ and He is in us and we are in Him, we are the children of God and like children take after their earthly father, so we take after our heavenly Father: we are sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the unthankful and the evil.
So notice the greatness of the Christian’s love–it is far above mere human love that uses a human standard or looks after self interest. Ours is a divine love. We are the children of God! Yes, often our love seems to be cold and no better than the world’s; often we seem to be indistinguishable from the non-Christians. When we see that in us, let us repent and run anew to our Lord’s love and mercy, receive it in the faith of repentance/ receive Jesus giving Himself bodily to us in the Holy Sacrament, and strengthened and refreshed by it, that love will show itself in our daily lives. Where there is faith, there will be love and good works because Jesus is in us shining His light to the world through us. INJ